Chapter Two
Hermione
Where was everybody? I had arrived at the Weasleys' on time, and I was the only one there. The clock ticked and showed the time – 10:45. They were all late. Ron and I were perched outside on the lawn, gazing up at the sky for any sign of flying broomsticks. So far we'd seen five birds, two shooting stars, and a bat. That was it.
I sighed. "You'd think they'd be able to show up on time for once, especially since this whole thing was their idea," I said. Sorry to complain, but it always seemed like they were at least ten minutes late for everything. I secretly wondered if all Americans were tardy to their own meetings.
"It's a small price to pay for the trip," said Ron. "Can you imagine? We'll be in an entirely different country, free to do whatever we want…."
"Not exactly," I said. "We still won't be allowed to use magic, and just because America is foreign doesn't mean that rules don't apply to you."
"Aw, Hermione, you're spoiling all the fun."
"I am not. I'm being realistic."
"Well then stop being realistic!"
"Fine. But they're in for a lecture on punctuality. If they ever get here, that is," I added.
What seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes passed before I saw five broomsticks circling overhead. Soon they began to float towards the ground. The riders dismounted and headed towards us, all looking very excited.
Ron and I stood up, and I crossed my arms. "Where have you all been? You're fifteen minutes late to your own meeting. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Sorry," said Lori sheepishly, since she is never afraid to speak up.
"What kept you?" I pressed.
"Beauty called," answered Brittny. "We have to make sure we look decent before we go on an outing, don't we?"
"Don't look at me; I was ready on time," said Denise. "I just didn't want to leave anyone behind."
I could believe that. Denise and I are best friends, in part because we have so much in common. Being ready on time is one of them.
"Oh come off it, Denise," said Brittany. "You were just as delayed as the rest of us. You couldn't put down Left Behind. Just had to finish that chapter, didn't you?"
"What are you talking about? I was only reading to pass time while the rest of you were still getting ready!"
As they continued to argue over who delayed whom, I thought about what Brittny meant by "beauty called." Beauty? Ha! Not that they're ugly or anything like that, but they did not look like they had spent an extra fifteen minutes on grooming. Brittny was wearing pajama pants. Lori was wearing shorts and rainbow socks up to her knees (she looked like Dobby, the house elf). Elizabeth's entire outfit was wrinkled. Brittany's hair was a mess. Denise's left cheek was wrinkled and red, probably because she slept on bunched sheets. And Carolyn…wait, where was Carolyn?
Ron noticed that she was missing, too. "Hey you guys, what happened to Carolyn?" he asked.
"She went to pick up Harry," answered Lori.
"Just now?" I asked. Lori nodded. I sighed for the second time last night. I was sure this meant another ten-minute delay.
It did. Words could not express the relief I felt when I finally saw Carolyn and Harry coming in to land. I would have repeated my lecture on punctuality, but by that time it was already 11:10 and I was beginning to get sleepy.
"All right, is everybody here?" asked Ron. He was answered with a grand chorus of "Yes."
"Good. Now let's get inside and plan this whole American vacation!"
Mentioning the trip seemed to wake everybody up, and we all marched into the Weasley home with our heads held high. Ron led us to a living room that had paint peeling off the walls and shabby furniture. The Weasleys don't have much money to spend on keeping their house fresh what with all the children they have to support, but none of us care. We all love the Burrow, as their house is called. Sure it's kind of old and falling apart, but it's cozy.
"Ginny! Is Ginny still awake?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yeah, she's upstairs in her room," answered Ron. Elizabeth darted upstairs to find her. She and Ginny are best friends.
Meanwhile, the rest of us settled down onto chairs, a couch, and the floor. I, prepared as always, pulled out a notebook and quill and ink from my pocket and flipped open to the first page. I was taking it upon myself to write everything down.
"Okay. Let's run a double check," said Carolyn. "Are we all absolutely sure that everything's set up?"
"Oh yes," answered Brittany. "We'll be flying in on an airplane from London to New York on Friday. We'll have to layover and get on another flight to California. We get there, we meet our parents, and then we have two whole weeks of fun ahead of us."
"Fly on an airplane?" asked Ginny, who had just come downstairs with Elizabeth. "Can't we just Apparate or take a Port Key or something?"
"No," I said. "We can't Apparate because we're still underage. And we can't take a Port Key because there isn't one listed that will take us from here to America."
Everyone began nodding and voicing their approval. I thought so, at least. I was looking around the room and noticed that Lori was sitting silently, with a forlorn look on her face and her brow creased. I was planning to take her aside and ask her what was wrong when Brittny announced, "Wait guys! I don't think Lori likes this plan!" (Thank you, Brittny.)
"Well, yeah. No. Sort of," said Lori uncertainly. "I mean, it's a nice plan and everything…."
"But?" Denise supplied.
"Well…." Lori sucked in her breath. "It's just that my parents and some of my friends still live in Arizona. I haven't seen them for, like, a year. I was just thinking that since Arizona is so close to California, couldn't we just fly from New York to Arizona, and then take another flight to LA?"
Everyone was silent for a moment. No one had considered this option before.
Brittany broke the silence a little while later. "Yeah, that'll work! That might even be better!"
"What will be better?" asked Harry.
"We can do was Lori said and fly from New York to Arizona. But because it really is close to California, we could just rent an RV and drive there! It'll be like a miniature road trip!"
More words of approval were exchanged. There was a deep hum of voices throughout the room, silenced only by two people who weren't there before.
"Road trip? What's all this about a road trip?" said a voice.
I looked up. It was Fred and George Weasley, Ron's two older brothers. George was the one who made the comment. We all turned to look at Brittany in unison, whose eyes had narrowed. You see, she has this thing with George. She doesn't have a crush on him. She loathes him, and I can see why. George had pulled an awful prank at the beginning of last year. Who was the target? Brittany. To make a long story short, let's just say that Harry almost ended up with another scar on his head.
And since then, Brittany has been the target of the majority of George's pranks. It's never Fred, only George. He likes to see her get annoyed because….Well, I don't know why. Go ask him yourself.
Okay, let's return to the story.
"It's nothing that concerns you," said Brittany.
"I know what you're talking about," said Fred. "It's that little vacation you're all planning to take, right?"
"Yup," said Elizabeth. Then she explained the entire plan to them.
"Okay, I see how it works now," said Fred.
"Sounds like fun," said George.
"Oh no you don't," said Brittany. "You are not weaseling your way into this vacation."
"Aw come on. It'll be fun," said George. He grinned. "You know you'll miss me!"
"Miss you? Are you crazy? This is one of the few chances I have to get away from you!" said Brittany.
"We can't exactly say no," said Carolyn. "They can come along. We will just keep you two away from each other. It'll be fine."
Brittany looked stressed. George looked smug. He and Fred were going to be able to come after all.
"All right then," said Denise. "The following people will be coming on this trip: Carolyn, Brittany, Lori, Hermione, Harry, Brittny, Ron, Ginny, Elizabeth, me, and now Fred and George. That's twelve people." She looked around the room and nodded. "We are definitely going to need more than one RV."
Since the number had increased to twelve and we were all bound to run into confusion at some point, we made a plan. We'd spend a day doing whatever we wanted in Arizona. We'd drive to California the next day. Each of us would pick exactly one thing we wanted to see, and we'd make it a point to see it. If two or more of us wanted to see the same thing, then that counts as one choice for each of us. Then at the end of the two weeks, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, and I would fly back to London and the rest of us would stay in America. It was all set.
Now all we had to do is make a list of the things we wanted to see. Since I still had the notebook, quill, and ink (remember?), I was in charge of writing it down.
First we had a quick lesson on some of the attractions in California in order to benefit those of us who didn't know a thing about the state. Then I went around the room and asked what everyone wanted to see.
By the time I had asked everyone, the list looked like this:
Lori – Hollywood
Brittany – Disneyland
Carolyn – San Diego Zoo
Brittny – Venice Beach
Denise – Horse Ranch (anywhere)
Hermione – Jilmara Street
Harry & Ron – Knott's Berry Farm
Ginny & Elizabeth – Third Street Promenade
Fred & George – Disney's California Adventure
As it turns out, Disneyland was having a special: buy a three-day package and one person gets in free. We'd get to hang around the theme parks and Downtown Disney for three days and stay at the local hotel for two nights.
Then the meeting was over. By that time it was 1:03 in the morning!
You know what? Nobody felt very sleepy. We were all too wired and excited about getting to go to America. Brittany had to call on her cell phone and tell her mom about the change of plans. Luckily, everything was all right. Everybody was so, so happy until….
"Wait a second," said Ron. "Are we going to have to pay our own way?"
"I hate to sound mean, but yes," said Carolyn.
Ron, Ginny, Fred and George's smiles disappeared and they all started glancing at each other anxiously. We all knew what they were thinking: How were they ever going to afford two weeks in a foreign country?
"Don't freak out you guys," said Denise. "Wizard money is worth a lot of Muggle money. You'll have enough."
"And besides, we'll still be able to get discounts on nearly everything anyway," added Lori.
"What? Why? How?" asked Harry, confused.
Lori, Brittny, Denise, Carolyn, Brittany and Elizabeth were all eyeing each other and grinning. The rest of us had no idea what they were talking about.
"How will we get a discount?" I asked. I really didn't understand how we could, or even why we would.
"Oh, you'll see," answered Lori with a sly grin.
I wondered what she meant.
Hermione
Where was everybody? I had arrived at the Weasleys' on time, and I was the only one there. The clock ticked and showed the time – 10:45. They were all late. Ron and I were perched outside on the lawn, gazing up at the sky for any sign of flying broomsticks. So far we'd seen five birds, two shooting stars, and a bat. That was it.
I sighed. "You'd think they'd be able to show up on time for once, especially since this whole thing was their idea," I said. Sorry to complain, but it always seemed like they were at least ten minutes late for everything. I secretly wondered if all Americans were tardy to their own meetings.
"It's a small price to pay for the trip," said Ron. "Can you imagine? We'll be in an entirely different country, free to do whatever we want…."
"Not exactly," I said. "We still won't be allowed to use magic, and just because America is foreign doesn't mean that rules don't apply to you."
"Aw, Hermione, you're spoiling all the fun."
"I am not. I'm being realistic."
"Well then stop being realistic!"
"Fine. But they're in for a lecture on punctuality. If they ever get here, that is," I added.
What seemed like hours but was probably only a few minutes passed before I saw five broomsticks circling overhead. Soon they began to float towards the ground. The riders dismounted and headed towards us, all looking very excited.
Ron and I stood up, and I crossed my arms. "Where have you all been? You're fifteen minutes late to your own meeting. What do you have to say for yourselves?"
"Sorry," said Lori sheepishly, since she is never afraid to speak up.
"What kept you?" I pressed.
"Beauty called," answered Brittny. "We have to make sure we look decent before we go on an outing, don't we?"
"Don't look at me; I was ready on time," said Denise. "I just didn't want to leave anyone behind."
I could believe that. Denise and I are best friends, in part because we have so much in common. Being ready on time is one of them.
"Oh come off it, Denise," said Brittany. "You were just as delayed as the rest of us. You couldn't put down Left Behind. Just had to finish that chapter, didn't you?"
"What are you talking about? I was only reading to pass time while the rest of you were still getting ready!"
As they continued to argue over who delayed whom, I thought about what Brittny meant by "beauty called." Beauty? Ha! Not that they're ugly or anything like that, but they did not look like they had spent an extra fifteen minutes on grooming. Brittny was wearing pajama pants. Lori was wearing shorts and rainbow socks up to her knees (she looked like Dobby, the house elf). Elizabeth's entire outfit was wrinkled. Brittany's hair was a mess. Denise's left cheek was wrinkled and red, probably because she slept on bunched sheets. And Carolyn…wait, where was Carolyn?
Ron noticed that she was missing, too. "Hey you guys, what happened to Carolyn?" he asked.
"She went to pick up Harry," answered Lori.
"Just now?" I asked. Lori nodded. I sighed for the second time last night. I was sure this meant another ten-minute delay.
It did. Words could not express the relief I felt when I finally saw Carolyn and Harry coming in to land. I would have repeated my lecture on punctuality, but by that time it was already 11:10 and I was beginning to get sleepy.
"All right, is everybody here?" asked Ron. He was answered with a grand chorus of "Yes."
"Good. Now let's get inside and plan this whole American vacation!"
Mentioning the trip seemed to wake everybody up, and we all marched into the Weasley home with our heads held high. Ron led us to a living room that had paint peeling off the walls and shabby furniture. The Weasleys don't have much money to spend on keeping their house fresh what with all the children they have to support, but none of us care. We all love the Burrow, as their house is called. Sure it's kind of old and falling apart, but it's cozy.
"Ginny! Is Ginny still awake?" asked Elizabeth.
"Yeah, she's upstairs in her room," answered Ron. Elizabeth darted upstairs to find her. She and Ginny are best friends.
Meanwhile, the rest of us settled down onto chairs, a couch, and the floor. I, prepared as always, pulled out a notebook and quill and ink from my pocket and flipped open to the first page. I was taking it upon myself to write everything down.
"Okay. Let's run a double check," said Carolyn. "Are we all absolutely sure that everything's set up?"
"Oh yes," answered Brittany. "We'll be flying in on an airplane from London to New York on Friday. We'll have to layover and get on another flight to California. We get there, we meet our parents, and then we have two whole weeks of fun ahead of us."
"Fly on an airplane?" asked Ginny, who had just come downstairs with Elizabeth. "Can't we just Apparate or take a Port Key or something?"
"No," I said. "We can't Apparate because we're still underage. And we can't take a Port Key because there isn't one listed that will take us from here to America."
Everyone began nodding and voicing their approval. I thought so, at least. I was looking around the room and noticed that Lori was sitting silently, with a forlorn look on her face and her brow creased. I was planning to take her aside and ask her what was wrong when Brittny announced, "Wait guys! I don't think Lori likes this plan!" (Thank you, Brittny.)
"Well, yeah. No. Sort of," said Lori uncertainly. "I mean, it's a nice plan and everything…."
"But?" Denise supplied.
"Well…." Lori sucked in her breath. "It's just that my parents and some of my friends still live in Arizona. I haven't seen them for, like, a year. I was just thinking that since Arizona is so close to California, couldn't we just fly from New York to Arizona, and then take another flight to LA?"
Everyone was silent for a moment. No one had considered this option before.
Brittany broke the silence a little while later. "Yeah, that'll work! That might even be better!"
"What will be better?" asked Harry.
"We can do was Lori said and fly from New York to Arizona. But because it really is close to California, we could just rent an RV and drive there! It'll be like a miniature road trip!"
More words of approval were exchanged. There was a deep hum of voices throughout the room, silenced only by two people who weren't there before.
"Road trip? What's all this about a road trip?" said a voice.
I looked up. It was Fred and George Weasley, Ron's two older brothers. George was the one who made the comment. We all turned to look at Brittany in unison, whose eyes had narrowed. You see, she has this thing with George. She doesn't have a crush on him. She loathes him, and I can see why. George had pulled an awful prank at the beginning of last year. Who was the target? Brittany. To make a long story short, let's just say that Harry almost ended up with another scar on his head.
And since then, Brittany has been the target of the majority of George's pranks. It's never Fred, only George. He likes to see her get annoyed because….Well, I don't know why. Go ask him yourself.
Okay, let's return to the story.
"It's nothing that concerns you," said Brittany.
"I know what you're talking about," said Fred. "It's that little vacation you're all planning to take, right?"
"Yup," said Elizabeth. Then she explained the entire plan to them.
"Okay, I see how it works now," said Fred.
"Sounds like fun," said George.
"Oh no you don't," said Brittany. "You are not weaseling your way into this vacation."
"Aw come on. It'll be fun," said George. He grinned. "You know you'll miss me!"
"Miss you? Are you crazy? This is one of the few chances I have to get away from you!" said Brittany.
"We can't exactly say no," said Carolyn. "They can come along. We will just keep you two away from each other. It'll be fine."
Brittany looked stressed. George looked smug. He and Fred were going to be able to come after all.
"All right then," said Denise. "The following people will be coming on this trip: Carolyn, Brittany, Lori, Hermione, Harry, Brittny, Ron, Ginny, Elizabeth, me, and now Fred and George. That's twelve people." She looked around the room and nodded. "We are definitely going to need more than one RV."
Since the number had increased to twelve and we were all bound to run into confusion at some point, we made a plan. We'd spend a day doing whatever we wanted in Arizona. We'd drive to California the next day. Each of us would pick exactly one thing we wanted to see, and we'd make it a point to see it. If two or more of us wanted to see the same thing, then that counts as one choice for each of us. Then at the end of the two weeks, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, and I would fly back to London and the rest of us would stay in America. It was all set.
Now all we had to do is make a list of the things we wanted to see. Since I still had the notebook, quill, and ink (remember?), I was in charge of writing it down.
First we had a quick lesson on some of the attractions in California in order to benefit those of us who didn't know a thing about the state. Then I went around the room and asked what everyone wanted to see.
By the time I had asked everyone, the list looked like this:
Lori – Hollywood
Brittany – Disneyland
Carolyn – San Diego Zoo
Brittny – Venice Beach
Denise – Horse Ranch (anywhere)
Hermione – Jilmara Street
Harry & Ron – Knott's Berry Farm
Ginny & Elizabeth – Third Street Promenade
Fred & George – Disney's California Adventure
As it turns out, Disneyland was having a special: buy a three-day package and one person gets in free. We'd get to hang around the theme parks and Downtown Disney for three days and stay at the local hotel for two nights.
Then the meeting was over. By that time it was 1:03 in the morning!
You know what? Nobody felt very sleepy. We were all too wired and excited about getting to go to America. Brittany had to call on her cell phone and tell her mom about the change of plans. Luckily, everything was all right. Everybody was so, so happy until….
"Wait a second," said Ron. "Are we going to have to pay our own way?"
"I hate to sound mean, but yes," said Carolyn.
Ron, Ginny, Fred and George's smiles disappeared and they all started glancing at each other anxiously. We all knew what they were thinking: How were they ever going to afford two weeks in a foreign country?
"Don't freak out you guys," said Denise. "Wizard money is worth a lot of Muggle money. You'll have enough."
"And besides, we'll still be able to get discounts on nearly everything anyway," added Lori.
"What? Why? How?" asked Harry, confused.
Lori, Brittny, Denise, Carolyn, Brittany and Elizabeth were all eyeing each other and grinning. The rest of us had no idea what they were talking about.
"How will we get a discount?" I asked. I really didn't understand how we could, or even why we would.
"Oh, you'll see," answered Lori with a sly grin.
I wondered what she meant.