Muggles & Spark Plugs - Arthur Weasley

3: Confession

That morning, Andrew woke up to a horrible burning smell that practically singed his nostrils. The child bolted awake and hurried downstairs.

He stared.

The fireplace was lit, a blazing fire roaring in its center. But that was not the weird part. The flames were green. Andrew blinked. Certainly that could not be a person walking out of the fireplace untouched!

Arthur Weasley stepped out from the flames. Andrew's jaw dropped. Arthur met his eyes than quickly looked away. Then realizing he had no choice, the man walked over to the child.

"Er, you saw that, didn't you?"

Andrew nodded. "Was - was that another of your magic tricks?"

Arthur sighed and sat in the chair across from the child. "Andrew, I have something to tell you-"

Before he could continue, Ronald Weasley appeared literally out of nowhere and seated himself next to his father. "Hey, oh, was I interrupting something?"

Arthur whispered something into his son's ear Andrew could not hear. Ron grinned.

"Okay, so," Ronald began, "there is this place -"

Arthur shook his head, making the child laugh. "Ron, let me tell it."

"Fine but I get to tell the sports section."

Arthur gave him another look before saying, "Andrew, there are no magic tricks or magicians."

He expected the boy to be shocked or disappointed or a mixture of the two. Instead Andrew said:

"I knew it!"

Ron chuckled.

Arthur continued. "Instead there are witches and wizards. But the magic itself is real. And there is this school called Hogwarts, where these wizards and witches learn magic.

"The 'bad magicians' are real, too, but they are better known as Dark wizards. A-and there was this one 'bad wizard' who killed and maimed. He believed people, like you, were weak and helpless. He believed himself to be stronger than any. His followers were whom killed my son.

"Now, you know how Molly tears up whenever your real name is mentioned; how George had a meltdown? Well, t-that's because my son had the same name as yourself: Fred Fabian Weasley. He was George's twin brother and it completely crushed him when the Death Eaters killed his twin. It crushed us all."

"C-can I tell about the sports now?" Ron asked.

"There's this game called Quidditch and I'd say it's bloody brilliant compared to other sports. For one thing, there's broomsticks and they fly. And there's the Quaffles the Chasers pass and there's the player who blocks the scoring area - I was a Keeper back in the day-"

"Ron, you're talking his ear off," Arthur laughed. He turned to Andrew. "What exactly is a record?"

~

It felt good to tell the boy everything, though he had left out many of the details of the wizarding world. For one thing, Arthur had forgotten to mention the owls.

A few mornings later, a speckled brown owl flew in through the open window. Andrew gaped in awe and amazement as Arthur grabbed a piece of parchment from the owl's leg. The owl flew off instantly.

Andrew's mouth shut. "Is that the post?"

"Yes, yes," Arthur said. A single tear trickled down his cheek and he brushed it away. "Ah, I suppose it was inevitable..."

Arthur made no way to explain what he had just said. He cast one last look at Andrew, surely it would be his last, and left the room with the letter in hand.