Aderic [DISCONTINUED]

Ch 4- Dinner

Dinner was a pleasant affair. Mrs Weasley's rantings about the twins could be heard distinctly from the kitchen.

Soon Bill and Charlie blocked it out. They were supposed to put the tables outside.

Supposed to

Bill and Charlie both had their wands out and were making two battered old tables fly high above the lawn, smashing into each other, each attempting to knock the others out of the air. Fred and George were cheering, Ginny and Adelaide were laughing, and Hermione was hovering near the hedge, apparently torn between amusement and anxiety.

Bill's table caught Charlie's with a huge bang and knocked one of its legs off. There was a clatter from overhead, and they all looked up to see Percy's head poking out of a window on the second floor.

"Will you keep it down?!" he bellowed.

"Sorry, Perce," said Bill, grinning. "How're the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

"Very badly," said Percy peevishly, and he slammed the window shut.

Chuckling, Bill and Charlie directed the tables safely onto the grass, end to end, and then, with a flick of his wand, Bill reattached the table's broken leg and conjured a large table cloth.

By seven o'clock, the two tables were groaning under dishes and dishes of Mrs Weasley's excellent cooking, and the nine Weasleys, Adelaide, Harry, and Hermione were settling themselves down to eat beneath a clear, deep-blue sky.

At the far end of the table, Percy was telling his father all about his report on cauldron bottoms.

"I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy was saying pompously. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time, I mean, it's extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman —"

"I like Ludo," said Mr Weasley mildly. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the Cup. I did him a bit of a favour: His brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble — a lawnmower with unnatural powers — I smoothed the whole thing over."

"Oh Bagman's likeable enough, of course," said Percy dismissively, "but how he ever got to be Head of Department . . . when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"

"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," said Mr Weasley, frowning. "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now — though I must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried. . . ."

"Oh Bertha's hopeless, all right," said Percy. "I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years, much more trouble than she's worth . . . but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest, she worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her — but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania. However" — Percy heaved an impressive sigh and took a deep swig of elderflower wine — "we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup."

Bertha Jorkins; Adelaide thought, Voldy Moldy had got her. He tried to use a memory charm, damaging her mind beyond repair, so he killed her.

Percy cleared his throat significantly and looked down toward the end of the table "You know the one I'm talking about, Father." He raised his voice slightly. "The top-secret one."

Ron rolled his eyes and muttered, "He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work. Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."

In the middle of the table, Mrs. Weasley was arguing with Bill about his earring, which seemed to be a recent acquisition. Adelaide turned to Mrs. Weasley's conversation with Bill.

". . . with a horrible great fang on it. Really, Bill, what do they say at the bank?"

"Mum, no one at the bank gives a damn how I dress as long as I bring home plenty of treasure," said Bill patiently.

"And your hair's getting silly, dear," said Mrs. Weasley, fingering her wand lovingly. "I wish you'd let me give it a trim. . . ."

"I like it," said Ginny, who was sitting beside Bill. "You're so old-fashioned, Mum. Anyway, it's nowhere near as long as Professor Dumbledore's. . . ."

Next to Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, and Charlie were all talking spiritedly about the World Cup.

"It's got to be Ireland," said Charlie thickly, through a mouthful of potato. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has got Viktor Krum, though," said Fred.

"Krum's one decent player, Ireland has got seven," said Charlie shortly. "I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was."

"What happened?" said Harry eagerly.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," said Charlie gloomily.

"Oooh," Adelaide groaned.

"Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg." Charlie continued.

Suddenly Ron interrupted Charlie's report on Quidditch "I can't believe I forgot to tell you. You won't believe it-" By now everyone's attention was at Ron "Ace Rowles is Addy's cousin!"

"ACE ROWLES! THE ACE ROWLES?" asked Fred Flabbergasted.

"Yes the one and only quidditch coach Ace Rowles; Victor Krum's coach- Ace Rowles is her cousin." Now everyone's attention was at Adelaide and her ears tinted pink.

"Why didn't you tell us Addy?" groaned George.

"I came to know about him after the accident " she softly replied. There was an awkward silence disrupted by Percy clearing his throat and continuing his conversation with Mr. Weasley and everyone went back to what they were doing.

Mr. Weasley conjured up candles to light the darkening garden before they had their homemade strawberry ice cream, and by the time they had finished, moths were fluttering low over the table, and the warm air was perfumed with the smells of grass and honeysuckle. Adelaide drowsily watched Crookshanks chase the ten-inch high gnomes through the rose bushes.

Adelaide, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George trudged up the many flights of stairs to their rooms. The girls split from the boys and went to Ginny's room. It was a bit crowded, but the bed was expanded to accommodate three teenage girls.

"So are we having a sleepover?" Adelaide said.

"Sounds good," Ginny yawned.

"No, we have to wake up early tomorrow. " Hermione said.

The three girls were sitting in a circle, gossiping.

"Her cousin asked me to tell if Adelaide got a boyfriend" Hermione teased.

"A boyfriend, huh? Ooohhh" Ginny said smirking

"Really! Shut up you two" Adelaide said unimpressed.

The girls went to bed quite soon and fell asleep; both of them except Adelaide. She was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling recalling her conversation with Ace.

Registering whatever he told her was even more difficult than believing that she was reincarnated into the Harry Potter Universe.

She never thought her personal life would be so complex.

Why did you tell me Ace? I can't stop thinking about it.

Was the thought going through her mind as she was welcomed to the familiar darkness and tranquillity .