Chapter Seven: The Sisters' Outings
Saturday came like a flash of lightning. Jazz was up at dawn, digging through her trunk for the perfect robes. She was so obsessed with her outfit that she almost didn't notice that eleven-thirty was creeping up on her. In the nick of time she just threw on the outfit she tried on first and left the dormitory to meet Harry.
"Hi, Harry," Jazz greeted him with a smile.
"Hey, Jazz. How are you this morning?" Harry said, not quite sure how to lead the conversation.
"Just fine and dandy. How about yourself?"
"Very well, thanks. Here, I've already grabbed a table. Let's go sit down, shall we?" Harry motioned to a table that was set back in a corner. He signaled to Madam Rosmerta to bring them two Butterbeers. As they sat down, Harry decided to make his move.
"Um, you know, you look nice Jazz," Harry muttered, turning red and looking at his shoes.
"Really? Thanks Harry, that means a lot to me, coming for you," she blushed furiously. Did the famous Harry Potter actually like her?
"Well, you know it's true," he said smiling. Although confident on the outside, inside he was nervous as if he was taking the Potion final without studying. Harry had no clue where the guts came from, so the next question surprised even him.
"I know we haven't really known each other for longer than two weeks, but I really like you.um.willyougooutwithme?"
"Oh!" Jazz exclaimed. She did like Harry, but this was too soon. However, this could be a once in a lifetime chance! Jazz suddenly became emotionally confused. She didn't know whether or not to say yes or not. If she said yes, she could be happier than she had been for a long time. But then again, Harry could turn out to be not the type of person she's into. "Oh, I don't know Harry. It's too soon, I'm sorry. I'm not saying I don't like you, because I do, it's just, well, like you said, I don't really know you that well. But I'd really like to be a good friend."
"Oh, I see," said Harry, a little crestfallen but all right. "Yes, I think that would work." He smiled at her to show that he meant it. Even though Harry was disappointed that she didn't say yes, at least she didn't hate him, and she didn't say no either.
As they were finishing up their Butterbeers, Ron and Hermione walked in, looking less than pleasant.
"Hey Ron, Hermione," Jazz acknowledged, "What's up? Why so glum?"
"I'm not glum," Hermione snapped, "I'm just had it up to HERE with Raggedy Andy over there!"
"Just because I dropped your favorite book in the mud doesn't mean you hafta chew me out in front of everyone!" Ron protested. "It was an accident anyway! You make it seem like I did it on purpose!"
"You didn't even make a big deal out of it! You could've at least wiped it off better when you handed it to me!"
"For God's sake woman! If you would just listen to yourself for one second."
"Be quiet, both of you!" Harry interrupted his quarreling friends. "You two, make up right now or I swear I'll dump the rest of my Butterbeer on you."
"Fine," huffed Hermione. "Sorry Ron."
"Yeah, sorry."
"Ok then, I hate to see such sad faces," Jazz clapped her hands. "How 'bout we all go to Zonko's? There, we can at least find something to cheer us up, eh?"
*****
"You know, we don't have places like this in Chicago," commented Leo as she browsed through a barrel of Warlock Wally's Weird Wands for Weird Wizards, which were trick-wands that would turn an unsuspecting wizard's hands bright purple, green, or orange if he held it. Zonko's was just blowing her away. It easily became her favorite store in the whole world.
"Is that so? My, my, you've been deprived my friend," George shook his head in pity. "Lucky I'm here to expand your horizons a bit."
"Oh, yes, I am forever in your debt," Leo laughed, partially being serious.
"As you should be," George replied, thrusting a pack of Dungbombs at her, "Do you think that this will be enough?"
"Oh, no. If you're going to properly create havoc, you need at least a dozen," she explained. "And also, we're going to need some fireworks, 2 dozen rolls of Untearable Terrible TP, Frog Spawn Soap, Sticky Sweet Syrup Glue, and more Bite Your Bum Seat Covers than you can shake a stick at!"
"Right ho, Captain!" he saluted and went off on a rampage, grabbing everything in sight. After getting all she asked for, he dumped the loot on the counter, "this everything?"
"Just about. I think I'll add some pranks of my own making as well to sweeten the pot."
"A girl who makes gags; I think I'm in heaven!" George playfully put his arm around her, "So then, brains behind the scheme, should we tell Fred about what will be the prank to end all pranks?"
"Nah, I think we should keep this to ourselves. Everyone will know who did it as soon as we pull it off. Then, our names will go down in Gryffindor history!"
"George Weasley and Leo Lawson: Number One Pranksters. Ah yes, that does have a nice ring to it."
As the two walked out with their bulging bag, Leo expressed her impatience.
"You know, George, I don't think I'll be able to wait 'till after the Quidditch Cup to pull this. It's just too good!"
"Yes I know, I was like that at your age. All full of spunk and ready to jump into a project as soon as it presented its ugly head. But age, I fear, has wizened me up a bit. No matter how good a prank is, if you execute it at the wrong time it won't have the same affect." George said, matter-of-fact.
"Oh, you've gotten all philosophical all of sudden. I didn't think you had it in you," Leo teased.
"Oh yes, I'm a very complex person. I just hide it really well."
"Whatever you say George. Let's get back to Hogwarts. I've got some Quidditch practice to do. Tryouts are tomorrow, you know."
Saturday came like a flash of lightning. Jazz was up at dawn, digging through her trunk for the perfect robes. She was so obsessed with her outfit that she almost didn't notice that eleven-thirty was creeping up on her. In the nick of time she just threw on the outfit she tried on first and left the dormitory to meet Harry.
"Hi, Harry," Jazz greeted him with a smile.
"Hey, Jazz. How are you this morning?" Harry said, not quite sure how to lead the conversation.
"Just fine and dandy. How about yourself?"
"Very well, thanks. Here, I've already grabbed a table. Let's go sit down, shall we?" Harry motioned to a table that was set back in a corner. He signaled to Madam Rosmerta to bring them two Butterbeers. As they sat down, Harry decided to make his move.
"Um, you know, you look nice Jazz," Harry muttered, turning red and looking at his shoes.
"Really? Thanks Harry, that means a lot to me, coming for you," she blushed furiously. Did the famous Harry Potter actually like her?
"Well, you know it's true," he said smiling. Although confident on the outside, inside he was nervous as if he was taking the Potion final without studying. Harry had no clue where the guts came from, so the next question surprised even him.
"I know we haven't really known each other for longer than two weeks, but I really like you.um.willyougooutwithme?"
"Oh!" Jazz exclaimed. She did like Harry, but this was too soon. However, this could be a once in a lifetime chance! Jazz suddenly became emotionally confused. She didn't know whether or not to say yes or not. If she said yes, she could be happier than she had been for a long time. But then again, Harry could turn out to be not the type of person she's into. "Oh, I don't know Harry. It's too soon, I'm sorry. I'm not saying I don't like you, because I do, it's just, well, like you said, I don't really know you that well. But I'd really like to be a good friend."
"Oh, I see," said Harry, a little crestfallen but all right. "Yes, I think that would work." He smiled at her to show that he meant it. Even though Harry was disappointed that she didn't say yes, at least she didn't hate him, and she didn't say no either.
As they were finishing up their Butterbeers, Ron and Hermione walked in, looking less than pleasant.
"Hey Ron, Hermione," Jazz acknowledged, "What's up? Why so glum?"
"I'm not glum," Hermione snapped, "I'm just had it up to HERE with Raggedy Andy over there!"
"Just because I dropped your favorite book in the mud doesn't mean you hafta chew me out in front of everyone!" Ron protested. "It was an accident anyway! You make it seem like I did it on purpose!"
"You didn't even make a big deal out of it! You could've at least wiped it off better when you handed it to me!"
"For God's sake woman! If you would just listen to yourself for one second."
"Be quiet, both of you!" Harry interrupted his quarreling friends. "You two, make up right now or I swear I'll dump the rest of my Butterbeer on you."
"Fine," huffed Hermione. "Sorry Ron."
"Yeah, sorry."
"Ok then, I hate to see such sad faces," Jazz clapped her hands. "How 'bout we all go to Zonko's? There, we can at least find something to cheer us up, eh?"
*****
"You know, we don't have places like this in Chicago," commented Leo as she browsed through a barrel of Warlock Wally's Weird Wands for Weird Wizards, which were trick-wands that would turn an unsuspecting wizard's hands bright purple, green, or orange if he held it. Zonko's was just blowing her away. It easily became her favorite store in the whole world.
"Is that so? My, my, you've been deprived my friend," George shook his head in pity. "Lucky I'm here to expand your horizons a bit."
"Oh, yes, I am forever in your debt," Leo laughed, partially being serious.
"As you should be," George replied, thrusting a pack of Dungbombs at her, "Do you think that this will be enough?"
"Oh, no. If you're going to properly create havoc, you need at least a dozen," she explained. "And also, we're going to need some fireworks, 2 dozen rolls of Untearable Terrible TP, Frog Spawn Soap, Sticky Sweet Syrup Glue, and more Bite Your Bum Seat Covers than you can shake a stick at!"
"Right ho, Captain!" he saluted and went off on a rampage, grabbing everything in sight. After getting all she asked for, he dumped the loot on the counter, "this everything?"
"Just about. I think I'll add some pranks of my own making as well to sweeten the pot."
"A girl who makes gags; I think I'm in heaven!" George playfully put his arm around her, "So then, brains behind the scheme, should we tell Fred about what will be the prank to end all pranks?"
"Nah, I think we should keep this to ourselves. Everyone will know who did it as soon as we pull it off. Then, our names will go down in Gryffindor history!"
"George Weasley and Leo Lawson: Number One Pranksters. Ah yes, that does have a nice ring to it."
As the two walked out with their bulging bag, Leo expressed her impatience.
"You know, George, I don't think I'll be able to wait 'till after the Quidditch Cup to pull this. It's just too good!"
"Yes I know, I was like that at your age. All full of spunk and ready to jump into a project as soon as it presented its ugly head. But age, I fear, has wizened me up a bit. No matter how good a prank is, if you execute it at the wrong time it won't have the same affect." George said, matter-of-fact.
"Oh, you've gotten all philosophical all of sudden. I didn't think you had it in you," Leo teased.
"Oh yes, I'm a very complex person. I just hide it really well."
"Whatever you say George. Let's get back to Hogwarts. I've got some Quidditch practice to do. Tryouts are tomorrow, you know."