Charlotte Weasley

Chapter 3 - Extendable Ears

Charlotte, for the second time that day, was waking up with people talking around her. 

"Why did you think this was a good idea?" Mrs Weasley scolded George and Ron, anger lacing her words. "She could have died!" 

Everything tingled and her head throbbed. When she went to rub her head, pain shot through her arm. 

"She's awake! Charlotte, dear, don't move your arm. You broke it." Mrs Weasley, Ron, George, and Hermione were all surrounding her on the couch. 

"Charlotte, are you okay?" Hermione asked, concern plain on her face.

"I've been better," She croaked. 

"Well I'll give you medecine so you don't feel the pain so much and you can't use your arm until it's healed." Mrs Weasley grabbed a glass that was sitting on the table next to her and shoved it into her non-broken hand. "Drink up."

Charlotte downed the drink and her face contorted in disgust, it tasted like sausage Bertie Bott's every flavor beans. 

"Alright, since Charlotte is bed-ridden for the next few hours, Ron and George you are in charge of helping clean the house. I have to make dinner for tonight."

"Anything I can help with Molly?" Hermione asked after Ron and George disappeared into the depths of the house, tight frowns tattooed to their faces.

"Yes, would you be a dear and chop the onions?" Hermione followed Molly into the kitchen leaving Charlotte alone on the couch. 

Lost in her own thoughts, Charlotte wondered if she would be able to get on the Quidditch team. If she did, would she get a better broom than the old shooting star or cleansweep?

In a matter of two or so hours, Charlotte's arm was back in perfect condition and her headache had dissolved during her nap. The warm smell of one of  Mrs Weasley's famous soups was filtering through the house and made her stomach grumble. She desperately hoped that everyone would come soon so that they could eat. 

Before Mrs Weasley would notice that she was up and assign her a chore, Charlotte slipped back into the backyard where Ron and George were busy setting the table in the garden. 

"Lottie! You're awake!" George called, his wand directed at the trees. Instantly they were lit up with a thousand twinkling lights. "Are you better now?"

"Yes, it really wasn't that bad."

"See that's what I told mum!" Ron exclaimed. "But she wouldn't hear it."

Charlotte laughed. "It's like you don't know our mother." 

Ron waved his wand at the kitchen window and a stack of plates flew through it and swiftly thudded onto the table. "Well does anyone?" 

There was a knock on the front gate and it swung open revealing Fleur and Bill, followed by Victoire, Dominique and Louis. Charlotte ran over to hug her cousins. 

"Thank god you're here, I'm starving!" Charlotte whispered to Victoire. 

Victoire giggled, "I am too!" Charlotte grinned, it was nice to have a girl around her age at the house. 

Dominique and Louis, a few more years younger, rushed into the kitchen to steal a few tastes of food before dinner. It was clear they didn't manage to get any when they heard Mrs Weasley yelling in surprise and then shooing them out of the kitchen. 

A few minutes later, Harry and Ginny arrived, little Lily in Ginny's arms and James and Albus already causing issues in the garden with the gnomes. 

Everyone sat down at the table in the garden when Mrs Weasley walked out with the pot of french onion soup. Along with it was a freshly made baguette, and wild berries. 

"This looks wonderful Molly," Harry said as some soup was being poured into his bowl. 

"So, Charlotte when's your letter coming?" Ginny asked.

Arthur cut in, "I'm sure it'll be here soon, dear. Remember, after the second wizarding war they never could quite fix the letter delivering system and the letters don't always arrive on the children's birthday. Minerva is coming by later, you can ask her yourself."

Charlotte's stomach twisted uncomfortably, she didn't want to think about the case where she didn't get a letter. Since the first time she had ever heard of the mythic castle, she knew she belonged there. 

Molly turned to Victoire, "So have you thought about wether you want to go to Hogwarts or Beauxbatons?"

Victoire swallowed her food, "It's always been my dream to go to Hogwarts. It's Dominique who has always wanted to go to Beauxbatons."

Flour spoke up, "Beauxbatons is absolutely lovely, especially in the spring. I wish we could all visit sometime." 

Soon, Charlotte was full of delicious soup and warm, crusty bread and the lull of conversation was comforting. 

Harry glanced down at his watch, "Molly." He caught her eye. 

"Alright, Charlotte, Victoire, Dominique, James, Albus, Lily, Louis, Rose, Hugo-- Upstairs! I come get you for dessert in a while."

"Whyyy?" James whined. 

"James!" Ginny scolded and James ran inside with everyone else. 

Charlotte and Victoire went up to Charlotte's room and sat on her patchwork-covered bed. "I wonder what that was about?" Charlotte asked conspiratorially. 

Victoire grinned mischievously. "I don't know but I think we should figure out."

The pair walked back into the hall, everyone one else was a good five floors below them. 

"Maybe we can see them through the window?" 

"Ha! Mum made sure that we ate outside because you can't see into the garden from any of the windows on this side of the house. I have a better idea."

Charlotte walked up the stairs to Ron's old room and cracked open his old school trunk. Everything inside was exactly how it was when he left it there over a decade ago. Broken quills, ink jars, and random scraps of parchment littered the bottom along with a few smiling photographs of him and his friends back then. 

"What are you looking for, exactly?" Victoire asked. 

"This!" Charlotte pulled out a long flesh-colored string. 

"And what's that?"

"Extendable ears! They haven't sold them at the joke shop for years so I had a hunch that Ron might have had a pair back when he was at school. I was right." Victoire still looked confused so Charlotte elaborated. "They help you hear stuff that's far away. So we can hear stuff from the roof." 

"The roof?" Victoire giggled excitedly. 

 "The roof."