Chapter 41: Nine and Three Quarter

Next Morning, Chris was going downstairs after getting ready when she heard Percy shouting at Ron. 

"But I didn't do anything Percy," said Ron with an irritated tone. 

"Then how is Penelope's photo is like this, Ron," Percy said angrily. 

Chris remembered Penelope, Percy's girlfriend who was attacked last year with Hermione.  Chris chuckled and walked down.

Mrs Weasley and Hermione were talking about something. Chris joined them. After a few minutes, Ginny came down. 

"What's up with Perce? Anyone knows why he is so grumpy this early morning?" Ginny asked. 

"I heard, maybe or maybe not Ron did something to Percy's girlfriend's picture," Chris answered suppressing a smile. 

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"Poor Ron!" Hermione said. 

Ginny, Hermione and Chris laughed. Mrs Weasley also chuckled. 

"I remembered my young days at Hogwarts." She said with a nostalgic face. 

"You used to write letters to Dad," Ginny said giggling.

"Well, yeah, I used to, also I remember one time, someone told me that, if I want people to fall in love with me, I should give them a Love potion and I brew lots of Love potion for that." Mrs Weasley said smiling. 

Mrs Weasley, Ginny and Hermione giggled again. 

"So did you gave it to someone?" Chris asked smiling. 

"Yes. Only Arthur but later I found out I didn't need to." Mrs Weasley answered and all of them laughed.

Harry, Ron, Fred and George came down. They all sat for breakfast. Chris noticed Harry was looking a little nervous and wasn't concentrating on anything. Later they were dragging their trunks in Leaky Cauldron's narrow staircase and piling them up near the door, with Leon, Hedwig, Harry's snowy owl and Hermes, Percy's screech owl, perched on top in their cages. A small wickerwork basket stood beside the heap of trunks, spitting loudly. "What's it, Hermione?" Chris asked looking at the basket. 

"It's Crookshanks. I brought a new cat yesterday." She said to Chris and turned towards the basket, which was still making noise. "It's all right, Crookshanks, I'll let you out on the train." 

"You won't," snapped Ron. "What about poor Scabbers, eh?" He pointed at his chest, where a large lump indicated that Scabbers, his rat was curled up in his pocket. 

Chris always got a bad feeling about Ron's rat Scabbers. Last year, Dumbledore advised her to trust her feelings but what harm will a simple rat do? Chris didn't understand. 

Mr Weasley, who had been outside waiting for the Ministry cars, stuck his head inside. "They're here," he said. "Harry, come on." 

Mr Weasley marched with Harry and all of them followed. They walked across a short stretch of pavement towards the first of two old-fashioned dark green cars, each of which was driven by a furtive-looking wizard, wearing a suit of emerald velvet. Mr Weasley took Harry, Hermione, Ron and Percy to the first car. Mrs Weasley and the others settled on the second one. "Why is your father giving special treatment to Harry?" Chris whispered to Ginny. 

"I don't know. They are like this for weeks now. Always worrying about Harry and thinking about him." Ginny whispered back. 

"I also heard from Harry, that even the Minister is treating him differently." 

"I ...." Ginny was about to say something when Mrs Weasley snapped, "stop whispering. It looks bad." 

Ginny and Chris didn't say anything for the rest of the ride. They reached King's Cross with twenty minutes to spare; the Ministry drivers found them trolleys, unloaded their trunks, touched their hats to Mr Weasley and drove away, somehow managing to jump to the head of an unmoving queue for the traffic lights. Mr Weasley kept close to Harry's elbow all the way into the station.

"Right then," he said, glancing around them. "Let's do this in pairs, as there are so many of us. I'll go through first with Harry." 

Chris and Ginny exchanged looks. 

As they dashed towards the wall between platform nine and three quarter, Percy tried to go next but Mrs Weasley argued and ordered Chris and Ginny to go. Both girls walked fast and dashed towards the wall as well. Percy followed them behind. Next moment, they had fallen sideways through the solid metal onto platform nine and three-quarters and looked up to see the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam engine, puffing smoke over a platform packed with witches and wizards seeing their children onto the train. Percy suddenly appeared behind them. 

"Ah, there's Penelope!" said Percy, smoothing his hair and going pink again. Ginny and Chris caught Harry's eye and then three of them turned away to hide their laughter as Percy strode over to a girl with long, curly hair, walking with his chest thrown out so that she couldn't miss his shiny badge. Once the remaining Weasleys and Hermione had joined them, Harry and Mr Weasley led the way to the end of the train, past packed compartments, to a carriage that looked quite empty. They loaded the trunks onto it, stowed Leon in the luggage rack, then went back outside to say goodbye to Mr and Mrs Weasley. Mrs Weasley kissed all her children, then Hermione, Harry and at last Chris. Chris was shocked by this gesture of Mrs Weasley, but then she smiled when Mrs Weasley gave her and Harry both an extra hug. Then she opened her enormous handbag and said, "I've made you all sandwiches. Here you are, Ron … no, they're not corned beef … Ginny.....Fred? Where's Fred? Here you are, dear …" 

Then Mrs Weasley hurried everyone to got on the train and called Mr Weasley who was talking to Harry in a corner. There was a loud whistle. Guards were walking along the train, slamming all the doors shut. But Harry was still talking. At last when steam was billowing from the train; it had started to move, Harry ran to the compartment door and Ron threw it open and stood back to let him on. They leant out of the window and waved at Mr and Mrs Weasley until the train turned a corner and blocked them from view. 

"I need to talk to you in private," Harry muttered to Ron and Hermione as the train picked up speed. 

Chris raised an eyebrow on him. Harry tried to say something but Chris spoke first, "Let's go Ginny." 

And she and Ginny walked away.