International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 98

Around the end of October, a few days before Halloween, I receive a letter I didn't expect I would get. After breakfast, a barn owl flies into the kitchen where I was doing the dishes for Molly and I recognize the animal immediately: "Fuzzle?"

The owl is holding a letter and places it in front of me. She tilts her head at me and I pet her carefully. It has been a while since I saw the owl. After handing her a piece of toast that was left over from breakfast, the owl squeals before she flies out the window again. The letter Fuzzle dropped is laying in the windowsill and I look at it with a frown.

Picking up the letter, I turn it around and see the Hogwarts quest in the corner of the envelope and the seal at the back. My uncle. With the letter in hand, I head to the living room where everyone is sitting after breakfast. Remus and Arthur are talking with Bill about something the Order needs to have done while Fred and George are joking around with their newest invention.

I sit down next to Fred on the couch and place the letter on the coffee table. Remus looks up from the conversation at the letter before sending me a confused look. Before anyone can ask, I explain: "It's from my uncle."

The three men (Bill, Remus, and Arthur) react like my uncle himself is laying on the coffee table and immediately jump out of their seats. After exchanging a look and drawing their wands, Remus picks up the letter from the table and Arthur gestures me to follow them. While Fred tries to ask where they are going, Bill shakes his head and nods to me to follow the two men.

Following Remus and Arthur out of the house, I wonder why my uncle would have written to me. And about what?

We have walked up the hill, far from the Burrow before Remus and Arthur stop.

"You can open it here," Arthur says and I look at the two men, still a bit confused. With their wands ready, they look at the letter Remus has handed back to me. After a deep breath, I break the seal and open the envelope.

Somewhere, I expected something bad to happen but when I take the parchment out of the envelope and nothing happens, I breathe out relieved. Carefully, I open the letter and read:

Dearest Elena,

As you might have heard by now, I am the new Headmaster of Hogwarts. We have not talked for quite a while and I was wondering if you would like to attend the Halloween Feast at the Hogwarts Castle on the 31st of October to catch up with each other.

I assure you, you will be treated normally, and I await your response.

Your Uncle,

Severus Snape

Headmaster of Hogwarts: School of Witchcraft en Wizardry and Head of Slytherin House

Arthur and Remus scan my face carefully and with a roll of my eyes, I hand Arthur the letter. While the older men read the letter and cast some spells to make sure there Aren't any curses present, I head back to the Burrow.

Once back inside, I smile at Molly who was busy with the laundry before heading back to the living room. The three men that remained in the living room look at me with curiousness on their face but I sit down without saying a word.

Arthur and Remus enter the living room moments later and Remus places the letter and the envelope back on the coffee table. Fred is the first to speak and he looks between me and his father: "What did he write?"

"He asked if I"d like to attend the Halloween Feast at Hogwarts," I answer and Fred laughs while shaking his head. He looks at me and remarks with disbelief in his voice: "Did he really think – after everything that happened – that you would just accept his invitation?"