𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊𓍊𓋼𓍊𓋼𓍊
The following morning, Uncle Jared paid a man to fit bars on Crystal's window. He himself fitted a cat-flap on the library-cum-bedroom's door, so that small amounts of food could be pushed inside three times a day. They let Crystal out to use the bathroom morning and evening. Otherwise, she was locked in her room around the clock.
Three days later, the Hudsons were still showing no sign of relenting, and Crystal couldn't see any way out of her situation. She tried to utilise her time to her best as she read the books on her shelf.
She couldn't even pick the lock of her door as she was monitored closely by the Hudson siblings, who had nothing better to do.
But still, her mind just couldn't help but wander to her friends and Hogwarts, she kept remembering Dobby and his warning. Was is it a bluff? Maybe, someone sent him to mess with her, an enemy who hates her.
She only knew of one such person, Malfoy but there could be others waiting for her to be disposed off from the Magic World.
One of those namely Lennox family who currently resided in her Calisto Mansion and running-- or to be precise ruining all the Calistos' business and the glory of the generations old name in mud.
The cat-flap rattled and Aunt Jasmine's hand appeared, pushing a bowl of canned soup into the room. Crystal wasn't much hungry, she already had some chocolates and candies from Sam that she hid in her room to satiate her hunger. But how much far could she live on them, she was running out of it too.
Crystal seized the can. The soup was stone-cold, she only had so much to calm the hunger again and rest of it, which was more than half went to Cash's empty food tray. He ruffled his feathers and gave her a look of deep disgust.
"It's no good turning your beak up at it -- that's all we've got," said Crystal grimly, "I'll give you something sweet for the good taste at last, alright?" She wondered if birds could actually taste sweet or was it just a waste.
Putting the empty bowl back on the floor next to the cat-flap, Crystal took a moment to watch the sun sinking behind the bars on the window and wondered what was going to happen to her. She shook her head and pushed out her depressing thoughts by keeping herself busy on the computer.
The night dived deeper into the darkness but Crystal didn't show any plans to rest anytime soon. The clicking and clacking sound of the keyboard and mouse, echoed in the eerie library stacked only with the books, old and new.
But why was she hearing a low rumbling sound of car engine close to her window? Crystal wondered.
She turned to take a look outside and clapped her hands on her mouth as she almost let out a scream of horror, someone goggling at her through the bars.
The person outside her window was none other than Harry Potter with Ron, peering from behind him and George and Fred Weasley all in a-- wait. . . a flying car? FLYING CAR! An old, turquoise colored Ford Anglia was floating in midair!
"Woah Woah Woahhh... have they already developed the flying car?" said Crystal in a shock at the same time admiring the car as she clutched the window bars, "I heard they proposed the idea just last year!"
"Wow, I'm amazed," said Harry, from the other side, "No hello, no hi, no good to see you again, no I missed you, but the car? I don't know why I'm feeling hurt. . ."
"Harry! Mind you, It was me here who didn't scream and woke up the whole world when you were peeking through my window like a creep, if it were any other girl. . ."
"Creep. . ." Harry sighed, "I thought our car was loud enough for you to hear but you were so focused that computer-- why do you always pay attention to anything but me! Last time you were so into reading that something ancient book -- " then he whisper shouted, "-- wait a minute, hey! I'm not a creep!"
"Yes, yes sorry, I had these stuffed in my ears for better concentration," Crystal showed him the earplugs which she'd stuffed to block the Hudson's inhumane screeches. "But what are all of you doing here? And this late at night and like this?"
"Well the prince charming here wanted to rescue his princess so bad that he came to our home just to plan his princess's escape," said George dramatically and snickered, "Hi Crysie, nice to see you again,"
"Hello, Crysie!" said Ron.
"Doing good, little Crysie?" said Fred.
Crystal smiled and nodded. "So good to see you all again!"
Harry rolled his eyes at George's comment "For your information, Crys, Ron invited me to stay with him! Tell her, Ron!"
"Yeah... I did..." said Ron loyally.
Fred and George looked at each other and smirked.
"Sure sure, now if both of you, Harry and Crystal could stop fighting like an old married couple we can start with what we came here for," Fred said playfully, Harry rolled his eyes with a scoff and Crystal looked at them as though they're weird, "anyways, we don't have much time, let's go Crysie, pack up fast."
"But you can't magic me out-- "
"We don't need to," said Ron, jerking his head toward the front seat and grinning. "You forget who I've got with me."
"Tie that around the bars, little one," said Fred, throwing the end of a rope to Crystal.
"If the Hudsons wake up, I'm dead," said Crystal as she tied the rope tightly around a bar and Fred revved up the car.
"Don't worry," said Fred, "and stand back."
"And you little liar," said Harry, "keep in mind that we'll have a talk later,"
Crystal gulped nervously knowing he saw her that day. She moved back into the shadows next to Cash.
The car revved louder and louder and suddenly, with a crunching noise, the bars were pulled clean out of the window as Fred drove straight up in the air with the bars dangling a few feet above the ground.
Crystal listened quietly for any sounds of Hudson's bedroom, but there was none. Fred reversed as close as possible to Crystal's window.
"Get in," Ron said.
"But I only have my Hogwarts stuff -- my wand -- they confiscated it -- "
"Let me help you!" Harry jumped inside the window almost tripping and George climbed in catlike after him.
"Where is your room?" asked George.
"This?" Crystal pointed her index finger down at the floor of the room.
"Oh, your room is downstairs?" said Harry started to walk towards the door.
"I got this," George reassured and took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.
"No, Harry. This room is mine. Right here, where your highness mighty feet stand, my prince." Crystal said as she hurriedly stuffed her clothes in the trunk and closed it, rushing over to her computer.
"What?! This spooky looking library, you say is your room?" said Harry nonplussed, eyeing the library up and down and around.
"Yes,"
"What are doing? I'll do it, I know how to operate a computer." said Harry looking at the screen over her shoulder. "You can bring your wand in the meanwhile."
"Alright then, delete all these folders. From here to down here." she said pointing the folders on the screen. "It has some confidential files, so don't even try to open, it's all password protected,"
Harry rolled his eyes and flopped onto Crystal's chair, his spectacles reflected the light from the computer as he worked on deleting everything told while Crystal passed a few things out of the window to Ron. Fred also came in to help George so they could leave faster.
"Done!" said Harry with the last click on the mouse, "and system shut down."
"Thanks, Harry!"
"We too!" said Fred and George.
"Thank you so much!" said Crystal and quietly ran down with light steps.
A few moments later, she came back with the wand in hand, panting.
They were already trying to heave her trunk but it fell down on the floor with a loud thud. Crystal panicked, there is no way the Hudsons wouldn't wake up.
Fred climbed back into the car to pull the trunk with Ron as Harry, Crystal and George pushed it out from inside. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.
"A bit more," panted Fred, who was pulling from inside the car. "One good push --"
Harry and George threw their shoulders against the trunk and it slid out of the window into the back seat of the car.
"Okay, let's go," George whispered jumping into the front seat. Harry climbed into the back seat next to Ron and made space for Crystal to come in.
Crystal was rushing back to window after she took Cash but Uncle Jared crashed in and stood framed in the doorway and screeched --
"THAT RUDDY OWL!"
Crystal passed the cage to Harry but just as was about to jump out, Uncle Jared let out a bellow like an angry bull and dived at her, grabbing her by the ankle.
Ron and Harry seized Crystal's arms and pulled as hard as they could.
"Jasmine!" roared Uncle Jared. "She's getting away! SHE'S GETTING AWAY!"
Harry put an arm around Crystal's back tightly and gave a gigantic tug. Her leg slid out of Uncle Jared's grasp -- she was in the car -- she'd slammed the door shut --
"Put your foot down, Fred!" yelled Ron, and the car shot suddenly toward the moon.
Crystal couldn't believe it -- not even in her wildest dream she could imagine -- a escape like this.
She rolled down the window, the night wind blowed her hair back. She looked down to see Uncle Jared, Aunt Jasmine, Jeremy and Jeanette were all hanging, dumbstruck, out of her window.
"Hang in there! Goodbye!" Crystal yelled.
The Weasleys roared with laughter and Crystal settled back in her seat, with a small smirking smile on her face, which always appeared whenever Hudsons were involved.
But Harry didn't shared the amusement, he made up his mind to somehow convince Crystal to stay with him next summer and wouldn't not let her return here again.
"Let Cash out," she told Ron. "He can fly behind us. He hasn't had a chance to stretch his wings for ages."
George handed the hairpin to Ron and, a moment later, Cash soared joyfully out of the window to glide alongside them like a ghost.
"So -- what's the story, Crysie?" said Ron impatiently. "What's been happening?"
Crystal told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given her and the fiasco of the pudding created by him.
"I knew he'd go to you too, the day before your birthday he visited me with the same warning." said Harry.
"I know, he mentioned you when we were talking," said Crystal.
"So that's why haven't you been answering my letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said Harry and you had got an official warning for using magic but you did it in front of Muggles -- " said Ron to Crystal.
"My parents knew we didn't do it. So dad asked Ministry to take the warning back," said Harry leaning back in his seat. "Haven't got any reply yet. We're still waiting."
"How did both of your father know about this?"
"My dad works for Ministry," said Harry perplexed, "Didn't I tell you?"
"No."
"My dad also works for Ministry," said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school -- "
"You should talk," said Crystal, thumping on the car seat, "isn't this magic? Muggles haven't invented the flying car yet! I even thought it was developed for a minute!"
"Oh, this doesn't count," said Ron. "We're only borrowing this. It's Dad's, we didn't enchant it. But doing magic in front of those Muggles you live with -- "
"Isn't it fishy?" said Fred finally, "house-elf... in both of your houses... "
"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 window. He even cracked the whole glass of it."
"I reckon someone was trying to get us?" said Crystal.
"You think he was lying to us?" said Harry.
Fred and George look at each other.
"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 both coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you both?"
"Yes," said Harry, Crystal and Ron together, instantly.
"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me and Crys."
"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"
"Yeah, that senior git's son." said Harry.
"Why do you ask?" Crystal asked curiously.
"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-Know-Who."
"That's why, Crys, my mum and dad loathe him."
Crystal listened carefully, the twins and Harry now had her full attention.
"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," said Fred, craning around to look at Crystal, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung -- Dad reckons he was right in You-Know-Who's inner circle."
"And that's why the whole Potter family hates them. We don't even address them when we see them in the Ministry parties." Harry added again at last. "But anyways, Malfoys are rich but I don't know whether they own any house-elf, specifically Dobby. . ."
"Well, whoever owns him will be an old Wizarding family, and they'll be rich," said Fred.
"Yeah, Mum's always wishing we had a house-elf to do the ironing," said George. "But all we've got is a lousy old ghoul in the attic and gnomes all over the garden. House-elves come with big old manors and castles and places like that; you wouldn't catch one in our house. . . ."
"I'm glad we came to get you, anyway," said Ron. "I was getting really worried, especially Harry and Hermione when you didn't answer any of our letters. I thought it was Errol's fault at first --"
"Who's Errol?"
"Our owl. He's ancient. It wouldn't be the first time he'd collapsed on a delivery. So then I tried to borrow Hermes --"
"Who?"
"The owl Mum and Dad bought Percy when he was made prefect," said Fred from the front.
"But Percy wouldn't lend him to me," said Ron. "Said he needed him."
"Percy's been acting very oddly this summer," said George, frowning. "And he has been sending a lot of letters and spending a load of time shut up in his room. . . . I mean, there's only so many times you can polish a prefect badge. . ."
"Is it related to a girl or something?" said Harry, raising a eyebrow. "Maybe he fancies someone?"
"Our Percy? With a girl? It's even more load of dung -- very hard to imagine actually -- You're driving too far west, Fred," George said, pointing at a compass on the dashboard. Fred twiddled the steering wheel.
"Er, So -- um, I'm really sorry all of you --"
"Now what are you sorry about all of a sudden -- " said Harry.
"-- for suddenly disappearing from the station before vacations -- without saying goodbye. . ."
"It's nothing, and well, now we know and understand your situation, so don't fret over it," said Ron, "No one is mad at you if you thought that."
Crystal smiled and decided to change the topic before any other question arise on this matter because Harry was anything but happy.
"So, does your dad know you've got the car?" said Crystal, 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."
"What does your father do at the Ministry, anyway?"
"He works in the most boring department," said Ron. "The Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office."
"And what is their work?"
"It's all to do with bewitching things that are Muggle-made, you know, in case they end up back in a Muggle shop or house. Like, last year, some old witch died and her tea set was sold to an antiques shop. This Muggle woman bought it, took it home, and tried to serve her friends tea in it. It was a nightmare -- Dad was working overtime for weeks."
"What happened?"
"The teapot went berserk and squirted boiling tea all over the place and one man ended up in the hospital with the sugar tongs clamped to his nose. Dad was going frantic -- it's only him and an old warlock called Perkins in the office -- and they had to do Memory Charms and all sorts of stuff to cover it up --"
"But your father -- this car --"
Fred laughed. "Yeah, Dad's crazy about everything to do with Muggles; our shed's full of Muggle stuff. He takes it apart, puts spells on it, and puts it back together again. If he raided our house he'd have to put himself under arrest. It drives Mum mad."
"He sounds very innovative... amazing... and your father, Harry?"
"He works in Department of Magical Games and Sports," said Harry, "It is responsible for the regulation of Quidditch and other wizarding sports. You know organising sports events like the Quidditch World Cup."
"Oh, okay, sports and events related stuff... " said Crystal, nodding, "Oh, right, Harry! I've got your birthday present with me, just couldn't send it out."
"I've yours too," said Harry, "so what did you do on your birthday?"
"Oh, I didn't even realise it was my birthday for half of the day until Jeremy and Jeanette pointed it out to make fun of me,"
"Who?" asked Ron.
"Jeremy Hudson is my cousin brother older than me by one year and Jeanette Hudson, my cousin sister, younger than me by one year." said Crystal and yawned covering her mouth.
Harry again noticed the band-aids on her fingers. He grabbed her hands and traced his thumb over the band-aids then leaned in to whisper in her ear so that nobody heard over the car engine, "We need to talk."
Crystal gave him a perplexed look and leaned her head on the window feeling sleepy. She looked outside at the passing scenery with heavy eyes but couldn't fall asleep, with all the noise around.
A few minutes passed in silence when she felt Harry's head on her shoulder. He was fast asleep as his soft even breathes fanned her neck. She let him rest for a bit and closed her eyes to rest too.
"That's the main road," said George, peering down through the windshield. "We'll be there in ten minutes. . . Just as well, it's getting light. . ."
Fred brought the car lower, and Crystal saw a dark patchwork of fields and clumps of trees.
"We're a little way outside the village," said George. "Ottery St. Catchpole."
"Touchdown!" said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground.
"Ow!" Crystal rubbed her painfully throbbing jaw. With the impact of touchdown Harry's head collided with Crystal's jaw. Harry woke up with a jolt patting the top of his head.
"Oh, Merlin! Did you get hurt?" he asked concerned.
"It's fine," Crystal said, still rubbing her jaw and 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. 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.
"It's so much amazing," said Crystal. It was her first time seeing that kind of architecture of a house.
They got out of the car.
"Listen, guys, thank you so much for saving me today." said Crystal gratefully, "I hope the situation doesn't arise where you need help but I'll come to your recuse without a second thought."
"Oh my, I'm so moved," said Fred dramatically wiping his invisible tears.
"We're happy to help you, Crysie!" said George with a wide smile. "Why fear when your brothers are here,"
Fred and George put an arm around each other's shoulders, grinning from ear to ear.
"You guys... " Crystal smiled, shaking her head.
"Now, listen, we'll go upstairs really quietly and sneak you into Ginny's room," said Fred, "and wait for Mum to call us for breakfast. Then, Ron, Harry and you come bounding downstairs going, 'Mum, look who turned up in the early morning!' and she'll be all pleased to see Crystal and no one will ever know we flew the car."
Crystal gave him with a strange look, "You think this is going to work? This is an absolutely -- "
Ron had gone a nasty greenish color, his eyes fixed on the house.
" -- stupid plan?" A woman's voice completed her sentence.
"Ah," said Fred.
"Oh, dear," said George.
They stiffened at the voice and wheeled around. Mrs. Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next.
Mrs. Weasley for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-toothed tiger. She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket.
"So," she said.
"Morning, Mum," said George, in what he clearly thought was a jaunty, winning voice.
"Have you any idea how worried I've been?" said Mrs. Weasley in a deadly whisper.
"Sorry, Mum, but see, we had to --"
All three of Mrs. Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them.
"Beds empty! No note! Car gone -- could have crashed -- out of my mind with worry -- did you care? -- never, as long as I've lived -- you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy --"
"Perfect Percy," muttered Fred.
"YOU COULD DO WITH TAKING A LEAF OUT OF PERCY'S BOOK!" yelled Mrs. Weasley, prodding a finger in Fred's chest. "You could have died, you could have been seen, you could have lost your father his job --"
"Um, hello, Mrs. Weasley, I'm very sorry to interrupt you -- I'm Crystal Calisto, a pleasure to meet you -- and I'm really sorry, this all happened because of me -- but I'm really grateful to Fred, George, Ron and Harry came to help me when I was really in need -- " said Crystal sincerely with a slight bow, " --I'll take full responsibility for happened today,"
"I'm very pleased to see you too, Crystal dear, if only we could have a girl like you in our house," she said sweetly, simply adoring her and glancing at Ron, Fred and George for a fraction of moment, "You don't need to be sorry and responsible for their actions. There are a lot of ways yet they chose this for the sake of fun, I know it. Come in and have some breakfast. You too come in, Harry dear."
She turned and walked back into the house and Crystal after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly and she followed him.
The kitchen was small and rather cramped. There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle, Crystal sat down on the edge of her seat, looking around. She had never been in a wizard house before.
The clock on the wall opposite her had only one hand and no numbers at all. Written around the edge were things like Time to make tea, Time to feed the chickens, and You're late.
Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts -- It's Magic! and the old radio next to the sink had just announced that coming up was "Witching Hour, with the popular singing sorceress, Celestina Warbeck."
Mrs. Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. Every now and then she muttered things like "don't know what you were thinking of," and "never would have believed it."
"I don't blame you, dears," she assured Harry and Crystal, tipping eight or nine sausages onto their plates. "Arthur and I have been worried about you too, Crystal. Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. But really" (she was now adding three fried eggs to her plate, and Crystal shook her head at the amount of food), "flying an illegal car halfway across the country -- anyone could have seen you --"
She flicked her wand casually at the dishes in the sink, which began to clean themselves, clinking gently in the background.
"It was cloudy, Mum!" said Fred.
"You keep your mouth closed while you're eating!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.
"They were starving her, Mum!" said George.
"And you!" said Mrs. Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Crystal's bread and buttering it for her.
Crystal didn't dare to utter a word. It was the first time she was scared of getting scolded, she didn't care if Hudsons exploded on her, but Mrs. Weasley was something else. She went back to kitchen.
"Ron," Crystal whispered to him, who was sitting beside her, and gestured to her food, "You know I can't eat this much, share it,"
Ron threw a quick glance at his mother and quietly slid his plate, Crystal put some sausages and a egg on it and mouthed 'thanks' before she started eating her breakfast. Mrs. Weasley was still muttering in the background.
At that moment there was a diversion in the form of a small, redheaded figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again.
"Ginny," said Ron in an undertone to Crystal. "My sister. She's been talking about you and Harry all summer. But she still hasn't talked to Harry though it's been two days of his stay already,"
Crystal glanced at Harry who was quitely eating his breakfast across from her. She didn't knew why but he looked a little put off.
"Yeah, she'll be wanting your autograph, Crysie, Harry," Fred said with a grin, but he caught his mother's eye and bent his face over his plate without another word. Nothing more was said until all five plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time.
Just then, the front door opened and a thin man, going bald, but the little hair he had was as red as any of his children's entered. He was wearing long green robes, which were dusty and travel-worn.
"Dad's home!" said George.
Mr. Weasley slumped in a kitchen chair with his glasses off and his eyes closed.
"What a night," he mumbled, groping for the teapot as they all sat down around him. "Nine raids. Nine! And old Mundungus Fletcher tried to put a hex on me when I had my back turned. . ."
Mr. Weasley took a long gulp of tea and sighed. He looked around the table and blinked when his eyes stopped at Crystal.
"Well now. Who are you, little girl?"
"Crystal Calisto, sir," said Crystal, "it's a pleasure to meet you."
"Good lord, are you really Crystal Calisto? Very pleased to meet you too, Ron's told us so much about you, of course. When did you get here?"
"This morning. By an enchanted car, for instance?"
Mrs. Weasley had appeared, holding a long poker like a sword. Mr. Weasley's eyes jerked open. He stared guiltily at his wife.
"C-car, Molly, dear?"
"Yes, Arthur, cars," said Mrs. Weasley, her eyes flashing. "Imagine a wizard buying a rusty old car and telling his wife all he wanted to do with it was take it apart to see how it worked, while really he was enchanting it to make it fly."
Mr. Weasley blinked.
"Well, dear, I think you'll find that he would be quite within the law to do that, even if -- er -- he maybe would have done better to, um, tell his wife the truth. . . There's a loophole in the law, you'll find. . . As long as he wasn't intending to fly the car, the fact that the car could fly wouldn't -- "
"Arthur Weasley, you made sure there was a loophole when you wrote that law!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "Just so you could carry on tinkering with all that Muggle rubbish in your shed! And for your information, Crystal arrived this morning in the car you weren't intending to fly!"
"Really?" He blinked, surprised.
"Your sons flew that car to Crystal's house and back last night!" shouted Mrs. Weasley. "What have you got to say about that, eh?"
"Did you really?" said Mr. Weasley eagerly. "Did it go all right? I -- I mean," he faltered as sparks flew from Mrs. Weasley's eyes, "that -- that was very wrong, boys -- very wrong indeed. . . ."
"Let's leave them to it," Ron muttered to Crystal as Mrs. Weasley swelled like a bullfrog. "Come on, I'll show you my and then Ginny's bedroom. Harry, let's go."
They climbed up fifth floor until they reached a door with peeling paint and a small plaque on it, saying RONALD'S ROOM.
Crystal stepped in, her height was a little shorter than Harry but she almost touched the sloping ceiling, and blinked. It was like walking into a furnace: Nearly everything in Ron's room seemed to be a violent shade of orange: the bedspread, the walls, even the ceiling.
Then Crystal realised that Ron had covered nearly every inch of the shabby wallpaper with posters of the same seven witches and wizards, all wearing bright orange robes, carrying broomsticks, and waving energetically.
"Your Quidditch team?" said Crystal.
"The Chudley Cannons," said Ron, pointing at the orange bedspread, which was emblazoned with two giant black C's and a speeding cannonball. "Ninth in the league."
Harry flopped down on Ron's bed.
Crystal looked around the room very curiously then she turned to look at Ron, who was watching her almost nervously, as though waiting for her opinion.
"It's a bit small," said Ron quickly. "Not like that big room you had with the Muggles. And I'm right underneath the ghoul in the attic; he's always banging on the pipes and groaning. . ."
But Crystal, smiled and said, "This is the most interesting house I've ever been in."
Ron's ears went pink. Harry cleared his throat to gain their attention.
"I'll be here till tomorrow," He said tonelessly, "So mum and dad were wondering if you'll come back with me."
"Sure, I'll visit your home too while I'm at it," Crystal shrugged, "we don't know if I'd have a chance later,"
"Great!"
That one day at the Burrow was as different as possible from life at Plumery Drive. Crystal was surprisingly getting along well with Ginny as it was really hard for her make new friends. Ginny at first was hard to talk as she was shy, so Crystal told her be casual about it and talked a lot about Hogwarts with her.
Mr. Weasley liked Crystal to sit next to him at the dinner table so that he could bombard her with questions about life with Muggles, asking her to explain how things like plugs and the postal service worked. To everyone's astonishment except Harry's, Crystal talked a lot more when something of her interest was involved.
She patiently explained everything he asked down to the minute details that even Percy was engaging in the knowledge transfer session.
"Fascinating!" he would say as Crystal talked him through using a telephone. "Ingenious, really, how many ways Muggles have found of getting along without magic."
"Let me tell you how it was made, Mr. Weasley, you wouldn't believe it -- "
"Dad has finally found someone who's as enthusiastic as him about Muggles," said Fred muttered to George.
The next day of their stay, Mrs. Weasley's voice came from downstairs in the morning while they all were playing Exploding Snap.
"Harry, dear! Your mum and dad are here!"
"Mum and dad?" Harry got up from the bed and went out of the room. Just as he stepped outside of Ron's room he came back in as though forgetting something and grabbed Crystal's wrist taking her with him. Fred, George, Ron and Ginny followed them downstairs.
"Harry! Crystal!" said James opening his arms. Lily took a breath of relief seeing the children.
"Hello, Mr. and Mrs. Potter." Crystal greeted as she was engulfed into the hug by the Potter couple.
"I've told you, call me Lily. Are you all right, my little Crysie?" Lily asked softly, cupping her cheeks. Crystal ears turned pink as she nodded.
"Mum, dad, you're here so early in the morning?" said Harry pulling away.
"We went to Hudson's house this morning to take Crystal back with us and came to know that she had escaped in a flying car with a glasses boy in the middle of night a day back," said Lily, Harry hung his head, "D'you understand how dangerous it was? You could've got seriously injured or worst -- " Lily paused then continued, "I told you not to create trouble for Mr. and Mrs. Weasley! You didn't even tell us that Crysie was with you! I believed you called yourself responsible and grown up -- "
"But mum, I was really worried for Crys -- "
"Then, you should've waited for adults to take action!" Lily snapped. "We were worried for her too! Aviana wouldn't want you both to risk yours and others lives!"
"I don't know about Aunt Avi! But it's been one and a half month since I told you that Crystal had hidden the truth from us! They don't treat her well! They abuse her!" Harry argued back, "Have you seen her hands? --" He suddenly grabbed her hand and showed them, before she could hide it, "-- it's all cut up and bruised! But you both were just sitting and following Dumbledore's wishes! I didn't see any adult doing anything so I had to do something myself! I'm not the kind to sit and wait, mum!"
"HARRY!" Lily shouted, her voice rang in the whole burrow, "You and Crystal are coming back home, right now! Crystal, I want to have a talk with you too."
Harry and Crystal gulped thickly. Harry hung his head, he felt bad for talking his mother in such behaviour.
"Calm down, dear." said James, patting Lily's back, "It's not good for your health. Harry, you will not talk to your mum like that."
"I'm sorry." He mumbled.
"Mrs. Potter, please calm down." said Mrs. Weasley, "Harry has never created trouble for us,"
"Please, call me Lily. You're too kind, Mrs. Weasley," said Lily, "And I'm very sorry for this happening at your home early in the morning,"
"Oh, it's nothing. And call me Molly. I know that we parents care about our children. I scolded mine too but if they reflect on their mistakes then it's okay to forgive them." said Mrs. Weasley, kindly.
"Thank you for taking care of our kids, Arthur, Molly." said James, gratefully. "We'd like to take them back now,"
Mr. and Mrs. Weasley smiled and nodded.
✰✰✰✰✰✰
Crystal was really nervous throughout the way in the car. James was driving, Lily was in co-driver seat while Harry and Crystal were in the back seat shaking. No one spoke until Lily broke the silence.
"Crysie," Lily said, "Why did you lie us, sweetie? Why did you go back to Jasmine's house?"
"I- I had my reasons... " She said quietly.
"What reasons?"
"I'm sorry, I can't you tell that,"
"Why?"
"I've my reasons..."
Lily sighed.
"Are they threatening you? Or blackmailing you?"
"No no no, they won't do that, I've some other reasons..."
"Fine, just tell me when you're ready," said Lily, "we were so worried about you, baby,"
Crystal felt bad for disappointing such a nice lady.
"Come on, enough of this gloominess," said James, "so let's plan how we'll spend our days! I'm assuring you guys will have a blast!"
"Yeah!" Harry chirped in, only to be cowering back at his mother's sharp gaze.
The car stopped.
"We're here, kids!" said James, cheerfully, "Welcome home, Crysie, Harry."
The Potter house, looked like a nice cozy home with light grey roof at the front with nice balconies, windows, backyard and lots of greenery and potted plants as decorations. They had a nice terrace too.
"Come in, Crysie," Lily held her hand as James held the front door wide open. Crystal, a little nervous held Harry's sleeve as the three of them went in. Harry let himself to be led.
A very nice and warm living room with sofa, coffee table and a television with lots of light flooding from the large windows along the wall came into the view. The walls were colored in a light shade biege.
There was open kitchen in the farthest corner connected with small bar beside it and a dinner table was a few feet away from the counter. The other corner of the hall had the spiral stairs leading up to the rooms. A few feet from the foot of the stairs had a bedroom door.
This Wizard house was totally different from Ron's house. It looked like any other Muggle house from inside-out but there was still a hint of magic inside. It had most of Muggle gadgets as well as magical.
"Freshen up first, then we'll have lunch," said Lily, "Harry, show Crysie around and her room, baby. I'll prepare lunch in the meantime."
"Mum! Can you please not call me that in front of -- " Harry said embarrassed, signalling his eyes towards Crystal.
"Fine fine, now go," Lily said chuckling as she saw his son's ears turned red.
"Okay, mum," said Harry, quietly, "and I'm sorry for my behaviour earlier,"
"I'm sorry too, baby," said Lily ruffling his hair, "I was just worried about you both,"
Harry groaned being called that again. It was fine as long Lily didn't call him that in front of his friends.
"I'm sorry too -- for all the trouble -- and not able to tell you the truth," said Crystal, "well, to be honest, I was never going to tell that to anyone but Harry might have seen me at station that day, so..."
"I know you have some reason but do tell us when you're suffering, alright, dear?" said Lily, caressing her cheek. Crystal nodded with a smile.
"Finally, your mum had calmed down, son," James whispered. Harry chuckled.
"I'll show Crys her room," said Harry, happily, "Come, it's just beside mine!"
Crystal followed Harry upstairs to the passage which had a large window again opposite of three doors.
"That one is the guest room," Harry said pointing to a lone room, turned around, "this is my room and the other door beside me is officially yours."
"My own room?" Crystal said surprised. "You didn't have to go through all the trouble --"
"Oh come on! You're living with us now so you need your own room or where will you stay?"
Crystal was speechless, this was the first time she'd ever get a proper bedroom in her life.
Harry opened his room with a smile and held the door wide, "First, I'll give you a tour of my room, yours is same as this. Come in,"
"Thanks... "
Crystal went inside and looked around, the walls were red symbolic to Gryffindor and thin golden curtains decorated the room. There was a bed with lot of cushions and pillows in the middle of the room, a white colored wardrobe and a desk, chair, decorative flower pots near the door to the balcony, all white in color.
"What's that door?"
"Oh, it's the bathroom," said Harry, "Come on, I'll show you the common balcony, it's attached to your room too."
Crystal and Harry went out to the balcony, the view was magnificent, hills in the far distance with a lush greenery around them but the only flaw, the sun was high up in the sky and it was hot.
Harry opened the door next room through the balcony.
"Tada! This is your room!" said Harry beaming, "d'you like it?"
Crystal hoped that the room was not red and thankfully it had a light color of soothing blue like the sky. The curtains were white in color with green leaves pattern. The furnitures where white colored, bathroom and rest of the things were placed similar to Harry's room.
"Yeah, it's wonderful!" said Crystal in awe.
"I knew you liked light colors and soothing colors,"
"Mmm-Hmm," Crystal nodded with a smile and hugged him, "Thanks a lot, Harry!"
Harry smiled in her shoulder and patted her back before pulling away.
"Alrighty! Freshen up! And come down for the lunch!" said Harry, going towards the door, "Oh, and shut the windows and lock the balcony door before you leave the room, 'kay?"
Crystal nodded and closed the door behind him. Only ten days were left for the summer holidays to be over but she had a feeling that it was going to the best holidays ever.
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A/N:
Hey! I know one no likes to read Author's notes but I like writing it the most. 😈
So not to take too much of your time, just wanted to say there's foreshadowing in this chapter! Maybe more than one! Can you guys figure it out?
Next chapter will be out next Friday.
Until then let me know how much you liked or disliked this chapter by your votes and comments. If you like my book follow me to be updated when they next chapter's out!
Thank you for all the support and love!♡
♡ u all!
~Ciao!♡
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