Ron Weasley

D'you think we're really going to study lions in CoMC today? We've done all the other House animals, right? And we finished badgers before hols.

It'll be dead awesome if we do!!

Well. It's the usual here. Good food, but loads of things Mum needs done before she'll let us eat!

Half-seven this morning, I think, she comes tromping in my room, carrying a pair of wellies she'd got by bartering stuff and says she hopes I enjoyed the lie-in, but the chickens need feeding. And then she says while I'm out there, maybe I could just pop up on the roof of the chicken coop and patch it where the shingles blew off. Says she'd meant to get that done before we came home, but she'd been so busy cooking and baking...

Yeah. And this afternoon we're fixing the fence at the bottom of the garden that's meant to keep the goats out of Mum's vegetable patch.

Anywiz, breakfast and lunch were well fantastic, and she's making roast for supper. And Bill's coming, so there'll be at least two kinds of pie or maybe pie and a cake. But it's going to be good whatever it is, because she's being all secret about it.

Oh, and Nev. I asked Mum about getting new shoes on her barter network--actually, I told her that instead of wellies it would've been better to get me shoes, but she didn't get cross about me being smart 'cause she got grumbling about Professor Carrow, instead. She's really, really cross they've let him stay at the school. And, y'know, she doesn't usually say things about teachers like that because she doesn't want us to think it's all right to talk rubbish about adults and teachers or whatnot, but she was just fuming about him. And she said it was okay, she'd work out how to get new shoes for me before we go back, and I don't have to keep wearing these awful ancient things Madam Pomfrey found for me. Well. They won't be new shoes, but y'know. So that's good. I was worried she'd be cross with me for getting mine melted.

So.

What are you lot up to? (Since none of you wrote back to me the other night. Or rode home with us.)

If you're not too good to be talking to us now.

What about you, Terry? Castle's dead quiet now, I guess. What do you get up to when we're not there?

Um.

Does this work?

I mean, is it only you that can see this?

Hey, Fish-eye.

That's the most sorcerously awesome thing I've ever got for a birthday!! I hear the Cannons' exhibition days are wiznift to the moon. There's the exhibition match, of course, but then there are all sorts of competitions for the fans, and the Cannons all stand out on the pitch and sign autographs on anything you bring--well, anything you can write on, anywiz. I heard one time, someone brought their cat and wanted Morrison to sign that, but Morrison wouldn't do it because the spell they wanted him to use would've been permanent and he didn't want to hurt the cat.

Two tickets! You're the best, Pans. I can't wait for June!!!

Look. I know that some of you lot are throwing in with Malfoy, and, all right, I see how it makes sense for people in the same House to work together since we have lessons alone more than not.

But.

I think we could work together, too. Especially if Fred and George and Lee would help, we could figure out some stuff that would get us out of tight spots that might not be so tight for Malfoy or Marvolo, if you see what I mean.

But you couldn't share stuff we figure out with them. All right?

What do you say?

NO!

Hey Fisheye, Perks. How was the party last night? The little people want to know.

Are we meeting up tonight or what? When? Where?

So is it dead awesome to be fourteen or what?

There's lots of stuff to tell you about.

But first, I wanted to say thanks for pressies.

Nev, the chocs were great. We ate them up right away before Mum could tell us not to. Heh!
The Cannons mittens are nift, Perks. And Mum really liked the wrist warmers you knitted her, too. She spent a long time looking at how you'd done the design, so I guess you did pretty well! And I've got the picture from one of my Cannons posters on that picture thinger you gave me. Mum said I should have a picture of all the family, but, y'know. I'll maybe do that if we take a picture with Charlie while we're visiting, but right now it's really nift because the picture I've got is Wintringham making this amazing save with two bludgers coming at him from opposite directions!
Parks, you're the best, getting me that book on broom charms. It's the same one you checked out from the library in London over the summer, yeah? But it's got an extra chapter on modern innovations, which is aweome. I keep working on the Silver Arrow, and she's getting better all the time. The broom kit's got really great twig clips, too, and they're supposed to be charmed to always stay sharp, so that's nifter than wiznift!
Hey, Terry. That box you carved is really dead amazing. And the lion on top looks really good. I don't know how you do that.
I'm really sorry all I could do for you lot was crackers again. I'm dead hopeless at making stuff. I mean, really. Anywiz, I liked it all a lot. So, thanks!

There's other stuff I wanted to tell you, too. Like about some stuff I've talked about with Mum and Dad--well, mostly Dad, actually. Some of it was about that hex of Percy's. They were really cross about that. But it was interesting, too, because I got to ask Dad some questions I've been meaning to about Dark Magic. Well, because he was trying to say that I should think about the things I do to get back at people sometimes, because putting a mean hex on someone that embarrasses them or whatever is a bit like using a hex that makes them do stuff they don't want to, and he said it was all a matter of degrees.

Anywiz, he says Dark Arts are always about either hurting people or making stuff happen against someone's will. Like the Imperius curse or the hex Percy put on me are both bad because I didn't get to decide for myself what I'd say to people. I had to do just what Percy wanted. And it felt really, really wrong. But really Dark spells use stuff like blood in order to do really big stuff that no other magic can make happen. Like he said that Dark sorcerers sometimes do spells that start with killing someone in order to make the wizard's power greater or make him live longer or heal someone who's about to die. So it's not always something horrible that you want to do, but it takes doing something really awful like killing a person or a unicorn or something in order to do it. Like the Death Eaters. That's why they're called that, I think. Because they do Dark stuff that takes lifeblood for the spells or potions or whatever.

But I wanted to tell you, too, about something else interesting that's happened. On Wednesday we went off on our brooms, exploring. I mean, it was really getting dull being cooped up inside, and when Percy was around--did I tell you what we did to Percy?--it was terrible, so Mum said we could go off with Mr Diggory and Cedric to go scavenging a bit in some of the old muggle towns around here. There are loads of them, y'know. Little places tucked up in the woods and round the coastline and in the hills. Hamlets, Mr Diggory calls them. Not even proper villages, some of them. Like they'd have a pub but no owl post office, or a church but no grocery or pub. Anywiz, the big seaside towns have been pretty well picked over by teams from the Ministry, but some of the little places haven't been touched. Mr Diggory says that at first people were too sensitive to, y'know, take stuff that belonged to the people who used to live there, but now it's clear they're never coming back, and if it's stuff that could be useful, then it's better it's put to use than just left to the vines and rust and rats and all.

Anywiz, we went first to a little tiny hamlet called Hand and Pen where Mr Diggory had seen a bunch of yarn in a house one time, and he said Mrs Diggory'd been after him for yonks to go back and collect it for her. So we did that and found some jars and stuff in an old canning cellar, so we packed that up, too. And we had a big sort of sling, like a hammock, that the twins strung up between their brooms, and they went and took that stuff back to the Diggories' while the rest of us went on to a place called Slewton Combe that's not much bigger than a knut and wasn't worth that much. So we didn't stay long. Just kind of looked in windows and poked about in a couple of sheds. And then we got to a place called Whimple that's quite a bit bigger than the others--I mean, it has a square and there's a church and a school building and there used to be two pubs and a big place called Whiteways that made cider and stuff out of apples and pears. Mr Diggory thought there might be some things there that people on the barter network could use, and he found loads of stuff that he got us to shift out of the barns and buildings. And then Mr Woodhayes turned up and said a couple of the other men from the network were on their way, too. And about then the twins came back, so Mr Diggory said we could go off on our own if we wanted and do some proper exploring.

So we flew off, the three of us plus Cedric, and we went poking about the countryside and ended up in a place called Newton Poppleford, and it was full of mad muggle stuff. Like when we flew into town, and just as we crossed the river at the bridge where the main muggle road goes into town, there was this house that had sort of statues in the front that were of bears wearing clothes and posed like they're waving at you. Totally mad. There must've been a dozen of them, those bears! We decided we should go in one of the pubs because its sign says it has a skittles alley, but when we went in, it smelt as if something'd died in there, so we left right quick. Phoah! Cedric said it smelt the way you'd think that Mr Black's corpse probably smells if it weren't sealed up in that box. He's been to see it, and he said it was really decayed. Said it was pretty interesting to see what happens to a body. He was telling us that one of the cheeks had sort of caved into the mouth and the lip on the other side looked like it had sort of slid down his chin or summat. Anywiz, I don't know if we'll get to go now that we're going to Stornoway. Which is, y'know, probably good, 'cause if it's as awful as Cedric said, I can't imagine Mum letting us look at it. She'd have kittens about Ginny seeing it, for sure.

Anywiz, Newton Poppleford was pretty interesting. We went in some houses and they were pretty much just like the Muggles had left them. Only one of them'd had a leak in the thatch and stuff that'd got ruined inside.

Oh, and we went in the village hall and there was this picture display up.--Did you know Muggle pictures don't move? That was queer.--Anywiz, it showed pictures of people sledging in the winter, and there were some of people in fancy dress for some carnival they had there, and some were of kids running about in the schoolyard, and some were ladies in hats and odd-looking clothes standing about by the church. And then there were a whole load of pictures that showed blokes playing something that uses bludger bats but on the ground and has funny-looking masks and big padded kit.

And then there was this one picture of a lady who looked a bit like Mum, and she was holding a big bunch of flowers and smiling like she was really happy. And, I dunno. It made me wonder if we'd been into her house at all, and y'know, where she is now. It was odd.

But we found some nift stuff. Cedric found one of those bludger bats, and the twins found some tools and a really enormous cauldron in the school kitchen that they figured was for making soup, but they've got other ideas for it, and I just picked up some little stuff--a ball that bounces all ways you wouldn't expect, and a pipe that's carved with a bloke's head, and some sweets called sherbet lemons that fizz in your mouth, and I was going to bring a load of muggle blowing gum from the shop there, but we tried it and it'd gone off. It was just all hard and nasty. Oh, and I got a pocket watch that you have to wind up, but it keeps good time. I gave it to Dad because I knew he'd think it was really nift, and he really does.

For Christmas!

And Mum's cooking. I mean, here at school you don't ever wake up because you're smelling breakfast cooking, do you? Or know it's time to come in for lunch because you can hear Mum banging pots about in the kitchen. And you don't start thinking about supper at half-four because you can already smell the roast cooking.

And none of it will be transfigured!

It's been a while since I've been home for Christmas, too. So I can't wait to see all the decorations: the garland and the candles, and Mum sticks cloves into apples--and oranges, too, if she can get any--and that makes everything smell great!

I hope they haven't brought in the pine boughs yet for over the doors. I remember going with Bill and Charlie when I was still pretty small and helping them pull the branches back home.

And Mum'll be humming carols all the time. And there'll be sweets for tea time.

I don't know how much snow there's been at home, but one year we got great gobs of it over the hols, and when Charlie came home from school, we made a giant snow fortress, and the twins made a cannon and shot snow balls at Percy and Ginny when they came out to see what we were up to!!!

And there'll be pie. And Mum's jam. And toast soldiers with our eggs.

So, yeah. I can't even wait!

Uh.

Parks?

Are you all right?

Whoa! I just missed having my head taken off by Vaisey up the Charms corridor!

Anyone know why he and Capper are getting into it with McLaggen? Capper's got cauliflower ears and McLaggen's nose is bleeding like anything. I don't want to get anyone in trouble, but it looked pretty serious.

Sally Anne, Pansy, Nev.

(Good thing I don't have to use private messages to talk to you lot since there's three of you. I heard Jones got well cheesed at Bones--heh, that rhymes!--'cause Bones sent her a PM she couldn't read 'cause she was third on the list. I bet that happens all the time, people forgetting you can't have more than two.)

Anywiz. Last night some of us were messing about and came up with a game you play with switching spells that turned out to be a real laugh! You need to get a bunch of stuff together--like we had Bundy's bunny slippers and Towler's omnioculars and my wrist sheath and a load of other things--nobbly rubber balls and some ribbons and a bell and just a load of stuff--and then you take one thing and swap something on it with something on one of the others, and then you pass it to the next person and they have to swap something on it with something from one of their things and then you pass it on. It gets really mad!

It's a bit complicated putting it all right at the end, of course. I think Towler's omnioculars have still got bunny ears.

Anywiz, I was thinking you might want to play. (It'd be great with jam!!!!)

And Nev, you should totally try it. You were hiding out last night so we wouldn't ask, weren't you?

Anyone want to go out to the pens today and see if those firecrabs have got any bigger? It's probably safer out there than inside today. Especially for you lot in Slytherin.

At least we don't have to go to YPL again this week. Professor Lestrange's lessons are really nift, but that meeting last week was too boring. And Professor Sinistra was so much more, I dunno, 'the Protectorate this' and 'the Protectorate that' than usual. I guess it was because Professor Lestrange was there and she wanted to impress him. But honestly. I hope next month's is better.

Did you hear about what happened to Michael Corner? I think it's true, because he looked really tense today.

I've been thinking about the stuff parents don't tell kids. I wish they wouldn't do that. Keep secrets, I mean, and think they're protecting us when really it means that anytime something can happen where you really needed to know.

Anywiz, I feel sort of awful for Corner. I mean, Patil was already all over him for being soft. And, y'know, for talking to me. What's it going to be like now for him?

Hey, Pansy, Sally Anne.

What are you doing after Potions today? Or, y'know, before Astronomy tonight? Besides eating supper.

That switching spell we did today in Transfiguration? It was kind of a mess over at my table. I mean, I got it. Mostly. But I couldn't explain it to Bundy, and she was just a menace. I got spiked twice, and she just missed her own face with one of them. None of them went where they were supposed to go, and the best of it was that most of them didn't shift at all.

We've got double Transfig again tomorrow morning, so it would be really, really nift if she'd got it before then because we won't have Goyle spraying them all over the room to keep Carrow from noticing us. I think it's something she's doing wrong with her wand, but maybe it's how she's setting up the hedgehog by the gourd. Or maybe it was just that the people behind us were making nasty remarks all the time and making her nervous.

Anywiz, you made it work, right? D'you think you could show Bundy how it's done? If I can get her to meet somewhere this afternoon?

Nev, what about you? I didn't see how you were getting on. I was too busy trying to keep Bundy from putting an eye out--mine.

Thanks, Nev.

You, too, Fisheye.


And I thought Tuesdays were going to be good days. Glad this one's over.

It's good to know who your friends aren't.


Carry on.

So, yeah.

Many happy returns, mate.

I hope today's better than yesterday. And, I dunno, I guess this year was pretty good, but I hope next year's better.

I sent you an owl to your Gran's cause Mum thought it was better to do it that way. Anywiz. I hope they let you do something snitch today, even if it keeps chucking it down outside.

LOOK OUT BEHIND YOU!!!!

Um.

There.

In the bushes.

Errol's bringing thank you notes from all of us to the Strettons--including from Mum, who says she wants Mrs Stretton to know that she knows what it is to have so many of us all at once.

Anywiz, yesterday was dead snitch. For real. I mean, how often does a match end with the snitch flying up the Seeker's robes and knocking him off his broom? Haha! Lee, that was the funniest thing ever!!! And a good thing it was so low when you saw it!!

See, Nev? You're not the only one that sort of thing happens to! It was really great, though. You'd have loved all the food. The Strettons just let us tell their servants what we wanted, and then Jeremy had them bring it all out so we could have a picnic outside under the trees. They have a bunch of servants to do everything for them. Well, I guess they've got loads of work to do there, running their farms and factories and all.

Anywiz, we played two matches in the morning--'cause the first one ended really fast when Lee caught the snitch by pretty much dropping out of the air right on top of it and then falling off his broom when it got caught in his robes and started pounding him. And after lunch we switched the sides around and made it a rule that you could only have one beater, 'cause Stretton's side in the morning decided to have two beaters and two chasers (y'know, instead of one and three), but that made it a bit too much like a real match and it didn't seem really fair with people playing who aren't used to flying all the time.

Oh, and the twins and Lee and Stretton all had ideas for other spells we could try on the old brooms, since the ones we put on my Silver Arrow last time are working a treat. And we got Fred's broom so it can go way high, and Stretton's Nimbus 1000 was really shooting about after we got done with it. Wood got kind of cheesed off at us for spending time charming the brooms at the start, 'cause he wanted to just play. (So it's pretty rich he's the one who held things up after lunch when he was off talking to Stretton so long. Didn't you think, Sally Anne?) But it was wizard he was there. Wood, I mean. Ginny was really chuffed when he said she's a natural Seeker. That was pretty nice of him.

So, yeah. It was really great.

Oh, and when we got home, Mum had got an owl from Professor Sinistra with all the stuff about what to pack for the YPL trip, and forms she has to fill out giving permission for stuff. So today I'm having to decide what I want to take so she can wash everything and mend stuff, and she's fussing about the fact that I've grown a couple inches since school ended and now the sleeves are short on my school robes, and I guess we have to have a set of school robes for the trip for something. Mum said at least they didn't say we have to have dress robes with us.

Hey, Sally Anne. Mum's sort of worrying that the Strettons might get worried about letting you and Jeremy come through the Floo alone tomorrow. She thinks maybe she didn't say enough in the owl she sent about how she'll be right here by the fire to make sure you both get through right away and don't end up somewhere in Cornwall instead. I guess she just remembered that last year you came with Wood and had to go to the central Floo place and everything. And I guess now that she's met Mrs Stretton, she's worried she might make a fuss.

I'm actually more worried Stretton will do something daft and his mother won't let you come. But I didn't tell Mum that.

So. Is it all good with the Strettons tonight?

Oh. And also. You're both bringing brooms, I guess, but if Stretton's got an extra and wouldn't mind bringing it (or his Mum wouldn't mind) that'd be snitch, cause I'm not sure whether everyone coming will have one or not. And our spares are pretty dire. Well, you saw last year. And they're not any better now.

Oh, and Pansy said she can come. So it's going to be totally wizard tomorrow!

It's great to be home. The food's so much better than at school. It's been so long since I've had real food--the kind Mum makes--I forgot what really good food tastes like! Awesome.

And tomorrow, we're going to Diagon Alley to buy a wand to replace the one that got broken on the way to school. I was sorta nervous about whether I'd still be in trouble for that, but Mum and Dad were totally wiz about it, and so tomorrow we're going to Ollivander's.

I hope you all made it home okay. I mean, I guess nothing was going to happen to any of us, what with all those Aurors on the train and at the station, but we all had to get from there to home, so I hope you all got there and nobody met any of the escaped prisoners or anything.

Pansy?

You all right? I heard, well, that maybe you aren't.

Do any of you lot know whether they've found out anything about the Patils' little brother? Parvati looks really awful, so I don't want to ask her about it. And obviously I'm not going to go up and ask Padma.

Anywiz, I just wondered 'cause, y'know, it's really

I keep thinking what it would be like if one of us

and how it would be for Mum

or how it would feel to, y'know, just never see the twins again or even Ginny

yeah

it'd be awful

I meant what I said.

Just in case you thought I wasn't serious.