Responsibilities

1. An Unexpected Letter

Dear Ms. Granger,

             We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, to return for your eighth year as your seventh year was interrupted. Several of your peers might return. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment.

             Term begins September 1. We await your owl no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely, 

     Minerva McGonagall

          Headmistress

Hermione read the letter once, and then again, before letting out a high- pitched squeal. Ron popped his head into her room.

"Bloody hell, Mione, you'll take out someone's ears. And since when do you squeal? I swear, Ginny's rubbin' off on you."

Hermione blushed, then noticed the paper in his hand. "You got a letter as well? From Hogwarts?"

Ron nodded enthusiastically. "Yeah, so'd Harry and Ginny. I'll meet you downstairs for lunch, okay?"

Hermione smiled, and then shooed him off. She could see how much he wanted to eat. "Go get your food, Ron. I'll be down in a minute."

            Sitting on her bed, she looked out the small window next to it, and smiled. She saw Mrs. Weasley reprimanding a very guilty- looking Ginny and George. Harry and Mr. Weasley were sitting at the very long food covered table. A few seconds later, she saw Ron step outside, kiss his Mum on the cheek, and make his way over to the table.

            Hermione had been staying at the Burrow over the summer because she didn't have anyone else to stay with. She had replaced her parents memories so that they would be safe during the war, and now her parents lived in Australia, and didn't even know that they had a daughter.

             Now that the war was over, Hermione had been researching ways to reverse modified memories but most were dangerous and dabbled with the Dark Arts. The other options were very complicated, and required ingrediants that were impossible to get nowadays, so for now, she decided that she would wait it out. Which could quite possibly take a while. Look at Gilderoy Lockheart. He lost his memory in my second year, and now it's my seventh and he hasn't shown any improvement.

             Standing up, Hermione walked out of her borrowed bedroom and down the stairs, quickly making her way outside. Mrs. Weasley greeted Hermione with a kiss on her cheek. "Good dear, just sit down at the table. Lunch is ready, we were just waiting for you."

Hermione blushed. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Weasley. I didn't men to take so long."

Mrs. Weasley made a shooing motion with her arm. "Nonsense, Hermione. And I've asked you to call me Molly. There's no need for such formalities with me, dear."

             Hermione smiled, and grabbing Ginny's arm, they both made their way back to the the table. A few seconds later, George joined them. Mrs. We- no, Molly, Hermione reminded herself- sat down a few seconds later. A steady hum of conversation started, and Hermione looked at Ginny and George. "You both looked like you were getting your ears torn off by your mother there. "

George grinned. "Yeah, or at least what's left of it."

Hermione rolled her eyes, while Ginny looked confused.

"What's left of what?" Ginny demanded.

"His ear, Ginny. His ear." Hermione said, exasperation clearly in her voice.

Ginny grinned, now understanding.  

"Anyway, what did you two do?" Hermione asked.

             Ginny grinned. "Well, I put Dungbombs in the kitchen, and then George put one of his newest inventions- it's called Chipperas, I think- into Mum's soup. It was supposed to make the food explode into mini-fireworks, but that backfired and instead the soup exploded into birds. And then we replaced Mum's wand with a fake. Oh, and we charmed her real wand so that when she found her real wand, it would act like a fake. She was pretty confused. "

Hermione stared at them, horrified. "But..."

George grinned. He leaned forward and whispered into Hermione's ear. "And guess what, Mione? I put a weak aphrodisiac potion, which is still pretty strong, in Harry's pumpkin juice. We'll see the heart of that feisty Gryffindor during lunch. I didn't tell Ginny for obvious reasons."

Hermione stared at him, aghast, and sneaked a look at Harry. He still looked normal, thank Merlin.

Ginny looked at George and Hermione, frowning. "What were you two talking about?"

"Nothing!" Hermione and George said quickly.

Ginny looked unconvinced."Well, I'm keeping an eye on you."

Hermione watched, mouth open as she watched Harry lift his goblet up to his mouth. Quickly, she distracted him.

"Harry! How was your morning? I mean afternoon? Um, never mind."

Harry looked at her confused, pumpkin juice forgotten as he turned and started talking to Ginny. George looked at her and sent a knowing smirk at Hermione, and Hermione had the childish urge to stick her tongue out.

Looking around the table, she smiled as she saw her family around her. Truthfully, she and Harry were not related to the Weasley's, but they all loved each other, trusted each other, and had went through so much together, it was hard to give them any other title than family.

             Ginny sat next to her, and Molly next to Ginny, while George was opposite Hermione and Harry and Ron sat on opposite sides of him. Mr. Weasley was sitting at the head of the table. Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy hadn't been able to make a visit over the summer yet, but Molly had said that she would organize a big dinner for friends and family soon, and that they would be there.

Suddenly, Harry jumped up from his seat and made his way over to Ginny. He whispered a few words into Ginny's ear that made her blush bright red. Hermione didn't know what he had said, but she was pretty sure that Harry had drank some pumpkin juice from his goblet.

A few seconds later, Harry and Ginny started snogging. Molly gasped, and slapped Ginny's arm to stop her, but Ginny just grabbed Harry and headed inside.

Hermione shook her head. Even though Fred was gone, the pranks were still as surprising.