Courage

-16-

Book: Courage
Chapter 16
Word Count: 3305

Layla heard from Hogwarts one sunny morning after she and Ginny went down for breakfast early. She was trying to make conversation with Ginny, but the young redhead kept fidgeting, her eyes darting to the stairs every now and then.

"It's fine, Gin. Harry's probably still asleep," reassured Layla, but she spoke too son, because right as Ginny started to relax, Harry and Ron walked down the stairs and over to the table.

The moment Ginny saw Harry, she accidentally knocked her porridge bowl to the floor with a loud clatter. She dived under the table to retrieve the bowl and emerged with her face glowing like the setting sun.

"Hey, it's okay..." whispered Layla as Ginny took her seat again beside her. "Breathe. He's just a guy."

Ginny sighed and buried her face behind her hair, eating her food in silence, embarrassed.

"Letters from school," said Mr Weasley, passing around envelopes of yellowish parchment, addressed in green ink. "Dumbledore already knows you guys are here," Mr Weasley said to Layla and Harry. "Doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he added, as Fred and George ambled in, still in their pajamas. "And of course, Ginny's already had her acceptance letter."

For a few minutes there was silence as they all read their letters. Layla's told her to catch the Hogwarts Express as usual from King's Cross station on September first. There was also a list of the new books he'd need for the coming year.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:
The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk
Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart
Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart
Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart
Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart
Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart
Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Fred, who had finished his own list, peered over at Layla's.

"You've been told to get all Lockhart's books, too!" he said. "It's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher — bet it's a witch."

At this point, Fred caught his mother's eye and quickly busied himself with the marmalade.

"That lot won't come cheap," said George, with a quick look at his parents. "Lockhart's books are really expensive."

"Well, we'll manage," said Mrs Weasley, but she looked worried.

"I don't mind buying Ginny's books for her. I might even be able to buy Fred and George's books," offered Layla. "I really don't mind."

"That's sweet of you, dear, but I can't let you do that," Mrs Weasley told Layla with a loving smile. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."

"Oh, are you starting at Hogwarts this year?" Harry asked Ginny.

She nodded, blushing to the roots of her flaming hair, and put her elbow in the butter dish. Layla shot her a pitiful smile.

Just then Ron's elder brother Percy walked in. He was already dressed, his Hogwarts prefect badge pinned to his sweater vest.

"Morning, all," said Percy briskly. "Lovely day."

He sat down in the only remaining chair but leapt up again almost immediately, pulling from underneath him a moulting, gray feather duster... but it was breathing.

"Errol!" said Ron, taking the limp owl from Percy and extracting a letter from under its wing. "Finally — he's got Hermione's answer. I wrote to her saying we were going to try and rescue you from the Dursleys."