I raced across the grounds running as fast as I could to the greenhouses. Nearly slipping on the rain covered grass, I snuck into the greenhouse just before Professor Sprout began roll call.
"Where were you?" Emily asked me as I joined her, Harry, Ron, and Hermione at one of the Herbology tables.
"Forgot my Herbology book in the room this morning. Had to run to the dungeons and fetch it."
"Really, I could've sworn you grabbed it this morning…"
"Me too." I sighed.
"Oh, oh right of course." Emily nodded rapidly with sudden realization.
"Emily did Ron tell you that he is trying out for the Gryffindor quidditch team?" Harry asked as we began our group project.
"No!" She exclaimed with a supportive smile. "That's so exciting! You'd make a wonderful keeper." Emily assured.
"Well I hope the rest of the team feels that way." Ron mumbled.
"Butterbeers all around!" George exclaimed as he kicked open the door to the classroom we were hiding in. Both Fred and George tumbled into the room a crate of butterbeer in each of their hands. An enthusiastic cheer erupted from all of us as Fred and George passed out bottles of butterbeer.
"Here you go Ali." Fred handed me a nice cold bottle, which I took with thanks.
"How's it feel to be a uniformed member of the team Ron?" I asked as Fred jumped up to sit on the desk next to me.
"Brilliant!" He exclaimed taking a handful of Ever Flavour Beans from the box Harry offered him.
"Can't wait to see you in action." I smiled at him. From what I had heard from Harry, Ron was a surprisingly good. Turned out what he needed all these years, was a half decent broom.
"Luckily you can watch Ron play from the stands this year instead of being stuck out there on the field." Emily exclaimed.
"What's lil' Emily going on about?" George asked from Ron's left.
"Alice hasn't told you that she won't be playing quidditch this year?" Hermione asked innocently as she accepted an Every Flavour Bean from Harry.
"No." Fred and George said together.
"You're not going to play quidditch this year?" Fred asked very seriously.
"Well, I hadn't submitted a formal resignation, but the Slytherin team hasn't even had our first practice yet. I don't even think we have a captain…."
"Oh you do." George interrupted. "It's some 7th year nutter."
"How do you know that?" I asked resting my chin on my hands.
"Angelina, told me." George explained. "All the captains get together at the start of term, like prefects do.
"Oh. I guess that makes sense." I nodded. "I haven't decided if I'll quit or not. Guess I'll see how bad off this new captain is first."
"Good, because playing against anyone else would be too easy." Harry smiled offering me his box of Every Flavour Beans.
"Enough about me, let's hear more about your tryouts Ron."
"Er right, I didn't think I was going to make it at first, Ginny is a ridiculously skilled chaser…"
"What's this?" Hermione asked picking up an envelope that had fallen out of Ron's pocket.
"Letter from Percy." Ron answered to his shoes.
"What?!" The six of us shrieked.
"Well what does it say?" Emily asked her sort of boyfriend.
"Haven't read it yet." Ron shrugged. "Don't think I want to read it. We should burn the bloody thing." He reached forward to snatch the letter out of Hermione's hand.
"Don't you think you should at least see what he wants first?" Harry suggested, shielding the letter from his best friend's grasp.
"Do you think I ought to?" Ron looked pensively at the envelope.
"Yes!" We all shouted again.
"Alright, let's read it now then, but one of you read it. Out loud, for everyone to hear, then I won't have to repeat whatever it is that it says."
"I'll do it." Harry volunteered himself, taking the letter from Hermione.
"Dear Ron,
I have only just heard (from no less than the Minister of Magic himself, who has it from your teacher, Professor Umbridge) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect.
I was most pleasantly surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid that you would take what we might call the 'Fred and George' route,"
"Oy!" Fred exclaimed
"What's that supposed to mean?" George hissed.
"Shh you two!" I reprimanded softly.
"Rather than follow in my footsteps," Harry continued reading. "so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some real responsibility. But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by usual morning post. Hopefully you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions. What does that mean?" Harry asked looking up suddenly.
"Focus!" Hermione retorted as she reached over and snatched the letter from my brother's hands. Hermione's voice soon filled the air with her high pitched bravado. "From something the Minister let slip when telling me you are now a prefect, I gather that you are still seeing a lot of Harry and Allison Potter. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of losing your badge more than constant fraternization with that boy and his sister."
"Does Percy realize I've got a badge of my own?" I interrupted, earning myself a glare from Hermione. "Right sorry." I apologized so that she would continue reading.
"Yes, I am sure you are surprised to hear this, no doubt you will say that the Potters have always been favorites of Dumbledore, but I feel bound to tell you that Dumbledore may not be in charge of Hogwarts much longer and the people who count have a very different, and probably more accurate, view of the Potter's behavior. I shall say no more here, but if you look at the Daily Prophet tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing. (And see if you can spot yours truly!) Oh honestly, someone else please over." Hermione held out the letter, willing someone else to take it. I reached out reluctantly, taking it from her.
"Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as the Potter's, it could be very damaging to your future prospects, and I am talking here about life after school too. As you must be aware, given that our father escorted him to court, Harry Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality if you ask me and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt. It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with the Potter's, but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in their behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to speak with Dolores Umbridge, a really delightful woman, who I know will be only happy to advise you… What a complete and total…"
"My turn!" Fred grrunted as he lifted the letter from my hands. "This leads me to my other bit of advice. As I have hinted above, Dumbledore's regime at Hogwarts may soon be over. Your loyalty, Ron, should not be to him, but to the school and the Ministry. I am very sorry, doubt it, Percy's never been sorry about anything in him life." Fred snorted. "I am very sorry to hear that so far Professor Umbriddge is encountering very little cooperation from staff as she strives to make those necessary changes within Hogwarts that the Ministry so ardently desires. (Although she should find this easier from next week, again see the Prophet tomorrow!) I shall say only this, a student who shows himself willing to help Professor Umbridge now, may very well placed for Head Boyship in a couple of years! Wonder what that collection of owl dropping s all add up to… right someone else's turn I think. George?" George took a deep sigh, before taking the letter from his twin brother.
"I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. Yeah it's not like it was his fault or anything... git. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore. (If you are writing to Mother at any point, you might tell her that a certain Sturgis Podmore, who is a great friend of Dumbledore's, has recently been sent to Azkaban for trespass at the Ministry. Perhaps that will open their eyes to the kind of petty criminals with whom they are currently rubbing shoulders.) Where does he come off? Your turn Emily." George tossed the letter at Emily so that she could finish it off.
"I count myself very lucky to have escaped the stigma of association with such people, the Minister really could not be more gracious to me, and I do hope, Ron, that you will not allow family ties to blind you to the misguided nature of our parents' beliefs and actions either. I sincerely hope that, in time, they will realize how mistaken they were and I shall, of course, be ready to accept a full apology when that day comes. Please think over what I have said most carefully and congratulations again on becoming prefect. Your brother, Percy. Ron, Fred George, your brother really is awful." Emily folded the letter and handed it to Ron.
"Now you know why Dad kicked him out." Ron said, tucking the letter back in his ropes." What makes him think I'd want to be like him anyway?"
"He must miss all of you. Think about it, Percy went from being part of a large family, to being all alone. I'm sure he's just looking for someone to be on his side."'
"Why didn't I get one of those letters? Ron gets told off for just being friends with you lot, I'm dating you and I didn't get an annoying letter!" Fred complained.
"Maybe because he knew you wouldn't read the letter even if he sent you one." George pointed out.
"That's true. Sides no one could keep you away from me Ali, not even Professor Sn…Lupin." Fred kissed me on the cheek recovering quickly from his near blunder.
"Alice, if you ever send me a letter like this I would probably never speak to you again." Harry said very seriously.
"Understood, but I would never do something like this to you." I promised. "In fact, I could never do something like this to any of you. What do you think Percy meant about the paper tomorrow?"
"I suppose we'll just have to wait for the morning edition." Hermione concluded rationally.