Chapter Text
1
At eleven years of age, there weren't many days Ronald Weasley could count as special. Sure, there were birthdays once in a while and his life wasn't by any means dull, but the boy didn't have many things to truly look forward to on a daily basis. The Weasleys couldn't afford a proper vacation and — aside from the occasional trips to the nearby village or the dreadful visits to aunt Muriel's — most of Ron's days were pretty much the same.
Today was different though. Today was his day.
Ron sprung out of bed unusually early, or at least what he considered to be early. As the sixth of seven children, he was used to waiting in line for the bathroom, but that didn't dampen his excitement. He took a quick shower and got dressed quickly, trying not to make of his room a much bigger pile of rubbish than it already was. After struggling into a pair of old maroon socks, he made his way to the small table by the window, where his pet rat's cage sat.
The sickly pet was named Scabbers. It was a fat little bugger that rarely gave a visible sign of life. Ron's older brother, Percy, had given it to him a few days ago. The lucky prat was getting a brand new owl, and in turn, Ron had to deal with a ruddy thing that slept all day and was a finger short — a lousy excuse for a pet by all means. Ron had never had a pet of his own before though, and he made sure to leave enough food in its cage. They were going to be out all day and he didn't want it to die or something while they were gone.
"Ron! Breakfast!" his mother boomed from downstairs. Her lungs had the means to reach Ron's fifth-floor bedroom in The Burrow — which was the name they'd given to their house.
"Just a minute!" he yelled back, quickly shoving Scabbers into his cage.
A single bed and some pieces of elderly furniture were all there was to Ron's bedroom. It was nothing remarkable at all, still, fought the room's dreariness by packing its walls with orange and posters of his favourite Quidditch players. It wasn't the best of bedrooms, but Ron took pleasure in knowing that at least it was different from those of his brothers.
Ron slipped on his trainers and turned towards the door, only to be distracted by a wrinkled piece of paper on his nightstand. It was his Hogwarts acceptance letter. He had spent years waiting for it, shuddering at the thought that the letter might never come. In the end, the letter did come. His moment was finally here.
A stupid grin couldn't be helped.
In a month's time, Ron would be finally walking the old corridors of Hogwarts — the famous wizarding school. Ever since he could remember, he'd heard his five older brothers tell wonderful tales about the place. He could hardly contain his excitement to be there already.
Today was his first shopping trip and he was bound to remember it for a lifetime. Despite having tagged along on his brothers' shopping trips before and knowing quite well that he wouldn't be getting brand new things, Ron just couldn't stop feeling as if today was the best day ever.
"RON!"
He almost fell to the floor this time. Quickly stashing his letter into the first drawer, he rushed downstairs as fast as a speeding bludger.
The Burrow was a seven-story oddity, a ramshackle old structure with creaky wooden boards that groaned with every step. Ron was painfully aware of this as he raced down the stairs.
Upon reaching the kitchen, Ron realised that his entire family was already gathered around the table. His morning haste had been all for nothing, since he was still the last one there for breakfast. Even Ginny, who was at least as sluggish to wake up as he was, sat in her place all dressed up and ready for the shopping trip. Ron's younger sister wouldn't be going to Hogwarts until next year, still, she looked properly excited about the trip to Diagon Alley. As any sane person should be.
They were well on track to leave home by ten o'clock, but Ron's mother still lectured him about being late as she placed a hearty plate of food in front of him. It was a Saturday, so their father would be joining them for the trip. At the time, he was calmly going over that morning's paper at the far end of the table.
As Ron settled into the empty seat next to them, the twins were prattling about potion ingredients they couldn't miss on the trip. Soon, they turned their attention to him. "Good morning, Ickle little Ronniekins, your breakfast is getting cold," one of them playfully teased, possibly George, but as always he was somewhat iffy with his guess.
"You should try waking up earlier. Unless you plan on missing the train next month," the other twin added.
George tapped his spoon against his chin in deep thought. "Hmmm, wonder what happens when someone does miss it."
"By the looks of it, we'll probably find out soon enough."
Ron shot them both a glare, wishing he knew some neat hexes already. "Shut up!"
They shouldn't be joking about that sort of thing. Ron couldn't miss the train. He just couldn't… Could he?
"Feisty, this one," Fred remarked. "With a temper like that, you'll have a nasty time making any friends at Hogwarts."
"Or getting a girl for that matter." George winked.
Ron's ears turned slightly pink. He knew his brothers had been talking more about girls lately, but that was hardly a matter that worried Ron at the moment. All he wanted was a friend or two, someone to talk to about Quidditch. "Oh sod off! I don't need a girlfriend," he groaned, before returning his eyes to his plate.
Across the table, Ginny giggled, earning a warning look from Ron. Unfortunately, his sister was completely unafraid of him and even stuck her tongue out in defiance. Percy was next to her and kept a haughty expression, as if the whole exchange was beneath him. He was the eldest Weasley brother still living at the Burrow, since Charlie and Bill had already finished school and were working abroad.
As they continued to eat breakfast, Ron took a bite out of his muffin while his father made a comment or two about something he read on the Daily Prophet. Percy listened eagerly, but their mother didn't seem too interested; she was going through the list of things to buy and mumbling about money as she marked their priority items diligently. It made Ron uneasy to be so excited about school supplies when he knew each one of them would be a burden on his parents' pocket.
The twins kept talking about the wacky knickknacks, trinkets and whatnots that they could get a glimpse at through the shop fronts. Regardless of that, their favourite conversation was still teasing Ron about girls. They were looking to get a laugh at his reactions, and he tried to ignore them, but sometimes it wasn't that easy.
"What about kids, Ronnie? I reckon Mum wouldn't forgive you if there are no grandkids in her future," George said between mouthfuls with a stupid grin to him.
Fred glanced down and shook his head slowly, "I don't know, maybe that task will be left to us. The handsome lot. Our little brother might be more suited for taking care of garden gnomes rather than children."
"My future children, if I have any, are none of your bloody business!" Ron retorted, his ears turning an even brighter shade of red.
"Ron, watch your language!"
"They started it."
"Boys, leave your brother alone," their father chimed in unhurriedly from behind his newspaper.
"Anyone who doesn't behave will get chicken quills this year," Ron's mother warned them sharply.
Ron panicked. He wondered what his future classmates would think of him if they saw him writing with a chicken's feather. "You're joking!"
"Course she is. Who would be barmy enough to go about making chicken quills?" Fred asked.
The warning look their mother gave them wasn't one to take lightly. "If you get on my nerves, I'll pluck the feathers myself. Now off you go. Get your cloaks and anything else you need. Want you all by the fireplace in five minutes."
By the time they were all back at the living room, Ron's mother was already dividing the Floo powder each one of them was to use with great care.
"Mother, do you think I can have a new set of robes this year?" Percy asked.
She answered without turning, "We'll see, Percy."
Just as they were about to head into the fireplace, someone unexpectedly knocked on the front door. All of the Weasleys stopped in their tracks and turned to each other as if baffled.
"Were you expecting someone, Arthur?"
"No, dear."
"I'll go check," she said, walking out of the room.
Ron was annoyed at this early visitor. He wanted to be at Diagon Alley already. Couldn't this person go away and come back some other time? Hopefully, whoever it was, would be off soon enough.
They heard the door open, then the yells of an excited little girl reached them. "Grandma!
Percy arched an eyebrow as the twins exchanged looks.
"Who's that?" Ginny asked curiously.
"Sounds like a secret Bill has been keeping from us," Fred joked.
Suddenly, five rowdy kids burst into the living room, followed closely by Ron's mother. They were full of energy and excitement until they saw Ron and his family, freezing in place with bewilderment. The group consisted of some redheads and two boys with unruly hair. The oldest was around Ron's age, and it seemed like they had all arrived by themselves. At first glance, there was nothing unusual about them except for one boy who caught Ron off guard. He looked almost like him but younger, with more auburn hair and slightly different eyes. Details aside, he was Ron's spitting image.
"Blimey!"
Ron wasn't the only one to notice. Percy and Ginny both turned to him, while their father blinked and took a moment to process what he was seeing.
"Ickle little Ronnie! There's two of you!" one of the twins said.
"Oi! That was our thing!" the other one protested, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Who are these children? Muggles?" Ron heard his father ask.
Ron's mother shook her head, "Doesn't seem like it. They say they just apparated here, somehow." she explained, concerned.
One of the visitors, a little redhead girl who stayed close to Ron's mother, spoke then, "Grandpa! You know who we are."
"Lily! Shh!" an older girl next to her quickly hushed her, placing a finger on her lips as a signal to be quiet. This new girl also had red hair, but hers was bigger and brighter, Weasley-toned.
The attention shifted to Ginny, because the younger girl — the one called Lily — looked somewhat like Ron's sister as well. Although there were some slight differences, like the deeper shade of red in the girl's hair and some other details in their faces that Ron couldn't pinpoint, still, the resemblance was noticeable.
"Oi! Now everybody has a twin," Fred complained.
"Percy doesn't," George pointed out.
"Well, I guess the world couldn't take two of that one."
Percy shot the twins a glare.
For Ron, none of it made sense. Who were these kids and what was their business here? Some distant cousins, perhaps? They did have some relatives that they didn't visit often. Whatever the case, Ron just hoped that the shopping trip wouldn't be postponed more than it had already been.
His parents didn't seem to have any more clue of what was going on, nor did his siblings. Ginny was especially awestruck, staring goggle-eyed at the little girl.
"Can you tell us your names?" asked Ron's father.
"You know our names!" Lily exclaimed. Ron's could-be-twin was nodding vigorously in agreement.
Ron's father spoke up in a gentle tone, "Our memories are a bit hazy today. Could you remind us again?"
The little girl looked befuddled and turned to the oldest boy among their group for help. Once the boy nodded, the girl said her name. "I'm Lily."
"James," said the oldest boy. Ron couldn't help but wonder if he was actually the same age as him. Maybe he was going to Hogwarts this year as well.
"My name is Rose," said the girl with the big red hair, cautiously.
"Al," added a black-haired boy who seemed to be related to James.
All eyes then turned to the last remaining boy, the one who bore a striking resemblance to Ron. "Hugo," he announced.
"I suppose we should introduce ourselves then," Percy began. However, before he could say anything more, he was interrupted.
"We know you already, Uncle Percy," said Al, taking people by surprise. "It's just that— You all look different. Very different." By the time he finished speaking, he looked even more confused than when he had started.
Percy turned to his parents, who shrugged. The kids couldn't be relatives if Ron's parents didn't know them. They should know the family tree better than Ron did. Although, if the kids weren't relatives, then how come they seem to know them already?
"Where are your parents?" Ron's mother asked.
James scratched his head, "It's hard to explain. I thought you were our grandparents, but you don't seem to know us. And you all look so young," he said, bewildered.
"Very," repeated Al.
Suddenly, Rose let out a gasp and her eyes had grown as round as galleons. James raised an eyebrow at her, then noticed she was looking at the twins. The boy's jaw dropped.
Uh...what is it?" George asked.
"Do we have something on our faces?" Fred chimed in.
Lily turned to Al with a puzzled look, "Why are there two Uncle Georges?"
Al looked bewildered. He gave Lily a reassuring smile before turning to the eldest boy, "James, do you think this has something to do with that golden thing?"
"I don't know, Al. It could be. Maybe it shrinks people."
"You shouldn't have grabbed it in the first place. This is all your fault!" hissed Rose.
"Is it now? Who's to say that weird tube of yours didn't cause this?"
"It did not!" Rose shot back, her hands on her hips. "If it weren't for that we would still be lost in the middle of nowhere!"
Being no stranger to children arguing, Ron's father stopped them in the spot, "Kids, kids, we cannot help you like this. Calm down and tell us what happened."
"Er, yeah— Where do I start? Well, we were at home, Kinver's house that is…" James started, pausing as if expecting some recognition from the adults. "And, well, Rose used this tube of hers and we ended up here."
"That's not how things started, and you know it!" Rose hurried, "What about your house disappearing? You and that stupid thing did that first!"
And just like that, another round of arguments erupted between the two children.
Bloody hell! What are they even going about?!
"Look at them go," George commented, shaking his head. "At this rate, we'll never make it to Diagon Alley."
"We should have been there by now," Ron grumbled with a frown.
The mention of Diagon Alley had an unexpected effect on the kids; they stopped bickering immediately. "Diagon Alley?" James questioned with curiosity.
George nodded. "It's shopping day. Ronnie's first year."
Rose turned to Ron, her expression incredulous. "It's his first year? But that can't be!"
"I said the same thing. Reckon there must be some magic to him after all," Fred chipped in.
Ron could feel his frustration growing. "Knock it off, will you?"
Brilliant. Now the new kids would think I'm pants at Magic. Almost a squib for sure.
Rose didn't seem to find it funny; she looked genuinely worried. "No, that's not what I— I mean, he finished Hogwarts already. A long time ago," she stammered, turning back and forth between Ron and his brothers.
"Like in the nineties or something," added James.
"Last time I checked, 1991 was part of the nineties," Fred pointed out.
A small gasp escaped from Rose as James looked at her with wide eyes. They seemed to be in a state of panic, unable to believe which year they were in until Ron's father showed them the morning paper with the date printed on it.
"Are they really that lost?" Ginny whispered.
"Barking," replied Ron.
The hushed whispers between James, Rose, and Al were hard to make out. So Ron's father cleared his throat to get their attention. "Let's all sit down and talk this through."
"But— The shopping—?"
"We'll figure it out once we get to the bottom of this, son."
Begrudgingly, Ron removed his travelling cloak and sat down, shooting unkind glances at the unfamiliar children as he crossed his arms. Some of them were staring back at him, particularly Rose, who made him feel uneasy.
James led the visitors to a couch across from the Weasleys. Once everyone was settled, Ron's father looked to James awaiting an explanation.
"Er, well, you see… We were going through Dad's Office and we—" James began, only to be interrupted by Rose smacking him on the shoulder. "Oi! What did you do that for?"
"Ssh!"
"What, what did I do?" the boy asked.
Before Rose could respond, Al turned to him. "Do you really think it's a good idea to tell them, James? Dad's work is supposed to be dangerous and we're not sure if—"
"We need someone to help us, and Dad's surely as young as them, wherever he is. Can you think of anyone else?"
"No."
"Alright then, any other objections? Rose?" James asked, daring the girl to argue against.
"I don't like this. Mum wouldn't approve," she said, crossing her arms.
"Aunt Hermione doesn't like most of the things we do anyway," James shot back, unfazed by her disapproval.
"She doesn't like most of the things you do! It's your fault we're here in the first place!"
"Everyone wanted to explore Dad's office!"
"That's not true, and you know it!"
"You were there!"
"Because I wanted to take you all out!"
Ron's father intervened and stopped the argument in its tracks, "Alright, time-out! James, isn't it?" he asked the boy, who gave a slow nod. "You seem to have figured out what's going on. Can you explain it to us? We can't offer any help unless we understand."
"Well, we are… Your grandkids! From the future!" said James with a grin.
Rose looked properly scandalised, "James! You shouldn't have said that. We need to go back now!"
"And how exactly do you propose we go about that?"
The two stared at each other in a standoff while the other kids sighed in exasperation. Hugo and Lily whispered amongst themselves but were clearly lost and relying on the older kids to handle the situation. Ron turned to his siblings, gobsmacked. He didn't know what the hell was going on. There were five kids in the Burrow's living room claiming to be his parents' grandchildren. As if that wasn't mental enough, they said they were from the future. It was bonkers. If it was a dream, Ron just hoped he could wake up soon enough.
"You're lying," Percy spoke up.
"What?" James and Rose exclaimed at the same time, turning to face Percy. They were so immersed in their own argument that they didn't get that.
"You're lying. You cannot time travel, let alone for the great amount of time you're implying," Percy stated firmly.
"Well, we did," Rose protested, narrowing her eyes at him. She didn't appear to be older than Ginny, yet she looked quite menacing for a young girl.
Only moments ago, Rose had been chewing James' head off for saying the whole 'we're from the future' thing, now she was ready to get a go at Percy backing up the same thing. Mental that one.
"Prove it," challenged Percy, standing his ground.
James ran his hand through his hair, while the other kids exchanged curious glances. "1991 you said? How about Quidditch results? Do you want to know who wins the league this year? There's a good chance Rose would know," the boy said, grinning at the girl while she threw him a nasty glare.
"That won't work. We'd have to wait until the league finishes," Al disagreed.
"We would want to know either way," George butted in.
Fred nodded emphatically. "Indeed, top-notch betting information."
"Fred!" Mrs. Weasley scolded.
James gave Fred a strange look before continuing. "Actually, I have an idea. Have you met Dad yet?"
"Your father?" asked Ron's mother.
"Yeah, he gets into the Quidditch team in his first year. We won't have to wait for the league to finish to see that. Wait, we're still in August, right? I'm not sure how this time-travelling rubbish works."
"Quidditch team? In his first year?" Fred asked, flabbergasted.
"Impossible," George followed.
It was common knowledge that no one could join the Quidditch team until at least their second year. Even Ron and Ginny knew that. These kids were completely insane.
"Let me see if I can get this straight," Ron's father started, rubbing his temples. "You say you're from the future."
James and Al nodded in unison.
"And that we're your grandparents?" Ron's father had trouble saying that out loud.
The two boys nodded again.
"Hmm... What was that about it being August?"
"Before we came here it was August, but I'm not sure if that still holds. Knowing the date could help us prove who we are," James explained.
"It is August. Remember the newspaper?" Al reminded him.
Ron's father nodded. "Today is August the third, 1991."
A smile appeared on James' face. "Brilliant. Then, when Dad makes it to the team this year, you'll believe us."
"Who's your father again?"
"Has to be one of us, right?" George interrupted.
Ron's interest was piqued. "One of us? What do you mean?"
"Come on, Ickle Ronnie! They're from the future and seem to know us."
"Let's not miss that they called them grandparents," the other twin pointed out.
Ron's eyes widened as he realised what was happening. This was the weirdest dream he'd ever had, hands down.
"They don't know Dad yet," Al told James in a quiet tone.
"I noticed. Thank you, Al," James replied, sarcastically.
Percy almost jumped on his seat, turning to their father, "See?! They're lying! If they were telling the truth then how could we not know who their father is? If they're who they say they are, then it should be one of—" he stopped abruptly, realising a startling possibility. His gaze shifted to Ginny. "Unless they're… Ginny's?
All eyes turned to Ginny, who sat frozen in disbelief. Ron couldn't wrap his head around it either. His little sister, a mother? That was definitely wrong. She hadn't turned ten yet. Not even old enough for Hogwarts.
"Hey, Mum," James waved excitedly, causing Ginny to let out a loud gasp in shock.
An embarrassed Rose covered her face with her hand.
"I know!" Al shouted all of sudden, jostling everyone from their thoughts. "I know how to prove that we aren't making all this up!"
"How?" James asked.
"That golden thing you grabbed from Dad's office. They might know what it is."
"Oh, yeah. I'd forgotten about that. Hang on," said James, as he pulled a thin golden chain out of his shirt. The device was a weird set of tiny golden hourglasses with an otherworldly golden sparkle to it.
"That's a Time-Turner!" Percy cried.
The shock was evident on Ron's father, who confirmed Percy's words after a moment. "I have never seen a real one before, but it sure looks like it."
Ron squinted his eyes as he examined the glittering object from afar. A Time-Turner?
"What's a Time-Turner?" Lily asked James, but the boy seemed to be as clueless as her.
"This, I guess."
Percy was almost jumping with excitement. "A Time-Turner, as its name suggests, is a device of impressive magic that can allow travelling through time. They're highly controlled by the Ministry though."
"Blimey! So you're saying— Are they telling the truth?" Ron asked. He was beginning to understand, but he wasn't sure he wanted to.
"I—I don't know for sure. It can be, but— Time-Turners can only go back a few hours," Percy informed them, stealing glances at the device with a mix of thrill and confusion.
"Apparently, that one there is better than the ones at the Ministry," George said casually, earning an unfriendly look from Percy.
"It's special! Mum did it," Hugo interjected, eagerly.
"You mean Ginny?" Ron's mother asked, looking unsure.
"No, Grandma! Not Aunt Ginny," the boy corrected, confused. "Mum did."
"Didn't you just say Ginny was your Mum?" Ron questioned with a raised eyebrow.
Were they telling the truth or not? Every time Ron thought he was starting to understand, they would say something that threw him off guard.
"Of course he didn't!" Rose said, her eyes darting towards Ron warily. "Aunt Ginny is James', Al's and Lily's mother."
"It's too early for word problems. Dad, are you getting this?" George asked.
Ron's father responded wearily, "First things first. James, could you please take that out of your neck and put it on that small table? Very slowly?"
James nodded and he did as he was told.
"Thank you. Now, the three of you," he said, gesturing to James, Al, and Lily, "— are Ginny's children?"
They all nodded in unison. Ginny couldn't stop staring at them.
"If I remember correctly, you also called me Grandpa," he said, looking back at Rose.
"You're my grandfather. James, Al and Lily are my cousins."
"Woah! Hugo, isn't it?" George asked the shy boy. Hugo nodded. "Five sickles on Hugo being Ronnie's boy,"
Ron's eyes widened as he looked at the boy more closely. Hugo did look like him, way more than he looked like the twins or Percy. That made the boy suddenly more frightening.
"There's no bet there, George. The real question would be who was thick enough to marry him?" Fred wondered out loud.
"Fred Weasley!" said Ron's mother, and shot him a look.
"Oi!" exclaimed Rose, her expression turning stern as she glared at her uncles.
"Mum is really smart!" said Hugo, offended. Rose continued to shoot daggers at them with her piercing blue eyes.
George turned to Ron, "Looks like you have two, and they don't look like garden gnomes to me."
"Speak for yourself, George. From where I'm standing, it looks like the girl is as willing to bite my fingers off as fiercely as any garden gnome I know," added Fred.
Ron's jaw dropped and his eyes widened as he stared at Rose. The girl had the Weasley look, freckles and all, but her face didn't look anything like Ron's — not like Hugo's did. Maybe the nose? Whatever the case, when Rose noticed him staring, she relaxed her frown and gave him a hopeful smile. Ron blushed furiously and turned away.
"Is that true?" Ron's mother asked, beaming.
Rose nodded in defeat. "Hugo is my brother and that... is our father," she said pointing at Ron, who jerked in his place. "But he's almost the same age as us."
"Calm down, we'll figure everything out," said Ron's mother, pulling Rose into a hug.
"Molly, dear, we don't know exactly what's happening here yet."
"They're just scared, Arthur. Plus, they could be our grandkids."
To say that it was weird for Ron to see his mother hugging some random kids would be the ruddiest understatement ever. Especially considering two of them were claiming to be his children. Was this really happening? He hadn't ruled out that he was dreaming.
"Molly—" Ron's father began, but he was rudely interrupted by a pair of tawny owls swooping in through the window. Each of the owls carried identical envelopes with a large 'M' printed on them. Unexpectedly, they landed next to Ron and Ginny.
"Those are from the Ministry. That's odd," Ron's father observed. "Ron, Ginny, I believe the owls want you to relieve them."
Ron and Ginny turned to each other, unsure. Why would the Ministry be writing to them? Were they in trouble?
"Do you think this could be about the children?" Ron heard his mother whisper anxiously.
"Could be, dear," the man admitted, cautiously eyeing the letters in his children's hands. "What do the letters say?"
Ron's hands felt unsure as he opened his letter. The Ministry owls, satisfied with the delivery, took off through the window into the bright blue.
Dear Mr Weasley,
It has been brought to our attention that you got married this morning at half-past nine.
This is usually a formality to send you our dearest congratulations, however, we also noticed that you are currently eleven years of age. The Ministry is puzzled as to how this marriage has taken place and found its way into our records as a legally authorised bond. As per the Wizengamot guidelines, the minimum age of consent for marriage is sixteen, and no marriage spells can be placed upon anyone younger than that.
We are thrilled to know how this happened, and so, we request your presence for a clarification hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 10:00 am on the fifth of August.
Congratulations to you and your new wife.
Yours sincerely,
Magiries Droverson
Wizardry Registers and Bonds Office
Ron gawked in shock as he read the letter. Married? What the bloody hell?
"Come on, Ron, what does it say?" his brother George asked, trying to sneak a peek over his shoulder.
Ron was frozen in place, unable to move or answer.
"What is it, son?" his father questioned with concern.
"It says..." Ron's ears were crimson. "It says that I— I'm m-married," he finally managed to blurt out.
"WHAT?!" Ron's mother exclaimed, causing everyone to jump. In an instant, she was by Ron's side and snatching the letter from him. As she read, her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"This is absurd! Arthur, take a look at this!" she demanded, handing the parchment to her husband. "There must be some mistake!"
The man went over the letter himself, looking properly dumbfounded once he did. "This can't be right. Accidental magic, perhaps? Son, have you felt anything odd this morning?"
"No!" Ron answered at once.
"Something very strange is happening. I'll go to the Ministry and see what I can find. It's Saturday, but hopefully, someone will be there to explain this,"
"And the trip?" Ron asked.
"It'll have to be postponed. Don't worry, we'll sort everything out."
Ron huffed in the most begrudgingly of ways.
Brilliant... Bloody Brilliant.
"What about Mummy's letter?" Lily asked all of a sudden.
All eyes turned to Ginny, who was holding the unopened envelope as if it were delicate glass that could shatter at any moment.
"Why haven't you opened yours?" Ron grumbled.
"It's not for me," Ginny said weakly, her gaze still fixed on the letter with fear.
"The owl gave it to you. Of course it's yours," Percy told her.
"It's not for me!" she insisted.
"Then who is it for?" George asked.
"It— It says Mrs P-Potter," Ginny stuttered, blushing as she spoke.
"Potter? As in 'The Potter'?" George asked, baffled.
"I don't know of any other Potter," his father answered, looking at his wife.
"Let me see that!"
Their mother snatched the letter from Ginny's hands. "It does say 'Mrs Potter'. But why did the owl give it to her?" she asked with concern.
"So is it her letter? Is she married too?" Fred asked, causing Ginny to gasp.
"She's not married. She's not even ten years old," their mother snapped.
"She's married to Dad," Lily chimed in.
The little girl's voice, though not loud, seemed to fill the room unchallenged. The once lively chatter died down into an uneasy silence as everyone turned to stare at her.
"What's your father's name?"
"You know that Grandpa. Everybody knows him. His name is Harry. Why is everybody forgetting things?"
For what felt like an eternity, all of the Weasleys froze in shock.
"Harry? Harry Potter?" Ron's mother whispered incredulously.
The five visitors nodded.
Harry Potter? And Ginny? They couldn't possibly mean… Bloody hell.
"Why is everyone acting so weird?" Hugo finally spoke up.
"We're in the past Hugo. They haven't met Dad yet," Al explained calmly.
"They'll know him next month, well, at least Uncle Ron will," James said.
"H-Harry Potter? I get to meet Harry Potter?" Ron stammered in disbelief.
"He's your best friend," Hugo added, as if that cleared things up.
Ron's father scratched his head. "So let me get this straight, Ron meets Harry Potter, they become best friends, and then he marries Ginny?"
Al, Hugo, and Rose nodded at the same time.
Silence fell over the group. Harry Potter was a hero in their world and, even when Ron was usually told that he was around his age, he never really considered that he would be able to meet him. Not up close. Ron was so shocked by the news that he didn't even notice his brothers staring at Ginny and him as if they were some kind of weird creatures.
"That's enough! I don't care if it's Harry Potter. Ginny is way too young to even— She's not getting married!"
"Molly, please calm down, I'll go to the Ministry and—"
"Don't tell me to calm down! Are you not hearing this? Apparently, two of my kids are married! And they're barely old enough to—"
A loud knock on the front door interrupted her rant.
"Oh, this is not a good time for visits!"
"I'll go get it," Ron's father offered.
As soon as he left, the new kids shifted nervously in their seats. Lily tried to go to Ginny, but Al stopped her and whispered something in her ear. Rose kept glancing over at Ron, wanting to say something but instead opting to scrape her shoes nervously against the floor. Ron averted his gaze, suddenly finding the far wall extremely interesting.
Next to him, Fred turned to George. "I'm guessing that's our kids at the door."
"Or Percy's cats," chuckled George.
Percy was busy reading Ron's letter, so didn't hear him.
"Molly?" called Ron's father a minute later, as he reentered the room followed by two people.
Everyone stood up then, for there was no mistaking the silver beard, twinkling blue eyes and half-moon glasses. Albus Dumbledore had entered the living room, causing everything else to seem dull and ordinary. Ron had never met Dumbledore before, but he was sure the man in front of them was his future headmaster. He couldn't be wrong on this. He had collected enough chocolate frog cards with Dumbledore's picture and accomplishments on them to recognize him anywhere.
"Professor Dumbledore!" exclaimed the boys who were already attending Hogwarts. Dumbledore smiled and his gaze fell upon the group of five children huddled together, all looking up at him in wonder.
It wasn't until Dumbledore stepped forward that the Weasleys noticed the boy standing behind him. He looked so much like Al that the twins and Ron whipped back to make sure Al was still with his brother and sister.
"Blimey!" said Fred.
"Is that—" said George.
"Sure as hell he is."
"What?" asked Ron.
"The scar," the twins said, together.
The boy standing next to Dumbledore looked like Al, but he was thinner, had untidier black hair, round black glasses, and an unmistakable scar on his forehead shaped like a lightning bolt. Standing in the Burrow's living room, looking like the most normal of boys, was Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived.