The Place To Be

Mr Weasley stood by the fireplace in the living room of the Burrow.

'Are you sure you don't want to come along, Molly?' he asked, as he turned around.

'No, Arthur,' Mrs Weasley said firmly, 'you've heard Ron's stories. Go on.' She pushed him towards the fireplace and held a bowl of fine, green powder out to him.

'And lay off the Muggle furniture,' she reminded him, pushing the bowl closer to him as he still hadn't taken anything.

'Maybe the twins would like to come along –'

'Get,' Mrs Weasley said exasperatedly, nearly shoving the bowl with Floo Powder up his nose.

Mr Weasley rolled his eyes but took a pinch of the powder and threw it into the fire, stepping in after it.

'Number Four, Privet Drive!' he called and disappeared into a burst of green.

'Harry? Harry, are you here?' Mr Weasley called as he stepped out the hearth.

'Yes, in here, Mr Weasley,' came Harry's muffled response.

'Where is here exactly?' Mr Weasley asked, shaking dust off his coat.

'Is someone coming to pick you up again, boy?'

'I thought you liked it when I left,' Harry's voice responded, his tone challenging.

Mr Weasley followed the voices into the kitchen and looked around curiously. Harry and his aunt were stood in the middle of it. Harry was looking at his aunt with a look of barely disguised hatred and Mrs Dursley had her hands on her hips.

'The point,' Mrs Dursley said, 'is that you invited someone into our home who enters it unannounced through our fireplace, and I wasn't even told.'

She threw a sad but meaningful look at the kitchen cabinet that carried the cleaning supplies. Hedwig, who had been snoozing gently in her cage, woke from the noise and started screeching.

Harry walked over to his snow-white owl and gently patted her head. 'Sorry, Hedwig, it'll quiet down in a bit,' he said softly.

Mr Weasley turned his gaze to Mrs Dursley and spoke for the first time since his arrival.

'My wife is expecting us, I'm afraid,' he said cheerfully, 'so I think Harry and I best be going. Thank you for your hospitality, Mrs Dursley.'

He made his way over to Harry, but stopped suddenly, his eyes glued to an object on the kitchen counter behind Harry's left ear.

'Merlin's beard! What on earth is that?'

He grabbed the mixer and held it upside down, studying it.

'What does it do?'

He re-adjusted his glasses and looked at the mixer from all the different angles he could find. When he discovered the "On" switch, he eagerly pulled it. The fruit milkshake Aunt Petunia had been making for Dudley spun around, splattering the kitchen and everyone in it with a thick, pink liquid.

'That, Mr Weasley,' Harry said, wiping his glasses, 'is a mixer. I'll explain it on the way.'

Aunt Petunia let out a horrified shriek as she opened her eyes and looked around.

'Oh, fixed in a jiffy!' Mr Weasley's responded, waving his wand. The usually spotless kitchen returned to its normal state. With one last, lingering look, Mr Weasley also put the mixer back in its place, turning the switch.

Aunt Petunia let out another piercing shout. 'Magic!' she said, her eyes bulging. 'Magic under my roof!'

'Let's go,' Harry said hurriedly, gesturing to his luggage.

Mr Weasley pointed his wand, spelling Harry's trunk and Hedwig's cage away.

'Shouldn't we ...' he trailed off, meaningfully raising his eyebrows in Mrs Dursley's direction.

'No,' Harry said. 'We're off, see you next year!'

Harry quickly dragged Mr Weasley out of the kitchen and into the living room. Aunt Petunia seemed rooted to the spot, her eyes following them out.

'Dudley! What's that blasted noise?' Uncle Vernon's voice boomed.

'Quick,' Harry said, 'before he gets down.'

Harry pushed Mr Weasley into the fireplace and squeezed himself in next to him. It was very cramped and uncomfortable. Mr Weasley was digging around his pocket. Harry glanced anxiously to the door and then back to Mr Weasley's pocket.

There were heavy footsteps down the stairs and Aunt Petunia called out to her husband.

'Aha,' exclaimed Mr Weasley vaguely. Harry's eyes flitted to the door, just as the handle was almost wholly pulled out of the wood and Uncle Vernon came storming into the living room.

'Hello, Mr Dursley!' Mr Weasley greeted cheerfully.

Uncle Vernon's beady eyes located them, standing in the fireplace. He advanced on them, like a bull on a rage. Harry pulled hastily on Mr Weasley's hand, dropping the Floo Powder in the fire that had roared to life almost simultaneously (Mr Weasley seemed to have noticed that Uncle Vernon hurry wasn't a friendly one).

'The Burrow!' Harry said and Uncle Vernon gave an annoyed shout ... but Harry already felt everything around him spin and then the nauseous feeling in his stomach was gone.