Chapter Two: O, What Fools Ye Muggles Be!
"More of you?" inquired Draco with an obnoxiously raised left eyebrow. The children nodded and the Slytherin continued. "How many more?"
"We don't know," answered Ralph.
"You don't know much, do you?" Draco grumbled icily. Louder, he asked, "How long until we meet them?"
"Probably now, if you want," Simon offered, glancing at Ralph, who nodded.
A thought suddenly struck Harry as the boys turned to go. "Wait!" he called after them, "Have any of you seen my wand?"
At his question, his friends realized their wands were gone as well, and Jack had to shout over the din of voices to be heard. "Your whats?"
"Our wands," Harry repeated, saying the word slowly, clearly.
Ron nodded. "Yeah - did you see 'em?"
The hunter shook his head with listless disbelief. He turned to Ralph and Simon. The fair-haired boy just shrugged. Simon had gone.
Jack's initial confusion and annoyance was replaced by amusement. "Wands?" he asked. They just nodded.
"Like a magician on T.V. would have?" Ralph queried incredulously.
They're Muggles! Harry realized suddenly. The others seemed to have sensed this, too, because they said no more about wands and Ralph's question was left unanswered.
"Just how long d'you s'pose those people were in the sun before you found them?" Ralph asked before putting his lips on the conch.
"They are dressed rather oddly," said Jack, "D'you think they're part of some kind of magic act?"
"Maybe a cult," Ralph suggested before blowing again.
Inside the hut, Hermione and Harry were doing their best to explain to the purebloods what a T.V. was.
"A Muggle device? So, these people are Muggles?" Draco murmured distastefully.
Harry nodded. "'Fraid so, Malfoy."
Fred and George looked painfully disappointed.
"If only we had our wands!" Fred shook his head.
"Yeah," mumbled George, "then we could have some real fun..."