Brighter Than the Sun

Chapter Thirty-Two

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered to Harry, Hermione, and I "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work."

"Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons," I replied. Harry, Hermione, and Ron snickered.

Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.

"It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," said Fred.

"Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly. "I wish England had got through."

"I know," I said, grinning. "Even the US went farther than England, and we're not even that big into Quidditch."

Charlie hid his face in his hands. "That was embarrassing, that was."

"What happened?" said Harry eagerly.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," said Charlie gloomily. "Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."

"The US lost to Switzerland," I said. "But they didn't go down without a fight. The final score was three hundred sixty to three hundred forty. Twenty freaking points!"

"Oi, Ash," Fred said, a mischievous gleam in his eye. "Will your little friend Luke be coming to the World Cup?"

I smacked him. "Shut up."

"You didn't answer the question."

"Who's Luke?" Harry asked.

George grinned. "Oh, nobody. Just the new boy at camp Ash happens to be infatuated with."

I smacked him harder. "I am not infatuated with Luke. He's like family to me."

"Yes you are," Fred said. "You described his eyes as, and I quote, 'if somebody put exactly seven drops of blue food coloring into eight fluid ounces of water.' That's very detailed."

"I also gave you a detailed description of my friend Annabeth's eyes," I retorted. "I told you they looked as if someone had made storm clouds out of droplets of silver instead of water. And I would describe your eyes as the color of the crap that's coming out of your mouth right now!"

Fred's mouth flew open in surprise.

"Oooooooh," Charlie, Bill, and Ginny crooned. Hermione dissolved into laughter, and Harry grinned as George held out his fist for me to bump. Mr. Weasley was clearly trying not to laugh, and Percy and Mrs. Weasley shook their heads, though I didn't miss Mrs. Weasley's smile.

"You mess with the dragon, you're going to get burned," said Charlie sagely, grinning at me. I blushed, hoping everyone would think it was from laughing.

"So is he coming?" Fred asked, trying to redeem himself.

"No," I said, crossing my arms. "He'll be in New York for the rest of the summer."

"Well, isn't that too bad," George said, shaking his head in disappointment. "We could've given him a right good Weasley's Wizard Wheezes welcome."

Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before we had our homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the we'd finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. I was feeling extremely well fed and at peace with the world as I watched several gnomes sprinting through the rosebushes, laughing madly and closely pursued by Crookshanks.

Ron looked carefully up the table to check that the rest of the family were all busy talking, then he said very quietly to Harry, "So — have you heard from Sirius lately?"

Hermione and I looked at them, listening closely.

"Yeah," said Harry softly, "twice. He sounds okay. I wrote to him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here."

"Harry," I said, "Did you ever figure out why your--"

Harry gave me a look that clearly meant, not now.

I fumbled for an alternate question to ask. "Your... uh... broom polish kept leaking?"

"Yeah," Harry said. "There was a tiny crack on the bottom of the bottle. I had to put the rest of it in a different container."

"That's good," I said softly.

"Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said suddenly, checking her wristwatch. "You really should be getting to bed, the whole lot of you — you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the Cup. Harry, Ash, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's."

"Grandma'am said she's going to try to go with me to get everything after the Cup," I said. "Apparently we need dress robes, and she wanted to make sure I picked something acceptable. I guess she thinks I can't pick out my own clothes."

"There might not be time after the World Cup," Mrs. Weasley said. "The match went on for five days last time."

"Wow — hope it does this time!" said Harry enthusiastically.

"Well, I certainly don't," said Percy sanctimoniously. "I shudder to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" said Fred.

"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" said Percy, going very red in the face. "It was nothing personal!"

"It was," Fred whispered as we got up from the table. "We sent it."

"I'll get your books and things," said Mrs. Weasley "and you can go with your Grandmother after the Cup to get your dress robes."

"Thanks, Mrs. Weasley," I said gratefully.

"You're welcome, dear. Now, to bed, all of you."

Ridiculously short, but this seemed like a good stopping point. I'll make the next chapter much longer.

Comment for more!

~~~~Kingfisher~~~~