𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐥𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 | √

⎡ii; 13⎦

Harry, startled, came over to the window. 

"Hiya Harry," Ron said.

"Ron? Hazel? Fred? George? What're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Rescuing you, of course," Ron replied as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now come on. Get your trunk!"

Harry changed into regular clothes and packed his trunk, snapping it shut. Harry dragged the trunk to the windowsill. Grabbing a piece of rope and I tied it around the bars.

"You better stand back," Ron said. Harry took a few steps back. Ron turned to Fred.

"Let's go!"

Fred stepped onto the accelerator, and the car flew up into the air causing the rope to snap. The bars on the window were torn from the window and fell down onto the lawn below making a clatter. Fred backed up towards the window and opened the trunk.

I heard something like "PATTA!" from outside the door. Harry pushed the trunk over the windowsill and into the Anglia's trunk. He swung Hedwig's cage into my arms as we urged him to go faster. 

BAM! The bedroom door crashed open.

"Petunia!" His chubby uncle exclaimed. "He's escaping!" 

Harry leaped for the windowsill as his uncle charged for him. He snatched his ankle and began to pull.

"Let go of me!" Harry yelled, halfway in the car.

"Oh no, boy! You and that bloody pigeon aren't going anywhere!"

"Get off!" Harry exclaimed.

I wrapped my arms around Harry's waist, leaning into George, and screamed

"Fred! Go! Go! Drive!"

Fred revved the engine and began to pull away from the house. Harry's uncle with his leg still attached to Harry's ankle, came flying out of the window and tumbled into the bushes below.

After I pulled Harry fully into the seat, he closed the door as we were off, still laughing at the sight of his uncle falling from the window.

"By the way, Harry, Happy Birthday!" I exclaimed as we flew away from Privet Drive.

. . .

We landed somewhat gracefully as we made it back to the Burrow. It was daytime now, and beautiful outside. We all got out of the car and went into the house. Fred lifted the window on the door and unlatched the bottom part.

"Okay. Come on. Shh! Come on. Shh! Okay. Come on." He whispered as we entered the house. 

Harry seemed to be fascinated by a magically moving brush cleaning a pan. I didn't think it was that interesting.

"Do you think it would be alright if we had some of this?" I asked, looking at the biscuits on the table. I was starving.

"Yeah, Mum would never know," George said as he picked up a biscuit. I picked one up and began to snack on it.

"It's not much, but it's home," Ron said as Harry looked around.

"I think it's brilliant," Harry replied. Suddenly we heard clambering down the stairs.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!?" Mrs. Weasley screamed. Ron, Fred, George, and I hid our biscuits behind our backs.

"Harry, how wonderful to see you, dear," she said, her voice softening for him. She opened her arms in welcome and walked towards us.

"Beds empty! No note! Car gone! You could have died! You could have been seen!" she yelled at us again. Her tone went back to a gentle motherly one, "Of course, I don't blame you, Harry dear."

"They were starving him, Mum. There were bars on his window!" Ron said. We nodded in agreement.

"Well, you'd best hope that I don't put bars on your window, Ronald Weasley!" Ron looked frightened as the twins, and I looked at him with wide eyes. "Come on Harry, time for a spot of breakfast." 

We sat down at the table as the other Weasleys began to file in.

"Here we are, Harry. Now tuck in! That's it. There we go" Mrs. Weasley said as Harry ate as though he hadn't eaten in weeks. 

  I heard Ginny coming down the stairs.

"Mum- Mummy, have you seen my jumper?" she asked.

"Yes, dear. It was on the cat." Mrs.Weasley replied. Ginny's eyes went wide when she saw Harry sitting across from me.

"Hello," Harry said to her. 

Still wide-eyed she backed away and ran upstairs. Fred, George and I looked at each other and laughed silently.

"W-what did I do?" Harry asked Ron.

"Ginny. She's been talking about you all summer. A bit annoying really." Ron told him. Mr. Weasley appeared at the door.

"Morning, Weasleys"

"Morning Dad" The Weasley children greeted in unison.

"Morning to you too, Hazel and James," he said, winking at us. 

"Morning!" we replied with a smile.

"What a night. Nine raids. Nine!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"Raids?" Harry asked, once again confused.

"Dad works in the Ministry of Magic, in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office. Dad loves Muggles. Thinks they're fascinating." Ron told him. Mr. Weasley kissed his wife on the cheek and sat down at the head of the table.

"Well now. Aah! And who are you?" He asked Harry, finally noticing him.

"Oh, sorry sir. I'm Harry, sir, Harry Potter," Harry told him.

"Good Lord! Are you really? Well, Ron's told us all about you, of course. When did he get here?" 

I looked down at my food.

"This morning." Mrs. Weasley said placing her hands on her hips. "Your sons and Hazel flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night."

"Did you really? How'd it go? Did you—"

We began talking at once to explain how fun of an adventure it was but Mrs. Weasley hit him in the arm.

"I mean... that was very wrong, indeed. Very wrong." We all look at each other and smile. "Now, Harry, you must know all about Muggles. Tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?" 

I was actually very interested too and looked up from my food.

"Oh, umm..." Harry started. I heard a screech from outside and looked towards the half-opened window.

"Well, that'll be Errol with the post," said Mrs. Weasley. Errol screeched again and slammed into the non-open window side.

"Oh, fetch it will you Percy, please?" she asked Percy. Percy stood up and walked to the window.

"Errol..." he called.

"He's always doing that," Ron said about the owl in disappointment.

"Oh look, it's our Hogwarts letters. And they've sent us ones for Harry, James, and Hazel," Percy said, handing out the letters.

"Dumbledore must know you're here, you guys. Doesn't miss a trick, that man." (A/N: I actually think that's creepy personally.)

"Oh, no." Mrs. Weasley said agreeing with her husband.

"This lot won't come cheap, Mum. The spell books alone are very expensive." Fred said to her. 

I had always felt bad about the financial situation the Weasleys were in. My family always offered to help pay for things as a way of returning our gratitude for all the love and support they gave us. But every time we offered we were turned down.

"We'll manage," She reassured looking at Harry's letter. "There's only one place we're going to get all of this. Diagon Alley."