"Welp, here we are," I said, shaking my head a bit to clear it after getting popped over to the Burrow by Inky. We were on the walkway leading up to the crooked tower, and it smelled nice, a bit of rain having come through last night.
"We should have flown," Harry grumbled, not fond of traveling via House Elf either.
"I doubt it'd be smoother, certainly slower, and we'd stand out like a pair of sore thumbs," I reminded him.
"I have an invisibility cloak," Harry pointed out, and I paused.
"Right, you do, forgot that," I admitted. "But still, no magic during the summer, and all that."
"Does the rule against underaged uses of magic also include brooms?" Harry asked challengingly, and I had to think about it.
"Um, I don't actually know," I admitted. "Something to look up."
I glanced down at him. "Oh, and slightly off topic, but thanks for lending Dobby to me."
"No problem," Harry replied as we walked up to the Burrow's front door. "He doesn't really have much to do while I'm staying with you, and he likes helping."
He then frowned. "Still, was it really okay to pay him so little? A few sickles a day isn't much."
"I'm surprised he let me pay him at all," I admitted. "House Elves normally would be insulted by that offer. Still, he'll be a big help with running the potion factory."
Inky was getting older, after all, and an extra pair of hands would make the work go faster and smoother. And it wasn't like Harry had much need for a House Elf in the first place. Plus, Dobby has been very eager to help me out as well in order to pay me back for helping him and looking after his new master. So it worked out nicely.
Attention back on the present, I knocked on the door, and when it opened two twins grinned back at us.
"Eddy!" "And ickle Harry!" the twins chimed in unison.
"Fred, George," I said in greeting. "Making yourselves useful today, I see."
"Mum's all up and eager," Fred said as he ushered us inside.
"Best to stay out of her way if you don't want extra chores," George suggested.
"Ah, yes, Hurricane Molly strikes again," I chuckled, earning scandalized gasps and giggles from the twins.
"Best not say that-"
"-Where anyone can hear," the twins replied, stifling their mirth as they led Harry and me into the dining room, where the rest of the redheaded family was.
"Morning, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Thanks for having me over. Hey Ron. Hello Percy," Harry greeted them, before noticing one of the little Weasleys at the table wasn't one he recognized.
"Harry ol' pal, this is Ginny," Fred said, throwing an arm around their sibling's shoulder.
"She's our adorable baby sister," George added, getting onto the other side of her.
"Hey, Gin," I greeted.
She just nodded at me, but her eyes were on Harry, and she was blushing up a storm, completely embarrassed by her older brothers' antics.
I caught the twins' eyes, and they smirked. I grinned evilly back, and we shared a sinister laugh.
"What's gotten into you three?" Ron asked, looking at us like we were crazy, while Ginny continued to turn redder than her hair.
"They're just acting childishly," Percy sniffed dismissively.
"That may be-"
"But at least we know how to have fun," the twins teased their older sibling.
"I can have fun!" Percy retorted. "I've got a whole list on fun activities and how to best perform them!"
Everyone, even his parents, gave him long, disappointed looks, which made the young soon-to-be Sixth Year huff.
"It's hard to believe he's our brother-"
"With that broom up his bum," the twins whispered loudly to each other.
"Fred! George! Don't be crass!" Mrs. Weasley huffed.
"Sorry, mum," they chorused.
"Hmph. Good. Now, we'll be heading out to Diagon Alley soon," the Weasley matriarch declared. "We'll do some shopping, and then we'll have lunch before finishing up and return home for a nice supper."
"Actually, do you think we could wait another day before heading out to buy school supplies?" I requested, making the Weasleys look to me in surprise.
"Why? I think today would be the perfect time to do so," Molly wondered.
"Well, partly, because that's when Rudy is going with mother to Diagon Alley," I replied, which earned a sympathetic wince from her and the other children. "But also, it's going to be very crowded, as Lockheart is going to be having a book signing down at Flourish and Blotts this afternoon."
"Lockheart? Really?" Mrs. Weasley gasped excited, and even Ginny's eyes lit up.
"Yeah, the Alley will be jampacked with people looking for an autograph, and I think it'd be a lot less hassle to go afterwards."
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