CHAPTER 3
PICK-UP
"BOY! You're burning the bacon!" Vernon yelled.
It was late Friday morning. Harry was making breakfast for the Dursleys. Uncle Vernon was reading the paper, Aunt Petunia was dusting the vases, and Dudley was licking the wrapper off his last candy bar.
"It's called cooking." Harry muttered under his breath. Vernon narrowed his eyes.
"What was that, boy?"
Harry sighed. "Nothing."
Aunt Petunia gave a high pitch "Hmph." Then turned to face Harry. "I should think so. Do anything wrong and you won't be able to go to those dreaded people you call friends. Or charity case." Dudley snickered. Harry fumed.
"How dare you!" He screamed. He wouldn't usually go off like this, but they have no right to call the Weasleys this. "They're not a charity case! They're a loving family who actually cares for me! And if anyones' the witch around here, it you!"
Petunia flushed. Vernon got up. His face twisted with anger. "Don't you talk to her like that, boy! Apologize. NOW."
Harry knew Vernon could be scary when he wanted to be. But he stood his ground. "I don't think so."
Vernon's face grew more and more red. It looked like a giant strawberry. He spoke with a deadly calm voice, "You listen here, boy. If you even think for even one second that you have the right to talk to any of us like that, then you could go pack your stuff and get the hell out of here. Now, apologize. Before I have to kick you out myself."
Harry took a deep breath. He was only here until they get here. Just a few more hours. He'd just have to suck it up. So he turned to Petunia and said, "Aunt Petunia, I'm sorry."
Petunia just turned around and started dusting again. Vernon glared at him for a few minutes but went back to the news. And Dudley went back looking in the cabinets for chocolate.
Harry sighed with relief. And went back 'burning' the bacon.
A few hours later, Harry was back in his room, staring at the ceiling. Where are they? He thought. It was already noon. Harry got up and checked Ron's letter. He didn't say a specific time. But he said Friday. Today is Friday, right? He checked his calendar to make sure. Of course it's Friday you, prat! You're not an idiot! He was getting desperate.
Finally, tired of waiting, Harry went downstairs and checked the fireplace. Nope. Harry sighed. "Why aren't the here yet?" He whined. He didn't know he was thinking out loud, so 3 Dursleys turned around.
"What are you on about, boy?" Vernon asked. But suddenly smiled smugly. "Oh. You mean those red heads? They aren't here?" Do you see them anywhere? Harry wanted to ask. But kept his mouth shut.
"Well, maybe," Vernon continued, "they realized how pathetic you are and-"
But before he could finish, they was a loud CRASH!
And out came 3 red heads from the fireplace.
Arthur Weasley came out first wearing orange wizard robes. Then came the twins. In a sing-songy voice Fred sang, "Harry-"
Then George, "Harry-"
And in unison, "Hullo Harry!"
Harry had a big grin on his face, "Finally!" he exclaimed. Then ran to them.
"Hey, mate." Fred clapped him on the back.
"How's it been?" George asked.
"Alright." Harry smiled.
Arthur patted Harry, "That's great, Harry. It's good to see you again. Now, where is your stuff? We should be going, Molly made lunch and-" He stopped abruptly. He walked towards the kitchen, and gasped. "My, Merlin!" Arthur exclaimed. "What is this… this marvelous device? It's superb. It's wonderful. It's magnificent! What is this?"
Vernon, Petunia, and Dudley were too frightened to answer so Harry did. "It's an oven."
"An oven? My, God. That's amazing! Now what are these little buttons?"
While Arthur was marveling the new discovery of the 'oven', Harry turned to Fred and George, who were rolling their eyes. "Oy, dad!"
Then Harry noticed something. "Hey?"
"Yeah?" They said.
"Where's Ron and Hermione? I thought they were coming to."
Once again, the twins rolled their eyes. "What do you think?" Fred said.
Harry was confused.
"Bickering, of course!" said Fred.
George nodded. "It's gotten so bad that mum had to put a silencing charm on them both."
Fred sighed, then smiled smugly. "It's a shame, really."
George, with the identical mischievous face said, "All they have to do is kiss and make up."
Harry chuckled. "So you know about that to, eh?"
"Oh, please," Fred stated, "Anyone with half a brain could figure out our Ickle Ronniekins little love interest!"
George laughed, "You should of seen Ronnie in the beginning of the summer. He'd wake up early to check if Hermione's letter was here." He laughed again. "Hey Fred? Remember the love note?"
Fred laughed.
"What love note?" Harry asked cautiously.
After the laughing died down, they answered, "Well, one beautiful summer day-"
"Ronniekins received a love note from his future Weasley-"
"Which said that she loved him so-"
"How she wishes she could kiss those lovely lips of his-"
"How she dreams of him being her knight and shining armor and-"
Then, in a pretty good imitation of Hermione's voice, Fred and George battered their eyes and said:
"Oh! I love you Ron!"
Harry burst out laughing. He was laughing so hard, tears were coming out of his eyes. He wiped them, and said, "Not even Ron is thick enough to buy that!"
"Are you kidding?" Said Fred.
"He was jumping on his bed like a love-sick puppy!" Said George.
"Which was strange because we were pretty sure we spelled Hermione's name wrong too."
Harry couldn't control his laughter. He laughed for what seemed like days. It was hilarious!
"What's so funny?" The harsh voice of his cousin brought him back to reality.
"Nothing." He answered coolly.
Fred pointed a finger at Dudley. "Is this your, uh, cousin, Harry?"
Harry could tell he wanted to use a different word. "Yep."
"Interesting," George said with an accusing smile. "Hey, Fred? Do you have the, uh sweets?"
Fred matched his brother's smile, then took out a normal looking candy bar from his pocket. Harry hid a smirk. He knew where this was going.
Fred handed the sweet to Dudley, who looked suspicious. "What's this?" He asked.
George looked innocent. "What doya mean, mate? It's called candy. You've heard of it before right? Cause it certainly looks like you have." He looked him up and down. It's true, Dudley is a… big boy, to put things nicely. Harry snickered and Dudley glared at them.
"Of course I know what candy is." Dudley scoffed. Then snatched the sweet from Fred. He ripped the wrapper off and stuffed the chocolate in his mouth.
Fred, George, and Harry were watching him intently. "What are you looking at?" Dudley said.
Then Harry saw it. It started to spread on his face. His face, by the way, was turning blue. Then his whole body. Then he started developing… gills. Harry burst out laughing-again. Dudley was turning into a fish! Dudley started panicking. "Help! Help! HELP!"
The twins and Harry were watching in amusement until Petunia and Vernon busted through the kitchen door and saw their son turning into a fish. Not the best day.
"Oh my god! OH MY GOD!" Petunia ran to Dudley. "Duddy! Dudders!" She screeched.
Vernon turned to the 3 boys. "What have you done to my son!" He turned to Harry. "YOU." He said. "When I get done with you-"
Luckily, Vernon didn't have time to finish that threat because Arthur came back to the living room. After a quick scan of the event, (and seeing Dudley/fish) he had panic on his face, but Harry was sure he saw him give a quick smile. "Boys! Wh-What did you do!"
Fred and George just shrugged, trying not to look guilty. But failed.
Mr. Weasley sighed and turned to Vernon. "I'm very sorry-"
"THAT'S NOT GOING TO FIX MY SON!" Vernon yelled.
Arthur gulped and turned to the twins. "Boys…"
Fred spoke up, "Don't worry, sir. It's only temporary."
George nodded, "Yeah, it'll only last about… 5 days? Right, Fred?"
"Right, George." The twins winked at Harry.
"5 DAYS!" Vernon screamed.
"Um…uh," Arthur said, "Harry, get your stuff! We need to be going now."
Harry raced to his room while his uncle yelled, "You're not going ANYWHERE until you fix my son!"
"Sorry, we best be going off, now!" Said Arthur.
"See you later, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley! You have a lovely home."
Arthur stuffed some Floo Powder to each of their hands. "The Burrow!"