HARRI POTTER AND THE UNENDING TOME, CHAPTER 2
Harri Potter's visit with his friend Run Weasel went like every previous visit with the Weasels, with only one exception. The food, as usual, was abundant and rich: mounds of fried potatoes and roast meats every night, followed by heaps of cakes and pies and little frosted cookies. The practical jokes were as funny as ever -- or painful, depending on who was the recipient. The beds were still quite as lumpy, the ear-splitting shrieks of the family ghoul just as loud, and the stench from the backyard swamp just as sharp. As usual, Harri loved it all.
But there was that one thing which had changed, and it had changed remarkably fast, taking place in the six small weeks between the end of term and the beginning of his visit. Perhaps it had started earlier, and just been hidden beneath the voluminous, shapeless robes which all students were required to wear. But now, with the hot weather neccesitating short pants and thin t-shirts, a truth had become obvious.
Gingerly Weasel, Run's little sister, had grown up. Out. Whatever.
After three days of staring and answering, "Huh?" to Run's question-peppered chatter, Harri decided to ask Gingerly on a date. But he would have to do it very carefully. Not only was Run his school chum and best friend, and his family was Harri's meal ticket for the rest of summer, but Gingerly had five more brothers, all older than Run and all of them full-fledged powerful wizards. Harri didn't fancy going back to school in the shape of a frog, or something worse.
Something flatter.
He tried all day to get Gingerly off by herself, and only succeeded after dinner when he volunteered to help with the washing up -- which Gingerly did every night while the boys went out and polished their brromsticks. But the Dustly's had taught Harri all about washing up, and he soon proved himself confident enough in the job that Mum Weasel left him to the job.
After several sinkful of suds had been reduced to greasy dishwater, and Gingerly was wiping off the last plate, she looked up at Harri with a smile. "This goes so much faster when I have a little help. is there anything I could do for you?"
He could have tripped over his own tongue. But Harri did manage to get out that he would really like to meet with Gingerly after all the others were in bed.
She smiled again, and her eyelashes fluttered like butterflies. "Well, there is a place where you can't be seen from the house. On the east side of the swamp is a little pond. You can wait for me below that, if you want."
When all was quiet in the house, except for the rattling snores of the various Weasel family members, and Run's chattering in his sleep, and the shreiks of the family ghoul, and the moan of wind through the rafters, and the chittering of a small mouse on the first floor, Harri crept out to the the pond, and waited.
He knew she would be coming soon. She had smiled at him.
The stars turned overhead.
It really wouldn't be much longer.
He scratched his arm where the three-leafed ivy plant rubbed against it.
Soon, so very soon.
The sky pinked and gilded, and then a drop of liquid fire collected on the horizion.
Harri looked around the small pond, still muted in pastels from the dawn light. It was so small -- how could he have missed her?
Then he shrugged. Surely she would come the next night.
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Helen E. Davis