Douglas Holmes addressed the group with a reassuring smile.
"My house isn't far from London—about a forty-minute drive. So, we'll need to take taxis to get there. Given that... well, some of you might not be too familiar with Muggle transportation, we'll need to split up into smaller groups."
Mr. Weasley's eyes sparkled with excitement.
"Are we going to the bus station first? Honestly, I've always wanted to see what a real bus station looks like—"
He was cut off by Mrs. Weasley's sharp look.
"Arthur! We'll do exactly as Douglas says—no wandering off on your own!
And George—no, Fred—whichever one you are, don't go poking at things!"
Compared to the Weasleys' lively chatter, the Grangers seemed a bit more reserved.
"Professor Holmes," Mr. Granger ventured, "would it be all right if my wife, Hermione, and I joined you? I drove here myself, so I can take a few passengers."
Douglas feigned surprise, then grinned.
"Of course! I was planning to invite you both anyway. No need to be nervous—I'll be Hermione's teacher soon, after all."
He turned to the rest of the group.
"Here's how we'll do it: Mr. Weasley and George, you'll ride with Mr. Granger.
Hermione, you take Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, and Ron in a cab.
Harry and Percy will come with me.
Anyone have any objections?"
He was immediately met with the twins' dramatic wailing.
"George!"
"Oh, no, Fred!"
"We don't want to be separated!"
It almost looked like Douglas would have to physically pry them apart. He'd intentionally placed each twin with a parent—just in case anyone needed reigning in. Who knew what kind of mischief they might get up to on the road?
Hermione, ever practical, piped up,
"Professor, you haven't told us your address! How will my parents drive there otherwise?"
Douglas smacked his forehead, then shot Hermione an approving look.
"Good catch. I live at 18 Rose Street, Surrey. I'll flag down a few taxis and we'll all head out together. Hermione, Mr. Granger, just follow us—wait, what's wrong?"
He noticed several of the children gawking at him, then at Harry Potter.
Harry, eyes wide with excitement, blurted,
"Professor—I live at 4 Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey! That's only two streets away from Rose Street!"
Now it was Douglas's turn to gape. He'd never realized that Harry's childhood home was so close to his own. He tried to recall the details—he'd always remembered Grimmauld Place in London, but not Privet Drive's exact location.
Why hadn't he written all this down when he first arrived in this world? Still, he did recall that Privet Drive was near where his distant cousin—who used to call him a jinx—lived.
Seeing the hope in Harry's eyes, Douglas remembered that, after all, he was still just a twelve-year-old boy. He patted Harry's shoulder.
"That close, eh? Well, whenever I'm home, you're welcome to visit."
Mr. Granger quickly added,
"Professor Holmes, we live in the London suburbs, so Surrey isn't far for us either. If it's all right, could Hermione come by sometime?"
Before Douglas could answer, the Weasley kids all clamored that they wanted to visit too.
Douglas didn't bother to hide his exasperation.
"If Miss Granger's interested, of course she can visit. But The Burrow is all the way out in the country—you lot just want an excuse for an adventure. All right, everyone, let's find our rides and get going."
He suddenly felt a headache coming on. Couldn't they tell he was just being polite? Why did they all have to take it so seriously?
Maybe he should just cast a Memory Charm and make them all forget what he'd said...
Before long, everyone was sorted into cars, the drivers briefed on the route and fare. They soon arrived at Douglas's house.
Douglas paid the drivers, and the group spilled out onto the pavement, each with their own reaction. The twins immediately threw themselves into a dramatic embrace, wailing about their "long separation"—only for Mrs. Weasley to break them up with a stern glare.
Harry Potter surveyed the neighborhood, then whispered to Ron and Hermione,
"I've actually been here before. Before Hogwarts, Dudley chased me all the way to this street—oh, Dudley's my Muggle cousin. When we got home, Aunt Petunia actually scolded both of us and told us never to go near Rose Street again."
Hermione speculated,
"Maybe your aunt knew the Professor lived here, so she didn't want you getting close? You told us your family hates anything to do with magic."
Harry shook his head.
"No way. Look how young the Professor is—there's no way they'd know each other."
The Grangers looked around at the perfectly ordinary front garden, a far cry from the magical, mysterious home they'd imagined. Watching Douglas bargain with the taxi driver and calculate the fare so quickly only made them like him more.
Inside, everyone set down their bags. The house was nothing like The Burrow—it was a proper Muggle home, with every modern appliance imaginable, and even the latest gaming console.
Douglas told the kids to make themselves at home and offered them some pastries. He made it clear that the study was off-limits—after all, it was filled with original manuscripts and his prized, custom-built computer. He didn't want anything accidentally dismantled.
He headed for the kitchen, with Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Granger following to help. Mrs. Weasley was a wiz at magical housekeeping, but when it came to Chinese cooking, she could only lend a hand.
In the living room, the Weasley kids at first tried to behave under the Professor's watchful eye. But it didn't take long for Mr. Weasley's curiosity—and Mr. Granger's enthusiastic explanations—to get the better of them. Soon, the twins and Ginny were investigating the refrigerator, debating whether there was a Permanent Freezing Charm on it and plotting how to take it apart. Mr. Granger quickly intervened, explaining the Muggle science behind it.
Harry guided Ron through the basics of the game console—he'd secretly played on Dudley's before, so it wasn't completely new to him. Soon, Ron and Percy were bickering over the television controls, while Hermione and Harry tried to keep the peace.
Watching the chaos, Mr. Granger shuddered—he'd once considered inviting the Weasleys over to his own house, but now he wondered if his home would survive the visit.
Dinner was bountiful—at least, from the Weasley and Granger families' perspective. At the table, Mr. Holmes gave a warm welcome, expressing how delighted he was to host both families. The Weasleys and Grangers, in turn, thanked him for his hospitality and thoughtful arrangements.
Conversation soon turned to the differences between the Muggle and magical worlds. Mr. Weasley peppered the Grangers with questions, with Douglas chiming in to fill the gaps. They even discussed the recent collapse of a certain major country, comparing its impact in both the Muggle and wizarding communities.
Douglas expressed heartfelt sympathy for Harry's run-in with the house-elf and the subsequent warning from the Ministry of Magic. Under the twins' pleading—and Mrs. Weasley's stern gaze—he promised to keep a close eye on them at Hogwarts.
After three hours of lively conversation and laughter, the dinner party drew to a close. The Weasleys and Grangers returned to London, each family heading home with memories of an evening that would be hard to forget.
~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~
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