CHAPTER 3
"Oh there you are!" Said Mrs Weasley hurrying over to them and pulling Ginny to her feet. "Hello Harry dear." "Hi." Said Harry, looking round the kitchen. Not much had changed since last time Harry had been here. The kitchen was rather small but clean and had a lovely smell of cooking. "Ron, why don't you take Harry upstairs. Bill and Charlie are up there too. Percy will be arriving this evening." Percy, the Weasley's third oldest son had walked out on the Weasleys the previous year and they were still a bit tense when saying his name. "Yeah ok." Said Ron Helping Harry with his bags. They climbed up the stairs of the burrow to the top floor where Ron's room was. Harry dumped his bags on Ron's bed. His pictures of the Chudley cannons (his favourite quidditch team) were still on the walls smiling down. He opened Hedwig's cage and let Hedwig soar out through the window. "So Percy's coming back?" Asked Harry. "Yeah." Said Ron. "It took quite a bit of pleading. We thought, maybe he'd realise he doesn't want to get too close to Fudge, after what happened last year, when the ministry tried to control Hogwarts." Harry drew his attention to Ron's owl Pigwidgeon's cage. He was surprised to see it was empty. "Where's Pigwidgeon?" Asked Harry. "He's out delivering a letter to Hermione." Said Ron. "I can't get her to reply. It took almost a week for Pig to return last time I sent her a letter." "She's probably on holiday." Said Harry. They heard a creak on the stairs and Ginny came into Ron's room. "Hi." Said Harry smiling at her. "Hi." Said Ginny. She was clutching The Weasley's owl Errol in one hand and a note in the other. "Can I borrow Pigwidgeon?" She asked. "Errol's useless." "No." Said Ron. "He's delivering a letter. What's that Ginny?" He had just pointed to the note in her hand, which she quickly hid behind her back. "It's nothing." She said. "I'd better use Errol then." She turned to leave but Ron held her back. "Who's it from?" He asked suspiciously. "It's none of your business." She snapped and before Ron could stop her had hurried down the stairs. "What's up with her?" Asked Ron. Before Harry could reply Charlie yelled "Ron!" From the floor bellow. Ron groaned and dashed downstairs. Harry was left alone in Ron's room. A moment later, Ginny came back in looking around for Ron. When she saw he had gone, she came in and sat on Ron's bed, next to Harry and pulled out the note she had been carrying. She looked rather giggly. "Read it!" She said, passing the note to Harry who unfolded it and read,
Dear Ginny,
I'm in Bulgaria at the moment with Viktor. I hope you're having a good holiday. I'm having a great time. It's freezing cold though! Please don't tell Ron where I am. I just know he'll laugh at me. Viktor's shown me his Durmstrang even though he doesn't go there any more, the new headmaster was quite glad to let us in. It's so different from Hogwarts! I've included some photographs for you.
I hope Ron and Harry (If he's arrived yet) are having a good time. See you at Hogwarts,
Love Hermione.
Ginny pulled some photographs out from her pocket. Harry took them from her and looked at them. "Don't tell Ron." Said Ginny as Harry examined the first photo of the school in Bulgaria, Durmstrang. "I promised Hermione I wouldn't tell him."
"Don't worry, I won't." Said Harry now looking at a picture of Hermione and Viktor arm in arm waving at Harry.
"They're good aren't they?" Said Ginny leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a better look at the photos.
"I can't help it!" Came Ron's aggressive tones from Charlie's room. "If it bothers you..."
"C'mon." Said Harry hurrying down to where the noise was coming from.
They burst into Charlie's room to find him and Ron shouting at each other. "If you didn't keep aggravating it!" Shouted Charlie.
"Aggravating what?" Asked Harry,
"The ghoul in the attic." Said Ron. "It's harmless really but..."
"Harmless?" Yelled Charlie. "That monster's been keeping me awake all night and you just keep on aggravating it!"
"Aggravating!" Shouted Ron. "It's not been bothering me!"
The Weasley's had had a ghoul in their attic ever since Harry visited them four years ago. The ghoul was directly above Ron's room.
"The ghoul has got to go!" Yelled Charlie. "It's been disturbing me ever since I got back from Romania!"
Ron groaned loudly and left his brother, angrily glaring after him. Harry and Ginny followed him back upstairs.
"I've never heard the ghoul before." Said Harry.
"Oh I have." Said Ginny. "But I don't really mind it. It's been getting louder since Fred and George left though..." Ginny's voice trailed away. "I wish they had stayed." Fred and George, Ron and Ginny's older twin brothers had left Hogwarts the previous year to run a joke shop in diagonally.
"Oh, how's their business going?" Asked Harry.
"It's going fine." Said Ron. "We've had owls from them. They can't get enough of it really. We're going to visit them next week when we get our school stuff."
Mrs Weasley called up to tell them that lunch was ready so they hurried downstairs and into the garden where they were eating. Mrs Weasley was still laying the table when they arrived. It was crammed with soups and pies and cakes and dozens of odd foods Harry had never even seen before. At that moment, Mr Weasley came hurrying out in long black robes.
"I've just been to the ministry." He said, sitting down next to Bill. "Fudge's been complaining about the state of Hogwarts still, ever since that woman went. I've just been speaking to Mundungus about it."
"He's not still on about that is he?" Bill growled, long hair swinging as he turned to look at Mr Weasley. "He's determined Dumbledore's going the same way as that Barman." Said Mr Weasley looking thoughtful. "He won't accept that maybe Hogwarts is absolutely fine, and Dumbledore isn't mad." A plate of pastries came skidding down the table at him with a flick of his wand. Harry would have asked whether Fudge still believed in his insanity, and about Voldermort, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, he didn't want to spoil the peaceful mood he was in for the first time since July.
"Oh there you are!" Said Mrs Weasley hurrying over to them and pulling Ginny to her feet. "Hello Harry dear." "Hi." Said Harry, looking round the kitchen. Not much had changed since last time Harry had been here. The kitchen was rather small but clean and had a lovely smell of cooking. "Ron, why don't you take Harry upstairs. Bill and Charlie are up there too. Percy will be arriving this evening." Percy, the Weasley's third oldest son had walked out on the Weasleys the previous year and they were still a bit tense when saying his name. "Yeah ok." Said Ron Helping Harry with his bags. They climbed up the stairs of the burrow to the top floor where Ron's room was. Harry dumped his bags on Ron's bed. His pictures of the Chudley cannons (his favourite quidditch team) were still on the walls smiling down. He opened Hedwig's cage and let Hedwig soar out through the window. "So Percy's coming back?" Asked Harry. "Yeah." Said Ron. "It took quite a bit of pleading. We thought, maybe he'd realise he doesn't want to get too close to Fudge, after what happened last year, when the ministry tried to control Hogwarts." Harry drew his attention to Ron's owl Pigwidgeon's cage. He was surprised to see it was empty. "Where's Pigwidgeon?" Asked Harry. "He's out delivering a letter to Hermione." Said Ron. "I can't get her to reply. It took almost a week for Pig to return last time I sent her a letter." "She's probably on holiday." Said Harry. They heard a creak on the stairs and Ginny came into Ron's room. "Hi." Said Harry smiling at her. "Hi." Said Ginny. She was clutching The Weasley's owl Errol in one hand and a note in the other. "Can I borrow Pigwidgeon?" She asked. "Errol's useless." "No." Said Ron. "He's delivering a letter. What's that Ginny?" He had just pointed to the note in her hand, which she quickly hid behind her back. "It's nothing." She said. "I'd better use Errol then." She turned to leave but Ron held her back. "Who's it from?" He asked suspiciously. "It's none of your business." She snapped and before Ron could stop her had hurried down the stairs. "What's up with her?" Asked Ron. Before Harry could reply Charlie yelled "Ron!" From the floor bellow. Ron groaned and dashed downstairs. Harry was left alone in Ron's room. A moment later, Ginny came back in looking around for Ron. When she saw he had gone, she came in and sat on Ron's bed, next to Harry and pulled out the note she had been carrying. She looked rather giggly. "Read it!" She said, passing the note to Harry who unfolded it and read,
Dear Ginny,
I'm in Bulgaria at the moment with Viktor. I hope you're having a good holiday. I'm having a great time. It's freezing cold though! Please don't tell Ron where I am. I just know he'll laugh at me. Viktor's shown me his Durmstrang even though he doesn't go there any more, the new headmaster was quite glad to let us in. It's so different from Hogwarts! I've included some photographs for you.
I hope Ron and Harry (If he's arrived yet) are having a good time. See you at Hogwarts,
Love Hermione.
Ginny pulled some photographs out from her pocket. Harry took them from her and looked at them. "Don't tell Ron." Said Ginny as Harry examined the first photo of the school in Bulgaria, Durmstrang. "I promised Hermione I wouldn't tell him."
"Don't worry, I won't." Said Harry now looking at a picture of Hermione and Viktor arm in arm waving at Harry.
"They're good aren't they?" Said Ginny leaning over Harry's shoulder to get a better look at the photos.
"I can't help it!" Came Ron's aggressive tones from Charlie's room. "If it bothers you..."
"C'mon." Said Harry hurrying down to where the noise was coming from.
They burst into Charlie's room to find him and Ron shouting at each other. "If you didn't keep aggravating it!" Shouted Charlie.
"Aggravating what?" Asked Harry,
"The ghoul in the attic." Said Ron. "It's harmless really but..."
"Harmless?" Yelled Charlie. "That monster's been keeping me awake all night and you just keep on aggravating it!"
"Aggravating!" Shouted Ron. "It's not been bothering me!"
The Weasley's had had a ghoul in their attic ever since Harry visited them four years ago. The ghoul was directly above Ron's room.
"The ghoul has got to go!" Yelled Charlie. "It's been disturbing me ever since I got back from Romania!"
Ron groaned loudly and left his brother, angrily glaring after him. Harry and Ginny followed him back upstairs.
"I've never heard the ghoul before." Said Harry.
"Oh I have." Said Ginny. "But I don't really mind it. It's been getting louder since Fred and George left though..." Ginny's voice trailed away. "I wish they had stayed." Fred and George, Ron and Ginny's older twin brothers had left Hogwarts the previous year to run a joke shop in diagonally.
"Oh, how's their business going?" Asked Harry.
"It's going fine." Said Ron. "We've had owls from them. They can't get enough of it really. We're going to visit them next week when we get our school stuff."
Mrs Weasley called up to tell them that lunch was ready so they hurried downstairs and into the garden where they were eating. Mrs Weasley was still laying the table when they arrived. It was crammed with soups and pies and cakes and dozens of odd foods Harry had never even seen before. At that moment, Mr Weasley came hurrying out in long black robes.
"I've just been to the ministry." He said, sitting down next to Bill. "Fudge's been complaining about the state of Hogwarts still, ever since that woman went. I've just been speaking to Mundungus about it."
"He's not still on about that is he?" Bill growled, long hair swinging as he turned to look at Mr Weasley. "He's determined Dumbledore's going the same way as that Barman." Said Mr Weasley looking thoughtful. "He won't accept that maybe Hogwarts is absolutely fine, and Dumbledore isn't mad." A plate of pastries came skidding down the table at him with a flick of his wand. Harry would have asked whether Fudge still believed in his insanity, and about Voldermort, but he couldn't bring himself to say it, he didn't want to spoil the peaceful mood he was in for the first time since July.