"Bill? Bill? BILL!"
"Ok, ok, don't lose your blob, what is it?" Bill Weasley looked around at Percy, who was surveying him irritably through his horn-rimmed speactacles.
"Ahem. The Minister would like to inform you that"
"That Percy's a twit and Bill should have a longer ponytail."
"No. He requests you to his office this Monday."
"For what?"
"Don't ask me, ask him!" He thrust the paper below Bill's nose.
Bill read it. Then Percy's face unfurled into a grin. A rare thing.
"You're kidding."
"No I'm not."
"What is it?" Mrs Weasley had just entered the room.
"Percy's been made Minister of Magic."
"No I have not," Percy retorted.
"Let me see that letter." Mrs Weasley snatched it away.
"Oh,Percy…….this is wonderful!"
"Yeah, well, Griselda Marchbanks told me that they wanted to give me a position in Ludo Bagman's office or theirs, and they could not pick which one, so they drew lots, and I landed up in Ludo Bagman's department." Now he sounded bitter about it. "But still, it's okay, I had the same position Ludo had 4 years ago,"he added happily.
Just then, the doorbell rang.
When Mrs Weasley opened it, she had the shock of her life.
There was one boy, who was about Ron's age, in the door in an Armani suit and Cartier chronograph. Beside him was a creature that looked worse than a garden gnome. Beside him, there was this creature floating in mid air. Something very weird was going on.
Harry and Ron bounded down the stairs. "There you go, I told you they would be here soon. This is Artemis Fowl."
Artemis settled down in the dingy house. He was not used to this type of living. He reasoned that the Weasleys were poor. Holly did not like the house too, only because it was a house.
"Er….."said Harry, unable to start a conversation.
"Friends of yours, Harry? We'll be glad to house them for some time…."She sounded bitter, as if the house was too small, which Harry knew,was the truth.
However, opposite, Butler was having a big problem with Chix, who was going crazy trying to fly and whack Butler in the face, only to fall back on the ground straight on his face, seeing as he had a hole in it due to a flying accident 5 years ago.
Butler was getting angry.
"Verbil, one more time you do that and you get a black eyeeyouch!"
Chix had managed to hit Butler in the eye finally.
"That's it Chix, you are dead meat," and Butler went up to Chix and began to throttle him. Chix's magic was beginning to heal him, but not for long.
Suddenly Butler stopped.
"What, Master?"
"Who's that?" Chix enquired.
"Shut up, Chix. Not you, Master," Butler continued.
"Who Master?"
"I have to go to the opposite house now? NOW?"
"Who says?"
"Shut up, Chix! Okay Master, I'm headed right there," Butler stopped speaking to himself.
"Damn it Butler, who the hell was that?"
"Now you make me really angry."
Suddenly, his eyes went all misty and then…back to normal again.
"Where am I?"
"Glad you don't know it," Chix said, sulky.
"No, really, I don't know where I am."
Chix was a little suspicious. "Do you know who I am?"
"Er….no. I have never seen you before."
"I know that you are Butler. But do you mean to say that you really do not know where you are?"
"You fat nincompoop, that's what I said at first."
"You really can avoid the insults, Butler."
Butler was feeling lightheaded. As if he was under a spell. Spell. That rang a bell.
"Lord Voldemort! Lord Voldemort!"
"Stop babbling, Butler, and get me out of here."
"No one is babbling, Chix, now shut up before I impale you."
He walked out of the house and started to shout, "Lord Voldemort! Lord Voldemort!" at the top of his voice.
"Poor guy. He's lost his marbles." thought Chix.
How wrong he was.
Mrs Weasley was getting up after lunch from the table when she heard someone shouting "Lord Voldemort " at the top of his voice.
"Someone has gone mad."
Harry was flying his Firebolt all around the Weasley's garden.
Then he saw Butler.
"Artemis! Artemis! I've got him!"
"Got who?" Artemis inquired.
"Butler!"
"Where?"
"Out-outside!"
Artemis ran out at top speed, hoping not to miss Butler.
"Lord Voldemort!" came a voice.
Harry nearly fell off the fence. Since when did Butler have a relationship with Lord Voldemort?
That question was answered almost immediately.
"The sod tortured me!"
"What did you say, Butler?" asked Artemis, not sure that he had heard properly.
Firstly, he was shocked that Butler could even talk like that, but secondly, he was shocked that he had not even noticed Artemis in the first place.
"Master Artemis! What a relief to see you," Butler exclaimed, headed towards Artemis.
"Where's Chix Verbil?" Artemis asked tentatively.
"Chix Who?"
"Verbil. I thought you had kidnapped him."
"So he is the weird guy at home with me."
"Right. You catch on fast, don't you, Butty?"
The next second both Artemis and Harry fell on the lawn laughing so hard that they were partially dehydrated. Butler, not used to comedy, stared at them.
"What?"
"Butty,
Butty, Butty, you are very slow."
"Ah, Master Artemis, I hope you will not call me that again, as it is quite embarrassing for a bodyguard to be called a weird name Butty when it may mean the short form of buttocks."
"Sure, alright, Butler." Then Butler's mind whirled and he saw Harry.
Harry Potter. The Master's target.
"Hey Harry," he said, his eyes misting, let me show you what Chix looks like at home."
"Sure," said Harry unsuspectingly, not knowing what Butty had in store for him.
It looked as though Lord Voldemort was in control again.
Harry had a suspicion. Butler looked as if he was under the Imperius curse. Looked like. Harry wondered if he was being lured into a trap. Across the road and into a trap. Harry chuckled. It was once in a while when he would be lured into a trap. As security, he took out his wand out of his pocket.
Then Butler spun around with his wand.
"Stumpefy! " he yelled.
Harry was on the ground before he knew it, but he had only one thing stuck in his mind at that moment.
How did Butler know how to do magic? How? How? How? How? How…………………