Wildwriter97? Who's that? Oh yeah, it's the author who posted chapter four, saying that chapter five was near and then didn't post it for like three months. I know that this was an unacceptably long time to make you guys wait and I'm really sorry, but I'm sure you don't want to hear my excuses so I'll just give you chapter five.
Remember folks, JK Rowling owns Harry Potter, not me.
Chapter Five: The Whomping Willow
The end of the summer holidays came too quickly for Jessica's liking. Of course, going back to Hogwarts would be amazing, she couldn't wait to see Hermione again, but her month with the Weasleys had been the best time she'd had since her birthday. She wasn't looking forward to spending all of next summer at Privet Drive, especially after the way she and Harry had left.
On their last night, Mrs Weasley made them a delicious feast which included everyone's favourite foods. Fred and George ended the evening by letting off a round of fireworks, sending multi-coloured sparks flying around the room for half an hour. After one last mug of hot chocolate, everyone moved up to bed just as the last glittering remains of the fireworks faded.
The next morning, everyone was up at the crack of dawn. Jessica had packed her trunk the night before, but still found herself colliding with people on the stairs as she rushed around the house helping Mrs Weasley collect things that people had left everywhere. The Burrow was in a state of chaos as people scrambled to get out the door in time to reach the Hogwarts Express. Jessica wasn't sure how they would fit all the Weasleys, everyone's trunks and the Potter twins in the small Ford Anglia, but Mr Weasley assured her that there was plenty of room. When Jessica and Harry asked him how, he winked and showed them the extended interior of the car. "Magic," he said.
Once everyone had gotten into the car, Mrs Weasley looked into the back seat where Jessica, Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Percy were comfortably seated.
"Muggles must be much more resourceful than we give them credit for," she said as she and Ginny slid into the passenger seat, which had been magically stretched to cater for the two of them. "You'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"
The car rumbled to life as Jessica looked back sadly at The Burrow. She wondered how long it would be before she would see it again when they were back: George had forgotten his fireworks. They finally seemed set to leave when Fred ran back in for his broomstick. Every time they were about to leave, someone had to go back for something, and Jessica was wondering if they would ever get to King's Cross. By the time they finally set off for the last time they were running incredibly late.
Throughout the journey, Mr Weasley kept glancing at the time, then the sky, then his wife.
"No, Arthur," said Mrs Weasley. "You are not flying this car to King's Cross."
"But Molly, no one would see us. I installed this button that'll turn the car invisible we'll get there in no time."
"No."
They reached King's Cross at quarter to eleven. After scrambling to grab trolleys, they all dashed towards the barrier between Platforms nine and ten. When they finally reached it, a large clock was showing them that they only had five minutes to get on the train. Mrs Weasley ushered Ginny in first. When they had disappeared through the barrier, Percy, Fred, George and Mr Weasley followed. Only Jessica, Harry and Ron were left.
"See you on the other side," said Jessica as she moved towards the barrier. With a final look at Ron and Harry, she pushed her trolley against the barrier. But it wouldn't move.
"You alright, Jess?" asked Harry.
"Yeah, just need a run-up," said Jessica, backing up her trolley. She glanced at the clock. One minute to go. She took a deep breath and sprinted towards the magical barrier. With a loud crunch and a disgruntled meow from Truffles, the trolley stopped against the barrier. A knock from Harry confirmed that the wall was, indeed, solid.
"It's gone," said Ron. "The train's left. It's eleven o'clock."
"Well, what now?" asked Harry with a look of dismay. They couldn't stay where they were; people were beginning to stare at them as both Hedwig and Truffles were being quite loud.
"We should just go wait for your parents at the car –"
"Jess, you're a genius! We can fly the car to Hogwarts!" said Ron, already jogging back towards the car park.
Panting, Jessica caught up with Harry and Ron next to the car, where they were already putting their trunks into the boot.
"Are you even sure this is legal?" hissed Jessica as she came up behind them.
"Yeah, underage wizards can use magic in emergencies," said Ron. "Besides, do you have any better ideas?"
He took Jessica's shocked expression as an agreement and helped Harry lift Jessica's trunk into the car.
"But Ron," said Jessica, "What will happen when your parents come out?" This statement seemed to make Ron more eager to get their things safely into the car. He almost dropped Hedwig when she screeched a loud protest to being put with the trunks.
"Jess, you sit in the back and look after Hedwig and truffles," said Harry giving her the two cages. "Ron and I can go in the front."
Moaning and protesting under her breath, Jessica finally gave in and slid onto the elongated back seat. Now that she was the only one there, she could lie across the car, with Hedwig and Truffles safely tucked in the foot space below the seat.
"Check no one's watching," said Ron from the driver's seat, fiddling with the keys.
"All clear," Harry replied when a sudden panic hit Jessica.
"Can you even drive this, Ron?"
"Yeah, I mean – probably. It doesn't look too hard..."
The car rumbled to life and Ron punched the silver invisibility button on the dashboard. The car and everything in it suddenly vanished. Jessica could still feel the rumble of the car's engine, and heard Ron's tense breathing from the driver's seat, but as far as she could see, she could be lying in mid-air rather than on a perfectly solid car-seat.
"Let's go, then," said Harry's voice from in front of her.
Slowly, the buildings and streets fell away, and soft white clouds took their place. Looking down, Jessica could see the winding streets of London below them. Suddenly, with a loud pop, the car became visible and Ron swerved above the clouds to avoid being seen.
"Go back!" yelled Harry. "We have to see where train's going."
"Scotland," said Jessica sarcastically, but pointed the boys in the right direction as they briefly dipped under the clouds. They decided to do this every twenty minutes to keep track of the Hogwarts Express.
Before long, the gentle swaying of the car made Jessica drift into sleep.
She dreamt that she was playing Quidditch. The stands were crowded with cheering spectators eager to see Gryffindor win. They were facing Slytherin, and Jessica was determined to find the Snitch and get the game finished quickly. She heard the cheers of the Slytherin team as they scored goal after goal, and desperately searched for the Snitch as the score reached 70-0. Jessica turned to tell Wood to stop letting the Quaffle in, but gasped when she saw that he wasn't beside the goal posts. In fact, she couldn't see any players wearing the scarlet of Gryffindor. Abandoning her search for the Snitch, Jessica dived and intercepted a pass between two Slytherin players and sped to the other end of the pitch. Dodging both Bludgers and several Slytherin players, she hurled the Quaffle towards the left goalpost. As it sailed through the hoop, her inside did a flip. She had scored a goal. But this excitement was short-lived as an ear-splitting explosion of cheers erupted from the Slytherins, and as Jessica looked up, she saw the Golden Snitch glinting in the Slytherin Seeker's hand.
"Potter!" called a hard, angry voice. Jessica flew up to meet a steaming red Oliver Wood. "What was that? You call that Quidditch? We lost 220 points to 10! A house elf could have scored more goals than that! A hinkypunk could've found the Snitch faster! You do not deserve a place on this team, Jessica. Now get off my pitch."
Wood snatched Jessica's boom away from underneath her and she found herself falling. She could see the ground coming closer and closer she braced for impact...
With a gasp, Jessica sat bolt upright. It was dark now, and it took a few seconds for her to register what was happening around her. She could no longer feel the calming vibration of the car's engine. Instead, they were plummeting towards Hogwarts castle, which was just ahead of them.
"Ron," she yelled. "Make it go!"
"Wow Jessica. That's a great idea, I wonder why I didn't think of it!" replied Ron sarcastically as he frantically turned the wheel. He let go of it entirely as they skimmed over the greenhouses and narrowly avoided the castle wall.
"MIND THAT TREE!" yelled Harry, reaching for the steering wheel just seconds too late as – CRUNCH
With an almighty bang of metal on wood, the Ford Anglia collided with the trunk of a huge tree and fell to the ground with a jolt. Jessica, as she had been lying down, was not wearing a seatbelt and had slammed into the back of Harry's seat as a pain shot up her arm when it was thrown up to protect her head. Steam was billowing out of the car's engine. Hedwig and Truffles were howling and screeching in the corner. Ron let out a moan.
"You two alright?" asked Harry.
"My wand," said Ron. "Look at my wand." His wand had almost completely snapped in two. The tip was limply dangling from a few splinters.
"What about you, Jess?"
"Yeah, but my arm..."
The car jolted as something hit it from the side.
"What the bloody hell was that?" yelled Ron as the car was hit heavily again on its roof.
Harry gasped, looking through the windscreen. Following his gaze, Jessica saw exactly what was hitting them. It was the tree itself. Its branches were flying around, pummelling the car from all angles. Ron screamed as a branch dented his door. The windscreen was beginning to concave from the blows. The roof had begun to bend ominously.
"Run for it!" said Ron, throwing his full weight against the door but was knocked back into Harry's lap by a vicious swipe from another branch.
"We're done for!" he said as the roof sagged, but suddenly, the car began to vibrate – the engine had restarted!
"REVERSE!" Harry shouted and the car shot backwards. The tree continued to slash at them. The roots groaned as it almost pulled itself out of the earth trying to reach the speeding car.
"That was close," panted Ron, patting the dashboard. "Good car."
The car, however, seemed to have other ideas. With small clunks, the four doors flew open and Jessica felt her seat tipping to the side. Next thing she knew, she was on the damp grass next to Harry. Loud thunks signalled that their trunks had been ejected from the boot of the car. Hedwig and Truffle's cages flew through the air, being caught by Harry and Jessica. Then, dented, deformed and steaming, the car rumbled away into the night.
"Come back!" Ron yelled, brandishing his broken wand. "Dad's gonna kill me!"
But with one final snort from the exhaust, the car disappeared from view.
"Can you believe it?" said Ron miserably. "Of all the trees we could hit, we had to get the one that hits back."
He glanced back at the tree, which was still flailing its branches viciously.
"Come on then," said Harry. "We'd better get inside."
So, cold, bruised and aching, the three of them grabbed their trunks and began lugging them up the grassy slope towards the grand oak doors of the castle.
"I think the feast's already started," said Ron, dropping his trunk at the entryway and crossing over to peer through a window. "Hey, come and look – it's the sorting!"
Harry and Jessica hurried over to the window. The Great Hall looked as magnificent as it had last year. Bright candles hovered over the four long house tables, making the gold plates and goblets shine. The enchanted ceiling, mirroring the sky outside, shone with twinkling stars.
Through the crowd of the Pointed Hogwarts hats, Jessica could see a line of terrified first years filing into the hall. She could see Ginny near the back, her flaming red hair distinguishing her as a Weasley. Meanwhile, Professor McGonagall was placing the famous Sorting Hat on a stool before the first-years.
Every year, this dirty old patchy hat sorted new Hogwarts students into one of the four houses. Jessica remembered her own sorting; how terrified she'd been as she sat on the stool, the moment the hat touched her head as she felt her whole mind open to it, how she had taken so long to sort, she and Harry were both nearly sorted into Slytherin and Jessica herself had given the Sorting Hat quite a dilemma trying to decide between Ravenclaw and Gryffindor. Eventually though, both twins had been sorted into Gryffindor and had snatched the house cup from Slytherin's seven-year winning streak.
A small, mousy-haired boy stepped up to the Sorting Hat, and Jessica waited eagerly to see which house would welcome him in.
"Hang on," Harry muttered. "There's an empty seat at the staff table ... where's Snape?"
Jessica inspected the staff table, seeing many teachers, but no Snape.
"Maybe he's ill," said Ron hopefully.
"Maybe he's left," said Harry, "because he missed out on the Defence Against Dark Arts job again!"
"I really doubt that," said Jessica. "I reckon he's out looking for–"
"He might've been sacked!" said Ron enthusiastically. "I mean, everyone hates him –"
"Or maybe," said a cold voice behind them, "he's waiting to hear why you three didn't arrive on the school train."
All three of them spun around. Standing behind them, his black cloak rippling ominously in the breeze, was Professor Severus Snape.
"Follow me," he said.
Not daring to look at each other, Harry, Ron and Jessica followed Snape up the steps into the vast entrance hall. The delicious smell of the Hogwarts feast wafted from the Great Hall, but Snape led them away from the warmth and light down a small staircase towards the cold dark dungeons.
"In!" he said, opening a door halfway down the passageway and pointing.
They entered Snape's office, shivering. The fireplace was dark and empty. The dark walls were lined with shelves of large glass jars. Jessica didn't recognise any of the substances floating in them, but they all looked absolutely revolting. Snape closed the door and turned to look at them.
"So," he said softly, "the train isn't good enough for the famous Potters and their faithful sidekick Weasley. Wanted to arrive with a bang, did we?"
"No sir, it was the barrier at King's Cross, it –"
"Silence!" said Snape coldly. "What have you done with the car?"
Ron gulped. This wasn't the first time Snape had given Jessica the impression he could read minds. But a moment later, he unrolled today's issue of the Evening Prophet.
"You were seen," showing them the headline: FLYING CAR MYSTIFIES MUGGLES. He began t read aloud. "Two Muggles in London, convinced they saw an old car flying over the Post Office tower ... at noon in Norfolk, Mrs Hetty Bayliss, while hanging out her washing ... Mr Angus Fleet, of Peebles, reported to police ... six or seven Muggles in all. I believe your father works in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office?" he said, looking at Ron and smiling still more nastily. "Dear, dear... his own son..."
Jessica felt as though she had been hit in the stomach with one of the larger branches from the mad tree. If anyone found out Mr Weasley had bewitched the car... they hadn't thought about that...
"I noticed, in my search of the park, that considerable damage seems to have been done to a very valuable Whomping Willow," Snape continued.
"That tree did more damage to us than we –"
"Silence!" snapped Snape again.
"But sir, Jessica's arm could be broken because of that tree!" said Harry.
Snape looked at Jessica for the first time. "Is this true?" he asked. Jessica nodded and he flicked his wand. The pain in her arm instantly vanished. "It wasn't broken," Snape sneered to Harry.
Now, most unfortunately, you are not in my House and the decision to expel you does not rest with me. I shall fetch the people who do have that happy power. You will wait here."
"I told you taking the car was a bad idea!" said Jessica as the door swung shut behind Snape. "If we had waited for your parents to come back, Ron, we wouldn't be in this situation."
Harry and Ron had turned positively green, and it wasn't from the disgusting things floating in the jars around them; Gryffindor's head of House, Professor McGonagall, although fairer than Snape, was extremely strict. They waited in silence until Snape returned ten minutes later with Professor McGonagall. She raised her wand the moment she entered and flames erupted in the fireplace.
"Sit," she said and Harry, Jessica and Ron backed into chairs beside the fire.
"Explain," she said, her glasses glinting ominously.
Ron launched into the story, starting with the barrier at the station refusing to let them through.
"... so we had no choice, Professor, we couldn't get on the train."
"Why couldn't you send a letter by owl? I believe you have an owl," Professor McGonagall said coldly to Harry.
Jessica mentally slapped herself. How did she not think of this herself?
"It is very disappointing that none of the three of you thought of this."
There was a knock on the door and Snape, now looking happier than ever, opened it. There stood Professor Dumbledore.
Jessica's body went numb. Dumbledore was looking unusually grave. He stared down his crooked nose at them and the look in his eyes made Jessica feel so bad she almost wished that they were still being beaten by the Whomping Willow.
There was a long silence. Then Dumbledore said, "Please explain why you did this."
It would have been better if he had shouted. Jessica heard the disappointment in his voice. Harry began stammering their story to him, looking at the floor the whole time. He didn't mention that the car had belonged to Mr Weasley, making it sound like they had simply found a flying car outside the station, but Jessica knew Dumbledore saw through this instantly. When Harry had finished, Dumbledore stared at them through his spectacles.
"We'll go get our stuff," said Ron in a hopeless voice.
"What are you talking about, Weasley?" barked Professor McGonagall.
"Well, you're expelling us, aren't you?" said Ron.
"Not today, Mr Weasley," said Dumbledore. "But I must impress upon the three of you the seriousness of what you have done. I will be writing to your families tonight. I must warn you that if you do anything like this again, I will have no choice but to expel you."
Snape looked as though Christmas had been cancelled. He cleared his throat and said, "Professor Dumbledore, these three have flouted the Decree for the Restriction of Under-age Wizardry, caused serious damage to an old and valuable tree... surely acts of this nature..."
"It will be for Professor McGonagall to decide on their punishments, Severus," said Dumbledore calmly. 'They are in her House and are therefore her responsibility." He turned to Professor McGonagall. "I must go back to the feast, Minerva, I've got to give out a few notices. Come, Severus, there's a delicious-looking custard tart I want to sample."
Snape shot a look of pure venom in their direction as he allowed himself to be swept out of his office, leaving them alone with Professor McGonagall, who was eyeing them still like a wrathful eagle
"You'd better get to the hospital wing, Weasley, you're bleeding."
"Not much," said Ron, hastily wiping the cut over his eye with his sleeve. "Professor, I wanted to watch my sister being sorted –"
"The Sorting Ceremony is over," said Professor McGonagall. "Your sister is also in Gryffindor."
"Oh, good," said Ron.
"And speaking of Gryffindor –" Professor McGonagall said sharply, but Harry cut in: "Professor, when we took the car, term hadn't started, so – so Gryffindor shouldn't really have to lose points, should it?"
Professor McGonagall gave him a piercing look, but Jessica was sure she had almost smiled. Her mouth looked less thin, anyway. "I will not take any points from Gryffindor," she said, "but you will all get a detention."
It was better than Jessica had expected. As for Dumbledore writing to the Dursleys, that didn't matter. Jessica knew perfectly well that they'd just be disappointed the Whomping Willow hadn't squashed them flat.
Professor McGonagall raised her wand again and pointed it at Snape's desk. A large plate of sandwiches, three silver goblets and a jug of iced pumpkin juice appeared with a pop.
"You will eat in here and then go straight to your dormitories," she said. "I must also return to the feast."
When the door had closed behind her, Ron let out a long, low whistle.
"I thought we'd had it," he said, grabbing a sandwich.
"So did I," said Harry, taking one too.
"I can't believe you two," said Jessica. "We got seen by Muggles, almost killed by a tree and almost expelled, but all you can do it relax and eat your sandwiches."
"Aren't you hungry?"
"Yes, I'm hungry, but that's not the point –"
"Relax, Jessica," said Harry. "Have a sandwich, drink some pumpkin juice. There's nothing we can do now."
Reluctantly, Jessica accepted the food and drink. Finally, when they had all eaten as many sandwiches as they could (the plate had re-filled itself), they left Snape's office and walked the familiar path to Gryffindor tower. The castle was quiet: the feast must have ended. They walked past the muttering portraits and creaking suits of armour, and up staircases until they reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"Password?" she asked as they approached.
None of them knew the password, of course, but almost immediately help arrived. Hermione came rushing towards them.
"There you are! Where have you been? The most ridiculous rumours – someone said you'd been expelled for crashing a flying car."
"Well, we haven't been expelled," Harry assured her.
"You're telling me you did fly here?" said Hermione, sounding almost as severe as Professor McGonagall.
"Skip the lecture," said Ron impatiently, "and tell us the new password."
"Wattlebird," said Hermione. "But that's not the point –"
Her words were cut short as the portrait swung open, and a round of applause erupted from the Gryffindors inside. It looked as though the whole house was awake, packed into the common room. Arms reached through the portrait hole to pull Harry, Ron and Jessica inside, leaving Hermione to scramble in after them.
"Brilliant!" yelled Lee Jordan. "Inspired! What an entrance! Flying a car into the Whomping Willow, people'll be talking about that for years!"
"Good on you," said a fifth year Jessica had never met; people were congratulating her as if she'd just won a marathon. Fred and George pushed their way to the front of the crowd and said together, "Why couldn't you have called us back, eh?"
Ron's face had turned scarlet as he grinned, but Jessica had spotted someone (apart from Hermione) who wasn't happy. Percy's head emerged over the crowd as he tried to get close enough to tell them off.
"Well, I'm going to bed. Car flying sure makes you tired, goodnight." She said as she made her way towards the girl's dormitories. She was hoping to be asleep before Hermione ended up coming to could question her about the car, but alas, no sooner than Jessica had slid into her bed, Hermione appeared in the doorway demanding answers. It was many hours before Hermione's tirade of questions ended, and Jessica couldn't help feeling glad she had at least convinced Hermione that it wasn't her fault that she ended up arriving at Hogwarts in a flying car. A weigh, albeit small, off her shoulders, Jessica went to sleep with a smile on her face.