Out of The Shadows (Golden Trio Era) {1}

Extendable Ears

With two loud cracks, Fred and George materialised out of thin air into the middle of the room. Pigwidgeon twittered more wildly than ever and zoomed off to join Hedwig on top of the wardrobe. "You guys have got to stop doing that." Mikayla told Fred and George, putting her hands on her hips. The boys ignored her and turned to Harry. "Hello, Harry." George beamed at him. "We thought it was safe to come check what's up with you." Fred states, his eyes flicker over to Mikayla who's laid down on the bed. "You two passed your Apparation tests, then?" Harry questioned. "With distinction." Fred nodded as he held onto an Extendable Ear. "It would have taken you about thirty seconds longer to walk down the stairs." Ron sent Fred and George a pointed look. "Time is Galleons, little brother." Fred said. "Anyway, Harry, you're interfering with reception. Extendable Ears." He added in response to Harry's raised eyebrows, holding up a flesh-coloured string, which was trailing out onto the landing. "We're trying to hear what's going on downstairs."  "You want to be careful." Ron warned, staring at the ear. "If Mum sees one of them again..."  "It's worth the risk, that's a major meeting they're having." Fred shrugged.

The door opened then and Ginny came in, smiling at us all. "Oh, hello, Harry." She greeted the boy brightly. "I heard all your voices, so I decided to pop in." Turning to Fred and George, she said, "It's a no go with the Extendable Ears, she's gone and put an Imperturbable Charm on the kitchen door."  "How d'you know?" George asked, looking crestfallen. "Tonks told me and Mikayla how to find out." Ginny said. "You just chuck stuff at the door and if it can't make contact, the door's been Imperturbed. I've been flicking Dungbombs at it from the top of the stairs and they just soar away from it, so there's no way the Extendable Ears will be able to get under the gap." Fred heaved a deep sigh. "Shame. I really fancied finding out what old Snape's been up to." "Snape?" Harry said quickly. "Is he here." "Yeah." George said, carefully closing the door and sitting down on the other bed with Fred and Ginny following. "Giving a report. Top secret." "Git." Fred added idly. "He's on our side now." Hermione said reprovingly.

Harry scoffed and Ron snorted before saying, "Doesn't stop him from being a git. The way he looks at us when he sees us..." "Bill doesn't like him either." Ginny said, as though that settled the matter. Harry pursed his lips and laid down on the bed next to Mikayla. He looked toward the Weasleys and said, "Is Bill here? I though he was working in Egypt." "He applied for a desk job so he could come home and work for the Order." Mikayla told him. "He says he misses the tombs, but," Fred smirked. "There are compensations..." "What d'you mean?" "Remember old Fleur Delacour?" George said with a grin. "She's got a job at Gringotts to improve her English—"  "—and Bill's been giving her a lot of private lessons." Fred sniggered. "Charlie's in the Order too." George explained. "But he's still in Romania. Dumbledore wants as many foreign wizards brought in as possible, so Charlie's trying to make contacts on his days off." "Couldn't Percy do that?" Harry wondered. At the mention of Percy, the Weasleys, Hermione, and Mikayla exchanged dark looks, which Harry noticed.

Harry looked at the blonde next to him in question, but Mikayla felt that it wasn't her story to tell. "Whatever you do, don't mention Percy in front of Mum and Dad." Ron told Harry in a tense voice. "Why not?" "Because every time Percy's name is mentioned, Dad breaks whatever he's holding and Mum starts crying." Fred said. "It's been awful." Ginny murmured sadly. "I think we're well shut of him." George said with an uncharacteristically ugly look on his face. "What's happened?" Harry asked slowly. "Percy and Dad had a row," Fred told him. "I've never seen Dad row with anyone like that. It's normally Mum who shouts..." Mikayla turned over to face the wall to mentally exit the conversation. "Percy went berserk, saying that you and Mikayla were lying about what happened during the third trial. Dad of course tried to talk some sense into Percy reminding him Mikayla almost died." Ron explained, "Mikayla went to try and take the heat off mum and dad, Percy insult Dad which Mikayla warned him to stop before he took it too far." Ginny told, Mikayla shut her eyes so tightly that she could see stars. "Percy took it as a threat, reminding Mikayla of her lack of blood family and pushed her making her flip over the banister and fall two stories into the kitchen, breaking her collarbone by a shelf." Fred told, before George took over, "Got an earful from Dad before disapparating. Mum's devastated and Dad is fuming."

There was a small silence filling the room, Mikayla sat up, "Percy's just believing what the Minister of Magic is saying because he runs our entire government. When people are scared, they do scary things. Now can we please drop it and go down for dinner?" "But dinner isn't re-" Ron was cut off by Mrs Weasley knocking on the door, and telling everyone to go downstairs for food. "How?" Ron questions, "Woman's tuition." Mikayla shrugged grabbing her sweater and pulling it over her head and walking past the others. Molly was waiting for them at the foot of the stairs. "We're eating down in the kitchen. Harry, dear, if you'll just tiptoe across the hall, it's just through this door her-" Molly was cut off by a loud band, where Tonks had once again knocked over the troll-leg umbrella stand, the curtains in front of Walburga Black's portrait swung open. "Filth! Scum! Half-breeds, mudbloods, mutants, freaks, begone of this place." Walburga's shrieks fill the hall. "Gran, can't you stop. These are good people." Mikayla yelled back at her grandmother before shutting the curtains shut.

Mikayla was once again on her hands and knees helping Tonks. "Thank you, Mikayla." "No problem Tonks. You'll just have to be hyperaware of that bloody umbrella stand." Tonks nods before disappearing into the kitchen, Mikayla pushing the stand as close as she can to the wall.