Chapter 12:
The Baudelaires followed Harry and Ron through their garden. Hermione was inside with Ginny, helping to make the potion. Kit had left that night in search of her other brother, who she had failed to name. "Hey," Ron said in front of them, "this looks like a good place." He pointed to a giant bush that a gnome was climbing out of.
"It's perfect," Harry said with a nod. Hermione had taught him the spell that would create an underground hide out. So he pointed his wand and the bush and a bright green light came from it. There was a boom from underground and everyone looked into the bush. Sure enough, there was a metal hatch that the Baudelaires could use to get in if anything went wrong.
But Violet suddenly turned to Harry. "Harry, I don't want to leave you if you're in danger," she stated. "My siblings and I refuse to leave our friends in harms way. It's happened too many times before."
"But you can't do magic," Harry said. "Those Death Eaters would say two words, and you'd be dead before you hit the ground."
"But I can't leave you!" Violet insisted. "I love you!" There was an awkward silence and everyone stared at Violet and Harry. "I… uh… I mean I love you as… you know… a friend. I-I love you as a friend."
"Right," Harry said quickly. "A friend. But you can't stay. I don't want you to get hurt, or worse." Violet opened her mouth to protest, but Harry gave her a stern look.
"Oh, alright," she said quietly.
"Well… this moment hasn't been weird or anything," Ron said abruptedly. "Actually, I lied. It's been the weirdest bloody moment of my life. But I'm going to go see how the potions are going along. Care to join me?" Everyone nodded and followed him back to the house. When they reached Hermione and Ginny, they had two boiling cauldrons full of potion.
"The potions are turning out wonderfully!" Hermione exclaimed.
"No surprise there," Ron said. "Should we drink the Felix Felicis right when it's ready?"
"No!" Ginny replied. "We have to wait until the Death Eaters come here. Felix Felicis only lasts so long, remember?"
"But what if they don't come?" Ron said. "Can I have some then?" Hermione rolled her eyes.
"We're going to wait until they do come, Ron," she said. Suddenly Mrs. Weasley came in.
"Alright, to bed, all of you," she ordered. "You shouldn't be up so late."
"In case you haven't noticed, mum, we have a bit of a crisis going on," Ron said.
"Don't talk to me that way, young man," Mrs. Weasley said sternly. "I know tired children when I see them. Now come on. Get on to bed." As the children got up to go to bed, there was suddenly a knock at the front door of the house. Everyone froze. Then Mrs. Weasley slowly made her way downstairs and the children watched from the stairs anxiously. "Who is it?"
"It's Arthur," Mr. Weasley said. "But come on, Molly! How many times must we go through this? Ask the question!"
"Oh, alright," Mrs. Weasley said wearily. But before she did, she shot the log above the door with a spell to not be released when Arthur came in. "What is your dearest ambition?"
"To find out how airplanes stay up," Mr. Weasley said instantly. "And what do you like me to call you when we're alone together?" All of the children's eyes grew wide, except for Harry who accidentally already knew the answer. Mrs. Weasley looked up at them all with a bright red face and gave them a hand gesture to go back to bed.
They hastily ran back upstairs as Molly whispered the answer through the door. "I know what he calls her," Ron said proudly, and a little loudly. "Mollywobbles." Everyone giggled.
"Ronald Weasley!" Molly cried. Everybody ran into their rooms to get in bed. The next morning, Hermione and Ginny went back to see if the potions were ready and Harry, Ron, and the Baudelaires went into Diagon Alley. Ron wanted to show the Baudelaires his brothers' shop.
"Honestly, the stuff they sell is amazing!" Ron said with a grin. When they reached the shop, Fred and George were at the center of a very large crowd. When Fred saw Harry and Ron, he rushed over to them.
"Hello, Harry," he greeted. "Hello, little bro." Then he spotted the Baudelaires behind them. "Who are they? New friends?"
"Yes," Harry replied. He and Ron decided not to tell Fred and George that they were Muggles. To them, it didn't matter anymore.
"They're new around here, and we were thinking we would stop by your shop and show them around," Ron explained. Fred smiled as George appeared at his side.
"Well we're always happy about new customers," George said eagerly. "Shall we give you all a tour?"
"We'll show them around, thanks," Harry said. Fred and George shrugged and they started to walk away. But then George nudged Ron.
"What?" Ron asked.
"What's with the baby?" George asked.
"Oh, come on," Ron said. "You need to entertain the young, and hey, that is one smart baby." George looked at Ron strangely but shrugged and walked away. When Ron returned to his friends, Harry was already showing the Baudelaires around.
"And look," Harry was saying, "they have Instant Darkness Powder. That comes in real handy. And their Decoy Detonators are great."
"Already started without me?" Ron chuckled. Harry grinned as the Baudelaires looked wide-eyed at all of the magical things around them. "Alright, Baudelaires! Let's show what magic is really about!"