Harry Potter and Claire Smith's Adventures: Book Four

Summer's End and the Term Begins

Chapter 7: Summer's End and the Term Begins

Claire, Hermione, Harry, and Ron headed downstairs for dinner. When Claire sat down at the dinner table, she noticed her father was missing.

"Mum, where's Dad?" Claire asked her mom.

"He went back home." Carina said. "He's working on something."

"What is he working on?" Claire asked.

"You'll find out soon enough. But he'll be there to see you off on the train." Carina said.

The rest of the dinner was filled with various conversations. Dinner soon ended and Harry went over to talk to Sirius and Carina about his scar hurting. When he finished, they seemed very concerned.

"And this started just before the Cup?" Sirius asked.

Harry nodded. "It was actually the morning of the Cup."

Carina and Sirius shared a worried look.

"Harry," Carina began. "If this happens again, tell us immediately, alright? With all these strange occurrences going on, I can't help but feel that this isn't a coincidence."

"Or if it happens when you're at Hogwarts, go straight to Dumbledore." Sirius said.

"Alright," Harry said.

Just then, Percy appeared from the fireplace in the kitchen and walked into the living room where everyone else was sitting.

"It's been an absolute uproar," Percy told them importantly as he collapsed on the couch in the living room. "I've been putting out fires all day. People have sent loads of Howlers to us, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes. Scorch marks all over my desk and my best quill reduced to cinders."

"Why are they all sending Howlers?" Ginny asked, who was mending a copy of One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi with Spellotape on the rug in front of the living room fire.

"Complaining about security at the World Cup," Percy said. "They want compensation for their ruined property. Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroomed tent with en-suite Jacuzzi, but I've got his number. I know for a fact he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks."

"Sounds like he's trying to con the Ministry out of money," Claire said.

Mrs. Weasley glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner and sighed when she saw that Mr. Weasley's hand, which was the longest, was still pointing at work.

"Did your father say when he'd return?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"He said to expect him home late. Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" Percy said. "If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first—"

"Don't you dare blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" Mrs. Weasley said, flaring up at once.

"If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita would just have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," Bill said, who was playing chess with Ron. "Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember, she interviewed all the Gringotts' Charm Breakers once, and called me 'a long-haired pillock'?"

"Well, it is a bit long, dear," Mrs. Weasley said gently. "If you'd just let me—"

"No, Mum."

"Well, Molly," Carina said. "I think we'll be leaving."

"Alright, Carina. We'll meet at the Platform, right?" Mrs. Weasley asked.