Hey guys! I have some good news and some bad news.
The good news is congratulations! If you reviewed, you got Mrs. Weasley's homemade fudge!
The bad news is if you didn't review, you got Fred and George's fever fudge. Well, on to the story, people! J
The sun had already risen in the sky by the time Ron reached the Burrow.
"Finally, we've been in this bloody piece of junk for hours!" Ron muttered who only 5 hours ago had remarked about how cool the car was. Being up in the clouds for that long changed you.
Harry silently agreed with Ron.
"Now, Fred and George are gonna be waiting for us" Ron announced, landing the car not-so-gracefully in the Weasley's pebbly driveway. "Do what they tell you, even though it might seem weird."
The Weasley twins, who have dressed up as spiders, banging pots in Ron's room to a dance routine could not possibly be any weirder to Harry.
As he and Ron left Uncle Vernon's car, Harry looked around at the Burrow. The Burrow, which was the Weasley's house, was probably one of Harry's favorite places in the world, second to Hogwarts. Harry even thought he saw a few garden knomes, hiding behind a pair of old boots on the porch.
'Come on, Harry!" cried Ron, making his way towards the house. "Mum'll be up in any second, and I don't want her to catch us, because I enjoy my head the shape it is!"
"Can't see why you would!" came a voice. Harry looked around. Fred Weasley was walking out from behind the side of the house, George on his heels, the youngest Weasley, Ginny, closely following.
Ron frowned at Fred, and rolled his eyes. "Git."
"It's okay Ron" announced George, in a serious tone, then grinned. "If I had a head shaped like yours, I'd be scowling, too. Hey Harry!"
"Hi Fred, George, Ginny" announced Harry.
"Hey Harry" greeted Ginny, grinning.
Harry grinned back, confused. This was the first time Ginny hadn't greeted him without turning beet red. Yes, she wasn't as embaressed at Harry as she had been, but she wasn't showing any sign of liking him. Maybe she HAD gotten over Harry. It seemed like it.
"Uh, Harry?" asked Ginny, waving a hand in front of his face, snapping him out of his thoughts. " You'd better listen to this, if you value Ron's life."
"We don't!" cried Fred and George, simultaneously.
"Shut up, gits" announced Ginny, rolling her eyes. "She leaned towards Harry and muttered, "They're mad because they got caught slipping dad some puking pastils. Be glad you weren't there."
Harry laughed, amused. "SO, what's the plan to get past your mum?" asked Harry.
"We'll pretend your Uncle drove you here" announced Fred, confidently.
"Really?" asked Harry. "Your mum would fall for that?"
"Yup" announced Fred. "Just yesterday, we managed to convince mum me and George had rabies!"
"How?" asked Harry.
"Toothpaste and red contacts" replied George.
"Whatever" announced Ron. "So Harry, get in before mum's up."
"Before she's up?"
"So she can't prove Ron drive you here, silly!" cried Ginny, pushing his arm, amused.
"Right" muttered Harry, carrying the trunk, as Ron led Harry inside the house. No one was in sight. The only sounds there were the drip-drop sound of the kitchen faucet and the creaking of floorboards.
" She's getting up!" Fred whisper-shouted. He motioned for Ron and Ginny to follow, as he dashed over to the staircase, the three Weasley children.
"George?" asked Harry. "Aren't you gonna…you know, pretend to be asleep?"
"Nope" announced George, smirking. "I'm holding up your cue cards."
"Cue cards?"
"Just say what's on them to mum. It'll work, trust me.
"Uh… George" Harry said. "Well…the last time I trusted you, I ended up strapped to a wheelchair underwater."
George chose not to respond to that. Just then, the stairs started creaking.
"Mum!" cried George, running into the living room, and diving behind a rather large potted plant.
Harry braced himself. Mrs. Weasley was a very kind and motherly woman, but sometimes, she could get a little carried away if one of her children did something, like stealing and enchanting a muggle car in the dead of night and bringing Harry to the Burrow. But just an example.
reached the bottom of the stairs, entering the kitchen. She immediately took out a frying pan, whipping her wand out of her pocket. (Mrs., Weasley cooked meals using magic.) She spotted Harry standing in the kitchen with his trunk and Hedwig, and uttered a little scream, dropping the frying pan in the sink, and rushing over to Harry.
"Harry! We didn't expect you so soon!" Mrs. Weasley cried, flinging her arms around Harry. Harry, who had had the wind knocked out of him, could only manage to nod. Mrs. Weasley stepped back, examining Harry.
"You still look so peaky Harry dear! You've been eating?"
"Er…" Harry wasn't really sure he wanted to tell Mrs. Weasley about being starved at the Dursleys.
"How did you get here?" asked Mrs. Weasley, who was positively beaming at Harry.
Harry froze. Lying wasn't really his thing, it was more like Fred and George's thing to- GEORGE! Harry had almost forgot about him hiding behind the plant. Harry cautiously looked over Mrs. Weasley's shoulder into the living room. George was holding up a card form behind the potted plant.
"Uh…announced Harry, squinting to read the card. "Well, my Uncle decided it was best I stayed with some friends for the rest of the holidays. He drove me over here, his cars in your yard. I hope you don't mind. I don't want to be a bother here."
"Not at all!" cried Mrs. Weasley, walking back to the sink to retrieve the dropped pot.
Harry tried not to laugh. George had really laid it on thick. He looked over to the potted plant. George mouthed, nice work, to Harry, and quietly snuck up the staircase.
Harry walked up the creaky stairs, wondering how Fred and George snuck up and down them daily, without making a single creak.
He pushed the door open to Ron's room. Inside, Ron was holding Pigwidgeon in one hand, and a letter in another. He looked frozen of shock, his mouth open.
"What's up?" asked Harry.
"Blimey" muttered Ron, in disbelief. "Harry? Did-did you use Pig for anything?"
"How could I, I just got here!"
"Harry, get over here now!" cried Ron, brandishing the letter in his hand. Harry hastily set his trunk and Hedwig's cage down, walking over to Ron. He looked at the letter grasped in Ron's hand. It said:
I know what you did to me last year. And I'm not going to forget it. You will pay Ronald Weasley. And tell Harry Potter that I won't forget what he did to me. I never forgive. You are being watched at this very moment.
Harry's heart started thumping. He and Ron were being watched? He suddenly whipped around, striding over to the window and looking out. Were they?
"Who do you reckon sent it?" asked Harry, careful to keep his voice level. After all, he didn't want to worry Ron even more than he already was.
"Dunno" Ron's tone matched Harry's. "We didn't do anything to anyone last year. Probably just a prank. Malfoy would do something like this…or Fred and George. Probably them."
Harry nodded. But DID they do anything that upset someone? His mind flew back to the Department Of Mysteries. He had injured and harmed a lot of people there. But all the Death Eaters were in prison, how would they send Ron a letter from Azkaban? Could it be…Voldemort?
Harry and Ron went down to breakfast early. Harry didn't like the feeling of being alone in the room, shortly after an anonymous letter said that he was being watched. Harry sat down next to Ron, as Mrs. Weasley started dealing out bread.
"Where's Hermione?" asked Harry.
"Out" announced Ron, rolling her eyes. "She went to Diagon Ally for something, said it was urgent."
Harry nodded.
"Probably an overdue library book" scoffed Ron, under his breath.
"And where's your dad?" Harry asked, turning to Ron.
"Still at work" announced Ron.
Mrs. Weasley gave a disapproving nod. She never really liked the Ministry overworking her husband for the same amount of pay.
"Harry dear, eat up!" Mrs. Weasley announced, tipping 9 or 10 bacon strips onto his plate. "You look like you haven't eaten properly in weeks!"
"I haven't" Harry muttered to Ron, as soon as he was sure Mrs. Weasley was out of earshot. "I've been living off candy!"
"What did you say dear?" asked Mrs. Weasley, now adding pancakes to Harry's plate.
"That…I…like…your cat" announced Harry.
"Harry dear…we don't have a cat."
"Right…"
Luckily by then. Fred, George, and Ginny came downstairs, distracting Mrs. Weasley. Fred looked at Harry's plate, eyes widening, seeing it packed and loaded with food.
"Blimey mum, training Harry to be a pig?" asked Fred, amused, nodding towards Harry's plate.
"Oh hush!" announced Mrs. Weasley.
Fred and George both laughed and sat down. Ginny went to get a cup.
Mrs. Weasley gave Harry an exasperated look. "Harry dear, can't you EVER get your hair to lie flat?" Fred and George snickered, ruffling up their hair, so it would stick up, like Harry's.
Ginny walked over, and put her hands in Harry's hair, trying to flatten it out. Harry felt goosebumps prickle up on his neck. "Nope! Never going to lie flat" Ginny proclaimed, sitting down.
Harry busied himself with his bacon.
Suddenly, the door burst open, and Hermione came through, holding a couple of bags.
"Harry!" cried Hermione. She dropped her bags on a seat, and went to hug him.
"Hermione, it's great to see you!" Harry replied, beaming at his friend.
"Thanks, you too!" Hermione told him.
"You've been in Diagon Alley this whole time?" asked Ron. "Let me guess…picking out extra books?"
"Why on Earth would you say that, Ronald?" asked Hermione, but Harry noticed her cheeks go pink.
Ginny laughed.
Mrs. Weasley started tipping some bacon onto Hermione's plate. Hermione nodded in thanks, and picked up a parcel that she'd been carrying.
"My parents sent me something!" cried Hermione, clearly excited.
"Now…I wonder!" cried George, pretending to stroke an imaginery beard. "Could it be…a book?"
"No, Hermione, a book?" asked Ron, sarcastically.
Hermione stuck her toungue out at Ron and was about to open the package when she spotted a letter. "Oh yes, I got this letter as well" announced Hermione. "I have no idea who sent it though!"
Ron shrugged, accidentally hitting his arm on the table. "Damn!" he muttered.
Hermione reached across the table, and lightly slapped Ron.
"What was that for?"
"For cursing, Ronald." Hermione opened her letter. She stared at the parchment for a minute, her eyes getting wider at every word. Hermione reached the end of the letter.
"Hermione?" asked Harry. "Hermione, what is it?"
Hermione dropped the letter. Then fell out of her seat, passed out…
A/N Hey people, hope you liked the little cliffy I added in there. I liked this chappy a bit more! J
If you review, you get a Hogwarts acceptance letter.
If you don't review, you get Hermione's letter…
