| s-201
| The edge of a brilliant red sun was now gleaming through the trees. |
| s-202
| Touchdown! said Fred as, with a slight bump, they hit the ground. |
| s-203
| They had landed next to a tumbledown garage in a small yard and Harry looked out for the first time at Ron's house. |
| s-204
| It looked as though it had once been a large stone pigsty, but extra rooms had been added here and there until it was several storeys high and so crooked it looked as though it was held up by magic (which, Harry reminded himself, it probably was). |
| s-205
| Four or five chimneys were perched on top of the red roof. |
| s-206
| Round the front door lay a jumble of wellington boots and a very rusty cauldron. |
| s-207
| Several fat brown chickens were pecking their way around the yard. |
| s-208
| They got out of the car. |
| s-209
| Then, Ron, you come bounding downstairs going, Mum, look who turned up in the night! and she'll be all pleased to see Harry and no one need ever know we flew the car. |
| s-210
| Ron had gone a nasty greenish colour, his eyes fixed on the house. |
| s-211
| The other three wheeled around. |
| s-212
| Mrs Weasley was marching across the yard, scattering chickens, and for a short, plump, kind-faced woman, it was remarkable how much she looked like a saber-toothed tiger. |
| s-213
| Mrs Weasley came to a halt in front of them, her hands on her hips, staring from one guilty face to the next. |
| s-214
| She was wearing a flowered apron with a wand sticking out of the pocket. |
| s-215
| So, she said. |
| s-216
| All three of Mrs Weasley's sons were taller than she was, but they cowered as her rage broke over them. |
| s-217
| No note! |
| s-218
| Car gone could have crashed out of my mind with worry did you care? never, as long as I've lived you wait until your father gets home, we never had trouble like this from Bill or Charlie or Percy |
| s-219
| It seemed to go on for hours. |
| s-220
| Mrs Weasley had shouted herself hoarse before she turned on Harry, who backed away. |
| s-221
| Come in and have some breakfast. |
| s-222
| She turned and walked back into the house and Harry, after a nervous glance at Ron, who nodded encouragingly, followed her. |
| s-223
| The kitchen was small and rather cramped. |
| s-224
| There was a scrubbed wooden table and chairs in the middle and Harry sat down on the edge of his seat, looking around. |
| s-225
| He had never been in a wizard house before. |
| s-226
| The clock on the wall opposite him had only one hand and no numbers at all. |
| s-227
| Books were stacked three deep on the mantelpiece, books with titles like Charm Your Own Cheese, Enchantment in Baking, and One Minute Feasts – It's Magic! |
| s-228
| Mrs Weasley was clattering around, cooking breakfast a little haphazardly, throwing dirty looks at her sons as she threw sausages into the frying pan. |
| s-229
| Arthur and I have been worried about you, too. |
| s-230
| Just last night we were saying we'd come and get you ourselves if you hadn't written back to Ron by Friday. |
| s-231
| She flicked her wand casually at the washing-up in the sink, which began to clean itself, clinking gently in the background. |
| s-232
| and you! said Mrs Weasley, but it was with a slightly softened expression that she started cutting Harry bread and buttering it for him. |
| s-233
| At that moment, there was a diversion in the form of a small, red-headed figure in a long nightdress, who appeared in the kitchen, gave a small squeal, and ran out again. |
| s-234
| Nothing more was said until all four plates were clean, which took a surprisingly short time. |
| s-235
| Blimey, I'm tired, yawned Fred, setting down his knife and fork at last. |
| s-236
| Oh, Mum – |
| s-237
| That's very sweet of you, dear, but it's dull work, said Mrs Weasley. |
| s-238
| And she pulled a heavy book from the stack on the mantelpiece. |
| s-239
| George groaned. |
| s-240
| Harry looked at the cover of Mrs Weasley's book. |
| s-241
| Written across it in fancy gold letters were the words: Gilderoy Lockhart's Guide to Household Pests. |
| s-242
| He'll be fine, Molly, don't fuss, said Mr Weasley, helping himself to Floo powder, too. |
| s-243
| Now, when you get into the fire, say where you're going – |
| s-244
| Or you might well fall out of the wrong fireplace – |
| s-245
| Trying hard to bear all this in mind, Harry took a pinch of Floo powder and walked to the edge of the fire. |
| s-246
| He took a deep breath, scattered the powder into the flames and stepped forward; the fire felt like a warm breeze; he opened his mouth and immediately swallowed a lot of hot ash. |
| s-247
| It felt as though he was being sucked down a giant plug hole. |
| s-248
| He seemed to be spinning very fast |
| s-249
| the roaring in his ears was deafening |
| s-250
| he tried to keep his eyes open but the whirl of green flames made him feel sick |
| s-251
| something hard knocked his elbow and he tucked it in tightly, still spinning and spinning |
| s-252
| now it felt as though cold hands were slapping his face |
| s-253
| squinting through his glasses he saw a blurred stream of fireplaces and snatched glimpses of the rooms beyond |
| s-254
| his bacon sandwiches were churning inside him. |
| s-255
| He closed his eyes again wishing it would stop, and then – he fell, face forward, onto cold stone and felt his glasses shatter. |
| s-256
| Dizzy and bruised, covered in soot, he got gingerly to his feet, holding his broken glasses up to his eyes. |
| s-257
| He was quite alone, but where he was, he had no idea. |
| s-258
| All he could tell was that he was standing in the stone fireplace of what looked like a large, dimly lit wizard's shop – but nothing in here was ever likely to be on a Hogwarts school list. |
| s-259
| A glass case nearby held a withered hand on a cushion, a blood-stained pack of cards, and a staring glass eye. |
| s-260
| Evil-looking masks stared down from the walls, an assortment of human bones lay upon the counter, and rusty, spiked instruments hung from the ceiling. |
| s-261
| Even worse, the dark, narrow street Harry could see through the dusty shop window was definitely not Diagon Alley. |
| s-262
| The sooner he got out of here, the better. |
| s-263
| Harry looked quickly around and spotted a large black cabinet to his left; he shot inside it and pulled the doors to leaving a small crack to peer through. |
| s-264
| Seconds later, a bell clanged, and Malfoy stepped into the shop. |
| s-265
| The man who followed could only be his father. |
| s-266
| He had the same pale, pointed face and identical cold grey eyes. |
| s-267
| I said I would buy you a racing broom, said his father, drumming his fingers on the counter. |
| s-268
| Special permission from Dumbledore so he could play for Gryffindor. |
| s-269
| Malfoy bent down to examine a shelf full of skulls. |
| s-270
| A stooping man had appeared behind the counter, smoothing his greasy hair back from his face. |
| s-271
| Mr Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you again, said Mr Borgin in a voice as oily as his hair. |
| s-272
| How may I be of assistance? |
| s-273
| The smile faded slightly from Mr Borgin's face. |
| s-274
| You have heard, of course, that the Ministry is conducting more raids, said Mr Malfoy, taking a roll of parchment from his inside pocket and unravelling it for Mr Borgin to read. |
| s-275
| Mr Borgin fixed a pince-nez to his nose and looked down the list. |
| s-276
| Mr Malfoy's lip curled. |
| s-277
| The name Malfoy still commands a certain respect, yet the Ministry grows ever more meddlesome. |
| s-278
| Harry felt a hot surge of anger. |
| s-279
| – and as you see, certain of these poisons might make it appear – |
| s-280
| Insert a candle and it gives light only to the holder! |
| s-281
| Best friend of thieves and plunderers! |
| s-282
| The teachers all have favourites, that Hermione Granger – |
| s-283
| Not with me, said Mr Malfoy, his long nostrils flaring. |
| s-284
| They started to haggle. |
| s-285
| Harry watched nervously as Draco drew nearer and nearer to his hiding place, examining the objects for sale. |
| s-286
| He paused to examine a long coil of hangman's rope and to read, smirking, the card propped on a magnificent necklace of opals: |
| s-287
| Caution: Do Not Touch. |
| s-288
| Cursed – Has Claimed the Lives of Nineteen Muggle Owners to Date. |
| s-289
| Draco turned away and saw the cabinet right in front of him. |
| s-290
| He walked forward he stretched out his hand for the handle |
| s-291
| Come, Draco! |
| s-292
| Harry wiped his forehead on his sleeve as Draco turned away. |
| s-293
| The moment the door had closed, Mr Borgin dropped his oily manner. |
| s-294
| Muttering darkly, Mr Borgin disappeared into a back room. |
| s-295
| Harry waited for a minute in case he came back, then, quietly as he could, slipped out of the cabinet, past the glass cases, and out of the shop door. |
| s-296
| Clutching his broken glasses to his face he stared around. |
| s-297
| He had emerged into a dingy alleyway that seemed to be made up entirely of shops devoted to the Dark Arts. |
| s-298
| The one he'd just left, Borgin and Burkes, looked like the largest, but opposite was a nasty window display of shrunken heads, and two doors down, a large cage was alive with gigantic black spiders. |
| s-299
| Two shabby-looking wizards were watching him from the shadow of a doorway, muttering to each other. |
| s-300
| Feeling jumpy, Harry set off, trying to hold his glasses on straight and hoping against hope he'd be able to find a way out of there. |