Disclaimer: I forgot to add one last chapter, so here it is. And make it count for the whole rest of the story too...I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. Savvy?

A/N: I'm just going to tell you now...it's not really my goal to remain 100 truthful to OotP...I'll do my best, but it's not like I'm going to look up certain scenes to make sure I get the details all exactly right. 1) I'm lazy, & 2) well...I'm lazy. Also, there might some scenes out of order, & I'm putting Katie in 7th year. I'm sorry to all of those who I offend, but I mean...it's not like J.K. Rowling really bothered to inform us of the fact until OotP, so, I'm just stuck in my ways I guess. & who doesn't love a Katie in the same year with the twins? Right, well, I'm off my soapbox now. Thanks for reviewing last chapter, & for those of you who said you don't like Melanie...you rock. Haha. See, I sort of based her off this girl I know in real life & um...yeah. Haha. So enjoy the next chappy, & please review if you would.

/Little Miss Mary Sunshine...

Everybody's favorite girl/

--"Mary", Saving Jane

Melanie was all amazement when we walked into the Great Hall. She kept turning around and staring and pointing at various things. I sort of wished Hogwarts wasn't so clean so maybe a fly or something would buzz right into that wide, gaping mouth. However, I kept my thoughts to myself in case my judgement was a bit premature.

"Oh Em Gee!" she squealed, pointing to the ceiling. "It looks exactly like what the sky looked like when we were outside!"

"It's enchanted to look like the sky," I replied dully "Don't wet yourself."

Melanie attempted to laugh, but looked slightly hurt. Fred rescued me. "By the way, Mel," he said, putting his arm around her like she was his younger sister and pointing to me, "She jokes all the time, too."

A look of understanding dawned on her. "Ohhhhh," she said slowly and then laughed. "You're so funny, Katie," she said, grinning.

The sensors in my head that told me something was annoying me started to go off, but I smiled at her anyway. Fred raised his eyebrows at me a couple of times behind Melanie's head to share the moment which we both clearly found funny. I smirked at him and we all sat down at the Gryffindor table. Just as we were starting conversations with others, Georgianna Caruthers, a Ravenclaw and my assistant editor at the Hogwarts Herald, came up to me.

"Katie," she said excitedly, long blonde curls bouncing, "The polls are in! You're the most fashionable in our year for the third year in a row!"

I grinned and gave Angelina and Alicia high-fives. "Thank you," I said, "Thank you very much." I was imitating some old muggle rock star I'd seen on my great aunt Augusta's telefishing box once. Alicia, at least, appreciated it. And so, it seemed, did Melanie.

"Hahahahahaha! Oh, Katie, that was a good one!" she giggled. I looked at her a little, and then forced a smile.

"Thanks," I replied.

"Anyway," Georgianna continued, "I have the rest of the polls for you, if you want to take that article again."

I thought about it. "Yeah, alright," I said. "Editors-in-cheif have to know who's who around the school after all." I grinned, flashing her my news editor badge and attempting to do an impressions of a certain elder Weasley brother who had already left Hogwarts. Georgianna laughed and went back to her table.

"Ooh, Katie, you're the editor of the school newspaper?" Melanie asked excitedly.

"Yeah, why?"

"I'm signed up for that class! You see, I was the editor at my old school. How exciting that we get to work together!"

I could only manage a smile, muttering to myself, "Yeah, that'll be a real peach."

Angelina cast me a glance that warned me to lay off. Before I had the chance to reply however, we were interrupted by Professor McGonogall. I decided to give the old bird some shaking up to start her year off.

"McGonagoll!" I shouted, causing her to leap back a little in surprise. She immediatly composed herself, however, and straightening her glasses said, "Miss Bell, I would do well to remind you that you are on school grounds again, and that kind of overzealousness which is appropriate at quidditch matches may not always be acceptable here."

I ignored that. "You missed me, didn't you, Professor? I know you missed me." I grinned up at he as cheekily as I could manage, gaingin exactly the kind of dry reply I had been aiming for.

"Yes, Miss Bell," she said sardonically. "I was lying on the beach at Seaside thinking, 'What one of my students do I miss the most? Oh yes, the answer is of course Kathryn Bell.' "

I grinned and she rolled her eyes, turning to Melanie. "Miss Crow," she said authoritatively, "If you'll follow me, we'll get you sorted along with the rest of the first years."

"Alright, Ma'am," Melanie said cheerfully, getting up to follow the professor.

As soon as she's disappeared, I let out an audible sigh of relief. George looked at me curiously.

"What?" he asked.

"That girl," I replied. "Melanie. She's kind of daft."

"I don't know about daft," Alicia replied, always trying to be the mediator. "She just doesn't know much, being muggle-born and all. That's just the way I was."

"No," I argued. "At least you were your own person. She seems a little eager to be pleased with everything and having everyone be pleased with her."

"So she's a little sugary sweet," Angelina said. "Big deal. Let's give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she's just trying to make new friends. Besides, no one ever hurt anybody else by being nice."

"Good point, Ange," Fred agreed. "You know, you could use a little sweetness yourself, Kat. Maybe it would do you some good if Miss Melanie Crow got placed in Gryffindor."

I slugged him in the arm.

"Ow!" he cried, pretending to be mortally wounded. "See!" he said, pointing to me. "See what I mean?"

The others laughed, and then Lee put in his opinion. "You know, as much as she migh be a good influence on the girls, I'm really seeing her as more of a Ravenclaw."

I almost spit out my pumpkin juice from laughing. "Ravenclaw?" I cried. "You've got to be kidding. That girl's a Hufflepuff if I've ever seen one."

"Or maybe she has a dark side," George interjected. "Maybe she'll be in Slytherin and end up losing that schoolgirl virginity to Warrington, or someone like that."

The table collectively groaned as Angelina interrupted, "Anyway it goes, she won't be with us. She just doesn't seem to have the stuff to be a--"

"GRYFFINDOR!"

Our heads turned to see who the brand new Gryffindor would be and everyone's mouths dropped as Melanie Crow strode over to the table, a giant grin on her face.

"How about that?" she cried as she again joined us. "I'm with you guys! How lucky!"

"How lucky indeed," I said emotionlessly, emptying my pumpkin juice in one swig."

Our first night as seventh years was spent lounging around by the fire and talking aimlessly as Fred and George tried out their wings making some first years perform some ridiculous stunts until Hermione Granger yelled at them to stop. I think if they'd really wanted to keep going they would have, but the annoyance of a bushy haird, bossy fifth year was enought to make them decide it would be better if they didn't. Personally, I was amused, but my opinion didn't really carry much weight with authority. It never had, actually. Maybe I hung out too much with the Weasley twins and Lee. We all seemed to bring out the worst in each other. Especially now that Hermione had gone to bed.

"Make that one act like a duck," I instructed, pointing to a tiny blonde haired girl with glasses that was struggling to convince her friends that it was alright to sit closer to the fire.

"Oy!" Fred called to the girl. She walked over, trying to appear confident but failing miserably as she kept turning around and beckoning urgently to her friends to follow her.

"You want to sit here?" Fred asked her, motioning to our chairs around the fire. She nodded vigorously.

Alicia, who had never much liked this game, said, "Sure you can, sweetie, we can spare room."

"Now hold on a minute, 'Leesh," said George, holding his hand up to silence his girlfried. "We don't know if she's cool enough to sit with us yet."

Fred nodded. "That's right, George. We need to see you perform a task first," he said, addressing the small girl who looked up at him defyingly.

"And what's that?" she retorted.

"Oh-ho!" cried Fred. "I just love the ones who are so eager to show off their Gryffindor spirit, don't you, Lee?"

Lee nodded. "Quite humbling, really, to see them start out so young." He pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. I laughed.

"Now, my friend Katie here would like to see you do a duck," Fred said, pointing to me. "You think you can manage?"

"And why do I have to be a duck?" she said, as though daring us to respond.

"I like this one, Fred," I said, laughing.

"Yeah, because she reminds you of you," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Ah, but you asked me out that same first year," I retorted, grinning at him cheekily, to which he responded by injury and said,

"I never really have recovered from that blow, you know." He massaged his heart. "Still hurts--right here. And you know how I'm going to cope with it?" He turned to the girl. "Do a duck if you want to sit here."

"But why?"

"Because Katie wants you to, that's why. And because I'm angry she won't have me."

"So guy buy her flowers or something like a normal person. Big deal."

"I don't like your cheek, Miss," Fred said, obviously starting to get annoyed by the eleven year old that was defying him. "This is more romantic..."

She rolled her eyes. "Fine," she said. "But only because I want to sit there, not to help either of you. She's mean and you're meaner. You're perfect for each other."

We both laughed raucously as George and Lee looked on amused, and Alicia and Angelina exchanged glances, probably debating whether or not they should interfere.

The little blonde girl rolled her eyes and did a very impressive impression of a duck. She even bobbed her head.

"Quaaaaack. Quaaaaaaack!"

We were all dying of laughter by the time she stopped and returned to her feet, not very much taller than she was on her knees. She put her hands on her tiny hips.

"Satisfied?" she asked.

"Yes, very," Fred said, laughing and standing up to give over his chair to the 1st year. She just looked at him.

"Aren't you two gonna kiss?" she asked. "I did what you asked."

We all laughed and Fred grinned at me, raising his eyebrows. I rolled my eyes and gave him a slight peck on the cheek. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Melanie coming down from the stairs and looking slightly surprised. I drew back quickly.

"Better?" I asked.

She looked at me. "I guess."

"I'll settle," Fred said cheerily. "Ah, Dear Miss Melanie! Settled, are we?"

She grinned. "Yeah, actually! This rooms are so nice. So much better than my girls' school back home!"

"I'm glad to hear it," George joined in. "Well, I think I'm going to turn in for the night. Have to rest my mind for the scholastic endevours that await me tomorrow."

Alicia laughed. "As if," she said, but kissed him goodnight and stood up herself.

Angelina and Lee also seperated and bid their goodnights. Melanie sat down smiling in front of Fred and I. She was clearly waiting for one of us to begin a conversation. I sort of wished she would go away, but I smiled anyway.

"What bed did you pick?" I asked.

"Ooh, there's this so fun one by the window. I set my stuff up there."

I started a little, and then just said "Oh..."

"Why?" she cried instantly. "Is something wrong with that bed?"

"Oh, no," I said, waving my hand dismissively. "It's no big deal, I'll just...take whatever new one they put it here."

"Oh no!" she said. "Oh gosh, I didn't even think...there were only three! That means I took your spot! Oh Em Gee, what do I do?"

I frowned inwardly, but checked my emotions. "I'll just camp out on the floor I guess...it's no big. Ange will lend me her blanket or something. We'll talk to McGonogall or someone in the morning."

She looked uneasy.

"It's okay, Kate's good about stuff like that," Fred said bracingly, giving me a glance.

"Okay! Great!" she said. "Well, I'll be off to bed then!"

Finally.

"Sorry, Kate," Fred said immediately after Melanie exited.

I shrugged. "Whatever..."

"Hey," he said. "I have something for you...it's a toast to our great year we're gonna have. Sort of...I actually just picked it up because I knew they were your favorite. But you can pretend it had more meaning if you want."

He grinned at me.

"Fred, are you serious! You bought me--"

He pulled them out of his bag and tossed them to me.

"Fizzing whizbees!" I cried. "Ah, Fred, you're the best. Thanks."

And I tackled him on the couch in a bear hug which he returned, messing my hair up as well.

"Goodnight, Kate," he laughed, pushing me off the couch.

"'Night, Fred."

In a slightly better mood, I ran up the stairs to the very top where the 7th years slept and opened the door. Angelina and Alicia looked up nervously as I walked in, casting glances on the bed which Melanie was currently occupying. The only thing that surprised me was the way my bed now looked. I stared in shock at the fuzzy pink pillows and stuffed animals that clogged up most of the bedspread. She had muggle pictures of her iceskating, posing with some old people at what looked like a hospital, her giving some free handouts to some scruffy looking people, and her and obviously her best friend. I closed my mouth again, didn't say a word, and started to make up my bed on the floor.

"I'm sorry, Katie, when we got up here..." Alicia whispered.

I shook my head. "It's alright. I'm fine."

"Who's the candy from?" Angelina asked, getting into bed.

"Fred," I replied, placing them safely inside my trunk.

"Ooh, that was nice of him!" Melanie gushed, and then paused. "Katie, are you two a couple? I saw you kiss him on the cheek when I walked down..."

I laughed. "No, we're not." I slightly frowned, realizing that that was the first time I'd ever kissed anyone, even though it was only on the cheek. I was lame. Whatever.

"Oh, good," Melanie said relieved.

We all looked at her strangely. She colored a little.

"Because I think he's sort of cute," she said.