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

𝘅𝗶𝘃 | 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗵𝗼𝗴𝘄𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀

When Gwen, Ginny and Hermione came downstairs the next morning, Mr Weasley was anxiously scribbling on a piece of parchment while Amos Diggory's head spoke in the fire. Apparently, the Auror Alastor Moody had gone off on one the night before, saying that there had been an intruder in the back garden who was ambushed by his exploding dustbins in front of some Muggles. Mr Weasley was now rushing around to get to work.

'Sorry about this, Molly,' Mr Diggory said, turning his head to Mrs Weasley. 'Bothering you so early and everything... but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad Eye off for this, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today... why he had to pick last night...'

'Never mind, Amos,' said Mrs Weasley. 'Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?'

'Oh, go on then,' said Mr Diggory.

Mrs Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen table, held it in the fire tongs and fed it to Mr Diggory's head. Gwen grinned when she saw Harry watching with a mixture of horror and interest.

'Fanks!' said Mr Diggory, in a muffled voice, then disappeared from the fire with a pop.

Mr Weasley was at the foot of the stairs, yelling hurried goodbyes to Bill, Charlie and Percy, and he reentered the kitchen fixing his robes and dragging a comb through his hair.

'I'd better hurry-- have a good term, you lot!' he said, smiling at Gwen, Hermione, Ginny, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George, fastening his cloak over his shoulders. 'Molly, are you going to be alright taking the kids to King's Cross?'

'Of course I will,' she said. 'You just look after Mad-Eye, we'll be fine.

Mr Weasley vanished with a crack, just as Bill and Charlie entered the kitchen.

'Did someone say Mad-Eye?' Bill asked. 'What's he been up to now?'

'He says someone tried to break into his house last night,' said Mrs Weasley.

'Mad-Eye Moody?' said George thoughtfully, spreading marmalade on his toast and passing the jar to Gwen. 'Isn't he that nutter--'

'Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody,' said Mrs Weasley sternly.

'Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?' said Fred quietly as Mrs Weasley left the room. 'Birds of a feather...'

'Moody was a great wizard in his time,' Bill told them.

'He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?' said Charlie.

'Dumbledore's not exactly what you'd call normal, though, is he?' said Fred. 'I mean, I know he's a genius and everything...'

'Mad-Eye had a run in with my dad, like, thirteen years ago,' Gwen told them. 'Dad mentioned it a couple years ago, says his eye is the least creepy thing about him.'