"10:58. Come on, come on." Arthur tells the kids as he leads them through the station.
"Train will be leaving any moment!" Molly exclaims as she hurries behind them.
"Fred, George, Percy, you first." He says. The others stop as the three run through the barrier. They disappear and Ginny follows. "After you, dear."
Ron and Harry look to Artemis after Molly and Arthur disappear behind the barrier and she shakes her head.
"Absolutely not. I'm keeping my eye on you two. I'll go last." She tells them. Ron rolls his eyes but follows Harry as he leads the way towards the barrier. Artemis watches as they start running, wincing as they crash into the wall.
"Oi. What do you two think you're doing?" One of the guards asks as he approaches them.
"Sorry. Lost control of the trolley." Harry lies as he rubs his arm.
"Why didn't you go through?" Artemis asks as she checks her watch. "We've still got time."
"I don't know. The gateway has sealed itself for some reason." Ron tells her as he pushes against the bricks. The clock chimes and Artemis groans.
"The train leaves at exactly eleven. We've missed it." He says.
"Em...if we can't get through, maybe Mum and Dad can't get back." He tells her. Her eyes widen and she starts to pace worriedly, trying to come up with a way of getting through.
"Maybe we should just go and wait by the car." Harry suggests.
"The car..." He says.
"Ron, no!" Artemis protests, knowing exactly what he's thinking.
"It's the only way!" He tells her. She groans and rolls her eyes but helps them gather their things, knowing she'll end up going with them to make sure they don't do anything even more idiotic than stealing their dad's car.
They rush to the car and pack their trunks into the car. Harry sets Hedwig's cage next to Artemis in the back seat as Ron takes the driver's seat. He climbs into the car and soon after it begins rising into the air.
"Ron, I should tell you, most Muggles aren't accustomed to seeing a flying car." He says as Artemis lets Romulus out of his cage. He meows at her and begins investigating the car.
"Uh...right." He replies, pressing the button on the dash. The car disappears and he drives them away from the city. "Oh, no. The invisibility booster must be faulty." He says as they reappear.
"Well, come on, then, let's go lower." Harry tells him. "We need to find the train." He agrees and they dip lower, spotting the tracks ahead of them. "Now all we need to do is catch up with the train." He says as Ron drives along the tracks.
"Are you sure it's a good idea to drive on the tracks?" Artemis asks.
"It'll be fine. We can't be far behind." Ron replies. She scoffs and sits back in her seat, crossing her arms.
"Do you hear that?" Harry asks after a train whistles from somewhere nearby.
"We must be getting close." He exclaims. Artemis whips around as Romulus begins hissing loudly at something behind them.
"You moron! The train's behind us!" She yells, watching as the train gets closer. "Haven't you learned to listen to me by now?!"
"You'd think so!" He replies.
They scream and Ron continues forward for a while before steering them off the tracks.
They spin around and Artemis clutches Romulus to her chest with one hand, the other steadying Hedwig's cage. She uses her legs to brace herself as the car continues spinning. Ron finally straightens it as Harry is flung out of the car.
"Harry!" The Weasleys scream. Ron scoots towards the door, but Artemis shoves him back as she climbs into the front seat.
"Eyes on the sky!" She scolds before reaching for Harry. She grabs his hand and pulls, but he's too heavy. "Ron, help pull him up!"
"But you told me-" He argues.
"Pull!" Artemis shouts at her brother. Together, they manage to pull Harry back into the car.
"I think we found the train." Harry says. Artemis laughs, then punches him on the arm as the adrenaline wears off.
"Don't joke about that. I think you just took five years off my life." She tells him before she climbs into the backseat. She spends the rest of the drive in silence, cuddling Romulus and reading her book.
***
"Welcome home." Ron says, spotting Hogwarts ahead of them.
Artemis wakes as the car jolts, clutching onto the seats as Ron swerves around the castle. He whimpers as Harry tries to help him, but they crash into the large tree.
"My wand. Look at my wand." He cries.
"Be thankful it's not your neck." Harry replies. They gasp as something crashes into the side of the car.
"What's happening?" He asks.
"It's the tree!" Artemis shouts, taking cover behind the seats as one of the tree's branches slams into the hood of the car. She screams as a branch smashes through the back window, right where she had just been.
The branches continue smashing into the car and they scream as one finally knocks the car to the ground. Ron drives away from the tree, narrowly avoiding another branch. As soon as the car comes to a stop, Artemis and Romulus dive out of the car.
A moment later, Ron and Harry are launched from it, along with all their belongings. Hedwig and Scabber's cages fly into their owner's arms, and they both check on the animals.
"The car!" Ron shouts as the doors shut and it begins driving off. The boys chase after it as Artemis does her best not to throw up.
"You're an idiot." She tells her brother, glaring at him as they approach.
"We made it, didn't we?" He asks.
"Barely." She replies, rolling her eyes. Ron glares back at her and she sticks her tongue out at him.
"Come on. We're late." Harry says, pulling Artemis to her feet and stopping the argument before it can start.
The three gather their things before heading towards the castle.
YOU ARE READING
The Wrong Weasley | Harry Potter
FanfictionAs Artemis Weasley grew older, she began to realize that she wasn't truly a Weasley. She had brown hair instead of red, not a single freckle, and didn't really look like any of her siblings, especially her twin, Ron. Although she now knew she wasn't...
