In Between Two Worlds (HP/PJO Crossover)

Chapter 45: Flourish and Blotts.

We heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning about a week after Harry had arrived at the Burrow. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and I were already sitting at the kitchen table. The moment Ginny saw Harry, she accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. I smirked at her as she dived under the table to retrieve it. She emerged with her face as red as a tomato. Harry pretended he hadn't noticed this. He sat down and took the toast Mrs. Weasley offered him.

"Letters from school," said Mr. Weasley, passing Harry, Ron, Ginny, and I identical envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry - doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas.

For a few minutes there was silence as we all read out letters. My letter told me to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books I'd need for the coming year.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at mine.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "The new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher must be a fan - bet it's a witch."

At this point, Fred caught his Mrs Weasley's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive ......

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs. Weasley, but she looked worried. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."

"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish. I tried to stifle my laugh as I helped her clean it up. Fortunately no one saw this except me, because just then Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.

"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a molting, gray feather duster. Errol.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally - he's got Hermione's answer. Karlee and I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."

He carried Errol to a perch just inside the back door and tried to stand him on it, but Errol flopped straight off again so Ron lay him on the draining board instead, muttering, "Pathetic." Then he ripped open Hermione's letter and read it out loud:

"'Dear Ron, Karlee, and Harry if you're there,

I hope everything went all right and that Harry is okay and that you didn't do anything illegal to get him out, because that would get Harry into trouble, too. I've been really worried and if Harry is all right, will you please let me know at once, but perhaps it would be better if you used Karlee's owl because I think another delivery might finish your one off.