Chapter 8 – In Belfast
Everyone woke up early in the morning excited; they would be leaving the house. Harry hadn't been outside since he was at Hogwarts and he was looking forward to be going to Belfast.
As Harry was walking down to breakfast he ran into Wendy.
"Are you looking forward to going back to Belfast for a while?" he asked.
"Well yes and no. I love Belfast but my parents aren't too happy about me going to Hogwarts."
"Still nervous about going? There is really nothing to be nervous about once you figure out where your classes and things are its ok. You don't need to worry about friends because you will have me, Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Just stay away from Malfoy."
"Who's Malfoy?"
"Evil, wouldn't surprise me if his dad wasn't attacking your house that night." He replied flatly. There was silence for a minute before Harry asked:
"What was the boys name that...that cheated on you?" he asked out of curiosity. Her smile faded. "Sorry. I didn't mean to-"
"No its ok. His name was Kyle Cavnor." Harry just nodded he didn't know what to say. He didn't even know why he asked really. They had a light breakfast before Lillian arrived with a portkey that Dumbledore had created.
They grabbed their stuff and put a finger each on the old shoe and in seconds they were gone. They arrived in Lillian's house. It was a small house but it was cosy Wendy suddenly realised something.
"Where are we all going to sleep if my parents are here?" she asked her grandmother.
"Your parents went home yesterday they still don't know that your are here but they will when you go down later and get some more clothes because I doubt you have enough. You girls will be in the back room and Harry and Ron can be in the box room, it's a bit small but it will do for the weekend."
"Who is that?" said a tall man with grey hair coming into the room.
"Its only us granddad" said Wendy smiling and going over and hugging him.
"Where's Lee?" asked Wendy.
"Up in his house, he has been looking forward to seeing you." Said her granddad.
"You want to come up with me? Wendy asked the others.
"Yeah sure." Said Harry.
"Leave your bags I will bring them up, my names Walter." Said her granddad.
"Thanks, I'm Harry, this is Ron, Hermione and Ginny." Said Harry.
"Nice to meet you."
They went out of the front door and turned right up the path. Wendy led them through a gate just five houses from where her grandmother lives. She knocked on the door and a young boy around the age of nine answered the door.
"Hi Lee!" said Wendy. "Where's your mum?"
"In the kitchen come on in." said Wendy's cousin Lee. Wendy motioned the others in behind her. They went into the kitchen to be greeted by Wendy's aunt Rochelle.
"Hey guys, so you arrived ok. If you want I can take flying, maybe a bit of quidditch?"
"Yeah that would be great, we could teach Wendy and Hermione how to fly." Said Ron.
"How are we supposed to learn if we have no brooms?" asked Hermione, obviously not keen on flying.
"Don't worry there will some spare in my mums house." Said Rochelle. Hermione looked crestfallen. "If Alan and Tom play we will have enough for one of each position on a team." They left the house and went back into Lillian's house.
"Have you any spare brooms in the attic?" Rochelle asked Walter.
"Yeah I think there are three up there but they aren't very good, bit slow."
"Its ok they are beginners." She said smiling at Hermione and Wendy. "Come on I'm going to need some help getting them down."
They walked up the stairs and stood below a door in the ceiling. Rochelle pointed her wand at it and the door moved aside and wooden steps fell down. They went up and in to a huge room obviously enlarged by magic.
"Wow no wonder why granny didn't let me up here" said Wendy, looking around.
"This is where we hide all the Christmas presents." Said a voice from behind them. They spun around and saw two men standing there. One who resembled Ron's older brother Bill. And the other was tall with an unshaven face and dark hair.
"I'm tom." Said the unshaven one.
"And I'm Alan, we're Wendy's uncles."
"Did I hear dad say something about quidditch?" said Tom.
"Yeah we were just getting brooms for Wendy and Hermione."
"I think they are over here." Said Alan. He walked over to an old cupboard and open it a huge spider the size of a tarantula. Wendy screamed and Ron turned pale.
"I hate spiders." Said Wendy looking around her to make sure there were no more. The spider had scurried away to underneath a pile of old cloaks.
"Here they are, bit old but they will do, you others got brooms?" Tom asked Ron, Harry and Ginny.
"Yeah," all three replied.
"Lets go this place gives me the creeps." Said Wendy.
"Harry and Ron, your rooms down there," she pointed a finger down the hall towards a door. "Get your brooms and meet us in the garden." Wendy motioned Hermione and Ginny through a door on their left. Ginny got her broom from her trunk. Wendy and Hermione lifted their borrowed brooms that were leaning up against the wall. Wendy looked excited, but Hermione looked fearful. They went out the front door and sat down on the patio chairs to wait for the others. Rochelle, Tom and Alan had gone to get their brooms and a crate filled with quidditch supplies.
The boys entered their room for the room for the weekend. Lillian was right it was a bit small, but it would do for the weekend. They lifted their brooms out of their trunks and made for the door. Harry was carrying his prized possession, his Firebolt. Before he reached the door Ron caught his arm.
"Are you okay mate? You have been a bit out of it for a couple of days."
"I'm ok." He replied. Ron raised his eyebrows at him. "Honestly I am. Come on lets go."
Ron had opened the door and was at the top of the stairs when Harry silently said, "at least I think I am ok."
They emerged in the garden the same time as Wendy's aunt and two uncles.
"Wow, a Firebolt." Said Tom.
Harry smiled. He was used to people gawking at his broom. "Yeah"
"Lets go"
They trooped out of the garden and up the gentle slope of grass towards a metal fence. The five teens stopped but the adults continued walking and walked right through the fence.
"Don't worry, it's just like platform 9 ¾." Said Rochelle.
The rest walked on but Wendy was confused.
"Don't worry, it's only like a hologram fence, platform 9 ¾ is a like a hologram wall you walk through to get to the Hogwarts Express." Said Harry.
They walked on for ten more minutes before coming to a pitch with tall trees surrounding it, blocking it from onlookers.
"Ok Wendy, Hermione, put one leg over the broom and kick hard of the ground." Said Alan.
The others flew of into the air. Harry hadn't felt this alive in ages; he hadn't used his broom since professor Umbridge confiscated it. He felt the wind through his hair and the problems and the weight of the prophecy on his shoulders just seeped away as he flew rings around the others. He looked over to see how Wendy and Hermione were doing, Hermione had risen no more than 6 feet of the ground she had a terrified look on her face. Wendy on the other hand was great for a first timer. She had no fear in flying and was quite fast for her lack of experience.
"Teams!" yelled Rochelle from the grass. "Ok, me, Tom, Harry and Wendy against Alan, Ron, Ginny and Hermione." She said. The others nodded.
"I'll be chaser for our team, Tom can be beater. I hear Harry is quite the seeker so that leaves Wendy to be keeper." Said Rochelle.
They took their needed equipment from the crate and took flight again. Alan was seeker for their team, Ron was keeper, Ginny was chaser and Hermione was beater. Ron and Wendy flew up to guard the goalposts. Even Hermione could handle the bludger because Alan had said that it was old so it wasn't very powerful.
After 5 minutes of playing, it was Rochelle's team 60, Alan's team 10. Wendy was exceptionally good at keeping. After being defeated Alan said best two out of three and was defeated twice again. A further 40 minutes and they decided to call it to an end. They were walking back to Lillian's and Harry was amazed at Wendy's goal keeping skills.
"I play a lot of sport so maybe some of the same skills apply to quidditch." She said.
Dinner that night was great. They dinned in the garden to plates of potatoes, meat vegetables and quite a range of wonderful desserts. They all went to bed with a full stomach and a happy feeling. Especially Harry he hadn't this much fun in ages but his thoughts and worries came back. Besides the weight of the prophecy and the never-ending guilt of Sirius' death he fell into a deep sleep.