Chapter 4 - Ron's House
"Hey Ron!" shouted Harry as Tonks and Moody flew beside Harry's Firebolt to land in the Burrow's backyard, sending the chickens scattering to avoid the broomsticks.
"Harry! You made it!" said Ron joyfully. Beside him was Hermione and a girl Harry didn't know. She was very pretty, and as Harry landed, he saw that she had electric blue eyes that seemed to give off sparks of enthusiasm.
"So you're this Harry Potter everyone's been talking about, huh?" she said in a slightly Welsh accent, shaking Harry's hand.
"Allow me to introduce you," said Ron. "This is April. April Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore?" Harry gasped, surprised. Dumbledore had a... daughter???
"Yeah... I'm his daughter," said April. "It's a long story, I've told it about 5 billion times since I've been here."
"Hermione!" exclaimed Harry. "What's up? Did you get my owl? Why couldn't Ron contact you?"
Hermione explained, "Well, apparently, both the Ministry and Voldemort are tracking and filtering owl mail that is sent in and out of pureblood families such as the Weasleys. I think they're filtering the pureblood family mail to find out information people might be hiding. Anyway, Moody and Tonks were staying at my place for a few days to lead their trail away from the wizarding world to a Muggle community so they would be followed, and they were afraid that if Ron contacted me with some information, no matter how discrete, the letter might fall into the wrong hands, and they might discover Moody and Tonks." She said this all in one breath, then she added, "Or something like that anyway."
Just then, Mrs Weasley came out.
"Hello Harry!" she said brightly. "Had a good holiday? No? Well we'll soon fix that." She steered him inside where a large table was laden with delicious food. She sat Harry down on a chair, and watched him start to eat.
"I expect you're very hungry, and the others have already eaten, so feel free to eat as much as you like," Mrs Weasley said, carefully watching Harry. Mrs Weasley had always been nice, but she seemed to be acting extra- kind to him now. Perhaps because of what had happened last year in the Department of Mysteries.
Hermione, Ron, and April came in and sat around Harry, talking while Harry ate. He was indeed starving from his long broomstick ride to the Burrow.
"Hey mum," said Ron suddenly, peering outside. "Where've Tonks and Moody gone?"
"Oh, they had to leave. Urgent business. Nothing you need to know about," Mrs Weasley replied.
Just then, Fred and George Weasley apparated right on top of the dining table with a bang that sent the food flying. Fred put his foot in a jug of pumpkin juice by accident. Mrs Weasley looked extremely angry.
"Now really - " she started.
"Hi Harry!" said George brightly.
"How are ya?" said Fred, going purple trying to dislodge his foot from the jug. He attempted to pull it off, and only succeded in pushing an entire mountain of food off the table onto the floor in his hard effort. Harry helped him get his foot out, making a note to himself not to take pumpkin juice from that particular jug.
"Ron, Fred, George - Go up to the attic and continue cleaning!" reprimanded Mrs Weasley. "And afterwards, you three can clean up this mess in the kitchen too." Her eyes flashed dangerously, as though daring her sons to do differently.
Through a bite of his ninth sandwich, Harry said, "I'll help too, Mrs Weasley!" Hermione and April nodded too.
"No, my dears, you are guests in this house," said Mrs Weasley firmly.
"C'mon mum, we could do with a bit of help!" said Ron, exasperated. "And you always said that Harry is like one of the family, so start treating him like it!"
Harry nodded, starting on a cold pie, and Mrs Weasley sighed, giving in. She handed the six children some magical cleaning cloths and spray and some boxes.
"Alright," she said. "Fred and George, clean up the kitchen right now. The rest of you, up to the attic!"
And feeling slightly bloated in the stomach, Harry grabbed a last piece of chicken, and lugged his suitcase upstairs on his way to the attic.
"Hey Ron!" shouted Harry as Tonks and Moody flew beside Harry's Firebolt to land in the Burrow's backyard, sending the chickens scattering to avoid the broomsticks.
"Harry! You made it!" said Ron joyfully. Beside him was Hermione and a girl Harry didn't know. She was very pretty, and as Harry landed, he saw that she had electric blue eyes that seemed to give off sparks of enthusiasm.
"So you're this Harry Potter everyone's been talking about, huh?" she said in a slightly Welsh accent, shaking Harry's hand.
"Allow me to introduce you," said Ron. "This is April. April Dumbledore."
"Dumbledore?" Harry gasped, surprised. Dumbledore had a... daughter???
"Yeah... I'm his daughter," said April. "It's a long story, I've told it about 5 billion times since I've been here."
"Hermione!" exclaimed Harry. "What's up? Did you get my owl? Why couldn't Ron contact you?"
Hermione explained, "Well, apparently, both the Ministry and Voldemort are tracking and filtering owl mail that is sent in and out of pureblood families such as the Weasleys. I think they're filtering the pureblood family mail to find out information people might be hiding. Anyway, Moody and Tonks were staying at my place for a few days to lead their trail away from the wizarding world to a Muggle community so they would be followed, and they were afraid that if Ron contacted me with some information, no matter how discrete, the letter might fall into the wrong hands, and they might discover Moody and Tonks." She said this all in one breath, then she added, "Or something like that anyway."
Just then, Mrs Weasley came out.
"Hello Harry!" she said brightly. "Had a good holiday? No? Well we'll soon fix that." She steered him inside where a large table was laden with delicious food. She sat Harry down on a chair, and watched him start to eat.
"I expect you're very hungry, and the others have already eaten, so feel free to eat as much as you like," Mrs Weasley said, carefully watching Harry. Mrs Weasley had always been nice, but she seemed to be acting extra- kind to him now. Perhaps because of what had happened last year in the Department of Mysteries.
Hermione, Ron, and April came in and sat around Harry, talking while Harry ate. He was indeed starving from his long broomstick ride to the Burrow.
"Hey mum," said Ron suddenly, peering outside. "Where've Tonks and Moody gone?"
"Oh, they had to leave. Urgent business. Nothing you need to know about," Mrs Weasley replied.
Just then, Fred and George Weasley apparated right on top of the dining table with a bang that sent the food flying. Fred put his foot in a jug of pumpkin juice by accident. Mrs Weasley looked extremely angry.
"Now really - " she started.
"Hi Harry!" said George brightly.
"How are ya?" said Fred, going purple trying to dislodge his foot from the jug. He attempted to pull it off, and only succeded in pushing an entire mountain of food off the table onto the floor in his hard effort. Harry helped him get his foot out, making a note to himself not to take pumpkin juice from that particular jug.
"Ron, Fred, George - Go up to the attic and continue cleaning!" reprimanded Mrs Weasley. "And afterwards, you three can clean up this mess in the kitchen too." Her eyes flashed dangerously, as though daring her sons to do differently.
Through a bite of his ninth sandwich, Harry said, "I'll help too, Mrs Weasley!" Hermione and April nodded too.
"No, my dears, you are guests in this house," said Mrs Weasley firmly.
"C'mon mum, we could do with a bit of help!" said Ron, exasperated. "And you always said that Harry is like one of the family, so start treating him like it!"
Harry nodded, starting on a cold pie, and Mrs Weasley sighed, giving in. She handed the six children some magical cleaning cloths and spray and some boxes.
"Alright," she said. "Fred and George, clean up the kitchen right now. The rest of you, up to the attic!"
And feeling slightly bloated in the stomach, Harry grabbed a last piece of chicken, and lugged his suitcase upstairs on his way to the attic.