Obliviate My Rebellion {Book 3}

5. The Order's dinner

"What can I do, Molly?" said Tonks enthusiastically, bounding forwards.

Mrs Weasley hesitated, looking apprehensive. I'd only met Tonks once or twice, but she was really kind--if not clumsy.

"Er - no, it's all right, Tonks, you have a rest too, you've done enough today."

"No, no, I want to help!" said Tonks brightly, knocking over a chair as she hurried towards the dresser, from which Ginny was collecting cutlery.

Mrs Weasley nodded relucantly, wanting help, but not wanting her food damaged by Tonk's clumsiness.

Hollie and I set to work getting the plates out of the cupboard. "So," I asked her. "How are you liking it here so far?"

Hollie shrugged as she passed me a plate. "It's okay, I like the people. But that house elf is brainwashed into thinking his enslavement is right!"

I smiled a little. Hermione was rubbing off on her. "So, you're all for SPEW then."

Hollie nodded rigoursly. "Of course!" she said, as if it was obvious. "And when I go to Hogwarts, I'll lead the campaign properly then."

It was hard to believe that in two years, Hollie would be in Hogwarts when I'd be in my seventh year. Time was going so fast... it was hard to believe.

Soon, a series of heavy knives were chopping meat and vegetables of their own accord, supervised by Mr Weasley, while Mrs Weasley stirred a cauldron dangling over the fire

 "That'd come orf, though," muttered Mundungus, polishing it with his cuff.

"Fred - George - NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs Weasley shrieked.

 Harry, Sirius and Mundungus looked round and, within a split second, they had dived away from the table.

Fred and George had bewitched a large cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of Butterbeer and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air towards them. The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface; the flagon of Butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere; the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before.

"Told you the muggle way was safer." Lacey muttered to the twins, calmly picking up the unbroken butterbeer from the floor.

"FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE!" screamed Mrs Weasley. "THERE WAS NO NEED - I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS - JUST BECAUSE YOU'RE ALLOWED TO USE MAGIC NOW, YOU DON'T HAVE TO WHIP YOUR WANDS OUT FOR EVERY TINY LITTLE THING!"

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!' said Fred, hurrying forward to wrench the bread knife out of the table. 'Sorry, Sirius, mate - didn't mean to - "

Harry and Sirius were both laughing; Lacey was attempting not to, Mundungus, who had toppled backwards off his chair, was swearing as he got to his feet; Crookshanks had given an angry hiss and shot off under the dresser, from where his large yellow eyes glowed in the darkness.

"Boys," Mr Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you re supposed to show a sense f responsibility now you've come of age - "

"None of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!' Mrs Weasley raged at the twins as she slammed a fresh flagon of Butterbeer on lo the table, and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't charm everything he met! Percy - "

She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

"Let's eat," said Bill quickly.