The Boy Who Couldn't See: Year 2

At Flourish and Blotts

Life at the Burrow — Ron had told him that's what they call the house — couldn't be more different from life on Privet Drive. The Dursleys were always very neat and tidy people — as is Harry himself — but here at the Burrow, chaos is just the norm. What is most fascinating to Harry, more than talking mirrors or noisy ghouls or explosions from Fred and George's room, is the fact that the Weasleys seem to actually like him.

Mrs Weasley fusses over how skinny he is, saying they should've come and got him sooner if they'd known he was being starved, and in a move that almost made Harry tear up, she put cushioning charms on all the edges of furniture and corners of walls. She took notice of Harry stubbing his toe multiple times everyday and decided instead of yelling out and warning him — something that Ron told her is a strike in Harry's pride — that she would just put cushioning charms on everything so that Harry doesn't hurt himself. He thanks her in the rare moment that she's alone and gets a tight hug in return, something that does make him tear up.

Mr Weasley sits next to him at breakfast and asks him all about Muggle technology, something Harry is all too happy to indulge him in. He spends most meals explaining how plugs or the postal service or lawnmowers work and Mr Weasley listens intently.

About a week after he arrives at the Burrow, their Hogwarts letters arrive. When he and Ron come down for breakfast, Harry hears a clatter and knows that Ginny just knocked something over, which she's prone to do when Harry enters the same room she's in. Harry pretends not to hear this and sits in his usual spot in between Mr Weasley and Ron, taking the toast Mrs Weasley offers him.

"Letters from school," Mr Weasley says, passing a letter to Harry. "Dumbledore already knows you're here, Harry — doesn't miss a trick, that man. You two've got them, too," he adds when Fred and George stumble in.

"Can you — ?" the awkward question from Fred is directed at Harry and it takes him a second to register what he's asking.

"Oh!" Harry processes it finally. "It's the — the parchment, it recognizes what it's reader needs — s'why I could do my written exams without somebody reading to me."

"Huh," Fred mumbles. "That's pretty cool. I heard that books did it but I didn't know it was the parchment. I wonder why —"

Fred stops abruptly and George snorts. Harry decides to pretend he doesn't realize Fred is embarrassed about wanting to know more about the topic and just opens his letter. For the next few minutes, they're all silent as they read their supply lists.

SECOND-YEAR STUDENTS WILL REQUIRE:

The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2 by Miranda Goshawk

Break with a Banshee by Gilderoy Lockhart

Gadding with Ghouls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Holidays with Hags by Gilderoy Lockhart

Travels with Trolls by Gilderoy Lockhart

Voyages with Vampires by Gilderoy Lockhart

Wanderings with Werewolves by Gilderoy Lockhart

Year with the Yeti by Gilderoy Lockhart

Harry blinks, his eyebrows turning down in confusion.

"Lockhart's books are really expensive," George mumbles, worry in his voice.

Ah, so Harry did read correctly. Every book this year, besides one, is written by 'obviously-a-fraud' Gilderoy Lockhart. Spectacular.

"Well, we'll manage," Mrs Weasley says, though she sounds just as worried as George. "I expect we'll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny's things secondhand."