This Time Around
Chapter 4
Awkward Situations
By the time they got out of Diagon Alley, walking back on the cold concrete of London, the clock tower chimed 5 o'clock p.m.
'She should be home by now.' Harry thought to himself. "Hey Ron."
"Hmmm?"
"I forgot, you're suppose to call someone."
"Why?" Ron looked at Harry as if he didn't know him.
"Here's the number." He took out a napkin with a number on it.
"Where did you get that?" Ron asked.
"I wrote it down on a napkin, while you went to go get a butterbeer."
Ron gave Harry an unsure look. Harry reassured him. "It's someone you know."
"It's not that psycho Arithmancy lady, is it? Because if it is, I do not know her, at all."
"Don't worry, you'll know this person."
Harry and Ron walked one more block and saw a red telephone booth.
Ron looked over at Harry, "You mean I have to use on of them felly-tones?"
"Yes Ron. This one you have to put money in, don't worry, I'll take care of it."
Ron walked into the booth, dumbfounded.
"Pick up the phone Ron."
A light of knowledge shined in his eyes and he turned around. He quickly punched in the numbers of the phone number held in his hand. Harry was about to pull out 40 pence, when he heard Ron complain.
"Harry, some person is telling me to enter money."
"Yes Ron I know. This is a pay phone; you have to put money in it."
Ron gave Harry stupefied look of disbelief. "Man, muggles are weird."
"Here, let me take care of it.
Harry bumped Ron out of the way of the red phone box. He place in the 40 pence and dialed the number he found in his book.
"Ok Ron, it's ringing. Now remember . . . don't shout."
"HELLO? CAN YOU HEAR ME?" Ron shouted into the phone after Harry handed it to him.
"Ron, I told you not to shout!"
"HELLO!?"
"Ron!"
Ron looked over his shoulder and mouthed sorry.
"Er, Hello." Ron said in a normal tone.
"Hi."
"Who's this?" he asked.
"You called me!"
"I know, but I don't know who this is!" Ron replied flustered.
"So, wait, let me get this straight; you called me and you don't even know who you called? - - - Who are you?" the person on the other end asked.
"I'm Ron – er no, who are you!"
A big sigh was released into his ear. "I'm Miss Hermione Granger, writer of the three top selling Arithmancy books. Now, who are you?"
A dead silence was followed by both ends. Ron looked over to Harry, pointing at the black phone, bewildered. Harry nodded and lifted up his book to show Ron the front and back of the book. On the front read gold letters, Arithmancy: Year One by Miss Hermione Granger. On the back of the book, was a picture of a young woman, with long brown wavy hair, holding her wand and smiling.
Ron in disbelief dropped his arms down to his thighs, bent his knees, looked up in the booth, and made a disgruntled noise. "Uggghh."
"Uh, Hello? Anyone there?" Hermione's voice rang through the phone. "Who is this?"
Ron reluctantly places the phone back up to his ear.
"Er, hi, I'm Ronald Weasley."
On the other end, it was Hermione's turn to be silent. But it wasn't as long as Ron's.
"Oh, hey – Ron – it's nice to talk to you. Haven't heard from you in awhile."
"Er, yeah, I know. Hear you've been doing pretty well, huh?"
"Uh, yeah. And how have you been?"
"I'm, er, okay. Well, I got to go."
"Well, uh, okay. I have to too. Bye."
Ron slammed the phone down on the receiver and turned to face Harry with an evil look. "Very funny Harry, very funny. Where did you think that was going to lead to?"
Harry looked up from his book.
Ron was showing his Weasley temper, "Harry, that was not cool. Don't ever do . . . I can't believe!! . . . why . . . what . . . where in the world! . . . Ugh . . . Harry, I swear – you . . . you arsehole!!. . . WHY!!!"