Out of the Shadow: Year 2
Today was our 12th birthday, and we were currently sitting in the small living room of our Aunt and Uncles house listening to them list the rules for the dinner party they were having that night. When Harry and I first got to this place they threatened to take all our things and locked them away. They didn't want the smallest hint that there was magic in or even around that house. Then they gave us a bedroom upstairs, that had one single bed. Thankfully, we devised enough stuff from old sheets that I could make a bed on the floor.
"And where will you two be?" Uncle Vernon's voice broke into my thoughts. "We will be upstairs in our room, making no noise and pretending we don't exist." Harry added. He was a little better at being decent to them then I was. I just couldn't stand them talking to us like we were lessor than them. What made it worse was that we never received a single letter from any of our friends and had even less news from our parents.
We climbed up the stairs just as there was a knock at the door. Harry opened the bedroom door and we found a small elf jumping on the bed. "Uh, Hi." Harry said. "Harry Potter!" the creature said. "So long Dobby wanted to meet you, sir… such an honor it is." Harry slid against the wall and dropped into the desk chair. I leaned against the wardrobe and watched this unfold. "Who are you?" I asked.
"Dobby, Miss. Just Dobby. Dobby the house elf."
Harry and I exchanged a look. "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. Not that I'm not pleased to meet you, is there a particular reason you are here?"
"Oh yes sir. Dobby has come to tell you, sir…it is difficult sir. Dobby wonders where to begin..."
"Why don't you sit down?"
The house elf burst into tears, very noisy tears! Harry and I rushed to quiet him down. "Sit down? Never, never ever."
"Sorry we didn't mean to offend you!" Harry added quickly. "Offend Dobby! Dobby has never been asked to sit down by a wizard like an equal!" Harry and I exchanged another look. We never owned a house elf, so all of this was a bit awkward. I listened as Dobby told us about his family, and how he has to punish himself. Harry and I exchanged uncomfortable glances.
We finally got him to calm down and he started speaking again. "Dobby has come to protect Harry Potter, to warn him, Harry Potter must not go back to Hogwarts." Harry and I looked at each other in shock. "What? No, we have to go back." I said finally. "No. No! Harry Potter must stay where he is safe. He is too great, too good to lose. If Harry Potter goes back to Hogwarts he will be in mortal danger."
"Why?"
"There is a plot, Harry Potter. A plot to make most terrible things happen at Hogwarts School this year. Dobby has known it for months, sir. Harry Potter must not put himself in peril."
"What terrible things? Who is plotting them?"
I watched the two of them go back and forth like a tennis match. Irritation was growing inside me with how much this little house elf worshiped Harry. I knew most others felt like that too, more now since everything that happened last year. I was right back where I started, in the shadow of Harry Potter, the boy who lived. Lovely.
I heard Vernon's voice coming towards the stairs. "Oh God, Harry! Someone is coming." Harry grabbed Dobby and tossed him in the closet, and I leaned against the door. "What are you doing up here?" Vernon hissed as he opened the door. "Nothing!" Harry and I both said. He looked between us. "You are ruining the punchline of my joke!" He stormed out of the room again and I moved from the door and Dobby stumbled out.
"See? I have to go back."
I had about enough of this. "I'm going to sit in the hall for a minute." I said trying to push my annoyance down. I sat on the floor with my head tilted back against the wall and let out a sigh. It was only a few minutes later but suddenly, Harry's bedroom door burst open and Dobby came running out and down the stairs. Harry tore after him and I was right behind them. "Harry Potter must say he won't go back to school." Dobby said.
I watched in horror as Dobby levitated the cake our aunt had made for dessert. "I can't, Hogwarts is my home." Harry pleaded with him. "Then Dobby must because Harry Potter is so great." Harry turned to look at me with pleading eyes. What was I going to do? I couldn't use magic without getting expelled. With a snap of his fingers the cake dropped onto the head of a woman we didn't know. Harry and I stood there in the entrance to the kitchen with horror. Then with another soft snap, Dobby was gone.
We booked it up to our room and slammed the door behind everyone. "What are we going to do?" I asked him. Harry shrugged. "I'm still going back to school." I waved him away. "I know that. I'm more worried about that house elf. He is going to cause so much trouble for us." Harry simply shrugged and sagged deeper into the chair.
The following morning when we stepped downstairs, we noticed our Aunt and Uncle reading a letter. They both looked up and sneered at us, clearly happy with what they were reading. I took the letter. "It's a warning, for using the hover charm in front of muggles."
"Are we getting expelled?"
"I don't think so." I said handing him the letter. I grabbed a piece of toast and went back upstairs. About an hour later, as I scanned through a book, I noticed Vernon putting bars up on our bedroom window. I shot him a nasty glare before returning to my book. "You won't be returning to that school of yours or seeing your freaky friends either." I felt Harry behind me bristle with anger.
"They seem to think we are getting expelled." I said without looking up again. Harry dropped himself on the bed. "You know what I've been wondering." Harry started. "How come the warning wasn't for you too?" I shrugged. "Because I'm not the boy who lived?" Harry rolled his eyes. "I'm serious."
"I am too, Harry. You have been a target for Voldemort since birth. I don't think I was ever on his radar. Could you imagine what would have happened if mum and I were there that night? He would have killed all of us. I don't know why he didn't, why he separated you from Dad." I started thinking about that night again. "Anyway. Some stupid bronze bars aren't going to keep us from going to school."
Harry gave me a small nod, but I knew he wasn't completely convinced. We would have no way to get to the station without our aunt or uncle to take us, and that clearly wasn't going to happen. It seemed like they were planning on locking us in here forever. Later that night we settled down for bed and what felt like five minutes later Harry was shaking me awake.
"Do you hear that?"
I got up and rubbed my eyes. "No?" I whispered back. Then I heard it. It sounded like an old car. Together Harry and I looked out the window and saw two headlights coming at us from the sky! The car pulled up to our window. "FRED! GEORGE!" I exclaimed. Harry and I exchanged a happy glance. Ron was sitting in the back. "Step back!" He said through the window and attached an iron hook to the windows.
Quickly Harry and I ran around and threw all our things into our trunks. Fred drove the car away from us and the bars shattered the windows. "Hurry!" Ron called out. "There had to be a much better way to do this." I said handing Harry my case before grabbing Hedwig and tossing her to Ron. "PETIUNA THEY ARE ESCAPING." Vernon's voice bellowed through the house. "GO!" I called giving Harry a shove towards the window. He climbed through into the car with Ron.
George opened the front door and reached for me. I was almost pulled into the front seat when someone grabbed my ankle. George had his arms around my waist, and I was in the middle of a tugging war. I kicked frantically at my uncle who had a firm grip on my ankle. "LET ME GO." I threw up my free let and it connected with his shoulder. "DRIVE!" Ron and George yelled. Fred stepped on the gas and with one finally tug I was inside the car.
George moved me to sit between him and Fred, while Harry and Ron sat in the back with Hedwig. I threw my arms up in the air. "Sweet Freedom! Despite not hearing from you all summer, you guys are a sight for sore eyes." Fred and George smiled down at me as I sat back in the seat. "We didn't hear from you!" Ron started. "I wrote asking you guys to come stay." Harry sighed audibly. "It's a long story."
Harry told them about the house elf in our bedroom. I laid my head back on the seat and listened to Harry's voice until I was fast asleep. I woke up to someone shaking me gently. I opened my eyes and found my head resting on George's shoulder. I jumped suddenly. "Oh! I'm sorry." I said rubbing my eyes. George just laughed and finished getting out of the car. I climbed out and watched as Harry released Hedwig for a much-needed stretch.
As we approached the house, I looked up at it in amazement. It was a beautiful mess. There was a garage, and a chicken coop outside and a small sign near the entrance that read 'The Burrow.' It looked like the base was a large stone pen that just had a bunch of rooms added here and there. I smiled as we crept inside. The house felt warm and cozy and I instantly felt at home there. I was also surprised by all the magic around the house.
Even when we lived with our parents my mother taught us how to live like Muggles, so we didn't always use magic around the house. I watched as the dishes did themselves, and something was being knitted in the small living room. As I gazed at everything one of the twins handed me a pastry that was sitting on the table. I bit into it as I gazed at the large grandfather clock. Instead of numbers it had a list of places, and there were six hands, each one with a member of the Weasley family on it.
"It's not much, but its home." Ron said.
"It's brilliant." Harry added.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?" Mrs. Weasley's voice crashed into my thoughts as she appeared, out of nowhere, in front of us. "Beds empty. No note. Car gone! You could have died; you could have been seen! Of course, I don't blame you dears." She said approaching Harry and myself. Harry and I exchanged a glance. "They were starving them Mum! There were bars on the windows!" Ron said trying to defend their actions. "You best hope I don't bars on your window Ronald Weasley."
Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Harry and me. "You are skin and bones!" She said taking my hands in hers and looking at me. I shrugged. "I didn't trust our Aunt not to poison us. I didn't eat a lot." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "Boys, outside. As punishment for leaving and taking the car you can de-gnome the garden, while I make breakfast. Harry, Holly. Please make yourselves comfortable."
Ron and the Twins complained to themselves as they marched outside. Looking at each other Harry and I followed them. "Let me help." Harry said. I jumped up on the small stone wall and watched has Ron showed Harry how they de-gnome a garden. I watched as they spun in circles before releasing the gnomes over the garden wall. "What are you doing?" Harry asked me. "Sitting." I said simply as I watched the twins launch another two over the wall.
"Get down here and help us."
"I never said I volunteered for – AHHHH!"
In the middle of answering Harry a gnome popped up from a bush under my feet and hit my foot. I jumped so high I fell backwards off the wall. I pulled myself off the ground as the others stood around and laughed. I shot them all the coldest glare I could and stomped back into the house. I found Mrs. Weasley cooking and chatting to Ginny, the youngest and only Weasley girl. "Oh, Holly dear. Are they finished already?" Mrs. Weasley asked me. I shook my head.
"Ginny, you remember Holly. Do you mind if she shares your room while they are staying here?"
Ginny gave me a small smile and nodded. "Sure, I'll show you." I followed her to her room. It was on the first floor and it was small. It overlooked the orchard in the back of the house. The walls were covered with posters of the Weird Sisters and The Holyhead Harpies, the all-girl quidditch team. "It's small but…" she trailed off looking shy. I shrugged. "It's better then what we had all summer. I slept on a pile of blankets on the floor." Ginny gave me a sympathetic look. I gave her another half-hearted shrug.
"Are you excited to go to school this year?" I asked her. She nodded. "Yeah." She looked a little sad. "I just worry sometimes that I won't stand out against my brothers." I laughed at that and Ginny looked surprised. "I'm sorry, I'm not laughing at you. I just said almost the same thing last year too. I trust you will find yourself. I promise." I gave her a warm smile and she returned it. I inhaled the savoy smell of a breakfast cooking. "Come on, it should be ready."
Ginny and I walked out into the kitchen to find the others already seated and piling food on their plates. Harry turned to us as we entered and said Hello to Ginny who instantly froze in place, a small blush creeping across her cheeks before she ran back into her bedroom. I dropped myself into the seat next to Fred and George, and across from Harry. As we ate the front door opened and Mr. Weasley stepped inside. "Good morning Weasleys!"
"Morning Dad!"
"What a night, nine raids. Nine!"
"Raids?" Harry and I both asked. "Dad works for the Ministry of Magic, the misuse of Muggle artifacts. Dad loves muggles. He thinks they are fascinating."
Just then Mr. Weasley sat down at the head of the table, which put him directly between Harry and I. As he sat, he looked between Harry and I. "And who are you two?"
"I'm Harry, sir. Harry Potter and this is my sister Holly."
Mr. Weasley looked surprised then looked at me again and nodded slowly. "Yes, yes of course. Well Ron and the Twins have told us all about you two, of course. When did you get here?" He asked cutting into his breakfast like it was no big deal that two random children were sitting at his kitchen table. Then again, I guess it wouldn't be a big deal, they already have seven kids, it's like Harry and I just stepped in for their eldest two.
"This morning. Your sons flew that enchanted car of yours to surrey and back last night!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed and I felt George flinch beside me. "Did you really?" Mr. Weasley asked sounding stern. "How did it go?" He added now sounding like an excited child. Harry and I had to stifle our laughter as the Twins and Ron jumped into telling him all about it, but Mrs. Weasley put a half to that with one quick smack on Mr. Weasleys shoulder.
"That was very wrong boys, very wrong indeed."
After we ate, I headed back into Ginny's room. She was laying on her bed staring at the ceiling. She looked at me shyly when I came in. "Sorry, I just wanted to write a letter." She smiled at me and motioned to her desk. I sat down and wrote a quick letter to Rhea and Ashley letting them know briefly that I was able to receive letters now, and hopefully we could meet at Diagon Alley.
"Harry!" I called out to him after him. "He is upstairs in Ron's room dear." Mrs. Weasley said as I entered the kitchen. I thanked her and ran up the stairs calling after Harry. He poked his head over the rails as I stopped on the second floor. "What?" He called down to me. "Is Hedwig back yet?" He nodded. "Can I send her out again? I have letters." He motioned for me to go up and get her. I ran the rest of the way upstairs and found Hedwig on her perch.
"Hello beautiful." I said as I approached her. She looked at me slightly annoyed. "Do you want to go out again? I have some letters." Eventually she hopped out on to my arm and I smiled at her. "Aren't you the prettiest and smartest little bird." I always gave her praise whenever she did something for me. Harry gave her a little treat before she took off.
As I walked back downstairs, I stopped on the second floor again when I heard a small explosion coming from the one room. The door was cracked open, so I pushed it over and found the Twins hovering over something small on the floor. I creeped up on them and peered over their shoulders. "What is that?" My question made them jump slightly. "Holly!" George said surprised. "We didn't even hear you come in."
I took a step back and took in the rest of the room. The room had a small desk covered in papers and broken experiments. There was a lingering hint of gunpowder smell. "You guys are like mad scientists." I said looking at all the broken experiments. As I walked around picking up the broken ones; I slide some working ones in my pocket. Thankfully they didn't notice. "We are." George said coming up behind me. I shook my head. "You are definitely mad; I'll give you that."
With that I left the room and went back to Ginny's. She was dressed now but still laying on her bed. "I have to ask." I said to her when I entered. "Why are you scared of my brother?" Ginny gave me a disbelieving look. "I'm not scared of him. I just…" She trailed off. "Think he's cute?" I asked and she nodded turning her head into her pillow to hide her blush.
"You get it though, right? You like the Twins."
"Well that's different. They are my friends."
"Just friends?"
I nodded, although something kept poking me in the back of my mind, I ignored it. "We can't have you hiding in your room. Do you want to have some fun?" Ginny sat up and looked at me. I slid my hand into my pocket and pulled out the couple of things I knicked from the twin's room. Ginny's eyes grew wide and I smiled. "Would you like to prank the pranksters?"