Chapter 3

Escape to the Burrow.

Harry stirred "Ron!" he called out relieved "What are you doing here?"

I took a better look out the window. "Damn!" I hissed. It was Ron. And I had hoped so much that it was Draco coming to my rescue.

"We can't go back to Hogwarts." I told Ron. "Vernon's being a jerk and not letting us."

"That won't do!" the voice of Fred and George Weasley, Ron's twin brothers and personal friends of mine said.

I looked more carefully out the window. They were in a Ford Angelia! And it was in midair!

Fred got out and climbed into our room "What a shitty room." he observed, looking at the walls "Where's your trunks?"

"Downstairs." I said "In the cupboard under the stairs."

Fred started downstairs to get our trunks

"Watch for the last step!" Harry and I hissed "It creaks!"

In less than five minutes, Fred had come back with Harry's trunk.

"George." Fred called out "Go get Han's trunk."

And as quick as a flash, both of our trunks and Harry's broom were in the car.

I was just climbing in when we heard to loud screeches.

"THOSE RUDDY OWLS!" Vernon yelled.

"Hedwig!" Harry said.

"Gwen!" I said at the same time, jumping out of the car to grab the owls.

I handed Harry both of the owls and was just climbing through the window when Vernon, Petunia and Dudley burst through the door.

Vernon gave a grunt and dove for me. I screamed as Harry grabbed my wrist and started pulling me up. Vernon got a few good whacks to me before Fred started to help pull me in.

I had been pulled out of Vernon's grasp and slammed the door.

"GET THE LEAD OUT, FRED!" Harry, Ron, George and I said together.

Fred slammed his foot onto the gas and we were off, laughing at the Dursleys dumbfounded expression as we flew off.

"SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!" Harry and I shouted together, amongst roars of laughter from the Weasleys.

"Let Hedwig and Gwen out." I said to Ron "They haven't been out in ages."

As soon as I said it, Ron had gotten Gwen and Hedwig out of their cages, and after a hoot of thanks from Hedwig and an affectionate nip on the ear from Gwen, they were out of the car, flying beside us.

I fell asleep on the way to the Weasleys. When I woke up, we had landed on an old farmhouse like place. There were chickens everywhere, rusty cauldrons on the curb and everything was in disarray.

I loved it.

I didn't love what happened next. Mrs Weasley had stormed out and started yelling at Fred George and Ron.

"BEDS EMPTY! NO NOTE! CAR GONE! YOU COULD HAVE DIED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN! YOU COULD HAVE COST YOUR FATHER HIS JOB!"

Harry and I backed away slowly, scared to be the next two she yelled at.

Man, were we wrong.

"Come inside, Harry, Hannah dears. You look like you haven't eaten in days. Especially you, Hannah. I mean, look at you!" she exclaimed, taking my thin forearm "You're skin and bone! You need to eat something!"

I nodded "Yes, Mrs Weasley."

After a very eventful breakfast (where Harry and I met Mr Weasley, who turns out to work at the Ministry and owned the car we arrived in.) Mrs Weasley told me I was going to share Ginny's room (whoever she was).

I walked up the long staircase and looked around for a girl's room until the redheaded prefect from the start of term feast last term came out of a door.

"What's a Slytherin doing here?" he demanded.

"PERCY WEASLEY!" Mrs Weasley yelled "We do not discriminate against houses in this house! And Hannah is trying to find Ginny's room. It's right through there, dear." Mrs Weasley added, knocking on a door labelled "Ginevra's Room."

"Ginny! Hannah Potter's here." Mrs Weasley called out.

"Come in, Hannah!" a girl's voice chimed.

I walked into Ginny's room to find her reading on the bed. Her red hair pulled into a ponytail.

"Hello, I'm Hannah." I said smiling, not knowing what to do next.

"Hi, I'm Ginny!" Ginny smiled. "Have a seat."

I pulled up one of the pink beanbags and sat in it.

"What are you reading?" I asked.

"Romeo and Juliet." Ginny replied, showing me the old text.

"I love that play!" I said. "I love how they end up falling in love at the end so much they kill themselves to be together."

Ginny nodded "Too bad I can't get a Romeo."

"Come on, Ginny, you'll get one someday." I said.

"Not like your bro-I mean, Romeo."

"You have a crush on my brother?" I asked.

"Don't say anything!" Ginny pleaded.

"I won't. As long as you don't say to anyone I kind of fancy Draco Malfoy."

Ginny nodded, holding out her hand "Deal."

I shook her hand "Ginny Weasley." I said "This is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."

"Thanks."

Later I went into the washroom without knocking (being very stupid, it being a mostly male run house) and saw Ivy at the mirror putting on foundation.

"IVY!" I screamed. Ivy jumped and turned to me.

"Oh, hey, Han. I didn't see you there." Ivy said, putting her foundation in her purse.

I noticed some things very odd with Ivy. One, Ivy never wore makeup at Hogwarts. Two, she was hiding her face from me now.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"It's nothing. Don't worry about it." Ivy said quickly, her face to the wall.

"V." I said, touching her shoulder "I'm your best friend. You can tell me anything."

Ivy turned to face me halfway "I'm fine, Han. Really!" she insisted, her voice faltering.

I doubted her answer. She didn't seem to positive.

"Ivy, Gryffindor up and tell me what's wrong!" I ordered.

"Hannah, why don't you do what Slytherins do best and slither away!" Ivy snapped, leaning against the wall, looking at the towel rack.

"Ivy!" I said, shocked. She hadn't said anything like that since we got into an argument over me telling Draco about our new secret hideout at Hogwarts "I thought we weren't going to let the House thing effect our friendship! Remember our pact?"

"You're the one who brought it up. I'm not brave like a Gryffindor!" Ivy snapped back.

I gaped "BULL!" I said "That's a total load of bull shit, Ivy Duff! You are so brave like a Gryffindor! Need I remind you of when you stood up for me when those guys were hitting on us? About how you didn't even shed a tear when Flint knocked you off your broom! About how you saved Harry's ass looking for that damned Stone on Harry's god damned hunch that Snape was EVIL! Don't you dare give me that 'I'm not brave like a Gryffindor.' crap, Ivy. Because it's true! You are!"

I turned to walk away when Ivy spoke.

"I am not! I didn't even have enough courage to stand up to my-" Ivy said, cutting herself off.

"Stand up to who?" I asked, turning back around.

"N-No one. N-Nothing." Ivy stammered as she sank to the floor.

"Ivy…" I said, getting on my knees in front of her. "V…please tell me the truth." I added, touching her shoulder.

"I don't wanna." Ivy shuddered, placing her head in her lap.

"Please, Ivy." I said.

Ivy took a deep breath and looked at me, still hiding half of her face "All right, but promise not to freak or anything."

I raised my left hand "I swear on Jeff Skinner's grave."

Ivy took another deep breath and faced me fully. I nearly gasped when I saw her face.

There was a huge bruise on her face. She had a shiner and a cut lip too. I never thought…my best friend…Ivy Duff, the strongest girl I knew, had this happen to her. I knew the someone she couldn't stand up to did this.

"Who did this to you?" I demanded.

"You have three guesses." Ivy said quietly.

"Ok…your dad."

Ivy glared at me "You met my dad. He wouldn't do that!" Ivy snapped.

I then remembered that aunt of Ivy's mentioned a couple of times.

"Was it…that aunt Drosie told me about?" I asked.

Ivy rolled her eyes "Ding, ding, ding! We have a winner!" Ivy said sarcastically.

"Welcome to the abusive family member club." I said. "It could be worse. Your aunt could have put you in the hospital like my uncle did."

Ivy shot a look at me "What?" she said.

My eyes widened. I had never told anyone that Vernon put me in the hospital because he beat me so bad. "N-Nothing." I said quietly.

Ivy gave me a quizzical look "Right…nothing. Anyways, we better go downstairs. Mrs Weasley will be wondering why we aren't down for supper yet."

I nodded, and as Ivy and I linked arms, we headed downstairs for dinner.