Artemis Hexley and the Portrait of the Vault

Chapter 9: Miracle in the Transfiguration Courtyard

Artemis held out hope that Professor Flitwick would be proved right, that the magical snow would clear in time for her and Bill to leave Hogwarts in time for Christmas, but as the day went on it was looking less and less likely.

By dinnertime, the windows of the Hufflepuff common room were still blocked with snow, and when she ran up to the ground floor, there was still far too much outside to leave the castle. She found Bill in the Great Hall, looking every bit as miserable as she felt.

"Flitwick said it might take days to clear," she told him, feeling guilty again. "We might get back by Boxing Day, though."

Bill nodded, and gave her a strained smile that made her feel even worse. They ate dinner in near silence, and quietly played chess together as the evening turned into night.

At least the ceiling above their heads, which was bewitched to look like the sky outside, looked less angry than it had during the day, and no more snow was falling. However, as Artemis glanced upwards, she saw a flash of light appearing in the distance, traversing the dark sky far above her head.

"Bill, what is that? Is it a shooting star?"

"No," said Bill, frowning as his gaze followed Artemis' finger. "No, that's... Well, it's... You know, I don't know what it is."

"It looks like it's getting bigger."

"I'd say that it's getting closer."

Artemis jumped up out of her seat, leaving the chess game half-finished, and dragged Bill out of the Great Hall, through the castle and out to the Transfiguration courtyard. The object in the sky was indeed getting closer, and as it neared them, more details became discernible. It looked like a large box, light blue in colour, with lights at either end. Artemis tilted her head and wrinkled her nose.

"Isn't that a Muggle car?" she asked. Bill blinked hard and shook his head, his face growing pale as if he were in shock.

"No. No, it can't be..."

But it was. A pale blue Muggle car descended from the heavens above, and landed in the courtyard in front of them. The front right door opened, and out of the car stepped none other than Charlie Weasley. Artemis' jaw dropped in ecstatic surprise, and she turned to look up at Bill's face, the expression on which was equally amazed but less delighted than that on Artemis' own. She turned back to look at Charlie, who smiled sheepishly, and shrugged.

"Merry Christmas," he said, his freckled face illuminated by the car's headlights. "Heard you guys needed a lift."

"Charlie," said Bill, walking across the courtyard towards his brother, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"Picking you up," said Charlie. Bill opened his mouth and closed it like a fish. "You said in your letter that you were stuck with no way out of the castle, so I thought I'd... you know..."

"Steal dad's car?"

"Borrow dad's car."

"Right. And do mum and dad know that you've borrowed the car?"

"Yes, Bill, I'm entirely stupid," Charlie said, shaking his head. Bill made a noise and pulled a face indicating his wholehearted agreement with his brother's statement. "Obviously, I didn't tell them I was taking the car. I said I was taking my broomstick to Jae's and staying there for the night. He'll cover for me. It's cool."

"Cool," Bill repeated, blankly.

"I mean, it is pretty cool," said Artemis, nodding her head and grinning widely. Bill raised a forefinger and held it in front of her face.

"Don't you start," he muttered. "I just... How... How do you even know how to fly this thing?"

"Helped dad build it, didn't I? Back when you first went to Hogwarts. It was either help dad build a flying car or hang out with Percy, so..." Charlie shrugged again, and Artemis barely stifled a giggle. "Granted, there was a fair amount of trial and error on the way here, but I figured it out."