When I awoke to Soxy jumping on my face, I heard shouts from the hallway. They seemed to be coming from Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Black.
“— COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS —”
“— FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS —”
As I dressed at high-speed, Hermione told me that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall.
“Ouch.”
I was completely packed, and Soxy crawled into his basket because he’s smart like that. I left my trunk in a place in the hallway where I was sure someone would fall over it, and I did that weird run up the stairs to the boys’ room.
Hermione was with me, and she had Hedwig on her shoulder, Crookshanks in her arms and looked like a mental patient with her hair sticking out in places I didn’t even know existed.
“Mum and Dad just sent Hedwig back” — the owl fluttered obligingly over and perched on top of her cage — “are you ready yet?”
“Nearly — Ginny all right?” Harry asked, shoving on his glasses.
“Mrs. Weasley’s patched her up,” said Hermione. “But now Mad-Eye’s complaining that we can’t leave unless Sturgis Podmore’s here, otherwise the guard will be one short.”
“Guard?” said Harry. “We have to go to King’s Cross with a guard?”
“You have to go to King’s Cross with a guard,” I corrected, just because it would piss him off.
“Why?” said Harry irritably. “I thought Voldemort was supposed to be lying low, or are you telling me he’s going to jump out from behind a dustbin to try and do me in?”
“Shut up.” I moaned my hands over my ears.
Ron and Hermione looked at me with that expression that I knew they agreed with me, and then Hermione said , looking at her watch. “But if we don’t leave soon we’re definitely going to miss the train. . . .”
“Fly a car again.” I suggested, and Ron smiled. Harry didn’t because he’s a surly bitch.
“WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!” Mrs. Weasley bellowed and Hermione jumped as though scalded and we hurried out of the room.
Mrs. Black’s portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again anyway.
“Harry, you’re to come with me and Tonks,” shouted Mrs. Weasley over the repeated screeches of “MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT !”
“Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor’s going to deal with the luggage. . . . Oh, for heaven’s sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!”
A bearlike black dog had appeared at Harry’s side as Harry clambered over the various trunks cluttering the hall to get to Mrs.Weasley. Then he fell over mine and I laughed, perhaps a little too hard.
“Oh honestly . . .” said Mrs. Weasley despairingly, “well, on your own head be it!”
And they disappeared off into the sunlight, followed five minutes later by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Five minutes after them, Lupin was leading Fred, George and I outside and through the few streets to Kings Cross station.
We walked through the barrier, and met the others.
“Well, look after yourselves,” said Lupin, shaking hands all round. “You too, Harry. Be careful.” And then Lupin gave me a hug. “Stay safe Willow.”
