Chapter 9
OWL Results
On the Hogwarts Express back to London, Lee and I helped Fred and Gorge to make order forms for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. It consisted of Ton-Tongue Toffee, Canary Creams, Skiving Snackboxes, Weasley's Wildfire Whiz Bangs, Headless Hats, and Nose-Biting Teacups. Only the first two had been perfected, but the others would be…soon enough.
When I got off with Fred and George, Mrs. Weasley asked, "Have you told her yet?"
"Told me what?" I asked.
"That you're coming to the World Cup with us," stated Fred.
"No. Freakin'. Way!" I yelled, jumping onto Fred. All the way to the Burrow, I was scarily happy.
Fred, George, Ron, Ginny, and I had immense fun playing (what else?) Quidditch. The first week of holidays was utter bliss.
Then Ron and Ginny got their supply lists. "It takes an extra day to get the lists to the new sixth-year students, because the OWL results need to be put in by the Ministry," twittered Mrs. Weasley. Dinner that night was silent, and Fred and I played only one game of chess before deciding to retire.
The next day, we woke up pretty early, and ate just a bit of breakfast. Fred and George and then George and I played chess.
In the middle of the Wizarding Chess game that Fred and I were playing, we heard Mrs. Weasley's shrill scream of "They're here!" and trudged down the stairs to the kitchen.
I tortured myself even further by forcing myself to read the supply list before opening up my OWL results. "Dress robes?" I wondered aloud. Fred and George shrugged simultaneously and I opened up my OWL results.
Ordinary Wizarding Level Results
Pass Grades
Fail Grades
Outstanding (O)
Poor (P)
Exceeds Expectations (E)
Dreadful (D)
Acceptable (A)
Troll (T)
Paige Summer Malfoy has achieved:
"I can't do it!" I yelled hysterically.
"Yes you can!" yelled Fred, trying to encourage me. I took a few calming breaths and resumed reading.
Paige Summer Malfoy has achieved:
Arithmancy
O
Astronomy
A
Care of Magical Creatures
A
Charms
E
Defense Against the Dark Arts
O
Divination
P
Herbology
A
History of Magic
D
Potions
O
Transfiguration
E
"Swap," I said to Fred, trying to hold back my enthusiasm. He got (starting with Astronomy): P, P, E, O, D, P, D, P, E.
"If I hadn't gotten paid, all my Poors would have been Acceptables," Fred muttered.
I then swapped with George. He got: P, P, O, E, P, P, P, P, O. "I could have gotten Acceptables in all but History of Magic and Divination," George muttered. Mrs. Weasley was hovering in a corner of the kitchen, waiting for Fred and George to hand her the papers. When they did, her face immediately fell.
"Mrs. Weasley?" I asked. "Fred got the same grades as me in four classes and George did better than me in three and got the same grade as me in one. And they both got at least one Outstanding," I reasoned.
"Yes, yes, that's right," said Mrs. Weasley, in a daze.
Mrs. Weasley was like that for the next week…then she found the order forms. "WEASLEY'S WIZARDING WHEEZES! NO WONDER YOU DIDN'T GET MORE OWLS! YOU SPENT ALL YOUR TIME JOKING AROUND!" bellowed Mrs. Weasley.
"Uh, oh," I thought, hoping she didn't figure out that I was involved in it. The next few weeks Mrs. Weasley fuming mad and everybody looking forward to the Quidditch World Cup.
It finally came. The World Cup finally came. We woke up at about 4:00 and trekked to the top of a hill. After a couple of minutes, the Diggorys came. I smiled and waved to Cedric, who smiled and waved back. But everybody else seemed to be giving him these if-looks-could-kill-he'd-be-dead-a-long-time-ago looks. "You guys, Quidditch isn't everything…just most things," I muttered.
They wouldn't listen, but seemed to get madder as Amos bragged about Cedric. "Shall we go?" I asked after a couple of minutes.
"Well then, everybody get a finger on the boot," said Arthur. I felt the weirdest sensation and fell to the ground as soon as we touched it. Everybody but Cedric, Arthur and Amos had fallen.
"You'll get used to it," said Cedric as he helped me up.
"Thanks," I replied. "But I still prefer flying."
"It's the best…the rush…the exhilaration…nothing is like being on a broom," remarked Cedric. The Diggorys and the Weasleys went their separate ways, and Cedric and I waved goodbye and promised to talk at school.
"He was checking you out," growled Fred.
"Who?" I asked.
"Diggory."
"He was not!"
"He totally was," Ginny cut in. "Muggle clothes suit you, so who can blame him?"
"What's so special about a gray t-shirt and jean mini?"
"It makes you look like a sex symbol," growled George.
"First of all, this is all I have. And second of all, I do not look like a sex symbol!" I yelled.
"Sorry! My friend just got checked out by Cedric Diggory and is denying she did!" explained Fred, "apologizing" to the people who had started to stare.
I picked up a rock and chucked it at Fred's leg. "Say you're sorry," growled Fred, walking towards me. I shook my head. "Say you're sorry," he growled again. Once again, I shook my head. He picked me up and turned me upside-down.
"Put me down!" I shrieked, enjoying myself wholly.
"Not until you say you're sorry," growled Fred.
"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," I said, and he put me down, right as we got to the actual camping spot. "Why do you have to be a big, strong Beater who can pick me up?" I asked, fake pouting.
"'Cuz I can," answered Fred, giving me one of his trademark enormous hugs.
Then we went over to help Mr. Weasley put the tent together. We finally got it up after an hour or two and ate in the boy's tent, because they were so much bigger inside than they appeared. By then, Bill, Charlie, and Percy had arrived, so we ate a huge Weasley plus three dinner. Dinner involved discussing who would win (Ireland vs. Bulgaria) and…that's it. "Krum's amazing and all, but the Irish Chasers are just unbelievable. It's Ireland all the way," I said.
"But Krum is definitely getting the Snitch," cut in Fred. "Lynch is great, but Krum's just too good for words."
"The only way for Bulgaria to win at all is for Krum to get the Snitch in the first…20 minutes of the game," I added.
"That's never been done before at the World Cup. Krum's great and all, but I don't think he can fill that tall of an order," George remarked.
"If I was into betting, I'd bet on Ireland winning, but Krum getting the Snitch," I concluded.
We girls decided it was about time to retire and headed to our tent. "Cedric was checking you out," said Hermione.
"I can't wait for the World Cup," I remarked, ignoring Hermione. Shortly after that, I fell fast asleep.
A/N: There's going to be some interesting Cedric/Paige stuff in the next few chapters. Just a quick hint: Cedric isn't going to be a perfect little good boy. I promise he won't be a rapist, like Oliver, but he's not going to be perfect.