The Other Black Book 2

Chapter 3 - The Burrow

It was maybe a couple minutes later, the Dursleys all went back to sleep, Aurora was still laying awake, when she heard a knock on the front door.

Aurora didn't get up, thinking it was her imagination.

It knocked again.

Aurora went downstairs, and there was the turquoise car, sitting on the road, just outside her house. Harry was at the door.

"I thought I should ask you if you wanted to come," he said. "They're taking me to the Burrow, and I know you said you had to turn down your invitation because of Olivia's sister."

"What?" Aurora asked.

"I asked first. Fred said he reckons it'd be okay."

Aurora just stared.

"Has Olivia gone back to sleep?"

"Not likely," Aurora said.

"Well, go ask! We can't hang around here forever."

When what Harry was saying actually clicked, Aurora tore back upstairs and into her parents' room. Olivia was still awake, and she sat up when Aurora came in. Aurora asked if she could go to the Burrow -- Ron's house. They were here tonight, and Harry asked if they could take her.

Olivia agreed, saying a similar thing to Harry: I know you were upset when you couldn't go earlier because of Rylee.

Aurora quickly got packed and with help from all three of the Weasleys, got her stuff loaded. There wasn't much room for Aurora, but she didn't really mind.

"So — what's the story, Harry?" said Ron impatiently as soon as they started off again. Aurora wondered if he'd been waiting awhile. "What's been happening?"

Harry told them all about Dobby, the warning he'd given Harry and the fiasco of the violet pudding. There was a long, shocked silence when he had finished.

"Very fishy," said Fred finally.

"Definitely dodgy" agreed George. "So he wouldn't even tell you who's supposed to be plotting all this stuff?"

"I don't think he could," said Harry. "I told you, every time he got close to letting something slip, he started banging his head against the wall."

He saw Fred and George look at each other.

"What, you think he was lying to me?" said Harry.

"Well," said Fred, "put it this way — house-elves have got powerful magic of their own, but they can't usually use it without their master's permission. I reckon old Dobby was sent to stop you coming back to Hogwarts. Someone's idea of a joke. Can you think of anyone at school with a grudge against you?"

"Yes," said Harry, Aurora, and Ron together, instantly.

"Draco Malfoy," Harry explained. "He hates me."

"Draco Malfoy?" said George, turning around. "Not Lucius Malfoy's son?"

"Must be, it's not a very common name, is it?" said Harry.

"I've heard Dad talking about him," said George. "He was a big supporter of You-KnowWho."

Aurora looked from Harry to Ron. She didn't know what to say. Harry looked at her, but none of them said anything. Thankfully, the twins didn't think anything of their looks if they noticed.

"And when You-Know-Who disappeared," Fred went on, craning around to look at Harry, "Lucius Malfoy came back saying he'd never meant any of it. Load of dung — Dad reckons he was right in You- Know-Who's inner circle. His brother Janus Malfoy's even worse. I don't know how he got off, he was practically admitting it. I think Lucius had something to do with it."