Weasley

Chapter 4

Allium was fully holding back laughs at Harry's face, he seemed like a lost puppy. She knew their mother could be much, she hoped that mum would terrify him too much. They definitely should of warned Harry.

She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.

"It was cloudy , Mum!" said Fred.

"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"They were starving him, Mum!" said George.

"And you!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him.

At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.

"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Harry. "My sister. She's been talking about you all summer."

"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Harry," Allium said with a grin, but she caught her mother's eye and bent her face over her plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all five plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.

"Blimey , I'm tired," yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. "I think I'll go to bed and--"

"You will not," snapped Mrs. Weasley. "It's your own fault you've been up all night. You're going to de-gnome the garden for me; they're getting completely out of hand again--"

"Oh, Mum--"

"And you three," she said, glaring at Ron, Fred and Allium. "You can go up to bed, dear," she added to Harry. "You didn't ask them to fly that wretched car--"

But Harry, who was wide awake, said quickly, "I'll help. I've never seen a de-gnoming--"

"That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, let's see what Lockhart's got to say on the subject--"

And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. George and Allium groaned.

"Mum, we know how to de-gnome a garden--"

The book had gold letters written across it in fancy letters. Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests . There was a big photograph on the front of a very good-looking wizard with wavy blond hair and bright blue eyes.  Mrs. Weasley beamed down at him.

"Oh, he is marvelous," she said. "He knows his household pests, all right, it's a wonderful book..."

"Mum fancies him," said Fred, in a very audible whisper.

"Don't be so ridiculous, Fred," said Mrs. Weasley, her cheeks rather pink. "All right, if you think you know better than Lockhart, you can go and get on with it, and woe betide you if there's a single gnome in that garden when I come out to inspect it."

Yawning and grumbling, the Weasleys slouched outside with Harry behind them. The garden was large,  there were plenty of weeds, and the grass needed cutting - but there were gnarled trees all around the walls, spilling from every flower bed, and a big green pond full of frogs. Allium was surprised at how happy Harry was at the sight of the garden.

"Muggles have garden gnomes, too, you know," Harry said as they crossed the lawn.

"Yeah, I've seen those things they think are gnomes," said Allium, bent double with her head in a peony bush, "like fat little Santa Clauses with fishing rods..."

There was a violent scuffling noise, the peony bush shuddered, and Allium straightened up. " This is a gnome," he said grimly.

"Gerroff me! Gerroff me!" squealed the gnome.