It was a rainy summer day in August. There were 2 girls sitting in a dark room on comfortable chairs among other people. They both had large popcorn boxes in their laps and in the hole in their seats were 2 large Coca-Cola cartons. They were enjoying the film. It was playing on the silver screen in front of the darkened room.
"Oh look, that guy looks just like Lockheart." One of the girls said. She was red haired with beautiful bright diamond shaped green eyes. Her name was Avalon. The comment made both girls giggle.
"Well Ava, that is not nice, the actor may be ugly but he is probably a lot nicer than Lockheart." The other girl said, pretending to be serious. She had chestnut coloured hair and deep brown eyes. This girl's name was Sharon. And even though both Sharon and Avalon looked just like you and me, the truth was that they were nothing like us at all. They were both witches. And they went to a special school for wizards. Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
Avalon had visited the school for the first time last year. She had learned a lot about magic that year. But she had also made some good friends. But the year had not only been about lessons and friends. It had also been threatened by a huge, dangerous snake that could kill you if you looked it in the eye.
The school was threatened with closure for a while. But in the end a boy called Harry Potter had killed the snake and also taken care of the one that controlled it, saving everyone in the school and also saving the whole school from being closed.
But that was all in the past, now it was summer's Holiday and Avalon's birthday was coming up in a few days. She was really looking forward to it. Her mother would take her to her best friend Ginny's house. To celebrate. She hoped her other friends would be there too.
"Hey Ava, look he looks like Oona." Sharon said. Oona was one of Her friends. She was a young witch who was half Native American and half British. The film ended with an iconic scene of a beautiful killer whale called Willy jumping over a jetty to reach the open sea and gain his freedom. It had been a great film.
They walked out of the cinema and out into the rainy streets of London. "This will be so much easier when we are 17. Than we can just apperate" Avalon said. She shielded her red hair from the rain with an umbrella. They ran to the subway station, which was only 3 blocks away from them.
There they were lucky because they were able to catch a train and get home quickly. "I think maybe we should tell Mr Weasley about the underground. It will blow his mind." Avalon suggested. "Better not, he will be trying to find the plug that makes it work." Sharon said and the girls giggled.
"I heard they were in Egypt this summer, Ginny wrote and sent me a newspaper clipping. And just like the pictures at school, the picture moved. It doesn't seem to be able to talk to us though." Avalon said, "I think a picture is different from a painting. It scared me the first time though." Avalon said. "What did?" her friend asked. "The pictures move and talk." Avalon explained. "Oh yes, I know what you mean. At the Muggle orphanage, the people in the paintings just stood still." Sharon said. Sharon, like Avalon, had been orphaned shortly after her birth. But unlike Avalon who had been adopted. Sharon had spent her life in an orphanage on the other side of London. But luckily she had been invited by Avalon and her mother to stay with them for the summer. Both Avalon and Sharon were brought up in the so-called 'Muggle' world. It was what wizards and witches called someone who was not magical. Avalon's adoptive mother was a Squib. Which was a nickname for people who had magical blood but no magic in them.
They stepped off the train into the station. "I've got some money left for an ice-cream." Avalon said. "Or maybe a bar of chocolate." She added. "Make it a bar of Chocolate. This one won't try to jump away from you," Sharon said. She was referring to a wizard sweet called a Chocolate Frog. It was a sweet made of ordinary chocolate. But a spell was put on it to make it temporarily alive. And if you were not careful, the frog would jump up and away from you.
After buying their candy bar, they ran home to avoid getting wet. "Mum we are home." Avalon said. As they walked towards the living room, they heard voices. "We have visitors." Avalon said. As she knocked on the living room door. "Come in honey." Jolene said from the other side of the door. Avalon pushed the door open.
There was Molly Weasley, Ginny's mother. "Avalon my dear, Sharon, how nice to see you again." She said as she smiled at them. "I've been cathing with your mother. And she made me some Muggle tea. It is a strange way to do things. But I have come to fetch you all for your visit to the Burrow," she said, smiling warmly.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
"The what?" both girls said in unison. "My home, my darlings, it is called The Burrow." She walked over to the fireplace. "We will use Floo Powder to reach it. I talked your mother through it. Can you imagine she has never used it before." Molly said. "I didn't either." Avalon said. "Neither have I." Sharon said. "Ah you are all new to it. Just like Harry." She said.
Avalon had learned last year that Molly Weasley was very fond of the so-called Boy Who Lived. "I think it's time to go." She said as she took an envelope from her robes. "All right, dears, I will give you some powder. All you have to do is step into the fireplace and say the Burrow very clearly. You are going to travel by spinning very fast, but keep your eyes open and your elbows tucked in, otherwise you might get hurt. Then when you see Ginny your there." She said, smiling sweetly. She explained it as if it was all very simple. But it scared Avalon.
Not wanting to look cowardly, she took some powder from the envelope and stepped into the fireplace. She took a deep breath. She must look so silly. "The Burrow," she called, dropping the powder into the fireplace. The last thing she saw was a flash of green and she began to spin uncontrollable. She whizzed past what she soon realised were other witches' fireplaces. She wondered if she hadn't just passed a couple of Muggle households by accident. When she felt solid ground, her knees buckled and she landed on a stone floor, coughing.
"AVA!" she heard as she was hugged by her best friend Ginny. "You might want to move girls, I suspect the others will be arriving soon." Mr Weasley said. And just as he said it, the fire behind Avalon turned green. Seconds later, Jolene appeared with Sharon. "That was an experience." Jolene said as she started to brush the soot off what she was wearing. A few seconds later Molly emerged from another set of green flames.
"The others should be here tomorrow. She said. Except for Luna, she should be here any minute," Molly said. "She had a special present for you. She and Ginny bought it together and they won't tell us what it is." She said. They were startled by the sound of something hitting a window. "Ugh Errol," Percy Weasley said. "Hermes is less of a manice." He added. "Perhaps you could lend it to us once in a while." George Weasley said as he opened the window to let in a very old and frail looking owl. "Of course he won't, he's a Prefect." Fred added. "Actually I am Head Boy." Percy bit his brothers. "Oh yeah, you have been annoying all of us with that ever since we left Egypt." George said. "We should have left him in the tomb. You know, the one with all the disfigured Muggles in it." Fred chimed in. "Fred George!" Molly Weasley told her twins. "Sorry Mum." They said in unison. Sounding a bit frightened.
Everyone was busy for a while, so no one noticed the newspaper the owl had dropped. The first to notice something was Arthur Weasley. "Oh dear, that's a frightening first." He said as he looked at the front page of the paper. What is it, Arthur?" Molly asked. "Nothing, dear. It's nothing. We can talk about it after the party." He said. Molly looked like she was going to say something. But just at that moment, a blonde girl came running into the house. She almost threw herself into the arms of Ginny and Avalon.
"I missed you sooooo much." She said. "I really like the two of you more than I like pudding." She said. Ginny and Avalon laughed. " Wow, even more than Pudding. That is saying a lot." Ginny joked. A equaly blonde haired man came in. He was wearing blue robes and carrying a large box. "Thank you daddy." Luna said in her typical singsong voice.
Luna's father shook hands with all the adults. Xenophilus Lovegood. My friends call me Old Xeno." He said smiling. He quickly picked up the newspaper.
For the first time Avalon saw the front page. There was a rugged looking wizard on it. The picture of him gave a silent scream. "Ah yes, I heard that too. Sirius Black escaped from Azkaban." Xeno said bluntly. "Yes. Scary. No one's ever done that before." He added.
"I heard they even informed the Muggle Prime Minister. He is issuing a warning to Muggles. He says he is armed with a weapon. Whatever it is." He said. "This is a metal machine which ejects a metal ball called a bullet. Very dangerous." Jolene explained. They all looked at her. "Right." Arthur said. "Now that we have been warned. I'd like to see what's in that box." He added, trying to sound airy.
Avalon was too curious herself. She did not pay much attention to the fake air in Mr Weasley's voice. She tore the book open. Inside was a bird cage. When she took it out, she discovered that the cage was not empty. Inside it was an adorable little owl, dozing in her features. "It's a girl." Luna said. "It's an elf owl. Ginny and I thought it was way too cute not to buy it for you." Luna added. "We named her Arwen. Luna found the name in an old Muggle book. Something with rings." Ginny said. "She will be so useful. She can carry your letters and stuff." Ginny said enthusiastically. "And probably better than Erol." She added. "So happy Eurly birthday. " Luna said. Avalon hugged her friends. "Thank you." Avalon said. As she petted her new owl.
"We have a host gift," Jolene said as she took a box out of her luggage. She quickly handed it to Mr Weasley. He opened it quickly and gave an exclamation of surprise. "How nice, I don't have these once yet." He said as he took out the gift. It was 3 things. One was a plug from the Netherlands. Jolene had picked it up on her business trip to Amsterdam. One was an old wall outlet. And the third was a rubber duck, just as a joke. A box of Muggle chocolates for Mrs Weasley was also added. "Oh, this is too much, I can't take this," Mr Weasley cried out. "Not at all. It's quite common in my world to enjoy them." Jolene said smiling.The evening that followed was very pleasant. But Avalon could sense that the news of the wizarding prison break was in the back of everyone's minds. It made them all a little uneasy.