Chapter 122. The Burrow
Wesson got up a little earlier that day.
Morning sunlight streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains.
When he stood in the fireplace to try travelling to the Burrow for the first time, nothing happened—most likely because the Floo Network connection to the Burrow hadn't opened yet.
After Wesson took a stroll through the plantation, the Floo connection finally opened.
"The Burrow."
As Wesson spoke his destination, a curtain of green fire wrapped around him.
When he opened his eyes again, he was already in an unfamiliar room.
It was a cramped little sitting room connected to the kitchen, with the fireplace at the very centre of the house.
The walls were crowded with knick-knacks, and the corners were piled with brightly coloured tins and spice jars.
A big table was ringed with chairs—proof that this family had a lot of members.
Wesson saw the Weasleys and Harry already seated at the table.
Judging by the looks of it, it was still breakfast time.
"Visitor, children!"
Molly Weasley had noticed the stir in her own fireplace. She hurried up from the table, came over to Wesson, looked him up and down, and said, "You must be Professor Wesson."
At the table, Arthur breathed a sigh of relief; he had just been arguing with his wife—over that illegally enchanted flying car.
Fortunately, Wesson's arrival put an end to the scene.
"Yes, Mrs Weasley," Wesson nodded, brushing the soot from his clothes. "Thank you very much for the invitation."
Molly grasped his hand warmly. "Do sit down! You're just in time for breakfast. Ron and Harry were just saying you'd be coming today."
She turned back to the table. "Children, make room for Professor Wesson!"
A burst of bustle erupted at once, and Wesson ended up seated beside Harry.
The Weasleys were wonderfully hospitable.
When Wesson mentioned that he had lived in the Muggle world for a time, Arthur was delighted and asked him a lot of questions about Muggles.
Including, but not limited to: aeroplanes, televisions, washing machines…
Although Arthur worked at the Ministry in the Misuse of Muggle Artefacts Office, his understanding of Muggle items was still rather patchy.
He even imagined that Muggles' clothes would hop into water and wash themselves.
In fact, Wesson and Arthur had met at the start of term the previous year; however, Arthur seemed to have forgotten.
When the topic turned to that flying old Ford, Arthur shot Wesson a frantic look, because he had noticed Molly watching him with a dangerous expression.
It seemed Wesson would have to find another time to ask Arthur how he had modified the car.
"Professor," Percy, sitting diagonally across from Wesson, looked over with a touch of hope in his eyes, "about O.W.L. results—when will the notices arrive?"
Percy didn't quite match the prim image he kept at Hogwarts: his hair was a bird's nest as if ravaged by a storm, and the collar of his pyjamas sat crooked.
"This week, Percy," Wesson looked at him and said with a smile. "And I've got a little inside information about your results—"
Percy sat up at once, a small tuft of hair sticking up comically.
"—absolutely splendid: twelve O.W.L.s. Congratulations, Percy."
No sooner had Wesson finished than Percy's face went scarlet. He sprang up from his chair, then immediately realised his lapse, forced himself to sit, and fussed with his skewed pyjama collar.
"Ahem… that was within my expectations."
But the corners of his mouth were climbing of their own accord, and his fingers trembled slightly—he was plainly overjoyed.
Molly clapped in delight.
"Oh, Percy! I knew you could do it!" She rushed over and squeezed him in a tight hug, nearly squashing his nose. "Just like Bill in his day!"
In truth, earning the full set of O.W.L.s was extremely difficult, and the Weasley family now had two who had done it.
There was certainly something remarkable in this family's genes.
"By the way," Arthur glanced at Harry, then looked to Wesson, "I've heard Harry has been following you for… er… summer training. Is that true?"
"Yes, Mr Weasley," Wesson nodded and took a sip of tea. "Harry has indeed been under my instruction."
Arthur leaned forward, curious. "If I may, Professor… are you related to Harry? You look after him so much."
Wesson paused; apparently Arthur had taken him for a distant relation of Harry's.
After all, in the wizarding world everyone moved in the same circles; it wasn't unusual to find some connection between two people—
especially among the pure-blood families.
For example, Ron's grandmother and Draco's great-grandfather were first cousins.
Wesson chuckled and waved a hand. "Of course not. He's my student, that's all."
Arthur nodded thoughtfully.
In fact, it was common in the wizarding world for a master to take on a pupil, the relationship sometimes closer than that of ordinary teacher and student.
So Arthur didn't find it strange that Wesson tutored Harry specially.
After breakfast, Harry and Ron were out in the yard playing at de-gnoming, while Mr Weasley went to get some rest—he'd worked overtime all day yesterday.
With permission, Wesson began to examine the old Ford Anglia parked beside the yard.
However, without Arthur's explanation, he couldn't make much of the enchantments out on his own.
With time to spare, Wesson took in his surroundings.
The Burrow lay on the outskirts of Ottery St Catchpole, tucked in among a stretch of little hills and trees.
Beside the house were a small lake and a shed.
Inside the shed were Muggle-made objects Arthur Weasley had collected; he liked to take them apart and put enchantments on them.
Wesson, however, did not have permission to go inside.
It was an ideal place to live.
Wesson suddenly thought that perhaps finding a deserted spot like this and building a house wouldn't be a bad idea either.
Just then, he noticed a small black dot atop a low hill not far to the north.
He narrowed his eyes in that direction and beckoned to Ron nearby. "Ron, what's that up on the hilltop there?"
Ron was busy tossing a gnome over the fence. He looked up at Wesson's words. "Oh, that's our neighbours, the Lovegoods."
He wiped the dirt from his hands and went on, "That family… how to put it? They might seem a bit odd. But you've probably seen the magazine Xenophilius Lovegood edits and publishes, The Quibbler—it's fairly well known."
Wesson nodded, thoughtful.
Luna Lovegood—another important character in the original story.
It seemed this was the year Luna would start at Hogwarts.
For some reason, Wesson suddenly found himself interested in the Lovegood family.
He had read The Quibbler before; he couldn't imagine what frame of mind produced those bizarre articles and reports.
Still… he rather liked that touch of madness.
Rather fun, isn't it?
Since he had nothing else to do today, Wesson decided on the spot to pay a visit to the editor of The Quibbler.
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