Chapter 6
Things were great. Hermione and Ron were together, Harry had arrived a few days after Hermione and couldn't be happier for them (he too had received a dose of Happy Nap his first night), and their 6th year at Hogwarts was about start. Things were great and life was great.
Ron, Hermione, and Harry had taken to taking walks around the area near the burrow. There was actually some interesting things to see. Once they even saw two garden gnomes practicing throwing each other in the way that they were thrown out of the Weasley's garden. They laughed so hard at the silly gnomes that they doubled over in pain.
On this particular walk, however, there was a bit of extra excitement running through their veins. They felt like doing something wild but they had to wait for something to come.
"Hey," Harry began, "Does anyone else feel like doing something other than a walk?" Hermione and Ron looked at each other, smiled and nodded. "I mean, other than walking or THAT."
Hermione giggled, "Well, what do you have in mind Harry?"
"Yeah, there's only so many places we can walk before we get into the village, and even then that's ages away."
"Ronald! It's not that far, you're over exaggerating. Honestly though, why don't we walk into the village? In all the times I've ever been to your house, I've never been into the village."
Ron blushed a bit as he seemed to be thinking up a good excuse until he finally managed to says something. "Um, I really don't think it's a very good idea, it's just that…I have a lot of packing to do before we leave, I really should get it done."
Harry and Hermione eyed him suspiciously, Ron was a very poor liar.
"Ron, we don't leave for two days! That's enough time to pack your school things. Let's just go, I've always wondered what the rest of this area was like."
"Well..." Ron looked very unsure about this.
"Come on Ron, do it for your girlfriend. Are you trying to make her unhappy?"
Ron went very pink and agreed, very reluctantly, to take them to the village.
"Alright then," said Ron after about 15 minutes, "we're nearly there, you can see it up ahead." Sure enough, if you looked onward there was a small village.
"Wait a minute, I completely forgot! Is it going to be a wizard village or muggles?"
"Wizard, but don't expect to do much shopping there."
"Why not?"
"Err, you'll see."
They finished walking the rest of the way in silence, Ron looking worried while Harry and Hermione just wanted to figure out what was wrong with the village. It was a wizard village, what could be wrong with that?
They finally starting walking into the village.
"Ron, what's it's name anyway?"
"It's called Insolito. That's Italian."
"What's it mean?"
"Er, I think it means 'uncommon', at least that's what Mum told me. Technically, we're not supposed to come into this village…"
"What? Your Mum doesn't like you to go this far away?" Harry said teasingly.
"No, it's just…really strange, or I guess uncommon, things seem to go on here." Ron was walking very slowly as they began to get farther into Insolito.
"What kind of strange things?" Hermione's interest had been piqued. She was the kind of girl who wasn't just going to let him leave a cliff hanger like that for Harry and her to figure out.
"Just weird stuff, like some wizard'll build up a shop for something no one would ever need and people on the streets will say all kinds of ridiculous things. The first time I came here a witch about my age came over and said my sister needed me and I better be there when she did or else terrible things would happen."
"So, what? Do you think she was psychic or something?" Hermione snorted when she heard this. It was clearly known by most that she thought things like divination (future-seeing) were all made up crap.
"I dunno, I didn't even have a sister yet, so I reckon she must have been."
"OR," Hermione said loudly, "she guessed lucky, that's all it is, it's lucky guessing."
"Oh whatever, Hermione."
They continued their walk and did see some strange people. One man was standing outside of a bar with a sign around his neck that said " The Muggles are coming. You have been warned." They laughed nervously at that once they had walked past the man but stopped abruptly at the sight in front of them around the corner. All they could see was a small house with tons and tons of owls flying in and out of it. They went through windows, open doors, down the chimney, and a few even went under the porch. It was amazing looking.
"Ron, what IS that?" Hermione had no idea why she even asked, If she didn't know, Ron most likely wouldn't.
"I don't remember that being here. I vaguely remember the house but when I saw it a family lived there, not a bunch of owls."
"I think it's brilliant! Come on guys, let's go have a look." Harry felt that rush of excitement start flowing again.
"I don't konw Harry…"
"Oh come on you two! One last fun adventure before school starts. You know we don't get opportunities like this all the time."
"Well, alright, Ron you're coming, right?" yelled Hermione as she and Harry starting walking towards the house.
"Yeah, I'm coming."
They started at a fast-paced walk in the direction of the owl-ridden house. There was one owl that stood out far among the rest of the brown barn owls. It was very golden looking with bits of brown feathers specked randomly. It flew into the house. A few moments after it did they heard yelling inside and stopped on the spot to listen to the words. It was a girl's voice and she seemed to be yelling cheers of rebellion but they could only catch bits and pieces.
"You've got to fight! Verjfghsiuhdjvs rewards!! That's the goal! Nwifhdjsnifhcjxkdj!!!" After that it was all just squawks and hoots.
"Come on guys," said Ron, grabbing Hermione's arm, "I think we'd better go."
"No! I want to listen! This is all fascinating." Hermione may have been excited but Harry and Ron would have very much liked to leave just then. Suddenly, the front door swung all the way open and there was a girl standing there behind a group of owls. She was clearly the source of the yelling.
"Go on! Give those letters to the first people you see!"
The trio gulped and started to move away when the group of owls started to swoop down upon them. They screamed as the letters were dropped on to their heads. That would have been bad enough but then the owls began scratching and biting them. Ron frantically tried to cover Hermione but it seemed their fighting was futile. It took a minute for the girl to notice the commotion and ran over yelling once again.
"No! Bad birds! NOT people around here! Pick them up and go on your way!" The owls stopped their scratching, stared at her for a moment and then picked up the letters and flew up again.
"What the bloody hell was that for!?" Harry looked angry but then his face became confusion as he stared at the girl. She was about 16 and very pretty.
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry about that!! I knew they were strong but I didn't think they'd go after all three of you at once." she looked at Harry's scratched arms, barely even seeing Ron and Hermione, "I've got something you can put on those, if you wanted to come inside."
Harry took a minute to process her words, they had almost gone over his head. 'Um, yes, but, in there?" He gestured to the owl house.
"Oh! Oh no, I don't live there, I live over there. That's just my owlery. Come on then, you two also."
"Wait, but, who are you?" Harry was still dumbstruck while Ron and Hermione pulled themselves together.
"Oh, my name's Vinola. Vinola Mooncross."
Another Note From Me:
Another fabulous chapter, huh? I wouldn't know though, no one has left me reviews so for all I know it sucks worse than anything. lol. ttyl