moon-struck....harry james potter

4.4| mad-eye moody

4.4|Mad-eye Moody

"Oh thank goodness!" Mrs Weasley cried out as everyone made their way into the burrow. She came running towards them with a pale face and the daily prophet clutched in her hands. "Arthur- I've been so worried- so worried-" 

She flung her arms around Mr Weasley's neck, and the Daily Prophet fell out of her limp hand onto the ground. Alex picked the newspaper up, and Ron, Hermione and Harry gathered around her to read it too. In big, bold letters it said;

SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP

complete with a twinkling black and white photograph of the Dark Mark over the treetops.

"You're all right" Mrs Weasley muttered distractedly, releasing Mr Weasley and staring around at them all with red eyes, "you're alive...oh boys..." And to everybody's surprise, she seized Fred and George and pulled them both into such a tight hug that their heads banged together. 

"Ouch! Mum- you're strangling us-" 

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sob. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You -Know -Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh Fred...George..." 

"Come on, now, Molly, we're all perfectly okay" said Mr Weasley soothingly, prising her off the twins and leading her back toward the house. "Can I have that paper, Alex?" 

"Of course, Mr Weasley" she said and handed it to him. When they were all crammed into the tiny kitchen, and Hermione had made Mrs Weasley a cup of very strong tea, into which Mr Weasley insisted on pouring a shot of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey. Mr Weasley scanned the front page while Percy looked over his shoulder. 

"I knew it" said Mr. Weasley heavily. "Ministry blunders...culprits not apprehended... lack of security... Dark wizards running unchecked... national disgrace-Who wrote this? Ah-of course, Rita Skeeter"

"That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" said Percy furiously. "Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness, when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't specifically stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non- Wizard Part-Humans-" 

"Do us a favor, Perce'' said Bill, yawning, "and shut up"

Mr Weasley heaved a deep sigh. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over" 

"I'll come with you, Father" said Percy importantly. "Mr Crouch will need all hands on deck. And I can give him my cauldron report in person" He bustled out of the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley looked most upset. 

"Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday! This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?" Mrs Weasley said, setting down her tea (and whiskey).

"I've got to go, Molly" said Mr Weasley. "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes and I'll be off"

"Mrs Weasley" said Harry suddenly, unable to contain himself, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?" 

"Hedwig, dear?" said Mrs. Weasley distractedly "No...no, there hasn't been any post at all"

Ron, Hermione and Alex looked at Harry, confused and then at each other sharing a bemused look. Harry gave them a meaningful look before speaking up again. "All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?"