Harry Potter and the Draught of Living Death

Disclaimer: Harry Potter, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of Warner Bros. and J.K. Rowling, copyright 2000. Some portions of this fan-fiction have been taken directly from the novel.

Chapter Four: No Place like the Burrow

Harry stood at the fireplace in the basement of Zonko's fidgeting nervously.

What if they forgot about him? Well, he knew that was ridiculous, but still, there was always the "what if" worries. He checking the clock on the wall again and realized he still had at least five minutes before they would actually arrive. Snape, having retained his usual nasty demeanor, stood at the top of the basement steps, waiting impatiently for the Weasley's to arrive.

"Perhaps Mr. Weasley can find a reason to be on time for once," he mused as he checked his fingernails to make sure there was no visible dirt. "I say, that would definitely be a feat."

Harry rolled his eyes and ignored the professor. If the summer had taught him anything, it was that Snape was almost completely made of hot air. He liked to fuss and complain, but in the end, he wasn't all that bad.

Harry almost laughed, realizing he never thought that sentiment would never cross his mind. Of course Snape really was that bad, but it made it more bearable that the grouchy old professor at least knew it and was proud of it.

At almost exactly the expected time, the three youngest Weasley boys came through the fire to greet Harry. Snape sneered as he straightened his relaxed posture.

"Well, as it seems you are now well cared for, I'll leave you to it." Snape didn't bother to harass or even speak to the Weasley's. Instead, he merely turned away and shut the door behind him.

"Oiy!" Ron said softly. "Please tell me you haven't had to put up with that for as long as I think you have."

"I don't know, Ron. He's not so bad when you can get away with ignoring him." Ron grumbled some type of disagreement but quickly brightened again.

"Mum says we're to bring you straight home."

"Oh we forgot to mention," Fred interrupted.

"Mum said to have Ron hold your hand to make sure you get off at the right stop," George finished.

"Very touching," Fred yawned. "Now if you two can behave yourselves, we better be off." Fred did a very over exaggerated impression of Percy shining his prefects badge.

"Don't worry," George said. "I'll take care of him." George drew his hand back and smacked Fred against the back of his head.

"Ow!" Fred yelled. "That really hurt. Why did you do that?"

"I don't know," George replied. "Seemed like a good idea at the time." George turned back towards the younger boys. "Now then, anyone for tea?" With this very strange comment he stepped back into the fireplace after a dash of floo powder and shouted, "The Burrow!" Fred followed suit barely a second later.

Ron held out his hand and Harry rolled his eyes and took it. "Your mum worries too much."

"Don't worry, she just doesn't want to see you end up in Knockturn Alley again." Ron reached in his pocket and drew out some floo powder. Just as he started to throw it into the fire, Harry got the odd feeling that they weren't alone.

He turned and scanned the room for movement before Ron tugged on his shirtsleeve. "Are we ready then?

"Yes," Harry replied. "But make it quick, I feel really strange all of the sudden."

If Harry had been watching his back before the fire consumed both of them, he might have seen the dark figure slip out of the basement without a sound.

* ~ *

Harry landed on the floor of the kitchen with a very loud thud, very nearly taking Ron down with him. "Harry," Ron shook his head as he let go of Harry's hand. "We're going to have to work on your transportation skills. You'll never master Aparation if you can't even get the basics of floo under control."

Harry might have replied, but he found himself swept into a large bear hug by Molly Weasley herself.

"Mrs. Weasley, good to see you again. Thank you for inviting me." Harry offered a smile, trying to shake the odd feeling that had overcome him in the basement of Zonko's.

"Don't be so formal, Harry. You know you're like family to us." Molly bustled about the kitchen, preparing dinner as she went.

Ron smiled to Harry. "Come on, Dumbledore sent your stuff over earlier this morning. You can get everything sorted out before we go to Diagon Alley tomorrow morning."

"Are we meeting Hermione there?" Harry asked as they made their way up the stairs.

Ron grumbled something under his breath.

"Is she still seeing that fellow from Egypt?"

Ron finally seemed to lose it. "I can't believe Bill introduced her to a guy he'd only known for a week. What was he thinking?"

"Well, they seem to be pretty happy together, it's nice for Hermione to have someone she had hold a conversation with. After all, we don't really read the same books that she does. Talking with us must get very boring."

"I know, but I don't understand why Bill felt inclined to introduce her to someone."

Ron's family had decided to go on a trip to Egypt earlier in the summer. It was on that trip that they had met Hermione and her family, apparently vacationing in the same area. Ron had invited Hermione to come meet Bill, and Hermione had been filled with excitement at the opportunity to see another type of Gringotts Bank. When Hermione and the Weasley's had arrived, Bill had been talking to one of the newer Wizard associate. His name was Cody Gellman, and he fell in love with Hermione from the second he laid eyes on her. They had been dating since then, and Harry had never seen Ron so jealous about anything, expect perhaps Hermione going out with Victor Krum. Harry shrugged it off. Ron would figure out why he was upset someday.

Harry and Ron had just reached the second landing and Harry was thrown into shock as a small red head came hurtling out a door and flung directly into his arms.

"Get them away from me!" she screamed. "They won't leave me alone!" Fred and George stood just inside the now open doorway with grins on their faces.

"Come on, guys," Ron said. "You're scaring Ginny."

"Ginny?" Harry asked as the girl slowly calmed down.

"They were changing things, they changed my skin color, my hair color, they even made my tongue grow about three feet before they finally put it back into place." Ginny suddenly looked up and gasped as she realized whom she had run straight into.

"Uh oh," Fred said. "Now look who's changing her skin color."

Ginny issued what sounded like a small squeal before she attempted to run away. Harry grabbed her arm at the last minute to stop her. She turned to look at him, and their gazes locked. Silenced reined for nearly a full minute.

"Yes, Harry?" Ginny gulped.

"Nothing. Just making sure you're all right."

"Yes," she said and rushed into her room, slamming the door behind her.

Harry felt someone poking his side at that moment.

"Harry?" Ron asked.

"Yes?"

"Can we got get finished putting your stuff away now?"

"Sure thing, Ron."

Harry never realized which way he was going until he ran straight into George.

Harry shook his head and bolted up the stairs to Ron's room. He felt very strange all of the sudden. Not the way he usually felt around Ginny at all.