The Potter Twins and the Goblet of Fire {4}

3. Back To The Burrow

"Tell me why the hell no one is here" ~ Pity Party, Melanie Martinez

By twelve o'clock the next, Harry and I are packed and ready to leave for the Burrow. All our school things and prized possesions are neatly packed away in our trunks. The Cloak we got from our father, our Broomsticks from Sirius and the Marauder's Map from Fred and George.

The atmosphere inside the Dursley house can only be explained as tense. The imminent arrival of the Weasleys is making them uptight and irritable.

Uncle Vernon pressed the matter of 'making sure they're dressed properly' which has made me slightly anxious. The Weasley children all wear Muggle clothes in the holidays, but I've never seen Mr and Mrs Weasley out of their robes.

I don't really care about what the neighbours will think of them, it's how rude the Dursley's might be to them if they turn up wearing their brightly coloured robes.

All three of them are extremely nervous, all wearing their nicest clothes, which to some might come off as welcoming, but I know they only do it to look and feel superior.

We spend most of the day in our bedroom, watching the road from our window anticipatingly. But when five o'clock comes and goes, we're forced to trudge downstairs.

"They're late!" Uncle Vernon snarls at the sight of us.

"I know," I say. "Maybe...maybe the traffic's bad?" I suggest weakly, seriously doubting that they'll hire a car just to pick us up.

Ten past five...then quarter past five...I begin to feel as anxious as the Dursleys, and even Harry is beginning to fidget nervously.

"No consideration at all," Uncle Vernon hisses, at half past five.

"We might've had an engagement," Aunt Petunia replied.

"Maybe they think they'll be invited to dinner if they're late."

"Well, they most certainly won't be."

I hear Uncle Vernon begin pacing. "They'll take them and go, there'll be no hanging around. That's if they're coming at all. Probably mistaken the day. I daresay their kind don't set much store by punctuality. Either that or they drive some tinpot car that's broken d - AAAAARRRRRGH!"

We jump up, just as the three Dursleys come scrambling over to us, panic-stricken.

"What happened?" I ask Dudley. "What's the matter?"

But Dudley doesn't seem able to speak. He simply hurries into the kitchen.

Harry and I enter the living room apprehensively; loud scraping and bangs are coming from the boarded-up fireplace.

"What is it?" Aunt Petunia gasps, backing into the wall. "What is it, Vernon?"

But we're left in doubt barely a second longer as voices appear from inside the blocked fireplace.

"Ouch! Fred, no - go back, go back, there's been some kind of mistake - tell George not to - OUCH! George, no, there's no room, go back quickly and tell Ron - "

"Maybe they can hear us, Dad - maybe they'll be able to let us out - "

There is a loud hammering of fists on the boards behind the electric fire.

"Haylee? Harry? Can you hear us?"

The Dursley's round on us like a pack of angry wolves.

"What is this?" Uncle Vernon snarls. "What's going on?"

"They - they've tried to get here by Floo Powder," Harry says, clearly fighting the desire to laugh. "They can travel by fire - only you've blocked the fireplace - "