To Hell ~ Fred Weasley

Chapter 35.

If there was one thing Helena did not like, it was getting up early. Although she convinced herself that it was going to be worth it, for today they were all attending the Quidditch Wolrd Cup.

She regretted having spent all night talking into the late hours with Hermione and Ginny about the dress listed on their letters from Hogwarts, wondering why they would even need one for school.

Now that Helena could barely keep her eyes open, she would have preferred for it to remain a mystery.

"Nina, wake up!" whispered Hermione, shaking the girl after she had gone back to sleep yet again.

"A dress... Ughhh!" she groaned, recalling what kept her up at night, uncovering herself from the layers of blankets she was relunctant to leave. "It's still dark outside!"

You are going to the World Cup. Stop being a baby!

Helena ordered herself to get ready, putting on a pair of jeans and a green sweater to show her support for Ireland. Then, she washed her face, hoping the cold water would wake her up some more but it only made her shiver when a cool breeze came from Ginny's window. Nina let her hair down, too lazy and cold to do anything with it.

"You are not a morning person, are you, Hell?" asked Fred when she joined the rest in the kitchen, seeing how she had her eyes half-closed.

Helena groaned in response.

Mr. Weasley then walked wearing a golf sweater and jeans that were too big, held up with a thick leather belt.

"What d'you think?" he asked anxiously. "We're supposed to go incognito. Do I look like a Muggle, Harry?"

"Yeah," said Harry, smiling, "very good."

"Where're Bill and Charlie and Per-Per-Percy?" said George, failing to stifle a huge yawn.

"Well, they're Apparating, aren't they?" said Mrs. Weasley, heaving the large pot over to the table and starting to ladle porridge into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

"Lucky them," muttered Nina, sitting between the twins.

Mr. Weasley then explained to Harry what Apparating was, being the first time he has heard the term.

"But Bill and Charlie and Percy can all do it?"

"Charlie had to take the test twice," said Fred, grinning. "He failed the first time. Apparated five miles south of where he meant to, right on top of some poor old dear doing her shopping, remember?"

Nina sniggered, picturing it as she had a spoonful of porridge.

"Yes, well, he passed the second time," said Mrs. Weasley, marching back into the kitchen.

"Percy only passed two weeks ago," said George. "He's been Apparating downstairs every morning since, just to prove he can."

"Why do we have to be up so early anyway?" Ginny said, rubbing her eyes.

"We've got a bit of a walk," said Mr. Weasley.

"Walk?" said Harry. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no, that's miles away," said Mr. Weasley, smiling. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup..."

"George!" said Mrs. Weasley sharply, and they all jumped.

"What?" said George, in an innocent tone that deceived nobody.