"What really happened to your nose?" Ron asked as they started along, Bryt looping her arm around Ron's.
"Malfoy paralyzed me, then stomped on my face," Harry replied.
Bryt cursed loudly, tightening her grip on Ron's hand.
"I saw Malfoy miming something to do with a nose," Ron said, glaring ahead of him at the crowd of students.
"Yeah, well, never mind that," Harry said, "Listen to what he was saying before he found out I was there...He kept boasting about how he wouldn't be at Hogwarts next year, that he was 'moving on to more important things', and kept hinting that Voldemort had given him some job to do."
Bryt snorted.
"Why would Voldemort give Malfoy anything to do?" she asked, ignoring Ron's wince at Voldemort's name, "Why would anyone trust Malfoy with anything?"
"Harry's been convinced Malfoy's a Death Eater," Ron said, "Ever since we got back from Diagon Alley."
Again, Bryt laughed, though she regretted it when she noticed the look on Harry's face. He was actually serious? He really believed Malfoy was a Death Eater? The coward who ran away when things didn't go his way?
"Harry, I bet he was just trying to show off to that cow Parkinson," Bryt said, "Like I said, I doubt anyone'd trust Malfoy with anything, let alone Voldemort."
"And how d'you know Voldemort doesn't need someone at Hogwarts?" Harry countered, "It wouldn't be the first—"
"I wish yeh'd stop sayin' tha' name."
Bryt, Harry, and Ron turned to see Hagrid had come up behind them.
"Dumbledore uses that name," Harry replied.
"Yeah, well, tha's Dumbledore, innit?" Hagrid asked, "So how come yeh were late, Harry? I was worried."
"Got held up on the train," Harry replied, "Why were you late?"
"I was with Grawp," Hagrid said with a grin, referring to his full-giant half-brother, "Los' track o' the time. He's got a new home up in the mountains now, Dumbledore fixed it—nice big cave. He's much happier than he was in the forest. We were havin' a good chat."
Bryt looked confused. She was lucky enough that she had never met Grawp, but from what Harry and Hermione had told her and Ron, Grawp didn't have much of a vocabulary—or any acceptable social behavior.
"He's really come on," Hagrid said with a proud grin, "Yeh'll be amazed. I'm thinkin' o' trainin' him up as me assistant."
'Hopefully he decides not to,' Bryt thought, but didn't have the heart to say it out loud.
"Anyway, I'll see yeh tomorrow, firs' lesson's straight after lunch. Come early an' yeh can say hello ter Buck—I mean, Witherwings!"
"Will do, Hagrid!" Bryt said with a grin and wave as Hagrid headed out the castle doors towards his hut. When Bryt turned around again, Ron and Harry were exchanging odd looks.
"Oh, stop worrying," Bryt said, taking Ron's arm again as they started up the stairs, "I'll explain to Hagrid why you two and Hermione couldn't continue the class."
"Bryt, you're a lifesaver," Ron said, though he and Harry didn't look any less guilty. Bryt just grinned at them as they continued up the stairs.
Once in the Gryffindor common room, Bryt kissed Ron and told him and Harry good night before heading up to her room to see Parvati and Lavender already there, unpacking. Both of them looked up as Bryt came in, the unmistakable expressions that Bryt had just interrupted a conversation they didn't want overheard, then Lavender looked away just as quickly. Bryt grinned at them, figuring it was just over some boy or their latest book they were reading, and pushed the thought from her mind.
"Hey," Bryt said as she moved to her trunk. The girls returned the greeting, though Lavender's gaze was fixed on her trunk again, "Good summer?"
"As good as it could be," Parvati answered and Lavender nodded in agreement, "You?"
"Same," Bryt answered, starting to get her pictures and books out of her trunk as Hermione came in, done with her prefect duties.
Bryt finished getting the things from her trunk that she needed, then went looking for a pair of pajamas. Just as she found her pair towards the bottom of the trunk, her hand brushed against something soft and papery. Confused, Bryt pushed things around in the trunk until she found a paper-wrapped package underneath some of her clothes, a piece of parchment pinned to the front. Bryt pulled it out, easily recognizing Sofí's handwriting on the parchment:
You'll thank me later!
Bryt groaned, having a good feeling what was in the package. Sofí had somehow managed to sneak a set of dress robes into Bryt's trunk without Bryt even noticing.
'I'm going to kill her,' Bryt thought, about to toss the package, unopened, back into the trunk when Hermione noticed.
"Bryt, what's that?" she asked.
"Sofí sneaked dress robes into my trunk," Bryt said, making a face, "Knowing I hate them."
"Dress robes?" Parvati asked, interested. Lavender looked up from her trunk as well, obviously curious as she stared at the package in Bryt's hands. Bryt sighed. She wasn't going to get out of this now. She was going to have to open the package. Besides, it'd be better for her in sending them back to Sofí if she proved she'd actually looked at them.
Very aware that her three roommates were watching her, Bryt unwrapped the package to see a bundle of orange and tan-gold cloth. As Bryt unfolded the robes to see them fully, Bryt found herself surprised that she actually liked them. Yes, the robe part itself—which was the tan-gold-colored cloth of it—was the same as any dress robes, longer than normal robes and ones where Bryt felt she might trip over if she wasn't careful, but the under layer, what should have been a long, strapless gown like the one Bryt tripped over so many times during the Yule Ball, was instead a thin-strapped orange top with matching dress pants. In fact, if it weren't for the dress robes' looping, flowery pattern on the robe part being obviously feminine, Bryt would have thought Sofí had sent her men's dress robes as a joke.
"What kind of dress robes are those?" Lavender asked, making a face, "You might as well just wear regular robes!"
"I like them," Bryt said, carefully folding the dress robes and trying to wrap them again, realizing Sofí had also included a pair of flats the same color as the over robes.
"I think they're quite nice," Parvati admitted, "I don't think I'd wear any like them, but they're still nice."
Bryt stored away the dress robes, then finally changed into her pajamas and began writing in her journal while her roommates continued to get ready for bed. Once done writing, Bryt sat on her bed and waiting until she was sure that Parvati and Lavender had fallen asleep before she moved to sit on the edge of Hermione's bed, as Hermione was still awake as well. Not wasting any time, Bryt quickly explained in whispers what Harry and Ron had told her, from why Harry was late to the feast to Harry's theory on Malfoy being a Death Eater and what he had overheard on the train.
"Ron and I agree that Malfoy's just making stuff up to impress Parkinson," Bryt finished, "I mean, why would Voldemort trust Malfoy with anything?"
Hermione frowned, thinking it over.
"It's a big lie to tell..." she said slowly.
"This is Malfoy we're talking about," Bryt pointed out.
"I know," Hermione whispered, "But it doesn't matter. There's no way Malfoy could get something past those Secrecy Sensors. I don't think it's anything to worry about."
"Yeah, you're right," Bryt replied, getting up, "G'night, 'mione."
"Good night," Hermione replied as Bryt went back to her own bed, thoughts of Malfoy pushed far from her mind as she curled up under her covers, her mind instead drifting towards upcoming classes as she fell asleep.
xxxxx
The next morning, Bryt was the first ready and went down into the common room to wait on Hermione, Ron, and Harry. She was sitting near the fire, playing a bit with her camera when Mike came and sat down next to her with the boy who had been in Mike's group the night before. Close up, Bryt could tell he was a short, broad-chested boy with a mess of black hair.
"Who's your new friend?" Bryt asked her brother, putting away her camera.
"Jimmy Peakes," the short boy answered for Bryt, grinning at her, "I'm in Mike's year."
"He started talking with us because he has a crush on Natalie, no idea why," Mike said, then grinned as Jimmy went red and glared at Mike.
"I do not have a crush on her," he said.
"Too bad, because you're cute."
Bryt, Mike, and Jimmy all looked up to see Natalie had come over. She grinned at them, then flopped down in the armchair near Jimmy, leaning forward to prop her arms on her knees. Poor Jimmy had gone even redder and was staring at the ceiling, but he also had a pleased look on his face. With the subject coming up on its own, Bryt took the opportunity to get something set straight with her brother.
"On this, Mike," Bryt said, turning to him, "I've noticed you're starting to get a little group of admirers."
Natalie gave a very unladylike snort, grinning mischievously and Jimmy looked like he was fighting back a laugh himself.
"Really, Bryt? In front of my friends?" Mike asked.
Like we don't already tease you about your fans," Natalie said.
Bryt sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.
"Would you rather talk about this in private?" Bryt asked. Mike rolled his eyes.
"I think I know what you'll say, and Natalie's already been annoying me about it," he said, "It's just talking, maybe some harmless flirting. I mean, it's not like I'm going to go off dating several girls at once."
"I would hope not," Bryt said as Natalie was in a fit of giggles now and Jimmy was fighting even harder not to laugh. Though Bryt couldn't help but find it strange hearing her brother talk about 'harmless flirting' or knowing when someone had a crush on his friend. Why couldn't Mike be shy like Drew? That would definitely make things easier.
"Yeah, yeah, have your fun," Mike told his friends, but Bryt noticed he was still grinning. Like Bryt, Mike took teasing good-naturedly.
Natalie and Jimmy grinned back and Bryt noticed Hermione coming into the common room at the same time as Harry and Ron.
"I'll see you later, Mike," Bryt said, "You better behave yourself."
"Don't worry, I'll keep him in line," Natalie said, though Bryt didn't feel very assured by that as she headed over to her own friends before they started out for breakfast. They had barely gotten halfway down the hallway when they noticed a group of first years grouped together, whispering and pointing towards them.
"It's rude to point," Ron snapped and the first years went red, hurrying off down the hallway. Ron smirked as he continued, "I love being a sixth year. And we're going to be getting free time this year. Whole periods when we can just sit up here and relax."
"We're going to need that time for studying, Ron!" Hermione hissed.
"Not today," Bryt said, "Today'll be good."
Hermione looked like she was going to respond when a group of fourth years started by, one of whom tried to hide a green Frisbee under his robes as he passed.
"Fanged Frisbees are banned," Hermione told the boy, "Hand it over."
The boy frowned, handing the green disc to Hermione—Bryt noticed it was growling at Hermione—before hurrying off with his friends. The second the boy was out of sight, Ron snatched the Frisbee from Hermione.
"Excellent, I've always wanted one of these."
Bryt rolled her eyes as she heard a loud giggle nearby. Bryt turned to see Lavender and Parvati behind them, but the second Lavender realized Bryt was watching her, she went quiet, ducked her head, and hurried off, Parvati right behind. Bryt stared after the two girls, confused. Why would they take off just because Lavender thought something Ron said was funny? Once Bryt thought on it, she remembered that even though Lavender talked with her the night before, Bryt couldn't remember Lavender looking at her directly. Bryt thought she and Lavender were friends. Why was she suddenly acting so strangely around her?
Bryt sighed and tried to push the thoughts from her mind as she and her friends entered the Great Hall for breakfast. Hopefully whatever was wrong with Lavender would pass soon enough.
