International Love | Fred Weasley

Chapter 25

"You're expelled because of what?!"

Flora stares at me with wide eyes. A week after receiving the news that I have been expelled from Beauxbatons and get to finish my education at Hogwarts, Flora returns from her holiday to Greece. She invites all our friends to her home in order to catch up. We are seated in the large garden of the Maître estate.

"I bought Dungbombs and after that incident a few years ago, they are a violation of the school rules," I answer, sipping my tea.

Henry begins to laugh so hard he falls backward in the grass. Aline tries to hide a giggle behind her hand but fails. Xavier shakes his head.

"And now-" Flora starts.

"I finish my last year at Hogwarts. My uncle leaves next week, and I'll join him to get sorted and all that," I say.

Flora shakes her head, still shocked.

When Henry finally manages to breathe normally again, he whips away a tear from his eye and chuckles: "I'm sure she is still mad about the Belch Power for two years ago."

Everyone bursts out laughing and I nod.

"I was thinking something like that. Our best prank ever."

Xavier and Aline can't hold it together when Henry starts imitating Madame Maxime's speech from two years ago: "Welcome – Burp! – excuses, welcome students – Burp! – welcome to – Burp! – yet another – Burp!"

"You both got three weeks of detention for that," Aline says, shaking her head.

Henry high-fives me, "Worth it!"

It had been worth it. Three weeks of cleaning the castle without magic. It had been so worth it.

I grab another piece of lemon cake and take a bite. Flora nudges my leg with her foot and asks: "Did you inform your boyfriend you'll be sharing a castle again?"

"No," I frown, "I haven't received an answer to my latest letter yet. I'm waiting for him to write back."

"You're lucky that you get to finish your education at Hogwarts," Aline says, "How did you manage that?"

"Dumbledore was the one who suggested it, actually," I answer, "He was there since it happened at his school. He had seen my exam results and they were good enough to be able to do my last year at Hogwarts without having to repeat a year."

I turn to Xavier and smirk, "I'm not retaking History of Magic, though."

Xavier laughs and grabs his bag from where it is laying in the grass. He pulls out a piece of parchment and hands it over to me. When I fold it open, I see it is the results of the exams Xavier took. All grades are O's for Outstanding but there is one A for Acceptable. That's History of Magic.

We spent the rest of the day in the garden talking about school and our summer. Dinner is served in the garden house by a couple of house-elves. We hug each other goodbye at the beginning of the evening and I promise Flora we will write every week.

When I arrive back home, the house is empty. My uncle has been away a lot the past couple of weeks. I asked him where he keeps disappearing to, but he had told me it was none of my business. I didn't ask again. I check his study and the brewing room, but both are empty. I walk up the stairs and get ready for bed.

My final week home exists of buying all necessaries I'll be needing for Hogwarts: book, robes, and the rest of the things on the list I got from Dumbledore. I also spent my days working my final shifts.

"That'll be fifteen Galleons," I tell the woman after packing the dress she bought into a bag. She hands me the coins before grabbing the bag and heading out of the shop. I clean the bits of fabric that fell onto the floor after fitting. I switch the 'open' sign on the door and head to the back of the shop.

Madame Malkin smiles at me when I step into her office. She hands me a bag with coins and a bag with robes.

"Let me know in what house you got sorted. I'll send you a uniform and cloak."

I thank the woman for the job this summer before stepping out of the shop and heading over to Ollivander's. The wand shop is small. Boxes of wands are piled up to the ceiling and there is a layer of dust on almost everything. From the back of the shop, the older wizard comes walking and he smiles when he sees me.

"Good afternoon, Ms Dubos. How can I help you today?"

I take my wand from my robe and place it on the counter.

"I'm heading back to school soon and would like a check-up on my wand."

The older wizard nods and takes the wand. As he turns the wand around in his fingers, he mutters: "Oh, yes, this was an odd one indeed." 

I nod and he smiles. "Larch wood, 9 inches, nice and supple, and of course – the dragon heartstring, if I may ask, from which dragon again?"

"The Peruvian Vipertooth."

Nodding his head, the older wizard smiles approvingly. He mutters a spell and little birds shoot out of the tip. From underneath the counter, the man grabs a towel and starts polishing the wand. Once he is done, he hands me the wand back.

"This one works wonderfully. I wish you the best of luck at school, Ms Dubos."

I thank the man and pay him. My next stop of Quality Quidditch Supplies. The wizard behind the counter smiles at me when I step into the shop. I grab a black pair of dragon-hide gloves. I have decided to try out for a Quidditch team at Hogwarts and I am in need of a pair of new gloves.

The final stop is the apothecary. I grab the piece of parchment my uncle handed me this morning and start piling ingredients in a basket. The list is long and the quantities are large. My uncle had handed me the list and said: 'You're in Diagon Alley already. I'll need these for Hogwarts'. 

With all the bags, I travel back home and walk through the misty streets. Entering the front door, I hear voices coming from the living room. I don't recognize the voices and decide to put the bag with ingredients in the hallway and walk to my room.

As I am packing the rest of my belongings, I hear voices coming from the hall. My door is slightly ajar and I can hear my uncle among them. Quietly, I walk to the door and onto the landing. From here, I can look down into the hall near the front door.

"-know what he wants Severus. And he doesn't mind killing-"

A woman voice says and I hear another voice say: "–if I were you."

This voice is from a man and then I see a black-haired woman and a man walking out of the front door. My uncle closes the door and grabs the bag with ingredients off the floor. He disappears into the kitchen and I hear him yell: "Elena, dinner is almost ready!"