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

4. The Portkey

I felt as though I had barely lain down to sleep in Ginny's room when I was being shaken awake by Mrs. Weasley.

"Time to go, Liana, dear," she whispered, moving away to wake Hermion, Lucy and Ginny.

I groaned and got up. It was still dark outside.

"Is it time already?" said Lucy groggily.

We dressed in silence, too sleepy to talk, then, yawning and stretching, the four of us headed downstairs into the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove, while Mr. Weasley was sitting at the table, checking a sheaf of large parchment tickets. He looked up as we entered and smiled broadly.

"Where're Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn. I turned around and saw Harry, Ron, Fred and George coming into the room, too.

"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs. Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

"So they're still in bed?" said Fred grumpily, pulling his bowl of porridge toward him. "Why can't we Apparate too?"

"Because that time to get to Liana and Lucy was a one time only. You're not of age and you haven't passed your test." snapped Mrs. Weasley.

"You have to pass a test to Apparate?" Harry asked.

"Oh yes." said Mr. Weasley simply, tucking the tickets safely into the back pocket of his jeans.

"And Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?" I said.

"Charlie had to take the test twice," said Fred, grinning. "He failed the first time, Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"

"Yes, well, he passed the second time," said Mrs. Weasley, marching back into the kitchen amid hearty sniggers.

"Percy only passed two weeks ago," said George. "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes and sitting down at the table.

"We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr. Weasley.

"Walk?" I said. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no, that's miles away," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup —"

"George!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, and they all jumped.

"What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.

"What is that in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!"

Mrs. Weasley pointed her wand at George's pocket and said,
"Accio!"

Several small, brightly coloured objects zoomed out of George's pocket; he made a grab for them but missed, and they sped right into Mrs. Weasley's outstretched hand.