Part 3. - "I haven't been on a train since Hogwarts!"
A few days had passed since he had received his OWLS and Ron had sent him a note the next day with Pig telling him that he had done roughly the same as Harry with the exception of getting an Exceed Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts and a Dreadful in Divination. Harry had also heard from Mrs Weasley telling him that they would pick him up today at 11am.
Harry was all packed ready to set off that morning by 8am. He was going to stay with Ron at last, and not a moment too soon. Harry opened his curtains to see a nice summer day. He had let the Dursleys know the same day he received Mrs Weasleys note and hoped that Mr Weasley had learnt from his last attempt to collect him, and that he wouldn't blow the fireplace open this time.
However, at 10am that morning he received a rushed note from Ron,
Harry,
Change of plan. Something's come up with the Order, Mum and Dad say that you're not going to be able to stay with us for a few more days. Instead we're going to stay with Hermonie and her parents for a few days till everything's sorted.
Hope this gets to you before we do, Dad's taking us up to Hermonie's.
Cheers
Ron.
"Hermonie's?" Harry said aloud. "Well, that should be different." He said again.
He wondered for a brief minute what about Voldemort? But then he figured that with the new changes for magical regulation, and that every wizarding person now knew who all the suspected Death Eaters were and were looking out for any sign of Voldemort that for a few days they should be okay.
Harry went downstairs with his trunk at 10.45am and waited for any sign of Mr Weasley, Ron and Ginny. Harry was still thinking up wild elaborate ways that Mr Weasley would arrive when there was a loud knock at the door. It was Mr Weasley, Ron and Ginny. Harry was amazed, Mr Weasley, arriving at the front door. The Dursleys were obviously amazed that some element of their house had not been exploded or smashed while trying to remain looking at the three unwelcomed Weasleys with icy glares telling them that they were in no means wanted.
"Hey Harry." Ron said smiling at him, "We're going on the Muggle trains, Dad thinks we'll look less conspicuous." Ron added rolling his eyes.
Harry looked at Mr Weasley and was sure that he had another reason for wanting to do this. His eyes were flashing all over the Weasleys hallway searching for plugs, telephones and any other object that he may be able to acquire for his own home. Harry looked at Mr Weasley with his full gaze now and only just noticed that he was wearing one of Mrs Weasleys knitted jumpers with a big "A" in the center and a pair what could be described as largely resembling baggy Golf trousers.
"I haven't been on a train since Hogwarts!" Mr Weasley said excited, "I can't wait!"
Harry caught Ginny hiding a laugh in the corner of the hall. "Well if you're ready then Harry, we'll be off." Mr Weasley added.
They set off two minutes later, with all their trunks together. Mr Weasley had used a nice little charm that made them much lighter and smaller so they could carry them with ease.
They used a Ministry car that had been lent to Mr Weasley to get to the station and as soon as they were all out and had gathered their belongings the driver and car disappeared without any notice from the Muggles around.
Five minutes later they were buying their tickets from a middle-aged man with slightly balding hair. Mr Weasley asked for three children and an adult for himself.
"Do they have their passes?" The balding ticket officer asked. "Passes?" Mr Weasley replied. "Bus Passes, to prove their 16 or under." "Erm, Why would we have Bus Passes? We're going on a train, surely you know that!" Mr Weasley said. "What? Why?" The ticket officer said confused. "So people don't lie to get cheap tickets of course." "But why would we lie? We don't need to lie, we have other ways of telling if someone is lying."
Both Harry and Ron looked at each other not knowing what to do.
"No, we left them at home." Ginny said quickly. "Sorry." "Yeah, that's the one." Harry added. "Ah right," the ticker officer said "well, okay, don't forget them next time otherwise I'll have to charge you full fare." "Full fare?" Mr Weasley said quizzically. "Okay Dad," Ron said. "Let's go or we'll miss the train." He added pushing Mr Weasley in the back to get him to move.
They moved off out onto the platform with the ticket officer looking confused after them.
"Okay, platform three, the train comes in fifteen minutes." Harry said looking at the tickets.
Twenty minutes later they were on the train after Mr Weasley had spent a few minutes playing with the buttons to open and close the doors, which led to many people angrily staring at him.
"Magnificent!" Mr Weasley said after they had just pulled out of the station and saw another train going past in the opposite direction. "Did you see that Ron?" He said pointing to where the train had just gone. "That man has a Muggle newspaper, I wonder if I could get one to take home to show Molly." Mr Weasley said looking at the newspaper, "and there look there Harry, that man is reading a Muggle book."
"Yeah," Harry replied gloomily, "it's the big seller at the moment, 'Gary Cotter and the escape from Alkatraz." "Really?" Said Mr Weasley
About halfway through their journey a man came up with a food cart.
"Oh, it's just like Hogwarts." Mr Weasley said, "I could just do with a Chocolate Frog, or a Pumpkin Pasty." "Erh, I don't think they sell them Dad." Ginny said looking at him shaking her head. "We'll get four Mars Bars please," said Harry handing over some money. "What are these Harry?" Ron said. "Chocolate."
Ron took a bite out of his, looked at Harry, then Ginny, "it's a bit different, isn't it?"
The rest of the train trip went quite uneventful, well as uneventful as things could go with Mr Weasley looking and pointing at everything. They got up to leave the train just as Mr Weasley noticed that the man with the newspaper had left it.
"Do you think he'll mind if I take this?" "No, take it Mr Weasley." Harry told him. "Excellent, I always wondered why Dumbledore bought the Muggle papers" "Erm, Mr Weasley, I don't think he buys 'The Sun' I think we should get you a different one to take home." Harry said laughing.
Hermonies house was only a short walk from the station. They picked up all their stuff and set off. Within 10 minutes they were at her front door. Mr Weasley knocked on the door and Hermonie answered.
"Glad you found it." She said as she saw them. "Yes," said Mr Weasley, "and I got a newspaper." He took it from his pocket and showed Hermonie. "Harry bought it for me." He smiled widely at Harry. "Harry thought the one he had before wasn't a good choice to show Mum." Ginny said smiling. "Oh?" Said Hermonie, "What?.." "We'll tell you later." Ron interrupted her. "Can I get you a drink?"
They set off to the kitchen and whilst Hermonie got out some drinks for them from the fridge Ron punched Harry in the ribs then pointed to the fridge door. Harry noticed a magnet of a cat holding a piece of parchment. It was holding up what was most certainly Hermonies first ever piece of homework, with top marks. Harry and Ron burst into laughter in the middle of the kitchen leaving everyone else very confused at why this was.
End of Part 3.
A few days had passed since he had received his OWLS and Ron had sent him a note the next day with Pig telling him that he had done roughly the same as Harry with the exception of getting an Exceed Expectations in Defence Against the Dark Arts and a Dreadful in Divination. Harry had also heard from Mrs Weasley telling him that they would pick him up today at 11am.
Harry was all packed ready to set off that morning by 8am. He was going to stay with Ron at last, and not a moment too soon. Harry opened his curtains to see a nice summer day. He had let the Dursleys know the same day he received Mrs Weasleys note and hoped that Mr Weasley had learnt from his last attempt to collect him, and that he wouldn't blow the fireplace open this time.
However, at 10am that morning he received a rushed note from Ron,
Harry,
Change of plan. Something's come up with the Order, Mum and Dad say that you're not going to be able to stay with us for a few more days. Instead we're going to stay with Hermonie and her parents for a few days till everything's sorted.
Hope this gets to you before we do, Dad's taking us up to Hermonie's.
Cheers
Ron.
"Hermonie's?" Harry said aloud. "Well, that should be different." He said again.
He wondered for a brief minute what about Voldemort? But then he figured that with the new changes for magical regulation, and that every wizarding person now knew who all the suspected Death Eaters were and were looking out for any sign of Voldemort that for a few days they should be okay.
Harry went downstairs with his trunk at 10.45am and waited for any sign of Mr Weasley, Ron and Ginny. Harry was still thinking up wild elaborate ways that Mr Weasley would arrive when there was a loud knock at the door. It was Mr Weasley, Ron and Ginny. Harry was amazed, Mr Weasley, arriving at the front door. The Dursleys were obviously amazed that some element of their house had not been exploded or smashed while trying to remain looking at the three unwelcomed Weasleys with icy glares telling them that they were in no means wanted.
"Hey Harry." Ron said smiling at him, "We're going on the Muggle trains, Dad thinks we'll look less conspicuous." Ron added rolling his eyes.
Harry looked at Mr Weasley and was sure that he had another reason for wanting to do this. His eyes were flashing all over the Weasleys hallway searching for plugs, telephones and any other object that he may be able to acquire for his own home. Harry looked at Mr Weasley with his full gaze now and only just noticed that he was wearing one of Mrs Weasleys knitted jumpers with a big "A" in the center and a pair what could be described as largely resembling baggy Golf trousers.
"I haven't been on a train since Hogwarts!" Mr Weasley said excited, "I can't wait!"
Harry caught Ginny hiding a laugh in the corner of the hall. "Well if you're ready then Harry, we'll be off." Mr Weasley added.
They set off two minutes later, with all their trunks together. Mr Weasley had used a nice little charm that made them much lighter and smaller so they could carry them with ease.
They used a Ministry car that had been lent to Mr Weasley to get to the station and as soon as they were all out and had gathered their belongings the driver and car disappeared without any notice from the Muggles around.
Five minutes later they were buying their tickets from a middle-aged man with slightly balding hair. Mr Weasley asked for three children and an adult for himself.
"Do they have their passes?" The balding ticket officer asked. "Passes?" Mr Weasley replied. "Bus Passes, to prove their 16 or under." "Erm, Why would we have Bus Passes? We're going on a train, surely you know that!" Mr Weasley said. "What? Why?" The ticket officer said confused. "So people don't lie to get cheap tickets of course." "But why would we lie? We don't need to lie, we have other ways of telling if someone is lying."
Both Harry and Ron looked at each other not knowing what to do.
"No, we left them at home." Ginny said quickly. "Sorry." "Yeah, that's the one." Harry added. "Ah right," the ticker officer said "well, okay, don't forget them next time otherwise I'll have to charge you full fare." "Full fare?" Mr Weasley said quizzically. "Okay Dad," Ron said. "Let's go or we'll miss the train." He added pushing Mr Weasley in the back to get him to move.
They moved off out onto the platform with the ticket officer looking confused after them.
"Okay, platform three, the train comes in fifteen minutes." Harry said looking at the tickets.
Twenty minutes later they were on the train after Mr Weasley had spent a few minutes playing with the buttons to open and close the doors, which led to many people angrily staring at him.
"Magnificent!" Mr Weasley said after they had just pulled out of the station and saw another train going past in the opposite direction. "Did you see that Ron?" He said pointing to where the train had just gone. "That man has a Muggle newspaper, I wonder if I could get one to take home to show Molly." Mr Weasley said looking at the newspaper, "and there look there Harry, that man is reading a Muggle book."
"Yeah," Harry replied gloomily, "it's the big seller at the moment, 'Gary Cotter and the escape from Alkatraz." "Really?" Said Mr Weasley
About halfway through their journey a man came up with a food cart.
"Oh, it's just like Hogwarts." Mr Weasley said, "I could just do with a Chocolate Frog, or a Pumpkin Pasty." "Erh, I don't think they sell them Dad." Ginny said looking at him shaking her head. "We'll get four Mars Bars please," said Harry handing over some money. "What are these Harry?" Ron said. "Chocolate."
Ron took a bite out of his, looked at Harry, then Ginny, "it's a bit different, isn't it?"
The rest of the train trip went quite uneventful, well as uneventful as things could go with Mr Weasley looking and pointing at everything. They got up to leave the train just as Mr Weasley noticed that the man with the newspaper had left it.
"Do you think he'll mind if I take this?" "No, take it Mr Weasley." Harry told him. "Excellent, I always wondered why Dumbledore bought the Muggle papers" "Erm, Mr Weasley, I don't think he buys 'The Sun' I think we should get you a different one to take home." Harry said laughing.
Hermonies house was only a short walk from the station. They picked up all their stuff and set off. Within 10 minutes they were at her front door. Mr Weasley knocked on the door and Hermonie answered.
"Glad you found it." She said as she saw them. "Yes," said Mr Weasley, "and I got a newspaper." He took it from his pocket and showed Hermonie. "Harry bought it for me." He smiled widely at Harry. "Harry thought the one he had before wasn't a good choice to show Mum." Ginny said smiling. "Oh?" Said Hermonie, "What?.." "We'll tell you later." Ron interrupted her. "Can I get you a drink?"
They set off to the kitchen and whilst Hermonie got out some drinks for them from the fridge Ron punched Harry in the ribs then pointed to the fridge door. Harry noticed a magnet of a cat holding a piece of parchment. It was holding up what was most certainly Hermonies first ever piece of homework, with top marks. Harry and Ron burst into laughter in the middle of the kitchen leaving everyone else very confused at why this was.
End of Part 3.
