Chapter 25:
A week and a half after the ordeal with Pettigrew they received their letters from Hogwarts. It was decided that Sunday they would go into Diagon Alley. There Hermione would meet back up with her parents to go home before school started again. When they finished breakfast and assembled with their lists to leave for London Harry noticed something. "Aren't there too many of us for side-along apparition?"
"Yeah. We use Floo powder normally," Ron said.
"It's what we'll do today. You go first Harry dear."
"I've never used Floo Powder," he confessed once Mrs. Weasley had pushed him forward.
"Neither have I," Hermione admitted.
"I'll go first and show them how it's done," volunteered Fred. He stepped into the fireplace a grabbed a fistful of green powder. He opened his mouth and bellowed, "Diagon Alley!"
"Your turn Harry dear." Mrs. Weasley pushed him into the fire place.
Harry grabbed some powder and yelled.
Proceed with the events in Diagon Alley exactly like before except Hermione was already with them and her parents met up with them.
Another week and a half passed. The Weasleys and Harry stood in front of the barrier to Platform Nine and Three quarters. They were late already. "Percy first," Mrs. Weasley said. He was followed by Mr. Weasley and the twins.
"I'll take Ginny and you two come right after us." They disappeared after the others.
Then Ron turned to Harry. "Let's go together we've only got a minute." Together they broke into a run then crashed into a wall clattering against each other. People started looking at them.
A conductor came over. "What are you two doing?"
"Lost control of the trolley. Sorry." A lot more people gathered around. Harry looked to his best friend. "Why can't we get through?"
"I dunno –"
People were still staring. Ron continued. "We're going to miss the train. I don't understand why the gateway's sealed itself—"
Harry tried pushing against the barrier but it stayed solid as the clock ticked down the last seconds. Ron groaned. "The train's left. What if Mum and Dad can't get back through to us? Have you got any muggle money?"
"From where? I lived at Hogwarts most of the summer. And the Dursley's haven't given me any since I was around six years old."
Ron looked at him sadly taking in that comment then tried to listen to the barrier. "Can't hear a thing. What're are we going to do? I don't know how long it'll take Mum and Dad to get back to us."
People were still staring as Hedwig screeched. "We're getting attention. Let's go wait by the car."
"Harry! The car!"
"What about it?"
"But I thought—"
"We're stuck, right? And we've got to get to school, haven't we? And even underage wizards are allowed to use magic if it's a real emergency, section nineteen or something of the Restriction of Thingy—"
Harry tried again. Ron was right. Maybe they'd be stuck. If he took Hedwig out here the muggles would get suspicious but the car could turn invisible. He tried making another excuse. But Ron assured him both Weasley parents could apparate.
They put their luggage back in the car. Harry looked at Ron again. "I guess it'll be fun but Hermione must be upset."
"We'll get there the same time as she does if we follow the express. Then we can tell everyone about our adventure, like those stories about the Mauraders you told us. That's what you were planning wasn't it? Adventures?"
"Yeah," Harry said forgetting his exact plans with Hermione's strict watch. "I was."
"Fred and George will be so upset," Ron grinned as he turned on the car. "Check that no one's watching."
"Okay."
Then they vanished and started to fly. Besides a small problem with the invisibility booster at the beginning their flight was one of the best things Harry had ever done. He and Ron ate toffee and planned other adventures. They neared the castle exhausted, hot and thirsty as their enthusiasm wore off. Then the car lurched falling forward towards the lake, missing it and going straight towards the castle. With a hard turn of the wheel Ron turned them back toward the grounds trying to stop them hitting his wand against the dashboard not even noticing the tree in front of them. It was too late when Harry did. His warning didn't come in time.
Ron's wand had snapped, they were both scratched and lurching from the hit. Then when it might just get better it got worse. The tree they had landed on was the Whomping Willow. It hit the car's side door sealing Harry in. Then through the windshield.
"Can you get out?" Ron asked as he pulled the door open. Harry shook his head.
"We're done for!" Ron bemoaned. Harry really wished he knew a way to stop the tree but then under him the car started to buzz. He looked at Ron. "Reverse!"
They sped backwards toward the forest. The car opened it's doors then all it's seats turned. The trunk flew open tossing their luggage out. Harry sighed with relief when Hedwig's cage popped open so she could fly to the owlery uninjured. The car took off with Ron after it. "Come back! Dad'll kill me!"
Harry thought Mrs. Weasley and the teachers might do that even if the car had stayed. When it didn't return together they sighed taking their luggage to the castle entrance.
Not even a half hour later they were in an office sitting across the desk from McGonagall and Snape. They had been demanded to sit and explain their story. Ron embellished it not being afraid to plead while Harry stayed silent. McGonagall hadn't been as strict that summer but now he remembered how terrifying she could be. "Why didn't you send us a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl?"
"I thought of it but a lot of muggles were watching us in the station. An owl with a letter would look strange."
"Not stranger than a flying car though," she said.
"I—I didn't think—"
"That much is obvious."
"I thought the invisibility booster would work. It had before."
She pursed her lips into a thin line. She didn't say something Snape however did. "You are just like your father. Above the rules, arrogant, mindless, the most –"
"Enough Severus!" McGonagall said. "Yes their behavior will be punished. They broke many rules but you will not talk like that about James Potter in front of his son. Though I do regret doing so myself as I believe it might have been the root of the idea."
Harry was now looking bewildered. Before anything else could happen Snape opened the door for someone who knocked and there stood Dumbledore. "Please explain why you did this."
They explained again. Before Dumbledore assured them they wouldn't be expelled and they were sent for some quick healing and given detention. They received some sandwiches and juice but had to stay in the room. They complained to each other on the way the arrival worked out. But besides the disapproving looks of Hermione and Percy that night the applause and laughter when they got to Gryffindor tower that night was overbearing. They had trouble getting into their room where their dormmates were waiting with even more congratulations. At the end Harry was laughing barely regretting their decision at all.