The Most Curious Year Yet

Beth woke up and looked around her room excitedly. She had finished all her holiday homework the night before which meant that now she could go and visit with the Weasleys.
They had been inviting her around all holiday for the last fortnight, but Remus had told Beth that she wasn’t allowed to visit again until she’d finished her homework.

Beth and Susan had finished the last of their essays yesterday evening, so now Beth could visit as many people as she liked.

She got dressed in a pair of light denim shorts and a light blue top before tying her hair out of the way.

“Good morning!” said Beth skipping down the stairs.

“Good morning Mistress Beth,” said Dobby who was making French toast.

Dobby had been working for the Lupin’s since he had been fired by the Malfoys and was now getting paid a galleon a week.

“Why are you so happy this morning Beth?” asked Lyall as he collected the paper from the delivery owl.

“Well I’ve finished all my homework,” said Beth as she dipped her French toast into syrup, “so I’m going to the Weasley’s today.”

“Oh yes the Weasleys,” said Lyall nodding his head, “has Molly tried adopting you again yet?”

“First Dad,” said Remus sitting down, “Beth already has a family, and secondly, her hair’s not the right colour.”

Beth giggled as she ate her breakfast. Remus was right although Beth’s hair did have a hint of red in it, her hair was more of a copper than bright red, it was somewhere between red and brown.

“Beth sweetheart don’t forget the rules for going round to the Weasleys,” said Remus as Lyall passed him the paper as he finished.

“Do what Mr and Mrs Weasley tell me to, don’t eat anything Fred and George offer me because its probably trick food, no going into the village, don’t go into Percy’s room without knocking, and be home in time for tea.”

“Exactly,” nodded Remus patting her on the back.

Beth ran upstairs quickly to fetch her satchel with her sketchbook, pencils and watercolours in.
“I’ll see you both tonight,” said Beth giving them both a quick hug before going to the Burrow via the fireplace.

Beth came spinning into the kitchen at the Weasleys, where they were just finishing off their breakfasts.

“Hello dear,” said Mrs Weasley giving her a hug as she walked out of the fire.

“You had breakfast?”

“Yes thank you Mrs Weasley,” chuckled Beth as she sat down between Ginny and Mr Weasley.

“Hey guess what?” said Ginny excitedly, “Dad won the daily prophet draw yesterday!”

“Congratulations Mr Weasley,” said Beth, “what are you planning on doing with it?”

“Well,” beamed Mr Weasley, “we’re going to save most of it, but we are all going to go to Egypt to visit Bill.”

“Is Charlie going to?” asked Beth.

“Yes,” said Mrs Weasley, “he’s going to be meeting us there.”

“What are you all going to do today?”

“Quidditch!” said Fred and George running for their brooms.

Ginny and Ron went to go and get their brooms too, Beth didn’t like particularly like flying, so she was just going to draw outside.

“Hi Percy,” said Beth sitting down in the grass next to Percy.

Percy was writing to his girlfriend Penelope.

“Oh, Uncle Remus asked me to give you this,” said Beth handing him a book from her bag, “he said he used to enjoy them.”

“The Lord of The Rings,” muttered Percy looking at the cover.

“It’s a muggle fantasy series,” said Beth.

Beth got out her sketchbook and found a clean page where she started to a draw the four Weasley siblings were playing Quidditch adding colour with her watercolour paints.

As she finished the painting she heard a light chuckling.

“What’s up Perc?” she asked turning towards him.

“This wizard,” chuckled Percy, “he’s basically Dumbledore.”

“Well I’ll be sure to tell Remus you’re enjoying the book.”

“Percy could I draw you?”

Percy looked up at her slightly uncertain.

“You could send it to Penelope.”

“Oh alright then,” said Percy, “need me to pose or anything?”

“No,” chuckled Beth, “just go back to your book, it’s your natural state.”

Percy laughed slightly as he went back to his book as Beth found herself another clean piece of paper.

She placed the first drawing she had just finished under a small rock so it could dry without being blown away.

“There you go Percy,” said Beth passing him the picture that she had just finished colouring with her pencils.

“Thanks Beth,” beamed Percy, “I’ll put it the next letter to Pen.”

“That’s a nice drawing Percy,” said Mrs Weasley coming outside to call them all in for lunch

“Beth drew it,” said Percy folding it so it could fit in the envelope.

“That is truly remarkable,” said Mr Weasley as he looked at the painting that had just finished drying.

“You have somehow managed to catch the mischievous glint in Fred’s eyes, and Ginny’s smile is so real, it’s as if they’re almost breathing.”

“You can keep it if you want,” said Beth packing away her bag for lunch.

Mr Weasley proudly hung the picture on the wall as they all sat down for lunch which was sandwiches followed by fruit salad.

After lunch then Ron, Ginny and the twins went back out to continue their flying, if they were going to Egypt for a month they needed to get in as much flying as they could now.

“Ron says you’re interested in History of Magic,” said Percy at the end of lunch, “he showed me your History notes, they are truly remarkable.”

“I think the remarkable thing is getting Ron interested in Binns’ subject in the first place,” said Fred.

“Yeah he’s really boring, we fall asleep in his class,” agreed George.

“Boys!” scolded Mrs Weasley, “I should hope you don’t fall asleep in any class this year; you’ve got your OWLs!”

“I’ve got some books you might be interested in,” said Percy as they got up from the table, “there’s some books on Medieval Witch Hunts that I know you’re studying this year, and I’ve got a really good book by Bathilda Bagshot on goblin rebellions.”

They reached the Percy’s door and Percy stopped talking and looked at the door slightly uncertain.

He opened his door a fraction of an inch and saw that there was a bucket hanging over his door.

“I can’t wait till next month when I come of age,” he muttered fingering his wand longingly.

“Mum!” he called over the stairs, “they’ve booby trapped my door with dung bombs again!”

“I’m coming dear,” sighed Mrs Weasley.

She levitated the bucket slowly down from over Percy’s doorway.

“Those two never stop do they,” sighed Mrs Weasley as she headed back downstairs.

“Sorry about that,” chuckled Percy, as they went into his room, “here.”

He passed her a stack of about five books each the size of a large dictionary.

“Are you taking History NEWT Percy?”

“Yes,” nodded Percy slightly smugly, “Pen and I are some of the only people taking it, there’s eighty people in my year but only eight students taking History.”

“History is my favourite subject,” beamed Beth, “I love it, but everyone else hates it. If it wasn’t for me I’m pretty sure that my whole house would fail the History exam every year.”

“I’ve seen your notes, they’re amazing, not just the drawings which are beautiful, but the way you tell the stories you make it so exciting.”

“It is exciting!”

“You don’t have to tell me,” muttered Percy looking at his bookshelf which was jampacked full of books, over half of which were History books.

“Beth can I ask you an honest question?”

“Feel free?”

“Do you really think that You Know is back?”

“Well,” sighed Beth, “to be honest Perc, I don’t think he was ever gone in the first place. His soul never died he just spent ten years floating around.”

“I fought Tom in first year, on the back of Quirrell’s head, and last month I fought a memory of him. Even though he might not have returned to his body yet, I know it’s probably just a matter of time.”

“Aren’t you terrified?” stammered Percy, “how can you talk about all this so casually.”

“Because I’ve just grown accustomed to the fact that Tom is not going to give up until either he or I are dead.”

“Fair enough,” nodded Percy sitting down at his desk and watching his siblings out the window.

“Wait a second Perc you believe me?”

“Of course, I ruddy believe you,” chuckled Percy.

“You Know Who, or Tom as you refer to him spent the last year possessing my sister. Not to mention the fact, that I just spent seven months in the Hospital Wing because he set a basilisk on me.”

“If it hadn’t been for Pen coming in every day to read me the notes for the classes I’d missed, I would be nearly a year behind in my classes, heavens forbid.”

“You really love Penelope don’t you?”

Percy blushed slightly.

“I’ve always wanted to go into the Ministry, and Pen’s behind me all the way, I love her, I think I might want to spend the rest of my life with her.”

“There’s just one thing though,” muttered Perc.

“What’s that?”

“I’m starting to rethink the Ministry and all it’s glory.”

“Why?” chuckled Beth, “I thought the Ministry was your dream!”

“It was,” stammered Percy, “I mean it is. But for example, the Ministry arrested Hagrid a few months back and didn’t even have any proof to arrest him, they sent him to Azkaban!”

“Well yes I know,” said Beth, “but should that change your opinion on the whole Ministry?”

“I’m not sure,” said Percy putting his head in his hands and thinking.

“I’ve still got a year to decide, but I don’t think I want to be in the Ministry anymore.”

“What would you do instead?”

“Oh I don’t know,” said Percy leaning back in his chair and laughing slightly, “replace Professor Binns?”

“What?” chuckled Beth.

“You know getting students interested in the History of Magic is a challenge,” beamed Percy.

“It’s just a thought,” he shrugged.

“No it’s a great idea,” said Beth, “you should really consider it.”

“Thanks Beth,” said Percy.

“Oh its nothing,” shrugged Beth getting her sketchbook back out.

“No,” chuckled Percy, “I mean thank you for listening to my ramblings, usually my brothers would have told me off for being a bore by now or would have told me to shut up. You actually listened to me, sometimes I need to get stuff off my chest you know?”

“No I get it,” said Beth as she drew the picture out the window, “besides, I’m used to Susan, she hardly ever stops talking.”

Beth spent the rest of the afternoon drawing on Percy’s bed, whilst Percy read the Lord of the Rings before going home in time for dinner.

“Hello sweetheart,” said Remus as she got back home, “had a good day?”

“Wonderful,” said Beth, “I talked to Percy and did lots of drawings.”

“Oh did he like the book?”

“He’s already half of the first one and asked you if he can borrow the others.”

“Of course, he has,” chuckled Lyall sitting down at the table where Dobby had just served lasagne and garlic bread.

“This looks wonderful Dobby,” said Beth, “thank you very much.”

“You is most welcome Mistress Beth,” nodded Dobby.

After dinner Beth headed up to her room and pulled out her favourite book, which was Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, she always loved drawing like Amy but other than that she thought she was more of a Beth, shy and loved cats.

She was flicking through the book looking at the colour plate illustrations in the old copy of the book which had belonged to her mother.

There was about ten pictures in total in the book, but she felt that the illustrations didn’t do the characters justice, it didn’t catch their personalities, not to mention the fact that the colour on the paintings were faded.

Well if she thought the drawings didn’t do the characters justice, she’d just have to draw her own.

She pulled out a fresh sketch book and labelled the cover clearly, Little Women, illustrations. Her plan was for now to draw one illustration at least per chapter.

She had just finished setting out her watercolours and her pencils when Remus came into the room.

“Hey little Beth,” said Remus kissing her on the head.

“Hello Uncle Remus,” giggled Beth as she opened the sketch book to the first page.

“Uh, uh,” said Remus chuckling slightly, “don’t you get started on any new projects tonight, it’s ten o’clock.”

“But I want to start on the illustrations!” pleaded Beth.

“You can start on the illustrations in the morning,” he chuckled, “now get to bed!”

“I want to stay up,” she protested.

“Oh no you don’t,” he said picking her up out of her desk chair and carrying her over to the bed.

He tucked her into bed.

“Now don’t move a muscle until tomorrow morning,” he said shaking his head as she got comfortable.

“What if I cant sleep?” she asked giggling slightly.

“Then keep trying.”

“What if I have a nightmare?”

“Then call for me, and Gwen can come get me.”

“What if I need the bathroom?” she asked still giggling

Remus tried to give her a stern look but burst out laughing himself.

“Stop giggling sweetheart,” chuckled Remus, “settle down and get some sleep.”

“Ok,” she said as she stopped giggling, “I love you Uncle Remus.”

“I love you too little one!” said Remus kissing her on the top of the head.