Wot In The Harri Potter?

8 - The Ford Anglia

Ron is livid with me.

"So you just once again abandon me for that git?!"

"Ron, it wasn't like that," I insist for the one hundredth time. "I was trying to escape from Lockhart, and Draco just happened to be there. He is my friend as well, you know."

"Funny that, because I didn't see him coming to rescue you in the middle of the night. Did he even care that he hadn't heard from you all summer?"

Oh, he cared alright.

"He's not like you," I retort, "he's proud."

"AND WHAT IS THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN?!"

I close my eyes. This argument is getting us nowhere.

We are at the Burrow, waiting for Ron's dad to load the car up with our things. I'm anxious to get moving as the time is ticking and I don't want to miss the train.

I politely thank Molly for allowing me to stay the night instead of having me shipped back to the Durselys. It was alright actually, I bunked in with Ginny who spent the entire night talking excitedly about Hogwarts - today is her first day.

"It's fine," Molly mutters, sounding anything but fine, "I've already got so many bloody mouths to feed, so what's one more?"

She acts like she isn't going to have an empty house for most of the year.

As we sit in the car, journeying to Kings Cross, I think about my cousin and wonder how he's doing. I remind myself to send him an owl as soon as he starts back at Smeltings - I don't want to risk sending Hedwig back to Privet Drive in case my uncle shoots her.

"Damn traffic," Arthur mutters as we remain gridlocked on the motorway. "We are going to be bloody pushed for time at this rate."

"Just fly the car, Dad," Fred or George says whilst Ginny begins to sob.

"And give Lucius Malfoy a reason to campaign for my sacking?! I think not!"

"But you can't let Ginny miss her first time on the Hogwarts Express!" The other Fred or George splutters. "It's like a rite of passage!"

Ginny starts to wail louder as the Weasley men begin to bicker. I want to shoot myself.

Eventually, we make it to Kings Cross, with only minutes to spare. Chaos ensues as we race towards the wall to platform nine and three-quarters, pushing and shoving Muggles out of the way with our bulky luggage.

Ron and I are the last to go through the wall. Except we don't, because all of a sudden, it really is a wall.

Fuck.

*****

But it's all cool because we fly the car. With Ron driving.

RIP Ford Anglia.

*****

I have never been so glad to have been Sorted into Slytherin when, the next morning, Ron receives a Howler from Molly.

Being on another table means I can pretend like it has nothing to do with me.

"...YOU WAIT TILL I GET HOLD OF YOU, I DON'T SUPPOSE YOU STOPPED TO THINK WHAT YOUR FATHER AND I WENT THROUGH WHEN WE SAW IT HAD GONE..."

"Poor Ron," I snicker as I gaily make a bacon butty, making sure to squirt in plenty of ketchup.

Draco watches me in disgust as I lift it to my mouth and take a huge bite. Ketchup squirts out and drips down my arm. But it tastes so good that I don't care.

"...I THOUGHT YOUR FATHER WOULD DIE OF SHAME, WE DIDN'T BRING YOU UP TO BEHAVE LIKE THIS..."

"You're gross," chuckles Blaise, who is carefully eating a grapefruit with a spoon.