Harry Potter 02 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by authors_sort Read Free Book Online

new books. Why don’t we meet in Diagon Alley?
    Let me know what’s happening as soon as you can, love from Hermione.
     
    ‘Well, that fits in nicely, we can go and get all your things then, too,’ said Mrs Weasley, starting to clear the table. ‘What’re you all up to today?’
    Harry, Ron, Fred and George were planning to go up the hill to a small paddock the Weasleys owned. It was surrounded by trees that blocked it from view of the village below, meaning that they could practise Quidditch there, as long as they didn’t fly too high. They couldn’t use real Quidditch balls, which would have been hard to explain if they had escaped and flown away over the village; instead they threw apples for each other to catch. They took it in turns to ride Harry’s Nimbus Two Thousand, which was easily the best broom; Ron’s old Shooting Star was often outstripped by passing butterflies.
    Five minutes later they were marching up the hill, broomsticks over their shoulders. They had asked Percy if he wanted to join them, but he had said he was busy. Harry had only seen Percy at meal-times so far; he stayed shut in his room the rest of the time.
    ‘Wish I knew what he was up to,’ said Fred, frowning. ‘He’s not himself. His exam results came the day before you did; twelve O.W.Ls and he hardly gloated at all.’
    ‘Ordinary Wizarding Levels,’ George explained, seeing Harry’s puzzled look. ‘Bill got twelve, too. If we’re not careful, we’ll have another Head Boy in the family. I don’t think I could stand the shame.’
    Bill was the oldest Weasley brother. He and the next brother, Charlie, had already left Hogwarts. Harry had never met either of them, but knew that Charlie was in Romania, studying dragons, and Bill in Egypt, working for the wizards’ bank, Gringotts.
    ‘Dunno how Mum and Dad are going to afford all our school stuff this year,’ said George after a while. ‘Five sets of Lockhart books! And Ginny needs robes and a wand and everything …’
    Harry said nothing. He felt a bit awkward. Stored in an underground vault at Gringotts in London was a small fortune that his parents had left him. Of course, it was only in the wizarding world that he had money; you couldn’t use Galleons, Sickles and Knuts in Muggle shops. He had never mentioned his Gringotts bank account to the Dursleys; he didn’t think their horror of anything connected with magic would stretch to a large pile of gold.
    *
    Mrs Weasley woke them all early the following Wednesday. After a quick half-a-dozen bacon sandwiches each, they pulled on their coats and Mrs Weasley took a flowerpot off the kitchen mantelpiece and peered inside.
    ‘We’re running low, Arthur,’ she sighed. ‘We’ll have to buy some more today … ah well, guests first! After you, Harry dear!’
    And she offered him the flowerpot.
    Harry stared at them all watching him.
    ‘W-what am I supposed to do?’ he stammered.
    ‘He’s never travelled by Floo powder,’ said Ron suddenly. ‘Sorry, Harry, I forgot.’
    ‘Never?’ said Mr Weasley. ‘But how did you get to Diagon Alley to buy your school things last year?’
    ‘I went on the Underground –’
    ‘Really?’ said Mr Weasley eagerly. ‘Were there escapators ? How exactly –’
    ‘Not now, Arthur,’ said Mrs Weasley. ‘Floo powder’s a lot quicker, dear, but goodness me, if you’ve never used it before –’
    ‘He’ll be all right, Mum,’ said Fred. ‘Harry, watch us first.’
    He took a pinch of glittering powder out of the flowerpot, stepped up to the fire and threw the powder into the flames.
    With a roar, the fire turned emerald green and rose higher than Fred, who stepped right into it, shouted, ‘Diagon Alley!’ and vanished.
    ‘You must speak clearly, dear,’ Mrs Weasley told Harry, as George dipped his hand into the flowerpot. ‘And mind you get out at the right grate …’
    ‘The right what?’ said Harry nervously, as the fire roared and whipped George out of sight