Pre-Hogwarts
November 1981, The Burrow
"I not supposed to exist," Rhiannon told her mam and maternal uncles when she was four. Her mam was quick to reassure her that she was in fact. "I not your daughter," Rhiannon insisted. Molly nearly burst into tears at her insistence, but Rhiannon knew it to be true. Even if it made her heart squeeze at seeing her mam's small hazel eyes tear up, it wouldn't change the truth. She wouldn't realize until later that her uncles who clucked and insisted that she was in fact Molly's daughter, weren't seen by her mam. That their auror robes would always remain ripped from blasts of the spellfire.
—-
Rhiannon Hesper Weasley was born just after midnight on October 30th, 1977, the same day and month as her mother Molly. Her middle name was chosen by her Grandmother Cedrella, her first was in honor of the grandmother she couldn't've met, Rhiannon Prewett.
Her mother would tell her that she was one of the best birthday gifts. Her older brother Bill would tell her that she was a very quiet baby compared to the rest of their siblings, hardly fussing or crying only looking at everything in fascination. Her grandmother Rhiannon would tell her she would sleep exactly as Molly did as a baby to a lullaby softly sung in welsh.
Rhiannon Hesper Weasley was not always her name of course, there was a her from Before(™) that couldn't forget that she was not supposed to exist in this story. That she could change things.
August 1981, The Burrow
Rhiannon was nearly four when she met Pandora Lovegood the woman peered down at her with silvery blue eyes obscured by the long strands of silver blond hair that fell into her face and a slight smile on her face. She held a tiny bundle in her arms.
"Is that Luna?" Rhiannon had asked. Already knowing the answer. Pandora had laughed airily before Rhiannon's mother had corralled her Mrs. Fawcett and Madam Diggory to the kitchen table. Her brothers and Cedric were playing outside in the summer sun, while their fathers were watching over them, Mr. Lovegood was out with them too. Her uncles were patrolling the area just in case.
Rhiannon trailed after her mam, Molly looking ready to pop any second. Ginny, if Rhiannon remembers correctly, was born August 11th, and said day was almost here.
August 13th, The Burrow, Family Room
When Rhiannon met Ginny, it was a chilly August morning. Her uncles Fabian and Gideon had stayed to watch over them while Arthur and Molly flooed to St Mungos. A couple days after Molly came through the floo holding a tiny pink bundle.
Her teary-eyed mam's mouth spread wide, her plump cheeks reached up and the crow's feet at her eyes became prominent, leaned down and showed her to all the rest of her children "This is your littlest sister Ginerva Molly Weasley," her mam introduced.
Rhiannon was besotted, just like with the other littler ones of the brood. Ginny was nearly as pink as her blanket and her baby blues eyes looked all around her even though all she saw were blobs. Rhiannon knew of course her eyes probably wouldn't stay blue but she wished they would.
December 1986, The Burrow, The Attic Room
She was nine and laying with Bill in his bed. Yule break had let him and her other older brother Charlie out of Hogwarts. "What if I'm not sorted into Gryffindor?" She whispered his hair that had gotten long without their mam to cut it. What if I'm not a good Weasley went unasked.
"You'll always be my little sister. Even if you are a changeling" He had answered back, still finding the time to tease her in-between his soothing of her worries.
“I wished everyone would just forget about that already.” She had stated back her indignation purely playful, as she tried to push her lanky oldest brother off his own bed. After all the time she spent from her 5th birthday to his 9th where she insisted upon her lack of existence and not really being a daughter of their parents, her oldest two brothers decided she must think herself a changeling.
October 30th 1988, The Burrow
Fred and George were very funny in the movies and books is what the Rhiannon from the Before(™) thought. Having them as two little brothers however was maddening is what she thinks as something suspiciously goopy falls onto her head and soaks into her strawberry blonde locks for her yearly birthday prank. This tradition only started when they became four but it has been far too many. The worst part she thinks is that she won't even have a school year to herself as her eleventh birthday falls right after the Hogwarts school year starts. Joy.
As before with her older brothers a tawny barn owl came and delivered a letter with the Hogwarts Crest addressed to her.
MS. R WEASLEY
The Birds’ Boudoir
The Burrow
Ottery St. Catchpole,
DEVON
September 1985 The Burrow, Kitchen
A month before her and her mam's birthday is Cedric's. Cedric Diggory was born on September 30th, 1977. He was clever and kind. He was a boy who was surely spun from sunshine. He was also one of Rhiannon's best friends.
Which is why Rhiannon is stressing so much on her current project. The most perfect birthday card ever until next year, when his birthday came again. “Poppa! It’s ready for you now!” Rhiannon called from where she was sitting at the kitchen table her mam's scrapbooking supplies scattered around her. Recently Cedric had discovered the joys of Quidditch. His favorite team the Wimborne Wasps, and favorite position to play Seeker.
Her card had cutouts of the Wasps faces from a collection of old quidditch magazines glued down, and an illustration of their home pitch. Now all she needed was her poppa to come and enchant the little snitch she drew for him to find. Once he found it would move to somewhere else in the card and he would need to find it again. Arthur comes in and sets the spell with a wave of his wand. When she tests it out it goes perfectly. “Thanks, Poppa, you're the best!”
“Ah-hah anything for my clever little Buttercup.
June 1985, Ottery St Catchpole
Today was a bird’s day, meaning none of her brothers were allowed to bother her and the rest of the girls of Ottery St Catchpole. Rhiannon was the oldest, followed by Sylvia “Sisi” Fawcett and Luna then Ginny. They were out playing by the river, being mindful and careful considering the youngest two were only, and nearly in Ginny’s case, three.
Madam Diggory, or Beatrice Diggory formerly Beatrice Williams, was watching them. Rhiannon quite liked Madam Diggory, who was a muggle-born witch. She has a dry sense of humor and was sharp as a knife, and she didn't care to spare them despite being children. Rhiannon could safely say that she was her favorite caretaker on bird’s day.
April 1983, Ottery St Catchpole
Rhiannon was wandering around Ottery St. Catchpole when she heard a sharp short whistle.
“Rhia! Over here.” Her uncle Fabian's spirit called out. “You've never seen Brân Cottage before, have you?” He just gave her a dopey grin when her gaze met his.
Brân Cottage was where her uncles lived before their demise, and subsequent haunting of her. It was also off limits because they have dangerous artefacts and traps set up in there. When she tried to explain this his sapphire blue eyes twinkled as he laughed. “Well, it's a good thing you have someone who knows it inside and out!”
She sighed and followed him as he led the way. It wasn't a long walk, the cottage laying at the end of the edge of the forest that surrounds their village. To where she heard a faint chirping. She stretched her hearing to try and pinpoint the chirping.
She treads carefully around the cottage until she found a little raven chick. “Ah, you surely must be an omen of some kind darling,” she crooned down at the chick. “Is this why you wanted me to come here?” She looked over at her uncle.
“Mmm me and Gid saw the dwtty thing, earlier. We looked for its mam but when nothing came, we figured our favorite niece could do something for it.” Her uncle explained.
She rolled her eyes, “I'm only your favorite because I can see you,” then she gingerly picked up the raven chick, “You're definitely an omen of some kind, that's all right though. An omen can be a good thing.”
Easter break 1984, The Burrow
Her mam had corralled all of them into the family room. It was time for yearly checkups.
“Ah hello Weasleys!” Ted Tonks called. “Already I presume? Right, Bill you first.”
Healer Ted Tonks was in the same year as Rhiannon's Uncle Bilius, may he quit haunting her. He became a friend to him, and as a result her dad. During the war Molly and Arthur rarely wished to have Rhiannon and her siblings leave the wards of their home for their yearly checkups, so Ted volunteered to make home visits to them. It is an arrangement that has stayed past the war.
“Rhiannon, your next.” Percy informs her as he returns from the kitchen. She springs up from where she was playing with Rom and Ginny, and walks to the kitchen.
In it Healer Tonks is with her parents. She sits in the chair that is clearly set up for her and the rest of the brood to sit in when it is time. “Is it alright if I point my wand at you to spell the diagnostic charms?” He asks as is tradition. When she nods her head in agreement, and he casts the charms. The magic feels cool and gentle as it spans over her. He then presses his wand tip to a piece of parchment. He read it over and nodded to himself.
“You're in tiptop shape Miss Weasley. It does say here that you've formed a familiar bond?”
“That would mostly like be Briallen. I had found her when she was an orphaned chick and nursed her back to health last year. She hasn't left me alone since.”
“Ah I see. Well, we'll have to keep an eye on it since you are so young. It might strain your magic core to be too far from her when you are older or have other such consequences. It isn't deadly, thankfully, but there is a reason familiars are only given after a young wix has turned eleven.”
Beltane 1989, Ottery St Catchpole, Druid's Grove
Historically most of the wizarding villages in the UK at least, were set up near groves that the druids planted. This is because the trees had protective magic thanks to the way druids planted and cared for them. The forests around Ottery St. Catchpole is one such instance. With the dying out of the druid so did the druidic ways of magic. The grove's magic has become wild and unkempt.
It's very lucky that Rhiannon can see and communicate with their spirits. For them not for her, this will be her last Beltane in her home for the next seven years and they keep nagging her more than ever to make a stave to place in the forest’s origin point. It's not like she's done everything else they've asked but now they want her to do more.
She obliged barely, she went to the elder tree where the bowtruckles lived, “Excuse me darlings but the druids are saying I must make a stave, I was wondering if I could have a bit more wood?” She was feeling bad at taking so much wood from the tree, having previously come here after getting her wand for wood to carve potion’s stir out of it. Placing her hand on the tree she reached her magic out and it dropped a branch, she smiled thanks darlings.
She set to work, and began whittling.
November 2nd 1988, Diagon Alley
Rhiannon and her father were out buying her school supplies. The first stop of the day was Gringotts. When they were finally at the front she stood on her tippy-toes and greeted the goblin, “Hello, may gold rivers end in your coffers. Rhiannon Weasley here to exchange some pounds for galleons.”
“May rivers of your enemies' blood run start from you. I'll Need the pounds you wish to exchange,” the goblin's mouth spread wide showing off its jagged sharp teeth.
“Ah I have the notes right here.” Arthur said from beside his daughter. “It's 500 pounds in total.”
“That'll get you 100 galleons, are you taking it all with you, or are you putting some of it away in your vault?”
“All of it with me please.” The goblin nodded his head in acknowledgement before writing something down on some paper. It probably took the goblin a total of five minutes to complete the transaction and bring out a tiny sack that no doubt had her money in it.
“May your enemies flee in terror at the sight of you, Miss Weasley.”
“May you be the last thing in your enemies' eyes.”
Briallen dive bombed them as soon as they stepped outside of the bank. “So dramatic! We weren't even in there for thirty minutes, chickpea.”
“Where to first, buttercup?” Her father asked.
“To get a wand!” Her father chuckled in reply and led her to Ollivander’s. The bell rang overhead as she walked in while her father waited outside with Briallen. The shop's lanterns were low. Rows and rows of shelves filled with wands were in the store.
“Ah Rhiannon Weasley,” Garrick Ollivander gazed at her with eyes so light blue they seemed colorless at first glance. “I remember your parents when they got their wands, little Molly Prewett; alder wood, unicorn hair 13½ inches, pleasantly springy, and little Arthur Weasley rowan wood, dragonheart string, 10 inches, stiff.” As he explained this he reached up and brought a wand down. “Go ahead now, give this one a wave.”
When she did, there was nothing, no tug or pull on her magic. “Applewood is not well suited for you dear.”
And on it went with nothing, until finally an elder wand was passed to her, she felt her magic stick to it but not quite pull or tug. It stuck like too much peanut butter does to a mouth. “Ah not elder-” “Actually Master Ollivander, I think it is the core which is wrong here.” He merely gave her a considering look, “I wonder now where is it? Ah-hah!” Rhiannon heard the man mutter to himself as he disappeared in the shelves.
He returned with a box in hand, “Try this one,” as instructed she tried the wand, and colorful sparks flew out. “Elder wood, phoenix feather, 12¾ inches, swishy and supple. Curious, many think elder wood to be cursed but many a great wix has owned one.”
Rhiannon looked down at her wand, it looked like it had little flower designs in the handle, she'll have to find the symbolism later, “Eldee wood is also known as the tree of the dead. Some cultures believed it to mark the presence of spirits.”
She looked up to see him gazing at her as if he was trying to dissect her very being, a wild looking grin spreading across his face, “That'll be 7 galleons Miss Weasley, 12 in total if you want a wearable wand holder.”
She carefully counted out the 12 galleons and was handed her wand holder. As the bell rang on her way out, she called back, “Gervaise, questions why you no longer use Serpent Horn.” A cackling laugh followed her out.
“I've never heard him laugh before,” her father stated, “It is very-” he cuts himself off and a dark-skinned hand waves through the air as if to complete his statement. “Might I see your wand, buttercup?”
Rhiannon brings it out and her father's dark green eyes study it for a moment, “Those are foxglove flowers, you'll never escape your brother's calling you changeling at this rate.”
“Then we'll just not tell them what foxgloves symbolize. Shall we get my robes next?”
September 1st 1989, Platform 9¾
The morning was a flurry of redheads rushing about everywhere. Somehow even though they've been doing it for the past seven years. Her parents don't quite have everybody corralled just right. Eventually they got to the train an hour before departure. The brilliant red train stood proudly before them.
“This is where we part ways,” her brother Bill said. “Charlie watch after the littler ones please. Perce don't forget to have fun. Changeling don't float too far. Fred and George, the professors are going to have their work cut out for them.” As her biggest brother addressed each of them, he placed a hand on their shoulders or ruffled hair. “Ron, Ginny you both be good for mam and da, alright? Bye I love you.” And he rushed off no doubt trying to avoid their mother's nagging about the dangers of being a curse breaker.
“Look at the lion go with his tail between his legs.” Charlie muttered, Rhiannon and the rest of her siblings snorted.
Molly turned to her three children entering Hogwarts this term, tears gathering in her hazel eyes, “I'll miss you three. Rhiannon try not let your little brothers get into too much trouble. Fred, George, I better not be getting any letters home for at least the first month from any of your teachers. Oh, come here dears,” and they all three got scooped up into a hug by their mother.
“Mam, da, you'll make sure to take Rom to the muggle chess tourneys. I made sure to tell all my competitors about how my little brother will be coming in my steed and that he's even better at it than I,” Rhiannon asked softly.
“Oh of course buttercup,” Arthur answered, smiling widely showing off the gap between his teeth that her, Charlie, Percy, and Ron had inherited. She hugged her father tightly.
“Gin, you and Luna better not get into too much trouble.” She whispered into the baby of the family's ear as she hugged her tightly. She moved onto Ron and with a final goodbye to the family members she was leaving behind.
With one last look behind her, Rhiannon stepped onto the Hogwarts Express…
TBC…