Change the Future

GOF 9

Charlie and Rory both head downstairs.

"Arthur!" Mrs Weasley calls up the staircase. "Arthur! Urgent message from the Ministry!" When Harry and the others entered the kitchen, Mrs. Weasley is rummaging anxiously in the drawers "I've got a quill here somewhere!" and Mr. Weasley bending over the fire, talking to Amos Diggory's head which was sitting in the middle of the flames like a large, bearded egg. It was talking very fast, completely unperturbed by the sparks flying around it and the flames licking its ears.

"Don't worry Harry you're not mad" Rory tells him as he sits beside her at the table. Charlie sat on her other side.

"Muggle neighbours heard bangs and shouting, so they went and called those what-d'you-call- 'ems - please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there" Mr Diggory says.

"Here!" Mrs. Weasley said breathlessly, pushing a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink, and a crumpled quill into Mr. Weasley's hands.

"it's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," said Mr. Diggory's head. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur"

"What does Mad-Eye say happened?" asked Mr. Weasley, unscrewing the ink bottle, loading up his quill, and preparing to take notes. Mr. Diggory's head rolled its eyes.

"Says he heard an intruder in his yard. Says he was creeping toward the house, but was ambushed by his dustbins."

Mad-Eye looks up at the mention of his name.

"What did the dustbins do?" asked Mr. Weasley, scribbling frantically.

"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," said Mr. Diggory. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the pleasemen turned up " Mr. Weasley groaned.

"And what about the intruder?"

"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," said Mr. Diggory's head, rolling its eyes again. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it think of his record we've got to get him off on a minor charge, something in your department what are exploding dustbins worth?"

"Might be a caution," said Mr. Weasley, still writing very fast, his brow furrowed. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually attack anyone?"

"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," said Mr. Diggory, "but they'll have a job proving it, there aren't any casualties."

"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley said, and he stuffed the parchment with his notes on it into his pocket and dashed out of the kitchen again. Mr. Diggory's head looked around at Mrs. Weasley.

"Sorry about this, Molly," it said, more calmly, "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 "

"What new job" Mad-Eye says confused.

"Never mind, Amos," Mrs. Weasley said. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"

"Oh go on, then," Mr. Diggory said. Mrs. Weasley took a piece of buttered toast from a stack on the kitchen 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. Mr. Weasley could be heard calling hurried good-byes to Bill, Percy, and the girls. Within five minutes, he was back in the kitchen, his robes on the right way now, dragging a comb through his hair.