Chapter 1: Worst. Summer. Ever.
The summer holiday was awful.
As soon as Harry and Cassia got home, the Dursleys took their trunks and broomsticks, sticking them in the cupboard under the stairs that was formally Harry's bedroom.
To make matters worse, it seemed like everyone was cranky because Hedwig was making to much noise, since she wanted out of her cage. Then Aunt Petunia had a row with Cassia about dead mice that Harvest was leaving behind as presents for Cassia.
While disgusting, Cassia was glad that Harvest thought of her as family. Once Harvest tried to drag in a mole and Petunia shrieked really loudly, causing Harvest to leave, with his a bit down like he was sad that he couldn't feast on a mole with Cassia.
Aunt Petunia didn't see it that way and threatened to haul Harvest off.
So, on their twelfth birthday, it was then that the Dursleys decided to host some dinner party with the Mr Mason, a rich builder, and his wife.
It wasn't a surprise that the Dursleys forgot their birthday, because they never bothered to remember such a thing when it came to them.
Unfortunately, it seemed like their friends didn't remember them either, since they never sent anything.
Harry tried to console Cassia, saying that maybe they were busy and just hadn't had time to write. "Maybe they were on holiday and just forgot," Harry tried to tell her.
So over breakfast, Uncle Vernon decided that it was time to remind them about the dinner party.
"I think we should run through the schedule one more time," said Uncle Vernon. "We should all be in position at eight o'clock. Petunia you will be—?"
"In the lounge," said Aunt Petunia promptly, "waiting to welcome them graciously to our home."
"Good, good," replied Uncle Vernon. "And Dudley?"
"I'll be waiting to open the door," Dudley said, putting on a foul, simpering smile. "May I take your coats, Mr and Mrs Mason?"
"They'll love him!" cried Aunt Petunia.
"Excellent, Dudley," said Uncle Vernon proudly. He turned onto Harry and Cassia, "And you two?"
"We'll be in our bedroom, making no noise," Cassia stated flatly.
"And pretending that we don't exist," Harry finished, also in a flat tone.
"Exactly," Uncle Vernon told them nastily. "I will lead them into the lounge, introduce you, Petunia, and pour them drinks. At eight fifteen—"
"I'll announce dinner," Aunt Petunia said.
To Dudley, Uncle Vernon started, "And Dudley you'll say—?"
"May I take you through to the dining room, Mrs Mason?" Dudley asked, offering his arm to an inivisible woman.
"My perfect little gentleman!" sniffed Aunt Petunia.
He wasn't a perfect little 'gentleman'. She should've heard what Dudley was saying to Piers, Malcolm, and Gordon. That was just nasty. Petunia should've seen Dudley throw those firecrackers at Harvest as well, but no – not her precious 'perfect little gentleman'.
"And you two?" snarled Uncle Vernon.
"We'll be in our bedroom, making no noise," Cassia replied monotonously.
"And pretending that we don't exist," Harry finished just as monotonously.
"Precisely," Uncle Vernon stated. "Now, we should aim to get in a few good compliments at dinner. Petunia, any ideas?"
"Vernon tell me you're a wonderful golfer, Mr Mason … Do tell me where you bought your dress, Mrs Mason," Aunt Petunia said in a false gushing voice.
"Perfect…" Uncle Vernon simpered, "Dudley?"
Dudley looked like he thought about it. It probably hurt. He said, "How about: 'We had to write an essay about our hero at school, Mr Mason, and I wrote about you.'"
Aunt Petunia and Cassia nearly burst into tears, Aunt Petunia because she was proud and Cassia because she found it to hilarious.
Cassia used her hair to hide her face while Harry used the table to hide his laughter.
Uncle Vernon snarled, "And you two?"
"We'll be in our bedroom, making no noise," Cassia said, trying to contain laughter.
"And pretending that we don't exist," Harry stated once he emerged from his hiding spot.
"Damn right you will," said Uncle Vernon forcefully. "The Masons don't know anything about you two and it's going to stay that way." In a kinder voice, he spoke, "When dinner's over, you take Mrs Mason back to the lounge for coffee, Petunia, and I'll bring the subject 'round to drills. With any luck, I'll have the deal signed and sealed before the News at Ten. We'll be shopping for a holiday home in Marjorca this time tomorrow."
To be fair, Cassia kind of wanted that. The Dursleys won't like them in Marjorca, but then again…they probably wouldn't want to take them to Marjorca. They'll just dump her and Harry off on Mrs Figg, she was sure.
"Right. I'm off into town to pick up the dinner jackets for Dudley and me." Uncle Vernon snarled, "And you two. You stay out of your aunt's way while she's cleaning."
"Noted," Cassia said.
They went out back and sat on a bench. Cassia played with a blade of grass while Harvest slept in some shade.
Harry jumped up, "Did you just see—?"
"I know what day it is," Dudley sang, horribly off-key. Well, Cassia couldn't complain, she wasn't a very good singer. Well, Harry said that she was loads better than Dudley, which didn't say much.
"Congratulations, Dudley. Maybe you'll finally learn how to read," Cassia said without thinking.
"Today's your birthday," Dudley sneered, shaking it off. He looked at Cassia, "Do you know what that means, Freak?"
Cassia almost paled. Every year, Dudley pinched for each year she turned. Since it was her twelfth birthday, he was going to pinch her twelve times, hard enough to leave bruises. Last year, he didn't pinch her, since Hagrid had arrived and he was terrified to go near her or Harry.
Harry had tried to protect her, but it was no use. Dudley's friends would hold him back as he pinched her. Cassia figured it was easier to let him do it than fight it, but Harry didn't see it that way.
Dudley suspiciously asked, "Why're you staring at the hedge?"
"I'm trying to decide what would be the best spell to set it on fire," Harry told him, still staring at the hedge.
Dudley stumbled backwards, looking panicked. "You c-can't – Dad told you you're not to do m-magic – he said he'll chuck you two out of the house – and you haven't got anywhere else to go – you haven't got any friends to take you—"
"Jiggery pokery!" Harry said angrily. He didn't appreciate Dudley poking and prodding at the fact that Cassia's friends seemed to forget her. "Hocus pocus…squiggly wiggly…"
"Abracadabra," Cassia added in.
"Mum!" shouted Dudley, tripping over his feet as he ran back towards the house. "Mum! They're doing you know what!"
"That was probably the fastest I have ever seen him run." Cassia mused, "Discounting the ice cream truck lady at the zoo last year."
Harry asked, "Do you have any matches?"
Cassia was confused, "Why?"
"I think we will be less in trouble if we actually lit it on fire," Harry said. He looked at the hedge again.
Cassia looked at him, "What were you looking at?"
"I thought the hedge had eyes," Harry said.
Cassia asked, "Eyes?"
There was an epic death metal-like screech coming from inside the house, which meant that Dudley tattled on them.
Aunt Petunia came out waving a soapy frying pan manically at Cassia, "You! Wash the dishes!" She waved the frying pan at Harry, "You! Clean windows! You both won't eat 'til you're done with your chores."
Dudley looked around watching and eating ice cream. He would put a used bowl in the sink and get a new one, before Cassia was even done washing the dishes. He did a few times and went to watch Harry. After Harry was done with cleaning windows, he was sent out to wash the car while Cassia was made to dust the furniture then vacuum.
Dudley decided that it was time to pinch Cassia, hard.
Cassia snapped, "I am about to beat you to death with this vacuum cleaner!"
Dudley pinched her four times very hard, finally giving her, her twelve birthday pinches.
Aunt Petunia sent her out to prune and water the roses, while Harry repainted the garden bench.
It was seven-forty in the evening when they were finally done with their chores.
"Get in here! And walk on the newspaper!" Aunt Petunia ordered.
They moved in the kitchen. There was a cake decorated with whipped cream and sugared violets. There was a joint of roast pork sizzling in the oven.
"Eat quickly! The Masons will be here soon!" snapped Aunt Petunia, pointing at some cheese sandwiches. Three were three, which meant that the other extra one was to go to Cassia. The Dursleys didn't have to look odd with an underdeveloped girl hanging around, so they feed her more to make sure that she 'developed' into a healthy young lady.
They washed their hands and Cassia ripped the cheese sandwich in half to give to Harry.
Harry took it and they went into the living room, passing the door, catching a glimpse of Uncle Vernon and Dudley in bow-ties and dinner jackets.
Cassia nearly laughed at the attempt to make Dudley look smart by wearing a bow-tie.
"Remember you two – one sound," Uncle Vernon warned.
They tiptoed up the stairs, avoiding the one that creaked. Cassia was the first to open the door, to find a house-elf sitting on the bottom bunk of Harry's bed.
She made a 'whodafu' choking sound at the sight. It was like that sound she made when she spotted that spider in the bathroom and she wondered how it got out of the cupboard under the stairs and into the bathroom.
Harry moved her to the side so he can see what the reason for making her make that sound was.
The house-elf had large, bat like ears, bulging tennis ball sized green eyes, and a long thin nose. The house-elf wore an old, grey pillowcase with rips for arm- and leg-holes.
"May I take your coats, Mr and Mrs Mason?" Dudley's voice came down the hall.
Harry closed the door quietly.
The house-elf jumped down from the bed and bowed so low that their nose almost touched the carpet.
Cassia didn't know what to say.
"Er – hello," Harry greeted.
"Harry and Cassia Potter!" the house-elf greeted in a squeaky, high pitched voice. "So long has Dobby wanted to meet you, particularly you, sir…such an honour it is…"
Cassia wasn't too surprised. She busied herself by taking a book out of the shelf of books that Dudley didn't read. She went over and got on her top bunk.
"Th-thank you," stuttered Harry, edging along the wall and sitting on his bed. "Who are you?"
"Dobby, sir," the house-elf stated, "Just Dobby. Dobby the house-elf."
"Oh – really?" said Harry.
Cassia nodded, "Yeah. Dumbledore has house-elves at Hogwarts. They make our food and clean our dorms. Honestly, how do you know about them?"
"I don't want to be rude or anything, but – this isn't a great time for us to have a house-elf in our bedroom."
Aunt Petunia's high, false laugh sounded from the living room.
Dobby hung his head.
"Oh, we're pleased to meet you, we're just wondering why you're here," Cassia said quickly. She knew how easily offended some house-elves can get. Some at Hogwarts were upset to think that she didn't like a particular type of food.
"Oh, yes, miss," Dobby said earnestly, "Dobby has come to tell you, sir and miss…it is difficult…Dobby wonders where to begin…"
Cassia asked, "Do you want to sit down?" She pointed at the desk chair beside the bed.
Dobby burst into very loud tears.
"S-sit down!" wailed Dobby, "Never…never ever…"
Cassia was sure that the voices downstairs faltered.
"I'm sorry," Harry whispered, "I'm sure that Cassia didn't mean to offend you or anything." He seemed to glare at her.
"Offend Dobby!" choked Dobby, "Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a witch – like an equal—"
Crap, Cassia winced, she forgot about that aspect.
Harry shushed Dobby.
"I forgot, there are bad witches and wizards out there that treat their house-elves like dirt," Cassia told Harry.
Then Dobby leapt up and started hitting his head on Harry's dresser, shouting, "Bad Dobby! Bad Dobby!"
Crap. She forgot that they did that too.
"Don't!" Cassia said loudly, trying not to yell. Hedwig had woken up with a loud screech, and Harvest woke up, with a hiss at all the ruckus.
"What are you doing?" Harry asked, getting up to stop Dobby.
"House-elves punish themselves," Cassia explained to Harry. "They can't speak ill of their family or go against what they want."
Harry asked, "His family?"
How did he survive first year without this knowledge? Cassia wondered.
"The wizard family Dobby serves, sir…Dobby is a house-elf – bound to serve one house and one family forever," Dobby explained to Harry.
Harry asked, "Do they know you're here?"
"Oh no, sir, no…Dobby will have to punish himself most grievously for coming to see you two. Dobby will have to shut his ears in the oven door for this. If they ever knew—"
Harry asked, "But won't they notice if you shut your ears in the oven door?"
"They probably will, they just won't care," Cassia stated.
"She is right, sir," Dobby told Harry. "Dobby is always having to punish himself for something, sir. They lets Dobby get on with it, sir. Sometimes they remind me to do extra punishments…"
"But why don't you leave?" Harry asked, "Escape?"
"They can't just run at the end of the driveway and say 'well, forget that horrid owner'," Cassia stated, "They have to be set free with clothes. Some won't set them free. They'll be owned until they die."
Harry stared and Dobby nodded, "She is right. Dobby will serve the family until dies, sir."
"And I thought we were hard-done-by staying here for another four weeks," Harry said. "This makes the Dursleys sound almost human."
Cassia nodded. At least they were free to roam wherever they wanted and got breaks. "Can't anyone help you? Can't we help?"
Dobby started sobbing again.
"Please, please be quiet," Cassia whispered to Dobby. "If the Dursleys hear anything, if they know that you're here…we'll be buried in the ground or something."
"Harry Potter asks if he and his sister can help Dobby…Dobby has heard of your greatness, but of your goodness, Dobby never knew…"
"Whatever you've heard about my greatness is a load of rubbish. I'm not even top of my year at Hogwarts, that's Cassia and Hermione, but Hermione's…"
He stopped talking.
"Harry Potter is humble and modest," said Dobby reverently. "Harry Potter speaks not of his triumph over He Who Must Not Be Named."
Harry asked, "Voldemort?"
"No, he's talking about some other wannabe Hitler," Cassia told Harry annoyed because Dobby clapped his ears over his ear.
Dobby moaned, "Ah, speak not the name, sir! Speak not the name!"
"Sorry," said Harry. "I know lots of people don't like it – my friend, Ron…" He stopped talking.
Dobby removed his hands from his ears to lean towards Harry, "Dobby heard tell that Harry Potter met the Dark Lord for a second time, just weeks ago…that Harry Potter escaped yet again."
Harry nodded.
"Okay, but I doubt you're here to talk about Harry's heroics," Cassia said. "We are enjoying your company and we would like to do this again, but right now is really not a good time."
Dobbby said, "Ah, miss, Dobby has come to protect Harry and Cassia Potter, to warn them, even if he have to shut his ears in the oven door later. Harry and Cassia Potter must not go back to Hogwarts!"
"What?" Cassia asked shrilly, "And put up with the Dursleys? I'd rather hang out with Malfoy and Parkinson than stay here."
"Yeah, I agree with her. You don't know what it's like here. We don't belong here. We belong in your world – at Hogwarts," Harry stated.
"No, no, no. Harry and Cassia Potter must stay where they are safe. If Harry and Cassia Potter go back to Hogwarts, they will be in mortal danger," Dobby squeaked.
Harry and Cassia looked at each other, before looking back at Dobby.
Cassia asked, "Why would we be in mortal danger?"
"There is a plot. A plot make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry this year," whispered Dobby, trembling. "Dobby has known it for months. Harry and Cassia Potter must not put themselves in peril. They are too important."
Harry asked, "What terrible things? Who's plotting them?"
Dobby grabbed the lamp off the desk and started hitting himself over the head with it. Harry ran over to stop it and Cassia sat on the bed, listening as Uncle Vernon started stomping upstairs.
"Dudley must've left his television on again, the little tyke!" Uncle Vernon called.
Harry tossed Dobby inside Cassia's wardrobe and closed the door. Cassia panicked and got on the floor right when the bedroom door opened.
"What the devil are you two doing in here?" Vernon demanded.
Cassia stood up from her spot on the floor, pretending to sway. She motioned to the bunk bed, "I fell out of bed."
The wardrobe door opened and Harry shut it again.
"Be careful next time! You ruined the punch-line to my Japanese golfer joke!" Uncle Vernon said, venomously.
The wardrobe, once again, opened, and Harry leaned against the door, to keep it closed.
"One more sound of either of you and you two won't go back to that freak school to see those freaky friends of yours," Uncle Vernon stated.
Dobby emerged from the wardrobe and they looked at him.
"Do you see what we deal with here?" Harry asked.
"Yes, that's why we have to go back to Hogwarts," Cassia stated.
"That's the only place where we've got friends – at least, we thought we had friends," Harry continued.
"Friends who don't even write to Harry and Cassia Potter," Dobby asked.
Cassia looked at Harry and at Dobby, "Wait. What did you just say?"
"Have you been stopping our letters?" Harry demanded.
Stepping out of reach, Dobby reached in his pillowcase and removed two bundles of envelopes.
Cassia could make out Lily's bubbly handwriting and see Sally-Anne's curly handwriting. "Hey! Those are mine!"
"If Harry and Cassia Potter gives me their word that they won't return to Hogwarts, they will have them," Dobby bargained.
"No promises out of me," Cassia muttered.
"No, give us our friends' letters," Harry replied.
Dobby seemed sad, "Then Harry and Cassia Potter leaves Dobby no choice."
The Potter twins ran for Dobby, who nimbly ran out of the way, shoved the letters in his pillowcase, and ran out of the bedroom door.
"That can't be good," Cassia said, as Harry ran out of their room.
Cassia ran after him and saw Harry jump the last six steps, landing quietly on the carpet. They were just letters. She could hear from them at King's Cross in a month, and then she could explain why she was silent all summer. Lily and Sally-Anne knew how the Dursleys treated her. They had to believe her on the whole house-elf thing. Terence and Adrian on the other hand…they served many detentions together, so their bond has to be a lot stronger than something simple as miscommunication.
There was a crashing sound and a scream from downstairs that managed to get Cassia's legs moving.
She went downstairs to see that the floor was wearing the cake and Harry's feet was covered as well.
Aunt Petunia was giving him a mop to clean up the mess, Uncle Vernon threatening to flay Harry alive, and Aunt Petunia glared at Cassia, handing her a cloth to use to help Harry, glaring at her, while coming up with a makeshift dessert of ice cream and after dinner mints.
They may have saved the deal, until there was another scream and a door slamming shut.
Cassia overheard the guy saying something about his wife being scared of owls, asking about who 'the girl' was since she wasn't explained.
She finished cleaning up the bottom part of the wall when she spotted her uncle's shoes. She looked up at him and he was holding a letter.
"Read it," Uncle Vernon hissed.
Harry was shaking as he took the letter. It looked like a Ministry letter and opened it to read.
Dear Mr Potter,
We have received intelligence that a Hover Charm was used at your place of residence this evening at twelve minutes past nine. As you know, underage wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity that risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offense under Section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk
Improper Use of Magic Office
Ministry of Magic
"The both of you didn't tell us you weren't allowed to use magic outside school," Vernon said. "Slipped your minds, I daresay…"
Cassia tightened her hold on the cloth. "The Decree was established in 1875, so our mum wouldn't be allowed to use magic outside of school, either. We just thought that Aunt Petunia would've—"
"You dare bring you abnormal mother into this mess?" Uncle Vernon shouted, interrupting her as always.
Cassia flinched, dropping the cloth. She started, "I just thought—"
"You just thought?" Uncle Vernon interrupted. "I'm locking the both of you up! You're never going back to that freak school and if you try to magic yourself out, they'll expel you!"
With that, he roughly grabbed them and dragged them upstairs. Uncle Vernon threw them into the room and slammed the door. Cassia didn't make it to the bunk bed. She sat down on the ground, knees to her chest and started to cry. Harry put his arm around her as she cried.
The next day, Uncle Vernon put bars on their bedroom window and installed a cat-flap in the door so they could slip food in for them. Cassia sat on the corner of her top bunk, staring down at Hedwig's cage. Harvest had cuddled up to her and she watched as Harry paced.
"Harvest, can you find the key to our bedroom door and come back with it?" Cassia asked her cat. Harvest continued to sleep on her lap instead and Cassia sighed.
"I think you asked Harvest to do that for you for the past three days," Harry stated.
Cassia set Harvest aside and got down from the top bunk. She grabbed another book from the bookshelf. Dudley never read, so it was up to her to read the books for him.
"I know, but he's smart," Cassia said. "I figure, if I ask him plenty enough, he'll get annoyed and actually do something other than hunt and sleep."
The cat-flap opened and two cans of soup slid in. Harry and Cassia went to get the cans.
One can was slightly warmer than the other, so Cassia gave the warmer can to Harry and took the stone-cold one. She forced herself to eat the slop and watched Harry pour some soggy vegetables onto Hedwig's food bowl. Hedwig looked at him like, 'what the bloody hell is this slop' and Cassia set the empty can aside on the desk. She grabbed her book, turned the lamp on and lay down, the bedroom light went off, and heard Harry got into bed. She opened the book and began to read.
"Cassia," Harry said, shaking her awake.
Cassia snorted awake and had to bat the book off her face. She wasn't sure when she fell asleep, but she noticed that Harry seemed excited. "What happened? Did they finally relent?"
"No," Harry said. He pointed at the window, "look."
She looked over to see Ron's face in the window and she blinked at the sight before her, wondering if maybe she was lucid dreaming.
Ron was hanging out the backseat of a flying car. "Ron?"
Cassia looked at Harry, "What's going on?"
"They're here to rescue us," Harry stated. Cassia looked over to notice that Fred and George were in the flying car with Ron. "Start packing!"
"Here, tie that around the bars," Fred said, tossing a rope to Harry, who tied it around the bars.
Cassia ran over, picked up Harvest and stuffed him in the cat carrier. "Sorry, Harvest. We're being rescued."
She picked up her old tattered messenger bag, which she had previously used for six years, before she got a new one in Diagon Alley, last year. She stuffed as much clothing and some books in the messenger bag. There was a loud crunching noise and she looked back to see that the bars were removed.
She also grabbed the cat food for Harvest.
"Your turn," she told Harry, who did as he was told. He passed things to Ron, who took it. She grabbed Harvest's carrier and held it close.
"Hurry, get in," Ron told them.
Cassia went to the window, but Harry grabbed her arm, "Our Hogwarts stuff."
"Damn," Cassia muttered. She had half the mind to replace them, but then again, that would be a waste of money.
"No problem," George said, "Out of the way, Harry and Cassia." They both stepped aside as the Weasley twins climbed through the window. George took out a hairpin and started picking the lock.
"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick, but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow," Fred explained.
"I need to learn this trick," Cassia said.
"So, we'll get your trunks," George said.
Cassia passed Harvest's carrier to Ron. "We'll get our trunks together, so you don't have to take two trips."
"The bottom stair creaks," Harry warned Fred and George, who went outside the room.
Cassia grabbed her combat boots and put them on. Her trainers finally fell apart so Aunt Petunia had no choice but to get her new shoes. Harry doubled checked that he had given Ron everything before Fred and George returned carrying a trunk.
"I'll get our broomsticks," Cassia said and went outside the room. She went down the stairs, jumped over the creaking stair, and went inside the broom cupboard. In a way, she was surprised that Harry somehow survived living in a broom cupboard for a decade. She grabbed the broomsticks and carried it upstairs. She passed it to Ron and she and Harry went downstairs, to get her trunk.
Harry and Cassia lugged it upstairs, and almost froze when they heard their uncle cough. They pushed their trunk in the car, with the Weasleys pulling on it.
"You first," Harry said, and Cassia climbed out through the window, with Ron helping her into the car.
"Thank you for getting us." Cassia said, almost breathless.
"It's no problem," Ron said.
"All right, now hurry," Cassia hissed.
Harry started crawling in the backseat when a loud screech came from inside the room. She paled, "Damn it, we nearly forget Hedwig."
"That ruddy owl!" Uncle Vernon shouted.
Harry disappeared and returned passing Hedwig's cage to Ron, who grabbed it.
Cassia grabbed the cage and looked at the owl. "I'm so sorry that we almost forgot you, you majestic bird." Hedwig looked indignant.
Uncle Vernon bellowed and Harry was now dangling out of the window. Ron, Cassia, and George grabbed Harry's arm, as Uncle Vernon grabbed Harry's ankle.
"Petunia! They're getting away! They're getting away!" Vernon shouted as he pulled Harry back inside the room and they pulled back on Harry.
"Let go of my brother, you filthy cow!" Cassia shouted. She was a little surprised at her bravery. Uncle Vernon was now half dangling out the window, pulling on Harry. Cassia and Ron pulled back on Harry. "You're going to hurt him!" With one more tug, Uncle Vernon let go of Harry and fell out of the bedroom window.
"Put your foot down, Fred!" Ron ordered.
"See you next summer!" Harry shouted and the car shot off to the moon.
Cassia started stuffing her belongings in her trunk. She noticed Hedwig in the cage. "We need to let Hedwig out."
"Yeah, she hadn't had a chance to stretch her wigs for ages," Harry stated.
George passed the hairpin to Ron, who went to work on picking the lock. "So, what's the story, you two?" Ron asked, sounding impatient. "What's been happening?"
With that Harry launched into what happened and Cassia cut in to add a comment or two, most of which was to insult the Dursleys.
After Harry finished explaining what happened, Fred said, "Very fishy."
George said, "Definitely dodgy. So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"
"I don't think he could. We asked him who it was and he started to hurt himself," Harry said. "What, you think he was lying to us?"
"Well, put it this way – house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you two from coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"
"Yes," Harry, Ron, and Cassia said together.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained, "He hates us."
"Draco Malfoy?" George asked, turning around, "Lucius Malfoy's son?"
"Lucius Malfoy's son," Cassia clarified.
"I would assume Malfoy isn't a common name, why?" Harry asked.
"I've heard Dad talking about Lucius Malfoy," George replied. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."
Fred looked over at them, "And when You-Know-Who disappeared, Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung – Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."
Cassia wasn't surprised at all. "Yeah, I heard. Terence and Adrian told me all about him."
Fred asked, "Higgs and Pucey?"
Cassia nodded, "Yeah. They're my friends."
"We don't know if Malfoy even has a house-elf," Harry said.
"Well, whoever owns him will be an old Wizarding family, and they'll be rich," Fred stated.
"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," George explained, "But all we've got is a lousy ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house."
Cassia looked through her trunk, wondering how she was going to get through the mountain of summer homework that the professors dropped on her. She was behind and she still needed to write to her friends about what happened.
"I'm glad we came to get you two, anyway." Ron said, "I was getting really worried when you didn't answer any of my letters. At first I thought it was Errol's fault—"
"Who's Errol?" Harry asked.
"Our owl," Ron answered. "He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. Perks, Moon, Higgs, and Pucey were sending me letters wondering why you weren't answering their letters. So, I tried to borrow Hermes—"
Harry looked confused, "Who?"
"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," Fred answered.
"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me. Said he needed him," Ron said.
"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer. And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room… I mean, there's only so much times you can polish a prefect badge," George mused.
"Does your dad know you got the car?" Harry asked and Cassia looked at him. Apparently she missed something when she was asleep.
Ron looked sheepish, "Er, no. He had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it."
Cassia tried to figure out how that would work, with the Potters showing up on the doorstep? Would they say that they were just going sight-seeing or something?
"What does your dad do at the Ministry of Magic anyway?" Harry asked.
Ron explained, "He works in the most boring department, the Misuse of Muggle Artifact Office."
Harry seemed incredulous, "The what?"
"It sounds like what it's called," Cassia said, before Ron can explain. "Obviously Muggle Artifacts are being misused."
"It's about bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare – Dad was working overtime for weeks," Ron explained.
Cassia and Harry looked at each other.
"What happened?" Harry asked.
"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose," Ron explained.
Cassia couldn't help but busting out laughing at the thought.
Ron continued, "Well, Dad was going frantic - it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins - and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up—"
Harry looked even more confused, "But your dad – this car—"
"You're in a flying car," Cassia said at the same time as Harry. "Cars are for Muggles."
Fred laughed "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."
"So the Weasleys really are considered blood traitors," Cassia muttered to herself, disgusted with herself at using the term.
Apparently it was loud enough for George and Ron to hear.
George whipped around so fast, Cassia was surprised he didn't break his neck. "What did you just say?" He looked suspicious, along with Ron.
"Oh, it was something Terence and Adrian told me. They were just explaining terms to me that Malfoy uses so I won't be too confused if I hear him throwing terms 'round. I can't remember what she said, so it wasn't important," Cassia explained.
George asked, "You're friends with two Slytherins?"
Cassia asked, "Does it really matter? I'm friends with Sally-Anne and Lily. I think we're allowed to have friends outside our houses."
"That's the main road. We'll be there in ten minutes," George said.
A pinkish glow was becoming visible, along the horizon. She looked out the window, to see dark patchworks of fields and clumps of trees. In a weird way, it was kind of beautiful.
"Just as well, it's getting light," George stated. "We're a little way outside the village. Ottery St Catchpole."
With a small bump, the car hit the ground, and Fred shouted, "Touchdown!"
Cassia wondered where he heard the Muggle term, and decided not to question it. Mr Weasley probably taught them the term.
The car landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard.
Cassia leaned over Ron so she can look out at Ron's home.
It was several stories high and so crooked that it was held up by magic. It looked like rooms were added here and there. There were four; possibly, five chimneys perched on top of the red roof. There was a lopsided sign stuck to the ground near the entrance that read: The Burrow. There was jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron next the front door. There were several fat brown chickens pecking their way around the yard.
This is what home looks like, Cassia thought.
"It's not much," Ron said.
"It's wonderful," Harry said happily.
"I love it," Cassia responded.