PHANTOM FIGURES | harry potter

34. weasleys' wizard wheezes

     Aspen had to admit, she was quite excited for the Quidditch World Cup. She wasn't that big of a Quidditch fan herself, really only going to matches to watch Harry and be with her friends, but Ron made it seem like a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

     When Margaret asked what Quidditch was, Aspen barely knew how to answer her. It was very awkward having to say that it was a sport where they rode brooms and threw balls around.

     The girl's aunt was slightly hesitant on having the Weasleys send her off for the school year, but after a bit of convincing, she agreed to the idea. The thought of staying at the Burrow for the rest of the summer sounded very appealing to Aspen, sometimes it got lonely over the holidays.

     She took the Knight Bus to Ottery St Catchpole with Jasmine after the Hufflepuff drove over to her house. The conductor, Stan Shunpike, greeted them quite boredly and then proceeded to comment on how much they were carrying with them.

     "Well then why don't you load it in?" Jasmine had asked sarcastically.

     If the two girls had been riding on a Muggle, or normal bus, the drive would have taken about three hours, but with magic, and how Muggles couldn't see the Knight Bus, it was a lot shorter. It made up for the wild driving.

     They arrived around suppertime and Mrs. Weasley was waiting for them outside the front door. Aspen had sent her a letter the night before telling her they would be getting there the next day.

     "I should send you home with Floo powder," the kind woman tutted. "I always said that bus was dangerous, you reckless kids..."

     "Hello to you too, Mrs. Wealsey," Jasmine laughed as the mother hugged them tightly.

     "Floo powder would be helpful," commented Aspen.

     "All right, that's enough chit-chat, have some food!" Mrs. Weasley ushered them inside where the rest of the family was seated around the kitchen table.

     "Aspen! Jasmine!" Ron shouted, food still in his mouth, and ran over to give them hugs. "Tomorrow we're picking up Harry! And Hermione said she'll be here in the morning!"

     "Sounds lovely, Ron," Aspen grimaced. "But maybe you should swallow your food first."

     Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George laughed boisterously at that. Jasmine wriggled her eyebrows at Aspen when she noticed the eldest brothers were in the room.

     "Oh, right..." Ron swallowed and awkwardly coughed, he brought two chairs for Aspen and Jasmine to join them at the table.

     Aspen was extremely hungry after her trip from Windsor to Devon, and started eating as soon as she could. The meal was fulfilling and left her satisfied as she set up her bed in Ginny's room for the rest of the summer. All four girls would be staying there.

     The next morning she woke up to the smell of breakfast and Jasmine shaking her.

     "You'll never guess how they're going to pick Harry up," she said. "The Dursleys are going to be furious."

     Aspen rubbed at her tired eyes and yawned into her pillow. "They aren't planning a kidnapping are they? Oh wait, the Dursleys would be ecstatic at that."

     "Well, it's not really that crazy," Jasmine backed away from Aspen and sat on the floor. "But you can bet that Harry's family will be screaming by the end of it."