Decisions

Ginny returned Harry's hug, and they sat on the log for a while in each other's arms.

'Harry, there's just one more thing I want to talk about,' murmured Ginny when they finally withdrew from each other's embrace.

'What is it, sweetheart?' asked Harry.

'Are you coming back to Hogwarts next year?'

'I don't know. I guess I should, I mean I need to finish off my NEWT's to become an Auror,' replied Harry. Ginny shivered at the last word, making Harry say hurriedly: 'Of course, I could always find another career...'

'No, no, you shouldn't do that for me, I know you wouldn't be happy doing anything else. It's just that, I will always be worried that you won't come back in one piece, or that you won't come back at all,' sighed Ginny.

'Don't worry, I can look after myself. I mean, I managed to stay alive last year with Voldemort and his followers all wanting to kill me, and I was only just of age, unqualified and with a couple of equally unqualified teenagers. No offence to Ron and Hermione, of course. They were great,' soothed Harry.

'I guess. I should really get a grip on myself! I mean, you can't always be by my side!' said Ginny.

'Don't worry, I always want you to be by my side too, but it will get easier as time goes on. Anyway, I think I'll definitely come back to Hogwarts next year. I think it will be much more enjoyable with you by my side, and not having to worry that some sadistic maniac is trying to take over the world,' replied Harry.

Ginny smiled, and whispered: 'I think next year might be hard for me. I mean, last year was hell. It's going to be really hard to go back there, with all the memories. I'm glad you'll be with me.'

Harry kissed the top of her head. 'I'll always try and be with you.'

Hermione and Ron were trying to decide whether or not to go back to Hogwarts. They both vaguely knew what they wanted to do for a living, but they didn't know whether or not they needed to get NEWT's to do it.

'I definitely want to be a writer,' said Hermione, frowning over a list of pros and cons for Hogwarts and a career. 'But do you think I will be more successful with NEWTs? I'm not sure. I also want to work on elf rights though – I'll need qualifications for that.'

'I just want to work in Quidditch!' groaned Ron. 'Okay, I'm not going to make it as a player, I get that. But I'd like to interview players, go to matches, and try out brooms, whatever.'

'Do you think that going to Hogwarts would help that?' asked Ginny, who was sitting in Harry's lap, watching the two of them with a small smile on her face.

'No, probably not. I might need qualifications though. Also I do want to be with Hermione, but I really need to earn some money!' said Ron, distressing slightly.

'Well I've thought up a job for you to do at Hogwarts,' said Harry.

'Oh, what?' asked Ron, excitedly looking up from his piece of paper where he was doodling goblins in Santa hats and piles of money.

'You could work for George and Lee at Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, as a kind of correspondent. You could interview other students, find out what they like and dislike, and the main priorities and joke shop should have. You know the kind of thing,' suggested Harry.

'Harry my friend, you are a genius! Right, I choose Hogwarts, and I'll go to Diagon Alley after lunch to ask George and Lee about your idea. Actually, no, apparently George is off with Angelina today – I'll go tomorrow,' cried Ron, grinning and relaxing back in his chair.

'What about you, Hermione?' asked Ginny.

'Oh I'm definitely going back to Hogwarts, now Ron is going,' replied Hermione, neatly ticking the Hogwarts option.

'Well, that's good, as I would have missed you two next year,' said Harry, looking relieved. 'Anyway, we'd better send an owl to McGonagall – she wanted us to contact her as soon as we decided what we were going to do next year.'

'Okay,' Ron stood up and quickly wrote a letter to McGonagall, attached it to Pig, and then threw him out the window. Pig plummeted towards the ground, and then fluttered off, zigzagging and meandering slightly through the air.

McGonagall's reply and the booklists arrived the next day. All of their envelopes felt strangely heavy, and had a small, hard bulge in a corner, and Harry and Ginny had two. Ginny and Harry opened their ones first and took out one object. Immediately their mouths dropped open and they cried in unison: 'Captain?'

Hermione and Ron looked up in surprise, and Harry held out his badge. Ron took it in wonder, while Hermione looked at Ginny's.

'You're both captain?' she asked, confused.

'Yeah, seems so,' replied Harry, feverishly searching the rest of the envelope for an explanation. Finally he pulled out a note, reading:

'Dear Miss Weasley and Mr Potter,

As you may have realised, you have both become captains for the Gryffindor team. I have decided thus because you are both worthy candidates for captainship, and it would be unfair on the person who wasn't picked. You will work together to try and make the best team possible this year, and I would like to see the Quidditch Cup back in my office!

Harry paused and handed the letter to Ron, who quickly read, steadily getting more elated, then cried: 'Look at the last paragraph!'

Harry grabbed it back and read:

Also, I have decided to make you two prefects. You will also be given separate quarters from the rest of the school, because of your prefect and captain badges. I hope you will use these privileges wisely.

Professor M. McGonagall

Harry glanced at Ginny, who grinned and held up an identical letter. The badges were both styles in red and gold, one which was inscribed Prefect and the other Captain. The prefect badge was in the shape of a shield, the captain was a plain rectangle.

Ron and Hermione both pulled out Head boy and Head girl badges, both very similar to the prefect badges.

'This is so cool!' cried Ron. 'We get our own quarters too!'

'Yes, we'd better go to Diagon Alley tomorrow though – there are a lot of things we need to buy,' said Hermione, reading the list and tucking it in her robes. 'I'm off to make a list of everything I need to do. Ron, you need to make one too – you're all over the place at the moment. Come on!' Ron groaned and followed Hermione, rolling his eyes at Harry.