On Whom the Pale Moon Gleams

On Whom the Pale Moon Gleams

Ch. 3: Family Reunion

The first week in the Burrow was tense for Ezmé. She had to learn the British terms for everything. They all had a good laugh when Ezmé told them the American term for non-magical people--Kabbles. Her speech showed how long she´d been there. In her second week, non-magical people were "Kuggles." Her third week, the last week of the break, she had finally gotten used to calling them Muggles, though most of her magical jargon remained American.

"We´re getting to Hogwarts by a train?" Ezmé goggled. "I´ve never even been on a train! We always drove to Mystiic." Ron shook his head; he couldn´t imagine a fifteen-year-old witch had never been on a train. "I´ve been on a subway of course, but that´s not really a train."

"A subway?" Ron asked.

"They´re like the Underground, Ron," Percy said. He worked for the Department of International Magic Cooperation in the Ministry and knew a bit about other countries.

The day before the train was due to leave, after they´d all been to Diagon Alley, Bill and Charlie came to see them. Bill and Charlie were the Weasley´s older sons who had been out of Hogwarts for sometime. Charlie arrived first, his left hand bandaged. He explained to the all that one of the more feisty dragons he´d been taking care of in Romania shot a nasty flame at him which had resulted in an equally nasty burn.

"Charlie, dear, are you alright?" Mrs. Weasley fussed. Mr. Weasley shook his head fondly at her, and then introduced Charlie to Ezmé. She took his right uninjured hand, and they exchanged hearty greetings. Charlie began telling all of them how he got his burn. Just as the story was finishing up, Ezmé hanging enthralled to Charlie´s every word ("Dragons? Wow!!"), Bill arrived.

As he and Ezmé were introduced, their eyes shown expectantly. Ezmé was wearing basically the same outfit she´d worn the day she´d turned up. Bill had on his dragon-hide boots, and their shoes were identical. They grinned when Ron pointed it out. They spent nearly an hour discussing their favorite bands, and happily discovered they both liked one of the same ones--a group of four wizards and a witch called Toynbee. George sulked for the rest of the day. Bill and Ezmé kept mostly together, so she didn´t notice. They were apart for a half an hour before dinner. Ron, Harry, Charlie, Fred, and George were flying and offered Ezmé the last broomstick. Bill told her to go ahead, and Mrs. Weasley grabbed the opportunity to question Bill on their conversation, and ask his opinion of the American girl.

"George," she´d whispered in hushed tones, glancing quickly around for Ron, "where´d you get the money for those dress robes?"

"Harry." The twins held each other´s gazes for a full second before he continued. "He gave it to us from his Triwizard earnings."

"Oh. Well, be sure to give him the change, dear. How sweet of him- "

"Mum," Fred interrupted, "Mum, Harry gave us his prize money to open a joke shop."

"What?" She had bellowed. "You took Harry´s money for a hole in the wall full of rubbish?" Her face had begun to purple with anger. Her eyes were flashing. "How dare you?"

"But, Mum, he forced it on us." George tried to remain calm, to rationalize with his indignant mother. "You remember how he tried to give it to the Diggorys. He was guilty, said he didn´t want it."

"He threatened to hex us if we didn´t take it, Mum," Fred added, quietly. "He said he reckoned we´d all be needing a few laughs soon."

"Besides," George said, "our grades aren´t good enough to go to university, Mum, and we don´t want to go into the Ministry. How could we work for someone like Fudge?" He paused as Mrs. Weasley snorted. "He´s got everyone there elieve You-Know-Who isn´t really back."

Mrs. Weasley sighed. "You know, boys," she said, "Percy would´ve probably believed him, too. If Crouch hadn´t died..."