When two letters arrive in the post for the Potters inviting them to a school for wizards Pippa is beyond excited. She was ready to start fresh somewhere new where she could actually be someone, where she could be special.
However, Hogwarts was no...
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Me, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that we could practice Quidditch there, as long as we didn't fly too high.
I wasn't really that interested about playing quidditch but everyone in my year loved it and if I was on the slytherin team they'd love me too.
We couldn't use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead we threw apples for one another to catch. We took turns riding Harry's Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron's old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.
Five minutes later we were marching up the hill, broomsticks over our shoulders.
"Wish I knew what he was up to," said Fred, frowning back at Percy's window. "He's not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.L.s and he hardly gloated at all."
"Ordinary Wizarding Levels," George explained, seeing mine and Harry's puzzled faces. "Bill got twelve, too. If we're not careful, we'll have another Head Boy in the family. I don't think I could stand the shame."
I giggled. Head Boy. what a swot, I couldn't imagine how I'd gone on if Harry became head boy.
Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. We'd never met either of them, but Charlie was in Romania studying dragons (I really wanted to meet him) and Bill in Egypt working for the wizard's bank, Gringotts.
"Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year," said George after a while. "Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything..."
Harry and I didn't say anything. I felt a bit awkward. I had a fortune that my parents left me under London while the Weasley's house was falling apart. Me and Harry had never mentioned our bank accounts to the Dursleys; the greedy beggars would nick the lot if they had the chance.
It took Fred a whole hour for Fred and George to teach me the rules of quidditch and I still wasn't sure I fully understood.
—
Mrs. Weasley woke us all early the next Wednesday. After a quick half a dozen bacon sandwiches each, we pulled on our coats and Mrs. Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.
"We're running low, Arthur," she sighed. "We'll have to buy some more today... Ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!"
And she offered him the flowerpot.
Harry stared at us all watching him.
"W-what am I supposed to do?" he stammered.
"He's never traveled by Floo powder," said Ron suddenly. "Sorry, Harry, I forgot."
