Badgersoul

Chapter 4: Get Together

Chapter 4: Get Together

James and Sirius finally got the hang of the Patronus Charm. James is a stag (no surprise there, he always walks around like he's got a great bloody crown on his head) and Sirius is a dog. The hilarity of that was not lost on me or anyone else. Peter hasn't managed to cast the spell for some reason. Bit odd since I've yet to meet anyone who can't cast it. Except, perhaps, my parents... wonder what it means?

**

Leo was up well before dawn, having been too excited to sleep much at all that night. Mrs. Weasley had found him in the kitchen when she had gotten up to awaken everyone else. She was concerned at first – worried that he had had a nightmare like he'd been having the summer before his second year – but was elated to find he was just too excited to sleep.

Since he hadn't slept much, Mrs. Weasley made him a cup of coffee before going up the stairs and entering the rooms one by one to wake their inhabitants. Mr. Weasley came out a few minutes later – wearing a golfing sweater and a very old pair of jeans, slightly too big for him and held up with a thick leather belt - to find Leo clutching an empty mug and almost vibrating in his seat, a broad smile on his face as he enthusiastically greeted the man. Mr. Weasley nodded in a bemused sort of way before taking out a sheaf of large parchment tickets just as the twins, Harry, Mrs. Weasley, and Ron came down the stairs. Harry stared at his cousin apprehensively as Mrs. Weasley began stirring the contents of a large pot on the stove.

"Hiya, Harry!" Leo crowed loudly.

"What d'you think?" Mr. Weasley asked anxiously, gesturing at his outfit. "We're supposed to go incognito - do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"

"Yeah, very good," said Harry, smiling before frowning at Leo. "Who gave you coffee?"

"I did," Mrs. Weasley replied, looking at the blonde worriedly. "Please don't tell me he's allergic-"

"No, no," Harry shook his head. "He just gets very... hyper and loud when he drinks it. He turns into a bit of a git once it wears off."

"That's not a very nice thing to say, Parry Otter!" Leo exclaimed, trying and failing to frown.

"Well, as long as it doesn't make him sick," said Mrs. Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "And where have those girls got to?"

She bustled out of the kitchen and they heard her climbing the stairs. Harry gave Leo a half-hearted glare.

"You know you're not supposed to drink coffee."

"Yeah, but I like the way it makes me feel," Leo sighed happily before staring down forlornly into his empty mug. "Don't suppose I could have more, could I?"

"Absolutely not," Harry replied sternly.

Leo pouted as they heard footsteps down the passageway and Mrs. Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny came into the kitchen, the latter two looking pale and drowsy.

"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?" said Harry. "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..."