~
The next morning, heavy rain splattered against the windows of the Burrow as the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione, all hurried around getting ready. Eleanora got dressed quickly and straightened up her room before lugging her trunk and her owl out onto the landing.
"Need a hand?" Charlie asked, taking her trunk without waiting for a response.
"Thanks." Eleanora followed him down the stairs and set Circe down with the luggage by the door before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.
Bill and Percy were standing in the kitchen, drinking coffee and discussing recent events at the Ministry when Eleanora joined them.
"We took the last of it, sorry," Percy said, not looking too sorry.
"We're brewing more, don't worry," Bill added, noticing Eleanora's disgruntled expression. She jumped onto the counter beside Bill and reached down to grab his coffee mug, which he gave up with barely a pause in his conversation.
"It's absolute chaos, you know- what with the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins and all," Percy said as Eleanora sipped Bill's coffee and cradled the hot mug in her hands.
"Are there any leads on that?" she asked.
Percy shook his head. "None, and it's getting really tiresome. Ludo Bagman's hardly said a word about it."
"Well what's he supposed to say?" said Bill. "He's not going to admit that he lost a member of his department." The coffee maker fell silent and he crossed the kitchen to pull another mug down and pour the fresh coffee into it, adding sugar and cream how Eleanora liked it.
"I think he should own up to it," Eleanora said. "It doesn't even sound like he's trying to find Bertha."
"Here, trade me," Bill said, handing her the fresh coffee and taking his own back. "I agree that he should acknowledge it at least," he went on. "But I don't think it'll help the search at all. It's not like it's Bagman's fault Bertha went missing."
"Still, it's not right."
"Oi, isn't that my jacket?" George said when Eleanora joined the twins, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the dining room.
"Mmmm," Eleanora said noncommittally, more focused on the man's head sticking out of the fire. Although Eleanora had spent almost seven years in the wizarding world, there were some things she could never get used to.
"Sorry about this, Molly," Amos Diggory's head said, "-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," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"
"Oh, go on, then," said Mr. Diggory. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the 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 hurried around the room getting ready to leave for work. He gave each of his children a hug goodbye, wishing them all a good term. When he got to Eleanora, he pulled her into a fatherly embrace and said, "Take care of yourself this year, Nora. And be careful, please."
She smiled. "What do I have to be careful about?"
"Just- don't make any rash decisions," he said, hurrying away. Eleanora turned to the twins, who shrugged simultaneously.
"Molly, are you going to be all right taking the kids to King's Cross?" Mr. Weasley said, ready to leave.
"Of course I will," she said. "You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine."As Mr. Weasley vanished, Bill and Charlie entered the room.
"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," said Mrs. Weasley.
"Mad-Eye Moody?" said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast. "Isn't he that nutter —"
"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," said Mrs. Weasley sternly.
"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" said Fred quietly as Mrs. Weasley left the room. "Birds of a feather . . ."
"Moody was a great wizard in his time," said Bill.
"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" said Charlie.
"Dumbledore's not what you'd call normal, though, is he?" said Fred. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything . . ."
"Who is Mad-Eye?" asked Harry. Eleanora was thinking the same thing. She was sure she'd heard the name somewhere...
"He's retired, used to work at the Ministry," said Charlie. "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."
Eleanora chewed on her lip thoughtfully. So that's where she must've heard his name. Her family was full of dark wizards. She wondered if any of them had been caught by Moody.
"You're coming to see us off?" Eleanora asked Bill and Charlie, changing the subject.
"Got nothing better to do," said Charlie. "Coming, Perce?"
"No," Percy said apologetically. "Too much to do for work, what with everything happening. 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?" said George 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 said as they stood in the rain-washed yard, watching the taxi drivers heaving six heavy Hogwarts trunks into their cars. "But there weren't any to spare. . . ." The taxi drivers seemed confused and a little annoyed at the number of screeching owls they had to transport. It didn't help when Fred's trunk sprang open and an entire box of Filibuster Fireworks went off unexpectedly in the driveway. The driver carrying the trunk yelled with fright and pain as Crookshanks clawed his way up the man's leg.
Needless to say, they were all rather relieved when they arrived at King's Cross Station at last. Eleanora pulled the hood on Fred's jacket up as she dashed across the parking lot in the driving rain. They all made it to the barrier, pushing trolleys laden down with their school things.
"Eleanora, Hermione, you go first," Mrs. Weasley said, beckoning for the girls to hurry. They jogged towards the invisible entrance to Platform Nine and Three Quarters and arrived on the platform, suddenly enveloped in the sea of students and their families.
When everyone was gathered together to say their goodbyes, Bill was the first to pull Eleanora into a hug. She smiled into his chest as he lifted her slightly off her feet. "We'll miss you, Marks," he said into her ear. "Have a good term and don't do anything stupid."
"What would I do that's so stupid?" she asked, bewildered at the comment along with Mr. Weasley's warning to be careful.
Bill only winked at her as Charlie pulled her into a tight squeeze. "I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," he said, grinning, as he released Eleanora and pulled Ginny in next.
"Why?" said Fred keenly.
"You'll see," said Charlie. "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."
"Come off it Charlie, tell us," Eleanora said, hoping he would give in this time.
"Nope."
"Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," said Bill, hands in his pockets, looking almost wistfully at the train.
"Why?" said George impatiently.
"You're going to have an interesting year," said Bill, his eyes twinkling. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it. . . ."
"Will you really?" Eleanora said, getting excited.
"A bit of what?" said Ron.
But at that moment, the whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley chivvied them toward the train doors.
"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," said Hermione as they climbed on board, closed the door, and leaned out of the window to talk to her.
"Yeah, thanks, Mrs. Weasley," Eleanora said.
"Oh it was my pleasure, dears," said Mrs. Weasley. "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!" said Ron irritably. "What d'you three know that we don't?"
"You'll find out this evening, I expect," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "It's going to be very exciting — mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules — And Eleanora, don't you dare do anything reckless before you discuss it with us," she said warningly.
"What do you all think I'm going to do?" she cried, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
"What rules?" said Harry, Ron, Fred, and George together.
"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you. . . . Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?"
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.
"Dunno what they're talking about," Fred said, sliding open the door to their usual compartment.
"Why do they think I'm going to go and do something stupid?" said Eleanora.
"I've no idea," George said, sitting next to her. "Out of the three of us, you're the least likely to do something stupid."
"Exactly," she said huffily. "I thought Molly trusted me more than that."
"She does," Fred said patiently. "Reckon she likes you more than she likes us. I'm sure we'll find out what they're talking about soon enough. Now where's Lee?"
"You called?" Lee Jordan said from the doorway, followed by Angelina Johnson and Alicia Spinnet.
Eleanora moved over to make room for Angelina between her and George and Alicia and Lee settled next to Fred. "How were your holidays?" she asked the group, pulling her legs up onto the seat.
"Fine," Angelina said. "Heard you lot went to the Cup, how was it?"
The twins and Eleanora regaled their friends with every detail of the match, and were in the middle of a demonstration of the Ronsky Faint using two chocolate frogs as Krum and Levsky, when the compartment door opened again.
"Hey, Cedric!" Eleanora said, standing up.
"Hey, could I have a word?" he asked softly, eyeing the rest of the compartment nervously.
Eleanora slipped out the door and into the hallway with him. "Don't worry about the twins," she said drily. "They're just-"
"I know, I know," Cedric said quickly, smiling at Eleanora. "Listen- I was just wondering..." He trailed off for a long second, looking back and forth between Eleanora's face and the floor. Then, he swallowed hard, gave his head a little shake, and said, "I was wondering if you knew anything about this big event happening at Hogwarts this year. People keep mentioning it, but my dad didn't tell me anything."
His cheeks were slightly pink and Eleanora wasn't quite sure why, but she smiled at him and said, "I have absolutely no idea, Ced. I tried all summer to get it out of Bill and Charlie but neither of them said a thing. I hope it's something exciting though."
"Me too," said Cedric. They stood in silence for a moment, growing more awkward by the second. "Well..." Cedric said. "It was good to see you at the match. I'll... see you around then," and he hurried off down the hallway, leaving Eleanora positively perplexed.
"What was that all about?" Lee asked when Eleanora re-joined them in the compartment.
"Oh, he just had a question about the 'big event' this year."
Fred snorted.
"What?" she asked.
"I know you'll get mad at me for this, but I just bet Angelina five galleons that you and Cedric get together by the end of this year."
Eleanora reached across the compartment to kick him in the shins. "You haven't got five galleons, you idiot."
"Exactly."