A War Torn World

"It is time." 

Arthur Weasley nodded. It was time for Operation Orphan. He stood from his chair across from the minister. He had several destinations Russia, France, Canada, and Brazil.

"You will alert the others, will you not?" 

"But of course Arthur. They will be notified immediately."

Arthur thanked the him and left the ministers office. As he walked toward his own office, which was several floors down. He was about to meet his daughter for the first time in fifteen years. What would she look like? How would she act? What was her name? Did she.....

He had walked into someone. Their books had dropped and were strewn all over the floor.

"Oh I'm soo sorry! Let me help you." he bent down and scooped the girls books up. It was Tonks.

"Oh hey Tonks, got to go." he left the bubblegum haired girl to go to his office.

The day before he had sent a letter to each orphanage:

Dear Madam or Sir,
                                I'd like to adopt __________. I will come and pick them up tomorrow and fill out the papers. Thank you!
                                Sincerely, 
                                Arthur Weasley

He had cast a confundment charm on it to fool the orphanage director to allow him to adopt the children.

Arthur arrived at his office. He removed his jacket from the back of his chair. It was a muggle sports coat, the kind muggle men wear to work. Grabbed his briefcase off of the floor and left for the main lobby.

He walked over to the Apparition Area and thought of The orphanage in Canada.

Bridgette was in class daydreaming... again, school was sometimes boring for her and she always had this feeling like she was meant for something more than this. "Bridgette!", said Sister Catherine the nun who was teaching the class, "Go to the office now!", she yelled. Bridgette sighed she figured it was because she was caught daydreaming again. The other children in the class laughed as she went by, "Have fun Gigi", said some one under their breath as she passed. That was everyones typical way of treating her. The other kids in the orphanage treated her like they were above her. She didn't have any friends and well she didn't mind too much she was different them, and the fewer people that knew that the less ridicule she got.

As she got to the bottom of the the stairs and went into the office; "Ah Bridgette have a seat you'd never imagine the good news we have for you dear", said Sister Mary. Bridgette gave an odd look to the nun, "Whats that?", she asked the sweet elderly woman. "You've been adopted dear, your new father should be here soon to get you; isn't that exciting", smiled the nun. "What?", Bridgette said she didn't understand it she had been here for 15 years; why would somebody adopt her now. "Go on to your room and get your things packed and will call you down just as soon as Mr. Weasley get here", she said with a smile and patted the girl on the shoulder. Bridgettte looked at the nun and nodded with a still confused look on her face.

Bridgette got her suitcase packed, she didn't have much so it wasn't too hard. Other girls came into the room and started laughing, "I heard your getting adopted Gigi, bet your gonna be somebodies house maid, nobody would want you for anything else", said one of the girls as she pushed her over. The gaggle of girls went to the common room laughing. "Maybe their right", said Bridgette.

Mr. Weasley was led into an office by a woman who introduced herself as Sister Mary.

She sat down behind the desk. "It's a pleasure to finally meet you Mr Weasley. Your employer has told me so many great things about you. I understand you are a rubber ducky salesman?" she said as she peered over her large stack of papers at him.

"Yes yes. I just love a good rubber ducky. Don't you?"

"Yes, of course I do Mr. Weasley. It says her that you are married and have no children?"

"Yes that's right. Me and the misses just have never been able and finally decided to adopt. And when I saw Bridgette I knew she was the one." lies it was all lies he was starting to get hot. Everyone knew he had sev...I mean six children.

"Well Bridgette will be down soon."

"Thank you ma'am"

Bridgette sat on suitcase that was on her be; when Sister Catherine came in, she was a mean woman who despised many of the children she had her favorites. "Alright brat your new father is downstairs waiting for you I hope he whips you into shape literally", said the evil woman. She turned sharply on her heal and went back out the door. Bridgette sighed and picked up her suitcase; walking down the stairs and into the office.

"Yes sister Mary I'm here now", she said with a slight smile, sister Mary smiled back, "Bridgette I'd like you to meet Mr. Arthur Weasley, I'm sure you will have a wonderful new life with him and Mrs. Weasley", sister Mary stood up and put her hands on her shoulders.

"I know that things have not always been easy for you dear but I hope you will look back to your life here and have some memories of fondness for us. Bridgette nodded and looked Mr. Weasley, she was amazed by the man, bright red hair; very much like hers, she smiled at Mr. Weasley "Um hello sir my name is Bridgette", she said.

Arthur smiled at the young girl. She had bright red hair, reminded him of his daughter. Wow this is going to be harder then he thought.

"Hello Bridgette, my names Arthur Weasley, but you may call me whatever you like." he said as he took the girls suitcase. Arthur strood outside into the cold, snowy morning of Canada. A taxi pulled up.

"C'mon my dear. It's a long way to England." he told Bridgette.

The taxicab was a bright obnoxious yellow. It was to take the two of them to the airport. Then they were to take a plane to Brazil. To pickup another "orphan." They were taking a plane rather than apparting because the students were not to know of magic yet.

*** The Previous Day ***

"Hey you," Andre shouted at him, as Dael made his way across the empty plot of grass behind the orphanage."Wanna play?"

Andre was holding a soccer ball under his arm. There were about a dozen more orphans gathered around him. Andre was the oldest, biggest, kid in the ophanage; any hope he ever had of being adopted died two years ago when his mustache started coming in. Still Dael wasn't one to talk, no one wanted him either.

"No thanks," Dael called back. He wasn't the sporty type and those guys were unreasonably rough. He continued forward towards the fence on the far side. Just beyond the fence were woods where he hung out, alone, during the hours he was allowed outside.

"Whats the problem?" Andre taunted. "Afraid you'll get hit with the soccer ball? Afraid you'll break a nail princess?"

Dael ignored him and kept walking. He didn't see the soccer ball coming. It smacked him in the side of the head, causing him to fall over. The other kids all laughed and started over towards him. Dael's first instinct was to reach for the retractable knife he had concealed in his sock, but instead he scrambled to his feet, vaulted over the fence, and disappeared into the woods. It was there he spent the rest of the day.

He found himself sitting on a stump later that afternoon as the last sunlight of the day filtered through the leaves. He scraped his knife along the hollow shaft of wood he had whiddled out of a branch of oak. There was something special about the wood. He couldn't explain it, but the way it felt in his hand was exhilarating. He carved it carefully, he could feel the tangle of energy inside the wood unwinding and straightening as he shaved and smoothed the wood with his knife.

When he was finished he was left with a perfectly smooth cylinder, with a knob as a handle. He had seen something like this on T.V. before: it was a magic wand. It felt really good in his hand but he felt there something missing.

It was certainly time for him to get back to orphanage, the doors would be locked shortly, but still he had to find the missing piece. He stood up and started wondering deeper into the woods, following his gut.

It wasn't long before he stepped on a patch of vines on the forest floor. Immediately they sprung up, as if alive, and wrapped around his foot. They yanked him with unnatural strength, and he fell to to the ground. The vines dragged him towards a thicket in the shadows.

Quickly Dael pulled his knife and started trying to saw the murderous plant off of himself. He managed to cut himself free just before being pulled into the bush. He scrambled away quickly, with a small throbbing, piece of vine still stuck to his foot.

When he was far enough away to feel save, he pulled the vine from his foot and inspected it. It looked like a normal plant but... somehow it was very much magical inside. On a hunch, Dael shaved the vine into a thin enough string to fit in the empty center of his wand and then he slid it inside. Holding the finished product in his hand, he knew the vine core hadn't been the perfect piece but it might have been good enough.

Dael closed his eyes and concentrated for a moment. Then, quite suddenly he twirled the wand above his head and brought it down, aiming it at a tree just a few feet away. There was a loud pop, a sharp pain in his palm, and the wand flew out of his hand. The tree he was attacking had a small hole blown in it, splinters and tiny fragments of bark rained down around him.

"Awesome," he breathed rubbing his sore hand with the other. His lips curled into a smile.

Ten minutes later Dael was standing at the back door of the orphanage. As usual for that time of night, it was locked. He could bang on it loudly and someone would let him in, but if he was caught out after curfew again he'd be beaten for sure. Dael knew what he had to do. He pulled his wand out of his pocket, mentally prepared himself for the pain, and then gave a mighty twirl and flicked the wand down on the door's handle. There was a pop, splinters, pain, and the door creaked open. Dael hurried in and immediately ran into Mr. Andrews, the caretaker. He quickly hid his wand.

"Why am I not surprised to see you causing trouble?" The man growled as he grabbed Dael by the collar and dragged him further into the orphanage. "Thank God you're out of here tomorrow."

Deal was confused as he half jogged to keep up with that caretaker, to keep from being chocked by the collar of his shirt. Was he being kicked out of the orphanage? Thrown out into the streets to fend for himself? Or, did he dare think that someone thought to adopt him after all these years?

These questions still plagued him as he fell asleep late that night, anxious about what awaited him the next day.

Arthur Weasley

Ahh Brazil! Such a lively place thus time of year. Not quite what he had expected, but it would do. Bridgette had never once questioned him as they got on the plane, but when they got off she sent him a puzzled look. Why were thy in Brazil when he lived in England? He had told the poor girl that he simply had to pick up a package. 

They caught a cab to the orphanage. A middle aged caretaker greeted him. "I am so glad that Dael has finally been adopted! We have yet to inform him yet, but oo he'll be excited! I assume you are Mr. Weasley?" "Why yes and I am here for Dael." She then said something in another language to a maid and they left the room. "He will be here shortly."

Dael had his bags packed early that morning, still uncertain about what was happening to him. He was hauling his things down the hallway as Mr. Andrews shoved him towards the door of the main office. He wondered what awaited him inside. His walking papers? One last beating? A new family?

There was only one way to find out.

He entered the room, drawing the attention of a man and a girl who waited for him inside. "Hi," he said uncertainly. They didn't look like they were from Brazil. He could swear he felt something from the two of them... something magical.

Arthur Weasley

"Hello Dael, my name is Arthur Weasley. You may call me what you wish. I am here to take you home with me and my daughter Bridgette to London." Mr Weasley explained to the young man who looked confused. After this it was off to France then Russia. Then he had to deliver the packages. These poor children didn't know, what was to happen to them.