Magic? || Years 1-5

Stuck: Year 3/Summer

Amisty looked down at the newspaper clipping as Harry read it, smiling down at the Weasley family, who were waving ecstatically and standing in front of what seemed to be a massive pyramid.

Ron was in the middle, somehow growing even taller over the little summer that had passed, with the rest of his family spread around him.

Scabbers was perched on his shoulder and his arm was thrown around Ginny's shoulder.

"Ministry of Magic employee scoops grand prize," Harry recited, his voice quiet as to not wake the rest of his family. "Arthur Weasley, Head of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office at the Ministry of Magic, has won the annual Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw. A delighted Mr. Weasley told the Daily Prophet, 'We will be spending the gold on a summer holiday in Egypt, where our eldest son, Bill, works as a curse breaker for Gringotts Wizarding Bank.' The Weasley family will be spending a month in Egypt, returning for the start of the new school year at Hogwarts, which five of the Weasley children currently attend."

Amisty grinned, happy that the Weasley family won the prize.

They definitely deserved it. Harry picked up the letter, once again placing the paper in between the two of them before he started to read.

"Dear Harry, and Amisty since you're probably reading this with him," She laughed at that. "Happy Birthday! Look, I'm really sorry about that telephone call. I hope the Muggles didn't give you a hard time. I asked Dad, and he reckons I shouldn't have shouted. It's amazing here in Egypt. Bill's taken us around all the rombs and you wouldn't believe the curses those old Egyptian wizards put on them. Mum wouldn't let Ginny come in the last one. There were all these mutant skeletons in there, of Muggles who'd broken in and grown extra heads and stuff. I couldn't believe Dad won the Daily Prophet Draw. Seven hundred Galleons! Most of it's gone on this trip, but they're going to buy me a new wand for next year. We'll be back about a week before term starts and we'll be going up to London to get my wand and our new books. Any chance of meeting you there? Don't let the Muggles get you down! Try and come to London, Ron. P.S. Percy's Head Boy. He got the letter last week."

Amisty laughed softly, pointing out how Percy in the photo had pinned his Head Boy badge to the fez on top of his head.

She noticed Harry's gaze drift toward the gold wrapped gift and nudged him with her shoulder, "Go on, open it."

He listened, unwrapping it gently so that there wasn't too much noise.

It was a box with something strange looking inside, a tiny glass spinning top of sorts. At the bottom of the box was another little note from Ron.

She glanced over his shoulder to read it.

Harry -- this is a Pocket Sneakoscope. If there's someone untrustworthy around, it's supposed to light up and spin. Bill says it's rubbish sold for wizard tourists and isn't reliable, because it kept lighting up at dinner last night. But he didn't realize Fred and George had put beetles in his soup

Bye -- Ron

Harry leaned over and placed the Pocket Sneakoscope on his bedside table with a soft thump.

Somehow it stayed upright, balancing on the point. Amisty picked up the package Hedwig had brought, guessing it was Hermione judging by the neatness of the wrapping.

She had gotten her own letter from her this time, though.

So she handed Harry his, and the present, before opening her own letter and reading it.

Dear Amisty,

I hope you've had an amazing summer so far, and do tell me if you've gotten any letters from your mysterious penpal!