like a redheaded stepchild

Chapter 5: What kind of a color is ARRRGGGHHH anyway

Summer with the Weasley's turned out to be a lot more interesting than summer with the Dursley's, though there were some similarities. For example, the standing rule was "no magic in the house" along with, "no hexing your siblings." However, as Fred and George put it, "we view those as more like guidelines." Which they proved by enchanting Ginny's shoes to make gagging noises when she tried to put them on, protesting that her feet were too smelly. In response, Ginny demonstrated that she was quite good with Grandma Hettie's wand already by using the Bat-Boogey hex on her brothers. All this happened while everyone was still inside, which nearly gave Mrs. Weasley a conniption.

"ALL OF YOU OUT!" she roared as boogies flew about the house on slimey wings. "AND DON'T COME BACK IN UNTIL LUNCH TIME!"

"Come on, let's play quidditch," Ron suggested.

"Do we have enough brooms?" Harry asked, doing a mental count. "There are six of us."

"Oh, we've got enough brooms," Percy said. "But it can just be the four of you. Ginny and I aren't interested."

"Speak for yourself, Princess," Ginny said. She ran over to a shed and pulled out the Cleansweep 9 Harry had given her for Christmas. "Harry gave me my own broom."

Percy raised an eyebrow. "You're going to join the flying circus this lot will create?"

"I'm going to beat them all," Ginny vowed.

"Come on Percy, you, me and Ginny versus Ron and the twins," Harry suggested. "One keeper and two chasers on each team."

"You sure you want to do that, Harry?" Ron asked, smirking at Ginny. "I don't know that Gin-Gin even knows how to fly."

Before Ginny could get her wand out and hex Ron for his stupidity, Harry managed to calm her down. "Just trounce him and prove you're a better player," Harry suggested.

As it turned out, Ginny could in fact play quidditch. Percy, however, was hopeless. Harry was an excellent chaser as was Ginny, and together the two of them tore up the field, easily outmaneuvering Fred and George on their superior brooms. The twins were much more interested in causing mayhem than scoring points anyway, and found the entire situation enormously amusing. Ron, however, was a pretty good keeper, and made up for his team's lackluster offense. In the end, it was a close game that ended when Mrs. Weasley called them all in for lunch.

"Harry dear, I hemmed all your clothes so they would fit you better," Mrs. Weasley said as they all sat down for sandwiches and freshly made chips with a pitcher of cold punch. She held up one of Harry's previously too baggy pants, which looked as though they'd fit him decently now. "I also dug out some of Charlie's old things, he was skinny as a rail just like you are. See if they fit you. We are going to have to do something about your glasses though."

Harry's glasses were several years old at this point, and rather battered and held together more by tape, faith and hope than their original frame.

"Nothing for it, we'll have to go to Diagon Alley. I talked it over with your father, that is, Mr. Weasley and he said we may as well make it a family trip for school supplies early on this year."

When she said it, Mrs. Weasley looked very concerned, as if she were dreading it.

"Diagon Alley isn't so bad, I don't mind," Harry said. Mrs. Weasley smiled and turned back to her sandwiches.