Disclaimer: I don't own HP. This is to celebrate JK/Harry's birthdays. In this AU, Magnolia Potter was sorted into Ravenclaw, and her best friends were Neville (who became a Hufflepuff and was more confident due to having more support from his teachers and friends), Terry Boot and Luna. Neville married Susan Bones, not Hannah Abbott. Ginny married Dean and had a son, Aaron, and daughter Abbie.

Ron was best friends with Seamus, and he and Hermione married, but they're not close to Maggie and George's family. They have Teddy, who was raised primarily by Maggie and George with lots of help from Andromeda, Ethan James, twins Alexander Sirius and Anthony Charles (Charlie died instead of Fred in this), and Camellia Lily. Teddy calls Tonks and Remus 'Mama' and 'Papa', and Maggie and George 'Mum' and 'Dad'. Because there were loads of Weasleys, George took Maggie's name on marriage. Dominique was named Charlene in Charlie's honour.

DA is short for 'Defence Association', not Dumbledore's Army, and Maggie didn't allow Snape's obsession with Lily and Dumbledore tricking him into a vow to protect her to be an excuse for his horrendous attitude.

The 'DA Dens' are rooms that were set up by McGonagall to promote interaction between the different Houses and ease tensions. They were named in honour of the members of the DA, obviously.

IMPORTANT AN: Alright, as the daughter and niece of several doctor who work with terminal cases and as such is heavily involved in Covid, I have to say this. My mother is distraught and on the verge of tearing her hair out with upset frustration because of how lax people are being. Covid is not a joke! Just because lockdown is ended (and doctors say it'll need to be re-started soon if people aren't following guidelines) doesn't mean everything is fine. Everyone who goes out ignoring social distancing and without a mask, or who has a mask but has it on their chin or not covering their noses or whatever, is being selfish and putting not just themself, but everyone around them, in danger.

Social distancing, wearing a mask, these are ESSENTIAL, they are not arbitrary rules put in place to inconvenience you. They are there to PROTECT you! Masks are now proven to prevent the spread of Covid, AND to prevent YOU from spreading it. But if you wear it on your chin, then pull it up, you're not going to benefit from it. Nor will you be protected if your nose isn't covered. And as for visors, they don't do anything as far as my mother, aunt and uncle know. They need a mask beneath them to really work. Re-useable masks MUST be washed after every use, no matter how irritating it is.

We are in the middle of a worldwide pandemic people! I know it's annoying, it bothers me too, the masks are uncomfortable to wear and they fog up my glasses, but I STILL WEAR them. Why? Because if I went out without one, and became a Covid carrier, then I would be responsible for spreading it to anyone I passed, putting their lives at risk.

Bottom line? If you don't follow government guidelines, purely because they're irritating for you, you're as good as a murderer in my eyes.

So fucking wear a mask and practice social distancing. The more you do it, the sooner the pandemic will end and we can go back to our regular lives. For now, don't be a killer.

Read, enjoy and review!

Sortings

Maggie eagerly pulled the letter off Romulus' (Teddy's new owl, purchased specifically for him going to Hogwarts) leg.

"Teddy's letter is here!" She hollered towards the stairs, smiling when she heard the sound of her husband and children coming down.

Five-year-old Ethan was stamping loudly on the stairs as he rushed down eagerly ahead of the rest. The young boy worshipped the ground his adoptive brother walked on, and he had been distraught at being told that Teddy was leaving for several months. They had even caught him trying to hide in Teddy's trunk the night before September 1st. Just behind Ethan George was levitating their three-year-old twins Alex and Anthony while Camellia, their one-year-old daughter, sat on his hip, sucking on her thumb and watching her brothers' cheers with the wide emerald green eyes she had inherited from the late Lily Potter, her namesake.

"Alright!" George cheered as he set down the boys and passed Mellie to Maggie. "Everyone ready to find out which House your brother's in? Have everybody placed their bets?"

Maggie gave him a look of fond exasperation. "They're toddlers," she huffed. "They shouldn't be gambling." The smile tugging up the edges of her lips erased any real annoyance from the expression, however.

"It's only their sweets," George reasoned back, grinning back at her. He knew her too well to think she was genuinely upset. "All the better for them if they lose. For myself, I put six Chocolate Frogs on Hufflepuff. What about you, Lia my love?"

Her pressed together lips twitched at the sides before she succumbed and grinned back at him. "What's mine is yours and what's yours is mine," she reminded him cheekily. "I'll share your bet."

He nodded with mock solemnity, scribbling it on the board. "And you lot?" He asked, fixing a look of faux sternness on the boys, who were dancing in place with excitement. "What House do you think Teddy got into?"

Of course, they were all too young to fully understand the concept of Houses or betting, simply yelling out different House names. Ethan put three of his Frogs on Gryffindor, while the twins both bet two each that Teddy would be in Slytherin. Maggie hid a smile of amusement at that. She had several Slytherin friends, and held no ire against the House, unlike many (such as her brother-in-law Ron, her old yearmate, though given he and his wife were both Gryffindors and she was a former Ravenclaw and they had pretty much nothing in common, she didn't know them well. Given their general attitude, she didn't want to, either.) who still clung to old prejudices.

But despite that and his relation to the Blacks, she knew that there was no way in hell that Teddy, one of the least-subtle people she'd ever met, would ever be Sorted into Slytherin. The lad couldn't even hide it when he snuck an extra cookie before dinner, for Merlin's sake!

"Alright then," George stated with exaggerated gravity, handing the envelope over to Maggie. "If you would do the honours, my love."

Casting him an amused smile, she slit open the envelope and pulled out the letter, beginning to read aloud.

Hogwarts,

1st September, 2009

Dear Mum, Dad, Ethan, Alex, Anthony and Mellie,

I'll get straight to it. I'm a Hufflepuff! Just like my Mama and Granddad were! I'm really pleased. And the boy I sat with on the train, my new friend Ezra Bridger, a muggleborn, is in Hufflepuff as well. But the other two guys we were sitting with, Daniel Travers and Jason Shacklebolt (he's the Minister's first cousin twice removed, apparently), got Sorted into Slytherin and Ravenclaw respectively, so that's a bit disappointing. But I suppose we can always hang out in one of the DA Dens. Everyone says they're the best place to spend time with people in other Houses. And even if we don't become friends, everybody here is really nice.

The senior prefect's name is Gabriel Truman, and he was telling us all about the House's history. Did you know that three of Britain's most successful and popular Ministers were in Hufflepuff? And the basement is really cool too! We live near the kitchen, and Amanda Prewett, another prefect, promised to show us how to get there.

The entrance is hidden just behind a pile of barrels. To get inside, we have to tap the right one in the rhythm of Helga Hufflepuff. Apparently we're the only House that has a security measure on our entrance too! The others just don't let you inside, but if you tap the wrong barrel or if your rhythm is wrong, vinegar gets shot into your face! The prefects showed us, and it was really funny!

Once you crawl through, you enter this sloping, earthy passage that travels upwards a little way until you get to the common room. I love it, and you would too Mum. It's really cosy. It's round, with a low ceiling. Amanda told us that it's supposed to be similar to a badger's set. The room's decorated in yellow and black, with polished, honey-coloured wood for the tables and round doors that lead to the dormitories (the beds are all very comfortable, like clouds and they're all covered with patchwork quilts that have charms sewn into them to make them more snuggly and cosy).

There's a bunch of different coloured plants and flowers too: I couldn't identify most of them, but there are cactii standing on wooden circular shelves (curved to fit the walls), waving and dancing at the people in the room, and there are copper-bottomed plant holders dangling from the ceiling that cause tendrils of ferns and ivies to brush your hair as you pass under them.

Then there's a portrait over the wooden mantelpiece (carved all over with decorative badgers enchanted to dance) that shows Helga Hufflepuff toasting us. She even gave us a little speech welcoming us to the House! Then there are some small, round windows just level with the ground at the foot of the castle show a pleasant view of rippling grass and dandelions, and, apparently, passing feet. It makes the room feel sunny 24/7. Don't worry, Mum, I'll take a photo to show you. Or did you see it when you were younger? I can't remember if you ever visited Uncle Neville and Aunt Susan. I know they came into the Ravenclaw common room, because there's that photo of you three, Uncle Terry, and Aunt Luna at Aunt Luna's birthday when you were in third year. Did you come to visit them too?

Anyway, it's late and I'm really tired and classes start tomorrow, so I gotta go.

All my love!

Teddy

"Called it!" Maggie and George exclaimed in unison when they read the name of Teddy's House, exchanging a proud high-five.

"Does that mean I don't get my Frogs?" Ethan asked, looking crushed. He was a chocoholic in the making, always trying to figure out a way around the spells keeping the sweet drawer shut or attempting to negotiate an extra treat after dinner.

"Well, I suppose Mummy and Daddy might be willing to share theirs with you after dinner, if you're a good boy at school today," Maggie suggested (though really, she would never confiscate her kids' treats.). Ethan beamed and nodded his head so rapidly he clutched at it and groaned about being dizzy while they laughed gently at him.

"Mummy, brekkie time!" Alex, who was now fed up and distracted by his hunger, groaned, reaching up for her. Maggie scooped him into her embrace and nuzzled his messy red hair, planting a kiss on his forehead.

"Brekkie time indeed," she agreed, settling him in his booster seat, George doing the same with Anthony. The twins were identical, like their father and uncle had been until George lost his ear in the war, but unlike her in-laws, George and Maggie could actually tell the difference between the pair. "How about pancakes with chocolate chips?"

"Yeah!" The boys chorused, Mellie also cheering in agreement, though she was simply copying their actions.

"He sounds happy, don't you think?" Maggie whispered to George as they set about making the breakfast. Unlike how her mother-in-law or Meda, Maggie preferred to cook the muggle way, though she was happy to use spells for chores and cleaning up. Something about it was soothing, even if it took a bit longer.

"He does," George promised, grin softening as he reached out to pull her into a kiss. "Everything's good, Lia my love," he insisted. "Teddy's good."

"Yeah, he is," she said, trying to convince herself despite her worries for her son. He might not have come from her body, but he was still her eldest baby, and she ached to know he was growing up. Surely it was only yesterday that she had arrived at Andromeda's doorstep with Tonks and Remus' bodies in tow. The elder woman had sobbed and cradled her child's body in grief, before pulling herself together enough to say that, while she loved Teddy with all her heart, she was too old to raise a young child full time. So Maggie had taken custody of him, with Meda as the primary babysitter and doting grandmother for not just Teddy, but Maggie's younger children too.

"Muummyy!" Anthony whined, breaking her from her thoughts. "Brekkie time!"

"Sorry, my loves," she smiled, blinking back the tears pricking her eyes and hastening to flip the pancake. "Almost ready. Just another minute please."

"Ethan's letter!" Alex cried. "It's here, it's here!"

Maggie didn't bother running down the stairs and risking tripping over one of her children or her husband, she simply Apparated down to the kitchen and snatched the letter out of her secondborn's hand just as he was about to open it.

"Mum!" The nine-year-old whined. "I was about to read that!"

"Wait for the rest of the family, please," she responded sternly, as George led the other two into the kitchen.

"Alright everyone, place your bets!" George ordered the moment they were all gathered around Maggie, who held the letter. "Minimum amount is three Frogs. I'm putting six on Ravenclaw, who's with me?"

"Three each on Ravenclaw," the twins both agreed. "Ethan's a bookworm," Alex elaborated. "He belongs with the bookworms."

"Oye, watch it," Maggie warned. "That sounded like an insult towards your brother, but I'm sure I was wrong, wasn't I?"

"Yeah, there's nothing wrong with it," Alex said hastily. "It's just that he likes reading, so we think he'll be in Ravenclaw."

She studied them with narrowed eyes before nodding in satisfaction. It was the truth, after all. Ethan always had been the most studious of her babies, always asking 'why?' about one thing or another. Ravenclaw would make sense for him, same as for Ant, who had read two children's books before progressing onto chapter books at age six. The pair were both clever and curious, and Ravenclaw would certainly suit the pair of them. She could definitely see Anthony being happy there, and Ethan would probably be pleased to be there too.

Maggie just didn't believe it was where he would go.

"I think he's gonna be in Gryffindor!" Mellie piped up. "'Cause he's my knight."

They all shot her indulgent smiles as George scribbled down the bets on a sheet of parchment.

"So, that's three Frogs each for Ravenclaw for the twins, and six on Ravenclaw for me," he listed. "Three on Gryffindor for Mellie, and Teddy put three on Hufflepuff. What about you, Love?"

"Six Frogs on Slytherin," Maggie mused, thinking of her son's shrewd nature and how sly his pranks were, his ambitious desire to one day be an Enchanter, a job only one in every thousand wixen managed to achieve.

"Really?" George raised his eyebrows, then re-considered. "Huh, I could see it. Right then, is everybody ready to find out who won?"

"Yes!" The trio of children half-yelled.

"Read it, Mummy, please!" Mellie pled, clapping in excitement and giggling when her father swooped down and scooped her up to balance her on his hip. At seven, she was a bit too big for it, but he managed.

Hogwarts,

1st September 2015

Dear Mum, Dad, the Terror Twins and Princess Mellie,

I'm a Slytherin.

It was a two-minute Hatstall between Slytherin and Ravenclaw, but eventually the Hat told me that I would be better off in Slytherin, and by then my new friend Ryan was in Slytherin too, so I chose that one. I hope you aren't disappointed. Teddy said you wouldn't be.

I like the dorms. It's a bit dark, but you can see under the lake from the windows, and it feels a bit like being in the ruins of an underwater shipwreck. Our prefect is Gemma Farley and she's a bit intimidating. She gave us this big speech before sending us to bed, saying that Slytherins look after their own and we all have to have each other's backs. She also told us a bit about the history of the House. Did you know that Merlin was a Slytherin? I always thought that he was before Hogwarts was founded, but apparently not.

Oh, by the way, Roxie is a Ravenclaw, like Mum, and Charly's a Gryffindor like Uncle Bill was.

There's a curfew for first and second years. Lights out by nine-thirty, so I have to go now. Write back soon.

Lots of love,

Ethan

"Mummy was right," Mellie announced. "That means she gets all of the chocolate."

Maggie smiled distractedly, running a hand over Mellie's hair, not yet brushed. "I'll melt it and bake some brownies, how about that?" She suggested, the idea earning enthusiastic agreement from her children.

"I think that settles it then," George said lightly, though she could pick up on the slight furrow in his eyebrow.

"However, that's for later," Maggie added. "You'll be late for soon if you don't get moving. And no, Alexander, your brother's first day at Hogwarts is not cause for a day off. Upstairs and get dressed, now please."

"Yes Mum," the children agreed sulkily, stomping out of the kitchen and heading off. As soon as they were out of earshot, Maggie turned to George.

"Does he really think we would be disappointed in him for being Sorted into Slytherin?" She fussed. "I mean, I always tried not to be prejudiced against them. Meda was a Slytherin, the Zabinis and Tracey are all good friends. Have we been acting as if being a Slytherin is a bad thing?"

"I don't think so," George said slowly. "But I can think of some people who might've put that thought in his mind."

Maggie felt her lips thin into nothingness, knowing instantly who he was talking about. "I will fucking kill them!" She hissed, blood surging at the thought of Ron and Molly Weasley.

Ron had been in her year, but while Maggie was a Ravenclaw, he was a Gryffindor. His best friend was Seamus Finnegan, and Maggie personally thought the reason they got along with each other was because they disgusted everybody else with their lazy and ignorant attitudes. Why Hermione Granger had married the guy who had bullied her relentlessly throughout Hogwarts, Maggie was at a loss to understand. She guessed that Hermione believed in the whole 'he bullies you because he likes you' bullshit that Maggie sneered at. She never allowed Mellie to consider such things acceptable.

As for Molly, Maggie had met her at fifteen when she was taken to the Order headquarters at Grimmauld, and been less than impressed by the woman. She was the twins' mother, but Maggie sometimes wondered if the pair were changelings. Molly had tried to take over her godfather's home, insulted him regularly under his own roof (while living in the house Sirius had kindly opened to her and her family on account of Maggie and George's relationship), and tried to act as if Maggie was her daughter while treating her twin sons as disappointments because they wanted to do what they loved for work instead of joining the Ministry. Maggie, who was fiercely loyal to her loved ones and had been suffering from depression, survivor's guilt and PTSD after the events of the tournament, had refused to take the woman's actions lying down, and thus had dawned the cold war of Molly Weasley versus Maggie Potter.

"Not if I kill them before you get the chance," George responded darkly. "But first things first. We're gonna drop the kids off at school, then write Ethan a letter telling him how proud we are of him, and that even if he became the Emperor of Earth, we would celebrate his successful world domination."

"Oh yes, that'll reassure him that we don't think he's a Dark Lord in training," Maggie said wryly, a smile forming. She went up on tiptoe to kiss her husband, thankful every day for his love.

When the twins' first letter arrived, it was a Saturday and Maggie, George, Teddy and Mellie were all gathered in the kitchen. They took the bets quickly: George bet four Frogs on Gryffindor for Alex and Hufflepuff for the quieter twin, Anthony. Teddy bet three on Gryffindor for them both, as did Mellie. Maggie bet five on Gryffindor for Alex and Ravenclaw for Anthony.

She had considered the matter carefully. Alex, brave to the point of recklessness and outgoing, was almost certainly headed for the lion house.

Anthony, however, was more complicated. He was more of a follower than a leader, and reminded her a lot of his namesake, her late friend Anthony Goldstein. Anthony had been intelligent in a less obvious way, a tad eccentric and inclined towards invention, and steadfast in his loyalty once it was given. Naming Ant for the young man who had died in the Battle of Hogwarts, saving the life of a cornered fifth year Gryffindor, Colin Creevey, had been Luna's idea, and it was an apt one. Ant was just like his namesake, not a bookworm (though he certainly read a great deal), but clever and the source of the Rogues' success in pranks, the same way his twin was the source of the ideas themselves.

She was sure she was right about her sons' placements, and looked forward to gloating at her husband when she was right for the fourth and fifth times in a row.

"Shall you do the honours, my dear son?" George asked dramatically, handing the envelope over to Teddy, whose hair cycled through the different House colours as he accepted it with an expression of mock gravity.

"I shall, Father mine," Teddy agreed, making a show of opening the envelope, withdrawing and unfolding the parchment within. He made a face. "Merlin, they must've used a Dicta-quill during the feast. There's a bunch of extra nonsense that makes no sense at all."

"Well just read the boys' parts then," Maggie instructed him.

"Obviously," he huffed back. "I don't think anybody cares to hear me saying 'knife scrapes against plate' every third word-"

"Oh, just hurry uuuppp!" Mellie whined.

"Yes, Your Highness," Teddy answered teasingly, before clearing his throat and beginning.

Hogwarts,

September 1st, 2017

Dear Mum, Dad, Teddy and Mellie,

Hey, guess what? I'm a Gryffindor! But Ant is a-

Stop it, Alex, I want to tell them myself! Ugh, these Dicta-quills are so annoying, they pick up everything, and we're at dinner so we can send the letter together, so that's what that extra stuff is. Sorry. Anyway, I'm a Ravenclaw, like you Mum! We wanted to send the letter together, so we haven't seen our common rooms or dorms yet.

Aaron's in my House as well, and so is Rose (that's a surprise, I thought Ant would be the one stuck with her. I'll never get a moment's peace again!) Anyway, I'm glad to have family, but it's not as good as Anthony.

Ana is in Ravenclaw with me too, by the way. Is it true that Ravenclaws and Gryffindors aren't in a lot of classes together? One of the Prefects told me that. Does that mean we won't be able to hang out anymore?

It's not true, right? Ant's my best friend. I don't want that to change. You said it'd be fine even if we were Sorted into different Houses. That's what the Dens are for, aren't they?

We gotta go now, because Headmistress McGonagall is saying that the feast is over and our Prefects are calling us. We'll write again soon with descriptions of our dorms and classmates.

(Not that you really need it, seeing as we have photographic evidence of the two of you in each other's common rooms).

Love you lots!

Write back soon and send chocolate! (oh, and Ethan says 'hi' by the way),

Love you all

Alex, Anthony

"Mum was right again," Teddy noted, setting down the letter.

"A mother knows her children," Maggie affirmed, smiling happily and making a mental note to send her old Ravenclaw scarf to Anthony. She couldn't deny that she was pleased one of her children was in her old House, though of course it wouldn't affect her love for him no matter where he was placed. Anthony had always been the child most like her in character, the same way that Alex was as mischievous as his father and grandfather.

"Does it mean that they can't spend time together anymore, now that they're in different Houses?" Mellie wondered.

"No, of course not," George assured. "Yes, they probably wouldn't be in a lot of classes together, but they won't be spending all their time in classes. They'll just have to pass the time together outside of class."

"Dad's right," Teddy agreed. "I know lots of mixed-House friendships and relationships. And Padma Davies and Parvati Jones are identical twins, but they were in Gryffindor and Ravenclaw too, and they get on well."

"Very true," Maggie agreed with a nod. "Shall we write back?" she suggested then, summoning the needed equipment with a flick of her faithful holly wand.

"Yes," Mellie agreed eagerly, clambering into her lap. "I wanna know all about the common rooms!"

"Remind me to stick a note in the letter about not talking about Rose that way," Maggie ordered her husband. "She's his cousin, after all."

"It's not as if it's a lie," Teddy mumbled under his breath. Maggie shot him a stern look and he raised his hands in surrender. "What? She's a nightmare! Thinks she's the smartest person alive and as prejudiced as Uncle Ron."

"Family comes first, no matter what attitude they have," George said sternly. "Now, what do you want to tell your brothers, Mels?"

"I can't believe it," Maggie sighed, leaning into George's side. "Teddy's engaged to Victoire, Ethan's Captain of the Slytherin Quidditch team, the twins are starting third year, and now Mellie's at Hogwarts too! Where did the time go?"

"No idea," George sighed. "I can't believe my baby girl is gone. I swear, it was just yesterday she was born. We need to get a Time-Turner from the Department of Mysteries, go back and put a spell on them to keep them growing up. It's completely unacceptable of them to be growing up."

"I'm actually thinking about it," Maggie replied, only half-joking. She eyed the letter lying innocently on the kitchen table, which was scratched and covered with old rings from glasses and teacups. "Ready?"

"Three Frogs for Gryffindor," George grinned into her luscious red hair.

"Only a fool would bet otherwise for our princess," Maggie replied fondly. Her only daughter was a curious mix of tomboy and girly-girl, similar to Maggie herself. Mellie would happily spend hours souring through the air on her broom. In fact, she was the best in her generation at flying. Stubborn and fierce, she never allowed the boys in her family to exclude her on the basis of her gender. But Mellie was also happy to dress up and go out for afternoon tea with her mother, and she'd built up quite the collection of dolls until the arrival of her Hogwarts' letter had sent them up to the attic, much to her parents' dismay at the reminder of the fact that their baby girl was growing up.

"So, we're both putting three Frogs on Mellie being a lioness, then?" George double-checked as he prepared to open the letter. Maggie nodded.

"Okay then," he exhaled noisily. "Ahem."

Hogwarts

September 2nd, 2019

Dear Mummy and Daddy,

I was too tired to write last night after the feast, so I'm writing this morning instead. I know what you want to know, so I'll get right to it. I'm a Gryffindor! I'm really pleased about it, but it is annoying that the colours clash with my hair. Still, I'm sure I can manage. I'm sure that I don't need to write a description of the tower, so I'll write about other stuff instead.

Hugo is a Hufflepuff by the way. Uncle Ron'll be annoyed about that, I expect. He always says they're a load of duffers and that if Hugo was in any House except Gryffindor he'd disown him. And Rose went over to his table during the feast and gave out to him, saying a bunch of rude stuff about the 'puffs. Unfortunately for her, Uncle Neville Professor Longbottom (I see what the boys mean. It's so weird, calling him that.) heard what she was saying. Because it's the start of the year, he couldn't take points, but he gave her detention for a fortnight and said he'd be writing to Aunt Hermione. I don't know if she'll do anything about it though. She's never really given out to Uncle Ron when he's prejudiced, but she hasn't scolded him for it either.

But anyway, Hugo'll be fine. I promised him that if Uncle Ron did disown him, he could come and live with us. He can, can't he? Teddy doesn't need his old room, so Hugo could sleep there. You can say so in your letter so that he knows for sure.

He was a little lost looking on the train, so Abbie and I said he could sit with us in our compartment. He's not as bad as I thought. Kind of shy, actually. It sounds as if Rose doesn't let him express his opinions much, and neither does Uncle Ron or Aunt Hermione. They just assume he agrees with them, and he's so quiet everyone else thinks so too. I feel bad about not paying much attention to him before now, but I promise I'll try and be a better cousin to him from now on.

We also met another boy on the train. His name is Jason Michaels, and he's a half-blood, but he was raised in the Muggle world mostly because his mum was the witch and she died when he was little. He said his only contact with his mum's family was his mum's cousin.

This'll be a surprise for you, Mummy. His cousin is Hannah Abbott! You know, Aunt Susan's friend when she was little? The one she argued with during the war and they never really patched things up properly. She's married to Ernie MacMillan, that annoying guy in the Wizengamot who's always frustrating you, now.

Apparently, they send Jase (that's what he prefers to be called) a present for Yule (or Christmas I guess, as that's what he celebrates) and visit on his birthday, but that's it really. I suppose it's a bit like our connection to Uncle Ron or Uncle Percy, or the Dursleys. I like Jase a lot. He's really interesting and funny. We chatted for ages about the differences between the Muggle world and the magical one. Seeing as I'm the only one with proper experience in both, I had to explain a lot. (I thought Hugo would've known more, seeing as Aunt Hermione is a muggleborn, but he says that he only remembers meeting his muggle grandparents once and that Aunt Hermione doesn't talk about them. Are they dead?). Jase was Sorted into Hufflepuff too. I was a bit disappointed, but at least Hugo has somebody with him.

Abbie's a Ravenclaw, which she's pleased about. She didn't want to be in Unc Prof Longbottom's House. I suppose that I can understand that. It'd be weird if either of you were my teachers. I'm not really sure about my roommates yet. There are twenty new Gryffs this year (counting me), with twelve girls and eight boys. The boys are: Seán Finnegan (he's Seamus Finnegan and his wife Sally's son, remember? Right arrogant brat from what I can tell. Kept telling everybody that he was descended from Helga Hufflepuff on his mum's side. Got really embarrassed when he became a lion instead of a badger), Perseus Fawley and his brother Theseus, Edmund Jackson, Leonis MacDougal, Horace Gibbon, Anthony Queen and Matthias Jameson.

The girls are, myself of course, Adelaide Runcorn, Sofia Kama, Aoife Dunbar, Callista Prewett (I think she's the granddaughter of Gran's cousin. You know, the squib one. I didn't want to ask outright, but she said something about her granddad that made me think so.) Rhiannon Perks, Thalia and Calliope Marinios (cousins from Greece, not sisters), Maggie Creevey, Jessie Smoak (spelt with an 'ak' instead of with 'ke'), Mia Diggle and Caitríona Fitzgerald, though she asked to be called Kate.

I'm sharing a room with Mia, Rhiannon, Kate, Sofia and Aoife. Kate and Aoife are both from Ireland, so they're best friends already. Rhiannon was very quiet, but she might just be tired or shy. Sofia seems a bit snobby, but not too bad, and Mia is lovely. She likes Quadpot! Apparently she's from America, but her parents moved here because her dad is the US Ambassador. She said she'd be happy to teach me, so we're going to give it a go at the weekend.

At any rate, it's lights out now, so I best finish this up so that Athena can take it off and you'll have it by morning.

Lots of love!

Mellie xxoo

"She mentions this Jase boy a lot," George noted suspiciously, making Maggie laugh.

"Oh, you're ridiculous," she declared fondly, eyes sparkling in amusement. "She's only eleven, George. It's not as if she's announcing her undying love for him, or anything."

"She better not," the jokester huffed. "My daughter will live and die a little girl."

"I can't help you there," Maggie replied. "But I don't deny I wouldn't be opposed to having another baby in the house. It feels far too empty now. Maybe we ought to work on having another daughter?"

He grinned, scooping her up into his arms and kissing her enthusiastically. "Sounds like a fantastic idea!" He agreed eagerly, lifting her up and Apparating them to their bedroom.

All was well. Her life was one she had never dared to dream she might have as a child or teenager, and she wouldn't change a thing, no matter what she was offered in trade.