Hogwarts a History – Bright lights and the big city
Chapter 10 – That's got it
…
"Maybe it's the whirly bit?"
"No, no, it's gotta be the twangy thing."
"Are we sure it's supposed to go twang?"
"We are not."
Two hours had passed since they'd began their investigation and their progress amounted to all the ways they'd found to describe the various parts they'd found, who's purpose they could only guess at.
"Maybe it's the Wangdangdoodle?"
"I thought we agreed that was the Wizzbangpop?"
"I thought that was this bit?"
"Wasn't that the Ptangptang?"
The twins stared at the engine, stared in the hopes if they stared long enough it might at last give up its secrets.
No such luck.
"Whoever built this must have been absolutely brilliant or infuriatingly obtuse."
"I'm thinking both."
"That would explain it."
"Hey guys!"
The twins poked their heads up to find their youngest brother, and friend, returned from wherever it was they went.
"How goes it?" asked Harry.
The twins shrugged.
"We are fairly certain."
"At least 75%."
"That it is not the Squeedleespooch."
"Or the Whirlidingus."
The two younger boys just nodded, pretending, badly, that they'd understood anything that had just been said.
"Well, we got food" said Ron, presenting the colorfully painted brown paper bag.
The twins were appropriately impressed, "Oooo!"
They were further impressed after experiencing the culinary adventure that was The Big Mac.
"This is amazing."
"And you say these are, potatoes'?"
"The fries, yep."
"Crazy."
"What will they think of next."
Harry smiled as his magical friends went on and on about the non-magical food. He'd thought magic and everything about it was the coolest thing that could possibly exist. He'd never considered people raised around magic might look at non-magical things with the same kind of enthusiasm.
Though in the case of McDonalds, he could totally understand.
"So, real talk guys. What's wrong with the car?" Harry asked.
"No idea" the twins replied.
"Oh great" groused Ron.
"Not sure how dad did it."
"It is beyond our current understanding."
"Mum is gonna kill us."
The twins wilted at the reminder of the unavoidable reprimand from their matriarch.
Sitting in the front seat, while the twins lounged in back with their food, Harry assessed the machine.
It was different than Uncle Vernon's. Vernon's auto had been top of the line, not simply a means of conveyance but a status symbol to tell anyone looking how important he was.
Despite that, the pieces were all mostly the same, or at least Harry recognized them from his various supervised cleanings of Vernon's beloved. The only knob he didn't recognize was the one that said invisibility, but that was pretty self-explanatory.
One by one he went over all the switches and levers and buttons. He figured, if he could find something that looked off, that looked like it was turned or pulled or pushed in a way it shouldn't be, that would be the problem.
Nothing. Save for the invisibility button everything looked to be in its proper place. Frustrated, he flopped back in the seat. In the process of doing so he accidentally hit something he hadn't noticed.
"What's this?"
It was a lever on the side of the seat with a button on the end. Remembering one from Vernon's auto he tried pulling it. When that failed he tried pushing.
Failing that as well he decided the button must be the key. Pressing it he found the lever moved easily. Pushing it all the way down there was a click.
"What'd you do."
Three heads looked over his shoulder to see what he'd done.
"It was a little up" Harry explained.
"You think that was it?"
"Must've bumped it while we were flying."
"Yeah, but does it work now?" asked Ron.
"Only one way to find out" said Harry, grabbing the key.
There was a roar, then a cheer as the car came to life and the four rejoiced.
"Alright, we've dawdled enough I think."
"Back on the road gent's."
"Or over it" quipped Harry which earned him a laugh.
"I just hope we get home before mum wakes up" said Ron, causing his brothers to groan.
"You just jinxed it."
"Way to go."
Realizing what he'd done, Ron threw up his hands and wailed, "I didn't mean it! I'm sorry!"
...
Author's note
Oh silly Ron, don't you know never to tempt the universe.
Well, that wraps up another entry of Hogwarts a History. Be back next week as the Lovely Luna Lovegood makes her debut. Hogwarts a History - Otter's can't catch what?
See you there.