Chapter Six: Mealtime Gossip

Author's Note: Can I just say that I DETEST FanFiction.Net's uploading agent? GR! I've had to reformat this chapter and the next like five times before it was accepted. So sorry for a few punctuation errors you may see– it's the computer, not me. Well, for the most part.

Holly found that lunchtime was the most worthwhile period of the whole day.

"Yes, sure, I'll help," said Holly, reluctantly, after the twins spent ten minutes pestering her. "Not that I'll do it for free, mind you."

Fred and George exchanged looks.

"No, Holly, we'd never expect you–"

"Our best friend in the whole world–"

"Whom we love and treat like a sister–"

"To ever even think of doing us a favor without wanting something in return."

Collaborating together, even in sarcasm, the twins could always guilt Holly into doing whatever they wanted.

"Alright, I know you don't have the money for it," Holly said. "But what are you going to do when other testers come and ask for jobs?"

"We've got that taken care of," said George. "It's not that we don't have the money, it's more like we'd like to keep our expenditures as low as possible."

"What?" Holly cried. "But where did you get the galleons for such an operation?"

Once more, Fred and George looked at each other.

"Would you believe us if we said that on the winds of disappointment, a little bird flew into our window?" Fred asked.

"With a sack full of money tied to its leg?" George added. They snickered. Holly opened her mouth to question further, when Lee Jordan took his seat next to her.

"God, I should never have taken Advanced Herbology. I swear, Sprout expects you to be spitting out answers left and right!" Lee rolled his eyes.

"Well Flitwick couldn't be nicer. Our class moved like a breeze today– of course, we have Ravenclaws in our class, so that might explain it," Holly said. "Except... Have any of you met Marietta Edgecombe?"

Fred wrinkled his nose. "Gah, not that woman? George once fancied her, but when he went to wittily steal her heart away, he found out she had nothing to steal. Apparently, it was already stolen."

"By a hobgoblin," George added. They both laughed.

"Hobgoblin's loss," said Holly. "I bet there wasn't much there to begin with."

"She's not all bad," said Lee. "I hear she entered that raffle you held last year to help these two over here."

"Did she?" Holly knew she looked vaguely familiar.

"Probably wanted Hol's Nimbus," Fred laughed.

"She doesn't fly," Lee said. "Hate's Quidditch."

"Then what the hell does she think she's doing hanging out with Cho Chang?" Holly laughed.

"Because Cho is the only one who'll stand her," Lee answered. Holly frowned.

"Pity."

"Hey Holly, what N.E.W.T.s you taking this year?" Fred ask as he spooned mashed potatoes into his mouth.

"Charms, Transfiguration, and Defense Against Dark Arts. Unfortunately Mum is making me take some side courses as well, but nothing big."

"Wow, that's more than us, eh Fred?" George said. "I think we're doing... what, zero N.E.W.T.s this year?"

"Ha, yeah. Unless you count Care of Magical Creatures. Which you can't do N.E.W.T.s for. Unfortunately, that class is no longer a pushover, with Grubbly-Plank on her throne again," Fred muttered. "Hey wait... Didn't McGonagall say it was mandatory we take at least one N.E.W.T level class?"

"Signed us up for something... What was it? Snape would never let us into his precious Potions class again if he could help it... And McGonagall didn't want to deal with us more than she had to..." George dug in his bag and pulled out his schedule.

"Come to think of it, no Professor would let us in their N.E.W.T class," said Fred, excitedly. "Maybe it's just a standard core class!"

George's eyes skimmed over the electives and he gawked. "You've got to be joking!"

"What is it?" Holly asked.

"What do you have first period tomorrow Holly?" George asked.

"Defense Against Dark Arts– N.E.W.T level," she replied. George went pale. Holly grinned at them, positively ecstatic. "You mean to say that you two are going to be in my Defense class???"

Fred looked desperately across the table at his brother, who nodded glumly.

"Brilliant!" Holly exclaimed.

Lee decided to pull the subject back to Holly's N.E.W.T.s.

"Charms, Transfiguration and Defense... Holly, that's an interesting combination of classes there. What career do you plan on doing?" he asked.

"I've always been great with Charms," Holly said. "Remember last year? I kept avoiding Moody's attacks with Shield Charms."

"That wasn't Moody," George corrected.

"Whatever," Holly shrugged. "Anyway, I figured, I'd collect a couple N.E.W.T.s, get an apprenticeship with Flitwick– he always liked me, you know– and find a job as a teacher somewhere, maybe America or Australia. Or maybe I could go with the Ministry, you know, with that new Muggle Protection Act, they'll need a whole new department and–"

"But Holly– You've never taken Muggle Studies in your life!" Lee laughed. "How do you expect to do that?"

"I'm taking a speed course this year," Holly said. "Talked to Professor Doggle and he said it wasn't a problem. Said I could even collect a few N.E.W.T.s in it at Beauxbatons if need be."

Fred, George and Lee all gaped.

"Wow... You have everything planned out, don't you?" Lee was in awe of her.

"Mum sat me down and made me sort it out this summer," said Holly.

"You're going to Beauxbatons?" George sounded horrified.

"No, George, I'm not going unless I need the N.E.W.T.s for the Ministry job. Otherwise, Doggle says he can slip me a few O.W.L.s himself by the end of the year if I want them."

"Wow, Holly... This proves it. You're totally and utterly unpredictable." Fred laughed.

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Muggle Studies with Doggle was a blast. He enjoyed all of Holly's little comments and she loved giving them.

"So let me get this straight: Muggles have phones, mobile phones, Internet, e-mail, postage– and yet they still have communication problems?"

"Muggles wage war all the time over misunderstandings," Doggle agreed. "But mostly, the 'misunderstandings' are more reinterpretations of things said for the person's own benefit. For instance, the Christian Pope twisted around the very words of the Bible and told people that it was only a sin to kill a Christian, which led to–"

"That's all well and good, Professor, I mean, for the Pope and all, but is this Muggle History of Muggle Studies?" Holly would never be as disrespectful as that to any other professor, but she felt that she and Doggle had an understanding.

Doggle took no offense, he merely laughed.

"Of course, Holly."

And he continued with the lesson.

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At dinner that evening, she noticed Harry, Ron and Hermione looking irritated. She frowned and was about to approach them when Hermione threw down her silverware and left the hall with Harry and Ron.

"You heard, eh?" Fred said, leaning into Holly.

"Heard what?" said Holly.

"Why the Great Hall is so hushed this evening," Fred replied. For the first time, Holly noticed that the hall was full of half-whispers and gossiping lips.

"Oh God, what happened now?" Holly asked, rolling her eyes. Fred and George explained the infamous incident that occurred in Harry's Defense Against Dark Arts class.

"Sounded like a blast," Holly laughed. "Wish I could have been there. I would have given her a piece of my mind, just like Marietta."

"I don't think that would have been the best plan, Holly," said George. "She's with the Ministry, you know, and totally old fashioned. She could have your head on a silver platter and serve it up to the Minister and no one would be the wiser."

"Serious repercussions," said Fred.

"Say what???" Holly's brown eyes were twice their usual size. Fred and George looked at each other.

"We don't know," said George with a shrug. "That's just what Hermione told us."

"Indeed..." Holly muttered, her eyes narrowing.

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Meanwhile, the dreams persisted.

"My daughter, where is my daughter?"

It was dark. An old man walked around his house, with a cane. He looked in each room. Finally, he noticed Holly.

"Ah! You! Have you seen my daughter?"

"I'm sorry?" Holly asked, confused.

"My daughter, my flower, my dreamer!" the man exclaimed, throwing his hands up and dropping his cane. "Oh bullocks! Could you get that for me? There's a good lass."

Holly stooped to pick up the cane. "Sir, I'm sorry, I don't know who you're referring to..."

Holly handed him the cane, but he sank into the nearest armchair with a sigh and waved it away. "It's no matter," he said. "She's not here anyway."

"Do you have any idea where she might be?" Holly asked. The man looked sad.

"Lost..."