Chapter Ten: Fun and Family

Months passed, and classes flew by. I made many friends, but I liked the Weasleys best. I finally learned how to play wizard's chess, but never won a game. I guess I just don't have the aptitude for it. My best subject was, of course, Quidditch, but as I couldn't be Seeker I tried out for Keeper. I didn't make it, though: the fourth Weasley at the school, the prefect Ron whom I by choice didn't get to know, received the honors. I rode my mother's old broom for tryouts, which Madame Hooch took one look at and almost fainted in ecstasy. Apparently I'd been riding a custom-made Silver Arrow all these years, and never knew it. Fortunately for Harry (and me!), the second inscription, the one that read Lily Evans Potter, was illegible at the time of Madame Hooch's examination, probably because I didn't have all if my memories back yet.

That boy Neville I saw at meals or in the common room, but he didn't speak to me. I thought it was a pity, because he needed someone (other than the teachers) to boost his confidence in himself, and I was hungry for news of my brother. If only he had warned me of things, I could have helped so much!

The first weekend in October was a visit to Hogsmeade, the wizarding village, and the twins convinced me to go down with them to "check out the joke shop." (Sometimes it's handy to have your great-grandfather as Headmaster: very easy to get permission for things.) But there was also some sort of meeting Harry was holding, and I told them I would accompany them to that too, although I'd be unnoticed.

I sidled into the Hog's Head quietly, wrapped in invisibility. I had found a beautiful cloak in my bottomless schoolbag, which turned me invisible, and this is what I was wearing when I crept into the bar. There I heard for the first time Harry's ordeal with Voldemort. I almost threw off my cloak and proclaimed myself then and there, but I restrained my enthusiasm and stayed hidden. I managed to sneak my name onto the list his friend Hermione was passing around, because if course I wanted to be in on the group.

Later that month, on my birthday, I burst into tears as I remembered Mother's face beaming when she told me I'd be having a little brother. Fortunately, I was able to pass them off to Ginny as tears of joy for finally turning eighteen. Fred and George smuggled food and butterbeer in from Hogsmeade and leftovers from the Halloween Feast from the kitchens so I could have a very fun birthday. Some of the Gryffindors had even pitched in to buy me birthday presents, and I received a giant package from Cat and Try that contained (what else?) a sugar-cube lion wearing red-and-gold Qudditch robes they'd ordered from a catalog.

Just as I was about to go up to the fourth-year girls' room, Professor McGonagall (who still didn't let on whether she recognized me or not) stepped through the portrait hole accompanied by Professor Grubbly-Plank, who was carrying my beloved pet. I fairly flew to her side and reclaimed Jakkin, whom I commenced to shower in kisses. She said she couldn't figure out any of his secrets, and he wasn't talking to her, so she was returning him to me. I thanked her profusely anyway, and went to bed replete.