✔️ 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐓𝐄𝐆𝐎 → ℎ. 𝑝𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡𝑤𝑖𝑛 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦

01 | E L E C T R I C

I go crazy, because here isn't where
I wanna be, and satisfaction feels like
a distant memory ...

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·

THE DURSLEYS WERE nervous, and it was a pleasurable thing to watch. With a hidden smirk under a curtain of her long dark hair Ember sat by the kitchen table, Petunia's long fingers were dripping on the table plate, her eyes flicking to the window every now and then, while Uncle Vernon's eyes were glued to the clock hanging over the kitchen counter, covering at least a part of the ugly patterned wall. But the greatest fun of all was watching Dudley.

Ever since Hagrid had turned his butt into a pigtail that had to be painfully removed in the hospital, Dudley was more than frightened of any kind of magic, and let it be a simple card trick. With every noise from outside he flinched, not even touching his half grapefruit once, giving Ember and Harry a hard time not to burst into maniac laughter.

"How do those people come here?", Uncle Vernon spoke into the tensed silence. "They for sure have a car?"

"Ahem ..." Harry threw his sister a look, that clearly showed a shade of light panic she could understand all too well.

The Weasleys had owned a car, but that one - a flying Ford Anglia - was currently living in Hogwarts' Forbidden Forest ever since Harry and Ron crushed it into the Whomping Willow in their second year. So they for sure wouldn't arrive here by car. Maybe they'd apparate, what was a frightening thought. A wizard appearing out of nothingness in the Dursleys' holy home? Not a good idea.

"I - er - I don't know", Ember stuttered, still looking at Harry. Sure enough Mr Weasley was well aware that Vernon and Petunia Dursley would make the twins' life a living hell, if their arrival here wouldn't come off decent. But on the other hand Mrs Weasley had sent a letter with the muggle mail, that was covered in stamps just two weeks ago, so Ember wouldn't bet on it.

"When will they again arrive?", Petunia asked, her eyes once more glancing through the window.

"At ten", Ember groaned, having been asked the very same question the hundredths time now.

After breakfast Harry went upstairs to pack the rest of his stuff, and as Ember had already done so at six in the morning, she was sitting in the living room with the anxious Dursley family, every single one of the three family members looking like they're waiting for the henchmen.

Wish! Everyone in the living room, including Ember, were on their feet in the blink of an eye. Voices could be heard from inside the blocked fireplace.

"What is this?" Then another loud noise. "Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron -"

Harry entered the room, his face a shocked mask as his sister's. The Dursley's were scrambling further backwards, until pressed against the wall.

"What is this?", growled Uncle Vernon. "What's going on?"

"Er - they tried to travel per fire ...", Harry muttered, and Uncle Vernon took a step forward like an angry wolf. Ember walked over to the fireplace. "What are you doing, girl?", Vernon snapped, shoving Harry aside to get at Ember, who had already pressed her hand against the boards.

Ignoring her uncle, she called through the barrier: "Mr Weasley, can you hear me?" The hammering stopped, a quiet "Shh!" was heard.

"Mr Weasley, it's Ember", she loudly said. "The fireplace is blocked, you won't be able to go through there, you - ouch!" Uncle Vernon had harshly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her away from the boards. She stumbled and fell over the table; the glass plate broke under her weight, cutting her right hand, that had tried to catch the fall, open.

"Mr Weasley, the fire is electric", Harry called through the boards, threwing Ember a sorrowful blance, but she just shrugged it off, pressing the bleeding wound against her black shirt.

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly. "Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that....Let's think...Ouch, Ron!"

Ron's voice now joined the others'. "What are we doing here? Has something gone wrong?"

"Oh no, Ron", came Fred's voice, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here", said George, whose voice sounded muffled, as though he was squashed against the wall.

"Boys, boys ...", said Mr. Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do ... Yes ... only way ... Stand back, Harry."

Ember's eyes were widened, as Harry stepped back, lifting Ember from the ground by pulling her up at her healthy hand, to duck down behind the couch. Not a second to late. With a loud bang the electric fire shot across the room, followed by splints and dust. Stumbled out of the debris came the three red heads of Mr Weasley, Ron, Fred and George.

Oh, it was fair to say that Uncle Vernon was ready for a murder. He eyed Mr Weasley like an assassin, ready for a head shot. Fred and George headed upstairs to get Harry's and Ember's luggage, not without winking at Ember as they passed by. Forgetting the pulsing pain in her hand for a second, she smirked back at her favourite redheads. It took them just a couple of minutes to come back.

"Fine fine, so Fred and George, you'll take Ember with you", Mr Weasley cheerfully said. "Ron and Harry will follow, so I'll fix that mess here and apparate afterwards."

"Coming," said Fred. "Oh no - hang on -"

A bag of sweets had spilled out of Fred's pocket and the contents were now rolling in every direction - big, fat toffees in brightly colored wrappers.

Fred scrambled around, cramming them back into his pocket, then gave the Dursleys a cheery wave, stepped forward, and walked right into the fire, saying "the Burrow!" Aunt Petunia gave a little shuddering gasp. There was a whooshing sound, and Fred vanished.

"Ember, off you go then", Mr Wealsey said, handing Ember the floo powder with a kind smile.

Ember stepped into the fireplace, having a last glance at her relatives. "Well, bye then", she plainly said, while her uncle was still fuming, Petunia was frightened staring at Me Weasley, and Dudley was busy unwrapping one of the toffees Fred obviously had forgotten. Watching the fat boy shoving the sweet into his massive mouth, she loudly said "the Burrow!", and the surroundings of this terrible house vanished in a hurricane of colors.

· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·