Chapter 13: Arrival at the Burrow
The train journey was particularly enjoyable with the four of them in their own compartment. They weren't taking the Hogwarts Express as they didn't want to go to London. Instead they had caught a different train to a city about an hour from The Burrow and planned on hailing the Knight Bus from there. Their trip went smoothly and at 5 o' clock the Knight Bus was pulling to a stop at the top of a hill. They all got off and started walking downhill towards the Weasley House. Ginny was sucking on a lolly-pop and flicking the same strand of violent red hair from her eyes every minute or so, as she walked alongside her brother. Ron and Hermione were walking hand-in-hand, Harry beside them, and all four were chatting happily. They reached the bottom of the hill and turned a corner. Harry felt a balloon expand inside him when he saw the familiar yard with those few chickens scratching at the pebbles, and the rooms that protruded out of the house, balanced on air, and the trees swaying gently or leaning on the walls. There were vegetables lined up in the garden and some runner-beans were climbing up a few bamboo sticks, the chimney was smoking and a goat was wandering aimlessly towards the orchard. The paint was peeling from the front door and a brick was missing from the doorstep. It looked just like home.
Harry's heart swelled as he walked inside and smelled the familiar scent of the Burrow. The creaking floorboards and the occasional clanking from the attic ghoul were sounds of home to Harry. A dishcloth was dusting itself along the draining board and through a window to the garden Harry could see the laundry hanging itself on the line.
There was a loud popping noise and suddenly Hermione squealed "Fred!"
Harry spun around in time to see George Apparate by his side with an identical 'pop'. The pair of them beamed and Ginny flung her arms around one of them.
"Hey! Guys!" Fred grinned happily. "How was the journey?"
"It was ok," Hermione answered. "The boys fell asleep."
"Hey I was really tired!" Harry objected.
"Great to see you little bro," George said clapping his hand on Ron's back.
"Yea we missed you 'ickle Ronnikins," Fred said waving at him from his position leaning on the fridge. "You too Ginny," he added winking.
Ginny smiled. Harry noticed the fridge Fred was resting on didn't have any wires coming out of it. He realised it much be cooled by some temperature charm.
"We've been getting lots of orders from Hogwarts students," George said looking at his twin.
"Yea we had a stack load around Firework Night and business is booming again now it's Christmas!"
"It's excellent!" George marvelled. "Got some nice letters from some of the younger Gryffindors too didn't we?"
"Oh they worship us," Fred chucked. " 'I remember you two - you're the twins who were always really loud in the common room' " he said, putting on a girly voice.
Everyone laughed and George mimicked a young boys voice, " 'I'm in Gryffindor – I remember the good old days when you two used to lay traps and play tricks on everyone in the school!'-"
"You two are the coolest people I know.' " Fred quoted.
George chortled and said in a squeaky voice," 'Me and my friend Melissa think you're awesome!'"
"Course they do!" George exclaimed loudly and everyone laughed again.
"Never thought we'd make such an impression after leaving!" Fred said, his eyes gleaming. "I know we set the record for detentions but I didn't reckon we'd be this remembered!"
"It was hard to beat the number of detentions for them Marauders though eh, Fred? Tough work - only outnumbered them very narrowly," George said earnestly.
"Yea but we still did it!"
Ginny was laughing and looking at her brothers with admiration. "Aw I really missed you two," she said smiling up at them.
"Aww Gin," George said holding his arms out. She laughed and hugged him whilst Fred ruffled her hair.
Just then, Mrs Weasley entered tying her hair up in a rush. "I heard an awful lot of noise down here so I came to the conclusion that our party had arrived!" she said good-naturedly.
"Hi Mrs Weasley," Harry grinned.
"Hey Mum!" Ron said.
"Ron! Ginny! Come here you two," she said bubbly, pulling her daughter towards her. "How was your term? I missed you. And Harry! Harry dear, and Hermione! It's so lovely to see you all again!" she said smiling warmly at them. She gave Ginny a kiss on her forehead and flattened her hair. "Are you hungry? You must be starving!" she exclaimed suddenly, looking around at them all.
"Oh, I'm alright thanks," Hermione said,
"Nonsense! You can't have eaten since the train journey! Look, I'll get you all a really nice meal done up, how's that sound?"
"Great Mum," Ron said, knowing that once she had made up her mind there was no stopping her.
Molly bustled between the crowd towards the cupboards. She pointed her wand at her apron and it flew towards her and began to knot itself around her waist. "How about you all take your trunks upstairs? Fred and George will help you. Hermione you can sleep in Ginny's room, dear and Harry – Harry can be with Ron as usual. The twins are together too." she had started taking vegetables out of the cupboard and loading them onto the table. "If you can't fit all your things in the wardrobes there's room in mine and Arthur's, should you need it. Fred, honey, pass me the chopping board would you? Once you're all unpacked dinner should be nearly ready and when Arthur comes home from work I thought, maybe we could put up the Tree, eh? That should be fun." She ducked sideways as the chopping board Fred had sent flying, came towards her.
"Ok, thanks Mrs Weasley," Hermione said politely.
"Oh you're welcome, dear. It's so nice to have so many people around for Christmas. It'll be so much fun. Bill and Charlie should be coming to stay in a few weeks as well. They'll be in their old rooms so try to not move their things around. Ginny can you get me that basket by the sink there?"
Mrs Weasley finally stopped talking about 5 minutes later and the 6 teenagers left the kitchen. Harry hung all his clothes up in Ron's wardrobe and George came by to give him a sleeping bag and mattress.
Dinner was delicious, as Molly's cooking always was. Arthur was delighted to see his children again and Harry couldn't help the infectious Christmas Cheer from spreading to him as well.
*
"George!" Hermione giggled, spitting tiny pieces of tinsel from her mouth brushing it from her hair. "Stop doing that!"
He chuckled and hung a bauble on the lush green branches of the pine tree.
"Hermione, love, would you fix that tinsel up near the top there it's not quite straight," Mrs Weasley said as she walked in with her head peeping over a cardboard box full of decorations. "Could you give me a hand, Ron?" she asked. Ron appeared from behind the tree with a few needles attached to his hair and clothes.
Hermione pointed her wand upwards and the tinsel corrected itself. "That better?" she asked turning around. Mrs Weasley nodded as her son took the box of her and placed it on a chair behind Harry.
"It's gorgeous," she marvelled, tilting her head to one side and beaming.
Ginny removed a tiny shimmering orb from one branch and placed it on a higher one. Her bobbled santa hat slipped a little as she stood on her tip-toes.
"You're doing excellent," Molly said, "But there are lots more in the box! Let's get going," she clapped her hands.
The 6 Weasleys plus Harry and Hermione continued placing, hanging, draping and hooking things to the tree. Gradually it filled up beautifully whilst streamers and holly were pinned magically on the ceiling and walls around them. Fred, George and Arthur left to hang a few decorations along corridors and staircases in the rest of the house.
It turned dark outside and only the flickering white candles lit up the lounge. About 15 minutes later Molly stood back and sighed. "Ok then! Only one more thing!" she beamed. "The fairy lights! Accio fairies!" No less than 300 multi-coloured glowing fairies flew into the room at her command. They placed themselves in a magnificent spiral around the branches and Harry just gaped at it. He'd never seen a more beautiful Christmas tree in his life. Sure, the ones at Hogwarts were outstanding but this had a different sort of glory about it. The twinkling lights were reflected in the black glass and the star at the top was glowing gold.
Fred, George and Arthur entered the room grinning at it. "Well that tree's a bit good eh George?" Fred chuckled. The next few days all seemed to melt into each other. Besides his disturbed sleep, Harry was having a fantastic time at the Burrow. Hermione and Ron found time to be 'the trio' with him as well as having their own time. The twins would tease that the clattering noises from upstairs were more likely to be those two than the ghoul. No-one had mentioned this little joke to Ron or Hermione but it was a matter of time before they overheard it.
When the wind wasn't blowing too hard and when the sun peeped out from behind clouds, the Weasleys, Harry and Hermione would wrap up and play Quidditch for an hour or so. Naturally Harry was the Seeker – with Ginny Seeking on the opposing team. The twins and Ron would take it in turns being Keeper. When Fred or George wasn't guarding the goalposts they would be a Beater … and Ron, when he wasn't Keeeping, would be a Chaser with Hermione. Harry loved being up in the air. It was one of the few places he could forget about all his worries. Nothing seemed to matter when he was flying. Nothing except the thrill of the game and finding the snitch.
With wind slapping his face and pulling his hair, Harry circled around the clearing a few times looking out for his favourite golden ball. He saw Hermione throw the Quaffle towards the hoops but Ron hit it with the tail of his broom. With so few players the game got confusing sometimes. There weren't really any particular teams. Ron was against everyone, his job was just to block the Quaffle. The Beaters and Chasers were all on the same team and the Seekers were in a world of their own. Fred send a Bludger towards Ron but it missed by at least 10 inches. After having played on his team for 3 years at school, Harry knew Fred's aim was far better than that and decided he'd missed his brother on purpose.
"Harry!" Ginny shouted flying up to the same level as him.
Harry's immediate thought was that it was a ploy to draw his attention from the snitch. Automatically his head whipped around looking for the gold ball and then his eyes darted to Ginny's hand.
She giggled, "It's not a trick!" she said wind twirling her hair everywhere. "Just came to talk, seeing as neither of us is having much luck."
Harry nodded and grinned. Normally he wouldn't be so unprofessional as to converse with the enemy during a game – but it was Ginny after all. There was little he could do to resist those eyes and that smile.
"Yea I thought I saw it once but no such luck. You're not a bad flyer you know," he said.
Ginny giggled again and shrugged, "Well with Charlie, Fred and George in my family I suppose it's supposed to come naturally."
He nodded and quickly scanned the ground below them. George was saving Hermione from a Bludger and Fred seemed to be playing double role with a beater-bat in one hand and the Quaffle in the other. He sped towards the end of the clearing, aiming for the central hoop. Ron gripped his broom determinedly and glared at his oncoming brother. Fred threw the Quaffle, sending it sideways off-course and right into the other hoop. Ron scowled and the twins laughed.
"Poor Ron, he really needs some training again – seems to have lost his knack over the summer," Ginny said.
Harry had to agree and he was about to say so when he saw the snitch fluttering by Hermione's foot. He dived for it, Ginny at his tail seconds later. Hermione squealed and darted out of the way. The snitch flew to the right and both Seekers took a sharp turn. It flew up and Harry pulled out of his dive. This was it – he was chasing the golden snitch now. This was his favourite part. Ginny's reflexes were slightly slower than his giving him an extra few seconds to gain speed.
Harry's entire attention was on that ball. He couldn't hear the wind… Couldn't hear the rest of the game... Didn't care how close Ginny was to him – he was focused on the snitch and nothing but it. He accelerated on his Firebolt, ignoring the stinging of the cold air in his eyes. He was nearly there – so close he could see the white wings buzzing. He jerked his broom to the right as the ball changed directions and felt Ginny bump into his legs as she did the same. Adrenaline rushed through him – like it did every time he was so close to catching the snitch. This wasn't a real game, there weren't even real teams but he wanted to glory all the same. He was a Seeker. The Seeker - and this golden ball was his. With a great swoop he enclosed it in his fist just as Ginny's hand closed over his own. He braked to a sudden stop and yelled out that he'd got it. Everyone below slowed down and looked up to check. Harry waved it in his hands and Ginny sat laughing besides him.
"I was so close!" she exclaimed. "I grabbed your hand I was only a second behind you!"
Harry looked at her and grinned, "Who's the better Seeker then?" he said cheekily and Ginny punched him playfully.
There was nothing like a good game of Quidditch to up someone's mood.