2
A week went by making Harry more and more anxious. Sunday morning came. Harry got everything packed and ready at eleven. Then he started to pace around his room. He went and got everything piled in the middle of the room neatly. And finally after what seem like years, twelve o' clock came. He was expecting aunt Petunia's scream any minute now. But she didn't. Then he decided to wait downstairs next to the fireplace. As he was walking down the stairs he heard knocking at the front door. He was just in time to see Mr Weasley at the door and uncle Vernon slamming it shut.
"What is he doing here? I thought I made it perfectly clear to you that you weren't going! Go back into your ruddy room and stay there!" he pointed his thick finger up the stairs.
Harry went up the stairs but did not go back in his room. He just hid out of site of uncle Vernon to listen. He heard the door open. There was no shouting but it became extremely quiet. He can hear footsteps coming up the stairs. He ran in his room and closed his door. A few seconds later the door opened. It wasn't uncle Vernon but Mr Weasley!
"Hi Harry! How are you?" said Mr Weasley smiling.
"Fine thanks." said Harry smiling back.
"Woah dad! Wicked!" Ron said running up the stairs to join Harry and Mr Weasley. "Hi Harry!"
"Hi Ron." said Harry wondering what Ron was talking about.
"So Ron would you take those two and I'll take that and Harry, think you can handle the rest?" said Mr Weasley pointing at the trunks, bag, and boxes.
"Yea." Harry said as he picked up Hedwig's cage and his book bag.
As they made their way downstairs Harry froze at the site of uncle Vernon expecting him to march up to Harry and shout at him, but he wasn't moving at all.
They all went out and put all Harry's luggage in the boot of a car Harry guessed it was the ministry's.
"Sorry about your aunt, uncle and cousin. A little freezing charm. It'll come off in an hour or so." Mr Weasley said as they made their way into the car.
Harry now understood why Ron was so surprised. Mr Weasley was one of the last person Harry thought would do something like that to muggles.
Their car trip was very long. A lot longer than travelling by Floo, also a lot better.
"Where's Fred and George?" asked Harry.
"Molly wouldn't let them come. You know, after what happened after last time. She made me drive instead of going by Floo instead too.," answered Mr Weasley as his head was moving in every direction looking at all the muggle shops.
Harry was very hungry because he hadn't had lunch, he didn't want to mention it because he didn't want to be any trouble but his stomach's loud growl gave it away.
"Ah! Here Piepoppie" said Mr Weasley conjuring up two very deformed pumpkin pies. "Sorry about that boys. Still haven't got the hang of it yet." he gave them a wink.
*
They arrived at The Burrow at dusk. Mrs Weasley came rushing out. She gave Mr Weasley a peck on the cheek and gave Ron and Harry a huge hug.
"Oh hello Harry! Are you alright? Come inside. I've baked a cake." she said steering him into the house. Fred, George, Percy and Ginny were all there. They all came up to Harry and gave him warm hellos. That night they had a big dinner.
"You all have to go to bed. We're going to leaving for Diagon Alley early tomorrow. We have to travel the muggle way because we're short of Floo. Goodnight." said Mrs Weasley after dinner.
"We're meeting Hermione there at eleven." Ron told Harry as they slowly made their way up to Ron's bedroom. "Oh and guess what?" said Ron looking excited.
"What?"
"I don't have to wear that hideous dress robe anymore! For some bizarre reason Fred and George bought me new ones! They are just like yours but instead of green it's maroon! Mum insisted I should get that awful colour."
When they got to Ron's bedroom it was just as Harry had remembered. Everything was the same except for the extra little tadpoles. He laid down and fell asleep instantly. He had another dream about quidditch that night. This time he was playing against a bunch of fairies and he caught the snitch without it escaping. And the crowd was cheering.
*
Harry woke up next morning. Ron was still asleep. He got dressed just in time before Mrs Weasley came into the room to wake Ron up. They went down to breakfast with the rest of the Weasleys there.
"Sorry Molly. I really need to go to work today. We've found a whole lot of bewitched washing machines and refrigigurtors." said Mr Weasley sipping his coffee making Harry choke on his toast.
*
When they got to Diagon Alley they met up with Hermione and the three of them went shopping for school supplies.
"So Harry, has anything happened?" asked Hermione while looking up and down the shelves in the Apothecary.
"Don't think so." replied Harry studying a jar containing very funny looking goo.
When they've all finished picking everything they needed Harry went first to pay.
"Three galleons and fifteen sickles." said the saleswoman.
Harry searched his pocket for the money and he found the mysterious watch he'd gotten for his birthday. When all of them payed Harry asked them about the watch.
"What does it do?" asked Ron examining every inch of the watch.
"Maybe you've got to push something or do something to make it work." Hermione said with a very rare I- have-no-idea look. "Maybe there is a special spell to activate it."
When they walked in Flourish and Blotts Harry saw a very unexpected person.
He walked up to her. "Linda?"
"Oh hi Harry!" she said giving him her beaming smile.
"What are you doing here?" said Harry. His head felt like it was going to explode with questions.
"Harry! I have so much to tell you. How about ice cream?"
"That'll be great!" Harry trying to give an almost as impressing smile but ended up being cheesier than a cheese-stick.
Ron gave a fake cough.
"Oh, This is Ron and Hermione." Harry introduced.
They settled down at a table at Florean Flortescue's ice-cream parlour.
"Sundaes on me!" offered Linda.
"I like her already!" Ron said licking his lips.
She returned with four large sundaes.
"Thanks!" said all three of them.
"Wel' 'arry I guess you wan' 'o know e'erything." she said with a big mouthful.
Harry swallowed then said "Yeah."
"Well, dad knew your uncle Vernon from work and he found out that you, you Harry Potter was living in his house. We were all keen on meeting you so dad found an excuse to go to your house. Of course he knew how anti-magic your uncle was so he said we had to act like we don't know anything about you. And it wasn't a success on getting to know you. No offence or anything but your aunt and uncle are a pain in the ass" she said making Hermione frown and Ron laugh.
"Non-taken"
"So the night turned out to be a total waste of time and instead of getting to know Harry Potter my dad now is on a deal where he is getting the very short end of the stick. Sorry I couldn't tell you that I gave you that present. Mum wouldn't even let me give it to you. She said the Dursleys would find out. Finally she gave in but she said no names." Linda paused to take another spoonful of mango sundae.
"So it was you that sent me this watch?" said Harry reaching in his pocket to get out the watch.
She nodded. "Do you like it?"
"He would if he knew what it did!" said Hermione determined to find out how the watch worked.
"Oh sorry Harry I thought since you were such a good quidditch player you'd know! Well it's no use right now."
"Yea we've noticed." said Ron before he put a huge spoonful of sundae in his mouth.
"It only works when you are in a quidditch match. It's a Snitch Pointer. It points to the direction the snitch is in. To avoid cheating, the snitch has to be over ten feet away. " Linda explained to the three of them which were nodding as they now understand. "Guess what?" she randomly asked eagerly. " I'm going to Hogwarts this year!"
The second she finished that sentence Fred and George came in.
"Those twins over there look awfully a lot like you Ron." she said nudging her head in Fred and George's direction.
"That's because we are Ronny's brothers!" said George as both of them came and sat down next to Ron to mess up his hair.
"OI!" shouted Ron angrily, his face reddening.
Hermione and Linda gave a little giggle.
"Hey George! Leave Ron's hair alone!" said Fred standing up looking mad.
Everyone was surprised at this. Fred had never cared about things like that.
"Don't you tell me what to do!" shouted George pointing his finger at Fred (index finger!).
"Don't you point your finger at me!" Fred said out-maddening George by a mile.
"Guys it's ok, really." said Ron looking a bit scared.
Then Ginny walked in.
"I've been looking everywhere for you guys!" she said before looking confused as she saw Fred and George.
George was waving his finger frantically at Fred. Fred looked like he could kill. Then he grabbed George's finger. George was in pain. Anyone could tell by the look on his face.
"OWWWWWWWWWWWWW!"
Then it happened! It happened really quickly! "SNAP!" George's finger came right off!
Ginny squealed. Blood was everywhere. Fred was looking as evil and crazy as humanly possible. He was still holding George's finger. Hermione looked pale and was about to faint, Ginny had her hands covering her face, Ron was backing away from his brothers, Harry was shell shocked, he couldn't move or speak, Linda had her hands around her mouth. Fred started to laugh, a hollow deep laugh. Then Harry realised that Linda was smiling under her hands.
"You guys are so gullible!" she said looking amused. Then to every one's surprise George started to laugh. Ginny looked as if she was going to cry. "It's not funny!"
"It's wa' a 'ak 'inga'" George said. She was trying very hard to stop laughing.
"It was a what?" said Hermione looking annoyed.
"A fake finger? You got us scared out of our wits! You ugly gits! " said Ron who was fuming.
"Hey how did you know it was a fake finger?" asked George.
"You can't not know when you've done it plenty before." she said her eyes were twinkling.
"Oh no, I've got to go! Nice meeting you all, bye!" she waved them goodbye and left.
Mrs Weasley came to get them not long afterwards. They went back to The Borrow by the newly bought Floo.