After leaving the dungeon and having an unpleasant encounter with Lucius Malfoy who had been there to probably bribe Cornelius Fudge, Hailey had stopped at the fountain and dumped the entire contents of her money pouch in it before before they headed back to Number Twelve, Grimmauld Place to tell Hermione, Ron, Fred, George, Mrs Weasley, and Ginny about the hearing. She hoped that Michael's mother, who worked at St Mungo's, appreciated the donation.
"I knew it!" Ron yelled, punching the air. "You always get away with stuff!"
"They were bound to clear you," replied Hermione, "There wasn't a case against you."
Mrs Weasley was wiping her face on her apron, while Fred, George, and Ginny singing some kind of chant that went: "She got off, she got off, she got off—" with an accompanying war dance.
Mr Weasley looked at his kids and shouted, "That's enough! Settle down!" He was smiling and he looked at Sirius, "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry—"
"What?" asked Sirius sharply.
Fred, George, and Ginny continued chanting, "She got off, she got off, she got off—"
"Be quiet you three!" ordered Mr Weasley. He turned 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," replied Sirius. "We'll tell him, don't worry."
"Well, I'd better get going because there's a vomiting toilet that's waiting for me in Bethnal Green," Mr Weasley said. He looked at his wife, "Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner—"
Fred, George, and Ginny were still chanting, "She got off, she got off, she got off—"
"That's enough you three!" snapped Mrs Weasely as Mr Weasely left the kitchen.
Hailey cringed a little, growing a little annoyed at the chanting. It was funny at first, but then it started wearing a little thin.
Mrs Weasely turned to Hailey. "Hailey, dear, come and sit down. Have some lunch since you hardly ate breakfast."
Hailey sat down while Ron and Hermione sat opposite of her. The two Gryffindors were looking far happier than they had since she had first arrived at Grimmauld Place. Hailey still had to write to Michael and Mandy about the outcome of the hearing and her thoughts on Fudge trying to expel her; which she would do after lunch.
The house seemed to become warmer and welcoming, now that the hearing was off the horizon. Kreacher poke his head into the kitchen to see what was causing all the noise and Hailey noticed that the house-elf didn't seem as ugly as before.
"'Course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there's no way that they were going to convict you," said Ron happily. He was putting great mounds of mashed potato on to everyone's plates.
"Yeah," said Hailey. "He made a convincing case for me." Her scar burned and she clapped a hand to it.
Hermione looked alarmed, "What's up?"
"Scar," Hailey muttered, "It's nothing since it happens all the time now."
Mrs Weasley, Fred, George, Ginny, and Sirius didn't seem to notice as they got food and were gloating over the near expulsion. Fred, George, and Ginny were still singing.
Hermione looked anxious and Ron happily said, "I reckon that Dumbledore will turn up in the evening, to celebrate with us."
"I don't think he'll be able to, Ron," said Mrs Weasley setting a huge plate of roast chicken in front of Hailey. "He's really very busy at the moment."
Fred, George, and Ginny belted out, "She got off, she got off, she got off—"
"Shut up!" roared Mrs Weasely at them.
Yes, please, thank you, Hailey thought.
After lunch, Hailey hurriedly wrote on two pieces of parchment: I'm not expelled! I think Fudge wanted me to lose. She went to Ron's room where Hedwig and Pigwidgeon were at. She walked in to see Fred and George tying two letters on Pig's legs. She frowned at them, "What are you two doing?"
"What are you doing?" asked George.
Hailey explained, "I was just sending Michael—"
"A love letter?" asked Fred. George sent Pig out a window as Fred hurried over, grabbing the two pieces of parchment.
"Hey!" Hailey reached for it, as Fred unfolded one.
Fred pretended to read, "Dear Michael—"
Hailey felt her face heat up as she made a mad dash for the parchment, but the seventeen-year-old ran out of the way.
Fred pretended to read some mushy stuff about brown eyes, that made the twins do a mock, "Aww," as they looked at each other.
Hailey managed to rip the parchment out of Fred's hands and proceeded to tie the two pieces of parchment to Hedwig's leg and said a little to harshly than she anticipated. "Send these to Mandy and Michael." Hedwig flew out the window.
"Come on, Hailey, lighten up," said Fred, chuckling. "It was just a joke."
Hailey nodded, "I know."
"Come on. Ginny will hex us to hell and back if we ever did something like that to her," George said. Hailey looked at them. "You're like our easier to pick-on little sister."
Hailey frowned at that, "Thanks?"
For the next few days, Hailey noticed that Sirius seemed to be sulking, despite being excited that she wasn't expelled. Sirius seemed to talk less to everyone and spent a lot of time spending time with Buckbeak in his mother's room.
When Hailey pointed it out to Hermione and Ron as they scrubbed out a moldy cupboard on the third floor, Hermione had sounded stern as she said, "Don't you go feeling guilty! You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he's being selfish."
"That's bit harsh, Hermione," stated Ron as he attempted to pry off a bit of mold that was attached to his finger. "You wouldn't want to be stuck inside this house without any company."
"He'll have company!" said Hermione. "It's Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix, isn't it? He just got his hopes up that Hailey would be coming to live here with him."
"I don't think that's true," said Hailey, wringing out a cloth. "He wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked him if I could."
"He didn't want to get his own hopes up even more," replied Hermione. "And he probably felt a bit guilty himself, because I think I think a part of him was really hoping you'd be expelled. Then you'd both be outcasts together."
Hailey had to admit that it did make a lot of sense.
"Come off it!" Ron said and looked at Hailey.
Hermione shrugged. "Suit yourself." To Hailey, she said, "But I sometimes think that Ron's mum is right about Sirius getting confused about whether you're you or your father, Hailey."
"So, you think that he happens to be a bit a touched in the head?" asked Hailey, feeling slightly insulted on her godfather's behalf.
"No, I just think that he's been very lonely for a long time," said Hermione simply.
Mr Weasley walked in the bedroom. "Still not finished?" She looked in the cupboard.
"I thought you might be here to tell us to have a break!" said Ron sounding bitter. "D'you know how much mold that we've gotten rid of since we've been here?"
"You were so keen to help the Order," said Mrs Weasley.
I don't think he meant help the Order by clea ning, thought Hailey.
"You can do your bit making Headquarters fit to live in," finished Mrs Weasley.
"I feel like a house-elf," Ron grumbled.
"Well, now you understand what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you'll be a bit more active in S.P.E.W.!" said Hermione as Mrs Weasley left. "You know, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to show people exactly how horrible it is to clean all the time—we could do a sponsored scrub of the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw common rooms, all proceeds to S.P.E.W., it would raise awareness as well as funds—"
"I'll sponsor you to shut up about spew," Ron muttered to Hailey, sounding agitated.
The end of the holidays was approaching and Hailey imagined going back to Hogwarts. She couldn't wait to see Hagrid, Mandy, and Michael again. She couldn't wait to play Quidditch, or walk across the vegetable patches to the Herbology greenhouses. It would differently be great to get away from the dusty, musty house, with half of the cupboard bolted shut and Kreacher muttering insults at everyone from the shadows as they passed. Hailey didn't dare tell Sirius about Kreacher.
In fact, living at the Headquarters wasn't nearly as interesting or exciting as she thought it would before actually living there. It was fun for a while, getting away from the Dursleys was relieving. Even though members of the Order came and went regularly, sometimes staying for meals and sometimes saying only for a few minutes of whispered conversations. Mrs Weasley had made sure that Hailey, Hermione, and the rest of the Weasleys didn't hear anything, especially through Extendable Ears. Nobody seemed to feel that she needed to know more information, other the information she had gotten on the first night of her arrival.
On the very last day of the holidays, while Hailey was sweeping up Hedwig's owl droppings, Ron entered his room carrying some envelopes.
"Booklists have arrived," Ron said, throwing one of the envelopes to Hailey. "About time, I thought they'd forgotten, since they usually come much earlier than this…" He threw another envelope to Hailey. "Here, these ones are from Michael and Mandy."
Hailey abandoned the droppings to open the letter from Michael. She had written to her two Ravenclaw friends about how she was getting bored two days ago, saying that it was mostly cleaning where she was at.
Michael's response was about him still trying to figure out what the Daily Prophet would've said if Hailey had been expelled and a response that he would get tired of cleaning all the time and just hide out somewhere.
She opened Mandy's letter to see that she was saying she was glad she was for not going, because she didn't want to spend her entire summer cleaning.
Hailey opened the school letter, which had two pieces of parchment; one was the reminded that term started on the first of September; and the other was telling her which books she needed for the coming year.
"Only two new books," Hailey said, looking at her list. "The Standard Book Spells, Grade 5 by Miranda Goshawk and Defensive Magical Theory by Wilbert Slinkhard."
Crack
Fred and George Apparated right beside Hailey, who was used to it.
"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," said Fred.
"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said George.
"And about time, too," said Fred.
"What d'you mean by that?" asked Hailey.
"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back," Fred told Hailey, "and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."
"It's not a surprise, when you look at what happened to the last four," said George
"One was sacked, one's dead, one's memory has been removed, and one was locked in his own trunk for nine months," said Hailey. "Yeah, I see why he would have trouble finding a new teacher."
"What's up with you, Ron?" asked Fred.
Hailey turned to see Ron gaping at his letter from Hogwrts.
"What's the matter?" asked Fred sounding impatient. He went to Ron and looked over Ron's shoulder. Fred's mouth opened and he looked incredulous. "Prefect?" he repeated, "Prefect?"
George ran forward and grabbed the other envelope from Ron's hand. He turned it upside and something scarlet and gold fall into George's palm. In a quiet voice, George said, "no way."
"There's been a mistake," said Fred. He grabbed the letter from Ron and held it up to the light, like he was checking for a watermark. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect."
The Weasley looked at Hailey.
"Did you get one?" asked Fred.
Hailey shook her head.
"We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!" said George. To Fred he said, "I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against her."
"Yeah," said Fred. "Yeah, you've caused too much trouble. Well, at least one of you has their priorities right." He walked to Hailey and clapped her on the back and gave Ron a scathing look. "Prefect…ickle Ronnie the prefect…"
"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting," said George, groaning. He handed the prefect badge back to Ron.
Ron took the badge and stared at it for a moment, and held it out to Hailey, as though he was asking for confirmation.
Hailey took it and examined it. There was a large 'P' engraved on the Gryffindor lion. She had seen a badge like it, but it was blue and bronze for Ravenclaw and a large 'P' was engraved on the Ravenclaw eagle, once on Robert Hilliard's chest, during her first year at Hogwarts.
The door banged open and Hermione came running to the room. "Did you—did you get—?" She looked at the prefect badge and frowned. "Ron's a prefect?"
"It has my name on the letter," Ron said, finally.
"I…I…well…wow!" said Hermione, looking bewildered. "Well done, Ron! That's really—"
"Unexpected," said George nodding in agreement.
"No, no it's not…" Hermione said, blushing harder than ever. "Ron's done loads of…he's really…"
The door opened a little and Mrs Weasley backed into the room, carrying a pile of freshly laundered robes. She said, "Ginny said that the booklists had finally come in." She looked at the envelopes as she made her way to a bed and started sorting the robes into two piles. "If you give them to me, I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing." She noticed Ron's pajamas and picked them up. "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 colour would you like?"
Hailey saw George smirk before he said, "Get him red and gold to match his badge."
"Match his what?" asked Mrs Weasley absentmindedly. She rolled up a pair of maroon socks and placed them on Ron's pile.
"His badge," said Fred, "His lovely, shiny new prefect's badge."
It took a moment for the words to register in Mrs Weasley's mind since she was to preoccupied with the pajamas.
Mrs Weasley stuttered, "His…but…Ron, you're not…?" Ron held up the badge and Mrs Weasley shrieked, "I don't believe it! I don't believe! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"
"What are Fred and I, next-door neighbours?" asked George indignantly as his mother pushed him aside.
Mrs Weasley hugged her youngest son, "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, or Ronnie—"
Fred and George were doing loud, exaggerated retching noise, but Mrs Weasley didn't notice because she was kissing Ron all over his face. Ron's face had turned a bright shade of red.
"Mum…don't…Mum, get a grip," Ron muttered, trying to push his mother away.
She let of Ron and said, "Well, what will it be? We gave Percy and owl, but you've already got one, of course."
"W-what do you mean?" asked Ron, as if he thought his ears were deceiving him.
"You've got to have a reward for this!" responded Mrs Weasley fondly. "How about a nice new set of dress robes?"
"We've already bought him some," replied Fred in a bitter tone, looking as if he regretted buying Ron some new robes.
Mrs Weasley continued, "Or a new cauldron, Charlie's old one's rusting through, or a new rat, you always liked Scabbers—"
"Mum, can I have a new broom?" asked Ron sounding hopeful. Mrs Weasley's smile dropped a little. Ron hastily added, "Not a really good one! Just—just a new one for a change…"
Mrs Weasley seemed to hesitate and smiled, "Of course you can…Well, I'd better get going if I've got a broom to buy too. I'll see all later…" Almost to herself, she said, "Little Ronnie, a prefect!" She looked at her sons and Hailey, "And don't forget to pack your trunks…" Almost to herself again, "A prefect…oh, I'm all of a dither!" She kissed Ron on the cheek, sniffed loudly, and left the room.
Fred and George looked at each other.
In a falsely anxious voice, Fred said, "You don't mind if we don't kiss you, do you, Ron?"
"We could curtsy if you like," said George.
Ron scowled at them, "Oh, shut up."
"Or what?" asked Fred grinning evilly. "Going to put us in detention?"
"I'd love to see him try," sniggered George.
"He could if you don't watch out!" Hermione said angrily.
Fred and George busted out laughing and Ron muttered, "Drop it, Hermione."
"We're going to have to watch our step, George," said Fred, pretending to shake, "With these two on our case…"
"Yeah, it looks like our law-breaking days are finally over," said George, shaking his head sadly.
With a loud crack, the twins Disapparated.
"Those two!" snarled Hermione furiously. She glared at the ceiling, where they could hear Fred and George roaring with laughter. "Don't pay any attention to them, Ron, they're only jealous!"
"I don't think they are," said Ron doubtfully also looking at the ceiling. "They've always said only prats become prefects…Still," sounding happy he said, "They've never had new brooms! I wish I could go with Mum and choose…She'll never be able to afford a Nimbus, but there's the new Cleansweep out, that'd be great…Yeah, I think I'll go and tell I like the Cleansweep, just so she knows…" He ran from the room, leaving the two girls alone.
Hailey turned and picked up the pile of clean robes that Mrs Weasley laid out for her.
"Hailey?" asked Hermione, sounding tentative.
Hailey turned to her and smiled, "Good job, Hermione." She would've hugged Hermione, but she was holding robes.
"Thanks," said Hermione. "Erm—Hailey—could I borrow Hedwig so I can tell Mum and Dad, Michael, and Mandy? They'll be really pleased—I mean prefect is something that my parents can understand."
"Go ahead," said Hailey nodding at Hedwig. At least she knew Michael and Mandy hadn't been made prefects, because they would've sent her letters being excited over it. It made her wonder who else ended up being prefects.
She needed to be excited for Ron, who had finally beaten her at something. Ron didn't ask to be a prefect. She couldn't ruin this for him for feeling a little jealous over it. She heard someone bound up the stairs and a door open, then close. Her bedroom door opened and Hailey looked at Ron, forcing herself to smile at him.
"I just caught her!" Ron said happily. "She says she'll get the Cleansweep if she can."
"That's cool," replied Hailey. "Well done."
Ron stopped smiling, "I never thought it would be me! I thought it would be you, Mandy, or Michael!"
Hailey shook her head, "Nah, I've caused too much trouble, like what Fred said. Michael did too, because he always ran into it with me."
"Yeah," said Ron, "yeah, I suppose…Well, we'd better get our trunks packed."
Ron had left the room and Hailey went to pack up, only having to leave to search for more of her scattered possessions. It turned out that Ron had to find his possessions, too. Hailey went to help Ron pack, only to see that Ron kept moving the badge around. He first placed it on the bedside table, then put it in his jeans pocket, only to take it out and put it on his folded robes, as if trying to see how the red badge looked on the black robes.
"Do you want us to use a Permanent Sticking Charms to attach it to your forehead?" asked George.
Hailey grabbed a pair of Ron's socks and threw it at George, who held up his arm to defend himself. "We're just joking."
The twins ran off, laughing, and Ron wrapped the badge up in a pair of maroon socks to lock it in his trunk.
It was around six o'clock when Mrs Weasley arrived from Diagon Alley, laden with books and a long package wrapped in thick brown paper, which Ron took from her. Hailey took the two new books she needed.
"Never mind unwrapping it now, people are arriving for dinner. I want you all downstairs," Mrs Weasely said and walked away.
Ron ripped the wrapping paper off the broomstick and looked excited as he examined the new broom.
When they went to the basement, there was a large scarlet banner that had: CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE— NEW PREFECTS
The banner was hung over a heavily laden dinner table. Hailey noticed the Mrs Weasley looked to be in a better mood.
"I thought that we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," Mrs Weasley told the returning Hogwarts students. "Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron. I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled." She was beaming.
Fred rolled his eyes.
Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley Shacklebolt were already there. Mad-Eye Moody clunked in after Hailey got a butterbeer.
"Oh, Alastor, I'm glad that you're here," said Mrs Weasley brightly as Mad-Eye took off his traveling cloak. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages—could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open it just in case it's something really nasty."
"No problem, Molly…." Moody replied gruffly. His electric-blue eye swiveled to the ceiling and remained fixed on it. "Drawing room…" his pupil contracted, "Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it…yeah it's a boggart…Want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly?"
"No, I'll do it myself later," said Mrs Weasley, "you have your drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually…" she motioned to the banner and fondly, said, "Fourth prefect in the family!" she ruffled Ron's hair.
"Prefect, eh?" growled Moody. His normal was on Ron, "authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you…"
Ron looked startled at that word of wisdom. Mr Weasley and Bill came in, being accompanied with Mundungus, who's long overcoat seemed lumpy in odd places.
"You can put your coat with Moody's traveling cloak," Mrs Weaseley said to him.
"No, I think I'll wear it," Mundungus said getting a drink.
After everyone seemed to get one, Mr Weasley said, "Well, I think a toast is in order." He raised his goblet, "To Ron and Hermione, new Gryffindor prefects!"
Ron and Hermione beamed when everyone drank to them and gave them a round of applause.
"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks happily as everyone went to the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato red and waist-length, making her look like Ginny's older sister. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."
"Like what?" asked Ginny.
"Like the ability to behave myself," replied Tonks.
Ginny laughed while Hermione looked as though she didn't know whether to smile or not and took a drink of butterbeer, but choked on it.
"What about you, Sirius?" Ginny asked thumping Hermione on the back.
Sirius, who was standing beside Hailey, let out a laugh, and said, "No one would've made me a prefect. I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, so he got the badge."
"I think Dumbledore might have hoped that I would be able to exercise some control over my best friend," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."
Hailey felt a little better, knowing that her dad wasn't a prefect either. She loaded up the plate and watched Ron walk around, bragging about his new broom to who would listen to him. She was glad that Ron was enjoying himself.
"…nought to seventy in ten seconds, not bad, is it? When you think the Comet Two Ninety's only nought to sixty and that's with a decent tailwind according to Which Brommstick?"
Hailey noticed that Hermione was talking to Lupin about elf rights. Hermione was saying, "I mean, it's the same kind of nonsense as werewolf segregation, isn't it? It all stems from this horrible thing that wizards have of thinking they're superior to other creatures…"
It looked like Mrs Weasley and Bill were having the usual argument over Bill's hair. Mrs Weasley was saying, "…getting out of hand, and you're so good-looking, it would look much better shorter, wouldn't it, Hailey?"
Hailey felt a little embarrassed over being tasked that. "I don't know…" She moved to the Weasley twins, who were speaking with Mundungus.
When Hailey got there, Munudungus stopped talking, but Fred winked and waved for Hailey to get closer. Fred spoke to Mundungus, "It's okay, we can trust Hailey. She's our financial backer."
George spoke to Hailey, "Look what Dung's got us." He held out his hand to her. He had a handful of shriveled looking black pods.
Hailey could hear a faint rattling noise coming from them, even though they weren't moving. "Are those Venomous Tentacula seeds? They're supposed be non-tradeable."
"Yeah, they're for our Skiving Snackboxes," George said. "We've been having a bit of trouble getting a hold of them."
"Ten Galleons the lot, then, Dung?" asked Fred.
"Wiv all the trouble I went to get 'em?" replied Mundungus. His eyes looked saggy and bloodshot. "I'm sorry, lads, but I'm not taking a Knut under twenty."
"Dung likes his little jokes," Fred told Hailey.
"Yeah, his best one for far has been six Sickles for a bag of Knarly quills," replied George.
Hailey looked over Mundung's shoulder to look at Mad-Eye. "Be careful," she told the twins.
"What?" replied Fred, "Mum's busy cooing over Prefect Ron. We're going to be okay."
"Moody could have his eye on you," Hailey told them.
Mundung looked over his shoulder, and grunted, "Good point, that." He looked at the Weasley twins. "All right, lads, ten Galleons it is, if you'll take 'em quick."
"Cheers, Hailey!" replied Fred sounding delighted as Mundungus emptied his pockets and hurried over to the food. "We'd better get these upstairs."
Hailey watched the twins leave and then felt uneasy. She knew that the twins' parents would want to know how they were financing the joke shop when they would finally find out about it. She wondered if giving the twins the winnings might cause Fred and George to have a row with their parents and have a Percy-like estrangement. Would Mrs Weasley still feel that she was as good as Mrs Weasley's daughter if she found that Hailey had made it possible for Fred and George to have what Mrs Weasley considered an 'unsuitable' career?
She stood there, feeling a little guilty, but she heard Kingsley Shacklebolt say, "…why Dumbledore didn't make Potter a prefect?"
"He must've had his reasons for it," replied Lupin.
"But it would've shown confidence in her," replied Kingsley. "It's what I'd've done. 'specially with the Daily Prophet having a go at her every few days…"
Hailey didn't turn around. She wanted to be happy that Ron was made a prefect, considering how Mandy and Michael didn't get made prefects either. She walked to the table, where Mad-Eye was sniffing at a chicken leg and then bit a chunk out of it.
Hailey heard Ron tell Tonks, "…the handle's made of Spanish oak with anti-jinx varnish and in-built vibration control—"
Mrs Weasley yawned and said, "Well, I think I'll sort out that boggart before I turn in…Arthur, I don't want this lot up to late, all right?" She said to Hailey, "Night, Hailey, dear," before leaving the kitchen.
Hailey was busy feeling guilty over everything that happened.
Moody grunted, "You all right, Potter?"
"Yeah," replied Hailey.
Moody swigged from his hipflask, focusing his electric-blue eye on Hailey. "Come here, I've got something that might interest you."
Hailey walked over as Moody dug around in an inner pocket of his robes. He pulled out a tattered looking wizarding photograph that looked very old.
Hailey looked down at the group of people, who were waving at her or lifting their glasses, as they looked up at her.
"The Original Order of the Phoenix," said Moody. "Found it last night when I was looking for my spare Invisibility Cloak, seeing as Podmore don't have the manner to return my best one…thought people might like to see it.
"There's me," said Moody, pointing at himself, which seemed unnecessary. Hailey could see that in the picture Moody's hair was less grey and his nose was intact. He pointed at Dumbledore who was beside him. He also pointed out Dedalus Diggle on the other side of Dumbledore. He pointed at Marlene McKinnon and told Hailey that she was killed two weeks after the picture was taken, and he told her that Death Eaters had killed her whole family. He pointed out Frank and Alice Longbottom.
Hailey looked at Alice, who had a round, friendly looking face that Neville had inherited.
"Poor devils," growled Moody. "Better dead than what happened to them…" he pointed at a woman that was next to Alice. "That's Candace Taylor. Candace is Alice's sister, she is quite a duelist, if I say so, myself." He pointed at Emmeline Vance and then at Lupin. He pointed at someone named Benjy Fenwick, who had died, but apparently in pieces since they found bits of him. "Shift aside there…" He poked the picture and the Order moved aside, so the ones that were partially hidden moved to the front.
Moody pointed at Edgar Bones, who was the brother of Amelia Bones. Moody told Hailey that the Death Eaters got him and his family and that Edgar was a great wizard. He pointed at Sturgis Podmore, who looked surprisingly young. He pointed out Caradoc Dearborn who vanished six months after the photo was taken and they never found his body. He pointed at Hagrid, who appears to not have aged. He pointed at Gideon and his brother, Fabian Prewett. Moody told Hailey that it took five Death Eaters to kill them, and that they fought like heroes. "…budge along, budge along…"
The people moved among, to reveal the ones that were hidden.
Moody pointed out Dumbledore's brother Aberforth, and apparently that was the only time that Moody met him and that he was strange person. He pointed out a witch named Dorcas Meadowes, apparently Voldemort killed her in person. He pointed at Sirius who had short hair and pointed out Hailey's parents.
Hailey looked at her parents, who were smiling up at her. Peter Pettigrew was in the picture, sitting between her parents. Pettigrew had betrayed her parents to Voldemort. Pettigrew went by the nickname Wormtail, but Hailey thought that he didn't deserve to go by the nickname that her dad and his friends gave him, so she refused to call Pettigrew, Wormtail.
"Eh?" asked Moody.
Hailey looked up at him. She was sure that Moody thought that they had given her a treat. "Yeah, thanks…I've just remembered, I wanted to get ahead of my—"
"What's that you've got there, Mad-Eye?" asked Sirius. Moody turned to Sirius and Hailey walked across the kitchen and walked out. She went upstairs before anyone could call her back. She tiptoed up the stairs in the hall right past the stuffed elf-heads. She was feeling glad to be alone again. When she reached the first landing, she heard someone sobbing in the drawing room.
She went upstairs and to the door of the drawing-room. "Hello? Mrs Weasley?" She didn't get a response and opened the door wider. Ron was sprawled out on the floor, clearly dead. It was impossible, because Ron was downstairs, celebrating.
Hailey repeated, "Mrs Weasley?"
"R-Riddikulus!" Mrs Weasley sobbed, pointing her wand at Ron's body.
Crack
Bill's body replaced Ron's. Bill was spread-eagled on his back, eyes wide open. Mrs Weasley sobbed harder than ever and repeated the spell.
Crack
Mr Weasley replaced Bill's body, his glasses askew, with a trickle of blood running down his face.
"No!" Mrs Weasley moaned, "No." She repeated the spell three times. In between the cracking sound, Fred's and George's, Percy's, and Hailey's bodies appeared.
"Mrs Weasley, just leave the room!" Hailey ordered, staring down at her own dead body on the ground. "Let's get someone else to do—"
"What's going on?" a voice demanded. It was Lupin. Sirius and Moody had followed behind him. Lupin looked at Mrs Weasley to Hailey's dead body and pulled out his wand. "Riddikulus!"
A silver orb floated over the spot where Hailey's dead body once laid. Lupin waved his wand and the orb vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Oh—oh—oh!" gasped Mrs Weasley, breaking into tears again.
"Molly," said Lupin sounding weary. "Molly, don't…" Mrs Weasley was now crying on Lupin's shoulder.
"Molly it was just a boggart." He patted her on the head, "Just a stupid boggart…"
"I see all of them d-d-dead all the time!" Mrs Weasley said. "All the t-t-time! I d-d-dream about it…"
Sirius stared where the boggart that pretended to be Hailey's body was at. Hailey was busy staring at Mrs Weasley, trying to avoid looking at Moody.
"D-d-don't tell Arthur," said Mrs Weasley, wiping her eyes on her cuffs. "I d-d-don't want him to know…Being silly…" Lupin handed her a handkerchief and she blew her nose. "Hailey, I'm so sorry. What must you think of me? Not even able to get rid of a boggart…"
"Don't be stupid," replied Hailey, trying to force a smile.
"I'm just s-so-so worried," Mrs Weasley said, tears coming down her face. "Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this…and P-P-Percy's not talking to us. What if something d-d-dreadful happens and we've never m-m-made it up with him? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who's g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?"
"Molly, that's enough," said Lupin firmly. "This isn't like last time. The Order are better prepared, we've got a head start, we know what Voldemort's up to—"
Mrs Weasley did a little squeak of fright.
Lupin sighed, "Oh, Molly, come on, it's about time you get used to hearing the name. Look, I can't promise that no one's going to get hurt, nobody can promise that, but we're much better off than we were last time. You weren't in the Order then, you don't understand. Last time we were outnumbered, twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one…"
Hailey thought of the picture.
Sirius said, "Don't worry about Percy. He'll come round. It's only a matter of time before Voldemort moves into the open. Once he does, the whole Ministry's going to be begging us to forgive them." He sounded bitter, "and I'm not sure I'll be accepting their apology."
"And as for who's going to look after Ron and Ginny, if you and Arthur died," said Lupin giving a small smile, "What do you think we'd do, let them starve?"
Mrs Weasley smiled widely and muttered, "Being silly." She wiped her eyes.
Ten minutes later, Hailey closed the door behind her. She could still see that picture that Moody showed. She could see her parents smiling up at her, unaware that their life was going to end, like so many others.
The scar on her forehead seared with pain and she felt slightly nauseous. She rubbed the scar as the pain dulled and said, "Cut it out."
"Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness, my dear," said the raspy mirror.
Hailey ignored it, throwing herself on her bed. The thought of Voldemort made her worry again. It was kind of funny, thinking that an hour ago, she was worried about who got a prefect badge and a joke shop.
