The Big Dipper

Oliver Wood

"Careful with her head."

"Shh, she's asleep."

"That's it. Perfect."

Ursula and Fred beamed down at their sleeping newborn. She was perfect.

They had named her Perseis Lilian Minerva, for Ursula's best friend and the teacher who meant so much to both her and Fred. Born October 30th, 2003, on the eve of Halloween, with a tuft of bright ginger hair, she brought so much joy to her parents' lives.

In the years following Ursula and Fred's wedding, their lives had continued to change, sometimes drastically, sometimes slowly. Ursula secured a seat on the Wizengamot with one of the largest margins of victory to date, becoming one of the youngest members ever. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes expanded, first across the country, then onto the continent of Europe. Ursula's magizoology sanctuary flourished.

Their friends' lives proved just as robust. Lilian and Terence married a year and a half after Ursula and Fred. Lilian's career in the Ministry was taking off, while Terence was a full editor for the Daily Prophet, and now they were expecting their first child together. They, along with George and Angelina, were to be Perseis's godparents.

Having told Ursula of her pregnancy at Ursula's wedding, Vanessa had delivered a daughter, Veronica Rose Burke, in January of 2001. Lewis had also earned a seat on the Wizengamot, and had joined the Board of Governors for Hogwarts. Having had her second child, Julian Alexander, in July, Vanessa was content, even thrilled, with her life as a wife and mother.

Both Gemma and Blossom were now married to straight-laced, hardworking gentlemen, Gemma to Lawrence Green and Blossom to Robert Hilliard, a Ravenclaw who had graduated a few years before his wife. He was preparing to transfer from the Goblin Liaison Office to the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, while she had just accepted a position as the Potions professor at Hogwarts. Together they had an infant daughter, Lily Eliza Hilliard. Gemma, meanwhile, was already a junior partner in the International Magical Office of Law, while Laurence was quickly climbing the ladder in the International Magical Trading Standards Body. They had no children yet, not that they needed any.

Adrian's courtship with Catherine not only progressed marvelously, but they had just recently married! Adrian still played Quidditch professionally, though it was expected that in the next few years he would retire and take up a desk job.

Perhaps the greatest excitement of all, however, was that Cassius and Hadrian, married for just over a year, were expecting their first child through a surrogate. Cassius's apprenticeship had been fantastic, and he now worked full time as a wandmaker alongside Ollivander. Hadrian, meanwhile, was back to the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes, where he had started his career. He was perfectly suited to the job, happy in his cubicle, and his favorite part was visiting children to reassure them over magical mistakes. Slowly but surely, he gained back the respect he lost for being a Death Eater, and earned a reputation for being kind and fair in disciplinary hearings.

Speaking of former Death Eaters, Draco had followed his passion and undergone Healer training, accepting a surprising (to him, and no one else) job offer at St. Mungo's. He was engaged to Astoria Malfoy, a bright and caring young woman whom Ursula could not fault and was excited to welcome to the family.

Fred's friends and family were getting on with their lives in a similar, and similarly exciting, manner. Following Victoire, Bill and Fleur welcomed Dominique Alice to their little family. Charlie, though without children or a partner and happily so, doted never-endingly on his nieces, and soon, his nephews.

Percy had perhaps shocked, but pleased, his family the most, marrying Audrey Harding in a small, formal ceremony less than a year after Fred and Ursula's wedding. They had since welcomed Molly Penelope Weasley to the family. After joining the Weasley family, Ursula, and everyone else, discovered that she and Percy got on fantastically well. They were quite similar people, from their outlook to their determined attitudes, and once Fleur was added to the mix, they began having weekly brunches together. Percy had asked his sisters-in-law to teach him French, which he turned out to be quite good at.