𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐑𝐞𝐝 {𝐇. 𝐆𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫}

18

Surrey, United Kingdom...

"Ron. Johnny," breathed Harry, creeping to the window and pushing it up so they could talk through the bars. "How did you -? What the -?"

Harry's mouth fell open as the full impact of what he was seeing hit him. Johnny was leaning out of the drivers side window of the car, which was parked in midair . Grinning at Harry from the other seats were Fred and George.

"All right, Harry?" asked George.

"What's been going on?" said Ron. "Why haven't you been answering our letters? I've asked you to stay about twelve times, and then Dad came home and said you'd got an official warning for using magic in front of Muggles--"

"It wasn't me - and how did he know?"

"He works for the Ministry," said Ron. "You know we're not supposed to do spells outside school--"

"You should talk," said Harry, staring at the floating car.

"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--"

"I told you, I didn't - but it'll take too long to explain now - look, can you tell them at Hogwarts that the Dursleys have locked me up and won't let me come back, and obviously I can't magic myself out, because the Ministry'll think that's the second spell I've done in three days, so--"

"Stop gibbering," said Ron. "We've come to take you home with us."

"But you can't magic me out either--"

"I can," said Johnny pulling his wand. "My grandfather broke the trace young wizards have, stand back Harry."

Harry moved back into the shadows next to Hedwig, who seemed to have realised how important this was and kept still and silent. Johnny cast a silencing charm around the window and then cast bombarda, causing the bars and the window to break. Harry ran back to the window to see the bars dangling a few feet above the ground. Harry listened anxiously, but there was no sound from the Dursleys'bedroom.

When the bars were safely in the back seat with Ron, Johnny reversed as close as possible to Harry's window.

"Get in," Johnny said.

"But all my Hogwarts stuff - my wand - my broomstick--"

"Where is it?" Johnny asked with a groan.

"Locked in the cupboard under the stairs, and I can't get out of this room--"

"No problem," said George from the front passenger seat. "Out of the way, Harry."

Fred and George climbed catlike through the window into Harry's room. George took an ordinary hairpin from his pocket and started to pick the lock.

"A lot of wizards think it's a waste of time, knowing this sort of Muggle trick," said Fred, "but we feel they're skills worth learning, even if they are a bit slow."

There was a small click and the door swung open.

"So - we'll get your trunk - you grab anything you need from your room and hand it out to Ron," whispered George. "Johnny'll keep the car straight and the engine running."

"Watch out for the bottom stair - it creaks," Harry whispered back as the twins disappeared onto the dark landing.

Harry dashed around his room, collecting his things and passing them out of the window to Ron. Then he went to help Fred and George heave his trunk up the stairs. Harry heard Uncle Vernon cough.

At last, panting, they reached the landing, then carried the trunk through Harry's room to the open window. Fred climbed back into the car to pull with Ron, and Harry and George pushed from the bedroom side. Inch by inch, the trunk slid through the window.