𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐷𝑢𝑟𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦 𝐺𝑖𝑟𝑙 - 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑊𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑦

Chapter Fourteen

A/n: ok so now it's the beginning of the Goblet of Fire book, so we're sixteen, entering our sixth year. Fred and Marlene aren't together yet, but George and Amber are. Btw, there's swearing now, seeing as they're older :) enjoy!

"Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron -" said Arthur's voice, in the pitch-black darkness.

"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad - maybe he'll be able to let us out -" said George.

We all hammered on the wood before us.

"Harry? Harry, can you hear us?" I called out.

"What is this?" I heard a growl from outside the wood. "What's going on?"

"They - they've tried to get here by Floo powder," replied Harry, his voice shaking of laughter. "They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace - hang on -"

We heard footsteps coming towards us, and Harry's voice called through the wooden boards.

"Mr Weasley? Can you hear me?"

We stopped hammering. "Shh!" I said.

"Mr Weasley, it's Harry... the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."

"Damn!" said Arthur's voice. "What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"

"They've got an electric fire," Harry explained.

"Really?" said Arthur's voice excitedly. "Ecklectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that... let's think... ouch, Ron!"

Ron joined us, squashing George against the wall.

"What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?" he asked.

"Oh, no, Ron," came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up.

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George. I snorted.

"Kids, kids..." said Arthur vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do... yes... only way... stand back, Harry."

"Wait a minute!" bellowed a man's voice. "What exactly are you going to-?"

BANG. The boarded-up fireplace burst outwards, and we all tumbled out in a cloud of rubble and loose chippings. A tall, bony looking woman shrieked and fell backwards over the coffee table; a large man with a moustache caught her before she hit the floor and gaped, speechless, at all of us.

"That's better," panted Arthur, brushing dust from his long green robes and straightening his glasses. "Ah - you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!"

He moved towards Harry's uncle, his hand outstretched, but Harry's uncle backed away several paces, dragging his wife. Words utterly failed the man. What looked like his best suit was covered in white dust, which had settled in his hair and moustache and made him look as though he had just aged thirty years.

"Er - yes - sorry about that," said Arthur, lowering his hand and looking over his shoulder at the blasted fire Place. "It's all my fault, it just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see - just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking - but I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the kids back, then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate."