Finally We Move On To Chapter 35.
Now that the sermon is over, what is to become of our trio? Of Bea? Of those saucy twins? Of Georgiana?
Well, that's for me to know and for you to find out.
Or, in simpler terms, for me to figure out and for you to laugh your butt off at.
After everyone had hastily opened their fortunes and made crazy predictions on the possible outcomes, the students lazily sat around the Hall.
"Oh, no way!" Ron came into the group, his fortune gripped in his hand.
"What?" Hermione asked, content with her own fortune.
"My fortune says, 'Even a blind bat can find a fruitful harvest'."
Fred laughed, "Ron, that doesn't mean you're going to lose your eyesight."
Ron rolled his eyes, "I know, but then what in name of Merlin does it mean?" Everyone turned to see Hermione's twisting face.
She noticed. "Why do you think I know?" she demanded, "It's not like-,"
"You're the smartest witch in the school?" George opted.
"Or you're the brightest girl in the world?" Fred tried.
"That your IQ is probably higher than Merlin's?"
"Or maybe Dumbledore's?"
"Probably," George admitted.
"That's what I'm saying," Fred pointed out.
Hermione shook her head, the twins were hopeless, "Maybe it means you have to use other senses rather than eyesight to discover something."
"Told ja," Fred muttered.
Ron shrugged his shoulders and pocketed the fortune, "Where do we have to go now?"
Harry looked around, everyone was still in the Hall and it was quarter to five. "I don't think we go anywhere," he observed, "It's almost dinner time anyway."
Bea rested a hand in Harry's palm, whispering in his ear, "Want to read mine?"
He nodded and felt the thin paper slip into his hand. It read: 'A friend of yours in in dire need.'
Harry's puzzled face turned to see hers. "Who do you think?"
She shrugged, "I don't know, but maybe it's a dud. I mean, come on, how does this little paper affect anything?"
Just then the tables began to swing from the walls to line up in their four rows. The comfy chairs and decorations flew into the large box, all of them shrinking to fit until everything was as it usually was.
The teachers took their spots at the head table and the kids took theirs below. Within a few minutes dinner had appeared on golden platters and it was all the kids could do but to fall into the old routine that frequently took over them. Scoop, eat, scoop, eat, sip, eat…
But upstairs Georgiana had not moved from her bed. Professor Krehope had noticed the blank spot beside him which he had set for her, and he knew exactly where she was.
After politely excusing himself, he headed up the mountainous stairs and sat beside her. "I'm sorry," he started, but she stood up and started fuming.
"Sorry? Uncle, I had wanted to go back home-,"
"Home?" Uncle asked quietly, examining the corner of the quilt, "Honey, you're an orphan-,"
"I know!" she shouted. Then quietly she added, "I know, but Uncle, all my friends are there. That's the only place I've ever considered home. I know all that you've done for my speaking career, but for goodness sakes, I'm only sixteen!"
She plopped down on the bed as he responded, "I know, honey, but I can't watch you go back there."
"Why?" she exasperatedly asked, leaning up on her elbow.
Uncle sighed, "Because he's gone."
There was no need to say who 'he' was.
"Gone where?" her voice cracked.
"He eloped with some girl in a hotel diner." Uncle rubbed a hand on her shoulder for the next hour as she silently cried her heart out. The tears were staining his robe, but that was alright. She was the closest thing he had to a daughter.
"Want some dinner?" Uncle asked a little later.
She shook her head. There wasn't enough pudding in the world to mend a broken heart.
Uncle sighed, "You need to come down and make an announcement to the kids."
"About what?"
Uncle rubbed his neck as he answered, "About you staying. For a while."
At this she sat straight up, "Uncle, how long will I have to stay?"
Uncle shrugged, "It's up to Dumbledore. And the students."
With that, Georgiana fell back into the pillows. Sure, she thought, leave a decision up to the kids. That's one way keep me here forever.
Derek rubbed the anxious crease from Anna Maria's forehead as they sat in the bus stop booth alone. "Are you sure about this?" Derek asked.
They had been gone almost two weeks, but without a doubt they were the best in his life. He mutely rubbed his wedding ring between his fingers as he watched her slide her own up and down her fingers. "Yes," Anna Maria whispered, "My family deserves to know. Besides, I think Gran will find you…tolerable."
He rolled his eyes, "Thank goodness, that might be the best I get."
She rubbed his cheek, "They'll get over it. I did."
With that, the bus rolled up into the station and the couple wordlessly clasped hands and rode toward, as Derek referred to them, 'the unsuspecting in-laws.'