Chapter 2: At the Burrow
Breakfast with the Dursleys was uneventful, as everything usually is with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon bragged about some new contract he had gotten at work, while Aunt Petunia fussed over his cousin Dudley. It seemed that Dudley had lost some weight since being on the diet, but not enough, so once again everyone had to suffer a meagre breakfast so Dudley could lose more weight. Harry quickly devoured his grapefruit quarter and went back upstairs to his bedroom, where he had some sweets hidden under the floorboard that Ron, Fred and George had sent him. Harry was thankful that he would be going to visit the Weasleys in a few days because his food was running out.
Harry was munching happily on some chocolate frogs and Bernie Blott's Every Flavour Beans when he noticed another small parcel on his bed. Harry glanced at it wondering what it could be or who it was from. He knew the Dursleys had nothing to do with it by the owl that was sitting on top of it expectantly. Harry gave it some food to eat and the owl flew off. He excitedly peeled off the letter that was attached to the parcel and began to read it.
Dear Harry,
Hope you enjoy the gift. It belonged to your mother.
The letter was not signed by anyone and he didn't recognize the handwriting on the parchment. He had however received many gifts like this before, most recently when Sirius Black, his godfather and accused murderer, sent him his new broomstick a few years back. Harry opened the package carefully and pulled out a beautiful silver watch. It had a basilisk fighting a gryffin engraved on the watchface. Astonished with the beauty and intricacy of the design, Harry quickly put the watch on his wrist and began to pack his things so that he'd be ready to fly over to the Weasleys' under the cover of night. He hoped it didn't rain.
Later on that evening, Harry put all his things inside his cauldron, hung them off the back of his broomstick and soared through the night sky on his way to Ron's. He darted over cities and hilltops, above forests and creeks and past many birds and clouds until finally he could see the impossibly slanted house that would fall if it was held up by anything other than magic. Harry slowly began his descent on his broomstick and landed in the Weasleys' backyard. Instantly a gnome began to attack him. Harry picked him up, spun him around and launched him way over the Weasleys' fence and off into the distance. Harry brushed himself off and walked over to the door. Mrs. Weasley was waiting at the doorstep for him with tears in her eyes.
"Harry!! I am so glad to see that you're safe. When Ron told me you were flying on your broomstick over here I was so worried that I accidentally gave a potato arms and legs instead of peeling it and it tapdanced away." Mrs. Weasley enveloped him in a gigantic hug and ushered him inside.
"You must be starving. Flying all that way on your broomstick what with the diet that the Muggles have had you on and all. Let me make you something quick to eat. In the meantime, you can go put your things in Ron's room. He'll be excited to see you." Mrs. Weasley began pointing her wand at various things in the kitchen and spices and food was flying this way and that, sauces pouring out of her wand, so Harry went upstairs to go see Ron, letting her make him some food. He was hungry. It was a long flight after all.
Harry carried his cauldron and his broomstick up the three flights of stairs to Ron's bedroom. Ron was sitting on his bed reading Quidditch Through the Ages again. Ron was just as obsessed with Quidditch as he was. Ron looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway holding his things.
"Harry! You're finally here!! Mum was worried that you would get spotted while flying over. Or worse." Ron looked kind of pale when he said the last part, but colour returned to his cheeks after a few seconds. "Here, lemme help you with your things." Ron and Harry finished unpacking Harry's things, when Mrs. Weasley calls Harry down to eat.
Ron and Harry were catching up on how their summers were while walking down the narrow staircase of the Burrow to eat food. They stepped into the kitchen and their jaws dropped. Mrs. Weasley had made a feast that rivalled any Hogwarts feast they had eaten at. There was mashed potatoes, roast beef, chicken, salads, puddings, sweet bread and a whole bunch of other things Harry couldn't identify but smelled good nonetheless. The kitchen table was sagging underneath the weight of all the food. Mrs. Weasley blushed.
"I got a little carried away. Once I started to cook I just couldn't stop. At any rate, Arthur should hopefully be home soon," she said as she looked up at their clock. Arthur Weasley's clock hand was still pointed at work but it was getting shorter by the second. "God only knows he'll be hungry when he gets home. He's been at the office all day. Ever since You- Know-Who came back Arthur's been working almost 20 hours a day, it's ridiculous. He's working himself to death. At least he has people in the office on his side who are working with him against You-Know-Who." The clock on the wall chimed. "Looks like Arthur's home. He'll be glad to see you Harry. Arthur's been worried about you." Mrs. Weasley went to go great Arthur at the door.
"Ron, is there something your mother's not telling me? Does she know something about Voldemort -" Ron flinched "- sorry, that I don't know?"
Ron looked at Harry and shrugged. "I haven't heard them say anything, but I have noticed that Dad was getting really tight-lipped when talking about work lately. Maybe they do know something." Ron trailed off and started to get pale and worried.
Harry noticed that Ron was starting to get worried. "Don't worry Ron. I doubt it's anything major. They're probably getting really tight on security since Voldemort's returned. Or maybe he just doesn't want to worry you. Or maybe he thinks we'll go investigate if we hear anything. It's probably nothing."
"Maybe your right Harry," Ron said as the colour returned to his cheeks. "It's probably nothing. Now let's eat! I'm starving!" Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys dove into the magnificent dinner that Mrs. Weasley had made for them. Ron wanted to play Quidditch after supper, but after falling asleep in his mashed potatoes, Mrs. Weasley ordered the kids up to bed.
Harry was tossing and turning upstairs and couldn't sleep so he went downstairs to go get a glass of water. As he passed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room, Harry heard heated whispering. He was going to walk on past until he heard his name.
"Arthur no, I don't want to put Harry in any danger. You know how he is. If he knew that You-Know-Who was planning and attack on Azkaban, he'd try to figure out when and try to stop it. You mustn't let him know that you know where You-Know-Who is."
"But honey, our spies who've been keeping tabs on You-Know-Who told us that Azkaban was a diversion. While the prisoners were being released from Azkaban - most of them Death Eaters - other Death Eaters and quite possibly You-Know-Who himself would be trying to abduct Harry from Hogwarts! He's got a right to know the amount of danger he's in!"
"Arthur I refuse to let you tell him. I trust Dumbledore completely. Almost all of the old crowd will be teaching at Hogwarts this year - Mundungus, Remus, even Arabella Figg will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts there this year. She's been looking after Harry for years whenever those Muggles went on vacation. I think with the Order there, and Dumbledore there, and the extra protection Dumbledore has around the castle, no Death Eater will be able to get in and get Harry. The only way they'll get him is if you tell him that he's in danger. My decision is final!"
Harry was shocked. Suddenly he didn't need a glass of water anymore. He ran back up to Ron's room to tell him everything he'd overheard in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom.
Breakfast with the Dursleys was uneventful, as everything usually is with the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon bragged about some new contract he had gotten at work, while Aunt Petunia fussed over his cousin Dudley. It seemed that Dudley had lost some weight since being on the diet, but not enough, so once again everyone had to suffer a meagre breakfast so Dudley could lose more weight. Harry quickly devoured his grapefruit quarter and went back upstairs to his bedroom, where he had some sweets hidden under the floorboard that Ron, Fred and George had sent him. Harry was thankful that he would be going to visit the Weasleys in a few days because his food was running out.
Harry was munching happily on some chocolate frogs and Bernie Blott's Every Flavour Beans when he noticed another small parcel on his bed. Harry glanced at it wondering what it could be or who it was from. He knew the Dursleys had nothing to do with it by the owl that was sitting on top of it expectantly. Harry gave it some food to eat and the owl flew off. He excitedly peeled off the letter that was attached to the parcel and began to read it.
Dear Harry,
Hope you enjoy the gift. It belonged to your mother.
The letter was not signed by anyone and he didn't recognize the handwriting on the parchment. He had however received many gifts like this before, most recently when Sirius Black, his godfather and accused murderer, sent him his new broomstick a few years back. Harry opened the package carefully and pulled out a beautiful silver watch. It had a basilisk fighting a gryffin engraved on the watchface. Astonished with the beauty and intricacy of the design, Harry quickly put the watch on his wrist and began to pack his things so that he'd be ready to fly over to the Weasleys' under the cover of night. He hoped it didn't rain.
Later on that evening, Harry put all his things inside his cauldron, hung them off the back of his broomstick and soared through the night sky on his way to Ron's. He darted over cities and hilltops, above forests and creeks and past many birds and clouds until finally he could see the impossibly slanted house that would fall if it was held up by anything other than magic. Harry slowly began his descent on his broomstick and landed in the Weasleys' backyard. Instantly a gnome began to attack him. Harry picked him up, spun him around and launched him way over the Weasleys' fence and off into the distance. Harry brushed himself off and walked over to the door. Mrs. Weasley was waiting at the doorstep for him with tears in her eyes.
"Harry!! I am so glad to see that you're safe. When Ron told me you were flying on your broomstick over here I was so worried that I accidentally gave a potato arms and legs instead of peeling it and it tapdanced away." Mrs. Weasley enveloped him in a gigantic hug and ushered him inside.
"You must be starving. Flying all that way on your broomstick what with the diet that the Muggles have had you on and all. Let me make you something quick to eat. In the meantime, you can go put your things in Ron's room. He'll be excited to see you." Mrs. Weasley began pointing her wand at various things in the kitchen and spices and food was flying this way and that, sauces pouring out of her wand, so Harry went upstairs to go see Ron, letting her make him some food. He was hungry. It was a long flight after all.
Harry carried his cauldron and his broomstick up the three flights of stairs to Ron's bedroom. Ron was sitting on his bed reading Quidditch Through the Ages again. Ron was just as obsessed with Quidditch as he was. Ron looked up and saw Harry standing in the doorway holding his things.
"Harry! You're finally here!! Mum was worried that you would get spotted while flying over. Or worse." Ron looked kind of pale when he said the last part, but colour returned to his cheeks after a few seconds. "Here, lemme help you with your things." Ron and Harry finished unpacking Harry's things, when Mrs. Weasley calls Harry down to eat.
Ron and Harry were catching up on how their summers were while walking down the narrow staircase of the Burrow to eat food. They stepped into the kitchen and their jaws dropped. Mrs. Weasley had made a feast that rivalled any Hogwarts feast they had eaten at. There was mashed potatoes, roast beef, chicken, salads, puddings, sweet bread and a whole bunch of other things Harry couldn't identify but smelled good nonetheless. The kitchen table was sagging underneath the weight of all the food. Mrs. Weasley blushed.
"I got a little carried away. Once I started to cook I just couldn't stop. At any rate, Arthur should hopefully be home soon," she said as she looked up at their clock. Arthur Weasley's clock hand was still pointed at work but it was getting shorter by the second. "God only knows he'll be hungry when he gets home. He's been at the office all day. Ever since You- Know-Who came back Arthur's been working almost 20 hours a day, it's ridiculous. He's working himself to death. At least he has people in the office on his side who are working with him against You-Know-Who." The clock on the wall chimed. "Looks like Arthur's home. He'll be glad to see you Harry. Arthur's been worried about you." Mrs. Weasley went to go great Arthur at the door.
"Ron, is there something your mother's not telling me? Does she know something about Voldemort -" Ron flinched "- sorry, that I don't know?"
Ron looked at Harry and shrugged. "I haven't heard them say anything, but I have noticed that Dad was getting really tight-lipped when talking about work lately. Maybe they do know something." Ron trailed off and started to get pale and worried.
Harry noticed that Ron was starting to get worried. "Don't worry Ron. I doubt it's anything major. They're probably getting really tight on security since Voldemort's returned. Or maybe he just doesn't want to worry you. Or maybe he thinks we'll go investigate if we hear anything. It's probably nothing."
"Maybe your right Harry," Ron said as the colour returned to his cheeks. "It's probably nothing. Now let's eat! I'm starving!" Harry, Ron and the rest of the Weasleys dove into the magnificent dinner that Mrs. Weasley had made for them. Ron wanted to play Quidditch after supper, but after falling asleep in his mashed potatoes, Mrs. Weasley ordered the kids up to bed.
Harry was tossing and turning upstairs and couldn't sleep so he went downstairs to go get a glass of water. As he passed by Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's room, Harry heard heated whispering. He was going to walk on past until he heard his name.
"Arthur no, I don't want to put Harry in any danger. You know how he is. If he knew that You-Know-Who was planning and attack on Azkaban, he'd try to figure out when and try to stop it. You mustn't let him know that you know where You-Know-Who is."
"But honey, our spies who've been keeping tabs on You-Know-Who told us that Azkaban was a diversion. While the prisoners were being released from Azkaban - most of them Death Eaters - other Death Eaters and quite possibly You-Know-Who himself would be trying to abduct Harry from Hogwarts! He's got a right to know the amount of danger he's in!"
"Arthur I refuse to let you tell him. I trust Dumbledore completely. Almost all of the old crowd will be teaching at Hogwarts this year - Mundungus, Remus, even Arabella Figg will be teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts there this year. She's been looking after Harry for years whenever those Muggles went on vacation. I think with the Order there, and Dumbledore there, and the extra protection Dumbledore has around the castle, no Death Eater will be able to get in and get Harry. The only way they'll get him is if you tell him that he's in danger. My decision is final!"
Harry was shocked. Suddenly he didn't need a glass of water anymore. He ran back up to Ron's room to tell him everything he'd overheard in Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's bedroom.