Hidden: The Beginning||Harry Potter various[YEAR 3-4]

3.3

NO ONE POV

Dinner that night was a very enjoyable affair. Tom the innkeeper put three tables together in the parlour, and the seven Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione ate their way through five delicious courses.

"How're we getting to King's Cross tomorrow, Dad?" asked Fred as they dug into a sumptuous chocolate pudding.

"The Ministry's providing a couple of cars," said Mr Weasley.

Everyone looked up at him.

"Why?" said Percy curiously.

"It's because of you, Perce," said George seriously. "And there'll be little flags on the hoods, with HB on them--"

"-- for Humongous Bighead," said Fred.

Everyone except Percy and Mrs Weasley snorted into their pudding.

"Why is the Ministry providing cars, Father?" Percy asked again, in a dignified voice.

"Well, as we haven't got one anymore," said Mr Weasley, "and as I work there, they're doing me a favour..."

His voice was casual, but Harry couldn't help noticing that Mr Wesley's ears had gone red, just like Ron's did when he was under pressure.

"Good thing, too," said Mrs Weasley briskly. "Do you realize how much luggage you've all got between you? A nice sight you'd be on the Muggle Underground...You are all packed, aren't you?"

"Ron hasn't put all his new things in his trunk yet," said Percy, in a long-suffering voice. "He's dumped them on my bed."

"You'd better go and pack properly, Ron, because we won't have much time in the morning," Mrs Weasley called down the table. Ron scowled at Percy.

Y/N sips her tea as she watches the family argue.

After dinner, everyone felt very full and sleepy. One by one they made their way upstairs to their rooms to check their things for the next day. Ron and Percy were next doors to Harry. He had just closed and locked his own trunk when he heard angry voices through the wall, and went to see what was going on.

The door of number twelve was ajar and Percy was shouting.

"It was here, on the bedside table, I took it off for polishing --"

"I haven't touched it, all right?" Ron roared back.

"What's up?" said Harry.

"My Head Boy badge is gone," said Percy, rounding on Harry.

"So's Scabbers's Rat Tonic," said Ron, throwing things out of his trunk to look. "I think I might've left it in the bar --"

"You're not going anywhere till you've found my badge!" yelled Percy.

"I'll get Scabbers's stuff, I'm packed," Harry said to Ron, and he went downstairs.

Harry was halfway along the passage to the bar, which was now very dark when he heard another pair of angry voices coming from the parlour and he saw Y/N, Y/N turned around and signals him not to make any noise. He stood behind her and listen to the conversation too.

A second later, he recognized them as Mr and Mrs Weasleys. He hesitated, not wanting them to know he'd heard them arguing when the sound of his own name made him stop, then move closer to the parlour door.

"...makes no sense to tell him," Mr Weasley was saying heatedly. "Harry's got a right to know. I've tried to tell Fudge, but he insists on treating Harry like a child. He's thirteen years old and --"