2.1| rule no. 1: don't make Mrs Weasley angry
Harry thought he was dreaming.
He had been locked up in his room after the incident with dobby. It was late at night, the Dursleys were fast asleep too. Yet he sat there, on the edge of his bed, looking out the window. The moonlight was the only source of light in his room right now. He had hoped to leave No. 4 Privet drive, he wanted to go back to Hogwarts and meet his friends. That's when he swore he thought it was a dream. There was a flying Ford Anglia it stopped at his room's window. A familiar face looked out.
"Potter, hey" Alex had breathed out. Her gray eyes shinned brighter. And her freckles looked even more prominent in summer. The red glow on her cheeks reminded him of settling sun. Her freckles being the stars. Ron popped his head out too.
"I thought we were on first name basis?"
"Oh are we?" She grinned. He was still in shock, his mouth parted, his eyes wide.
"Hey Harry" Ron said. He noticed, Fred and George.
"All right, Harry?" asked George.
"I—Alex, Ron, Fred, George—" he said. "What are you guys doing here?"
"Rescuing you ofcourse!" Alex said. "Now go get your stuff, we need to leave as fast as we can" He did as she said and started putting his things in his trunk.
"There is one more problem" he said and gestured to the bars in his window.
"Don't worry about it" Alex said.
"We'll take care of it" Ron said. Harry nodded and went back to looking for his things. He was distracted by a loud 'boom' sound. He looked over and saw Alex holding her wand out pointed at the window, her eyes wide. She has not only blown away the bars but also the whole window itself.
The sound was enough to wake Mr. Dursley up. He rushed to his drawer taking his keys out and climbing up to the room. Hearing the footsteps approach, Harry quickly packed his trunk and gave it to Ron. He set Hedwig free and started grabbing his quidditch items. As soon as he got out of the window Mr Dursley barged open the door and ran after him, getting a hold of his shoe, holding him hanging between the car and the room. Alex and Ron both were pulling him inside. He took off his shoe, leaving Mr Dursley with nothing but that, as Fred sped off into the sky.
"What's been going on?" said Ron.
"You haven't been answering our letters?" Alex said.
"I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles—"
"It wasn't me- and how did he know?"
"He works for the Ministry" said Ron.
"You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school—" Alex said.
"You should talk. You literally blew up the window with a spell"
"Oh no I don't count" Alex said, swishing her wand around. Harry looked at her bewildered.
"What do you mean 'you don't count'?" He asked.
"It means that I can do magic outside of school, without the ministry catching me. Since I was born"
"And what about the car?"
"We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it"
"So—what's the story, Harry?" said Alex impatiently. "What's been happening?"
Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry 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 tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"
"I don't think he could" said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall" He saw Fred and George look at each other. "What, you think he was lying to me?" 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 their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"
"Yes" said Harry and Ron together, instantly.
"Draco Malfoy" Harry explained. "He hates me"
"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"
"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry.
"Are you sure that Malfoy would do that?" Alex asked Harry and he shrugged and nodded.
"I've heard Dad talking about him" said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who"
"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Harry, guessing the answer.
"Er, no" said Ron, "he had to work tonight. Hopefully we'll be able to get it back in the garage without Mum noticing we flew it"
_
A faint pinkish glow was visible along the horizon to the east. Lower and lower went the flying car. The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees.
"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard, and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house. It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigpen, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several stories high and so crooked it looked as though it were held up by magic (which Harry reminded himself, it probably was). Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. A lopsided sign stuck in the ground near the entrance read, THE BURROW. Around the front door lay a jumble of rubber boots and a very rusty cauldron. Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard.
"It's not much" said Ron. "But it's home"
"It's wonderful" Harry said.
"Now, we'll go upstairs really quietly" said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the night!' and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car"
"Yeah" Alex yawned. "Let's go" Alex said, extremely tired.
"Right" said Ron. "Come on, Harry, I sleep at the—at the top—" suddenly Ron went pale when he heard footsteps approaching them. Mrs Weasley appeared infront of them. Her face red from anger.
"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?—" she demanded. "Harry so wonderful to see you dear—"she smiled at Harry. "—BEDS EMPTY! NO NOTE! CAR GONE! YOU COULD'VE DIED! YOU COULDVE BEEN SEEN!—" she exclaimed. "Of course Alex dear I don't blame you" she said, her expression softening once again.
"They were starving him mum!" Ron managed to utter out. "There were bars on his window!"
"Well you better hope I don't put bars on your window Ronald Weasley!" She said and Ron eyes widened.
"Come on dear" she said to Harry. "Time for breakfast"
"Mrs. Weasley is okay if I join for breakfast a bit late?" Alex asked, her eyes already Daring to close because of thelack of sleep.
"Oh of course dear!" Mrs Weasley smiled and Alex climbed up the stairs to Ginny's room.
"Good Morning" Ginny said to her as she entered the room. She was probably going to take a bath as Alex saw she was looking for her clothes in the closet. "Have you seen my jumper?"
"Good Night" Alex said and collapsed on Ginny's bed. Ginny chuckled and left. "And I have not" she called out
Just when Alex was about to be in her peaceful, pleasant slumber Ginny decided to wake her up by shaking her violently.
"What?" Alex said groggily. When she tried to open her eyes, she was blinded by the lights. So she just sat up her eyes closed. "Ginny I swear to god, I've told you not to wake me up unless someone or the house is on fire!" She said, gritting her teeth. Ginny completely ignored her.
"You didn't tell me he is here!"
"Who is here?" Alex asked confused. Her eyes adjusted to the light and she saw a red blush covering Ginny's cheeks.
"Harry Potter!"
"Oh him" Alex said. "Yeah" she said and laid back down again to go back to sleep.
"What do you mean oh him?" Ginny asked sitting on the bed. "How did he get here?"
"Well me, Ron, Fred and George may or may not have taken Mr Weasley's flying car to rescue him from his terrible aunt and uncle" Alex said, covering her face with a blanket.
"You did what!" Ginny said and there was no answer. She thought maybe Alex fell asleep again. She sighed. "I know you aren't asleep" she said and Alex lowered the blanket.
"What" Alex groaned.
"Why is he here?"
"Go ask him" Alex said, and turned away from Ginny, pulling the blanket over her head. Ginny huffed.
"Alex" Ginny pouted and Alex groaned. Alex got up and got out of bed. "Where are you going?" Ginny asked, noticing her leave, she got up from the bed too.
"Downstairs for breakfast" She said. "Care to join?" Ginny shook her head and sat back down, a pink blush making its way to her cheeks. Alex grinned and went downstairs.
"Take a seat Alex dear" Molly said and Alex took a seat besides Ron. Molly served her breakfast. "Did Ginny find her jumper my dear?" She asked. Alex shook her head. Molly took her floral apron off and went upstairs.
"Why is Ginny acting so weird?" Alex asked Ron. Fred and George shared a look, trying not to laugh.
"You know" Ron said and gestured to the messy black haired boy sitting on his left. "Harry"
"Is it that bad?" Alex asked. Ron nodded.
"She has been talking about him all summer. A bit annoying really" Ron said and looked at Harry. "No offense mate"
"Morning Weasley's!" Mr Weasley said, entering the kitchen. The Weasley's greeted back. "Oh morning Alex" he smiled.
"Morning Mr Weasley" she said. He sat down on his chair. He looked at Harry with confusion for a moment.
"And who are you?" He asked, perplexed.
"Oh sorry sir" Harry said. "I'm Harry sir. Harry Potter" he said.
"Good Lord" Arthur said. "Are you really? Well! Ron's told us all about you ofcourse! When did you get here?"
"This morning" Molly said, entering the kitchen. "Your sons and Alex flew that enchanted car of yours to Surrey and back last night!"
"Did you really? How'd it go!—" he asked and but was cut off when molly hit him lightly on the arm with a spatula. "I—I mean, that was very wrong indeed! Very wrong of you" he said, trying to scold them. "Now Harry" Mr Weasley said and Harry looked at him. "You must know everything about muggles. So tell me, what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"
Before Harry could answer him, he was cut off by an owl screeching. "It must be Errol" Molly said and took the letters from him, as the owl came inside. "Oh it's your Hogwarts letters" she said and gave it to each of them. "Dumbledore must know you're here Harry, he sent yours too" she said and handed him his letter.
"Will we go to Diagon Alley Mrs Weasley?" Alex asked.
"Yes dear, we need to go to Diagon Alley"
"Great! Can we go one Friday? Hermione is going to be there on Friday!"
"Of course dear"
_
Friday rolled around pretty quickly. Alex put her robes on and went downstairs with Ginny, her bag slung over her shoulder.
"Here you go dear" Molly said to Harry and handed him a pot with some powder inside. Harry looked at her confused
"Mum I don't think harry knows how to travel with floo powder" Ron said.
"Oh well Ron you go one first and show him how it's done" she smiled. Ron nodded and went ahead he took a little pinch of the powder and stepped on the fireplace.
"Diagon Alley!" He said and threw the powder into the fire place. Emerald green fire engulfed him and he disappeared. Harry started at the fire place wide eyed with his mouth opened. Alex chuckled at his expression.
"It's not that hard don't worry" she muttered. He looked at her as if she was mad. "You won't get hurt"
"Alex dear" molly said.
"Yes Mrs Weasley?"
"Why don't you go along with Harry. It's his first time he's probably scared" she said and Alex looked over to Harry who gave her a yes please look.
"Sure" she said and took Harry's hand, dragging him to the fire place. She gestured him to take the floo powder, he hesitated at first but took it.
"Now dear—" Molly said. "Remember to speak, very—very clearly" Harry nodded.
"Diagonally!" He said throwing the powder down, green flames engulfed them as he closed his eyes shut, holding tightly into Alex's arm.
"What did he say dear?" Molly asked, worried.
"Diagonally" Mr Weasley said, nodding.