Emma Potter

56: Reunited [Pt.2]

"— for Humongous Bighead," said Fred

.Everyone except Percy and Mrs. Weasley snorted into their pudding."Why are the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy askedagain, in a dignified voice."Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr. Weasley,"— and as I work there, they're doing me a favor —"His voice was casual, but I couldn't help noticing that Mr.Weasley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was underpressure. 

"Good thing, too," said Mrs. Weasley briskly. "Do you realizehow much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'dbe on the Muggle Underground. . . . You are all packed, aren'tyou?" 

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy,in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed." 

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't havemuch time in the morning," Mrs. Weasley called down the table.Ron scowled at Percy.

 After dinner everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one theymade we way upstairs to our rooms to check our things for thenext day. Ron and Percy were next door to Harry and me. I had justclosed and locked my own trunk when we heard angry voicesthrough the wall, and we went to see what was going on.The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

 "It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing —" 

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

 "What's up?" said Harry. 

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry. I rolled my eyes. 

"So's Scabbers's rat tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of histrunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar —"

 "You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelledPercy."I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and wewent downstairs. Harry looked behind hid shoulder "you coming too?" "Left a book." I grunted. 

 Harry and I was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was nowvery dark, when we heard another pair of angry voices coming fromthe parlor. A second later, we recognized them as Mr. and Mrs. Weasleys'. Harry hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heardthem arguing, when I heard the sound of my own name made me move closer to the parlor door. Harry followed. 

". . . makes no sense not to tell them," Mr. Weasley was sayingheatedly. "Harry and Emma have got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, buthe insists on treating them like children. They're thirteen years oldand —"

 "Arthur, the truth would terrify them!" said Mrs. Weasley shrilly."Do you really want to send Harry and Emma back to school with that hanging over them? For heaven's sake, he's happy not knowing!" 

"I don't want to make them miserable, I want to put them on hisguard!" retorted Mr. Weasley. "You know what Harry and Ron arelike, wandering off by themselves — they've even ended up in theForbidden Forest! Emma..she's a Slytherin they have a thing for breaking rules! And perseverance! She can do anything when she puts her mind to it. But Harry and Emma mustn't do that this year! When Ithink what could have happened to them that night they ran awayfrom home! If the Knight Bus hadn't picked him up, I'm preparedto bet they would have been dead before the Ministry found him."

 "But they're not dead, they're fine, so what's the point —"

 "Molly, they say Sirius Black's mad, and maybe he is, but he wasclever enough to escape from Azkaban, and that's supposed to beimpossible. It's been a month, and no one's seen hide nor hair ofhim, and I don't care what Fudge keeps telling the Daily Prophet,we're no nearer catching Black than inventing self-spelling wands.The only thing we know for sure is what Black's after —"