Chapter 10
Mrs. Weasley woke us all early the following Wednesday. We are going to Diagon Alley to buy our school material. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, we pulled on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"
And she offered him the flowerpot. Harry stared.
"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.
"He's never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
"He'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Harry, watch us first."
He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames. With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.
"You must speak clearly, dear," Mrs. Weasley told Harry as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot.
"The right what?" said Harry nervously as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight, too.
"Well, there are an awful lot of wizard fires to choose from, you know, but as long as you've spoken clearly -"
"He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss," said Mr. Weasley.
Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames, and stepped forward.
"D-Dia-gon Alley," he coughed. And he vanished. Let's hope he did it right. I repeat the process and found myself in the alley. A few minutes later, all the Weasley and I are there but Harry is nowhere to be found. After 30 minutes of search, Hagrid brought him to us. He ended in the Knockturn Alley. Hermione found us in the middle of this mess.
After finding Harry, all of us went to Gringotts to take money out of our vaults. This was a little uncomfortable because, while Harry´s and I´s vault where full, the Weasleys had few coins. I was going to offer them money but I didn't in the last moment, I assumed that they could be a bit offended by my suggestion.
Once our bags were full of money we went to Flourish and Blotts to buy our books. A long line wound right to the back of the shop, where Gilderoy Lockhart was signing his books. Everyone loves him; no matter their age, ladies fall at his feet. However, I think he is an arrogant, annoying, good for nothing person. There is no way he had done everything he says, at least not alone.
Gilderoy Lockhart came slowly into view, seated at a table surrounded by large pictures of his own face, all winking and flashing dazzlingly white teeth at the crowd. A short, irritable-looking man was dancing around taking photographs with a large black camera that emitted puffs of purple smoke with every blinding flash.
"Out of the way, there," he snarled at Ron, moving back to get a better shot. "This is for the Daily Prophet -"
"Big deal," said Ron, rubbing his foot where the photographer had stepped on it. Gilderoy Lockhart heard him. He looked up and saw Ron then he saw Harry. He stared. Then he leapt to his feet and positively shouted, "It can't be Harry Potter?"
The crowd parted, whispering excitedly; Lockhart dived forward, seized Harry's arm, and pulled him to the front. It was pretty obvious that Harry found the situation awkward but, no one seemed to care.
"Nice big smile, Harry," said Lockhart, through his own gleaming teeth. "Together, you and I are worth the front page."
He finally lets Harry go, he gives him another present. The entire works of Gilderoy Lockhart collection. After that we waited in the edge of the room for Mrs. Weasley to get a signed book.
"Bet you loved that, didn't you, Potter? Famous Harry Potter," said Malfoy. "Can't even go into a bookshop without making the front page."
"Leave him alone, he didn't want all that!" said Ginny.
"Potter, you've got yourself a girlfriend!" drawled Malfoy. Ginny went scarlet as Ron and Hermione fought their way over, both clutching stacks of Lockhart's books. "Hello, Cygnus." I just nodded. No one knew I was related to the Malfoys and I want to keep it that way as long as I can.
"Oh, it's you," said Ron, looking at Malfoy as if he were something unpleasant on the sole of his shoe. "Bet you're surprised to see Harry here, eh?"
"Not as surprised as I am to see you in a shop, Weasley," retorted Malfoy. "I suppose your parents will go hungry for a month to pay for all those."
Ron went as red as Ginny. He dropped his books into the cauldron, too, and started toward Malfoy, but Harry and Hermione grabbed the back of his jacket.
"It's enough, Draco" I say, in harsh tone. He turns to looks at me straight in the eye and looks away.
"How dare talk to my son that way. Ahhh it's you, Black." Mr. Malfoy said, coming up from behind of Draco, looking at me. "I am not surprised to see you with the Weasleys." I rolled my eyes and acted like he wasn't here.
"Well, well, it's Lucius Malfoy "Mr. Weasley said.
"Busy time at the Ministry, I hear," said Mr. Malfoy. "All those raids... I hope they're paying you overtime?"
He reached into Ginny's cauldron and extracted, from amid the glossy Lockhart books, a very old, very battered copy of A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration.
"Obviously not," Mr. Malfoy said. "Dear me, what's the use of being a disgrace to the name of wizard if they don't even pay you well for it?"
"We have a very different idea of what disgraces the name of wizard, Malfoy," he said.
"Clearly," said Mr. Malfoy, his pale eyes straying to Mr. and Mrs. Granger, who were watching apprehensively. "The company you keep, Weasley ... and I thought your family could sink no lower. Here, girl - take your book - it's the best your father can give you -" he beckoned to Draco and swept from the shop.
After that we took the Floo powder back to Ron's house.
The end of the summer vacation came too quickly for my liking. We were all having a great time. I was looking forward to getting back to Hogwarts, but his month at the Burrow had been one of the happiest of my life.
The day we had to go to Kings Cross was a big chaos. We were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quills; people kept colliding on the stairs, half-dressed with bits of toast in their hands; and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.
When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Fred, George, Percy and I were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said, "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"
We reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station. I remember last year I was afraid to crash with the wall, how innocent I was. That was nothing compared to our adventures inside of Hogwarts.
"Percy first," said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.
Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next; Fred and George followed. Mrs. Weasley took Ginny and only Harry, Ron and I were left. We started to run to the wall when suddenly *PUM* the three of us smashed into the wall. All our things were sprawled in the floor around us and a bruise was forming in my arm.
"What in blazes do you think you're doing?" A guard nearby yelled at us. "Lost control of the trolley," Harry gasped, clutching his ribs as he got up.
"Why can't we get through?" I asked.
"I dunno -" Harry said.
"We're going to miss the train," Ron whispered. "I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself – "
The clock chimed 11 times.
"It's gone," said Ron, sounding stunned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us?" Harry and I shrugged. We walked back to where the Ford was parked. The three of us get the same mischievous smile at the same time.
Ron unlocked the cavernous trunk with a series of taps from his wand. We heaved our luggage back in, put Hedwig on the back seat, and got into the front. I shared the back seat with Hedwig. The next thing I know it's that we are flying.
"Ron, muggles aren't used to see flying cars" Harry yelled.
"Right" he said, pushing some silver button and the whole vanished from the view from the muggles. After flying the car for a while it reappeared.
"Uh-oh," said Ron, jabbing at the Invisibility Booster. "It's faulty -"
"Dip back down again - quickly – We need to find the train." I say.
"I can see it!" Harry yelled. "Right ahead - there!"
The Hogwarts Express was streaking along below us like a scarlet snake. We made regular checks on the train as they flew farther and farther north, each dip beneath the clouds showing them a different view. Several uneventful hours later, Hogwarts came into our view. I let a sigh of relief until I hear the car making strange noises and we started to lose height. The nose of the car dropped. They were falling, gathering speed, heading straight for the solid castle wall.
"Noooooo!" Ron yelled, swinging the steering wheel around; we missed the dark stone wall by inches as the car turned in a great arc, soaring over the dark greenhouses, then the vegetable patch, and then out over the black lawns, losing altitude all the time.
Ron let go of the steering wheel completely and pulled his wand out of his back pocket.
"STOP! STOP!" he yelled, whacking the dashboard and the windshield, but they were still plummeting, the ground flying up toward us.
"WATCH OUT FOR THAT TREE!" Harry bellowed, lunging for the steering wheel, but too late.
CRUNCH.
With an earsplitting bang of metal on wood, they hit the thick tree trunk and dropped to the ground with a heavy jolt. Ron let out a low, despairing groan.
"Are you okay?" Harry said urgently.
"My wand," said Ron, in a shaky voice. "Look at my wand -"
"Be thankful it wasn't your neck" I state.
At that very moment, something hit his side of the car with the force of a charging bull, sending him lurching sideways Hedwig, just as an equally heavy blow hit the roof.
"What's happen -?" I ask.
"It's the tree" Harry yelled.
We all tried to get out of the car but, of course, it was useless. The tree kept attacking us and we were all getting scratched up. I didn't stop until it pushed the car to the ground.
"Ron. Drive." Harry and I yelled. And the car shot backward; the tree was still trying to hit them; they could hear its roots creaking as it almost ripped itself up, lashing out at them as they sped out of reach.
"That," panted Ron, "was close"
With two sharp clunks, the doors flew open and I felt my seat tip sideways. Now I was lying in the damp ground. Loud thuds told me that the car was ejecting their luggage from the trunk; Hedwig's cage flew through the air and burst open; she rose out of it with an angry screech and sped off toward the castle.
Then, dented, scratched, and steaming, the car rumbled off into the darkness, its rear lights blazing angrily.
"Come back!" Ron yelled after it, brandishing his broken wand.
"Dad'll kill me!"
"Come on," said Harry wearily, "we'd better get up to the school."
"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the foot of the front steps and crossing quietly to look through a brightly lit window. "Hey - come and look - it's the Sorting!"
I hurried over and, all of us peered in at the Great Hall.
"Can you believe our luck?" said Ron miserably.
"Luck?" Of all the trees in Hogwarts we had to hit the one that hits back" I mumbled.
Innumerable candles were hovering in midair over four long, crowded tables, making the golden plates and goblets sparkle. Overhead, the bewitched ceiling, which always mirrored the sky outside, sparkled with stars.
Through the forest of pointed black Hogwarts hats, Harry saw a long line of scared-looking first year's fiIing into the Hall. Ginny was among them, easily visible because of her vivid Weasley hair. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall, a bespectacled witch with her hair in a tight bun, was placing the famous Hogwarts Sorting Hat on a stool before the newcomers.
A very small, mousy-haired boy had been called forward to place the hat on his head. My eyes wandered past him to where Professor Dumbledore, the headmaster, sat watching the Sorting from the staff table, his long silver beard and half-moon glasses shining brightly in the candle light. Several seats along, I saw the "famous" Gilderoy Lockhart, dressed in robes of aquamarine. And there at the end was Hagrid, huge and hairy, drinking deeply from his goblet.
"Hang on. . . "Harry muttered. "There's an empty chair at the staff table... Where's Snape?"
"Maybe he's ill!" said Ron hopefully.
"Maybe he's left," I say, "because he missed out on the Defense Against Dark Arts job again!"
"Or he might have been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him -"
"Or maybe," said a very cold voice right behind us, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."
I gulped. "Oh, dear. We are in big trouble." I thought to myself.