Chosen & Hated (HP) {Book 2 of the Wild & Free Series}

2. The Guests

By the time I arrived downstairs, all the orphans had already begun eating breakfast. I looked around the stretched table in the dining room and spotted Yara and Lucy, who waved to me unthusiastically. I smiled and sat down next to Lucy.

"Athena brought this in this morning." Lucy whispered when Yara wasn't paying attention and quickly slipped me a letter from under the table. I nodded and opened it.

Dear Lucy and Liana,
The final of the Quidditch World Cup takes place Monday night. Arthur has managed to get some prime tickets through his connections at the Department of Magical Games and Sports.
We have enough tickets yo bring you two, Harry and Hermione along and I believe Ron has already talked to you about it, but I just wanted to hear for myself; would you like to come? You can stay with us for the remainder of the summer holidays. Please send an answer as quickly as possible.
Love,
Molly Weasley

"Have you read it?" I whispered in Lucy's ear when I was finished. She nodded.

"What do you think?" She asked.

"Do you have to ask? Of course I want to go!"

Lucy smiled.

"I will send Mrs. Weasley an answer then." She told me.

Yara hadn't noticed anything, so we just continued eating our breakfast before Lucy and I went upstairs to send the letter to the Weasleys.

When we arrived in Lucy's room, I noticed there was another owl in there, sitting in the cage next to a bored-looking Athena.

The minute owl in the cage immediately went out once he saw us and proceeded to fly around our heads like a loose firework. He dropped a letter at our feet and I opened it quickly.

Liana, Lucy — DAD GOT THE TICKETS — Ireland versus Bulgaria, Monday night. Mum's writing to you and the overseer to ask you to stay. You might already have the letter. Thought I'd send this with Pig anyway.
We're coming for you whether you like it or not, you can't miss the World Cup. We'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday. If you don't want to come, we'll come and get you at five o'clock on Sunday anyway.
Hermione's arriving this afternoon. Percy's started work — the Department of International Magical Cooperation. Don't mention anything about Abroad while you're here unless you want the pants bored off you.

See you soon,
Ron

"That's cute." I snickered. I looked at Ron's owl, Pig and noticed it was the one Sirius had given him last year. Ron's rat Scabbers turned out to be a full-grown man called Wormtail, a follower of Voldemort.

Lucy and I grabbed a piece of parchment and wrote a reply on it, then I went over to my letter for Sirius and told him he could contact me at Ron's place. I gave the letter to Athena, who would deliver it after she had give our reply to Ron.

The reply to Ron finished, Lucy tied it to Athena's leg.

"I'll be at Ron's when you get back, all right?" Lucy told her.

Athena nipped her finger affectionately, then, with a soft swooshing noise, spread her enormous wings and soared out of the open window.

Lucy and I watched her out of sight, thinking about the happy days to come. We were going to watch the Quidditch World Cup. It was hard, just now, to feel worried about anything — even Lord Voldemort.

• • •

By twelve o'clock the next day, Lucy's and my school trunks were packed with our school things and all my most prized possessions — my Nimbus Two Thousand and the Marauder's map, which Harry had given me at the end of last year to hold onto. Lucy and I had emptied our rooms double-checking every nook and cranny of our bedrooms for forgotten spellbooks or quills.