the muggle next door | f.w. golden trio era

↳ 3.18

goodbye

July 12nd, 1995

"FRED— GEORGE— WAIT a moment."

Harry pulled open his trunk and drew out his Triwizard winnings. All one thousand galleons of it.

"Take it," he said, thrusting the sack into George's hands.

"What?" said Fred, looking flabbergasted.

"Take it," Harry repeated firmly, "I don't want it."

"You're mental," said George, trying to push it back at Harry.

"No, I'm not. You take it, and get inventing. It's for the joke shop."

"He is mental," Fred said in an awed voice.

"Listen," said Harry firmly. "If you don't take it, I'm throwing it down the drain. I don't want it and I don't need it. But I could do with a few laughs. We could all do with a few laughs. I've got a feeling we're going to need them more than usual before long."

The twins stared at him.

"Just don't tell your mum where you got it... although she might not be so keen for you to join the Ministry anymore, come to think of it..."

"Harry," Fred began, but Harry pulled out his wand.

"Look," he said flatly, "take it, or I'll hex you. I know some good ones now. Just do me one favor, okay? Buy Ron some different dress robes and say they're from you."

Too soon, the group bid their goodbyes and went with their own families. Just before Harry turned around to follow his Muggle uncle, George winked at him, muttering, "Harry— thanks."

He turned to look at his twin, expecting him to nod along with him, but Fred looked distracted. He was staring at nothing, like he was continuously thinking, lost in his own world.

"What?" George elbowed him, "Are you already thinking on how to spend and invest the money?"

"Huh?" Fred said, breaking out of his trance.

"What are you thinking about?"

Daisy, he thought. She's not here. I have something to tell her.

"Hey, Earth to Frederick!"

"Huh?"

George rolled his eyes, "Never mind."

Mrs. Weasley and Mr. Weasley were very quiet as everybody pooled into an unfamiliar car. The former only replied curtly when Ron asked whose car it was, saying that someone had kindly lent it to them, and there were no words exchanged until they were probably halfway towards Devon.

Mrs. Weasley was giving signals to Mr. Weasley with the wiggles of her eyebrows.

"Listen, children," Mr. Weasley broke the silence by clearing his throat, "Your mother and I have something very, very important to tell you."

Ron, George, and Ginny's whispers immediately died down. Fred had been uncharacteristically quiet the whole ride.

"When we get home..."

The four kids' heads turned to look at their father expectantly.

"When we get home, I want you to quickly gather your things, only the important ones. We're going to stay somewhere else this Summer, then straight to Hogwarts next September."

"What?"

"Why?"

"Where?"

"What about Daisy?" Fred asked, leaning closer to the front seats.