Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 7 ⚡️

"Hagrid, thanks!" Harry replied.

"'S'nothin'," Hagrid said, with a wave of a dustbin-lid-sized hand. He noticed someone beyond them. "An' there's Charlie! Always liked him – hey! Charlie!"

Charlie approached, running his hand slightly ruefully over his new, brutally short haircut. He was shorter than Ron, thickset, with a number of burns and scratches up his muscly arms. He greeted the half-giant a lot normal compared to his demeanour.

"Hi, Hagrid, how's it going?" Charlie asked.

"Bin meanin' ter write fer ages," Hagrid replied. "How's Norbert doin'?"

"Norbert?" Charlie repeated as he laughed and Vega looked at him curiously. "The Norwegian Ridgeback? We call her Norberta now,"

"Wha – Norbert's a girl?" Hagrid asked.

"Oh yeah," Charlie confirmed.

"How can you tell?" Hermione asked, and Vega raised her eyebrows, wondering if this was the very same brunette who tried to give her 'the talk'.

"They're a lot more vicious," Charlie answered. He looked over his shoulder and dropped his voice. "Wish Dad would hurry up and get here. Mum's getting edgy,"

All of them looked over at Mrs Weasley. She was trying to talk to Madame Delacour while glancing repeatedly at the gate. Vega bit her lower lip and wondered where Mr. Weasley was, and if all was going well at his job. She didn't want anything bad to happen.

"I think we'd better start without Arthur," Mrs. Weasley called to the garden at large after a moment or two. "He must have been held up at – oh!"

They all saw it at the same time: a streak of light that came flying across the yard and on to the table, where it resolved itself into a bright silver weasel Patronus, which stood on its hind legs and spoke with Mr Weasley's voice –

"Minister for Magic is coming with me,"

The Patronus dissolved into thin air, leaving Fleur's family peering in astonishment at the place where it had vanished. Vega had barely comprehended it when she saw Lupin jump to his feet, and she turned to look at him in surprise.

"We shouldn't be here," Lupin said at once. "Harry – I'm sorry – I'll explain another time –"

With that, Lupin seized Dora's wrist and pulled her away; they reached the fence, climbed over it and vanished from sight. Mrs Weasley looked bewildered, and Vega tense.

"The Minister – but why –?" Mrs. Weasley stammered. "I don't understand –"

But there was no time to discuss the matter; a second later, Mr Weasley had appeared out of thin air at the gate, accompanied by Rufus Scrimgeour, instantly recognisable by his mane of grizzled hair. The two newcomers marched across the yard towards the garden and the lantern-lit table, where everybody sat in silence, watching them draw closer.

As Scrimgeour came within range of the lantern light, Vega saw that he looked much older than the last time they had met, scraggy and grim.

"Sorry to intrude," Scrimgeour spoke as he limped to a halt before the table. Vega remained silent, eying him. "Especially as I can see that I am gate-crashing a party," His eyes lingered for a moment on the giant Snitch cake. "Many happy returns,"

"Thanks," Harry responded.

"I require a private word with you and Miss Vega-Nova Lestrange," Scrimgeour went on. "Also with Mr Ronald Weasley and Miss Hermione Granger,"

"Us?" asked Ron, sounding surprised. "Why us?"

"I shall tell you that when we are somewhere more private," Scrimgeour responded before demanding of Mr. Weasley, "Is there such a place?"