Chapter 32
As Daisy was dazzling the adults at the Golden Snidget, her friends and family sat with the rest of Order of Phoenix members in Dumbledore's office. The students were all tired and sweaty and irritable.
They didn't just listen to reports and rumors every Saturday afternoon. They prepared for war. The rag-tag group of students had learned more curses and hexes they even Harry could have imagined. This being after all that work for the Triwizard Tournament. He did have an advantage because of all he had learned last year but right now he didn't care.
Harry looked around to see what state the others were in. Hermione and Ginny was sitting in a corner talking in low voices and glancing at Ron. Harry had a few guess as to what that was about, but he had been told to butt-out before so he let Ginny try and talk some sense into Hermione.
Ron was not making things easy by having his arms wrapped tightly around Hannah. They were talking with Blaise and Draco. Ron and Draco were laughing with each other. Well, it was bound to happen. Spending every Saturday afternoon together for six months was bound to make them friends. That, and Daisy's constant nudging.
Daisy. Her absence was tangible, for Harry at least. Maybe he'd try and say something to her again before they left for the summer.
Summer, another cheerful thought. Sirius' court date had been set for August first. That meant at least a month with the Dursleys. Oh joy.
"Knut for your thoughts," Cho asked coming up behind him.
"Hey," Harry responded trying to smile. "I don't think that's going cover the half of it. Two Galleons and a Sickle and then lets see how far we get."
Cho laughed. It was good to make some one laugh.
"So, what's bothering you, Harry?" she asked sounding concerned.
Harry waved her off. "Oh, the horrors of being fifteen. I'm fine."
"Your not," insisted the wise sixth year. "Dreading heading back to your family?"
"Those people aren't family," insisted Harry. "Relatives, maybe but not family. I've seen families. No, my family is here, and in great danger. Do you think we're ready for what's to come, Cho?"
"I don't know, Harry. But I'm not about to let fear paralyze me. My mother's a Muggle. I'm a potential target. I can't let that fear of death stop me from living."
"Well, said Miss Chang." Cho went scarlet as the Headmaster spoke to her. "Did everyone hear that? Don't let fear of death stop you for living. This summer will be hard, on those of you here especially. You are the strongest and the mostly likely targets.
"You have been relatively sheltered here at Hogwarts, but soon you will be going back out into the world. It will be hard to face what Voldemort has done to our world. You may even have to put some of the skills you've learned here to the test in real combat."
The Headmasters shoulders drooped and the light seemed to go out from his eyes. "There is one bit of good news though. It seems Minister Fudge was been under a lot of pressure to do something. Anything. He has decided to lift the Restriction on Underage Magic. Any witch or wizard over the age of fifteen any now use magic. It is expected that you will all behave accordingly in this time of war."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "That is all for today. You had best all get back to your weekend."
Daisy was in an extremely good mood as she headed towards the Quidditch pitch.
"I don't care what my teachers say. I'm gonna be a supermodel. And everyone is gonna dress like me. Wait and see, when I'm a supermodel, and my hair will shine like the sea. And everyone will wanna look like me-ee."
When she had come back, Daisy had immediately set out to look for Harry. She had spoken to Pamela bit about her Uncle Severus. Pamela clearly missed him. 'Being the contrary creature I am, I chose work over him.' Daisy had decided she was not going to do that!
"'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel. 'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel."
She was sick of being miserable. Why couldn't she change things for the better with Harry right there with her? Today she had gotten everything she wanted in the negotiations. She had to compromise, of course. They wanted a whole show from her with dancing and possibly acting. She every Sunday night off, one Saturday a month (sure that would only be two, but it was still a Saturday night out) and one weeknight (thought they made it clear they wouldn't happy if she chose a Friday and Saturday in the same week). And the money she'd be making! No one could every say she was just a trust- fund baby now. Not that they ever did, but Draco had complained about something like that.
"I wish that I was like Tori Spelling with a car like hers and a tan like hers. I'd show them how! How it was done, that'd be fun, that'd fun!"
Why couldn't she be completely happy with her life? All she had had to do today was speak up. So Daisy decided to talk to Harry and was told he was down on the Quidditch pitch. She smiled at the thought of him, dedicated Quidditch Captain. Fred and George said he had inherited Oliver Wood's manic energy. She kept singing as she rounded towards the pitch. She was in such a good mood it couldn't help bubble out.
"'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel. 'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel."
When Daisy entered the stadium she scanned the sky for Harry. But he wasn't in the sky. He was landing on the other end of the pitch. He wasn't alone either. Cho Chang was there to greet him. They were both windswept from flying and laughing like crazy.
Daisy felt her stomach tighten. They were oblivious to her presence, so happy together. They Cho stood on her tip toes and kissed Harry. Daisy heart was now in her tightened stomach, the life being squeezed out of it. Harry seemed hesitant. Daisy bit her lip with hope. Then he kissed Cho back, pulling her close.
Daisy was going to retch. She fled the stands as fast as she could.
I'm gonna be a supermodel.
Harry had been still been depressed as they left the Headmaster's office. Cho was walking with him suggested Quidditch. With nothing better to do and being tried of moping, Harry had agreed.
Now here he was with her again, flying and laughing. The first girl he had ever really like. "She likes you, you now." Daisy had once said.
No! He told himself forcefully. I will not think about her. I will have fun!
He deserved fun didn't he? He was here with a beautiful girl engaged in one of his favorite activities, flying.
"Catch me if you can, Harry!" Cho called rocketing past.
Harry chased her about, but she landed before he caught up.
"You beat me," he said landing a few feet from her.
"If only I could during a match," was her reply. "Did you let me win?"
"I would never!" he laughed.
Suddenly Harry was aware of how close she was to him. He found himself staring into those deep brown eyes.
Not as deep as Daisy's, though.
Before he could mentally berate himself, Cho had kissed him. He didn't know what to say. Cho wasn't suppose to kiss him.
And why not? Can't a beautiful girl kiss me? Can't I be happy too?
Suddenly it seemed, he was pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Cho had always been a good kisser.
Something Andrews knows quite well, the little voice of reason reminded him.
Harry pulled away.
"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.
For a Ravenclaw the girl can be awfully thick. Has she no common sense.
"Deja vous," Harry answered. "We've done this before, remember?"
"I, we, I wasn't ready for a serious relationship, then," Cho fumbled out her answer.
"And I'm not now," Harry said.
At least not with her, the little voice reminded.
"We don't have to be serious," Cho offered.
Harry gave her a sad smile, "I just can again, Cho. I'm sorry. Can we still be friends?"
She gave a derisive laugh as she turned away. "Friends. Sure, Harry. I'd better go. See you."
And she's going, going, gone!
"I am spending too much time with Malfoy," Harry muttered as he made his way back to Gryffindor tower.
And Daisy, the voice reminded.
Daisy sat in the Common Room reading "To Kill a Mocking Bird." Well, staring at page forty-two of the book, anyway. Her mind was racing too fast with thoughts of how stupid Harry was for getting mixed up with Cho, again, and how stupid she was for thinking she could just go running into his arms and it would be all right. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Suddenly the porthole door swung open and there he was. Harry sought Ron and Hermione out. They were playing chess across the room. Then they, all three turned to her, frowning. Ron and Hermione had been watching her out of the corner of their eyes and she knew. They were coming over now.
"Hey!" Harry said brightly. "How'd your meeting go this afternoon?"
"Not as well as yours, I'm sure," She said dryly.
"Er, what are you reading?" Ron tried.
"'To Kill a Mockingbird' specifically, '"Pull it up, child, pull it up?" She picked up the limp sprout and squeezed her thumb up its tiny stalk. Microscopic grains oozed out. "Why, one sprig can ruin a whole yard. Look here..."'"
"All right, all right," Ron said. "I get it."
"Miss Maudie kind of reminds me of Professor Sprout," Hermione said absently. She shook her head. "So your job negations didn't go well?"
"Oh, no, they went very well," Daisy said evenly. "I found out that my Uncle's friend Pamela isn't dead either. They just broke up and my mom was being a catty older sister. But I just bet Harry had a better afternoon than I did."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Harry asked. He had a terrible headache from thinking about her all afternoon.
"Well, I certainly wasn't snogging an ex on the Quidditch pitch," Daisy said with so much rancor Harry couldn't believe it.
Then he was anger at her presumption. "And what do you care who I snog, anyway?"
She stood and glared at him. "I just don't like to watch people being colossally stupid, is all!" she shouted at him.
Now he stood and stared her straight in the eye. "Well you doing a pretty good impression if 'colossally stupid' yourself, right now," Harry said quietly but with fury.
Daisy's eyes narrowed and she scowled Snape-ishly. "You had better watch what you say, Potter," she said in quiet voice crackling with fury. "You're making a mistake, Harry. You're just asking to get your heart ripped out and handed back to you."
With that she turned on her heel and stormed off. Harry made and exasperated noise and her his hand through his hair.
"What is wrong with her?" he finally asked Ron and Hermione, who were staring up at him.
"Harry," Hermione said, her eyes wide with surprise. "You two never fight. Not like that."
"Yeah," was Ron's comment.
"Apparently we do," said Harry. "Especially when she's being ridiculous! Just coming out of nowhere with that. How did she even know?"
Harry was pacing now. Neither Ron nor Hermione knew what to say.
"She is Seer," Hermione offered weakly after a long silence.
Harry was still pacing with Ron and Hermione looking on when Colin Creevey walked by. He stopped and turned to them.
"Hey Harry, did Daisy ever find earlier? She was really excited 'bout something and wanted to see you."
Harry stared at him before saying, "Yeah, Colin, she saw me all right."
When the fourth year left them Ron said, "Cor, Harry! She didn't See you, she saw you. She was actually there."
"No kidding Sherlock!" Harry snapped.
"Poor Daisy," Hermione said.
"Poor Daisy?" Ron turned to her. "What about Harry? He didn't deserver for her to blow up at him like that!"
"After she had to watch him kissing another girl? You bet she did!" Hermione snapped back.
"And what does it matter to her who he kisses?" asked Ron, temper rising.
Hermione looked at her two friends. "Your both so thick!" Then she stomped up the girls' stairs after Daisy.
"Two for two," said George sitting in Hermione's vacated seat.
"Don't know what you blokes did," Fred said also joining them, "But it was bloody brilliant!"
Ron and Hermione made up fairly quickly. Maybe because they were used to these little tiffs, or maybe because it wasn't really their argument. Either way, they both had a new apparition for what they had been putting their friends through when they fought.
Harry and Daisy were still angry at each other. Usually they would just glare at each other. The hostility between them was palpable when ever they were together.
It was Monday morning on the last week of term and Harry, Daisy, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were all together on their way breakfast. Harry and Daisy were on opposite sides of the little group.
"Your being ridiculous!" Ginny hissed at Daisy. "Cho kissed him and he turned her down. Get over it."
Daisy glared at Ginny now, but didn't say any thing. Ginny sighed.
"OWLs due back today," Ron said lightly. "What are you expecting, Harry?"
By way of answering, Harry grunted.
"I bet I did dreadful," Neville said.
"I'm sure you did fine, Neville," Hermione offered with a smile.
When they sat at the Gryffindor table it was still early. The hall was filled mostly with fifth and seventh years waiting for their results from OWLs or NEWTs.
Soon the tables filled and it was time for mail. The number of post owls was twice the normal amount. Soon every fifth and seventh year student was reading his or her parchment.
"Bloody 'ell!" Ron said with his mouth half full. "I got thirteen OWLs!"
Harry looked at his friend and beamed. "Way to go, Ron!"
"What did you get?" Ron asked.
"Fourteen," Harry answered a little sheepishly.
"Brilliant! We're very smart, Harry," Ron said and clapped on the back. "How 'bout you Herm? How badly did our resident geniuses but her lowly, merely brilliant friends?"
Hermione was staring at her parchment, a look of shock on her face. "Sixteen," she said at last. "I received sixteen OWL's."
"Way to go, Herm," Daisy said smiling proudly. "That's a new school record."
Hermione nodded dumbly.
"What about you Nev?" Daisy asked.
Neville looked as shocked as Hermione. "Ten! I got ten OWLs!"
"Good job, Nev," Harry said.
"We'd better get going," Daisy said.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
Daisy raised a hand and pointed in the air. The warning bell rang for the first class.
"We don't want to be late," Daisy said trying to hind her smile.
"I hate when she does that," Harry grumbled.
The looks exchanged looks, as if waiting for another row.
"And what did you get, Miss Dumbledore?" Harry asked formally.
"Fourteen, same as you Potter." Daisy looked at Harry for the first in a week without any malice. "We're just the same, Harry," she said before disappearing for class.
As Daisy was dazzling the adults at the Golden Snidget, her friends and family sat with the rest of Order of Phoenix members in Dumbledore's office. The students were all tired and sweaty and irritable.
They didn't just listen to reports and rumors every Saturday afternoon. They prepared for war. The rag-tag group of students had learned more curses and hexes they even Harry could have imagined. This being after all that work for the Triwizard Tournament. He did have an advantage because of all he had learned last year but right now he didn't care.
Harry looked around to see what state the others were in. Hermione and Ginny was sitting in a corner talking in low voices and glancing at Ron. Harry had a few guess as to what that was about, but he had been told to butt-out before so he let Ginny try and talk some sense into Hermione.
Ron was not making things easy by having his arms wrapped tightly around Hannah. They were talking with Blaise and Draco. Ron and Draco were laughing with each other. Well, it was bound to happen. Spending every Saturday afternoon together for six months was bound to make them friends. That, and Daisy's constant nudging.
Daisy. Her absence was tangible, for Harry at least. Maybe he'd try and say something to her again before they left for the summer.
Summer, another cheerful thought. Sirius' court date had been set for August first. That meant at least a month with the Dursleys. Oh joy.
"Knut for your thoughts," Cho asked coming up behind him.
"Hey," Harry responded trying to smile. "I don't think that's going cover the half of it. Two Galleons and a Sickle and then lets see how far we get."
Cho laughed. It was good to make some one laugh.
"So, what's bothering you, Harry?" she asked sounding concerned.
Harry waved her off. "Oh, the horrors of being fifteen. I'm fine."
"Your not," insisted the wise sixth year. "Dreading heading back to your family?"
"Those people aren't family," insisted Harry. "Relatives, maybe but not family. I've seen families. No, my family is here, and in great danger. Do you think we're ready for what's to come, Cho?"
"I don't know, Harry. But I'm not about to let fear paralyze me. My mother's a Muggle. I'm a potential target. I can't let that fear of death stop me from living."
"Well, said Miss Chang." Cho went scarlet as the Headmaster spoke to her. "Did everyone hear that? Don't let fear of death stop you for living. This summer will be hard, on those of you here especially. You are the strongest and the mostly likely targets.
"You have been relatively sheltered here at Hogwarts, but soon you will be going back out into the world. It will be hard to face what Voldemort has done to our world. You may even have to put some of the skills you've learned here to the test in real combat."
The Headmasters shoulders drooped and the light seemed to go out from his eyes. "There is one bit of good news though. It seems Minister Fudge was been under a lot of pressure to do something. Anything. He has decided to lift the Restriction on Underage Magic. Any witch or wizard over the age of fifteen any now use magic. It is expected that you will all behave accordingly in this time of war."
Dumbledore sighed heavily. "That is all for today. You had best all get back to your weekend."
Daisy was in an extremely good mood as she headed towards the Quidditch pitch.
"I don't care what my teachers say. I'm gonna be a supermodel. And everyone is gonna dress like me. Wait and see, when I'm a supermodel, and my hair will shine like the sea. And everyone will wanna look like me-ee."
When she had come back, Daisy had immediately set out to look for Harry. She had spoken to Pamela bit about her Uncle Severus. Pamela clearly missed him. 'Being the contrary creature I am, I chose work over him.' Daisy had decided she was not going to do that!
"'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel. 'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel."
She was sick of being miserable. Why couldn't she change things for the better with Harry right there with her? Today she had gotten everything she wanted in the negotiations. She had to compromise, of course. They wanted a whole show from her with dancing and possibly acting. She every Sunday night off, one Saturday a month (sure that would only be two, but it was still a Saturday night out) and one weeknight (thought they made it clear they wouldn't happy if she chose a Friday and Saturday in the same week). And the money she'd be making! No one could every say she was just a trust- fund baby now. Not that they ever did, but Draco had complained about something like that.
"I wish that I was like Tori Spelling with a car like hers and a tan like hers. I'd show them how! How it was done, that'd be fun, that'd fun!"
Why couldn't she be completely happy with her life? All she had had to do today was speak up. So Daisy decided to talk to Harry and was told he was down on the Quidditch pitch. She smiled at the thought of him, dedicated Quidditch Captain. Fred and George said he had inherited Oliver Wood's manic energy. She kept singing as she rounded towards the pitch. She was in such a good mood it couldn't help bubble out.
"'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel. 'Cause I'm young. And I'm hip, and so beautiful! I'm gonna be a supermodel."
When Daisy entered the stadium she scanned the sky for Harry. But he wasn't in the sky. He was landing on the other end of the pitch. He wasn't alone either. Cho Chang was there to greet him. They were both windswept from flying and laughing like crazy.
Daisy felt her stomach tighten. They were oblivious to her presence, so happy together. They Cho stood on her tip toes and kissed Harry. Daisy heart was now in her tightened stomach, the life being squeezed out of it. Harry seemed hesitant. Daisy bit her lip with hope. Then he kissed Cho back, pulling her close.
Daisy was going to retch. She fled the stands as fast as she could.
I'm gonna be a supermodel.
Harry had been still been depressed as they left the Headmaster's office. Cho was walking with him suggested Quidditch. With nothing better to do and being tried of moping, Harry had agreed.
Now here he was with her again, flying and laughing. The first girl he had ever really like. "She likes you, you now." Daisy had once said.
No! He told himself forcefully. I will not think about her. I will have fun!
He deserved fun didn't he? He was here with a beautiful girl engaged in one of his favorite activities, flying.
"Catch me if you can, Harry!" Cho called rocketing past.
Harry chased her about, but she landed before he caught up.
"You beat me," he said landing a few feet from her.
"If only I could during a match," was her reply. "Did you let me win?"
"I would never!" he laughed.
Suddenly Harry was aware of how close she was to him. He found himself staring into those deep brown eyes.
Not as deep as Daisy's, though.
Before he could mentally berate himself, Cho had kissed him. He didn't know what to say. Cho wasn't suppose to kiss him.
And why not? Can't a beautiful girl kiss me? Can't I be happy too?
Suddenly it seemed, he was pulling her closer and deepening the kiss. Cho had always been a good kisser.
Something Andrews knows quite well, the little voice of reason reminded him.
Harry pulled away.
"What's wrong, Harry?" she asked.
For a Ravenclaw the girl can be awfully thick. Has she no common sense.
"Deja vous," Harry answered. "We've done this before, remember?"
"I, we, I wasn't ready for a serious relationship, then," Cho fumbled out her answer.
"And I'm not now," Harry said.
At least not with her, the little voice reminded.
"We don't have to be serious," Cho offered.
Harry gave her a sad smile, "I just can again, Cho. I'm sorry. Can we still be friends?"
She gave a derisive laugh as she turned away. "Friends. Sure, Harry. I'd better go. See you."
And she's going, going, gone!
"I am spending too much time with Malfoy," Harry muttered as he made his way back to Gryffindor tower.
And Daisy, the voice reminded.
Daisy sat in the Common Room reading "To Kill a Mocking Bird." Well, staring at page forty-two of the book, anyway. Her mind was racing too fast with thoughts of how stupid Harry was for getting mixed up with Cho, again, and how stupid she was for thinking she could just go running into his arms and it would be all right. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
Suddenly the porthole door swung open and there he was. Harry sought Ron and Hermione out. They were playing chess across the room. Then they, all three turned to her, frowning. Ron and Hermione had been watching her out of the corner of their eyes and she knew. They were coming over now.
"Hey!" Harry said brightly. "How'd your meeting go this afternoon?"
"Not as well as yours, I'm sure," She said dryly.
"Er, what are you reading?" Ron tried.
"'To Kill a Mockingbird' specifically, '"Pull it up, child, pull it up?" She picked up the limp sprout and squeezed her thumb up its tiny stalk. Microscopic grains oozed out. "Why, one sprig can ruin a whole yard. Look here..."'"
"All right, all right," Ron said. "I get it."
"Miss Maudie kind of reminds me of Professor Sprout," Hermione said absently. She shook her head. "So your job negations didn't go well?"
"Oh, no, they went very well," Daisy said evenly. "I found out that my Uncle's friend Pamela isn't dead either. They just broke up and my mom was being a catty older sister. But I just bet Harry had a better afternoon than I did."
"What's that suppose to mean?" Harry asked. He had a terrible headache from thinking about her all afternoon.
"Well, I certainly wasn't snogging an ex on the Quidditch pitch," Daisy said with so much rancor Harry couldn't believe it.
Then he was anger at her presumption. "And what do you care who I snog, anyway?"
She stood and glared at him. "I just don't like to watch people being colossally stupid, is all!" she shouted at him.
Now he stood and stared her straight in the eye. "Well you doing a pretty good impression if 'colossally stupid' yourself, right now," Harry said quietly but with fury.
Daisy's eyes narrowed and she scowled Snape-ishly. "You had better watch what you say, Potter," she said in quiet voice crackling with fury. "You're making a mistake, Harry. You're just asking to get your heart ripped out and handed back to you."
With that she turned on her heel and stormed off. Harry made and exasperated noise and her his hand through his hair.
"What is wrong with her?" he finally asked Ron and Hermione, who were staring up at him.
"Harry," Hermione said, her eyes wide with surprise. "You two never fight. Not like that."
"Yeah," was Ron's comment.
"Apparently we do," said Harry. "Especially when she's being ridiculous! Just coming out of nowhere with that. How did she even know?"
Harry was pacing now. Neither Ron nor Hermione knew what to say.
"She is Seer," Hermione offered weakly after a long silence.
Harry was still pacing with Ron and Hermione looking on when Colin Creevey walked by. He stopped and turned to them.
"Hey Harry, did Daisy ever find earlier? She was really excited 'bout something and wanted to see you."
Harry stared at him before saying, "Yeah, Colin, she saw me all right."
When the fourth year left them Ron said, "Cor, Harry! She didn't See you, she saw you. She was actually there."
"No kidding Sherlock!" Harry snapped.
"Poor Daisy," Hermione said.
"Poor Daisy?" Ron turned to her. "What about Harry? He didn't deserver for her to blow up at him like that!"
"After she had to watch him kissing another girl? You bet she did!" Hermione snapped back.
"And what does it matter to her who he kisses?" asked Ron, temper rising.
Hermione looked at her two friends. "Your both so thick!" Then she stomped up the girls' stairs after Daisy.
"Two for two," said George sitting in Hermione's vacated seat.
"Don't know what you blokes did," Fred said also joining them, "But it was bloody brilliant!"
Ron and Hermione made up fairly quickly. Maybe because they were used to these little tiffs, or maybe because it wasn't really their argument. Either way, they both had a new apparition for what they had been putting their friends through when they fought.
Harry and Daisy were still angry at each other. Usually they would just glare at each other. The hostility between them was palpable when ever they were together.
It was Monday morning on the last week of term and Harry, Daisy, Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Neville were all together on their way breakfast. Harry and Daisy were on opposite sides of the little group.
"Your being ridiculous!" Ginny hissed at Daisy. "Cho kissed him and he turned her down. Get over it."
Daisy glared at Ginny now, but didn't say any thing. Ginny sighed.
"OWLs due back today," Ron said lightly. "What are you expecting, Harry?"
By way of answering, Harry grunted.
"I bet I did dreadful," Neville said.
"I'm sure you did fine, Neville," Hermione offered with a smile.
When they sat at the Gryffindor table it was still early. The hall was filled mostly with fifth and seventh years waiting for their results from OWLs or NEWTs.
Soon the tables filled and it was time for mail. The number of post owls was twice the normal amount. Soon every fifth and seventh year student was reading his or her parchment.
"Bloody 'ell!" Ron said with his mouth half full. "I got thirteen OWLs!"
Harry looked at his friend and beamed. "Way to go, Ron!"
"What did you get?" Ron asked.
"Fourteen," Harry answered a little sheepishly.
"Brilliant! We're very smart, Harry," Ron said and clapped on the back. "How 'bout you Herm? How badly did our resident geniuses but her lowly, merely brilliant friends?"
Hermione was staring at her parchment, a look of shock on her face. "Sixteen," she said at last. "I received sixteen OWL's."
"Way to go, Herm," Daisy said smiling proudly. "That's a new school record."
Hermione nodded dumbly.
"What about you Nev?" Daisy asked.
Neville looked as shocked as Hermione. "Ten! I got ten OWLs!"
"Good job, Nev," Harry said.
"We'd better get going," Daisy said.
"Why?" Ginny asked.
Daisy raised a hand and pointed in the air. The warning bell rang for the first class.
"We don't want to be late," Daisy said trying to hind her smile.
"I hate when she does that," Harry grumbled.
The looks exchanged looks, as if waiting for another row.
"And what did you get, Miss Dumbledore?" Harry asked formally.
"Fourteen, same as you Potter." Daisy looked at Harry for the first in a week without any malice. "We're just the same, Harry," she said before disappearing for class.