𝗷𝗮𝗻𝗲, harry potter

˗ˋ 93

CHAPTER NINETY THREE
✧
-: fifth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY SET OFF
 FOR KING'S CROSS

. . .

"I'm not even a wizard and I know this is bullshit." Jane's voice carried through the hubbub of Ron and Harry packing from her position up on top of the wardrobe. For some reason, it was the least odd place for her to be, despite Harry and Ron's bewildered stares as they watched her manage to climb atop of it with the ease of climbing a ladder or a very sturdy tree. Although they were, admittedly, confused at the sight, Jane's reasoning was - as always - easy to make sense of. 

She simply stated that, in the room of utter chaos as Ron and Harry tried to dress and pack everything they should have packed yesterda,y the wardrobe was merely the safest place to be. Jane was above all the mess and the clutter, and high up enough to be able to talk to them without her words being overwhelmed in the noise.

Ron hadn't complained when Harry returned from her room, nor had he mentioned anything when Jane appeared at the door and thus appeared a warm smile on Harry's face and he was momentarily distracted from the conversation he had been having. The Weasley got Harry all year round, he seemed to understand - despite his lack of girlfriend in itself - that the two of them wanted to spend as much time together as possible. Instead of saying anything, he had tossed perhaps the most entertaining item of any use to Jane in that room; the god-awful Slinkhard book the latest Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher had assigned. 

"What's bullshit?" Harry hummed, distracted by trying to stack all his books up and shove several quills in the small space next to the cork-stoppered ink pots. 

"This stuff in this Slinkhard book. It's awful." Jane had a horribly pretty frown on her face as she skimmed over the pages. "There's nothing in here actual worth teaching. In fact, it seems to advocate for lack of teaching anyway. For a Defense Against the Dark Arts textbook... it's not talking about a lot of defending. In fact, it's a lot more about pacifism and not using combat. If I were either of you I'd borrow Fred and George's fifth year textbooks and learn from that all year."

"I guess we could, if they haven't burnt them already." Ron replied, turning to take a quick scan around the room and reaching to close his trunk before pausing. "Hey - toss it over here."

Jane did as she was asked, throwing the book with a little more force than she would usually handle such an item. Ron slipped it into his bag before closing it, both he and Harry hurrying to do one last check around the room before locking the latches of their trunks. The girl in the room handed Hedwig's cage down to Harry, who simultaneously held up his hand and helped her down from the top of the wardrobe, the three of them began to make their way downstairs. 

Leaving the room and emerging out into the staircase made it clear that the chaos in the two boys' room was nothing in comparison to what else was happening in Grimmauld Place. It appeared that Fred and George had bewitched their trunks to fly down the stairs at top speed instead of carrying them; something which had ended with the suitcases hurtling straight into Ginny and knocking her down two flights of stairs into the hall; Mrs Black in her potrait and Mrs Weasley were both screaming at the top of their voices. 

"- COULD HAVE DONE HER A SERIOUS INJURY, YOU IDIOTS -" Mrs Weasley's voice moved above the racket.

"- FILTHY HALF-BREEDS, BESMIRCHING THE HOUSE OF MY FATHERS -" And as usual, Walburga Black would not be outdone by those who she deemed inappropriate to be living in her home. A wince covered Jane's face, although her attention was diverted as Hermione came running back to them with Hedwig fluttering her wings in a bother on her arm, Crookshanks following behind her.

"Mum and Dad just sent Hedwig back." Hermione gasped in breaths. The owl fluttered obligingly over and perched on top of her cage. Jane reached forward to undo the door and watched as Hedwig got in. "Are you ready yet?" 

"Yeah." Harry lifted the case in his hands. "Is Ginny alright?"

"Mrs Weasley's patched her up." Hermione replied as the four of them peered over the railing. "But now Mad Eye's complaining that we can't leave unless Sturgis Podmore's here, otherwise the guard will be one short." 

"Guard?" The Potter repeated.  "We have to go to King's Cross with a guard?" 

"You have to go to King's Cross with a guard." Jane didn't think before adding to it. Harry's gaze flickered over to her, confused. "I just... I just figured." She shrugged.

"Why?" Harry asked irritably, although that wasn't diverted to Jane. "I thought Voldemort was supposed to be lying low, or are you telling me he's going to jump out from behind a dustbin to try and do me in?" The corner of Jane's lips turned up and her eyes flickered away, grinning.

"I don't know, it's just what Mad-Eye says." Hermione replied distractedly, staring at the face of her watch. "But if we don't leave soon we're definitely going to miss the train..."

 "Will you lot get down here, please!" Mrs Weasley bellowed. "Jane, if you're planning on coming, you too."

Hermione jumped out of her skin, as if she had been scalded before hurrying down the stairs and out of sight. Harry, Ron and Jane began running after her as fast as they could, Hedwig squawking as the sound of their trunks bumped over the edge of the stairs.

 Mrs Black's portrait was howling with rage but nobody was bothering to close the curtains over her; all the noise in the hall was bound to rouse her again anyway. Fred and George were busying themselves with slipping past their trunks as the group arrived downstairs. They caught Jane's eye and winked; it appeared Molly hadn't noticed the newest addition to their appearances just yet.

 "Harry, Jane, you're to come with me and Tonks." Mrs Weasley shouted over the repeated screeches from Mrs Black. "Leave your trunk and your owl,Alastor's going to deal with the luggage... Oh, for heaven's sake, Sirius, Dumbledore said no!" A bear-like black dog had appeared between Jane and Harry side as they clambered over the numerous amount of trunks to reach Mrs Weasley. 

Sirius, in dog form - which Jane was rather excited see - licked Harry's hand and nudged Jane's with what seemed like a sort of lopsided grin. His snout nudged at the bag hanging from the ginger's side, as though he knew what was in there. Jane felt an itching anxiety and excitement as she thought about it and glanced towards Harry, who was awaiting Mrs Weasley's acceptance of what Sirius was doing.

"Oh honestly..." The mother shook her head. "Well, onyour own head be it!"

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a/n
i'm so sorry this is up 
late ( i thought better late than 
never ) i've just been trying to get 
my photography gcse coursework 
finished before i hand it in on thursday 
but thank you for your patience!