Jasmine was surprised to find a letter from Harry in their hiding spot. She had been resigned to wait until he returned to Hogwarts.
She eagerly ripped the envelope open and unfolded the parchment.
Dear Jasmine,
I'm so sorry for not writing earlier but there was so much going on the whole time I didn't have any time but now I have loads to tell you.
As you probably know your parents locked me into my room and put bars on the window after the incident with the Masons. I was counting down the days till you were coming back.
I think it's time you heard my side of the story because there is so much that your parents don't know about.
So that evening when I walked into my room there was this weird creature sitting on my bed. It was small, maybe up to my waist, thin and wrinkly and wearing an old dish cloth. And he had huge green eyes and pointy ears and a really squeaky voice. I had no idea what it was.
Turns out this creature is a house elf and they serve old, wealthy wizarding families and his name is Dobby.
He had come to tell me not to go back to Hogwarts, mental right? Anyway he was going on and on about some evil plot that was going on and how something terrible would happen this year at Hogwarts.
Jasmine groaned loudly, that didn't sound good. Couldn't Harry just have a normal year at Hogwarts?
Fred and George just think that his owners were playing a prank and trying to stop me from going to Hogwarts. Ron and I think it was probably Malfoy's idea. His family is wealthy enough to own a house elf.
Jasmine wished that Harry had explained more about the house elves, what did he mean by owning an elf? And she was disappointed to have missed a visit from a magical creature. After all it wasn't everyday that a magical creature stopped by and she would never be able to see them at Hogwarts.
Anyways, then I found out that Dobby had been the one who had taken all my letters from Ron and Hermione to stop me from going back to Hogwarts. When that didn't work he tried to make me promise not to go back to Hogwarts but when I refused to promise he ran out of my room and downstairs.
Jasmine shook her head, typical of Harry to refuse to lie even if it was for a good cause.
I tried to chase and catch him but it was too late. He dropped your mum's pudding in the kitchen. Your dad tried to convince the Masons that I had some kind of mental disorder and he almost succeeded but then an owl from the ministry appeared and Mrs. Mason is terrified of birds so she ran out of the house screaming. [In other circumstances it might even have been funny.]
Unfortunately, that was when your parents found out that I couldn't do any magic outside of Hogwarts and that ended with me locked in my room.
It was awful, I was literally counting down the minutes for you to come home but I got really lucky. One night, I woke up and Ron, Fred and George were outside my window in their flying car.
Jasmine's eyes widened, a flying car...
It was wicked, we flew all through the night and landed just as the sun was rising. The Burrow (that's what their house is called) is so cool. It looks like it's being held together by magic and inside there are all different levels and it's so full of magic.
When we got there Mrs Weasley came out and she was raging with the boys for taking the car. She was really nice to me though and told me that she and Mr. Weasley were actually going to come pick me up personally. She actually said that they were going to invite you too.
Jasmine smacked the side of the tree stump when she realised that she had missed out on what was probably her one chance at experiencing the magical world. Then again her parents wouldn't have let her go.
She sighed and turned back to the parchment.
As punishment the boys had to degnome the garden. Gnomes are little, potato-like creatures that live in holes in the ground. Mrs. Weasley wanted them out of the garden (the garden is huge by the way, loads of trees and plants, you would love it) so we had to spin them around in the air and then throw them over the hedge.
Before you get all worked up, this doesn't hurt them. They're actually already back in the garden.
I can't tell you how much I love it here. Everyone is so nice all the time. Mr. Weasley is obsessed with anything to do with Muggles so he makes me explain everything to him, Mrs. Weasley is the best cook ever and she makes huge portions. Percy spends most of the time holed up in his room and Ginny (the youngest sister) gets really embarrassed around me.
Jasmine smirked, it sounded like Harry had an admirer.
I spend most of my time with Ron, Fred and George. We fly and practice Quidditch during the day or we just hang out in the garden.
I'm still looking forward to Hogwarts but I will miss the Burrow. I really, really wish that you were here with us.
I had a bit of a mishap yesterday.
Jasmine closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
We went to Diagon Alley to buy our books and we used Floo powder. Basically, Floo powder is green powder and you throw it in the hearth (it doesn't matter if the fire is burning or not) and the fireplace is connected to a system and you can get out at any fireplace that is connected to that system.
Jasmine gasped, that was genius.
Yeah, it sounds good in theory but it's awful really. It's sooty, and you can't breathe and it's tight and squishy and I fell out in the wrong grate.
I ended up going one further than Diagon Alley, and it was a really creepy shop. I cracked my glasses and to make matters worse, Malfoy and his dad showed up.
She face-palmed, Harry had the worst luck.
So I hid in a cabinet and waited until they left. Thankfully Hagrid found me because it was a really scary street once I left the shop, some woman was trying to sell human nails to me.
Jasmine shuddered.
That street is called Knockturn Alley and it's a really dodgy area.
We met up with Hermione and her parents and we wandered around the shops for a while. It was good to see her again.
There was a huge crowd of people in Flourish & Blotts because Gilderoy Lockhart (he writes books and pretty much every witch fancies him, I've sent you a picture) was doing a book signing.
Jasmine sorted through the pieces of parchment and burst out laughing when she saw the picture of Harry and the wizard she assumed to be Lockhart. He had blond hair, dimples and was trying to drag Harry back into the picture. She skimmed over the article and couldn't stop laughing.
Jasmine it was so embarrassing! Once he spotted me, he pulled me over and then made me take pictures. Then he announced to everyone that he was our new DADA professor, oh Jasmine I don't know if I'll survive this year with him. He's an absolute git.
But then we ran into the Malfoys again and Mr. Weasley and Mr. Malfoy got into a fight, in the middle of the shop. Hagrid pulled them apart and Mrs. Weasley was furious.
That's pretty much it. We're leaving for Hogwarts in ten days.
I'll write to you again once we're back at school. I wish I could have seen you before I leave for another year.
Jasmine smiled sadly. She couldn't think about the fact that it would be another full year before she saw Harry because it brought tears to her eyes.
Lots of love, Harry.
xx
Jasmine walked home slowly. Even though she was getting on better with Dudley at the moment, she just wanted to see Harry and not her family.
She excused herself to her room and lay on her bed, leafing through a book but not really paying attention.
She ignored the doorbell when it rang. It was probably one of Dudley's friends. Her head snapped up when she heard her father's strangled yelp.