𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗹𝗮𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗻, cedric diggory

˗ˋ 03

CHAPTER THREE
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH THEY EAT

. . .

"Fred - George - NO, JUST CARRY THEM!" Mrs. Weasley shrieked, the noise finally tearing Rosie away from her Howler-writing, eye widening in horror as a bewitched cauldron of stew, an iron flagon of butterbeer, and a heavy wooden breadboard, complete with knife, to hurtle through the air toward Mundungus, Harry and Sirius, who dived away from the table just in time.

The stew skidded the length of the table and came to a halt just before the end, leaving a long black burn on the wooden surface, the flagon of butterbeer fell with a crash, spilling its contents everywhere, and the bread knife slipped off the board and landed, point down and quivering ominously, exactly where Sirius's right hand had been seconds before. 

The entire kitchen was silent, waiting for the coming explosion. "For Heaven's sake!" Mrs Weasley screamed. "There was no need - no need! I've had enough of this - just because you're allowed to use magic now doesn't mean you have to whip your wands out for every tiny little thing! You don't see Rosie doing it do you!"

"I just apparate everywhere." Rosie butted in, meeting Fred and George's eyes and the three of them trying not to laugh, knowing it would make it all worse. Near where Sirius was sat, her father shook her head, watching as the scene went down.

"We were just trying to save a bit of time!" said Fred, hurrying forward and wrenching the bread knife out of the table. "Sorry Sirius, mate - didn't mean to -" 

Sirius, Harry and Mr Kersey had burst into laughter, and feeling as if she was allowed to laugh now, Rosie did the same, watching as the twins tried to yank the knife out of the table.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said, lifting the stew back into the middle of the table, "your mother's right, you're supposed to show a sense of responsibility now you've come of age -" 

"-none of your brothers caused this sort of trouble!" Mrs.Weasley raged at the twins, slamming a fresh flagon of butterbeer onto the table and spilling almost as much again. "Bill didn't feel the need to Apparate every few feet! Charlie didn't Charm everything he met! Percy-" She stopped dead, catching her breath with a frightened look at her husband, whose expression was suddenly wooden.

Rosie's laughter had subsided as the comparisons with the twins and their brothers began, and she moved from beside Tonks to next to the two boys as Bill suggested they ate, servings being dished out.

For a few minutes there was silence but for the chink of plates and cutlery and the scraping of chairs as everyone settled down to their food. Then Mrs. Weasley turned to Sirius and said, "I've been meaning to tell you, there's something trapped in that writing desk in the drawing room, it keeps rattling and shaking. Of course, it could just be a boggart, but I thought we ought to ask Alastor to have a look at it beforewe let it out." 

Rosie shivered, leaning over to Fred and George. "Don't suppose you remember our Boggart lesson?" She asked, eyebrow quirking upwards.

"Adrian Pucey's biggest fear was a rat." George said, eyes flashing with memoriees of the term of fun they had with fake rats and stealling what was Scabbers when he could be found.

"Whatever you like," said Sirius indifferently. 

"The curtains in there are full of doxies too," Mrs. Weasley went on. "I thought we might try and tackle them tomorrow."

 "I look forward to it," said Sirius. Rosie heard the sarcasm in his voice, and she was sure Harry did as well. 

Tonks had began her various transformations into several animals, Harry watching in wonder as she did so. Lupin, Bill and Mr Weasley were talking about Bagman, a sore subject for the twins and Rosie.

Mundungus had begun to tell the three of them and Ron one of his business stories that had them rolling around in their seats, tears of laughter beading in their eyes.

"....and then," choked Mundungus, tears running down his face, "and then, if you'll believe it, 'e says to me, 'e says, ''ere, Dung, where did ja get all them toads from? 'Cos some son of a Bludger's gone and nicked all mine!' And I says, 'Nicked allyour toads, Will, what next? So you'll be wanting some more, then?' And if you'll believe me, lads and ladies of course, the gormless gargoyle buys all 'is own toads back orf me for twice what 'e paid in the first place —"

"I don't think we need to hear any more of your business dealings, thank you very much, Mundungus," said Mrs.Weasley sharply, as Ron slumped forward onto the table, howling with laughter, Rosie leaning on George and trying to get her breath back. 

"Beg pardon, Molly," said Mundungus at once, wiping his eyes and winking across the table at Harry. "But, you know, Will nicked 'em orf Warty Harris in the first place so I wasn't really doing nothing wrong-" 

"I don't know where you learned about right and wrong,Mundungus, but you seem to have missed a few cruciallessons," said Mrs. Weasley coldly. The four teens around Mundungus were still in tears despite the woman's words.

Dinner passed quickly, and soon enough Rosie was slumped against her best friends, very much full with multiple helpings of rhubarb crumble and custard. "Nearly time for bed, I think," said Mrs. Weasley on a yawn.

"Not just yet, Molly," said Sirius, pushing away his empty plate and turning to look at Harry. "You know, I'm surprised at you. I thought the first thing you'd do when you got here would be to start asking questions about Voldemort." 

You could've heard a pin drop. The atmosphere dropping in seconds. It seemed to be quite a taboo thing for them to talk about, but now Harry was here, that Pandora's box would be opened.

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