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The next morning, heavy rain splattered against the windows of the Burrow as the Weasley family, Harry, and Hermione, all hurried around getting ready. Eleanora got dressed quickly and straightened up her room before lugging her trunk and her owl out onto the landing.
"Need a hand?" Charlie asked, taking her trunk without waiting for a response.
"Thanks." Eleanora followed him down the stairs and set Circe down with the luggage by the door before heading to the kitchen for breakfast.
Bill and Percy were standing in the kitchen, drinking coffee and discussing recent events at the Ministry when Eleanora joined them.
"We took the last of it, sorry," Percy said, not looking too sorry.
"We're brewing more, don't worry," Bill added, noticing Eleanora's disgruntled expression. She jumped onto the counter beside Bill and reached down to grab his coffee mug, which he gave up with barely a pause in his conversation.
"It's absolute chaos, you know- what with the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins and all," Percy said as Eleanora sipped Bill's coffee and cradled the hot mug in her hands.
"Are there any leads on that?" she asked.
Percy shook his head. "None, and it's getting really tiresome. Ludo Bagman's hardly said a word about it."
"Well what's he supposed to say?" said Bill. "He's not going to admit that he lost a member of his department." The coffee maker fell silent and he crossed the kitchen to pull another mug down and pour the fresh coffee into it, adding sugar and cream how Eleanora liked it.
"I think he should own up to it," Eleanora said. "It doesn't even sound like he's trying to find Bertha."
"Here, trade me," Bill said, handing her the fresh coffee and taking his own back. "I agree that he should acknowledge it at least," he went on. "But I don't think it'll help the search at all. It's not like it's Bagman's fault Bertha went missing."
"Still, it's not right."
"Oi, isn't that my jacket?" George said when Eleanora joined the twins, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny in the dining room.
"Mmmm," Eleanora said noncommittally, more focused on the man's head sticking out of the fire. Although Eleanora had spent almost seven years in the wizarding world, there were some things she could never get used to.
"Sorry about this, Molly," Amos Diggory's head said, "-bothering you so early and everything . . . but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. Why he had to choose last night . . ."
"Never mind, Amos," said Mrs. Weasley. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"
"Oh, go on, then," said Mr. Diggory. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the table, put it into the fire tongs, and transferred it into Mr. Diggory's mouth."Fanks," he said in a muffled voice, and then, with a small pop, vanished.
