Emma Potter; Going to War

14: Hello Hogwarts

I  had a troubled night's sleep. My parents wove in and outof my dreams, never speaking; Mrs. Weasley sobbed overKreacher's dead body watched by Ron and Hermione, who were wearing crowns, and yet again I found myself and my brother walking down a corridor ending in a locked door. I awoke abruptly with my scarprickling to find Hermione already dressed and talking to me.

 ". . . better hurry up, Mrs Weasly's going ballistic, she says we're going tomiss the train. . . ." 

There was a lot of commotion in the house. From what I heard as I dressed at top speed, I gathered that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly downstairs to save the bother of carryingthem, with the result that they had hurtled straight into Ginny andknocked her down two flights of stairs into the hall; Mrs. Black andMrs. Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices. 

"— COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOUIDIOTS —" 

"— FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSEOF MY FATHERS —"

Hermione came hurrying into the room looking flustered just as I was putting on my shoes; Hedwig was swaying on her shoulder, and she was carrying a squirming Crookshanks in her arms. 

"Mum and Dad just sent Hedwig back" — the owl fluttered obligingly over and perched on top of her cage — "are you ready yet?"

 "Nearly — Ginny all right?" I asked, braiding my hair in a side-braid.

 "Mrs. Weasley's patched her up," said Hermione. "But now MadEye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here,otherwise the guard will be one short." 

"Guard?" said Harry. "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?" 

"You both have to go to King's Cross with a guard," Hermione correctedhim. 

"Why?" said Harry irritably. "I thought Voldemort was supposedto be lying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump out frombehind a dustbin to try and do us in?" 

"I don't know, it's just what Mad-Eye says," said Hermionedistractedly, looking at her watch. "But if we don't leave soon we'redefinitely going to miss the train. . . ." 

"WILL YOU LOT GET DOWN HERE NOW, PLEASE!" Mrs.Weasley bellowed and Hermione jumped as though scalded andhurried out of the room. I seized Hedwig, stuffed her unceremoniously into her cage, and set off downstairs after Hermione, dragging my trunk.

 Mrs. Black's portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was boundto rouse her again anyway. 

"Harry,Emma you're to come with me and Tonks," shouted Mrs. Weasleyover the repeated screeches of "MUDBLOODS ! SCUM! CREATURESOF DIRT!" 

"Leave your trunk and your owl, Alastor's going to deal withthe luggage. . . . Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!"A bearlike black dog had appeared at our side as Harry and I clambered over the various trunks cluttering the hall to get to Mrs.Weasley. 

"Oh honestly . . ." said Mrs. Weasley despairingly, "well, on yourown head be it!"She wrenched open the front door and stepped out into the weakSeptember sunlight. Harry, Me and the dog followed her. The doorslammed behind them and Mrs. Black's screeches were cut offinstantly. 

"Where's Tonks?" Harry said, looking around as we went downthe stone steps of number twelve, which vanished the moment we reached the pavement.

 "She's waiting for us just up here," said Mrs. Weasley stiffly, averting her eyes from the lolloping black dog between Harry and me.An old woman greeted them on the corner. She had tightly curledgray hair and wore a purple hat shaped like a porkpie.