Hope - George Potter

6 - The floo

Their actions resulted in the boys having to stay in their room for ten days, which was a light punishment in comparison to how Uncle Vernon normally handled things.

He had actually been quite relieved that George and Harry hadn't been in the house when the armada of letters arrived. That way - he thought - George hadn't been able to get his letter. George and Harry were only amused at how much stress the letters brought to the Dursleys when they really couldn't do anything to prevent George from reading it anymore.

One morning, two days later, George and Harry heard a commotion outside of their room. Someone had rung the doorbell and apparently come in. Then there was a real shouting match upstairs, probably in the corridor. They could only make out some words and sentences.

"He is one of them"
"You should be ashamed of yourself"
"Not telling them anything"
"you lot"
"good for nothing"

The voices came nearer.

"We knew he was strange. Good for nothing, like his parents. I won't permit it. He is not going!"

"Of course he's going. There is nothing you can do about it."

They were coming nearer and nearer and were soon standing in front of the door which suddenly sprang open without a key turning in the lock.

On the threshold stood a seething Remus who was being held back by Aunt Petunia. With a sudden ripping sound, Aunt Petunia suddenly held a part of Remus' shirt in her hands. Remus looked at her shocked but mostly annoyed, but soon his expression lightened as he turned to the brothers with a big smile on his face, "We're going shopping, boys. Take your letter with you, George."

Aunt Petunia looked disbelievingly at the letter in George's hands.
„No, that's not possible. But ... but ... we burned them all!"

George answered with a smirk, „Sorry, aunt. But some people in this house actually still have brain cells." He shoved past her through the door. Harry quickly ran after him.

Their aunt followed them, trying to prevent them from leaving, until they were out on the street. She obviously didn't want the neighbours to gossip about her so she gave up.

Dudley was standing at the door and asked his mother afraid, "Mummy,what's happening? Are George and Harry being kidnapped?"

"Nothing to worry about, Dudders. Everything is okay." She hurried back to the house.

"Wow, your aunt sure is stubborn," Remus said while massaging his back where she had ripped his shirt, "You don't mind if I get changed first before our shopping tour?"

They went over to Mrs Figg's house. While they were waiting for Remus to come back downstairs, Mrs Figg talked to them, "Are you excited for buying your school supplies?"

"Well, I'm not going to Hogwarts yet but I'm still extremely excited. Did you go to Hogwarts when you were younger?" Harry asked.

"I always wanted to go to Hogwarts. My three older brothers and my twin went there but I wasn't allowed to. It was a horrible day for me when the Hogwarts letter arrived. I had been so excited for it. I had been waiting for weeks. The thought didn't even cross my mind that I might not be allowed to go. Then, at first, when I saw that it was only one letter - only addressed to my sister - I thought it was a mistake. But then it dawned on me that it wasn't a mistake. I wasn't going to go to Hogwarts, to the school I had heard so much about. I was never going to get the chance to see the castle, to see the grounds and to get sorted into a house. I would never see what my brothers and parents had always told me about, what I had been imagining for years. My parents were horrified. I brought shame to the family, they said. And I didn't understand at first. What had I done to deserve this?"