Silver Hourglass

Odd Meetings Chapter 41

"...better hurry up, Mum's going ballistic, she says we're going to miss the train. ..."

Ron was already up and dressed as Harry awoke. There was a lot of commotion in the house. From what he heard as he dressed at top speed, Harry gathered that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carrying them, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny and knocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall; Mrs. Black and Mrs. Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices.

"—COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS—"

"—FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS—"

Hermione came hurrying into the room looking flustered just as Harry was putting on his trainers; Hedwig was swaying on her shoulder, and she was carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms.

"Are you ready yet?" she asked as the owl fluttered over and perched on top of her cage.

"Yeah—Ginny alright?" Harry asked, shoving on his glasses .

"Mrs. Weasley's patched her up," Hermione said. "But now Mad-Eye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard will be one short."

"Guard?" Harry said. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?"

"You have to go to King's Cross with a guard," Hermione corrected him.

"Why?" Harry said irritably. "I thought Voldemort was supposed to be lying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump out from behind a dustbin to try and do me in?"

"I don't know, it's just what Mad-Eye says," Hermione said distractedly, looking at her watch. "But if we don't leave soon we're definitely going to miss the train. ..."

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs. Weasley bellowed and Hermione jumped as though scalded and hurried out of the room. Harry seized Hedwig, stuffed her unceremoniously into her cage, and set off downstairs after Hermione, dragging his trunk.

"Mrs. Black's portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again anyway. "Harry, you're to come with me and Tonks," shouted Mrs. Weasley over the repated screeches of "MUDBLOODS! SCUM! CREATURES OF DIRT!" "Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going ot deal with the luggage. ...Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"

Sirius appeared behind Harry, shifting from his bear-like dog. He stared angrily at Mrs. Weasley and said "Why not Molly? He's my godson! And I'm a free man!"

"We know that but Dumbledore still said no!" Mrs. Weasley yelled back. "The Daily Prophet barely wrote about your release!"

"I still don't care Molly, he's my godson, and damnit I'm going to walk him to the Hogwarts Express like I'm supposed to!" Sirius yelled.

"Oh honestly ..." Mrs. Weasley said despairingly, "Well, on your own head be it!"

She wrenched open the front door and stepped out into the weak September sunlight. Harry and Sirius followed her. The door slammed behind them and Mrs. Black's crèches were cut off instantly.

"Ahh finally," Sirius said. Breathing deeply. "You have no idea how annoying it was to listen to my mother's screams every day. Especially when Remus and I were trying to—"

"Honestly Sirius, not in front of the boy," Mrs. Weasley said looking around.

"Where's Tonks?" Harry said, looking around as they went down the stone steps of number twelve, which vanished the moment they reached the pavement.