PRINCESS ➳ harry potter , draco malfoy (OLD VERSION)

61 || The Order of the Phoenix

"Where are we?" Katie asked.

"Shush!" Mrs Weasley hissed.

"Mum—"

"Shut up, Ron!"

They were in a rather dull suburban area. The surrounding grimy houses were not welcoming; some of them had broken windows, glimmering dully in the light from the street lamps, paint was peeling from many of the doors and heaps of rubbish lay outside several of the front steps.

"Now, I don't have a Deluminator—" Mrs Weasley began, only to be cut off by all four of her children.

"A what?"

"BE QUIET!" Mrs Weasley cried. "Alright, no Deluminator, so we'll have to be quick."

Mrs Weasley stepped into the middle of the street. Katie looked to Ron for answers as to what exactly was going on, but he seemed just as in the dark as she, judging by his bemused facial expression.

Mrs Weasley shut her eyes and scrunched up her face in concentration. Miracuolosuly, before Katie very's eyes, a battered door emerged out of nowhere between houses number eleven and thirteen, followed swiftly by dirty walls and grimy windows. Katie watched in amazement as an extra house — number twelve — transpired. Apparently the Muggles living on the street hadn't felt or heard this disturbance — they did not react at all.

Katie opened her mouth wide. "What—"

"Come on now, hurry up, can't have the Muggles seeing us. Katie, Chris, you go first, on you go, now." Mrs Weasley uttered hurriedly.

Katie and Chris walked up the stone steps, Katie clutching her brother's arm tightly. On the front of the black door there was a silver knocker in the form of a twisted serpent. There was no keyhole or letterbox.

Mrs Weasley bustled to Katie's side and pulled out her wand. When Mrs Weasley tapped the door once with her wand, many loud, metallic clicking sounds arose, then the door creaked opened.

"In you go, now. Don't make a sound." Mrs Weasley instructed.

Katie, Chris, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George all stepped through the door and filed along a narrow and pitch black corridor. The place smelt damp, like something was rotting in the walls. There was a soft hissing noise and then old-fashioned gas lamps illuminated, casting a flickering insubstantial light over the peeling wallpaper and threadbare carpet of the long, gloomy hallway. Dusty portraits hung crooked on the walls and a cobwebbed chandelier swung from the high ceiling.

There was a small patter of footsteps and a door opened at the far end of the hall, revealing the smiling face of Arthur Weasley. He ushered the group over, so they waddled down the hall and through the door, finding themselves in a well-lit sort of dining room. It was slightly cleaner than the grimy hallway, though the wallpaper here was also peeling. Katie couldn't tell if the windows needed scrubbing — they were concealed by thick, velvet green and moth-eaten curtains.

Along the extensive table running through the centre of the room sat many witches and wizards, most of whom Katie had never met before. Among them, however, were three familiar faces — Mad-Eye Moody, Bill Weasley and — Katie's mouth opened in surprise and her eyes lit up.

"Professor Lupin?"

Smiling brightly, Lupin got to his feet and walked towards the children that had gathered in the doorway.

"Oh, I'm no Professor anymore," Lupin chuckled. "Remus will do fine. It's good to see you again, Katie, and all of you." he added, nodding and smiling at the Weasleys and Chris.

A second door in the back corner of the room opened, and a man with long black hair stepped into the the dining room. Katie recognised him instantly, only he looked much more cleaner and tidier than the last time she had seen him. The man did, however, seem just as gaunt and tired as always.