𝐞𝐱𝐢𝐥𝐞 | h. granger

xxii | weasleys to the rescue

Number 4, Privet Drive

── •✧• ──

𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐑 𝐁𝐄𝐃𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐌 𝐖𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐎𝐖 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐁𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐄𝐃. There were locks on the door to keep them from leaving their room. They were like zoo animals in a cage; prisoners in their own house.

Harry awoke in the middle of the night to the sound of an engine outside. He reached for his glasses and put them on. He got out of bed and looked out the window. "Kody," he whispered. He shook her shoulder. "Kody, wake up!"

Dakota groaned softly. She rubbed her eyes and sat up. "What's going on?" she asked sleepily.

"Look." Harry nodded to the window. Dakota got out of bed, a gasp falling from her lips at what she saw.

Fred, George, Hadley, and Ron Weasley were outside their window in a flying car.

"Hiya, Harry. Hey, Dakota," Ron greeted them.

"What are you all doing here?" Dakota asked, smiling as she looked at the car full of redheads.

"Rescuing you, of course." Hadley grinned. "Now, come on. Get your trunks."

Harry and Dakota quickly packed their belongings for Hogwarts. Ron attached a hook to the bars on the window, and Fred stepped on the gas, yanking off the bars and the window pane. The car trunk opened, and Harry threw their suitcases inside. Dakota woke Bongo up and grabbed Hedwig's cage. The bird flapped her wings excitedly.

They could hear keys rattling outside the door. They had woken up Vernon. Harry pushed Dakota forward so that she could get into the car. She crawled out the window and slid into the backseat next to Hadley.

"Petunia, they're escaping!" Vernon shouted as he burst through the door.

Harry jumped out the window and into the car. "Let go of me!" he shouted, shaking his leg to get it free from his uncle's grasp. "Get off!"

"Drive!" Ron shouted as Hadley and Dakota helped pull Harry into the car. Vernon fell forward into the bushes below as the car drove away.

"See ya next summer, bastards!" Dakota yelled, waving goodbye with a big smile. Privet Drive got smaller and smaller until it was nothing more than a tiny speck in the distance. "By the way, Harry, happy birthday."

Harry smiled. "A happy birthday indeed."

They flew through the dark night. Dakota had fallen asleep with her head on Hadley's shoulder. Bongo was curled up in her lap. When she woke, the sun was up. The car landed rockily on country roads and came to a stop.

"Welcome to the Burrow, my strange little child friends," Hadley said. They got out of the car and followed Fred up to the front door. He slowly opened it and checked that the cost was clear before beckoning the others in.

Pots and pans were washing themselves in the sink. There was a bowl of scones sitting on the table. Hadley grabbed one and took a bite, sighing softly in approval. They were still warm.

"My mum makes the best food," she told Dakota as she broke a bite off for her. "You and Harry are really gonna love it here."

"It's not much," Ron said as he bit into a scone. "But it's home."

"I think it's brilliant," Harry responded, completely awe-struk by the cozy home.

"Where have. . .you. . .been?!"

Hadley cursed as she bit down on her lip, her mother's angry voice startling her. She exchanged a look with Fred and George. The triplets were used to getting in trouble like this.

"Harry! Dakota!" Molly Weasley smiled at them. "How wonderful to see you, dearies." She placed her hands on her hips as she approached her children. "Beds empty? No note? Car gone? You could have died! You could have been seen!" She looked at Harry and Dakota with warm smiles. "Of course, I don't blame you, dears."

"They were starving them, Mum," Ron said.

"They put bars on their window," Hadley added.

"Well you best hope I don't put bars on your window, Hadley Weasley," Molly threatened, pointing a finger at the youngest triplet. She once more turned to Harry and Dakota with a welcoming smile. "Come on, dearies. Time for a spot of breakfast."

As they all sat down at the table to eat, Ginny Weasley, the youngest of the redheaded children, came running down the stairs. She would be attending Hogwarts this year with her siblings.

"Mummy, have you seen my jumper?" she asked her mum, out of breath.

"Yes, dear, it was on the cat."

Ginny's eyes widened when she saw Harry. The triplets smirked and exchanged knowing looks with one another.

"Hello," Harry greeted her. She continued to stare at him, slowly backing away before running back upstairs. "Wh-What did I do?"

"Ginny's been talking about you all summer," Ron said. "A bit annoying, really."

"You're just jealous that no girl would ever talk about you all summer, Ron." Hadley smiled innocently when her little brother glared at her.

"Morning, Weasleys!" a man said as he walked through the front door.

"Morning, Dad," the Weasley kids replied at the same time Molly said, "Morning, Arthur."

"What a night!" Arthur exclaimed as he sat down at the breakfast table. "Nine raids. Nine!"

"Raids?" Dakota questioned as she took a bite of her eggs.

"Dad works in the Ministry of Magic in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office," Ron told her and Harry. "Dad loves Muggles. Thinks they're fascinating."

"Well now. . ." Arthur's sentence trailed off when he saw the cousins. "And who are you two?" he asked.

"Oh, sorry, sir. I'm Harry, sir. Harry Potter, and this is my cousin, Dakota," Harry introduced them.

"Good lord." Arthur gasped in awe as he stared at Harry. "Are you, really? Well, Ron's told us all about you and your cousin, of course. When did they get here?"

"This morning," Molly replied, annoyed. "Your sons and eldest daughter flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night."

"We're only his children when we get in trouble," Hadley whispered to Dakota. "It's happened before. Many times. Fred, George, and I are always in trouble."

"Did you really?" Arthur asked in amazement. "How'd it go?" Molly hit him with the back of her hand, a cross expression on her face. "I mean. . .that was very wrong, indeed, children. Very wrong of you."

Hadley sighed in faux shame. Ron glanced at Harry and stifled a laugh.

"Now, Harry and Dakota, you must know all about Muggles. Tell me. What exactly is the function of a rubber duck?" Arthur ate a bite of sausage.

"Oh, um, well. . ." Dakota's brows furrowed as she thought of the best way to answer the question. "They're, uh, toys that young children play with in the bath. They make squeaking noises."

An owl screeched.

"Oh, that'll be Errol with the post," Molly said. A brown owl crashed into the window. "Oh, fetch it, will you, Percy, please?"

Percy got up from the table. He went to pick up the letters that Errol was delivering. "Oh, look, it's our Hogwarts letters. They've sent us Harry's and Dakota's as well."

"Dumbledore must know you two are here," Arthur said. "Doesn't miss a trick, that man."

"This lot won't come cheap, mum," George said as he looked at the supply list. "The spell books alone are very expensive."

"We'll manage," Molly reassured them. Dakota couldn't help but feel a little guilty as she looked at the pouch of galleons included with her letter to help her pay for her supplies. "There's only one place we're gonna get all of this. Diagon Alley."