There was a definite end-of-the-holidays gloom in the air when everyone awoke the next morning. Heavy rain was still splattering against the window as Rory got dressed in jeans and a hoody she'd robbed from Charlie placing her leather jacket over the top after braiding her hair to cover the part of the scar that wasn't covered by her clothes. As she stepped out of Ginnys room she was quickly grabbed by Charlie and dragged into his room.
"Morning Nova that's a nice jumper"
"It's mine now" She smirks at him.
"Why are you covering your neck I thought you was okay finally with showing it" he looked at her with concern as he moved her hair slightly to reveal her neck.
"I'm going back to school Charlie that's a huge difference from you and your family"
"Don't hide who you are Nova"
"You know I love you right" She says changing the subject.
"No I think I need you to show me again" he smiles at her leaning closer.
"Oh is that so" She places her lips on his as his hand goes to the back of her head deepening the kiss. They jump apart at the sound of a cough behind them, turning to find Bill grinning at them.
"What do we have here then"
"Shut it pillock"
"Told you didn't I Rory"
"Told me what Bill" he just winks at her before closing the door and leaving. She turns back to Charlie. "Your brothers a pain in the arse just so you know"
"I know but it's fine, Bill won't tell anyone. He's known about my feelings for you for a while" Charlie pulls her back to him as his lips meet hers again.
"I'm going to miss you" Rory says against his lips.
"I'm going to miss you too Nova" He says pulling away and placing his hands on her hips "Come on shall we get down before one of them come looking for either of us" She nods as he kisses her again quickly before they leave his room and head downstairs.
"Arthur!" Mrs Weasley calls up the staircase. "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!"
When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley was rummaging anxiously in the drawers "I've got a quill here somewhere!" and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to Amos Diggory's head which was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.
"Don't worry Harry you're not mad" Rory tells him as he sits beside her at the table. Charlie sat on her other side his hand resting on her thigh as she put hers on top of his.
"Muggle neighbours heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call- 'ems - please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there" Mr Diggory says.
"Here!" Mrs. Weasley said breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.
"it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," Mr. Diggory's head said. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur "
"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes. Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes. "Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."
"What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.
"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," Mr. Diggory said. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the pleasemen turned up " Mr. Weasley groaned.
"And what about the intruder?"
"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," Mr. Diggory's head said, rolling its eyes again. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it think of his record we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department what are exploding dustbins worth?"
"Might be a caution," Mr. Weasley said, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"
"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," Mr. Diggory said, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."
"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again. Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.
"Sorry about this, Molly," it said, more calmly, "bothering you so early and everything but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night "
"Never mind, Amos," Mrs. Weasley said. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"
"Oh go on, then," Mr. Diggory said. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth.
"Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished. Mr. Weasley could be heard calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair.
"I'd better hurry you have a good term, boys and Rory and I'll see you later Charlie" Mr. Weasley said to Harry, Ron, the twins, Rory and Charlie as he fastened a cloak over his shoulders and preparing to Disapparate. "Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?"
"Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine." As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill entered the kitchen.
"Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked. "What's he been up to now."
"He says someone tried to break into his house last night," Mrs. Weasley said.
"Mad-Eye Moody?" George said thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter -"
"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," Mrs. Weasley said sternly.
"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" Fred said quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather"
"Moody was a great wizard in his time," Bill said.
"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" Charlie asked.
"Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?" Fred muttered. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything"
"Definitely wouldn't use the word normal to describe dear old dumbles" Rory says making Fred and George laugh whilst Bill and Charlie just smile at her.
"Who is Mad-Eye?" Harry asked.
"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," Charlie told him. "I met him once when Dad took me into work with him. He was an Auror one of the best a Dark wizard catcher," he added, seeing Harry's blank look "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though the families of people he caught, mainly and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore. Sees Dark wizards everywhere."
Bill and Charlie decided to come and see everyone off at King's Cross station, but Percy, apologizing most profusely, said that he really needed to get to work.
"I just can't justify taking more time off at the moment," he told them. "Mr. Crouch is really starting to rely on me."
"Yeah, you know what, Percy?" George said seriously. "I reckon he'll know your name soon." Mrs. Weasley had braved the telephone in the village post office to order three ordinary Muggle
taxis to take them into London.
"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley whispered to Harry as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving seven heavy Hogwarts trunks into their
cars. "But there weren't any to spare. Oh dear, they don't look happy, do they?"
Rory and Harry didn't like to tell Mrs. Weasley that Muggle taxi drivers rarely transported overexcited owls, and Pigwidgeon was making an ear splitting racket. Nor did it help that a number of Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Wet-Start Fireworks went off unexpectedly when Fred's trunk sprang open, causing the driver carrying it to yell with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg. The journey was uncomfortable, owing to the fact that they were jammed in the back of the taxis with their trunks. Crookshanks took quite a while to recover from the fireworks, and by the time we entered London, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were all severely scratched. Everyone was very relieved to get out at King's Cross, even though the rain was coming down harder than ever, and they got soaked carrying their trunks across the busy road and into the station. They got on the platform in groups; Harry, Ron, and Hermione the most conspicuous, since they were accompanied by Pigwidgeon and Crookshanks went first; they leaned casually against the barrier, chatting unconcernedly, and slid sideways through it as Rory went through with the twins, George had Phoenix on his trolley. The Hogwarts Express, a gleaming scarlet steam engine, was already there, clouds of steam billowing from it, through which the many Hogwarts students and parents on the platform appeared like dark ghosts. Pigwidgeon became noisier than ever in response to the hooting of many owls through the mist. Harry, Ron, and Hermione set off to find seats, and were soon stowing their luggage in a compartment halfway along the train. They then hopped back down onto the platform to say good-bye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.
"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," Charlie said, grinning, as he hugged Ginny good-bye before turning to give Rory a hug. She gave him a confused look which he just sent her a wink at before whispering. "I love you" She smiled as Fred spoke.
"Why?" Fred said keenly to Charlie about seeing them sooner.
"You'll see," Charlie said. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all."
"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," Bill said, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.
"What are you two hiding Pillock and Charles"
"Why?" George asked impatiently.
"You're going to have an interesting year," Bill said, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it."
"A bit of what?" Ron said. But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.
"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said as they climbed on board, closed
the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.
"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry.
"Yeah thanks mama bear"
"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with one thing and another."
"Mum!" Ron said irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"
"You'll find out this evening, I expect," Mrs. Weasley told them smiling. "It's going to be very exciting mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules"
"What rules?" Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all said together.
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you. Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George? And not forgetting you Aurora" The pistons hissed loudly and the train began to move.
"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred bellowed out of the window as Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie sped away from them. "What rules are they changing?" But Mrs. Weasley only smiled and waved. Before the train had rounded the corner, she, Bill, and Charlie had Disapparated. Harry, Ron, and Hermione went back to their compartment as Rory walked off with the twins to find Lee. The thick rain splattering the windows made it very difficult to see out of them. They found Lee waiting for them in a compartment on his own.
"Hey Lee" Rory greeted him as he pulled her in for a quick hug.
"Hey Rory, hello you two"
"Lee any idea what's happening at Hogwarts this year mum and our brothers won't say"
"Not a clue Fred, my parents wouldn't tell me either"
"Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts," Rory says as she sits beside the window George taking a seat beside her whilst Fred and Lee sit opposite "At the World Cup, remember?"
"Yeah shame he didn't get to tell us before crouch stopped him" They all nod in agreement with George. After a few games of exploding snaps and catching up with Lee about our summers Rory decides to go check on Harry.
"I'll be right back"
"You know he's not a baby anymore right"
"Shut it Fred you've met him right"
"True see you in a minute Ror" he says as she leaves and heads to Harry's compartment.
"Hey you three"
"Hello Rory" Harry moves over slightly so she can sit beside him. The rain becoming heavier and heavier as the train moved farther north. The sky was so dark and the windows so steamy that the lanterns were lit by midday. The lunch trolley came rattling along the corridor, and Harry bought a large stack of Cauldron Cakes for them all to share. Several of Harrys friends looked in on them as the afternoon progressed, including Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, and Neville Longbottom, a round-faced, extremely forgetful boy who had been brought up by his formidable witch of a grandmother. Seamus was still wearing his Ireland rosette. Some of its magic seemed to be wearing off now; it was still squeaking "Troy - Mullet - Moran!" but in a very feeble and exhausted sort of way. After half an hour or so, Hermione buried herself once more in The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4, and started trying to learn a Summoning Charm. Neville listened jealously to the others' conversation as they relived the Cup match.
"Gran didn't want to go," he said miserably. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing though."
"It was," Ron said. "Look at this, Neville" He rummaged in his trunk up in the luggage rack and pulled out the miniature figure of Viktor Krum.
"Oh wow," Neville said enviously as Ron tipped Krum onto his pudgy hand.
"We saw him right up close, as well," Ron said. "We were in the Top Box"
"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley." Rory rolled her eyes. Draco Malfoy had appeared in the doorway. Behind him stood Crabbe and Goyle, his enormous, thuggish cronies, both of whom appeared to have grown at least a foot during the summer. Evidently they had overheard the conversation through the compartment door, which Dean and Seamus had left ajar.
"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Harry said coolly.
"Weasley what is that?" Malfoy said, pointing at Pigwidgeon's cage. A sleeve of Ron's dress robes was dangling from it, swaying with the motion of the train, the mouldy lace cuff very obvious. Ron made to stuff the robes out of sight, but Malfoy was too quick for him; he seized the sleeve and pulled. "Look at this!" said Malfoy in ecstasy, holding up Ron's robes and showing Crabbe and Goyle, "Weasley, you weren't thinking of wearing these, were you? I mean they were very fashionable in about eighteen ninety"
"Eat dung, Malfoy!" Ron said, the same colour as the dress robes as he snatched them back out of Malfoy's grip. Malfoy howled with derisive laughter; Crabbe and Goyle guffawed stupidly.
"Why don't you get lost Malfoy" he snarled at Rory before glancing at her neck.
"Shame about that. You actually used to be pretty now look at you. Would of been kinder if you had just been left to die" Harry and Ron jump up quickly but Rory beat them to it punching him in the face before pushing past him and his thugs heading back to the twins.
"Hey Ror you okay" Fred asks as she sits down next to George putting her head on his shoulder.
"Fine"
"Why have you got blood on your hand" Lee questions looking down at her hands causing Fred and George to look too.
"It's not mine I don't think" George grabs her hand wiping it over and getting rid of the blood.
"Who's is it" Fred asks.
"Only Malfoys don't worry about it"
"What did that ferret do this time. Was it about your scar I swear I'll kill him"
"Fred I dealt with it don't worry about it" They didn't talk much for the rest of the train journey although Rory could tell Fred was angry. The Hogwarts Express slowed down at last and finally stopped in the pitch-darkness of Hogsmeade station. As the train doors opened, there was a rumble of thunder overhead. Rory placed her leather jacket over Atlas's cage to shield him from the rain a bit whilst George covered Phoenix's cage with his jacket. "Thanks Georgie" Rory said smiling at him as they left the train, their heads bent and eyes narrowed against the downpour. The rain was now coming down so thick and fast that it was as though buckets of ice-cold water were being emptied repeatedly over their heads. A hundred horseless carriages stood waiting for them outside the station. Lee, Fred and George climbed in as Rory handed Fred Atlas before taking George's hand. The door shut with a snap, and a few moments later, with a great lurch, the long procession of carriages was rumbling and splashing its way up the track toward Hogwarts Castle.