Harry Potter sat in the back compartment of the Hogwarts express alone and
anxious, looking out of the window and into the snow-tipped mountains in
the distance. He knew quite well that this was the last, precious year at
his school, Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry.
This was not the first time he'd wished that he was released from school at age fifty rather than eighteen. His birthday this year had been unlike his others, forgotten and unknown. The only ones who remembered it were his friends from school and Hagrid, the games keeper.
The card had been simple, with the words "HAPEE 18TH HARRY" printed in scrawl on the front, but the gesture was not unforgotten. Munching on a chocolate frog, he diverted his thoughts to a much less depressing thought; his friends. He knew the end would come, but he certainly did not have to think about it now.
As if to read his mind, Hermione Granger and a disgruntled looking Ron Weasly burst through the compartment doors, followed by Ginny, Ron's sister, who looked annoyed. Harry knew at once the two were fighting. Hermione sat down silently in the seat behind Harry, keeping well out of the sibling rivalry.
"YOU PROMISED NOT TO TELL!" Ron bellowed at his sister.
"WELL WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" screamed Ginny back.
"YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW!" yelled Ron as if Ginny was three hundred feet away from him.
"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ONE THEN WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY NO?" asked Ginny.
"YOU PRAT, SOMEONE ALREADY SIGNED ME UP ANONOMOUSLY! IF I EVER FOUND OUT WHO DID IT I'D.," Ron made a particularly fierce movement with his hands.
Harry saw Hermione's face turn beet red before she slipped farther into her seat. He knew that whatever she had done, she meant well. "What did she do?" asked Harry quietly, taking Hermione's approach and being as quiet as possible. Ron sank into the seat next to him with a muffled thud and covered his forehead with his hand.
"Ginny told mum I'm a prefect," said Ron in nothing more than a tiny mumble.
"What?" asked Harry cautiously.
"I'm a prefect!" groaned Ron. Harry had heard him, but he couldn't believe his ears. Ron Weasly, a prefect? It was absurd! Ron had been at Harry's side every time he had gotten caught breaking the rules.
"I shouldn't have studied so hard last year," said Ron. "I've learned my lesson." Usually at this time, Hermione would tell Ron off, but she was still as quiet as a mouse. "Ginny told mum, and now she's PROUD of me. Can you believe it? This is cruel and unusual punishment!" said Ron.
Ginny sat down gracefully beside Harry and looked down at the floor. A large lock of fiery red hair fell into her face, and Harry suddenly had an unusual urge to pull it back behind her ear and tell her it was no big deal. He reached up, stopped, and thought better of it. But, as the train rode farther north, Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny had indeed grown since summer.
This was not the first time he'd wished that he was released from school at age fifty rather than eighteen. His birthday this year had been unlike his others, forgotten and unknown. The only ones who remembered it were his friends from school and Hagrid, the games keeper.
The card had been simple, with the words "HAPEE 18TH HARRY" printed in scrawl on the front, but the gesture was not unforgotten. Munching on a chocolate frog, he diverted his thoughts to a much less depressing thought; his friends. He knew the end would come, but he certainly did not have to think about it now.
As if to read his mind, Hermione Granger and a disgruntled looking Ron Weasly burst through the compartment doors, followed by Ginny, Ron's sister, who looked annoyed. Harry knew at once the two were fighting. Hermione sat down silently in the seat behind Harry, keeping well out of the sibling rivalry.
"YOU PROMISED NOT TO TELL!" Ron bellowed at his sister.
"WELL WHAT WAS I SUPPOSED TO DO?" screamed Ginny back.
"YOU WEREN'T EVEN SUPPOSED TO KNOW!" yelled Ron as if Ginny was three hundred feet away from him.
"IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE ONE THEN WHY DON'T YOU JUST SAY NO?" asked Ginny.
"YOU PRAT, SOMEONE ALREADY SIGNED ME UP ANONOMOUSLY! IF I EVER FOUND OUT WHO DID IT I'D.," Ron made a particularly fierce movement with his hands.
Harry saw Hermione's face turn beet red before she slipped farther into her seat. He knew that whatever she had done, she meant well. "What did she do?" asked Harry quietly, taking Hermione's approach and being as quiet as possible. Ron sank into the seat next to him with a muffled thud and covered his forehead with his hand.
"Ginny told mum I'm a prefect," said Ron in nothing more than a tiny mumble.
"What?" asked Harry cautiously.
"I'm a prefect!" groaned Ron. Harry had heard him, but he couldn't believe his ears. Ron Weasly, a prefect? It was absurd! Ron had been at Harry's side every time he had gotten caught breaking the rules.
"I shouldn't have studied so hard last year," said Ron. "I've learned my lesson." Usually at this time, Hermione would tell Ron off, but she was still as quiet as a mouse. "Ginny told mum, and now she's PROUD of me. Can you believe it? This is cruel and unusual punishment!" said Ron.
Ginny sat down gracefully beside Harry and looked down at the floor. A large lock of fiery red hair fell into her face, and Harry suddenly had an unusual urge to pull it back behind her ear and tell her it was no big deal. He reached up, stopped, and thought better of it. But, as the train rode farther north, Harry couldn't help but notice that Ginny had indeed grown since summer.