Ginny walked outside in her running clothes for the race. Her and Ron were going to run around the house. Fred and George were amused by the whole affair, teasing Ron mercilessly as the moment approached. Percy had taken a vacation from his job in the Ministry and had arrived at the house this morning. He seemed slightly confused on why the event was so high stakes, but was standing next to Dad and Molly near the house as Ron and Ginny made their way to the place where they’d start. Everyone was staring at Ginny especially.

“What?” She said, “Why are you all staring at me?”

“What are those clothes?” Molly asked, “Why aren’t you wearing a dress or something more sensible?”

Ginny looked down to her t-shirt and running shorts that Alexa had given her. Then back at their family.

“I can’t run in school robes. They’re too heavy and bulky. These are much better.”

“Where did you even get them?” Molly asked, “I don’t recall buying you… any muggle boys clothes.”

“They're not boys' clothes,” Ginny said, a little annoyed, “Alexa wears them too. They make the girls one completely differently than the boys ones. Alexa got them for me and Jack after she realized we didn’t have anything besides our robes.”

“Alexa…” Molly said in disapproval, “Please don’t wear that in public, Ginny. It’s practically indecent.”

Ginny looked down at herself confused. Indecent? The shorts went to nearly her knees and the t-shirt was loose and shifted slightly in the breeze outside. She thought that it was fine. Ron was dressed in robes though.

“Ron, do you have anything like these clothes?” Ginny asked him, “That aren’t robes?”

Ron shook his head silently.

“Okay. I’ll go put on a dress,” She said, “I don’t want anyone to say I won because I had better running clothes or something.”

Molly didn’t seem happy with Ginny’s conclusion, but she ignored her as she went back inside. That was Balthazar’s advice, right? Ignore Molly and then dress how she’d like if that’s what she wanted to wear.

Ginny quickly changed into a lighter dress. A little on the light side for the slightly chilly weather outside. But it would be fine for the race. She went back out and the sun was shining down on all of them despite the chilly air.

Ron looked nervous as they lined up.

“Alright!” Fred called out, “First one around the house wins! May the best girl win!”

Ron shot a dark look at the twin at that, but Fred just grinned and shot Ginny a wink.

“On the count of three! Three, two, one, go!”

The two of them started sprinting. The house was big, but not that big. Running around the whole thing wasn’t actually that far. After a few seconds of sprinting next to each other, Ron began to huff and puff. His face started becoming flushed and he started slowing down. Ginny kept the same speed, her breaths even and steady despite her legs pumping. She pulled ahead and Ron slowed down while they were barely even a quarter the ways around the house.

Ginny finished, Ron barely even made it over the finish line, looking like he couldn’t take another step with how heavily he was breathing. Ginny’s legs were tingling a bit and she had to catch her breath a bit. But she was feeling good. She felt proud of how far she’d come and started smiling. A few months ago she’d be huffing and puffing like Ron right now.

“Hey Fred,” Ginny asked, “You want to race? You play quidditch so you’re probably pretty fast, right?”

“Let’s make it a double,” George added, “Let’s see how you stack up to us, Sis. With how short you are, You’ll have to take three steps for one of ours.”

“Three?” Ginny said as they lined up, ignoring Ron who looked frustrated at his loss. “You’re not that tall. Do you even run for your practices, don’t you practice on your brooms?”

“Oh, we run,” Fred said, “Our coach, Wood, is a maniac. Makes us run laps whenever someone misses a pass or does something wrong. He’s obsessed with winning this year since he’s going to graduate this year. Been bloody brutal with us…”

“Alright, Three,” George said, “Two, one, Go!”

All three of them started running. Ginny pushed hard, but her two brothers kept pace and even pulled slightly ahead of her. She dug deeper and sprinted more and the three of them were neck and neck as they reached the finish line, with Ginny only two steps behind Fred and George by the end.

“Wow, you really have been training Sis,” Fred said after the three of them took a breather, “What do you say George? A tie?”

“I dunno. Pretty sure I won.”

The three of them devolved some good natured bickering with Ginny being drawn in to debate which of the twins won as they walked back towards the house where Percy, Ron, and their parents had been watching.

At one point the twins switched places. George came over to her, “You know what? I think George did win after all,” He said, “I concede.”

Fred opened his mouth, but Ginny beat him to it.

“So you give up, George. I think that means you win, Fred.”

“No, I’m Fred,” George protested, “Honestly, Ginny I’ve been standing here the whole time.”

“No, you’re George. I can tell you two apart,” Ginny declared confidently. She idly watches as a tendril of magic wafted off of George and drifted over to Fred and sank into his skin.

“No way,” Fred said jumping in, “Not even Mum can tell us apart when we pretend to be each other. You just guessed.”

Ginny shrugged, “I can though. Fred.”

The twins looked at each other, “Well, brother,” Fred said, “I think this deserves some testing doesn’t it?”

“I think so, brother. Wait out here, Ginny.”

Ginny stood there as Fred and George went into the house. Dad, Molly, Ron, and Percy were talking on the porch and idly watching Ginny as Fred and George walked past them into the house.

After a minute or two, Fred and George emerged walking side by side. Ginny noticed that they had switched positions and had even changed shirts with each other so even the small differences would normally throw Ginny off from telling which was which.

Unfortunately for them her magic sense could easily tell the two apart by their magic.

“Well Sis?” Fred said, “Which one of us is which?”

Ginny pointed at Fred, “Fred,” She pointed at the other twin, “George.”

“Ha!” Fred said, “Good try. But you’re wrong. I’m actually George.”

“Nope. You’re Fred.”

“How do you know?”

“Magic.”

The twins looked at her for a moment, “Very funny, Ginny,” George said, “Now turn around. It’s got to be some kind of trick. One more time.”

Ginny turned around and covered her eyes as the twins rustled around behind her as they moved around. Ginny retracted her magic senses. Could she tell them apart without cheating by looking at their magic?

“Okay, Ginny,” One of the twins said, “We’re ready.”

Ginny turned around and peered at the two of them closely with her eyes. She looked between the two of them, but they really looked the exact same as they stared at her with intentionally blank expressions.

Eventually she gave up. She flared out her magic sense again.

“Fred. George,” She said while pointing.

“Well by Merlin, Fred,” George said, “I think she really can tell. Don’t tell anyone, will you Ginny? However you are really doing it.”

“Okay. You did help Alexa, so I guess we’d be even then,” Ginny agreed.

“That’s fair,” Fred agreed, “Even if you did blackmail us into doing it at first.”

Ginny shrugged, “Olivia gave me the idea. She’s really smart, and just came up with it on the spot. It worked even better than I thought it would.”

“The Ravenclaw Prefect?” George asked in surprise, “What are you doing talking to her for? I’ve heard that she’s a scary one. Ruling with an iron fist over you trembling Ravenclaw nerds.”

“Oh, no Olivia’s great!” Ginny said, “It’s probably Preston badmouthing her to people. He’s always being a jerk and Olivia hexes him and his friends when they start bothering people. She’s really nice actually. Fawkes let her pet him!”

“He did?” George said with a flash of jealousy that flashed over his face. “What’s up with that? We’re just your family. Does Fawkes not like us for some reason?”

“Did I not tell you?” Ginny said, “Don’t you remember that first day, where I told you all to back off and you tried to convince me to let you touch him anyway?”

“Well, yeah,” Fred said, “But we didn’t know that he was actually that intelligent. Surely he’s forgiven us by now?”

Ginny shook her head, “Nope. Still has a grudge. You’ll have to think of some good bribes for him and hope that makes him forgive you. He really doesn’t like getting insulted.”

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“Is he coming for Christmas?” George asked.

“I’m hoping to have him over for the whole day of Christmas,” Ginny said, “But Fawkes said he’d like to stay at the castle as long as possible. He’s still busy stuffing his beak with food on Hogwarts dime the whole week, just like he’s been doing all year.”

“Can’t believe how that worked out,” Fred said, “Was he starved or something when he was living with Dumbledore?”

“No. Nothing like that. Fawkes needs a little food to stay healthy but not as much or as regularly as a person does. If he was just sitting around all that food he’s eaten over the school year would let him survive for decades. Him apparating and teleporting and flying and moving about takes a lot of energy away from that time. He can just eat forever if he wants to and never be done, the food just gets burned and increases the power of his magical flame rather than getting digested like food does for us.”

“Huh. How about that?” Fred said, “George, I think we have a new mission for the holidays. Bribing a phoenix! We’ll get back to you, Ginny. What kind of things would he like as a bribe?”

“Food? Something flavorful or spicy maybe. He was complaining about how bland the food at Hogwarts was just last week. Mostly he just likes compliments. If you think of some really creative ones then he might be happy with that.”

“We’ll get right on that!” George said, “We’ll win Fawkes’ heart for sure!”

The three of them kept talking, Ginny always happy to talk more about everything Fawkes had told her about. He was an old bird and had seen lots of interesting things over his long life.

Ginny giggled, feeling completely relaxed after joking around with Fred and George a bit more as they came up with sillier and sillier compliments for Fawkes. The funniest part was that they would probably work, Fawkes would like them. He wasn’t that picky when it came to compliments.

After a few minutes all of them moved back into the house to get out of the chill air. Molly didn’t say anything and Ron was a bit sullen. Ginny considered going over and gloating over Ron a bit with her victory, but decided not to after an internal struggle. It was tempting, but it would probably make things worse with Molly. Best to just move on and let them know that they’d both been wrong about her.

It would only be a few days until Jack and Alexa would be coming over and she would be able to show them around this place.

— — —

“So, this is my room,” Ginny said as she showed her two friends around. Jack’s parents were in deep discussion with Percy downstairs. It seems that the two of them had taken interest on how the Ministry worked. Percy was working in the department of international cooperation at the Ministry this year, so he was more than happy to tell the curious couple what he did and how everything worked. Dad was in deep discussion with Alexa’s parents and discussing muggle life and enchantments that Dad was working on with his magic.

Molly and Ginny’s other brothers were standing a little ways apart, engaging when somebody asked them something but not contributing to the conversation too much.

Alexa, Jack, and Ginny had left quickly and Ginny had been showing them around the place.

“Oh, what are all of these books?” Alexa asked before picking up one from the shelf. She flipped through it and looked confused. “Wait. Harry Potter? These can’t be about Eric, can they? I didn’t know they had written books about him…”

“Wait, that Eric was raised at an orphanage?” Jack asked, “With how confident he is? That’s a surprise… Ginny, you’ve read these things. Were you a fan of Harry Potter growing up, the whole boy who lived thing?”

Ginny shrugged, “So people tell me. Amnesia, remember. I’ve only read one or two of them. But I do like them so long as I pretend they’re not about Eric.”

“Oh right,” Jack said awkwardly, “Sorry, Ginny. I almost forget sometimes. Feels like a whole different world at Hogwarts compared to how it was before I knew about magic.”

“Yeah, same,” Alexa agreed as she closed the book and put it back in the shelf, “Feels like the three of us have been friends for forever.”

“For my whole life,” Ginny joked. Her friends looked at her in confusion. “I’m technically less than a year old just going by my memories,” Ginny clarified, “So I’ve been friends with both of you for over half my life if you look at it that way.”

“Wow. That’s kind of depressing,” Alexa said, “There’s really no chance of you getting your memories back ever?”

Ginny shook her head.

“Well, at least we’re friends now though,” Alexa said, “For someone less than a year old, you’re doing pretty well in our midterms. Do we have to get a bib and pacifier for you, you little baby?”

“What? Alexa! That’s not what I meant…”

“Goo goo ga ga,” Alexa interrupted, “Does somebody need a milk bottle?”

Ginny looked at Jack.

“Does somebody need their blankey?” Jack said, “Waaaahhhhh.”

“Stop it, both of you! C’mon, it’s not…”

They did not stop. Ginny tried to protest their constant teasing, but she was the one who had started it so she couldn’t manage to get mad at them for it. She only brought their jokes down on herself.

Eventually, Ginny’s friends had some mercy and stopped working together to verbally pummel her.

They left Ginny’s room and made their way back downstairs. The adults were still talking, Fred and George now seeming to have joined the conversation with Percy and Jack’s parents and teasing Percy somehow. Much to the amusement of Mr. and Mrs. Anverts and displeasure of Percy, it appeared.

Molly and Ron hovered over by the kitchen, looking separate from the two other big clusters of conversation. Molly was making dinner and had roped in Ron to help in the time since Ginny and her friends had gone upstairs. The trio milled about the room and talked among themselves, forming a third conversation group as they drifted around merging and splitting off whenever they lost interest in the adults' conversations. Occasionally merging with Dad’s group with the Adams or over to Percy, Fred and George, and the Anverts when they overheard something interesting.

“Dinner!” Molly called as she opened the oven and a cloud of steam came out. Sitting on a tray was the fully cooked turkey that Molly had prepared for dinner.

They all sat down for the meal. Molly carved the turkey with a quick wave of her wand and a spell, and then placed the serving tray on the table in front of them.

“A great meal, Molly,” Arthur said, “Let’s go kids, thank your mother for the meal.”

“Thanks, Mom.”

“Looks great!”

“Thanks, Molly!”

Molly looked as Ginny said that.

“Yes, looks excellent,” Mr. Anverts said next, “Amazing how you carved this whole thing in seconds with your magic.”

“Yes, amazing…” Mrs. Adams added. All the guests went next.

“Well, dig in then!” Molly said as her eyes left Ginny and scanned the table and she affected a welcoming smile to the guests, “Preservation charms for the moisture and heat won’t last forever, will they?”

Everyone dug in, and the food was good. Fawkes was probably stuffing his face right about now, although Ginny vaguely wished she could introduce him to her friend's parents though. Molly and Dad had refused and told her it would be too much to throw at them at once for their first visit.

Ginny was a little disappointed, but she understood. At least she had permission to have him spend Christmas with the family away from Hogwarts from her parents.

“What are you doing, Ginny? Cutting your turkey into little baby bites?” Alexa joked as Ginny sliced up her piece of turkey.

“Will you stop it?” Ginny said even though she was only a little annoyed, “I was just saying. That got old twenty minutes ago.”

“But for you, that joke must have gone for forever,” Jack jumped in, “With how young you are and all. Percentage of your lifespan and all that.”

“Nice one, Jack!” Alexa said and held out her hand just behind Ginny’s back. Jack reached over and high fived her, Ginny only able to see it through her magic sense and hearing the thwack as their palms impacted.

“I’m technically one year older than both of you, you know,” Ginny said haughtily, “So actually you two are the babies.”

“Oh, you’re one year older Ginny?” Mrs. Anverts suddenly asked from where she was sitting across from the trio, “I thought all the children went to Hogwarts when they were eleven? I did think it strange that everyone had to be the same age when they were explaining things to us.”

“Um. Yeah, I am. I’m twelve this year.” Ginny said, thrown off by the question. She looked at Jack who’s eyes were wide and shaking his head at his mom in a panic. The woman and Mr. Anverts noticed his look and were confused.

“Jack? What is it?” Mrs. Anverts asked before glancing between the two of them, “Did I say something rude?”

“Oh, yes. Alexa told us about what happened, Ginny,” Mr. Adams jumped in, “Terribly sorry to hear about that. I’m glad that you’ve made such good friends with our daughter despite it.”

The Anverts stared at their son who looked uncomfortable.

“Ginny was saying it’s like she's a one year old now. So it’s like we’ve been best friends for forever!” Alexa said, “Jack and I’ve been teasing her about it, but it is crazy when you think about it like that.”

“She said that?” Molly suddenly asked, sounding hurt by Alexa’s words.

The rest of the conversation dwindled away as everyone stopped at Molly’s sudden change in tone.

“Uuuuummmm. Yeah?” Alexa replied hesitantly, “You know with her memories and everything, she was just saying…”

Ginny kicked Alexa under the table and the girl stopped speaking.

“Her memories?” Mr. Anverts asked in confusion, “What about her memories?”

“I’ll explain later, Dad,” Jack quickly jumped in, “Ginny has amnesia so she can’t remember anything past this last year.”

Mr. Anverts studied Ginny for a long moment and she nodded to him to confirm.

“Oh. Well, I’m sorry to hear that Ginny,” Mr. Anverts said, “But you seem like a good friend to my son. I’m glad to hear that you’ve recovered so well from… whatever happened.”

“Thank you, Mr. Anverts,” Ginny replied, “Mr. Adams. I’m glad that they're my friends too.”

Dinner continued, the atmosphere oddly tense as Molly kept staring at Ginny when she thought no one else was looking. Jack’s parents also kept glancing at Jack and Ginny, seemingly curious about the situation but picking up enough hints to wait for Jack to explain it to them later.

After dinner was finished, all the guests left and they all went to bed. As Ginny practiced her telekinesis in Teregatt with Balthazar, she wondered why Jack hadn’t told his parents about what had happened to her while Alexa had. Ginny hadn’t thought about it, but did she really care now that they both knew? She had never really been all that sensitive about her amnesia unlike Molly and most of the rest of her family. Well, not truly amnesia. For all intents and purposes, she was born the moment Harry’s mind wiped soul entered the old Ginny’s body. There was nothing for her to remember, the old Ginny was a different girl than she was.

Ginny decided that she didn’t care that Jack hadn’t told his parents or that Alexa had. Jack was right. Her friends did forget about her amnesia most of the time. And Ginny was okay with that.

Christmas came and passed. It was somewhat subdued, Molly not in a very energetic mood for the rest of the week. But things went well enough and Ginny eventually forgave Ron for being such a jerk all Christmas break so far. He was still sensitive about losing that race with how much Fred and George made fun of him for it, but he had recovered from it somewhat and stopped sulking and refusing to talk to Ginny like he had for the last few days.

Fawkes spend Christmas with them. Fred and George tried to praise him and feed him in all sorts of ways. Fawkes knew what they were doing, but allowed them to keep doing it. But at the end he still refused to let anyone touch him.

“He’s making you work for it,” Ginny said as she stroked Fawkes head as the bird sat in her lap.

“Just keep going, I’m sure he’ll give in eventually.”

“Bah. We’re sorry, Fawkes!” Fred said, “C’mon already. Forgive us? Please?”

Fawkes stared at them for a second and cocked his head to the side to inspect them. Then he let out a firm chirp.

Ginny pushed down her hand and ruffled it slightly to shift Fawkes’ head side to side. She released after a second and kept petting him.

“No, Fawkes. You can’t just ask them for a hundred pounds of meat,” Ginny said, “That’s way too greedy. Especially when you get so much from Hogwarts.”

Fawkes chirped sadly before trilling again.

“You glutton. I know your teleport doesn’t cost that much, you liar! You’re just getting all the food you can while I’m still in school.”

Chirp.

“Well, I’m not saying don’t do it. But not to my family too. Where would they even get that much food?”

Fred and George exchanged a look. “So, if we get you a hundred pounds of meat then you’ll forgive us Fawkes?” They asked in unison. Fawkes chirped.

“Yes,” Ginny translated, “He’ll forgive you. But where are you going to get that much? He’s just trying to milk you for all your worth with this…”

“We’ll figure it out over the summer,” Fred declared, “We’ll have plenty of time then. We’ll make sure you forgive us, Fawkes!”

Fawkes chirped in satisfaction and lowered his head to rest on Ginny’s thigh.

“Well, I guess that’s it,” Ginny said, “Good luck you two.”

“Don’t you worry, Sis. We’ll think of something for sure.”