Bat-Bogey Hexers

Prologue

Two Witches Are Born
1981

The biggest difference between the birth of Viola Lestrange and Ginny Weasley, aside from the sixth month stretch, was the first words their parents said about them.

"Merlins beard it's a girl!" cried Arthur Weasley. He stared in apparent bewilderment at the wailing, red head baby he held in his arms. The delight and shock was obvious on his face, which was always as easy to as a children's story book, even behind the glasses he wore.

The exhaustion disappeared from Molly Weasley's face when she heard this. She stared at her husband.

"It's a...a girl?" Molly stammered.

Mr Weasley nodded as a grin spread over his face.

"It is a girl!" He said again, unable to say anything else to express his joy.

Molly promptly burst into tears of joy then held out her arms for the babe. Arthur lay their daughter beside her mother, then went to the door. He opened it and called "Boys! Would you like to come meet your sister?"

Six red headed little boys came tumbling in to the room to meet the newest addition to the Weasley family.

Violas birth seven months previous to this was the polar opposite of this joyful occasion. The beautiful Ira Lestrange took one look at her daughter and cried "She's hideous!"

Roderick Lestrange peered down at the baby wrapped in black silk. He scratched his head.

"She is rather ugly," he admitted.

This was rather unfair to the babe, who although rather pale and skinny with an unusually long, pointy nose, was certainly not hideous or ugly. But to her parents that's exactly how the child appeared.

So while Ginny Weasley was welcomed into the word with warmth, love and happiness, all Viola found was disappointment and repulsion.