Our time •|Harry Potters Twin Sister|• {book two}

Chapter 16

Late in the afternoon, a few days after New Year, Harry, Ron, Ginny and I lined up beside the kitchen fire to return to Hogwarts. The Ministry had arranged this one-off connection to the Floo Network to return students quickly and safely to the school. Only Mrs. Weasley was there to say good-bye, as Mr. Weasley, Fred, George, Bill, and Fleur were all at work.

Mrs. Weasley dissolved into tears at the moment of parting. Admittedly, it took very little to set her off lately; she had been crying on and off ever since Percy had stormed from the house on Christmas Day with his glasses splattered with mashed parsnip (for which Fred, George, and Ginny all claimed credit).

"Don't cry, Mum," said Ginny, patting her on the back as Mrs. Weasley sobbed into her shoulder. "It's okay. ..."

Yeah, don't worry about us," said Ron, permitting his mother to plant a very wet kiss on his cheek, "or about Percy. He's such a prat, it's not really a loss, is it?"

Mrs. Weasley sobbed harder than ever as she enfolded Harry and I in her arms.

"Promise me you'll look after yourself.. .. Stay out of trouble. ...and look after each other"

"We always do, Mrs. Weasley," said Harry. "I like a quiet life, you know me."

"I'll try, at least with the looking after each other." I added, grinning.

She gave a watery chuckle and stood back. "Be good, then, all of you. ..."

I stepped into the emerald fire first  and shouted "Hogwarts!" I had one last fleeting view of the Weasleys' kitchen and Mrs. Weasley's tearful face before the flames engulfed me; spinning very fast, I caught blurred glimpses of other Wizarding rooms, which were whipped out of sight before I could get a proper look; then I was slowing down, finally stopping squarely in the fireplace in Professor McGonagall's office. She barely glanced up from her work as I clambered out over the grate.

Harry came right after me.

"Evening, Potters. Try not to get too much ash on the carpet."

"No, Professor."

Harry straightened his glasses and flattened his hair and I brushed of my robes as Ron came spinning into view.

When Ginny had arrived, the four of us trooped out of McGonagall's office and off toward Gryffindor Tower. I glanced out of the corridor windows as we passed; the sun was already sinking over grounds carpeted in deeper snow than had lay over the Burrow garden. In the distance, I could see Hagrid feeding Buckbeak in front of his cabin, fang bouncing around his ankles.

Baubles," said Ron confidently, when they reached the Fat Lady, who was looking rather paler than usual and winced at his loud voice.

"No," she said.

"What d'you mean, 'no' ?

"There is a new password," she said. "And please don't shout."

"But we've been away, how're we supposed to - ?"

"Harry!Harley!Ginny!"

Hermione was hurrying toward us, very pink-faced and wearing a cloak, hat, and gloves.

"I got back a couple of hours ago, I've just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck - I mean Witherwings," she said breathlessly. "Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah," said Ron at once, "pretty eventful, Rufus Scrim -"

"I've got something for you, Harry," said Hermione, neither looking at Ron nor giving any sign that she had heard him. "Oh, hang on - password. Abstinence."