Queen of My World

Introduction

Queen of My World

Introduction

The Quibbler, November 2004

After the Snorkacks
By Luna Lovegood

Hi Readers! Thank you ever so much for your donations, the Crumple-Horned Snorkacks are thriving in the Swedish sanctuary! Ophelia and Allegra are doing swimmingly with their pregnancies and are as happy as tickled Plimpies. Our newest addition to the family, Murphy, is enjoying his new habitat (for my new readers - Murphy was rescued by our incredible team in September from an awful magical beasts trafficker who kept him in a tiny cage and were going to sell his horns and fur. I can't imagine why anyone would want to kill such beautiful and endangered creatures; it's so sad), spending most of his time frolicking near the fjord with his friends.

However, on a more sombre note, my time in Sweden is coming to an end and I must move on to my next project.

With the help of the team here at The Quibbler, I have decided that I will continue my journey helping endangered and misunderstood animals as part of a road trip through Europe! I will be travelling by a Muggle car transfigured to help me transport any animals that need rescuing to suitable sanctuaries or foster homes, starting at the Centru de Dragoni in Romania to wherever the road takes me on the way home to Devon. My dear friend and fellow writer, Chaun Smith, will come with me and document the magical flora of Europe throughout the trip. (You can read his newest article about the healing properties of Crus Fungos on page 10, it's remarkably interesting!)

I shall keep you updated on my path to improving welfare for all magical animals, goodbye for now, darlings, Luna Lovegood

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Ginny

It seems especially cold for a November morning when Ginny eventually drags herself out of her warm apartment to head to the gym. It's 6am, black as Snape's robes and raining like God's pissing on the world. Just what she needs. Silently, she casts a weatherproof charm, instantly warming her through and protecting her from the rain. As per usual, Ginny takes the ten minute walk to the gym rather than apparating like the majority of her teammates do. It gives her time to chill out a bit and mentally prepare for another long day of training.

It's not that Ginny doesn't like being part of the Holyhead Harpies - she loves her role as a chaser - she just hates the monotony of her routine. It's always busy and meticulously scheduled: gym; breakfast; broom maintenance; training; lunch; training again; discussing tactics and the opposition; meeting with fans, the press or team building; then finally home time. She accepted the offer to join after her seventh year at Hogwarts and the years have sped by in a blur.

'Ginny!'

'Oh, hey, Beth,' Ginny greets the keeper with a lot less enthusiasm. It is way too early to be grinning like that.

'Have you heard about the new seeker for the Tutshill Tornados?' Beth asks, but continues without waiting to hear the answer. 'European. German I think. Maybe Dutch. I saw his picture in Quidditch Weekly. Soo dreamy! He was at Beauxbatons with Sofia. You remember her, right? My boyfriend's sister? Tall, dark hair, missing an arm? The arm ruined her career as a broomstick taxi driver, poor thing, she really was going places...'

They enter the gym together, Beth mindlessly chattering about a woman called Sofia that Ginny didn't know. Barely paying attention, Ginny nods and smiles where appropriate.

The day continued as usual.

~~~~~

'Hey Featherwhisker, I'm home!' Ginny calls as she closes the door to her apartment behind her. There is a soft thump of the fat cat jumping off a windowsill then running to greet her.

'How are you doing baby girl? Did you miss me?' Ginny croons at her pet, bending down to stroke behind Featherwhisker's fluffy white ears.

Ginny wasn't expecting to get a cat when she first moved to Holyhead. She loves animals, but was never good at taking care of them. Once her family and friends stopped calling round regularly to help her settle in, the little collection of rooms seemed so miserable and lonely. She charmed the walls all the colours of the rainbow, giving them a sort of swirly, tie-dyed effect and persuaded Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville to get muggle phones. Harry never picked up, he was always on some exciting auror mission. They had stayed friends after breaking up when Harry came out as gay. Ron, Hermione and Neville were always surrounded by strong waves of magic which messed up the cell service. The loneliness half killed her - she missed (and still misses, only less intensely) the busyness and noise of the Burrow and the Gryffindor tower.

The elderly muggle couple in the apartment above hers had to suddenly move to a retirement home after one of them had a stroke, and had practically begged her to look after their kitten. Ginny was hesitant at first, but soon welcomed the tiny ball of fluff into her home. Featherwhisker was white all over except for a dark grey patch on her belly vaguely in the shape of a cauldron. Ginny cried the first time she noticed it. She missed her home.

With her cat following her loyally, Ginny went about her evening routine. It's still a routine, which she hates, but it's definitely so much more flexible than her training schedule. She heats up a microwave lasagna with a few words and pours some food into a bowl for Featherwhisker. They eat side by side on the carpet watching a Friends rerun. Gwenog would be disgusted by the lack of organic and healthy components to the meal, but honestly, Ginny could not give a fuck.