Harry was already gone when Bryt and the others came down for breakfast the next morning. Barely any of them ate, and Mrs. Weasley, thankfully, didn't have anyone cleaning. They all stayed in the kitchen, tense and quiet. Bryt was gripping her bracelet tightly in her hands, rubbing her thumbs over the stones as Ron was bouncing his leg anxiously next to her. Ginny was on her other side, gripping her hands together tightly and staring at a wall across the room, lost in thought. Julio and Hermione sat across from them, Hermione's brow wrinkled in concentration as she kept muttering under her breath and Julio constantly whispering reassurances. Sofí was further down the table, sitting between Fred and George with her head resting in one hand, and her other on the table, drumming her fingers on its surface.
Bryt couldn't stop thinking about how Harry's hearing would go. She kept trying to reassure herself that there was no way Harry would be expelled—after all, Harry had been acting in self-defense. But Bryt also knew just how corrupt the wizarding world's law system could be. That, with the fact that the Ministry was doing everything they could to make Harry seem like an attention-seeking delinquent, Bryt couldn't help but wonder if something would happen to try and give any excuse for Harry to be expelled.
'What would happen if he does?' Bryt thought. She couldn't imagine being at Hogwarts without Harry. Even the trip on the Hogwarts Express wouldn't feel right—Bryt thought back to her second year when Harry and Ron had missed the Hogwarts Express because Dobby had sealed the barrier to platform nine-and-three-quarters. She remembered how quiet and awkward that train trip had been for her and Hermione. She didn't want to go through that again.
Nine o'clock came and Bryt glanced around at everyone before staring back down at the bracelet in her hands. Harry would be starting his hearing now. Bryt couldn't help but wonder how it was going. Would he be okay? Was he able to convince them that he had been acting in self-defense, trying to protect himself and his cousin? Would the Ministry try to do anything to sabotage Harry's chances? If so, would Harry be able to do anything about it?
The thoughts haunted Bryt's mind until nearly noon when the kitchen door opened and everyone looked up, then hurried to their feet when they noticed it was Mr. Weasley and Harry. Everyone began talking at once.
"How'd it go?" Hermione, Julio, Bryt, and Ginny asked quickly.
"Were you cleared?" Fred, George, Sofí, and Ron asked.
"They tried to change the court time," Mr. Weasley said, "And trialed Harry in front of a full court, but Dumbledore got there in time and gave a convincing argument. Harry's been cleared."
Bryt felt a wave of relief in such a rush that she let out a short laugh, starting to grin brightly. Fred and George let out a loud, triumphant yell, then began some type of dance in a circle, chanting 'He got off!' They were soon joined by both Sofí and Ginny. Hermione looked both relieved and as if she might faint, now leaning back against Julio to keep from collapsing completely.
"I knew it!" Ron said loudly, punching a fist into the air, "You always get away with this stuff!"
"They were bound to clear you," Hermione said, "There was no case against you, none at all..."
"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering they all knew I'd get off," Harry said, though he was grinning brightly himself. He glanced over to where Fred, George, Sofí, and Ginny were still chanting 'He got off!' and dancing around.
"That's enough, settle down!" Mr. Weasley said, turning towards Sirius, "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry—"
"What?" Sirius asked. Bryt looked between Ron and Hermione in surprise. Bryt couldn't help but wonder what Mr. Malfoy was doing at the Ministry, and talking with Fudge of all people.
'Probably paying Fudge off for something,' Bryt thought, 'But for what?'
"He got off, he got off, he got off—"
"Be quiet, you four!" Mr. Weasley said before turning back to Sirius, "Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on level nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."
"Absolutely," Sirius replied, "We'll tell him, don't worry."
"Well, I'd better get going," Mr. Weasley said, "There's a vomiting toilet in Bethnal Green waiting for me. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner—"
"He got off, he got off, he got off—"
"That's enough!" Mrs. Weasley said loudly as Mr. Weasley left, "Harry dear, come and sit down, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast..."
Bryt hadn't even realized that Mrs. Weasley had started making lunch. She turned and sat down with Ron across from Harry, Hermione, and Julio. Ron immediately started piling mashed potatoes on everyone's plates.
"'Course once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," Ron said.
"Yeah, he swung it for me," Harry replied.
"Ron, that's way too much, even for me," Bryt said, grabbing Ron's hand as he was putting another scoop of potatoes on her plate so that there was no room for anything else, "Here, give me that spoon."
Bryt took the spoon from Ron and began scooping out some of her potatoes over to Harry's plate across from her.
"I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening to celebrate with us, you know," Ron said after a second.
"I don't think he'll be able to," Mrs. Weasley said, "He's really very busy at the moment."
"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF—"
"SHUT UP!"
Fred, George, Sofí, and Ginny all stopped instantly, staring at Mrs. Weasley with identical looks of surprise. Bryt suddenly chocked in a fit of laughter, patting her chest to calm herself down.
xxxxx
Harry being cleared of all charges with his hearing seemed to have uplifted the mood at Grimmauld Place. Somehow, the house seemed more welcoming now. Though Harry still seemed worried about something, and finally confided in Bryt, Ron, and Hermione while they were cleaning in a third floor room.
"I'm worried about Sirius," Harry said, scrubbing at a particularly stubborn patch of mold on the cabinet, "Have you noticed how withdrawn he's been since my hearing?"
Bryt had noticed. Sirius had gotten to where he rarely talked to anyone, and was starting to neglect helping with the cleaning, spending most of his time with Buckbeak in the room where he was keeping the hippogriff.
"Don't you go feeling guilty!" Hermione said, "You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he's being selfish."
"How's it selfish to want company here?" Bryt asked, motioning around the decayed room.
"He'll have company," Hermione replied simply, "It's the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix, isn't it? He just got his hopes up that Harry would be coming to live here with him."
"I don't think that's true," Harry replied, "He wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked him if I could."
"He just didn't want to get his own hopes up even more," Hermione said, "And he probably felt a bit guilty himself, because I think part of him was really hoping you'd get expelled. Then you'd both be outcasts together."
"Come off it!" Ron and Harry said loudly.
"Suit yourselves. But I sometimes think Ron's mum's right, and Sirius gets confused about whether you're you or your father, Harry."
"So you think he's touched in the head?" Harry snapped.
"No, I just think he's been very lonely for a long time."
Bryt had been keeping her focus on her scrubbing, hoping that the subject would get away from Sirius soon. The way Harry was worrying, and how he still seemed to get angry over the smallest things lately, had Bryt more and more convinced that telling Harry—at least anytime soon—about not trying to catch Wormtail would not be a good idea. Thankfully, Ron seemed to agree with Bryt, as he hadn't brought up anything on it, not even when he and Bryt were alone.
Luckily, Mrs. Weasley came into the room at that moment, ending their conversation.
"Still not finished?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking over the cabinet the four had been scrubbing down.
"I thought you might be here to tell us to take a break!" Ron said, "D'you know how much mold we've got rid of since we arrived here?"
"You were so keen to help the Order," Mrs. Weasley replied sharply, "You can do your bit my making headquarters fit to live in."
"I feel like a house elf."
Bryt glared Ron and, once she was sure Mrs. Weasley had left the room, hit him upside the head.
"Well, now that you understand what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you'll be a bit more active in SPEW!" Hermione said and Bryt was suddenly hit with an idea.
"Maybe we should do sponsor cleaning at Hogwarts," Bryt said, turning to Hermione, "Get people to understand just how bad house elves have it."
"I was just thinking the same thing," Hermione said, "All the proceeds could go to SPEW, it would raise awareness as well as funds..."
Bryt and Hermione were soon in a discussion of what they could to at Hogwarts, which continued over the next few days. Hermione even decided to start knitting clothes for the house elves to try and free them. Bryt tried to help, but she learned very quickly that knitting was definitely not for her. She still tried to help, but after Bryt hopelessly tangled her fourth ball of yarn, Hermione seemed to think it was better that Bryt not make any of the clothes.
The talk of house elves and Hogwarts only reminded Bryt of how eager she was to get back to school. She was looking forward to seeing Hagrid again and was also curious about who their next Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was.
Dumbledore apparently had trouble finding a new teacher, as it was the very last day of the holidays when their letters finally came. Bryt had been in the kitchen with Ron when the owl came in with their letters. Ron took his and Harry's up to their room while Bryt took hers and Hermione's. When Bryt went into the room she had been sharing with Hermione and Ginny, she found Hermione and Julio sitting together on one bed, talking with each other over some book they were sharing.
"School lists, 'mione," Bryt said, holding up her friend's letter.
"Oh, it's about time," Hermione said anxiously, getting up and hurrying over, "Prefects are chosen this year, I'm so worried about if I'm chosen."
"I'm sure y'will be, Hermione," Julio said with a smile, "It's a given."
"I told you the same about you becoming Secretary for the Tumbleweed dorm," Hermione said, staring anxiously at her letter, having not opened it yet, "But you still worried about it until you got that badge."
"Y'were right, and so am I," Julio said, coming over, "C'mern, open it already."
Bryt just shook her head as she opened her own letter, looking at the school list. She only needed two new books this year—The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5 and Defensive Magical Theory.
Hermione suddenly let out an odd sort of squeal and Bryt looked up to see the girl was actually hopping on the spot, holding up a red and gold badge. Bryt clamped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing, and she noticed even Julio seemed to be fighting to suppress a chuckle.
"Bryt, do you mind if I borrow Joey?" Hermione turned to Bryt, an excited look on her face, "I need to tell my parents—Prefect is something they can understand. They'll be so pleased!"
"Yeah, g-go ah-head," Bryt managed through the fight of holding back her laughter.
Hermione gave a rushed thank you as she hurried to the desk, picking up a parchment and quill before writing so quickly Bryt would be surprised if anything on that page would be readable. Hermione then called Joey down from the top of the wardrobe, sending the letter off.
"We should go tell the guys," Hermione spun back to Bryt and Julio, "Oh, I bet Harry's been made prefect, too!"
"I bet he has," Bryt agreed, following Hermione and Julio out of the room.
"Did I ever act that bad 'bout my badges?" Julio asked Bryt in a whisper, nodding towards Hermione, who had already gotten far ahead of them and was now down the stairs.
"No, thankfully," Bryt said with a small giggle, "But this is a lot better than how'd things would be if she wasn't prefect."
Julio gave a small nod of agreement, obviously thinking about how he would have been the year before if he hadn't been elected Vice Secretary at Salem, or if he hadn't been elected Secretary this year. They soon went into Harry and Ron's room where Fred and George were there already. Hermione looked shocked and was staring at Ron. Bryt looked over and noticed that Ron was the one holding the prefect badge. Bryt blinked in surprise. Ron was made prefect? She was so sure it'd be Harry.
Bryt tried to regain herself, however, and started grinning as she went over and hugged Ron.
"Congratulations, Ron!" she said, "I knew it!"
"You're the only one," Fred and George said together.
Hermione and Julio glanced at each other and Bryt gave them a warning look when she was sure Ron wouldn't notice. Even though Bryt had expected Harry to be the prefect, she knew better than to say so in front of Ron. The boy had enough self-esteem issues as it was.
The door opened again and Bryt looked up to see Mrs. Weasley had come in with a basket of clean clothes.
"Ginny said the book lists had come at last," Mrs. Weasley said, starting to sort out the clothes she brought in, "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing...What color would you like?"
"Get him red and gold to match his badge," George said with a smirk.
"Match his what?" Mrs. Weasley asked, only seeming to be half-listening.
"His badge," Fred said, almost as if he were dreading saying it, "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."
Mrs. Weasley froze in the middle of folding, her gaze turning towards her youngest son.
"His...but...Ron, you're not..."
Ron answered by holding up his badge. Bryt noticed for the first time that Ron seemed more shocked than anyone about being made prefect.
"I don't believe it!" Mrs. Weasley said with a delighted yell, "I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"
"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbors?" George asked, rolling his eyes as Mrs. Weasley hugged Ron.
"Wait until your father hears! Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy, just like Bill and Percy, it's the first step! Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I'm just thrilled, oh Ronnie—"
Fred and George were mocking throwing up behind Mrs. Weasley and Bryt was fighting not to laugh again. She couldn't help but think that it was a very good thing Sofí wasn't in the room at the moment—that would only make things a lot worse.
Of course, that just made Bryt realize that probably for the first time that summer, Sofí was not hanging around Fred and George. Bryt glanced over at Julio, wondering what the younger García sibling could be up to.
"Where's your sister?" Bryt asked in a whisper.
"Probably still in our room," Julio replied, "She woke me up 'bout four this mornin', packin' away her stuff. Said she wanted an early start." Julio rolled his eyes at that and Bryt grinned. Sofí was very much a morning person and others often paid for it. But the fact that Sofí hadn't come out of her room yet was still a bit odd.
"I'm gonna to let her know about our new prefects," Bryt said, handing her letter over to Hermione, "Give Mrs. Weasley my letter for me."
With another glance towards where Mrs. Weasley and Ron were talking, Bryt slipped out of the room and started up the stairs, grinning to herself. Now that she thought about it, it was a good thing Ron had become prefect. It was finally something good for him, something he had that was better than Bryt and Harry. Bryt couldn't be more happy for him.
