To Hell ~ Fred Weasley

Chapter 34.

You know, he's not bad to look at if you think about it.

"I... Y-Yes. Better."

Thought deleted.

Helena decided to focus on the problem at hand.

How would they get out of this fireplace?

"Maybe Harry can hear us, Dad. Maybe he'll be able to let us out..." suggested George.

And the five of them started hitting the wall where the mouth of the fireplace should be with their fists, hoping the loud hammering would draw attention to themselves.

"Harry? Harry, can you hear us?" yelled Mr. Weasley.

"Harry, whatever's blocking the fireplace MOVE IT ASIDE!" barked Nina, making the men next to her flinch. "Sorry 'bout that."

Then they finally heard from the boy they were supposed to pick up.

"Mr. Weasley, it's Harry... The fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to get through there."

"Damn!" said Mr. Weasley. "What on earth did they want to block up the fireplace for?"

"They've got an electric fire," Harry explained from the other side.

"Really?" said Mr. Weasley's voice excitedly. "Eclectic, you say? With a plug? Gracious, I must see that....Let's think...Ouch, Ron!"

"Why can't we get out? Has something gone wrong?" asked Ron.

"Oh no, Ron," Fred said, very sarcastically. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

"Yeah, we're having the time of our lives here," said George.

"Ron, you're asking for it," chuckled Helena in response to the twins sarcasm towards their brother.

"Boys, boys..." said Mr. Weasley vaguely. "I'm trying to think what to do....Yes...only way...Stand back, Harry."

And Mr. Weasley took out his wand, pointing to the barrier infront of them and gave it a flick, which caused the electric fireplace to explode and out came tumbling the Weasleys and Helena among the dust and loose chippings.

"Hiya, Harry!" Nina waved at the boy.

A woman standing near a couch shrieked at the commotion and fell backward over the coffee table that was right behind. The man next to her caught her in time, glaring at the people who had just destroyed his fireplace.

"Much better!" said Mr. Weasley. "Ah, you must be Harry's aunt and uncle!"

Mr. Weasley cleaned himself up and stretched out his hand for Harry's to take, but the upset man took several steps back as his wife dragged him away from them.

"Sorry about the fireplace," Mr. Weasley looked back at the exploded wall behind them. "It's all my fault. It just didn't occur to me that we wouldn't be able to get out at the other end. I had your fireplace connected to the Floo Network, you see... Just for an afternoon, you know, so we could get Harry. Muggle fireplaces aren't supposed to be connected, strictly speaking... But I've got a useful contact at the Floo Regulation Panel and he fixed it for me. I can put it right in a jiffy, though, don't worry. I'll light a fire to send the boys back, and then I can repair your fireplace before I Disapparate."

It was obvious Harry's aunt and uncle had not understood one single word Mr. Weasley had said.

The boy had mentioned to Helena how they did not like to hear anything from the wizarding world, unlike her father.