I was awakened by what sounded like cannon fire as the door burst open. Sitting bolt upright, I heard the rasp of the curtains being pulled back. The dazzling sunlight seemed to poke me hard in both eyes. Shielding them with one hand, I observed Terry, Draco, Ron, and Hermione, with Harry and the twins bringing up the rear, Harry shaking his head and the twins grinning.

"Huh? You guys were asleep when I came in last night..." I groaned. Mrs Weasley had shown Harry and I to our usual rooms after she had fed us with bread and cheese last night, Harry to Ron's room and me to the twins' room. When I came in, the two boys were already snoozing and didn't budge even with the racket I was making by brushing my wildly curly hair.

"We woke up five minutes ago and saw you." Fred grinned. "So we decided to let you sleep -"

"- For one more minute while we rallied the troops." George gestured to the others.

I looked at them. Ron beamed at me.

"Alright?"

"Never been better." I said, slumping back onto my pillows. "You?"

"Not bad." Ron said, pulling over a cardboard box and sitting on it. "When did you get here? They've only just told us!"

"About one o'clock this morning, way earlier than my usual bed time."

"Were the Muggles all right?" George said, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. I smirked, thinking of Sasha.

"Same as usual." I said, as Hermione perched herself on the edge of my bed. "Sasha's okay, if that's what you were really asking. How're you, Hermione?"

"Oh, I'm fine, thanks, Daze." Hermione smiled as George went bright red.

"What's the time? Have I missed breakfast?" I said, propping my arm behind my head.

"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you and Harry up a tray; she reckons you both look like you need feeding up." Ron said, rolling his eyes.

"When did you get here, Hopper? And with Dragon, too." I said slyly, and the two boys blushed.

"A few days ago. Mrs Weasley gave us Charlie's old room."

"The vibes are bad at my house." Draco said nervously. "I'd much rather be here."

"It's awesome that you're here, we always missed you during the hols." I said, and Draco beamed. Terry shot me a grateful look.

"So, what's been going on with our favourite puppy?" Fred said.

"Nothing much, squirrel boy." I said.

"Come off it!" Ron said. "You've been off with Dumbledore!"

"It wasn't that exciting." Harry said.

"He just wanted us to help him persuade this fuckin' old teacher to come out of retirement. Horace Slug or something." I said.

"Oh." Ron said, looking disappointed. "We thought -"

Hermione flashed a warning look at Ron, and Ron changed tack at top speed.

"- We thought it'd be something like that."

"You did?" Harry said, sounding amused.

"Yeah... yeah, now Umbridge has left, obviously we need a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, don't we? So, er, what's he like?"

"He looks a bit like a walrus, and he used to be Head of Slytherin." Harry said.

I sniggered. "Yeah, and he like, 'collected' students or something when he was a teacher. Bit weird, mate."

"Oh, creepy." Fred said. "I love it. Can't wait to be collected by him."

"Except you'll be fine, it'll be us who'll be collected by the creepy walrus." I said glumly. "Ugh, I'll miss you guys."

Fred and George exchanged a glance.

"Softpaw, Hopper, Softpaw's brother, Hopper's boyfriend, our brother, and Softpaw's brother and our brother's friend, we have something to announce." George said.

"That was unnecessarily long-winded." I said, my brain still reeling from his address to Hermione.

"We are returning to Hogwarts to repeat our NEWTs!" Fred said enthusiastically, throwing his hands out in a 'surprise!' gesture.

We all stared at them, our mouths open.

"Huh?" I said first. "But I thought you fucking hated school!"

"We fucking hated Umbitch and the academic standards." Fred corrected.

"But we figured, the shop is making enough money that we're able to hire employees and managers to look after it while we're away." George said.

"Plus we missed out on our last year of education due to being FORCED to spend all our time plotting pranks against Umbitch." Fred sighed, shaking his head.

"Plus we never did achieve any qualifications, did we? It might be useful to study Transfiguration and Potions and the like, if we're going to help you fight You-Know-Poo, Softpaw."

"Plus, there's the added bonus of spending two more years with you, isn't there?" Fred said, smirking. "We're going to resit the whole of NEWTs. Meaning we'll be in your class."

"No FUCKING way!" I leapt up from my bed, screaming. "Oh my GODRIC! Fuck yeah!"

Terry was screaming too. "That's so awesome! You'll be able to help us with our one-hundred-and-one-ways-to-piss-off-the-DADA-professor list!"

"And fuck around with us in class!" I breathed. "Fuck! This is the best news I've heard in a long time!"

"We'll be able to market and further the business with a bit of field study in troublemaking at Hogwarts." Fred said, a bit flushed, but clearly pleased. "But being in class with you guys is something we've always imagined, and it'll be fun as hell."

Terry and I flung ourselves upon the twins, and we all group-hugged. As I was being squashed in between Fred and George, I heard Ron ask, "So, um, did Slughorn seem like he'll be a good teacher?"

"Dunno." I heard Harry say. "He can't be worse than Umbridge, can he?"

"I know someone who's worse than Umbridge." A voice said from the doorway. Ginny slouched into the room, looking irritable. "Hi, Daisy, Harry."

"Hey, queen." I said, pulling back from the boys and flopping back down onto the bed. Terry and the twins followed, crowding around me, and we all lounged with our limbs tangled together under my cozy, warm blanket.

"What's up with you?" Fred asked. "You look like you've just been spanked by Mum."

"It's HER." Ginny said, plonking herself down on Fred's bed. "She's driving me mad."

"What's she done now?" Hermione asked sympathetically.

"It's the way she talks to me... you'd think I was about three!"

"I know." Hermione said, dropping her voice. "She's so full of herself."

I was astonished to hear Hermione talking about Mrs Weasley like this and could not blame Ron for saying angrily, "Can't you two lay off her for five seconds?"

"Oh, that's right, defend her." Ginny snapped. "We all know you can't get enough of her."

This seemed an odd comment to make about Ron's mother. Starting to feel that I was missing something, I said, "Who the fuck are you...?"

But my question was answered before I could finish it. The bedroom door flew open again, and I instinctively yanked the bedcovers up to my chin so much that Terry, Fred, and George were also covered.

A young woman was standing in the doorway, a woman of such breathtaking beauty that the room seemed to have become strangely airless. She was tall and willowy with long blonde hair and appeared to emanate a faint, silvery glow. To complete this vision of perfection, she was carrying a heavily laden breakfast tray.

"Daizzy, 'Arry." She said in a throaty voice. "Eet 'as been too long!"

As she swept over the threshold toward us, Mrs Weasley was revealed, bobbing along in her wake, looking rather cross.

"There was no need to bring up the tray, I was just about to do it myself!"

"Eet was no trouble." Fleur said, setting the tray on the bedside table between my bed and where Harry was sitting, then swooping to kiss us both on each cheek: I felt the places where her mouth had touched me burn. "I 'ave been longing to see them. You remember my seester, Gabrielle? She never stops talking about Daizzy and 'Arry Potter. She will be delighted to see you both again."

"Oh... is she here too?" I croaked.

"No, no, silly girl." Fleur said with a tinkling laugh. "I mean next summer, when we... but do you not know?"

Her great blue eyes widened and she looked reproachfully at Mrs Weasley, who said, "We hadn't got around to telling them yet."

Fleur turned back to me and Harry, swinging her silvery sheet of hair so that it whipped Mrs Weasley across the face.

"Bill and I are going to be married!"

"Oh." Harry said blankly.

I couldn't help noticing how Mrs Weasley, Hermione, and Ginny were all determinedly avoiding one another's gaze.

"Wow. Er..."

"Congratulations!" I jumped in, beaming at her. Harry glanced at me gratefully.

She swooped down upon me and kissed me on both cheeks again. I blushed, and Fred rolled his eyes.

"Bill is very busy at ze moment, working very 'ard, and I only work part-time at Gringotts for my Eenglish, so he brought me 'ere for a few days to get to know 'is family properly. I was so pleased to 'ear you two would be coming... zere isn't much to do 'ere, unless you like cooking and chickens!"

"Oof." I said.

"Well... enjoy your breakfast, Daizzy, 'Arry!"

With these words she turned gracefully and seemed to float out of the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

Mrs Weasley made a noise that sounded like, "Tchah!"

"Mum HATES her." Fred said with relish.

"I do not hate her!" Mrs Weasley said in a cross whisper. "I just think they've hurried into this engagement, that's all!"

"They've known each other a year." Ron said, who looked oddly groggy and was staring at the closed door.

"Well, that's not very long! I know why it's happened, of course. It's all this uncertainty with You-Know-Who coming back, people think they might be dead tomorrow, so they're rushing all sorts of decisions they'd normally take time over. It was the same last time he was powerful, people eloping left, right, and centre..."

"Including you and Dad." Ginny said slyly.

"Yes, well, your father and I were made for each other, what was the point in waiting?" Mrs Weasley said. "Whereas Bill and Fleur... well... what have they really got in common? He's a hardworking, down-to-earth sort of person, whereas she's..."

"A cow." Ginny said, nodding. "But Bill's not that down-to-earth. He's a Curse-Breaker, isn't he, he likes a bit of adventure, a bit of glamour... I expect that's why he's gone for Phlegm."

"Jesus Christ." I said.

"Stop calling her that, Ginny." Mrs Weasley said sharply, as Harry, Fred, and Hermione laughed. "Well, I'd better get on... Eat your eggs while they're warm, twins."

Looking careworn, she left the room. Ron and George seemed slightly punch-drunk; they were both shaking their heads experimentally like dogs trying to rid their ears of water.

"Don't you guys get used to her if she's staying in the same house?" Harry asked.

"Well, you do," said Ron, "but if she jumps out at you unexpectedly, like then..."

We chatted for a bit more, then Mrs Weasley called Ginny down to help her with lunch. I snuggled further into Terry, Fred, and George, who were all cuddled closely around me, as it was only a spare twin bed that had been brought in and was therefore not that big at all. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco sat on the twins' beds, no longer looking at the four of us strangely after all these years. It was natural for us Insurgents to be seen cuddling, hugging, all sharing a bed. We were as close as can be.

"And what about Bighead Boy?" I asked. "Is he talking to your mum and dad again?"

"Nope, the wee wanker." Fred said.

"What the fuck? But he knows your dad was right all along now about Voldemort being back?"

"Dumbledore says people find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right." Hermione said. "I heard him telling your mum, Ron, Fred, George."

"Sounds like the sort of mental thing Dumbledore would say." Terry said.

"The madlad's going to be giving me and Harry private lessons this year." I said conversationally.

Ron choked, Draco leaned forward, the twins and Terry shifted beside me, turning to stare at me, and Hermione gasped.

"You little shit! You kept that quiet!" Fred said.

I smirked. "He told us last night in your broom shed."

"Oh my days... private lessons with Dumbledore!" Terry said, looking impressed. "I wonder why he's...?"

His voice trailed away. I saw him and the others exchange looks. I, in turn, exchanged a glance with Harry. Dumbledore had said to do it... why not now? I took a deep breath, looking at Terry's freckled arm, and said, "I don't know exactly why he's going to be giving us lessons, but I think it must be because Riddle keeps trying to kill Harry... and because of the prophecy."

Nobody spoke. Everybody had frozen. I continued, "You know, the one they were trying to steal at the Ministry."

"Nobody knows what it said, though." Hermione said quickly.

"It got smashed, bro." Terry said.

"Although the Prophet says..." George began, but Hermione said, "Shh!"

"The Prophet's got it right." I said, looking up at them with a great effort: Hermione and Draco seemed frightened and Terry, Fred, George, and Ron amazed. "That glass ball that smashed wasn't the only record of the prophecy. I heard the whole thing in Dumbledore's office, he was the one the prophecy was made to, so he could tell me. From what it said," I took a deep breath, "it looks like I'm the one who's got to finish off Voldemort."

There was a moment's silence.

"Fuck, Daze..." Fred said slowly.

"Shit..." George was gazing at me, wide-eyed.

"We - we wondered, after we got back from the Ministry..." Terry said, his voice shaking. "Obviously, we didn't want to say anything to you, but from what Lucius Malfoy said about the prophecy, how it was about you and Voldemort, well, we thought it might be something like this..."

"Oh, Daisy..." Hermione stared at me, then whispered, "Are you scared?"

"Not as much as I was." I said. "When I first heard it, I was... but now, I think... I always knew I'd have to face him in the end."

"When we heard Dumbledore was collecting you guys in person, we thought he might be telling you something or showing you something to do with the prophecy." Ron said eagerly.

"And we were kind of right, weren't we?" Fred grinned.

"He wouldn't be giving you lessons if he thought you two were goners, wouldn't waste his time..." George raised an eyebrow.

"So he must think you've got a chance!" Draco said.

"That's true." Hermione said. "I wonder what he'll teach you, Daisy, Harry?"

"Really advanced defensive magic, probably... powerful countercurses... anti-jinxes..." Terry counted off on his fingers absently.

I didn't really listen. A warmth was spreading through me that had nothing to do with the sunlight; a tight obstruction in my chest seemed to be dissolving. I knew that they were all more shocked than they were letting on, but the mere fact that they were still there on either side of me, speaking bracing words of comfort, not shrinking from me as though I were contaminated or dangerous, was worth more than I could ever tell them.

"...And evasive enchantments generally." Terry concluded. "Well, at least you know one lesson you'll be having this year, that's one more than the rest of us."

"On that note, I wonder when our OWL results will come?" Hermione said.

"Can't be long now, it's been a month." Ron said.

"Hang on." Harry said. "I think Dumbledore said our OWL results would be arriving today!"

"Today?" Hermione shrieked. "TODAY? But why didn't you... oh my Godric... you should have said..."

She leapt to her feet.

"I'm going to see whether any owls have come..."

But when the twins and I arrived downstairs ten minutes later, fully dressed, it was to find Hermione pacing in great agitation in the kitchen, twisting her fingers together.

"Mrs Weasley, you're quite, quite sure no owls have arrived this morning?"

"Yes, dear, I'd have noticed." Mrs Weasley said patiently. "But it's barely nine, there's still plenty of time..."

"I know I messed up Ancient Runes." Hermione muttered feverishly as Terry and I determinedly avoided each other's eye. "I definitely made at least one serious mistranslation. And the Defence Against the Dark Arts practical was no good at all. I thought Transfiguration went alright at the time, but looking back -"

"Hermione, will you shut up, you're not the only one who's nervous!" Ron barked. "And when you've got your eleven 'Outstanding' OWLs..."

"Don't, don't, don't!" Hermione said, flapping her hands hysterically. "I know I've failed everything!"

Fred, George, Terry, and I sniggered in the corner as Draco rolled his eyes.

"What happens if we fail?" Harry asked the room at large, but it was Hermione who answered.

"We discuss our options with our Head of House, I asked Professor McGonagall at the end of last term."

"Yikes." I said.

"At Beauxbatons," said Fleur complacently, "we 'ad a different way of doing things. I think eet was better. We sat our examinations after six years of study, not five, and then..."

Fleur's words were drowned in a scream. Hermione was pointing through the kitchen window. Six black specks were clearly visible in the sky, growing larger all the time.

"They're definitely owls." Ron said hoarsely, jumping up to join Hermione at the window.

"And there are three of them." Harry said, hastening to her other side.

"One for each of us." Draco said in a terrified whisper.

"Oh no... oh no... oh no..." Hermione was muttering.

Terry and I simply performed our best friend handshake as our friends panicked.

The owls were flying directly at the Burrow, six handsome tawnies, each of which, it became clear as they flew lower over the path leading up to the house, was carrying a large square envelope.

"Oh no!" Hermione squealed.

Mrs Weasley squeezed past them and opened the kitchen window. One, two, three, four, five, six, the owls soared through it and landed on the table in a neat line. All six of them lifted their right legs.

I moved forward casually. The letter addressed to me was tied to the leg of the third owl. I untied it with steady fingers. To my left, Harry was trying to detach his own results; to my right, Hermione's hands were shaking so much she was making her whole owl tremble.

Nobody in the kitchen spoke. At last, I managed to detach the envelope. I slit it open quickly and unfolded the parchment inside.

'Ordinary Wizarding Level Results

Pass Grades:

Outstanding (O)

Exceeds Expectations (E)

Acceptable (A)

Fail Grades:

Poor (P)

Dreadful (D)

Troll (T)

Daisy Lily Potter has achieved:

Astronomy E

Care of Magical Creatures E

Charms O

Defence Against the Dark Arts O

Divination O

Herbology O

History of Magic T

Potions E

Transfiguration O'

I looked around. Hermione had her back to us and her head bent, Draco was looking pleased, Harry was visibly relieved, Terry was smirking with a large amount of cockiness at his parchment, and Ron was looking delighted.

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who cares about them?" Ron said happily to Harry.

I glanced down Ron's grades. There were no 'Outstandings' there, but he'd done reasonably well.

"Let us see, Softpaw." The twins snatched my results and scanned them, their eyes popping.

"How'd you get an 'Outstanding' in Divination?" Fred demanded.

I smirked. "I just told my examiner that I predicted really good things were going to happen to her in the next week, such as that she was going to become a Galleonaire and marry a very handsome wizarding model."

"Nice." The twins chorused.

"There was no way you'd pass History of Magic." George smirked. "Not after you skipped its exam to plant our Portable Swamp."

"Of course not." I smirked back.

"Knew you'd be top at Defence Against the Dark Arts, though." Fred said, punching me on the shoulder.

"Don't you know it." I winked.

"Well done!" Mrs Weasley said proudly, ruffling Ron's hair. I glanced at Harry's results: he'd gotten an 'O' in DADA like me, but had failed Divination and History of Magic; Draco had gotten 'E's in most subjects, but there were no 'O's; Terry had managed to get 'O' in everything except Divination, History of Magic (which he had also skipped and therefore failed), and DADA, the latter getting an 'E' in.

"Hermione?" Ginny said tentatively, for Hermione still hadn't turned around. "How did you do?"

"I - not bad." Hermione said in a small voice.

"Oh, come off it." I said, striding over to her and whipping her results out of her hand. "Yep... ten 'Outstandings' and one 'Exceeds Expectations' at Defence Against the Dark Arts." I looked down at her, half-amused, half-exasperated. "You're actually disappointed, aren't you, for fuck sake?"

Hermione shook her head, but Ron laughed.

"Well, we're NEWT students now!" Ron grinned. "Mum, are there any more sausages?"

I remained within the confines of the Burrow's garden over the next few weeks. I spent most of my days playing Quidditch in the Weasleys' orchard with Terry, Fred, George, Harry, Draco, Ginny, and Ron, and my evenings eating triple helpings of everything Mrs Weasley put in front of me.

It would have been a happy, peaceful holiday had it not been for the stories of disappearances, odd accidents, and deaths now appearing almost daily in the Prophet. Sometimes Bill and Mr Weasley brought home news before it even reached the paper. To Mrs Weasley's displeasure, mine and Harry's sixteenth birthday celebrations were marred by grisly tidings brought to the party by Lupin, who was looking gaunt and grim, his brown hair streaked liberally with gray, his clothes more ragged and patched than ever.

"There have been another couple of Dementor attacks." He announced, as Mrs Weasley passed Sirius a large slice of birthday cake. "And they've found Igor Karkaroff's body in a shack up north. The Dark Mark had been set over it... well, frankly, I'm surprised he stayed alive for even a year after deserting the Death Eaters."

"Regulus only managed a few days." Sirius commented.

"Yes, well." Mrs Weasley said, frowning. "Perhaps we should talk about something diff-"

"Did you hear about Florean Fortescue, Remus, Sirius?" Bill asked, who was being plied with wine by Fleur. "The man who ran -"

"- The ice-cream place in Diagon Alley?" I interrupted, with an unpleasant, hollow sensation in the pit of my stomach. "He used to give me free ice creams. What's happened to him?"

"Dragged off, by the look of his place."

"Why?" Harry asked, while Mrs Weasley pointedly glared at Bill.

"Who knows? He must've upset them somehow. He was a good man, Florean."

"Talking of Diagon Alley," said Mr Weasley, "looks like Ollivander's gone too."

"The wand-maker?" Ginny said, looking startled.

"That's the one. Shop's empty. No sign of a struggle. No one knows whether he left voluntarily or was kidnapped."

"But wands - what'll people do for wands?"

"They'll make do with other makers." Lupin said. "But Ollivander was the best, and if the other side have got him it's not so good for us."

The day after this rather gloomy birthday tea, our letters and booklists arrived from Hogwarts. Mine included a surprise: I had been made Quidditch Captain.

"That gives you equal status with prefects!" Draco said happily. "You can use our special bathroom now and everything!"

"Wow, I remember when Charlie wore one of these." Ron said, examining the badge with glee. "Daisy, this is so cool, you're my Captain... if you let me back on the team, I suppose, ha ha..."

"Watch out, she might just not." Fred warned, and Ron blanched.

"Beware, I might just not let YOU back on the team if you keep it up, Red." I glared jokingly at Fred, and he held his hands up.

"Well, I don't suppose we can put off a trip to Diagon Alley much longer now you've got these." Mrs Weasley sighed, looking down Ron, Fred, and George's booklists. "We'll go on Saturday as long as your father doesn't have to go into work again. I'm not going there without him."

"Mum, d'you honestly think You-Know-Who's going to be hiding behind a bookshelf in Flourish and Blotts?" Ron sniggered.

"Fortescue and Ollivander went on holiday, did they?" Mrs Weasley said, firing up at once. "If you think security's a laughing matter you can stay behind and I'll get your things myself..."

"No, I wanna come, I want to see Fred, George, Daisy, and Terry's shop again!" Ron said hastily.

"Then you just buck up your ideas, young man, before I decide you're too immature to come with us!" Mrs Weasley said angrily, snatching up her family clock, all nine hands of which were pointing at mortal peril, and balancing it on top of a pile of just-laundered towels. "And that goes for returning to Hogwarts as well!"

Ron turned to stare incredulously at me as his mother hoisted the laundry basket and the teetering clock into her arms and stormed out of the room.

"Blimey... you can't even make a joke round here anymore..."

I patted him on the back sympathetically. "Don't worry, mate, I appreciated your joke."

"Thanks, bro." Ron said glumly.

But Ron was careful not to be flippant about Voldemort over the next few days. Saturday dawned without any more outbursts from Mrs Weasley, though she seemed very tense at breakfast. Bill, who would be staying at home with Fleur (much to Hermione and Ginny's pleasure), passed two full money bags across the table to me and Harry.

"Where's mine?" Ron demanded at once, his eyes wide.

"Those're already Daisy and Harry's, idiot." Bill said. "I got it out of your vault for you, twins, because it's taking about five hours for the public to get to their gold at the moment, the goblins have tightened security so much. Two days ago Arkie Philpott had a Probity Probe stuck up his ass. Trust me, this way's easier."

"Thanks, Bill!" I said, pocketing my gold.

"'E is always so thoughtful." Fleur purred adoringly, stroking Bill's nose. Ginny mimed vomiting into her cereal behind Fleur. I choked over my cornflakes, and Terry thumped me on the back.

It was an overcast, murky day. One of the special Ministry of Magic cars, in which I had ridden once before, was awaiting us in the front yard when we emerged from the house, pulling on our jackets.

"It's good Dad can get us these again." Fred said appreciatively, stretching luxuriously as the car moved smoothly away from the Burrow, Bill and Fleur waving from the kitchen window. He, me, George, Terry, Draco, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were all sitting in roomy comfort in the wide backseat.

"Don't get used to it, it's only because of Daisy and Harry." Mr Weasley said over his shoulder. He and Mrs Weasley were in front with the Ministry driver; the front passenger seat had obligingly stretched into what resembled a two-seater sofa. "They've been given top-grade security status. And we'll be joining up with additional security at the Leaky Cauldron too."

"Here you are, then." The driver said, a surprisingly short while later, speaking for the first time as he slowed in Charing Cross Road and stopped outside the Leaky Cauldron. "I'm to wait for you, any idea how long you'll be?"

"A couple of hours, I expect." Mr Weasley said. "Ah, good, he's here!"

I imitated Mr Weasley and peered through the window. There were no Aurors waiting outside the inn, but instead the gigantic, black-bearded form of Hagrid wearing a long beaverskin coat, beaming at the sight of my face and oblivious to the startled stares of passing Muggles.

"Daisy!" He boomed, sweeping me into a bone-crushing hug the moment I had stepped out of the car. "Buckbeak - Witherwings, I mean - yeh should see him, Daisy, he's so happy ter be back in the open air -"

"Glad he's pleased." I said, grinning as I massaged my ribs. "We didn't know 'security' meant you!"

"I know, jus' like old times, innit? See, the Ministry wanted ter send a bunch o' Aurors, but Dumbledore said I'd do." Hagrid said proudly, throwing out his chest and tucking his thumbs into his pockets. "Lets get goin' then - after yeh, Molly, Arthur -"

The Leaky Cauldron was, for the first time in my memory, completely empty. Only Tom the landlord, wizened and toothless, remained of the old crowd. He looked up hopefully as we entered, but before he could speak, Hagrid said importantly, "Jus' passin' through today, Tom, sure yeh understand, Hogwarts business, yeh know."

Tom nodded gloomily and returned to wiping glasses; me, Harry, Terry, Draco, Hermione, Hagrid, and the Weasleys walked through the bar and out into the chilly little courtyard at the back where the dustbins stood. Hagrid raised his pink umbrella and rapped a certain brick in the wall, which opened at once to form an archway onto a winding cobbled street. We stepped through the entrance and paused, looking around.

Diagon Alley had changed since I had last seen it from the outside in daylight. I had only seen it in the middle of the night when Fred had Apparated me here a month back, and even then I hadn't seen it in daylight since leaving to find my brother at school in June. The colorful, glittering window displays of spellbooks, potion ingredients, and cauldrons were lost to view, hidden behind the large Ministry of Magic posters that had been pasted over them. Most of these somber purple posters carried blown-up versions of the security advice on the Ministry pamphlets that had been sent out over the summer, but others bore moving black-and-white photographs of Death Eaters known to be on the loose. Bellatrix Lestrange was sneering from the front of the nearest apothecary. A few windows were boarded up, including those of Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor. On the other hand, a number of shabby-looking stalls had sprung up along the street. The nearest one, which had been erected outside Flourish and Blotts, under a striped, stained awning, had a cardboard sign pinned to its front:

'AMULETS: Effective Against Werewolves, Dementors, and Inferi'

A seedy-looking little wizard was rattling armfuls of silver symbols on chains at passersby.

"One for your little girls, madam?" He called at Mrs Weasley as we passed, leering at me and Ginny. "Protect their pretty necks?"

"If I were on duty..." Mr Weasley said, glaring angrily at the amulet seller as Terry waggled his eyebrows at me.

"Yes, but don't go arresting anyone now, dear, we're in a hurry." Mrs Weasley said, nervously consulting a list. "I think we'd better do Madam Malkin's first, Terry and Draco want new dress robes, and Fred and George need new school ones too... you must need new ones too, Daisy, you've grown so much... come on, everyone..."

"Molly, it doesn't make sense for all of us to go to Madam Malkin's." Mr Weasley said. "Why don't those five go with Hagrid, and the rest of us can go to Flourish and Blotts and get everyone's school books?"

"I don't know." Mrs Weasley said anxiously, clearly torn between a desire to finish the shopping quickly and the wish to stick together in a pack. "Hagrid, do you think -?"

"Don' fret, they'll be fine with me, Molly." Hagrid said soothingly, waving an airy hand the size of a dustbin lid. Mrs Weasley did not look entirely convinced, but allowed the separation, scurrying off toward Flourish and Blotts with her husband, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny while Draco, Terry, Fred, George, Hagrid, and I set off for Madam Malkin's.

I noticed that many of the people who passed us had the same harried, anxious look as Mrs Weasley, and that nobody was stopping to talk anymore; the shoppers stayed together in their own tightly knit groups, moving intently about their business. Nobody seemed to be shopping alone.

"Migh' be a bit of a squeeze in there with all o' us." Hagrid said, stopping outside Madam Malkin's and bending down to peer through the window. "I'll stand guard outside, all righ'?"

So Draco, Terry, Fred, George, and I entered the little shop together. It appeared at first glance to be empty, but no sooner had the door swung shut behind us than we heard a familiar voice issuing from behind a rack of dress robes in spangled green and blue.

"... Not a child, in case you haven't noticed, Mother. I am perfectly capable of doing my shopping alone."

There was a clucking noise and a voice I recognized as that of Madam Malkin, the owner, said, "Now, dear, your mother's quite right, none of us is supposed to go wandering around on our own anymore, it's nothing to do with being a child -"

"Watch where you're sticking that pin, will you!"

A teenage boy with a pale, pointed face and floppy chestnut hair appeared from behind the rack, wearing a handsome set of dark green robes that glittered with pins around the edges of the sleeves. He strode to the mirror and examined himself; it was a few moments before he noticed Draco and the Insurgents reflected over his shoulder. His light gray eyes narrowed.

"Hello, traitor." Floppy sneered.

"Traitor to what?" Draco sneered right back. "A pathetic terrorist group that has to get little matching tattoos so everyone knows that they're fwiends?"

The Insurgents watched in awe as the two Malfoys had their sneer-off.

"No, to your blood." Floppy turned towards us, a smirk unfurling on his face. "Fraternising with blood traitors and half-breeds."

"You wanna repeat that?" I stepped forward, my wand out.

"I see that being Dumbledore's favourite has given you a false sense of security, Weakling. But Dumbledore won't always be there to protect you." Floppy regarded me. "Neither will this lot. Are you forgetting how easily I put Weasel under the Imperius Curse last year?"

"You won't ever be able to do that again." Fred hissed, his wand out too. "I can fight it now. Just fucking try me."

Floppy smirked. "Well. We all know that Weakling's only brave because Dumbledore's thinks she's something. But as I said, he won't always be around -"

I looked mockingly all around the shop. "Wow... look at that... he's not here now! So why not have a go? They might be able to find you a double cell in Azkaban with your loser of a dad!"

Floppy made an angry movement toward me, but stumbled over his overlong cloak. Fred, George, Terry, and Draco laughed loudly.

"Everything alright, Felix?"

"I'll just take these ones." Floppy stalked back to his mother and Madam Malkin, pulling off the cloak in a huff.

~~~

"Everyone alright?" Mrs Weasley said. "Got your robes? Right then, we can pop in at the Apothecary and Eeylops on the way to Fred and George's... stick close, now..."

Neither me nor Harry bought any ingredients at the Apothecary, seeing that we were no longer studying Potions, but both of us bought large boxes of owl nuts for Snidget and Hedwig at Eeylops Owl Emporium. Then, with Mrs Weasley checking her watch every minute or so, we headed farther along the street towards Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes.

"We really haven't got too long." Mrs Weasley said. "So we'll just have a quick look around and then back to the car."

I laughed at the 'constipation sensation' sign on the window. It never got old. I heard a weak sort of moan beside me and looked around to see Mrs Weasley gazing, dumbfounded, at the poster. Her lips moved silently, mouthing the name 'U-No-Poo.'

"You'll be murdered in your beds!" She whispered.

"No they won't!" Ron said, who, like me, was laughing. "This is brilliant!"

"Thanks, little bro!" Fred said brightly.

And he and I led the way into the shop. It was packed with customers; I could not get near the shelves. Our employees greeted us cheerily, and the twins moved through the crowd to speak to the manager on duty today. Terry and I messed around with some of our employees near the window, chatting and bantering, and I called over to Ron, "Hey, you need some hair dye to cover that gingerness, Ronnie? We've got neon pink if you want any!"

Ron made a rude hand gesture at me that was unfortunately spotted by Mrs Weasley, who had chosen that moment to appear.

"If I see you do that again I'll jinx your fingers together." She said sharply.

"Mum, can I have a Pygmy Puff?" Ginny said at once. I grinned. I knew she'd been wanting to ask her mum that ever since she'd first seen them when she came to visit.

"A what?" Mrs Weasley said warily.

"Look, they're so sweet..."

Mrs Weasley moved aside to look at the Pygmy Puffs, and Terry and I momentarily had an unimpeded view out of the window. Floppy was hurrying up the street alone. As he passed Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, he glanced over his shoulder. Seconds later, he moved beyond the scope of the window and we lost sight of him.

"What a fuckin' scumbag." Terry commented casually.

"I don't know who that is," Amanda, an employee a few years older than us with blonde hair in two pigtails, said, "but he looks like a nonce."

Terry and I high-fived.