A Magical Life:
By Tumblequ
With love
Farewell! Thou art too dear for my possessing.
- William Shakespeare, Sonnet 87
Chapter TWO
The Burrow
"Well now, isn't it just wonderful Harry!"
After the impromptu birthday party that had been held in the kitchen, Harry had collapsed quite happily in the attic room with Ron, feeling light-headed with the amount of butterbeer he had consumed. He had slept dreamlessly until noon the next (or was it same…?) day when he had awoken to the heavenly smell of breakfast wafting up from the kitchen below.
He was now sitting at the table with Ron and Hermione while Mrs Weasley loaded their plates with mounds of food. Everyone else had left earlier for normal, or Order, work. At Mrs Weasley's exclamation he swapped confused looks with Ron.
"What's wonderful, Mrs Weasley?" he could feel his voice was slightly rough, as if he had only just woken up, but was attributing it to the fact he had stayed up laughing and talking until four o'clock that morning.
Mrs Weasley clucked to herself at his ignorance and wringed her hands excitedly, obviously bursting to tell them the news.
"Why, Hogwarts is being re-opened, of course! The teachers decided that it wouldn't do to abandon children in such needy times and the ministry agreed. Although I do hear that there are a number of rules that have been put in place that weren't there before" Mrs Weasley beamed at the stunned teenagers, either not noticing or not caring, that the three all looked equally devastated.
With one last motherly look she trotted out of the kitchen, apparently planning on giving the three of them time to plan for their upcoming school year.
As soon as she left the room Hermione turned expectantly towards Harry.
"I'm not going back there" Harry muttered as he noticed the way she was looking at him. Ron nodded his agreement, although it was obviously a little less sure than Harry's stoic insistence.
"Oh Harry, do you really want to leave and miss your last ever year of school?" Hermione sounded only mildly disapproving, because Harry got the impression that she wanted him to know that he was making the right decision.
Harry looked outside wistfully, remembering the first time he had come to The Burrow and seen the huge green fields, the unorganised vegetable garden and the crooked house. With a sigh he nodded to Hermione's question.
"Fred and George did it, and I think that our reasons are a little more serious than just having a disagreement with a teacher. Even if it is Umbridge. I think… We can do better things outside of school. Now that… Dumbledore's… gone" Harry cleared his throat and rubbed at suspiciously wet eyes.
Hermione and Ron were nodding along with him; equal determination shining brightly in both their eyes.
"The adults won't approve" Hermione pointed out, not so much objecting as bringing a possible problem to light.
"It doesn't matter. We're all of age now. They can't stop us doing anything, and I really don't think that they're going to try" Harry said softly.
Before either Ron or Hermione could comment the kitchen door burst open and Fred and George tumbled in, looking positively delighted as they saw the threesome sitting at the table. As soon as they picked themselves up from the floor they waltzed over, hands tucked in pockets.
"So –" Fred started.
"Back to school is it?"
"Thought you'd be able to miss out on it –"
"– but they tricked you!"
Ron rolled his eyes at the twin's antics, while Harry couldn't help but grin into his hand just a little, still amazed with the ability the twins had to seemingly read the others mind.
Hermione stood up and stretched, ignoring the twins altogether.
"Well I'm headed outside to get some sunshine. I've been cooped up like a pigeon for the entire holidays so far and it's been driving me mad!" Hermione said, sounding as mad as she claimed to be as she finished by slamming her fist down on the table.
At Hermione's comment Harry frowned a little, ignoring the twin's imitations of Hermione 'beating' the table.
"When did you get her, Hermione?" he asked her curiously, trying to mentally trace the days.
Hermione gave him a superior look.
"Last Friday, Potter. What you going to do about it?" Hermione said haughtily before winking suggestively and racing outside.
The four boys exchanged raised eyebrows as they looked after the excited brunette. After a moment George lent forward eagerly to Ron.
"So, waddya put in her breakfast, Ronniekins?" he tried to say in a 'conspirators' whisper. Ron blushed furiously and shook his head while Harry's eyebrow stayed glued firmly to his hairline. Fred tapped his wand against his chin, as if in deep thought. The purple sparks that fluttered out the end everything it connected with his chin ruined the impression a bit, though.
After a moment of the two brothers producing brighter and brighter sparks as they tapped their chins the two cried, in perfect unison:
"She's gone INSANE!" and promptly followed Hermione out the door in their search of a fellow lunatic.
Ron and Harry were left, eyes wide, staring at the space that only seconds ago had been occupied with two, quite crazy, wizards.
Harry gave Ron a sidelong look.
"Think we should go and help Hermione?" he asked, sounding incredibly reluctant. Ron grimaced and shook his head no.
"She can look after herself. I wanted you to show me that charm you had on conjuring material shields" Ron said in an attempt to change the subject. It worked, as Harry's face automatically became more serious and thoughtful as he fell into the 'fighting evil' funk.
Harry nodded and gestured upstairs, towards the boy's jointly shared rooms.
Ron grumbled as they climbed the stairs, muttering about apparating tests (or lack thereof) and the fact that Harry was so annoyingly young. Harry stayed admirably silent throughout the whole ordeal, his mind firmly focused on the spell that Ron had asked to be shown.
A spell that conjured a brick wall which to be used as a shield. A very solid and immovable shield… but a shield nonetheless.
Perhaps if he had known the spell before he could have cast it between the Headmaster and Snape… Perhaps… if he had…
It did not do to dwell on the past, Harry thought, as a wise, wise man had once told him.
To be continued…
A/N: Sorry for the short chapter. Will make it up to you next time )