Disclaimer all characters, settings, etc, are the copyright of JK Rowling and Bloomsbury Publishing
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Chapter six. Young and in love
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As I took Mrs Potter's wand and turned it to hold the handle, Mr Weasley looked at his watch which was chiming twelve o clock, midday.
"Midday exactly, Andrew, do you think you could give me a few minutes before I take you home? I need to inform the Weasley family they will want to be at the funeral," Mr Weasley said very quietly.
I was not feeling as though I wanted to go anywhere yet, so I nodded.
As I watched him walk down the corridor I found my self wishing to be like him. He seemed so strong, he had just lost his life long best friend who he thought of as his sister and though the tears were slowly trickling down his cheeks he still had strength to think of the rest of the Potter and Weasley families.
I waited for a few minutes before he came back, when he did. I had made a decision, as he approached me I asked if I might be allowed to attend the funeral, to which he agreed. He even promised to send me a message to tell me the date and time and then to pick me up from home on the day, finishing off with a promise that I would be able to spend the entire day with him.
As we walked toward the way out, I noticed that he seemed a little worried about something and he kept checking his watch every few seconds. When we reached the main entrance hall I had to ask because I felt a little uncomfortable and was worried I was keeping him from his work.
"Mr Weasley sir is there something wrong? only I notice you keep looking at your watch? I don't want to be a problem," I ended with a whisper.
Once more he checked his watch before he answered "Well the Potter family should be arriving, I just hoped they would arrive on time, portkeys, it's not always simple to get them quickly, I had thought I would get to meet one of them to explain what happened before we left."
"I don't have to go home right now, a long as I am home for my dinner I don't mind if we stay here a while longer, in fact I would like to meet some more of the Potter family," I said feeling rather bold.
A small friendly smile appeared on his face; "Well if it's ok with you? I really would like to be here when they begin to arrive," he said looking down at me a little relieved. We took seats in the main entrance waiting area, and then spent the next ten minutes talking about the people who entered the reception area. I was amazed by some of the things I saw and heard. Then one poor fellow entered carrying a huge iron pot, Mr Weasley told me it was a cooking cauldron.
The man struggled up to the nurse just a few feet from us, "Please help me, I can't put this dumb thing down. I had to rest four times when I aparated here, I don't know what happened, one of the children got hold of a wand." Even as he spoke to the nurse his legs began to give way under the weight he was holding.
She took out her wand and said some thing that sounded like 'wings hard levysom', the look of relief on his face was instant.
"Please take a seat and someone will be along to help shortly", she told him.
I think that is when I realised that magic could be dangerous. "No wonder you have to go to school to learn how to use magic," I said out loud to no one in particular.
"Even trained wizard's can have accidents," Mr Weasley told me.
An hour and a half later two men walked in through the door followed by several women and children. I knew immediately that they were the Potter family. The first man looked exactly like an older version of Mr Potter, though he was the only one with black hair, all the others had bushy brown hair except for one who had long dark red hair.
Mr Weasley rose and rushed toward them. They each in turn hugged him, and as he gave the the news that they were to late to say goodbye the tears flowed freely from them all, he turned and beckoned for me to join them. I was introduced as 'Andy the Muggle friend of Hermione'.
I shook hands with them one by one. Then the last hand reached out to me, taking it, I looked up into the most amazing emerald green eyes. I think I fell in love in that instant, the most beautiful dark red haired girl smiled at me.
I lost my voice as soon as she said hello with the most wonderful angelic voice, all I could manage was a sort of grunt. I spent the next two hours with the Potter's and Weasley's as they reunited, most of those two hours I spent simply admiring the red headed beauty.
I found out that the girl was named Ginny after her great grandmothers' friend. I also found out we were the same age and that her family would be remaining in England, and even better they would be living at Godrics Hollow in the Potter family home. I could not keep from looking at her no matter how hard I tried. I found myself wishing with all I had that I was a wizard and could go to magic school with the angel that had stolen my senses.
All too soon Mr Weasley said he would have to take me home. The rest of the family left us to make their last visit to Mrs Potter. We had reached the door when that beautiful voice stopped us.
"Uncle Ron. Dad says can you wait for us then we can all port key to Godrics Hollow together," Ginny smiled at me again, making my knees shake a little, and then she rushed off to join her family.
We waited a few minutes longer for them to return then we all stood in a group at the entrance. Mr Weasley was handed an old news paper which he held out in front of him, every one put out their hand and took hold.
"You too Andy," he said as the dark haired Mr Potter started to count down.
When he reached zero the world seemed to go crazy. After a huge tug at my stomach every thing began to spin. Seconds later I was flung to the ground, joined by one or two of the younger Potter's. Getting to my feet, helped by the young Ginny, I saw that we were back outside the Potter house.
I was feeling in an odd mood as I walked the short way to my home after saying goodbye to the Potter family. I had just lost someone I had come to love over the last few weeks and I was devastated by it. Yet I had just met a girl who had stirred emotions in me that I had never felt before, by the time I was home my mind was in turmoil. It was four in the afternoon when I walked into the kitchen. My mum was making a cup of tea for my dad. She filled his cup, the one I had bought him a year ago.
"Is dad ok mum?" I asked, because dad very rarely arrived home before six.
"Your father has been home since one o clock, I had to phone him when something unusual happened at midday," my mum answered me.
"Midday did you say, what happened at midday, mum?" I remembered Mr Weasley checking his watch at midday the same time Mrs Potter died.
"You can take his tea and go to see if you can help your dad, I heard him swearing a minute ago," mum said and went back to doing her own cup of tea. I couldn't help noticing the strange look she had in her eyes, it was almost like fear.
When I walked into the living room first thing I saw was my dad kneeling on the floor looking in his tool box for something. I walked a little further into the room before I saw it. A life size portrait of a grey haired old lady looked down from the wall. She winked ever so slightly at me as I asked my dad what he was doing.
"I'm trying to remove this picture that's what. your mum said it just appeared at midday, just appeared I ask you who ever heard such, and she swears she has not been out of the house, or opened the door to anyone," dad was fuming.
"Can I have it for my bedroom? When you get it down," I asked.
"What do you mean when, don't you mean if? I have been here since one-o-clock trying to shift the…" he shut up before he swore in my presence.
"Maybe I can help?" I said as I walked up to the picture and lifted it from the wall.
Dad threw his tools down on the floor and huffed as I placed the picture next to him. "How the heck-, never mind take the darn thing upstairs, I don't want to see it again, ever."
I struggled alone up the stairs with the large Portrait; it must have been over six foot high. But I managed to get it into my room with out any accidents or doing any damage. I propped the picture up by my bed.
"Thank goodness you got home Andy; your dad was driving me crazy. Did you know he knows how to swear in several languages," Mrs Potter said as she looked around my room.
"Is there a wall you would prefer?" I found myself asking.
"Which way does your window face dear?" she asked.
"To the west, I think but I am not sure," I looked at the picture and thought about what my dad would say if he could see me now.
"Well I do like to watch the sun go down. Harry and I used to sit and watch it all the time."
I placed the picture against the wall, "I will nip down see if dad has got a nail," I said as I moved toward the door.
"There is no need for that Andy, you just let me have a much needed rest after listening to your father all afternoon and it will all be sorted in the morning, for now I am very tired," she yawned as she spoke.
"Ok, I am just off down for something to eat, I will talk to you later," I said to Mrs Potter but she had already fallen in to a deep sleep.