The Wand Makers Apprentice

Chapter 8

"Rosie get your act together!" Ollivander shouted from the shop floor as he pulled on his travelling cloak. "You've been up there over half an hour when I said start getting ready! If you've forgotten something now I'll send you it, just hurry up! You're going to miss the empress!"

"Yes father!" Rosie hissed as she ran down the stairs, more to herself than Ollivaner as she dragged her trunk and luggage behind her. "I'm coming now! Don't get your knickers in a twist..."

"Don't you take that tone with me young lady!" He said sternly, holding open the door and the two jogged down the street.

Rosie pushed her trolley down the platform towards the barrier. She was several metres away when she heard a familiar voice.

"Want a hand?" From a distance she could see it was a familiar set of red-haired twins.

"Yes, please," Another boy panted.

"Oi, Fred! C'mere and help!" Said another friendly voice which was none other than George Weasley. She saw the boy that they were helping and was stopped in her thoughts of running up to George and giving him an enormous hug. Harry Potter.

With the twins' help, Harry's trunk was at last tucked away in a corner of the compartment, Rosie had followed them as they went, always a few paces behind, gazing in awe.

"Thanks," said Harry, pushing his sweaty hair out of his eyes.

"What's that?" said one of the twins suddenly, pointing at Harry's lightning scar.

"Blimey," said the other twin. "Are you"

"He is," said the first twin. "Aren't you?" he added to Harry.

"What?" said Harry.

"Harry Potter, "chorused the twins.

"Oh, him," said Harry. "I mean, yes, I am."

The two boys gawked at him, and Harry felt himself turning red. Then, to his relief, a voice came floating in through the train's open door.

"Fred? George? Are you there?"

"Coming, Mum." With a last look at Harry, the twins hopped off the train.

As Rosie heard harry's thoughts disappear as the two twins left the train and she ran over to George and the rest of his family. She knew Harry's compartment was just above where they were talking and that he could watch the red-haired family on the platform and hear what they were saying.

Molly had just taken out her handkerchief as Rosie walked over and George pulled her into warm side hug and kissed her on her forehead.

"Ron, you've got something on your nose."

The youngest boy tried to jerk out of the way, but she grabbed him and began rubbing the end of his nose.

"Mum -- geroff" He wriggled free.

"Aaah, has ickle Ronnie got somefink on his nosie?" said Fred

"Shut up," said Ron.

"Where's Percy?" said their mother.

"He's coming now." Rosie said, pointing to where Percy was.

The oldest boy came striding into sight. He had already changed into his billowing black Hogwarts robes, and Rosie noticed a shiny silver badge on his chest with the letter P on it.

"Oh wow Perce!" Rosie smiled as Percy came over. "Congratulations on getting prefect!"

"Don't encourage him." George whispered into her ear jokingly.

"Thank you Rosetta but I can't stay to chat," he said. "I'm up front, the prefects have got two compartments to themselves --"

"Oh, are you a prefect, Percy?" said one of the twins, with an air of great surprise. "You should have said something, we had no idea."

"Hang on, I think I remember him saying something about it," said the other twin. "Once --"

"Or twice --"

"A minute --"

"All summer --"

"Oh, shut up," said Percy the Prefect.

"How come Percy gets new robes, anyway?" said one of the twins.

"Because he's a prefect," said their mother fondly. "All right, dear, well,have a good term -- send me an owl when you get there."

She kissed Percy on the cheek and he left. Then she turned to the twins.

"Now, you two -- this year, you behave yourselves. Rosie I want you to keep an eye on them and If I get one more owl telling me you've -- you've blown up a toilet or --"

"Blown up a toilet? We've never blown up a toilet."

"Great idea though, thanks, Mum."

"It's not funny. And look after Ron."

"Don't worry, ickle Ronniekins is safe with us."

"Shut up," said Ron again. He was almost as tall as the twins already and his nose was still pink where his mother had rubbed it.

"Hey, Mum, guess what? Guess who we just met on the train?"

Rosie suddenly felt her face grow red at the thought of her estranged cousin and glanced up to the compartment where he was sat but couldn't see his face.

"You know that black-haired boy who was near us in the station? Know who he is?"

"Who?"

"Harry Potter!"

"Oh, Mum, can I go on the train and see him, Mum, eh please...."

"You've already seen him, Ginny, and the poor boy isn't something you goggle at in a zoo. Is he really, Fred? How do you ?"

"Asked him. Saw his scar. It's really there - like lightning."

"Poor dear - no wonder he was alone, I wondered. He was ever so polite when he asked how to get onto the platform."

"Never mind that, do you think he remembers what You-Know-Who looks like?"

Their mother suddenly became very stern.

"I forbid you to ask him, Fred. No, don't you dare. As though he needs reminding of that on his first day at school."

"All right, keep your hair on."

A whistle sounded.

"Hurry up!" their mother said, and the three boys clambered onto the train.

They leaned out of the window for her to kiss them good-bye, and their younger sister began to cry.

"Don't, Ginny, we'll send you loads of owls."

"We'll send you a Hogwarts toilet seat."

"George!"

"Only joking, Mum."

"And if you're ever feeling... strange, Rosie," Mrs Weasley as the train began to move and Rosie shoved her head out of the window. "You know where I am."

Rosie saw Mrs Weasley waving and Ginny, half laughing, half crying, running to keep up with the train until it gathered too much speed, then she fell back and waved.