Chapter 2 – George Weasley
On Wednesday morning, Liz sat impatiently in a chair next to the door, doing another of her summer assignments. Emma made it a point to pass by every few minutes, sniffing loudly, so Liz made it a point to ignore her.
At exactly ten, Emma said, "I guess they forgot you."
"It's ten," Liz replied coolly.
The doorbell rang. Liz smirked and answered it. Rachel nearly bowled her over. "Liz! How are you?"
"Good, thanks. And you?"
"Look, Carla, it's Elizabeth Potter!"
"I know, Theresa, be quiet!"
"You!"
"You!"
Rachel sighed in frustration. "Liz, this is Carla and Theresa. I believe you've met before."
"Hi," the twins squeaked in unison.
"Er—hi," Liz said. "Where are the Weasleys?"
"Back here!" said Michael's voice from behind a moving bunch of three broomsticks. Mr. Weasley and Jessica had two each, and Mrs. Weasley had one.
"Come on, we've got to get going now," said Mrs. Weasley. "Get a broom, everyone."
"Brooms?" Liz cringed. "Can't we use Floo powder or something?" Brooms were definitely not on Liz's list of favorite modes of transportation.
"No, I need to stock up when we get to Diagon Alley."
Liz really didn't want to be rude, so she grinned weakly and took a broom. She almost fell while trying to mount. Finally she was ready.
"Bye, Emma! Tell Mum and Dad I'm going! Bye!"
Her last sight of her house that morning was Emma's brunette head poking out from the door, open-mouthed. She laughed so much she almost fell off her broom.
"Watch it," said Michael.
During the ride there, Rachel quizzed Liz about her summer. "How're Luna and Sunny?"
Luna was Liz's owl, a tiny snowy owl. Sunny was her cat. "They're fine."
"Good. Was Emma too much trouble?"
Liz nodded. "Too much trouble."
They landed in a vacant lot beside the Leaky Cauldron. Liz and Rachel clung to each other as they passed through the grimy-looking pub. The twins fought over who would hold Rachel's hand. Finally, they got to the back. Mr. Weasley tapped the brick wall with the tip of his wand, and then wall opened into a magnificent archway.
"Time to go to Gringotts! Gringotts! Gringotts!" the twins sang, bouncing up and down.
Despite the fact that they had two human jumping beans on their hands, the Weasleys, the Yates sisters, and Liz finally reached the wizard bank. On the way to the vaults, Liz asked Mrs. Weasley something she had been wondering for a long time: "Is Transfiguration going to be hard this year?" Mrs. Weasley was the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts.
"She won't tell you," said Michael. "She won't even tell me." He folded his arms across his chest.
They went to the Weasleys' vault first. It contained stacks upon piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, but it was nothing compared to Liz's. Her father had been an Auror, and when he had finally been presumed dead, all of his money had been passed on to Liz. She reluctantly shoveled some money into her bag.
The Yates vault was not as good as either of the others, but Rachel didn't seem ashamed. She seemed perfectly cheerful. "Well," she quipped, "now I know who to borrow money from."
After that, Mrs. Weasley agreed to take the twins wand shopping and robe shopping while Mr. Weasley took the others to get books for all of them. He talked as they walked. "I swear I will never understand fellytones...the infernal thing rings ever hour of the day and night...why Hermione wanted it, I'll never know..."
Rachel and Jessica sniggered.
"Ah, here we are, Flourish and Blotts. Do you all have your booklists?" All four of them whipped them out. "Good."
They proceeded inside, where the shop owner was yelling at innocent children for touching his books. There was a grown man doing weird things to the shop owner, like turning his nose blue or making him bald and grow back hair again at high-speed. Surrounding children cheered every time he did this. The troublemaker was tall and lanky with red hair, and he bore a strong resemblance to Mr. Weasley and Michael.
"Uncle George!" Michael yelled.
"Michael! Ron! What are you doing here?" The man came over to them. The little children in the background moaned.
"School shopping. You?" said Mr. Weasley.
"Well, the shop doesn't open for an hour, so I thought I'd come down here and have some fun."
"Shop?" said Rachel.
"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," said Jessica.
"Jessica, my beautiful niece! What year are you going into? Fifth? Ah, O.W.L. year, no fun at all. But that was the year Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, eh, Ron? How's that going, Michael?"
"Okay, so far, but we haven't won the past two years. Where's Uncle Fred?" asked Michael.
"He's at our branch in Hogsmeade," said George. "We switch off a lot."
Michael's uncle helped them find all the books they needed. At last they came to the last book on Liz's list. "Er, can't read this one. What is it?"
"I'm not sure," said Mr. Weasley.
"I think it says Ancient Runes in Ancient Runes," said Liz. She gestured to the shopkeeper. "Let's ask him."
"Heh, I don't know," said George, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm a spot on his sheet of troubles, if you get me."
Liz went over and asked him, and came back. "He says it's in Aisle F, and to go away."
"That's him for you," said George.
They went to get it, and they were just about to leave when Liz felt the power again. "Oh, no," she thought. "This couldn't be good."
And it really couldn't.
The bottom book of a book display disappeared. The display wobbled and teetered dangerously before toppling over, splaying the books on the floor.
The shop owner was on them in an instant. "Who did it? Who did? Which one of you?" He spotted Michael's uncle. "You! You again! Out of my store!"
Liz started to speak up, but Mr. Weasley ushered her out the door. "Let's go, let's go, let's get a move on..."
"Well, he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" said Rachel.
"Again, that's him for you," said George. "Well, little bro and company, I've got to go. Store opens in twenty minutes. Nice meeting you, Rachel, Liz!"
Michael and Jessica hugged him goodbye and he Disapparated back to his shop.
"Uncle Fred is the same way," Michael told Rachel and Liz. "Mum says they never grew up."
"So they didn't," said Mr. Weasley. "Filthy rich, those two, and, according to Percy, they never got a respectable job." But by the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was quite fine if Fred and George never got respectable jobs.
"He's not too fond of Uncle Percy," Jessica muttered.
"Oh, I'm fond enough of him. He just aged before he turned thirteen. And there was that whole feud in my fifth-year—but we need to continue our shopping." He stopped. "Gaw, I sound like your mother."
"What about me?" asked his wife, approaching him from behind.
"Look, Rachel, look at my wand!" squealed Carla, or Theresa; Liz couldn't tell which. "It's holly, unicorn hair, ten inches!"
"Mine's better!" cried the other. "It's mahogany, phoenix core, ten inches!"
"Are done here?" Jessica asked.
"No, let's show the Yates sisters and Liz our uncles' store," said Michael.
"I'm afraid it's time to go," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe we can go next time."
"Please, Mum?" Michael begged.
"No."
"But—"
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips and looked at him. He went silent.
"Come on, let's go. I told Alison I'd call her," said Jessica.
They all mounted their brooms outside the Leaky Cauldron and took off. At one point, Liz was rolling over in the air, so the whole group had to stop while Mr. Weasley and Michael righted her. The twins almost fell off their brooms, too, but that was because they were rocking them forward and back. Finally, they reached the Smiths' house.
"Bye!" she called. "Who's taking my broom?"
"I am. See you at home, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley. "Goodbye, Liz." And she Disapparated.
"Bye, Liz!" Michael and Rachel called together.
"Bye!" she said again, stepping inside and taking pride in pretending Emma was invisible. She still had so much to think about before school started.
A/N: To Pussin Boots, who asked if she could write Emma's point of view, YES! That would be all right with me. In fact, I'd love to hear what you think about her. Especially since I'm already on the sixth book and I don't even remember all that I'm posting currently. I'm just trying to catch up with myself. So, sure!
On Wednesday morning, Liz sat impatiently in a chair next to the door, doing another of her summer assignments. Emma made it a point to pass by every few minutes, sniffing loudly, so Liz made it a point to ignore her.
At exactly ten, Emma said, "I guess they forgot you."
"It's ten," Liz replied coolly.
The doorbell rang. Liz smirked and answered it. Rachel nearly bowled her over. "Liz! How are you?"
"Good, thanks. And you?"
"Look, Carla, it's Elizabeth Potter!"
"I know, Theresa, be quiet!"
"You!"
"You!"
Rachel sighed in frustration. "Liz, this is Carla and Theresa. I believe you've met before."
"Hi," the twins squeaked in unison.
"Er—hi," Liz said. "Where are the Weasleys?"
"Back here!" said Michael's voice from behind a moving bunch of three broomsticks. Mr. Weasley and Jessica had two each, and Mrs. Weasley had one.
"Come on, we've got to get going now," said Mrs. Weasley. "Get a broom, everyone."
"Brooms?" Liz cringed. "Can't we use Floo powder or something?" Brooms were definitely not on Liz's list of favorite modes of transportation.
"No, I need to stock up when we get to Diagon Alley."
Liz really didn't want to be rude, so she grinned weakly and took a broom. She almost fell while trying to mount. Finally she was ready.
"Bye, Emma! Tell Mum and Dad I'm going! Bye!"
Her last sight of her house that morning was Emma's brunette head poking out from the door, open-mouthed. She laughed so much she almost fell off her broom.
"Watch it," said Michael.
During the ride there, Rachel quizzed Liz about her summer. "How're Luna and Sunny?"
Luna was Liz's owl, a tiny snowy owl. Sunny was her cat. "They're fine."
"Good. Was Emma too much trouble?"
Liz nodded. "Too much trouble."
They landed in a vacant lot beside the Leaky Cauldron. Liz and Rachel clung to each other as they passed through the grimy-looking pub. The twins fought over who would hold Rachel's hand. Finally, they got to the back. Mr. Weasley tapped the brick wall with the tip of his wand, and then wall opened into a magnificent archway.
"Time to go to Gringotts! Gringotts! Gringotts!" the twins sang, bouncing up and down.
Despite the fact that they had two human jumping beans on their hands, the Weasleys, the Yates sisters, and Liz finally reached the wizard bank. On the way to the vaults, Liz asked Mrs. Weasley something she had been wondering for a long time: "Is Transfiguration going to be hard this year?" Mrs. Weasley was the Transfiguration teacher at Hogwarts.
"She won't tell you," said Michael. "She won't even tell me." He folded his arms across his chest.
They went to the Weasleys' vault first. It contained stacks upon piles of Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, but it was nothing compared to Liz's. Her father had been an Auror, and when he had finally been presumed dead, all of his money had been passed on to Liz. She reluctantly shoveled some money into her bag.
The Yates vault was not as good as either of the others, but Rachel didn't seem ashamed. She seemed perfectly cheerful. "Well," she quipped, "now I know who to borrow money from."
After that, Mrs. Weasley agreed to take the twins wand shopping and robe shopping while Mr. Weasley took the others to get books for all of them. He talked as they walked. "I swear I will never understand fellytones...the infernal thing rings ever hour of the day and night...why Hermione wanted it, I'll never know..."
Rachel and Jessica sniggered.
"Ah, here we are, Flourish and Blotts. Do you all have your booklists?" All four of them whipped them out. "Good."
They proceeded inside, where the shop owner was yelling at innocent children for touching his books. There was a grown man doing weird things to the shop owner, like turning his nose blue or making him bald and grow back hair again at high-speed. Surrounding children cheered every time he did this. The troublemaker was tall and lanky with red hair, and he bore a strong resemblance to Mr. Weasley and Michael.
"Uncle George!" Michael yelled.
"Michael! Ron! What are you doing here?" The man came over to them. The little children in the background moaned.
"School shopping. You?" said Mr. Weasley.
"Well, the shop doesn't open for an hour, so I thought I'd come down here and have some fun."
"Shop?" said Rachel.
"Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes," said Jessica.
"Jessica, my beautiful niece! What year are you going into? Fifth? Ah, O.W.L. year, no fun at all. But that was the year Gryffindor won the Quidditch Cup, eh, Ron? How's that going, Michael?"
"Okay, so far, but we haven't won the past two years. Where's Uncle Fred?" asked Michael.
"He's at our branch in Hogsmeade," said George. "We switch off a lot."
Michael's uncle helped them find all the books they needed. At last they came to the last book on Liz's list. "Er, can't read this one. What is it?"
"I'm not sure," said Mr. Weasley.
"I think it says Ancient Runes in Ancient Runes," said Liz. She gestured to the shopkeeper. "Let's ask him."
"Heh, I don't know," said George, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm a spot on his sheet of troubles, if you get me."
Liz went over and asked him, and came back. "He says it's in Aisle F, and to go away."
"That's him for you," said George.
They went to get it, and they were just about to leave when Liz felt the power again. "Oh, no," she thought. "This couldn't be good."
And it really couldn't.
The bottom book of a book display disappeared. The display wobbled and teetered dangerously before toppling over, splaying the books on the floor.
The shop owner was on them in an instant. "Who did it? Who did? Which one of you?" He spotted Michael's uncle. "You! You again! Out of my store!"
Liz started to speak up, but Mr. Weasley ushered her out the door. "Let's go, let's go, let's get a move on..."
"Well, he got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning!" said Rachel.
"Again, that's him for you," said George. "Well, little bro and company, I've got to go. Store opens in twenty minutes. Nice meeting you, Rachel, Liz!"
Michael and Jessica hugged him goodbye and he Disapparated back to his shop.
"Uncle Fred is the same way," Michael told Rachel and Liz. "Mum says they never grew up."
"So they didn't," said Mr. Weasley. "Filthy rich, those two, and, according to Percy, they never got a respectable job." But by the tone of his voice, it sounded like he was quite fine if Fred and George never got respectable jobs.
"He's not too fond of Uncle Percy," Jessica muttered.
"Oh, I'm fond enough of him. He just aged before he turned thirteen. And there was that whole feud in my fifth-year—but we need to continue our shopping." He stopped. "Gaw, I sound like your mother."
"What about me?" asked his wife, approaching him from behind.
"Look, Rachel, look at my wand!" squealed Carla, or Theresa; Liz couldn't tell which. "It's holly, unicorn hair, ten inches!"
"Mine's better!" cried the other. "It's mahogany, phoenix core, ten inches!"
"Are done here?" Jessica asked.
"No, let's show the Yates sisters and Liz our uncles' store," said Michael.
"I'm afraid it's time to go," said Mrs. Weasley. "Maybe we can go next time."
"Please, Mum?" Michael begged.
"No."
"But—"
Mrs. Weasley pursed her lips and looked at him. He went silent.
"Come on, let's go. I told Alison I'd call her," said Jessica.
They all mounted their brooms outside the Leaky Cauldron and took off. At one point, Liz was rolling over in the air, so the whole group had to stop while Mr. Weasley and Michael righted her. The twins almost fell off their brooms, too, but that was because they were rocking them forward and back. Finally, they reached the Smiths' house.
"Bye!" she called. "Who's taking my broom?"
"I am. See you at home, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley. "Goodbye, Liz." And she Disapparated.
"Bye, Liz!" Michael and Rachel called together.
"Bye!" she said again, stepping inside and taking pride in pretending Emma was invisible. She still had so much to think about before school started.
A/N: To Pussin Boots, who asked if she could write Emma's point of view, YES! That would be all right with me. In fact, I'd love to hear what you think about her. Especially since I'm already on the sixth book and I don't even remember all that I'm posting currently. I'm just trying to catch up with myself. So, sure!