It was getting harder for Harry to breathe. The makeshift "bandages"
of linen that he had wrapped around his chest had gotten soaked earlier
that day when a hole burst in the side of the garden hose, and now, drying
in the hot sun, they were beginning to constrict tightly. He was sucking in
quick, ragged breaths as he pulled weeds out from the bed of flowers next
to the driveway. Suddenly something small and hard collided with the back
of his head, but Harry ignored it, too distracted by the nauseating pain in
his broken ribs. He wasn't able to take any painkillers because the
medicine cabinet was purposefully locked, and as of now he almost wanted to
cry. He hadn't yesterday, as Ron thought; he was just holding his face in
his hands because he needed to consider the day's events. The screech of an
owl finally caught Harry's attention, and he despondently turned around to
see Pigwidgeon hopping about merrily on the evenly trimmed grass. He gently
unwound the letter from the owl's foot, and sent it back to Ron without any
food. Reading the parchment, Harry was glad to be invited to the Weasley's
for the rest of the summer, but he was a bit alarmed by the urgent nature
of the letter.
That night, after he finished all of his chores, he responded to the
Ron's note:
Ron,
I'd love to come over, thank you for inviting me. But your letter was a bit odd... you sound worried, more than anything else. I can guarantee that Voldemort is not at my house terrorizing me, so there's no need to rush over here and steal me away into the night. But...if you want to come soon, you can.
Harry
Harry tied the letter onto Hedwig's left leg, then opened the window and watched the owl slowly disappear into a tiny speck of white. Exhausted from the day's work, he carefully laid onto his back, and gingerly pulling the sheets up to his bruised chest, fell quickly asleep.
Ron received Harry's letter the afternoon of the next day. He was sitting in his room when Hedwig fluttered gracefully through his window and held out her left leg. After he read the note, Ron didn't even bother to respond; he knew from the last sentence that Harry, in his subtle way, meant for Ron to pick him up as soon as possible.
"Fred!" he called, running down the hallway and pushing himself through the door that still held a tattered "No Girls Allowed" sign scrawled in crayon. Fred and George were sitting on the floor and looking curiously at Ron. "Can you pick up Harry?"
George shrugged, and Fred nodded. "Sure." When Ron began motioning wildly for the twins to follow him downstairs, the two young men became confused. "What...now?"
"Yes, now! Come on!" They exchanged curious glances, then jogged downstairs after Ron. Once in the living room, Ron urged them to apparate. "Just pop up in Harry's room and take him with you or something."
"That's not how apparating works, Ronniekins," answered George, "You can't just "take somebody with you"; he'll end up in pieces."
"Well, what we could do," offered Fred, "Is apparate to the boy's room, grab Harry's school trunk and what-not, and apparate home with that. Then we could come back and ride with him on the Knight Bus."
Ron grinned and hopped up and down wildly. "Yeah, that's a great plan! Go on, do it!"
Once again, the twins exchanged glances. Then George smirked wickedly. "Well, Ron...what makes you think we have the time?"
"Yeah, we're busy men," quipped Fred. "We've got a store to run. Think of all the money we'll lose if we're not there to take care of the shop."
Ron paled, and considered this. "I...I have some money in a blue jar next to my closet. You can take whatever's in there."
"Aww, Fred...he's such a good friend, offering up his savings to bring the kid over."
"Wait- George, remember what Harry gave us last year?" Fred leaned over and whispered to his twin about the 1000 galleons they were given last year as incentive to start their joke shop.
George looked towards his little brother and smiled. "We've decided not to charge you- but only because we're such wonderful brothers. Well, Fred...I suppose we should be on our way." And with that, they silently disappeared.
Harry was in the hallway scrubbing dried blood out of the carpet when Fred and George came sneaking out of his room. He nearly leapt out of his skin in shock when the two redheaded men tumbled onto the floor next to him.
"Oy, Harry! Where d'you keep your school stuff?" whispered Fred, crawling so that his face was level with Harry's.
"I...erm...under my bed...but-" The twins sprung up and dashed into his room before he could finish his sentence. Harry scrambled after them and arrived just in time to see Fred and George disappear with all of his books and robes. He was still utterly surprised and confused with the men's first appearance when the two reappeared next to Harry's closet.
"Come with us. We're taking you home on the Knight Bus." They each got a tight hold of one of Harry's arms and practically dragged him downstairs, hurrying past the parlor door where the Dursleys were having their afternoon tea. They quickly flagged down the Knight Bus and climbed aboard, sighing with relief once the metal doors slid closed.
"Just keep quiet, Harry. If you put this hat on, nobody will recognize you." George shoved a strange looking headpiece over Harry's messy black hair. It had two beer cans attached to either side, and clear plastic tubes leading to a mouthpiece.
Harry knew what kind of hat this was and how it was supposed to be used, but he didn't dare sip any of the beer. The last thing he wanted to do was arrive at the Weasley's house with alcohol on his breath.
That evening, Ron peered into the ball with Harry in mind. He saw his friend fast asleep on Fred's shoulder, shaking gently with the mild rocking of the bus against the autumn wind. He smiled to know that Harry was alright and in the safe care of his brothers.
Ron,
I'd love to come over, thank you for inviting me. But your letter was a bit odd... you sound worried, more than anything else. I can guarantee that Voldemort is not at my house terrorizing me, so there's no need to rush over here and steal me away into the night. But...if you want to come soon, you can.
Harry
Harry tied the letter onto Hedwig's left leg, then opened the window and watched the owl slowly disappear into a tiny speck of white. Exhausted from the day's work, he carefully laid onto his back, and gingerly pulling the sheets up to his bruised chest, fell quickly asleep.
Ron received Harry's letter the afternoon of the next day. He was sitting in his room when Hedwig fluttered gracefully through his window and held out her left leg. After he read the note, Ron didn't even bother to respond; he knew from the last sentence that Harry, in his subtle way, meant for Ron to pick him up as soon as possible.
"Fred!" he called, running down the hallway and pushing himself through the door that still held a tattered "No Girls Allowed" sign scrawled in crayon. Fred and George were sitting on the floor and looking curiously at Ron. "Can you pick up Harry?"
George shrugged, and Fred nodded. "Sure." When Ron began motioning wildly for the twins to follow him downstairs, the two young men became confused. "What...now?"
"Yes, now! Come on!" They exchanged curious glances, then jogged downstairs after Ron. Once in the living room, Ron urged them to apparate. "Just pop up in Harry's room and take him with you or something."
"That's not how apparating works, Ronniekins," answered George, "You can't just "take somebody with you"; he'll end up in pieces."
"Well, what we could do," offered Fred, "Is apparate to the boy's room, grab Harry's school trunk and what-not, and apparate home with that. Then we could come back and ride with him on the Knight Bus."
Ron grinned and hopped up and down wildly. "Yeah, that's a great plan! Go on, do it!"
Once again, the twins exchanged glances. Then George smirked wickedly. "Well, Ron...what makes you think we have the time?"
"Yeah, we're busy men," quipped Fred. "We've got a store to run. Think of all the money we'll lose if we're not there to take care of the shop."
Ron paled, and considered this. "I...I have some money in a blue jar next to my closet. You can take whatever's in there."
"Aww, Fred...he's such a good friend, offering up his savings to bring the kid over."
"Wait- George, remember what Harry gave us last year?" Fred leaned over and whispered to his twin about the 1000 galleons they were given last year as incentive to start their joke shop.
George looked towards his little brother and smiled. "We've decided not to charge you- but only because we're such wonderful brothers. Well, Fred...I suppose we should be on our way." And with that, they silently disappeared.
Harry was in the hallway scrubbing dried blood out of the carpet when Fred and George came sneaking out of his room. He nearly leapt out of his skin in shock when the two redheaded men tumbled onto the floor next to him.
"Oy, Harry! Where d'you keep your school stuff?" whispered Fred, crawling so that his face was level with Harry's.
"I...erm...under my bed...but-" The twins sprung up and dashed into his room before he could finish his sentence. Harry scrambled after them and arrived just in time to see Fred and George disappear with all of his books and robes. He was still utterly surprised and confused with the men's first appearance when the two reappeared next to Harry's closet.
"Come with us. We're taking you home on the Knight Bus." They each got a tight hold of one of Harry's arms and practically dragged him downstairs, hurrying past the parlor door where the Dursleys were having their afternoon tea. They quickly flagged down the Knight Bus and climbed aboard, sighing with relief once the metal doors slid closed.
"Just keep quiet, Harry. If you put this hat on, nobody will recognize you." George shoved a strange looking headpiece over Harry's messy black hair. It had two beer cans attached to either side, and clear plastic tubes leading to a mouthpiece.
Harry knew what kind of hat this was and how it was supposed to be used, but he didn't dare sip any of the beer. The last thing he wanted to do was arrive at the Weasley's house with alcohol on his breath.
That evening, Ron peered into the ball with Harry in mind. He saw his friend fast asleep on Fred's shoulder, shaking gently with the mild rocking of the bus against the autumn wind. He smiled to know that Harry was alright and in the safe care of his brothers.