Charmolypi

Chapter 133

They found Mr. Weasley sitting in the bar, reading the Daily Prophet.

"Harry! Thea!" he said, smiling as he looked up. "How are you?"

"Fine, thanks," said Harry as he, Ron, and Hermione joined Mr. Weasley with all their shopping.

"Great, how about you, Mr. Weasley?" Thea asked as she plopped down beside her friends.

"So polite," George teased.

"So poised," Fred continued, and dramatically bowed to the demigod.

Thea got up from her seat and bowed deeply to her friends. The group, along with the majority of the hall giggled and laughed, enjoying the genuine dynamics between the group.

"Peachy," Arthur said with a smile.

Mr. Weasley put down his paper, and Harry saw the now-familiar picture of Sirius Black staring up at him.

"They still haven't caught him, then?" he asked.

"No," said Arthur, looking extremely grave. "They've pulled us all off our regular jobs at the Ministry to try and find him, but no luck so far."

"I'm sure there's a logical explanation to what's happening," Arthur said when he saw the young boy almost burst out in tears, but he was able to see the underlying anger in his eyes.

It was obvious that Sirius was angry with himself for what he did, especially that he claimed to be better than the rest of his family, so doing something so similar to something that they would do only made him furious at himself.

"I don't deserve to be your friend," he mumbled under his breath before he got up and was about to walk out of the hall, until he felt a hand on his wrist.

Sirius turned to find his cousin, Andromeda, smiling at him. She gently tugged him and led him to where her and her husband were sitting. They accepted him with open arms.

"Sirius..." James called sadly, but Sirius couldn't meet his eye.

Fleamont held onto his wife, hating how her heart broke for the boy that she had adopted as hers.

"Would we get a reward if we caught him?" asked Ron. "It'd be good to get some more money —"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ron," said Mr. Weasley, who on closer inspection looked very strained. "Black's not going to be caught by a thirteen-year-old wizard. It's the Azkaban guards who'll get him back, you mark my words."

At that moment Mrs. Weasley entered the bar, laden with shopping bags and followed by the twins, Fred and George, who were about to start their fifth year at Hogwarts; the newly elected Head Boy, Percy; and the Weasleys' youngest child and only girl, Ginny.

Ginny, who had always been very taken with Harry, seemed even more heartily embarrassed than usual when she saw him and his sister, perhaps because Thea had saved her life during their previous year at Hogwarts.

She went very red and muttered "Hello" without looking at them.

Ginny's siblings, along with the girls in the group all started teasing the young woman,

Percy, however, held out his hand solemnly as though he and Harry had never met and said, "Harry. How nice to see you."

"Hello, Percy," said Harry, trying not to laugh.

"I hope you're well?" said Percy pompously, shaking hands. It was rather like being introduced to the mayor.

"Very well, thanks —"