Order Only: Private message to Ron

[alt_ginny]

The Twins came by a little while ago and got Mum out of bed with ice water. She was pretty cross. They told her it was for her own good.

I think they were actually glad she got cross, she sounded more like herself.

Anyway we had tea together (Mum and I did, while the Twins dried out her bed and so on) and talked about my classes. She found my book list. I guess I was worried over nothing; she just wanted to know how I was going to keep myself safe around Dolohov. How worried do you think I actually need to be? He's never treated us any differently from anyone else, as far as I can tell, it's not like he actually has a blood feud with our family even though he killed two of our uncles, and Percy, or at least Mum thinks he was responsible for Percy. (Because of the galleon she found after the funeral.)

I had all my arguments ready for why I ought to take Dark Arts, but she didn't seem cross, exactly. It was like having a conversation about it with Sirius, almost, she was sensible about it.

Comments

[alt_ron]

Yeah. It was a lot like that after Dad...

Sorry it's been awful there this summer. I guess I should've asked if you wanted to come kip with us. Only, yeah, it was probably good you were there for Mum even if she's not acting like she wants the company. At least with you there, she eats a bit, right?

Don't worry, though. When you leave, either twins'll do more or Bill will. Probably Bill.

And she'll be alright eventually.

Don't you think?

[alt_ginny]

Yeah, I do. I wish someone were still living at home, but I don't blame Bill for wanting to have his own place. Or you.

Anyway at least we didn't row over my NEWT classes. Or my marks.

If Percy were still alive, and talking to me, he'd have been cross about my Arithmancy OWL.

[alt_ron]

Why? How low was it?

It's not like you'll probably ever need Arithmancy once you leave school, y'know? Or History. Or, well, most of the stuff we have to read. Spells and some of the theory behind them, yeah. That stuff's practical, right? But the rest is only useful for a few professions, and then it's probably more about shaking out the field so they only get applications from people who are really well-suited for whatever it is, and then when you get into training, they teach it all to you again.

They've been talking to us about Auror training, and that's totally what it sounds like. The first nine months or so are all in the classroom and on the sparring floor, and Travers was telling us today that they pretty much assume they'll have to get us to bin all sorts of nonsense we studied at school and unlearn loads of bad habits we picked up there.

Makes you wonder what it's all for, doesn't it?

So what were your Marks, anywiz?

[alt_ginny]

I got As in Arithmancy and Astronomy. So passing, you know, but not well enough to go on.

I got Os in Ancient Runes, Charms, Dark Arts, and Defence. Es in Herbology, Potions, and Transfiguration.

I got a P in History of Magic. Probably because I spent two years sleeping through that class.

I'm going on in everything I got an E or an O in. I have no idea what I ought to be trying to do with my life, though. Is it pathetic that I think I'd most like to play quidditch for the Harpies?

[alt_ron]

You did better than I did, so you know. No need to worry you came last in the family.

And no use crying over Arithmancy or Astronomy, either.

As for History of Magic? I worry about those people who stay awake, they're the ones need serious help.