A Hogwarts Legend: Changing Paths [3]

Chapter Four

Unedited

Chapter Four - "I find trouble very attractive."

Tom wakes me next morning with his usual toothless grin and a cup of hot chocolate.

Cause I don't like tea. Sue me.

I get dressed and head into Harry's room where he's trying to persuade Hedwig to get back in her cage. I don't have that problem with my pets. They lazy. Like me. Just then Ron bangs his way into the room, pulling a sweatshirt over his head and looking irritable.

"The sooner we get in the train, the better," he says. "At least I can get away from Percy at Hogwarts. Now he's accusing me of dripping tea on his photo of Penelope Clearwater. You know," Ron grimaces, "his girlfriend. She's hidden her face under the frame because her nose has gone all blotchy ..."

"I've got something to tell you," Harry begins, but we're interrupted by Fred and George, who have looked in to congratulate Ron on infuriating Percy again.

We head down to breakfast, where Mr Weasley is reading the front page of the Daily Prophet with a furrowed brow and Mrs Weasley is telling Hermione and Ginny about a Love Potion she'd made as a young girl. All three of them are rather giggly.

Should I be giggly? I don't even know...

"What were you saying?" Ron asks Harry, as we sit down.

"Later," Harry mutters, as Percy storms in.

Harry or I have no chance to talk to speak to Ron or Hermione in the chaos of leaving; we're too busy heaving all our trunks down the Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Hedwig and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. Charmander has already flown to Hogwarts. A basket containing Loki and Jelly Bean is next to the bird cages. A small wickerwork basket stands beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly.

"It's all right, Crookshanks," Hermione coos through the wickerwork, "I'll let you out on the train."

"You won't," snaps Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?"

He points at his chest, where a large lump indicates that Scabbers is curled up in his pocket.

Mr Weasley, who's been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, sticks his head inside.

"They're here," he says. "Harry, Emily, come on."

Mr Weasley marches us across the short stretch of pavement towards the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which is driven by a furtive-looking wizard, wearing a suit of emerald velvet.

"In you get," says Mr Weasley, glancing up and down the crowded street.

We get into the back of the car, and are shortly joined by Hermione, Ron and, to Ron's disgust, Percy.

The journey to King's Cross is very uneventful to be honest. The Ministry of Magic cars seem almost ordinary, though I notice that they can slide through gaps that normal Muggle cars defiantly can't manage. We reach King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers find us trolleys, unload our trunks, touch their hats to Mr Weasley and drive away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving queue for the traffic lights.