Gerald paused slightly, and the flying sword hovered about two meters above the ground.
He looked down at the little girl, and a name flashed through his mind.
Ginny Weasley.
The youngest child of the Weasley family, and their only daughter.
"Ginny! Who are you talking to?" Molly Weasley's voice came from inside, and then the door opened.
Molly held a wooden spoon that was still dripping water. She glanced at Ginny first, then spotted Gerald hovering in the yard on his flying sword.
"Who are you? Oh, it's you, dear! We met at Winkle's Second-Hand Robes in Diagon Alley! Your name's Gerald, isn't it? Fred and George have been going on about you all summer. Every day at mealtimes, they ask when Gerald's coming. They've practically talked my ears off!"
She stuffed the wooden spoon into her apron pocket, hurried down the steps, and waved up at Gerald.
"Come down, come down! Don't fly so high. It's dangerous!"
Although Molly Weasley didn't know why Gerald was flying on a sword, she had seen enough of the world not to be surprised.
She had lived through the First Wizarding War with Arthur in her youth and seen all sorts of strange magical items and flying contraptions.
Gerald quickly jumped off the sword, put it away with a casual beckoning gesture, and gave Molly Weasley a slight bow.
"Mrs. Weasley, sorry to drop in unannounced. Fred said-"
"Fred! George! Your school friend's here!"
She turned and called into the house, then took Gerald by the wrist without waiting for a response and pulled him inside.
"Come on, come inside. It's hot out. I'll get you a glass of pumpkin juice."
The interior of the Burrow was almost exactly as Gerald had imagined.
The living room wasn't large, but it was packed