August 3rd, 1992

The Burrow

Ginny Weasley was sleeping peacefully.

THUMP.

She started to stir.

THA-DUMP.

"GEORGE!"

Ginny was wide awake now. She could hear thumping sounds.

"FRED!"

Were they coming from - the garage? No, she must be dreaming.

She got up from her bed and silently walked down the steps. Putting on some sandals, she went out the door.

BA-THA-DUMP.

She wasn't dreaming. She ran towards the garage, opening it and turning on the light.

In front of her stood Fred, George, and Ron in a - disastrous scene. There was glitter all over the walls, and what smelled like vinegar on top of clocks on the floor. Ginny recognised many odds and ends from around the house, such as Charlie's old dragon toy, Scabbers's old cage, and her favourite pillowcase, scattered around. Fred and George were lifting the car while Ron looked like he was about to throw the tyre in his hands.

"Wha-Ho-Why?" she asked, eyes ladded with sleepiness.

"Well, (wheeze) little (wheeze) sister, (wheeze) we (wheeze) have (wheeze) reason (wheeze) to (wheeze) believe (wheeze) Harry (wheeze) is (wheeze) in (wheeze) trouble." said Fred attempting to look cool while holding the car up.

"So you tried to put a tyre on - in the dark."

"No, Fred was trying to drive it."

"That explains the glitter."

"We thought that cabinet had petroleum!"

"No, I had the petroleum, George! You went for the diesel!"

Ginny stared at the three (idiotic) brothers in front of her.

"Can I help?"

"Why not?"

"Okay, so switch off the light so Mum doesn't notice-"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley, our mother is heavily sleeping on the fourth floor. If she didn't hear your "FRED!"s and "GEORGE!"s, she won't notice that the garage light is on. Also, the car is full of petrol. All that's left to do is to put on a tyre and clean this up. We'll wash the clocks later."

"Yes ma'am."

An hour later, they were ready to go.

Fred nabbed the driver's seat, and George called shotgun. Ginny and Ron just sat in the back with space in the middle for Harry.

"So - why are we doing this again?"

"We're going to go to Harry's house. He hasn't responded to letters, and his aunt and uncle are not the best people."

"He told me something about living in a cupboard under the stairs."

"So Fred got the brilliant idea to take Dad's car."

"Speaking of family, Gin-Gin, have you heard from Percy?"

"Nothing interesting. Just him complaining about Ben Bellows."

"Bellows? That Ravenclaw kid? Outside of his jurisdiction?"

"Dunno why he's complaining 'bout the Ravenclaws, but he's been writing letters in his room all day, every day."

"Sounds like Charlie and his Girlfriend."

"Which one? Make-upy or Spiky?"

"Jetty."

"Which one was Jetty, Fred?"

"Super black hair that matched her lipstick, Ron?"

"The one that he brought to visit the burrow and kicked me, calling me a useless little girl?"

"Yeah, that one."

"She also tried to kiss Bill, right?"

"That's Spiky."

"Made an effort, that one. Dated Charlie for a whole school year to snog his brother."

"What's snog?"

"Yeah, what's snog?"

"Ah, youngsters. Don't know what snog is."

"Pahpahpah."

"So innocen-"

"TREE, FRED!"

He turned.

"Has our dearest sister met Harry formally?"

"Do you count yelling 'Mum, can I just see him? Pleaaaaaaaaaaaasssssssssseeeeeeeeeee?'?"

Ginny whapped George on the head.

"OW! When did you get that good?"

"While you were in detention."

Fred and Ron laughed.

"ANOTHER TREE, FRED!"

"Blasted things."

"Didn't know you were on the same level of tree-hating as Abigail Smith."

"Who?"

"This girl who thinks trees are fake."

"When did you meet a girl who thinks trees are fake, Ginny?

"Ottery St. Catchpole has weekly conspiracy meetings. Most of them have gone to America and picked up ideas from there. Takes a minute to go. Lasts for 1-2 hours. Good laugh.

"They were setting up when we left. Vivid glow-in-the-dark poster."

The conversation continued, branching off to The Chudley Cannons, Ginny's mural, Marcus Flint, and other subjects, including a literal branch that Fred annihalated. Then George looked out and said "Number 4, Privet Drive. Check which bedroom is Ha-"

"There's something on that window."

"Looks like bars."

"Is that black-haired boy in there Harry?"

"WHY HAVE THEY PUT BARS ON HIS WINDOW?"

"Probably starving him, by the looks of it."

"Was he always that thin?"

"He was like that when he first came to Hogwarts. The meals made him better off. They've stopped that."

"Park at the window, Ron can get him."

After five minutes of Ron yelling "HARRY!", the boy woke up. When Ron told Harry why he was there, Harry spoke some gibberish about a house elf. Ron cut him off, and Fred and George passed a rope to Harry. He pointed out that his Hogwarts stuff was in a cupboard under the stairs, so the twins got in, picked the lock with a hairpin, and left the room. After a tug of war with Harry as a rope - Ginny couldn't remember the details, it was 3 AM - The Boy Who Lived climbed in to the car. Ginny tried to remain cool, when her mind was going 'adsklbvfjakslHARRY POTTERjfdkalsfjdkla fjlkafjldkajfkldsafkjlsdjfalsfjdlsajkfdafbvsjdlabfvhdaskjlfvhadjklgh'

She stuck out her hand to him.

"Ginny Weasley. I don't think we've been formally introduced yet."