Harry Potter: Raised By Roses

Chapter Forty: Charlie Draco... Er... Weasley

The trio looked at the Weasley patriarch. From what the twins and Percy have told them, their dad worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Department and was often the butt of the jokes told by the more "proper" purebloods. The ones that rather see muggles as less than dirt than as human beings that are worth knowing about. They don't see the point of having a whole department dedicated to things that muggles invented, even if they had been messed with by magic.

Charlie then took the mystic souls aside to talk to them without his family hearing them.

"Quite the surprise you brought, Charlie," T'challa crossed his arms.

"Look, I'm sorry about the secrecy," Charlie said. "But even with family, we all need to beware of every wand-user we know. While the twins, Percy, and Bill would probably be okay with my powers, and my dad might be..."

"You think your mother, Ron, and Ginny would not be okay with it," Melody guessed.

"They're my family and I love them, but those three have always been so close-minded and prejudice," Charlie said.

"Don't we know it," Harry scoffed. "If I hear one more rant from the Human Garbage Disposal about 'all Slytherins have to be evil,' I am going to kill him."

"And forgive me if I do not want the girl that almost killed me running around my home," Krinos says. "I'd rather face the demon of fear. I have faced the demon of fear."

"Please do not remind me of that day," Hestia requested.

All of them shivered at the memory of that day.

"They are only visiting for the today and tomorrow before they go back to England," Charlie says. "It was either this or taking them to see dragons at the reserve. And after Ginny nearly got eaten at Yule two years ago, I was not taking the chance."

"Should have let it eat her," Melody mumbled, still hating the girl for nearly killing her brother because she was being selfish.

"We can just keep them occupied," Charlie says. "Show them around, show examples of the magic that are not mystic soul-oriented, have them meet some of the teachers, anything. Just help me fake that this is just like every other wand-user school."

The others shared looks between each other. On one hand, Charlie was their friend and they wanted to help him. On the other hand, he had been lying to them about who he was for years. Yet, on the first hand, they understood why he kept his real family and home a secret. 

"Fine, we'll help," Harry said. "But you owe us, Charlie."

"We can help you give them a tour of the school," Krinos says. "But if any of them picks one flower from my garden without permission, you'll have plants for a family."

"Understood," Charlie knew better than to anger a mage of nature.

"Keep your wings covered, Hailey," Harry advised their friend. "The last thing we need is for our school to be exposed to British magicals." 

"And we all know that those with creature blood would be the first to be targeted," Melody said.

The half-harpy nodded in agreement. She was not ashamed of her heritage, but she knew that there were those that even after centuries have passed since ancient Greece, they were still afraid of harpies.

They all went back to the Weasleys.

"Since this is our school, let us give you the tour," Harry put on his best fake smile.

What helped turn the smile more real was that Fred and George almost instantly took places on either side of him and put their arms over his shoulders.