Chloe Cullen 4 - A Harry Potter and Twilight Crossover

Chapter 7: Back to School

When I'm woken up a couple hours later, I definitely know I'm sick. I can't breathe out of my nose, and it's stuffy, my head is pounding, and my throat hurts like hell. On the way back to the portkeys, I keep my head down and I bring up the rear so no one sees how unattractive I look. We manage to get an old tire as a portkey back to Stoatshead Hill. I want nothing more than to climb into bed and go back to sleep. The others are talking about breakfast, but I'm getting nauseous and just the thought of eating makes it worse. Finally, the Burrow is in sight. We hear a cry. "Oh thank goodness, thank goodness!" I'm not surprised that Mrs. Weasley is waiting for us. She's running toward us, and it's obvious that she's been crying. "Arthur - I've been so worried - so worried -" She throws her arms around her husband's neck, and The Daily Prophet falls from her grasp. "You're all right, you're alive... oh boys..."

I am surprised when she seizes Fred and George first. She pulls them into such a tight hug that their heads bang together. "Ouch! Mum - you're strangling us -" "I shouted at you before you left!" says Mrs. Weasley, sobbing. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.Ls? Oh Fred... George..." Mr. Weasley has to pry Mrs. Weasley off of them. Then, Mrs. Weasley notices me. "Dear, you don't look so good. Are you feeling alright?" she asks, making me look at her so she can examine my face. I merely shake my head no. "You go upstairs and rest, I'll make you a Pepperup Potion," she instructs. I do as she tells me to happily. When I get to Ginny's room, I change into pajamas, lay down in my bed, and fall back asleep within minutes.

Despite giving me a Pepperup Potion, Mrs. Weasley makes me stay in bed 90% of the time, which I'm okay with doing. I'm paranoid every time I get sick that it'll be the time I'll turn into a vampire. That means that the week leading up to when we go back to Hogwarts is uneventful. Mrs. Weasley is all too willing to wait on me hand and foot even though I feel back to normal by the end of the week. When September first arrives, I insist that I get my own stuff together since Mrs. Weasley has to help everyone else. I woke up feeling a bit drained, though, so it takes me a bit longer to get ready than normal. It takes so long, in fact, that by the time I'm all packed, we have to leave for King's Cross Station.

Since the Weasleys don't have a car anymore and Mr. Weasley couldn't get Ministry cars, we have to use Muggle taxis. I volunteer to get the taxis so it'll go quicker. The ride is awful because we have overexcited owls and a cat. It feels like forever before we get to platform nine and three quarters. When we get on the train, we find an empty compartment halfway along the train, and then we go back to the platform to say goodbye. "I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," says Charlie as he hugs Ginny. "Why?" asks Fred. "You'll see. Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it... it's 'classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it,' after all." "Yeah, I sort of wish I were back at Hogwarts this year," says Bill, looking longingly at the train. "Why?" asks George impatiently. "You're going to have an interesting year. I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it..." "A bit of what?" I ask. Then, the whistle blows.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione says. Harry and I repeat her sentiment. "Oh it was my pleasure dears. I'd invite you for Christmas, but... well, I expect you're all going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with... one thing and another." "Mum!" says Ron irritably. What d'you three know that we don't?" "You'll find out this evening, I expect," says Mrs. Weasley. "It's going to be very exciting - mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules -" "What rules?" asks her sons together. "I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you... Now, behave, won't you? Won't you, Fred? And you, George?" We can feel the train begin to move. "Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts! What rules are they changing?" Fred bellows out the window. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie don't answer. Then, Harry, Ron, Hermione and I go back to our compartment.