Chapter 2: The surprise
Harry woke up a little later than he probably should have that morning. He knew he would be in serious trouble. However, he had a very good dream about a beautiful girl who came to London. It was one that left him smiling in the morning. Quickly glancing at his clock, which helplessly read 9AM, he threw off his sheets and started to dress. Quickly running down the stairs, he stopped dead outside the living room, his ear becoming a microphone inside his head.
"So...um...you are a drill salesman, Mr. Dursley?," a voice spoke, sort of triumphantly.
"Yeah," Uncle vernon snapped. "Would you like us to wake up Harry for you so you can leave?"
"I guess so," said the voice.
"HARRY! COME DOWN HERE THIS-" Uncle Vernon stopped short as Harry rounded into the room.
"I'm right here," Harry said enthusiastically, as he realized who's voice it was. Sitting on the couch in front of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were Molly and Arthur Weasley, who were positively beaming at the site of him.
"HI!!" Harry yelped as Mrs. Weasley gave him a big hug. Mr. Weasley shook his hand.
"Tell me, Harry, are you ready to go?" asked Mr. Weasley, glancing quickly at the Dursleys, who were wearing tight lipped smiles and wringing their hands.
"Yes! Of course...let me grab my stuff!"
Harry jumped the stairs and flung himself into his room. He started grabbing his clothing and putting it in his trunk. He then grabbed at all his presents and stuffed them inside his cauldron. He then ran around the room making sure hat he had everything. He then snatched up Hedwig and her cage and started pulling it all downstairs.
"I think this is all of it," said harry, swinging his unusually light trunk into the living room.
"Well then, I guess we'll be off!"spoke Mr. Weasley shortly, seeing the disaproving looks on the Dursley's faces.
"See you next summer!", Harry said jovially as the Weasley's helped Harry with his trunk.
Once outside, Harry noticed something strange. He knew that the Weasley's must have apparated to the Dursley's door, yet how were they to get Harry home? Mr. Weasley stopped at the corner and took out his wand and held it in front of himself. Immedeatly, Harry knew that he was summoning the knight bus. Off in the distance, Harry could hear a loud banging and scraping noise. He stood frozen with fear, remembering the last time the knight bus had come, and it had almost run him over.
Suddenly, at the end of the street, a large, purple double-decker bus was roaring towards them. Arthur, Molly and Harry jumped away from the street just in time, as the bus was now on the sidewalk.
"Hello there!" said an all to familiar voice."Welcome to the knight bus, can I help you with your trun-NEVILLE! HI THERE!,"Shouted Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the bus,"Haven't seen ya in ages!"
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stiffled a laugh as Stan grabbed Harry into a giant bear hug.
"Oye, how did things go with the Minister las time?" he whimpered.
"g-great, thanks," Harry sputtered, as Stan was now proceeding upon crushing Harry's ribcage.
"Well then, Jeez! Waistin' time! Les get goin', haven't got all day!" Stan griped.
As soon as Harry's trunk was onboard, He handed over his money and sat down on a bed. Arthur and Molly both sat on one right next to them.
"I 'ave to get someone...I'll be back," muttered Stan, as he galloped up the spiraling staircase.
Mr. and Mrs. weasley were sitting quite comfortably gazing at Harry strangely.
"How are you both?" he asked, not sure why they were looking at him so weirdly.
Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "fine dear, and yourself?"
"I'm...great...what is going on?"Harry gulped, not sure why they were still staring at him.
"It's Percy...," said Mr. Weasley," His, er, announcement."
"what is it?" He asked, now wanting to know this more than anything.
"well, that's just it, Harry," said Mr. Weasley,"We can't tell you until tonight, when Percy announces it."
They both started to chuckle again. Harry was getting confused. Could he have been promoted? Could he be in trouble? Or, and this thought was the most far-fetched, could he be getting married? Arthur and Molly realized that they should just let harry think about it, while they kept laughing. Stan, unfortunately, never came back down, which was a shame because Harry wanted to say goodbye to him. He heaved his trunk out of the bus, and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Arthur then picked up Harry's trunk and started moving towards the house. Molly patted Harry's back, and they moved inside.
Already sitting at the scrubbed wooden table was the weasley children. Ginny, Ron, Fred, George and Hermione were sitting around the table, waiting for Harry.
"alright there Harry?" asked Fred and George, both giving Harry and extremely large hug.
Ginny, turning a very bright shade of red, hid her face in her hands and started giggling. Hermione ran and gave Harry a hug, while Ron just gave him a hi-five.
"whatcha been up to?" Ron grinned.
"Nothing...hey, why are your parents so giddy?" harry questioned, as he now saw them laughing in the kitchen by the fire.
"It's about Percy, we know that, yet they won't tell us!" Ron said loudly, grabbing his parent's attention and making them laugh harder. "they've been so happy ever since Percy came home and told them 'the news'. It better be good, otherwise I might die of boredom."
***
Later that night, after the tables had been set, they all sat down for one of the most delicious dinners they had ever had at the Weasley home. Ron anticipated that it was all a joke and was furious with his parents, who kept taking sidelong glances at Percy, who also was turning pink and for once was smiling. Once desert had been served, Percy stood up and banged his fork against the glass.
"Now, three announcements will be made..." Percy said pompuosly." Hermione, if you would please..."
Now Hermione stood up, she was trembling with excitement, and was grinning from ear to ear.
"Um...Okay, the first announcement isn't too big of a deal, but all the same...I have been made a prefect."
At these words, Harry whooped and Ron whistled while the rest of the Weasleys clapped loudly. Fred and George were cat-calling. She then raised her hand to silence them.
"Some of you may have heard of this, but I have received a special award for 'Academic achievement' from the Ministry of Magic."
At this, all the weasleys gasped, and Molly spoke,"Hermione, that is a very big honor!"
Hermione blushed furiously, then sat down. They all started clapping and whooping. Then, Percy stood up, cleared his throat, then began.
"Now, you all know that i was junior minister of crime defense, right?" he said casually, as he flecked a speck of dust off his sleeve."Well, I have been promoted," Percy said, a contempuous grin spreading his mouth,"to senior Minister. I take over when the minister is ill and such," he added, the grin turning into a smile. "But that is not all..." added Percy, and suddenly, his parents faces went numb. They hadn't known about the next part for sure. "I am getting married." Ms. Weasley screamed, and Mr. Weasley froze with a look of disbelief on his face. Fred and George started Sniggering uncontrolably while Ron, Harry and Hermione gasped. Ginny just stared.
"Don't be happy, will you?" said Percy, still smirking and pink.
Everyone was just to shocked to say anything. Then, Hermione asked,"to who?"
At this, Percy seemed to come alive, and finally, in a small voice, "Penelope Clearwater."
Harry woke up a little later than he probably should have that morning. He knew he would be in serious trouble. However, he had a very good dream about a beautiful girl who came to London. It was one that left him smiling in the morning. Quickly glancing at his clock, which helplessly read 9AM, he threw off his sheets and started to dress. Quickly running down the stairs, he stopped dead outside the living room, his ear becoming a microphone inside his head.
"So...um...you are a drill salesman, Mr. Dursley?," a voice spoke, sort of triumphantly.
"Yeah," Uncle vernon snapped. "Would you like us to wake up Harry for you so you can leave?"
"I guess so," said the voice.
"HARRY! COME DOWN HERE THIS-" Uncle Vernon stopped short as Harry rounded into the room.
"I'm right here," Harry said enthusiastically, as he realized who's voice it was. Sitting on the couch in front of Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia were Molly and Arthur Weasley, who were positively beaming at the site of him.
"HI!!" Harry yelped as Mrs. Weasley gave him a big hug. Mr. Weasley shook his hand.
"Tell me, Harry, are you ready to go?" asked Mr. Weasley, glancing quickly at the Dursleys, who were wearing tight lipped smiles and wringing their hands.
"Yes! Of course...let me grab my stuff!"
Harry jumped the stairs and flung himself into his room. He started grabbing his clothing and putting it in his trunk. He then grabbed at all his presents and stuffed them inside his cauldron. He then ran around the room making sure hat he had everything. He then snatched up Hedwig and her cage and started pulling it all downstairs.
"I think this is all of it," said harry, swinging his unusually light trunk into the living room.
"Well then, I guess we'll be off!"spoke Mr. Weasley shortly, seeing the disaproving looks on the Dursley's faces.
"See you next summer!", Harry said jovially as the Weasley's helped Harry with his trunk.
Once outside, Harry noticed something strange. He knew that the Weasley's must have apparated to the Dursley's door, yet how were they to get Harry home? Mr. Weasley stopped at the corner and took out his wand and held it in front of himself. Immedeatly, Harry knew that he was summoning the knight bus. Off in the distance, Harry could hear a loud banging and scraping noise. He stood frozen with fear, remembering the last time the knight bus had come, and it had almost run him over.
Suddenly, at the end of the street, a large, purple double-decker bus was roaring towards them. Arthur, Molly and Harry jumped away from the street just in time, as the bus was now on the sidewalk.
"Hello there!" said an all to familiar voice."Welcome to the knight bus, can I help you with your trun-NEVILLE! HI THERE!,"Shouted Stan Shunpike, the conductor of the bus,"Haven't seen ya in ages!"
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley stiffled a laugh as Stan grabbed Harry into a giant bear hug.
"Oye, how did things go with the Minister las time?" he whimpered.
"g-great, thanks," Harry sputtered, as Stan was now proceeding upon crushing Harry's ribcage.
"Well then, Jeez! Waistin' time! Les get goin', haven't got all day!" Stan griped.
As soon as Harry's trunk was onboard, He handed over his money and sat down on a bed. Arthur and Molly both sat on one right next to them.
"I 'ave to get someone...I'll be back," muttered Stan, as he galloped up the spiraling staircase.
Mr. and Mrs. weasley were sitting quite comfortably gazing at Harry strangely.
"How are you both?" he asked, not sure why they were looking at him so weirdly.
Mrs. Weasley chuckled. "fine dear, and yourself?"
"I'm...great...what is going on?"Harry gulped, not sure why they were still staring at him.
"It's Percy...," said Mr. Weasley," His, er, announcement."
"what is it?" He asked, now wanting to know this more than anything.
"well, that's just it, Harry," said Mr. Weasley,"We can't tell you until tonight, when Percy announces it."
They both started to chuckle again. Harry was getting confused. Could he have been promoted? Could he be in trouble? Or, and this thought was the most far-fetched, could he be getting married? Arthur and Molly realized that they should just let harry think about it, while they kept laughing. Stan, unfortunately, never came back down, which was a shame because Harry wanted to say goodbye to him. He heaved his trunk out of the bus, and grabbed Hedwig's cage. Arthur then picked up Harry's trunk and started moving towards the house. Molly patted Harry's back, and they moved inside.
Already sitting at the scrubbed wooden table was the weasley children. Ginny, Ron, Fred, George and Hermione were sitting around the table, waiting for Harry.
"alright there Harry?" asked Fred and George, both giving Harry and extremely large hug.
Ginny, turning a very bright shade of red, hid her face in her hands and started giggling. Hermione ran and gave Harry a hug, while Ron just gave him a hi-five.
"whatcha been up to?" Ron grinned.
"Nothing...hey, why are your parents so giddy?" harry questioned, as he now saw them laughing in the kitchen by the fire.
"It's about Percy, we know that, yet they won't tell us!" Ron said loudly, grabbing his parent's attention and making them laugh harder. "they've been so happy ever since Percy came home and told them 'the news'. It better be good, otherwise I might die of boredom."
***
Later that night, after the tables had been set, they all sat down for one of the most delicious dinners they had ever had at the Weasley home. Ron anticipated that it was all a joke and was furious with his parents, who kept taking sidelong glances at Percy, who also was turning pink and for once was smiling. Once desert had been served, Percy stood up and banged his fork against the glass.
"Now, three announcements will be made..." Percy said pompuosly." Hermione, if you would please..."
Now Hermione stood up, she was trembling with excitement, and was grinning from ear to ear.
"Um...Okay, the first announcement isn't too big of a deal, but all the same...I have been made a prefect."
At these words, Harry whooped and Ron whistled while the rest of the Weasleys clapped loudly. Fred and George were cat-calling. She then raised her hand to silence them.
"Some of you may have heard of this, but I have received a special award for 'Academic achievement' from the Ministry of Magic."
At this, all the weasleys gasped, and Molly spoke,"Hermione, that is a very big honor!"
Hermione blushed furiously, then sat down. They all started clapping and whooping. Then, Percy stood up, cleared his throat, then began.
"Now, you all know that i was junior minister of crime defense, right?" he said casually, as he flecked a speck of dust off his sleeve."Well, I have been promoted," Percy said, a contempuous grin spreading his mouth,"to senior Minister. I take over when the minister is ill and such," he added, the grin turning into a smile. "But that is not all..." added Percy, and suddenly, his parents faces went numb. They hadn't known about the next part for sure. "I am getting married." Ms. Weasley screamed, and Mr. Weasley froze with a look of disbelief on his face. Fred and George started Sniggering uncontrolably while Ron, Harry and Hermione gasped. Ginny just stared.
"Don't be happy, will you?" said Percy, still smirking and pink.
Everyone was just to shocked to say anything. Then, Hermione asked,"to who?"
At this, Percy seemed to come alive, and finally, in a small voice, "Penelope Clearwater."