FINITE | Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire [4]

𝗶𝗶𝗶 | 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗹𝗲𝘆𝘀

At five o'clock the next evening, Gwen joined Mr Weasley, Ron, Fred and George at the fireplace in the kitchen. She had managed to convince Mr Weasley to let her join, saying that she wished only to help Harry with his belongings-- 'You never know if you need an extra pair of hands!'-- when in reality, she wanted to snoop on the Dursleys.

  And now, as she stood before the fireplace, watching the emerald flames appear as Mr Weasley threw the Floo powder inside, she had another reason to go.

  At lunch time that day, making sure that neither Hermione or Percy were in earshot, Fred and George had pulled Gwen and Ron aside. They'd shown them a handful of rather ordinary looking toffees.

  'Want to try one?' said Fred, innocently.

  'Not really,' Gwen said. 'Not after that thing you gave me set my mouth on fire.' She sent George a look, and he winked in return. Last year, he had given her and Ginny identical sweets. While Ginny's had made her blow bubbles into the air, Gwen's had made her breath solid fire.

  'What is it?' asked Ron.

  'That doesn't matter for now,' Fred said.

  'We want to test them out,' said George mysteriously.

  'And we think that Harry's cousin might just be the best target for that,' finished Fred, with a sly grin.

  So, having heard of all the bullying that Harry's cousin had put him through for all the years he had been with the Muggles, Gwen and Ron agreed.

  Now, watching Mr Weasley disappear in the flames, shouting, 'Number Four Privet Drive!' Gwen, Ron, Fred and George shared a quick, sly look, then Fred followed his dad into the fireplace.

  'Number Four Privet Drive!' Fred yelled, then disappeared in the emerald flames.

  George went next, then Gwen.

  The fireplaces whirred past her at breakneck speed, she slowed down, and then landed--

  Something was wrong. It was pitch black. On either side, there were two bodies squashing her, and she suddenly felt she couldn't properly breathe.

  'There's no room--' came Mr Weasley's voice from somewhere to her left. '--Gwen, is that you?-- Quickly, go back and tell Ron--'

  'What's happened?' she asked, having to move her head back so that her mouth wasn't pressed into someone's back.

  'Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad.' That was Fred's voice, coming from behind her. 'Maybe he can let us out.'

  Gwen realised that they had ended up in the right place, just the fireplace was blocked. She joined the twins and Mr Weasley in pounding on the walls around them, or what she could reach anyway, calling for Harry, feeling very claustrophobic.

  Then, very muffled, on the wall to Gwen's right, came a familiar voice.

  'Mr Weasley? Can you hear me?'