Grindelwald's Burden (Books 1-7)

16. The Womping Willow

The end of the summer vacation soon came quickly at the Burrow. On their last evening, Mrs. Weasley conjured up a sumptuous dinner that included all of Y/n and Harry's favorite things, ranging from F/d for Y/n and a mouthwatering treacle pudding for Harry.

Fred and George rounded off the evening with a display of Filibuster fireworks, they filled the kitchen with red and blue stars that bounced from ceiling to wall for at least half an hour. Then it was time for a last mug of hot chocolate and bed.

It took a long while to get started next morning. They were up at dawn, but somehow they still seemed to have a great deal to do. Mrs. Weasley dashed about in a bad mood looking for spare socks and quill, people kept colliding on the stairs, half dressed with bits of toast in their hands and Mr. Weasley nearly broke his neck, tripping over a stray chicken as he crossed the yard carrying Ginny's trunk to the car.

Harry couldn't see how nine people, seven large trunks, two owls, a cat and a rat were going to fit into one small Ford Anglia. Harry had reckoned, of course, without the special features that Mr. Weasley had told him and Y/n about.

"Not a word to Molly." he whispered to both boys as he opened the trunk and showed them how it had been magically expanded so that the luggage fitted easily.

"Convenient." Y/n said impressed as he placed his luggage inside it.

When at last they were all in the car, Mrs. Weasley glanced into the back seat, where Harry, Ron, Y/n, Fred, George, and Percy were all sitting comfortably side by side, and said. "Muggles do know more than we give them credit for, don't they?" She and Ginny got into the front seat, which had been stretched so that it resembled a park bench. "I mean, you'd never know it was this roomy from the outside, would you?"

Mr. Weasley started up the engine and they trundled out of the yard, Y/n turning back for a last look at the house. He barely had time to wonder when he'd see it again when they were back George had forgotten his box of Filibuster fireworks. Five minutes after that, they skidded to a halt in the yard so that Fred could run in for his broomstick. They had almost reached the highway when Ginny shrieked that she'd left her diary. By the time she had clambered back into the car, they were running very late, and tempers were running high.

Mr. Weasley glanced at his watch and then at his wife. "Molly, dear..."

"No, Arthur." Mrs Weasley said firmly.

"No one would see, this little button here is an Invisibility Booster I installed that'd get us up in the air, then we fly above the clouds. We'd be there in ten minutes and no one would be any the wiser." Mr Weasley tried to argue.

"I said no, Arthur, not in broad daylight." Mrs Weasley said unwilling to change her mind.

They reached King's Cross at a quarter to eleven. Mr. Weasley dashed across the road to get trolleys for their trunks and they all hurried into the station.

Y/n had taken the Hogwarts Express the previous year. The tricky part was getting onto platform nine and three-quarters, which wasn't visible to the Muggle eye. What you had to do was walk through the solid barrier dividing platforms nine and ten. It didn't hurt, but it had to be done carefully so that none of the Muggles noticed you vanishing.

He, Harry and the Weasley's reached it now as they stood in front of it.

"Percy first." said Mrs. Weasley, looking nervously at the clock overhead, which showed they had only five minutes to disappear casually through the barrier.

Percy strode briskly forward and vanished. Mr. Weasley went next, Fred and George followed.

"I'll take Ginny and you three come right after us." Mrs. Weasley told Harry, Y/n and Ron, grabbing Ginny's hand and setting off. In the blink of an eye they were gone.