Friendless » Fred Weasley

cxxvi. grimmauld place

"Oh — yeah," said Harry, grabbing a few more books. "Don't be stupid, it'll be much quicker if we — pack!" Tonks cried, waving her wand in a long, sweeping movement over the floor. Tori did a similar motion, stacking Harry's books up.

Books, clothes, telescope, and scales all soared into the air and flew pell-mell into the trunk. Tori laughed to herself. "I love magic."

"It's not very neat," Tonks said, walking over to the trunk and looking down at the jumble inside. "My mum's got this knack of getting stuff to fit itself in neatly — she even gets the socks to fold themselves — but I've never mastered how she does it —  it's a kind of flick —" She flicked her wand hopefully.

One of Harry's socks gave a feeble sort of wiggle and flopped back on top of the mess in the trunk.

"Ah, well," Tonks shrugged, slamming the trunk's lid shut, "At least it's all in. That could do with a bit of cleaning, too." She pointed her wand at Hedwig's cage. "Scourgify." A few feathers and droppings vanished.

"Well, that's a bit better  — I've never quite got the hang of these householdy sort of spells. Right — got everything? Cauldron? Broom? Wow! A Firebolt!"

Her eyes widened as they fell on the broomstick in Harry's right hand.

"And I'm still riding a Comet Two Sixty," said Tonks enviously.

"Did you play quidditch?" Harry asked Tonks, who nodded. "Yeah, for Hufflepuff. Got in a bit of trouble one match turning into the other team, say, Tori, you're... seventeen? So you were on the team in your second... yeah, second year?"

"Yeah." Tori confirmed, "I heard about that. I didn't get to see the match though. I was in the hospital wing unconscious. Bludger to the head."

"Did you win?" Harry asked, locking his trunk. Tonks nodded, "Our reserve seeker got the snitch pretty quickly. It was Diggory."

The room went silent as they all seemed to hang their heads a bit. Tori fiddled with the bracelet on her wrist nervously before Tonks seemed to realize they needed to leave.

"Ah well, enough of the past... wand still in your jeans? Both buttocks still on? Okay, let's go. Locomotor trunk."

Harry's trunk rose a few inches into the air. Holding her wand like a conductors baton, Tonks made the trunk hover across the room and out of the door ahead of them, Hedwig's cage in her left hand. Harry followed her down the stairs carrying his broomstick.

Back in the kitchen, Moody had replaced his eye, which was spinning so fast after its cleaning it made Harry feel sick to look at it. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Sturgis Podmore were examining the microwave and Hestia Jones was laughing at a potato peeler she had come across while rummaging in the drawers. Lupin was sealing a letter addressed to the Dursleys.

"Excellent," Lupin nodded, looking up as Tonks, Tori, and Harry entered. "We've got about a minute, I think. We should probably get out into the garden so we're ready. Harry, I've left a letter telling your aunt and uncle not to worry  — "

"They won't," said Harry.

" — that you're safe — "

"That'll just depress them."

"— and you'll see them next summer."

"Do I have to?"

Lupin smiled but made no answer.

'Come here, boy,' said Moody gruffly, beckoning Harry towards him with his wand. "I need to Disillusion you."

"You need to what?" Harry asked nervously.