The Forgotten Twin

Chapter 4

"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a molting, gray feather duster — at least, that was what it looked like, until Delilah saw that it was breathing.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally — he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."

He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron laid him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

" 'Dear Ron, and Harry and Delilah if you're there,

" 'I hope everything went alright and that Harry and Delilah are okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get them out, Ron, because that would get them in trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry and Delilah are alright, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used a different owl, because I think another delivery might finish your one off.

" 'I'm very busy with schoolwork, of course' — How can she be?" said Ronald in horror. "We're on vacation! — 'and we're going to London next Wednesday to buy my new books. Why don't we meet in Diagon Alley?

" 'Let me know what's happening as soon as you can. Love from Hermione.' "

"Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too," said Mrs. Weasley, starting to clear the table. "What're you all up to today?"

The guys were going to go play quidditch in a padlock.

Delilah had been invited to play but Ginny hadn't, so Delilah had decided to do something else with her. Plus, unlike Ginny, she wasn't that good of a player.

Over her time at the Burrow they had become good friends, even though Ginny somehow had a crush on Harry. Delilah had thought that no one with good sense would have a crush on him, but apparently she was wrong. Ginny was a good person.

In the end they had decided to talk about Hogwarts and the classes. Ginny was pretty excited but also very anxious. Her parents weren't very rich, and would have trouble paying for all the Lockhart books.

Delilah felt awkward, but she tried to sympathize. She had an underground vault full of a small fortune.

The following Wednesday Mrs. Weasley woke them all up. After a quick breakfast of half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, they put on their coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.

"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today.... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"

And she offered him the flowerpot.

"Um, we don't know how to use Floo powder. Can someone else go first?" Delilah asked.

"You've never used it? But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?"

"We went on the Underground —"

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Were there escapators? How exactly —"

"Not now, Arthur," said Mrs. Weasley. "Floo powder is a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you've never used it before —"

"They'll be all right, Mum," said Fred. "Watch us first."

He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire, and threw the powder into the flames.

With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, "Diagon Alley!" and vanished.