𝘀𝗸𝘂𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗸, charlie weasley

˗ˋ 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH VISITS 
ARE INTERRUPTED

. . .

It wasn't long until they all got into the swing of life at Hogwarts again. The first few weeks were quite tough to adjust after months of freedom to do whatever you pleased, an almost regret for summer ending marring the last few sunny days of the year.

But when they got past that month marker of October arriving, everything clicked into place. They had had four weeks to settle back into their dorms and the routine of boarding school life, get used to their new schedules and back into the regularity of receiving homework and other tasks that needed completing. 

Kaida was always glad to be back. no matter how hard it was to properly settle in. She just needed to be away from her home. Her parents were muggles, who were incredibly shocked to get a visit from Professor McGonagall who taught at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

They never seemed to understand magic, and for many years had barely talked to Kaida whilst she was at home. Letters from them whilst she was at school were few and far between, but the owls had always made them skittish and freaked them out, so the Phoenix girl didn't have any hopes for that changing.

It really was strange; they might have one of the most magical last names in Britain, but their attitudes to witches and wizards were inexcusable. How they treated their own daughter was awful, not one day had gone by since her eleventh birthday that they hadn't treated her like a ticking bomb, just waiting to go off.

Because that was how they viewed the Wizarding World. As a danger. That nobody there could control their magic and somehow were going to manage to damange their lives. Neither Mr or Mrs Phoenix seemed to grasp the concept that it wasn't just Britain that had a magical community but every single country.

Kaida recieved her first letter from them when the end of October came around. It was the first Hogsmeade day of the year, and a letter had fluttered down over her head - a surprise for her. 

She had been ready to leave, but seeing as the letter had come, Kaida told her friends that they should go on without her and she would join them later on. Her parents, whether they liked magic or didn't, did expect punctual replies to the letters they did send. And considering that Kai had convinced herself she had pretty much been kicked out, she was willing to sacrifice half an hour of her Hogsmeade time to reply.

But it seemed there were other plans in mind, because as she walked along one of the second floor corridors to get to the courtyard from which the gate to Hogsmeade opened up into, she stumbled into McGonagall, who had just come back from seeing the students off and making sure that the new third years had their permission slips. 

"Ah, Miss Phoenix, I see you haven't left yet." The Gryffindor head of house strided to a stop in front of her. "Perfect, I believe you can spare a little more of your time, yes?"

"Well.. I suppose." Kaida hesitated before she replied. "But Charlie and everyone are waiting for me so.." She wasn't entirely sure what it was about - she couldn't think of anything they had done that was just that bad.

"Mr Weasley can wait a little longer I am sure." McGonagall continued forward, leading the way to her office. They made their way down the semi-empty corridors until they reached a door that Kaida was all too familiar with. "Please, have a seat." Professor McGonagall unlocked the door and pushed it open, gesturing to one of the red coloured chairs in front of her desk.

Kaida did as she was asked, sitting back and getting as comfortable as she could, glancing at the clock on her wrist and hoping it wouldn't take too long. 

"Miss Phoenix, you are in your final year here at Hogwarts, and it is mine and every other head of house to ensure that you have at least some idea of your prospects after leaving." McGonagall sat forward and clasped her hands together, an almost weary sigh leaving her lips. "You and Mr Weasley were having quite a.. hard time deciding this last year. Have there been any break throughs over summer."

"I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you." Kaida flickered back through her summer memories, a smile appearing on her lips as she thought of a particular one. "However, we have been considering a tour of America and find the lost colony of Thunderbirds."

McGonagall stared at her.

She blinked once, twice, behind her spectacles.

"I see neither of you have matured in your final year." McGongall pulled a drawer open and retrieved a file, settling a sheet of parchment down on the table in front of them. "This is what you said last time. 'Professional Quidditch' or 'Something to do with animals'." The woman read.

"Yes. Finding the lost colony of-"

"Miss Phoenix, I think we both know you're not serious about that." Professor McGonagall cut her off. "You have achieved very high grades consistently in Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, is there any topics of real interests from any of your lessons?" 

"I.." Kaida's throat went dry as she tried to think, memories playing back not only from summer but everything she could remember from the start of her school years at Hogwarts. 

Before coming to a stop on one of the topics that she remembered both her and Charlie almost obsessing over. She cleared her throat, looking up at McGonagall with a look in her eye that convinced the woman of something - what, she didn't quite know.

"Yes?" McGonagall asked, urging her to share what she had thought of.

"Dragons."

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