Reaper's Heir (Book 2)

Chapter 2

Chapter II

We all finished breakfast and put our cloaks on, gathering up any dishes we may have missed and setting them on the counter. Mrs. Weasley flicked her wand and the dishes sprang up, washing themselves as they had been when we'd first gotten here. We were led over to a massive fireplace that looked out of place and in the way. There was an odd pot hanging in a metal holder on one side of the fireplace that Mrs. Weasley grabbed and held out to us.

"Right. Here we are Harry, you go first dear."

"But neither Harry nor Maeve have traveled by Floo powder before, Mum." Ron piped up.

"Floo powder?" I whispered, leaning toward George.

"Oh, well you go first Ron so that they can see how it's done." Mrs. Weasley said, gesturing for him to come forward. "Yes. In you go... That's it."

Ron grabbed a handful of what looked like ash from the pot and stepped into the fireplace. "Diagon Alley!" He said loudly, before throwing the ash down and erupting into green flames. Harry and I both flinched back and even Ginny looked away.

Mrs. Weasley turned to Harry. "You see? It's quite easy, dear. Don't be afraid. Come on. Come on. In you go. That's it, mind your head. That's right. Now take your Floo powder. That's it, very good. Now, don't forget to speak very, very clearly."

Harry nodded, uncertainty clear on his face. He gulped and threw his floo powder down while saying, "'Diaganilly.'" The green flames shot up around him, engulfing him and he disappeared.

"What did he say, dear?"

"'Diaganilly.'" Mr. Weasley answered in a tired voice.

Mrs. Weasley nodded slightly. "I thought he did."

I looked between them in confusion. "What does that mean? He'll be alright, won't he? He's still going to get there, right?"

Mrs. Weasley patted my shoulder. "He'll be alright dear. With any luck, he'll have only gone one grate over. That's why it's important to speak clearly with floo powder."

"With any luck?" I repeated, feeling my heart beginning to race. "What happens if he isn't just one grate over? What if he gets hurt?"

Mr. Weasley gave me a sympathetic look. "Now Maeve, there's really no need to panic. It was close enough that he should be fine."

"Close enou-" I scoffed and grabbed a handful of floo powder from the pot in Mrs. Weasley's hands. I marched over to the fireplace and threw the floo powder down, speaking rapidly to keep anyone from grabbing me or coming along. Green flames shot up and wrapped around me, just as they had done to Harry, and the scene around me warped and shifted. Suddenly, I was sliding out of a fireplace across a floor, coughing and brushing ash off myself. Standing up, I looked around, taking in the displays around the shop I'd traveled to. There was a creepy-looking hand on a shelf across the room, but I walked past it, pushed the door open, and came into the alley. I looked around, spotting Harry a bit down the alley. I hurried after him, grabbing his shoulder just as an old-looking witch grabbed his other shoulder.

"Not lost are you, my dears?"

"We're fine, thank you," I said firmly, pulling Harry away from her. "Let's go, Harry."

He nodded and moved to follow me, but the witch grabbed him again. "Come with us. We'll help you find your way back."

Harry paled and fought her grip. "No! Please!"

"Harry?" We both looked up to see a familiar silhouette at the top of some stairs leading out of the alley.

"Hagrid!"