31 | The Weasleys crashed into Dursley's home
It was Sunday. They had received a letter from Harry Potter telling them that he would be able to come to the World Cup. Today they were going to take him and it would happen in five o'clock. They were planning to travel with floo powder, as Arthur Weasley hoped it wouldn't scare the muggle family. But Marley Macmillan didn't care what the certain dumb muggles thought of her brother or about their wands, character and everything.
Yes, this boy turned out to be her half-brother because they both have one father but different mothers. And as Harry was the sensation, it was now written everywhere in Daily Prophet about her, her mother Brielle Macmillan, sometimes even and of her godmother and her son Noen Black, often in connection with Sirius Black, who was his father.
In the morning, Marley and the girls got up at eight instead of seven o'clock because they had been talking about girl stuff late at night. Both guests Marley and Hermione felt very uncomfortable, but Molly Weasley was such a good woman and reassured them, telling them that almost no one was awake from the boys. To make up for it, they helped Mrs. Weasley with breakfast more than was necessary. They even made a big part of it so she could rest. A little less the boys started to go down. Bill, Charlie and Ron were first, and then Percy came in, who seemed a little sleepy and tired.
Маrley had just served one of the dishes in the table when Fred and George Weasley came down the stairs still in their pyjamas. Like twins, they wore the same pyjamas consisting of tracksuit and a T-shirt. Fred wore navy blue one and George grey. While they were joining the others, George was just slipping on his T-shirt through his head. His red hair was ruffled and he just ran a quick and careless hand through it and Marley quickly looked away from him before noticing her.
But Ginny noticed her red cheeks and giggled.
"Something funny, Gin?" asked Bill with a smirk, who apparently heard her quiet giggle. Marrley pressed her lips in thin line. She was sitting next to George usually and this time wasn't an exception. Bill was standing near the front seat, where Arthur Weasley sat and reading the Daily Prophet newspaper. Bill's hair was long, too, and he had tied it in a ponytail, a earring hanging from one ear.
"Marley, they wrote again about you." sighed Arthur Weasley, nervously itching his chin. "Someone spread rumours you're coming to the World Cup. Oh, I hope there won't be any crazy journalists at our tents."
"I hope too." replied quietly Marley, annoyed from all the fame she was receiving. Who needed it? It's been at least two months since it was revealed that she was the daughter of James Potter and a mother and Brielle Macmillan was actually alive. But still, for Harry, though eleven years (a/n: due to the events in 1991) after the miracle that had happened to him, he was a sensation, and at least for a while, all the reporters stopped focusing on him, but on his half-sister instead.
"Wait, Percy, you're here?" suddenly asked Fred with a frown and a fraternal mocking grin. "I'm glad you left your room. Are you tired from your cauldrons already? Surely it is extremely boring to write about cauldrons with shallow bottoms, huh?"
"No, Fred." joined George with already red face from upcoming laughter. "Look, he's getting married to Mr. Crouch. He has to present a good report on how good the bottom cauldrons are so that he can say yes and live happily ever after."
They both burst out laughing and Marley choked on her pumpkin juice and was unable to stop laughing and coughing at the same time. Her face turned red, and Percy stared at the three of them with disapproval and anger.
"Not funny, George." cut him down Percy. He had graduated from Hogwarts last year and had recently started working at the Ministry. "Mr. Crouch is counting on me, and I promised him to submit the report on Monday. That is, tomorrow. And this is much earlier than predicted. And as a decent person, I'll do it."
"Are you serious, Perce?" suddenly Ron called with half a mouth full. "Mr. Crouch this, Mr. Crouch that, Mr. Crouch trusted me. Seriously, why don't you just marry him?"
A loud laugh followed again, others joined, except Percy, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Ron!" Marley called him. "I'm telling you for the last time. He's Weasley. He's not sirius. Why don't you get it? What is Ron with you?"
"Jesus Christ, you're killing me!" exclaimed both Fred and George laughing so hard that they almost fell from their chairs and Marley's face was flushed. Bill, Charlie and Ginny started laughing a couple of seconds after realising the joke Marley had made.
"Fred! George!" yelled angrily Mrs. Weasley, and the twins looked at her, but as they hadn't yet gotten away from laughing, their faces were red and there were huge smiles on their faces. "Be decent! Don't make me go clean your room again!"
"No, mum, please!" begged immediately Fred. Mrs. Weasley just shook her head negatively and didn't reply. The last time this happened, Mrs. Weasley found rolls of parchment on which various pranks and fun jokes were written, and they even had prices. The truth was, Fred and George wanted to make a joke shop named Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Marley fully supported the boys and was even happy for them. She knew the twins' passion were pranks and she hoped one day she will step into this joke shop and have fun.
"Then be nice to Percy!" she blurted out. "He worked hard to pass his NEWT exams and star working in the Ministry of Magic. As his brothers, you should support him."
Marley wanted to laugh because she knew Fred and George wouldn't do it, but she stopped. Mrs. Weasley made the boys to apologise, and the twins were barely heard to say sorry. Absolutely no one really believed that they really think so. Mostly Percy.
The rest of the day was normal, and about fifteen minutes after five, Mr. Weasley finally got home from work. The twins, Marley and Ron were waiting for him by the fireplace, so they could go to Privet Drive. They were a little late, which was not much liked by anyone, but at least they passed through the flames safely. Mr. Weasley was first, followed by Ron and Fred.
It was Marley's turn, she took the powder, threw it away and said Privet Drive. Green flames enveloped her and she disappeared. The girl had no idea how much she was traveling. She saw other fireplaces, and suddenly, as Privet Drive approached, she collided with something and swore.
"Ouch, that hurts!" said a squeaky voice. It was Ron. All could Marley see was darkness and she looked around herself.
"Where are we?" she questioned.
"At Privet Drive. But something's off." replied Mr. Weasley and then Marley heard a scream above her. She swore again, because that was George, falling directing at them. And it happened. She couldn't see where George was about to land and before she realised something pushed her down, she fell and the others fell too.
"What the heck?" George asked confused and stood up. "Oh, I'm sorry guys. It's so dark in here. Wait, did we say Privet Drive clearly enough? It looks dark enough to be Azkaban. I knew Dursleys were such monsters, but I didn't expect they would live in Azkaban."
"They don't live in Azkaban, George." intervened Mr. Weasley with weak voice. "We're on Privet Drive but it looks like the fireplace is closed. Well, maybe we should use some magic. We can't stay here forever. Harry is expecting us."
"Mr. Weasley?" a familiar voice heard under them. It belonged to boy with black hair and round glasses. That was Harry Potter. "Are you there?"
"Oh, hi Harry!" greeted him Marley with a nice smile no one could see. "Hey, what's wrong with the fireplace? George at first thought we were in Azkaban. What a silly rabbit! That's not the point, can you--"
"Yes. The fireplace is just closed." Harry cut the girl off. "Dursley closed it because they have some kind of electric one and they don't need this."
"Oh, good." agreed Mr. Weasley with a slightly confused note in his voice. "Boys, step back. I'll have to do magic in order to pass. Bombarda!"
The bricks under Marley's feet exploded and she collapsed with the others. Plaster, bricks and dust enveloped them, and in a moment Marley found herself on the floor in the living room of the Dursley family, along with the twins, Ron and Mr. Weasley.
Uncle Vernon was a fat big man with big mustaches, and his wife Petunia was bony. Dudley, by contrast, was еven fatter than her father. The three were stunned, and Petunia was hiding behind Vernon, Dudley, too, but because of his large size, he didn't hide the whole body.
"Oh, hello." greeted Mr. Weasley and stood up from the dusty floor. The others followed his example. Marley wiped the dust off her clothes and went to hug Harry, happy to see him. "We came to pick Harry up for the World Cup. Thank you for letting your nephew come with us. I'm Arthur Weasley."
He spread his hand but Uncle Vernon didn't take it like he was infected with some kind of drugs. "You did such a dramatic entrance." whispered Harry to Marley and the siblings just giggled quietly, big grins shining on their faces.
Mr. Weasley, who had a keen interest in muggles, began to look at everything in the living room, and Fred collected some candy that had fallen out of his pocket when he fell from the fireplace. Marley had never seen them before, but she guessed that they must have been written on that roll of parchment their mother had burned a long time ago.
"Don't worry about the fireplace, Mr. Dursley." said Mr. Weasley in a hurry to comfort the enraged big fat man. "I'm experienced, but I really didn't expect your fireplace was closed and it hindered us during our trip but it's okay. I will fix it when my sons, Harry and Marley go back to the Burrow."
Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia and Dudley were looking with eyes wide open, anger spilling on Vernon's face. Arhur just nervously smiled and told Fred and George to go and pick up Harry's luggage from his room. They had been here once, along with Marley, when they rescued him from the Dursleys in the summer of '92.
"You're coming with us." George just pulled Marley from the freaky situation. The girl shared a confused look with Ron and Harry but they just shrugged arms as the girl was making her way with the Weasley twins to Harry's room.
"Don't tell me you're up to something." she said quietly and they entered his room. It was the same as she remembered it. The girl went and greeted Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl and took the cage, while the twins had taken Harry's suitcase.
"Of course not." grinned Fred. "We were never up to something. How could you think of something like that?"
Marley didn't like Fred's ironic response. She'd only heard nasty things about the Dursleys, and that would only make them in more trouble. They went down the stairs and Marley gave Hedwig to Harry, and Mr. Weasley urged them to return to the Burrow. Ron passed first, and just when it was the twins' turn, Marley heard a scream.
He turned and saw Dudley screaming, watching at his enormous tongue. He was on his knees and coughing, saliva dripping from his big tongue, which was already about a foot and a half tall. Fred and George giggled and fisted their fists. Mr. Weasley looked at them a little annoyed and told them to leave. They evaporated into green flames, along with Harry's luggage.
Marley stepped in the fireplace, and she watched Dudley was coughing like crazy, Aunt Petunia was screaming and trying to comfort him, Uncle Vernon was angry, and Mr. Weasley was trying to tell them that everything would be okay and he could fix it.
"The Burrow!" said Marley clearly and threw her handful of floor powder. Green flames enveloped and even though she wanted to look at the comedian situation, she had to hurry up, because Harry was the last one to go, excluding Mr. Weasley. The girl disappeared and Privet Drive was out of her sight at least for a century.