For the next week Scootaloo was true to her word and stuck to Molly’s side like glue doing whatever her aunt asked of her to Apple Bloom’s and Sweetie’s delight. Scootaloo and housework was the equivalent of nitroglycerin meeting fire; the only thing in question was the size of the resulting debris field. Watching Scootaloo fight with the vacuum cleaner Arthur had enchanted had been a particular highlight of the two girls' week. In truth Scootaloo had probably suffered the most from Harry’s daring rescue, but overall, she had actually enjoyed spending time with her aunt and getting to know her better.
It was a sunny Wednesday morning in mid-August when the CMC arrived at breakfast with letters from Hogwarts awaiting them. All Scootaloo’s and Sweetie’s informed them was that they once again needed to catch the Hogwarts Express from King’s Cross station on September 1st at 11:00am and that they required The Standard Book of Spells Grade 2. Apple Bloom’s was very similar but had also included an extra note and book from Professor Snape with a heavy chain wrapped around it with a padlock. The book was entitled Most Potente Potions and the note stated the following:
Dear Apple Butt,
The following book I have requested from the restricted area of the library for you to read thoroughly before your return as some of the potions within we will be attempting together over the course of your second year. DO NOT ATTEMPT ANY OF THESE BEFORE YOU RETURN OR I WILL EXPEL YOU MYSELF. Furthermore, be warned that some of the contents within this book are very disturbing and WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT LET THE BOOK OUT OF YOUR SIGHT, especially to either of your rather questionable friends and certain know-it-all Gryffindor. I am placing a high level of trust within you to keep this book safe and do as instructed, do not let me down,
Professor Severus Snape, Master of Potions, Hogwarts
The key to the padlock had been taped to the bottom of the note.
Molly had read the note over Apple Bloom’s shoulder with a look of shock, bewilderment and worry before exclaiming loudly while glowering at Fred and George, “If anyone dares to take a peek inside that book beside Apple Bloom, I’ll disown them and kick them into an orphanage myself. Do I make myself clear?”
A chorus of "Yes, Mum" and "Yes, Molly" reverberated around the table. Apple Bloom was practically jumping with joy at the gift she’d received despite Snape’s obvious attempt to wind her up with the name calling once again. She really did not like his pet name for her, although he at least only called her that when no one else was around.
“Apple Butt,” Scootaloo sniggered having silently snuck up behind Apple Bloom to read what Snape had sent her. “I like that one.”
All Scootaloo got in reply was a few questionable grunts and barks, before she felt a set of large teeth sink into her behind.
“YOW!” she exclaimed, “Get him off me! Get him off me!” she wailed dancing around the room with Wallace clamped onto her butt. This, ultimately, sent an assortment of kitchenware items flying all over the kitchen.
Apple Bloom barked and grunted once more and slowly Wallace released his grip before Apple Bloom threw him two sausages and a piece of bacon. Before he consumed his reward, the dog barked and whined some more.
“Scootaloo, Wallace says he’s sorry, but that he’ll do anything for sausages and bacon. Also, your arse tastes disgusting, like mouldy Swiss cheese apparently,” Apple Bloom translated to a series of laughs at the table.
“Good to know,” Scootaloo replied staring angrily at her friend while rubbing her now very sore behind.
“Hmm, very well done, I see you’ve been practicing my dear. But, next time, please don’t set Sweetie’s dog on my niece,” Molly interrupted while rubbing her chin, half distracted from reading Ginny’s, Ron’s and the twins' letters. As none of them were being tutored by Discord, they had each been asked to buy a further set of seven books by Gilderoy Lockhart. The new DADA teacher must be a fan and she was guessing Percy’s would show something similar.
“That lot won’t come cheap,” George said seeing the look of worry on Molly’s face. “Lockhart’s books are really expensive. You sure we can afford five sets of them Mum?”
“Well, we’ll manage somehow,” Molly sighed, her face etched with worry. “I expect we’ll be able to pick up a lot of Ginny’s things second-hand.”
Ginny’s head drooped.
“Oh, no,” Scootaloo interjected still rubbing her sore behind with her metallic hand. “No cousin of mine is going to Hogwarts looking like a tramp. Give me that. She reached out and plucked Ginny’s letter from Molly’s hand. “Uh huh, yep,” she murmured looking over what was required. “This is all totally doable and before you even attempt to argue I want you to think for a moment about how my parents would feel about their niece going to Hogwarts with second hand robes, out of date textbooks and sub-standard equipment when they’ve the income to assist in such matters. So, you worry about the books; me and the girls will worry about Ginny. Deal?” She stared stubbornly at Molly who held her gaze for a moment before letting out a resigned sigh.
“Fine,” she said before lifting her niece off the ground into a massive hug and whispering into her ear, “Thank you, so much,” before she turned to Ginny. “What do you have to say to your cousin Ginny?”
The other girl jumped up from her seat and launched herself into the hug screaming, “Room for one more?”
“Ouch, watch it, Ginny. My bottom is very sore right now,” Scootaloo said with a wince to a round of giggles around the table.
Arthur meanwhile was looking on with a warm smile across his lips while wiping a solitary tear of joy from his eye. He really couldn’t have asked for more in his life than the family that he’d been graced with.
The touching moment was broken when Percy suddenly appeared in the doorway of the kitchen.
“Morning all. What did I miss?” he said in a haughty tone preparing to squeeze into the final seat at the already cramped table.
“Scootaloo just offered to pay for all Ginny’s school equipment,” Arthur said with a sniffle of pride. “As a gift from Ginny’s departed aunt and uncle.”
“Wow, that’s very kind of, YOW,” Percy started before immediately leaping to his feet once more. He pulled a very sorry looking owl out from underneath him. To the untrained eye it would have probably looked like nothing more than a grey feather duster. “Errol?” He said in a quizzical tone, “How’d you get under there?”
“Errol!” cried Ron jumping up himself and grabbing Errol from Percy and extracting a letter from under his wing as he explained. “I sent Hermione a letter explaining we were going to try and rescue you Harry from the Dursleys.”
The excited boy tried to place Errol on his perch but the bird just kept falling off and so in the end he just left him lying on the draining board instead.
“Pathetic,” Ron grumbled to himself as he opened the letter.
“Well, what does it say?” Harry pressed.
Ron skimmed over the letter quickly. “She hopes you are okay, asks me to send any future letters via Wallace as she thinks another trip might finally finish Errol off, is somehow busy with school work and oh, she’s getting her new books from Diagon Alley next Wednesday and is asking if we’d like to join her?” Ron concluded looking up from the letter expectantly at his mother.
“That sounds delightful,” Molly replied with a smile.
“And while you’re writing the response to Hermione, I’ll write out one to Discord and then we’ll send Wallace,” Scootaloo stated.
“Oh, that reminds me, this is for you,” Ron added passing Scootaloo a small pink envelope sealed with a heart.
Scootaloo’s tanned face started to take on a more reddish hue as a number of sniggers and snickers broke out across the table.
“Th-thanks,” Scootaloo managed to muster with clear embarrassment pocketing the letter.
“Oh? Not going to share that one with us?” One of the twins enquired mercilessly to another round of sniggers and snickers.
“Frederick Weasley!” Molly admonished before Scootaloo interrupted her, a devilish smirk slowly replacing the embarrassment that had been etched across her face.
“It’s all right Molly. How about a little wager? Boys vs. girls at quidditch. You win, I reveal what’s in this letter at dinner tonight. We win, you buy us all ice creams at Fortescues next week,” Scootaloo suggested waving the letter enticingly in the air. “As long as Molly doesn’t require my help this morning?”
“No dear, I’ll be fine,” Molly replied, somewhat relieved to be free of her niece for a while. Although she meant well, she was terribly accident prone and often ended up creating twice as much work as to begin with! “Just write that letter and then go out and enjoy yourself. I think you’ve been punished enough.”
“Thanks Molly. So, what do you say or are you too chicken?” Scootaloo taunted proceeding to imitate a chicken.
“Pfft, you’re on. This’ll be the easiest bet we’ve ever won. Two of your team don’t even have brooms. And I’m George, Mum, not Fred,” George scoffed.
“Apple Butt, I mean Bloom,” Scootaloo said as she hastily looked around for Wallace and thankfully saw him settling down for a nap after his big breakfast. Apple Bloom meanwhile scowled at her but took no further action. Scootaloo shook her head to clear it and then opted to press on. “Apple Bloom hardly needs a broom and as for Ginny, well, was there anything else in the post this morning?” she finished turning her attention back to her aunt..
“Yes,” Molly replied placing an assortment of items into the sink. “It’s over there,” she added pointing to a distinctly broom-shaped parcel by the back door. “Although why you’d want another broom when you already have the best broom possible is beyond my understanding.”
Scootaloo turned and whispered into Ginny’s ear, with the girl still standing next to her. “Sorry it’s a day late. Anyway, being the captain of the Hufflepuff quidditch team means I have the power to allow any first years I like to bring their own broomstick to Hogwarts. It’s all yours. Happy belated birthday.”
Ginny’s eyes shot open and the squeal she emitted had everyone, aside Scootaloo, covering their ears as she raced over to the parcel and started ripping off the packaging.
Molly froze in making a start on the washing up. “You didn’t.”
Scootaloo gave her aunt the guiltiest look imaginable.
Molly groaned, her head hitting her right hand. “You did.”
Scootaloo turned her attention back to the table. “You know it’s not nice to tease, be selfish and exclude others. Maybe this will teach you all a lesson when you are eating her dust in an hour’s time.”
“A NIMBUS 2001! HOW?” Ginny squealed once more. “Best birthday gift ever.” She hugged the broomstick tightly to her chest.
Arthur grabbed Scootaloo by her T-shirt and pulled her in close, yet another tear in his eye. “You are truly amazing. I’ve honestly never seen her look so happy,” he whispered in Scootaloo’s ear before letting her go.
Molly had gone from holding her head in her hand to looking reproachfully at her niece.
Ron was looking jealously at his younger sister and the gift she’d received.
Percy was looking across at the twins with a smile on his lips.
Fred and George were looking at each other with equally concerned expressions.
“I feel dear brother of mine that we have been duped,” Fred said.
“Indeed,” George replied.
*
After breakfast had been cleared, the necessary letters written and sent, two for Hermione and one for Discord, and a large dollop of cream applied to Scootaloo’s bum, all of the children aside Percy were climbing a hill to a small paddock that the Weasleys owned. After last week’s incidents involving four broken windows in the Burrow and a rogue bludger breaking the village church clock, they were now banned from practicing in the orchard along with using real quidditch balls, thus were taking some apples with them to use instead.
“Wish I knew what perfect Percy was up to,” Fred said with a frown as they neared the top of the hill. “He’s not been himself since he came back this summer. Didn’t even bother gloating about his O.W.Ls.”
“Ordinary Wizarding Levels,” George explained to a puzzled-looking Harry.
“Maybe he’s got a girlfriend?” Scootaloo suggested with a giggle.
Fred and George looked at each other for a moment each pondering Scootaloo’s suggestion.
“Actually, scrap that idea. Who in their right mind would want to date pompous Percy?” Scootaloo swiftly added with a chuckle.
George shook the image from his mind and replied, “Good point. More chance of our exams being cancelled than Percy having a girlfriend. And thanks, by the way, for your help with the school equipment. Just buying five sets of Lockhart’s books alone is going to be hard enough for Mum and Dad.”
“Don’t mention it,” Scootaloo replied. “I’d like to do more, but I knew just getting her to agree to me buying all Ginny’s stuff was going to be hard enough. Anyway, we’re here, so what rules are we going by?” she said reaching out for the gate to the paddock.
*
A number of hours later they wandered back down the hill for lunch, the boys’ heads hung low in shame. With three superior brooms to one along with Apple Bloom constantly peppering them with apples that fell to the ground, it had turned out to be an annihilation, even without a Snitch. The girls had outscored the boys five hundred and seventy points to two hundred and thirty. Ginny in particular had been ruthless and relentless. Getting revenge for all the times her brothers had refused to let her join in with their quidditch games, she’d scored as many points on her new broom as all four of the boys had combined.
“My ribs are going to ache for a week!” Fred groaned rubbing them gingerly.
“Rather that than this massive lump on my head; Apple Bloom threw that apple so hard it exploded on contact! The juice is still stinging my eyes now!” Ron argued in reply.
"Sorry, I was having so much fun I maybe went a little overboard and wasn't looking exactly where I was throwing some of them," Apple Bloom giggled.
“Oh boys,” Scootaloo tittered entering the conversation. “What have we all learnt today?”
“Never play quidditch with Apple Bloom,” Ron grumbled in reply.
“Agreed,” both twins said simultaneously as a big smile adorned Apple Bloom’s face.
“And that girls are devious minxes when it comes to quidditch,” Harry agreed rubbing his left elbow.
“Also agreed,” the twins said once more.
“Good enough,” Scootaloo replied shrugging her shoulders as she skipped merrily down the hill back toward the Burrow alongside Apple Bloom, Ginny and Sweetie.