Emma Potter

25: Ron to the rescue (part 2)

At last, panting, we reached the landing, then carried the trunkthrough Our room to the open window. Fred climbed back intothe car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George and I pushed from thebedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.Uncle Vernon coughed again.

Same process with the other trunk. "A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car."One good push —"Harry and George and I threw our shoulders against the trunk and itslid out of the window into the back seat of the car."Okay, let's go," George whispered. I clambered to the window, eased my legs out so I was dangling,  I reached and jumped. Ron grinned at me. 

But as Harry climbed onto the windowsill there came a suddenloud screech from behind him, followed immediately by the thunder of Uncle Vernon's voice."THAT RUDDY OWL!" "Hedwig!" I hissed. Harry tore back across the room as the landing light clickedon — he snatched up Hedwig's cage, dashed to the window, andpassed it out to Ron, who passed it to me. He was scrambling back onto the chest ofdrawers when Uncle Vernon hammered on the unlocked door —and it crashed open. 

For a split second, Uncle Vernon stood framed in the doorway;then he let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at Harry,grabbing him by the ankle.Ron,Me, Fred, and George seized Harry's arms and pulled as hard asthey could."Petunia!" roared Uncle Vernon. "They're getting away! THEY'RE GETTING AWAY!"But the Weasleys and I gave a gigantic tug and Harry's leg slid out ofUncle Vernon's grasp — Harry was in the car — he'd slammed thedoor shut —"Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.I couldn't belieave it. 

We were free.

Harry and I looked at eachother. "We're out." he whispered "WE'RE OUT" I yelled, reaching over him to roll down the window, he and I shared a smirk as we yelled "SEE YOU NEXT SUMMER!" The Weasly's roared with laughter. "I missed you guys!" I said hugging Ron, the George. "No hug for me?" asked Fred, in fake disappointed. "Your driving" I said "I don't- watch out!" he swerved to avoide being tangled up in some wires. 

"Let Hedwig out," harry told Ron. "She can fly behind us. Shehasn't had a chance to stretch her wings for ages."George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Hedwigsoared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside us like aghost."So — what's the story, Guys?" said Ron impatiently. "What'sbeen happening?"Harry and I told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and me and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished."Very fishy," said Fred finally."Definitely dodgy," agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tellyou who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?""I don't think he could,"I said  "I told you, every time hegot close to letting something slip, he started banging his headagainst the wall." We saw Fred and George look at each other."What, you think he was lying to us?" said Harry."Well," said Fred, "put it this way — house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without theirmaster's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think ofanyone at school with a grudge against you?" 

"Yes," said Harry and Ron together, instantly. 

"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me." I opened my mouth 

"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not LuciusMalfoy's son?""Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry."Why?""I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a bigsupporter of You-Know-Who.""And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craningaround to look at Harry and me, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'dnever meant any of it. Load of dung — Dad reckons he was rightin You-Know-Who's inner circle."Harry had heard these rumors about Malfoy's family before, andthey didn't surprise him at all. Malfoy made Dudley Dursley looklike a kind, thoughtful, and sensitive boy."I don't know whether the Malfoys own a house-elf. . . ." saidHarry."Well, whoever owns him will be an old wizarding family, andthey'll be rich," said Fred. I scowled, at the boys. "Harry maybe" I said "but not me. He's my friend."