Arthur still had to go to work at the Ministry of Magic, but he took half a day off.
He dropped Ron and the others off at Charing Cross Road and then left in a hurry.
Mrs. Weasley led Ron and Harry the rest of the way and into the Leaky Cauldron.
Bald old Tom was wiping glasses when he spotted Harry right away. "Oh! Harry! Today must be the first day of school, right?"
"Why are you back?" He thought he was too young, and glanced at the clock to check the time. "You missed the Hogwarts Express?"
"Yes! Luckily, my Ron is sensible!" Mrs. Weasley was in a good mood, smiling as she spoke to old Tom. "It's just a small matter; Arthur went back to the Ministry of Magic to have someone check it out."
"This kind of thing definitely needs to be investigated thoroughly, otherwise it will be troublesome if problems arise again." Old Tom nodded in agreement. "What would you like?"
In a good mood, Mrs. Weasley showed her affection by patting Ron's head and asking, "What would you like to drink?"
Ron usually ate at home, so he was a little unaccustomed to this kind of question. "How about... hot chocolate?"
Mrs. Weasley looked to the side. "Harry, what about you?"
Harry scratched his head and finally said, "I wish I were like Ron."
Mrs. Weasley ordered, "Tom, two hot chocolates…no alcohol in them! You've done it before."
Old Tom had no teeth, and his smile had a strangely comical quality.
He chuckled and said, "I only went along with it because I saw you and Arthur coming together..."
"Alright, that's enough!" Mrs. Weasley glared at old Tom.
She bent down and instructed Ron and Harry, "Sit here for a while. Arthur will send a message to Hogwarts, and a professor will come to pick you up soon."
Harry asked curiously, "Won't it be too late to deliver the letter? The owl has to fly to Hogwarts, it shouldn't be that fast, right?"
"It's another way." Mrs. Weasley shook her head. "You all sit here for a while, I'll wait for the news at the door."
The Leaky Cauldron was, after all, a pub, and the variety of food it offered was limited, and the taste was, to put it mildly, disappointing.
Ron and Harry drank a cup of hot chocolate and ate two pieces of toast with butter.
"I want to eat chicken legs..." Ron missed the Hogwarts opening dinner.
As it approached two o'clock in the afternoon, Mrs. Weasley grew anxious and instructed Ron and the others, "You sit here, I'll go ask Arthur."
As Mrs. Weasley's figure disappeared, Harry rocked his chair listlessly. "Ron, who do you think will come to pick us up?"
Ron tilted his head and guessed, "It should be Professor McGonagall, right? She's our Dean!"
Harry offered his own suggestion, "Professor McGonagall should be it, or Hagrid would be nice too!"
"That's true!" Ron nodded in agreement.
"Anyway, it can't be Snape!" the two said in unison.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to grant your wish." A cold voice came from the doorway.
The sound sent a shiver down the spines of both Ron and Harry.
Darkness suddenly enveloped the Leaky Cauldron. Snape was still dressed in his black robes, his face as cold as frost.
He blocked the entrance to the Leaky Cauldron, blocking out all the light that could get in.
A gentle breeze occasionally drifted into the bar, allowing light to struggle through the edges of the robes and into the interior.
"Hiss..." Harry and Ron exchanged a glance and gasped in unison.
Snape strode closer to them and looked down at them, asking, "Just the two of you?"
"And my mother…" Ron said weakly, "She didn't see anyone and then she went out."
"Then wait for her, and once she returns, we'll set off." Snape didn't sit down, continuing to scrutinize Harry and Ron. "The platform entrance is blocked?"
"Hmm…" Ron and Harry simply nodded.
Snape raised an eyebrow. "Mr. Weasley, didn't Professor McGonagall emphasize direct communication as a matter of courtesy?"
"Uh…" Ron stiffly raised his head, feeling that his good luck had run out.
Snape crossed his arms. "Is there anything else? What did you do after you found the entrance was sealed?"
"We packed our things…and then went back to wait for Mom and Dad." Ron's voice grew weaker and weaker.
He now had a strong feeling that he was utterly exposed, like an empty chocolate cup on the table, and Snape could spot any residue at the bottom with just a glance.
"Tsk…" Snape frowned, his tone full of regret, "Gryffindor is really clever. I thought you guys would hijack a Muggle train and make it run to Hogwarts…"
"Severus Snape?" Mrs. Weasley appeared like a hero, standing protectively in front of Ron and Harry. "Hogwarts sent you to pick them up."
"This is bad news," Snape said, pursing his lips. "Professor McGonagall needs to conduct the Sorting Ceremony, so I came here."
"Alright..." Mrs. Weasley said with a hint of helplessness, but didn't say anything more.
"Let's go then," Snape said, and led the way out of the Leaky Cauldron.
The group walked through the streets until they came to an open, empty lot ahead.
A strange carriage was parked in the lot. Although there were no horses pulling it, the wheels would occasionally shake.
"If that's it, then we can make it to the opening banquet." Mrs. Weasley breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the carriage.
She helped load the luggage onto the carriage, hugged Ron and Harry goodbye, and said, "Be careful on the road and behave well at school."
"I understand, Mom!" Ron nodded.
Harry did the same. "I will, Mrs. Weasley."
The two looked at the carriage with curiosity, but they didn't know how they would get to the school.
Snape stood outside the door, only sticking his wand inside. "Put your head in!"
Ron and Harry exchanged a glance, then obediently did as they were told, leaning their heads closer.
"Disillusionment Charm!"
After the spell was cast, both Ron and Harry felt a tingling sensation spread across their skin, blending them seamlessly with their surroundings, as if they had merged with the air itself.
To their astonishment, they discovered that they had become nearly invisible, their forms fading into the background...
"What is this, Ron? Where are you?" Harry reached out haphazardly and touched Ron's ear.
"Behave yourselves! We're about to leave!" Snape frowned and cast a spell on the carriage, the luggage, and himself, "Disillusionment Charm!"
Once everything was ready, Harry and Ron heard the creaking of the wheels turning, and the carriage tilted instantly, lifting them into the air as they ascended up the surrounding buildings.
In the blink of an eye, they were already in the air.
"I used to be afraid of heights…" Ron's voice was tinged with fear, "Harry…look down…"
Harry was confused, but following Ron's instructions, he looked down and saw buildings getting smaller and smaller.
Before they knew it, they had flown high into the sky, surrounded by clouds.
Both of them had only one thought in their minds:
If I'd known I'd be flying to school anyway... I'd rather drive myself to Hogwarts than be picked up and dropped off by Snape!
….
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