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A week later, Ginny and I are sat at the table for breakfast at the Burrow. Once Harry enters the room, Ginny looks at him, she accidentally knocks over her porridge bowl to the floor with a large clatter. Ever since Harry got here, Ginny has been prone to knock things over whenever Harry had entered the room. She dives under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerges with her face glowing like the setting sun. Harry, pretending that he hasn't seen how Ginny looks, he sits down and takes the toast that Mrs Weasley offers him. "Letters from school," says Mr Weasley, passing us all identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry – doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he adds, as Fred and George enter the room, still in their pyjamas. For a few minutes, there is silence as we all read our letters. Mine tells me to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There is also a list of the new books we need for the coming year.
Fourth-year students will require:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holiday with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wandering with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
The year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart
"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" Fred says and I look up to see him peering over Harry's shoulder, looking at him book list. "The new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan – bet it's they're a witch."
At this point, Fred catches his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade. "Well, it could be Lockhart, though," I think.
"That lot won't come cheap," says George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive..."
"Well, we'll manage," says Mrs Weasley, but she's looking slightly worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."
"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asks Ginny and she nods, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and puts her elbows in the butter dish. "Morning, all," says Percy briskly, walking into the room with his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest. "Lovely day."
