A/N: I do not own anything Harry Potter. I don't really have anything important to say except thanks to all that have added me to their Favorites/Alerts. This is kind of a fluff chapter after the past couple that I've written. I hope you enjoy. Happy reading! XO

Chapter 30

"Well, at least people will stop talking about Pettigrew," Harry said setting Hermione's copy of the Daily Prophet on the table and looking up at Annie who was busy doing her cross-word. The headline bearing the title Dumbledore's Giant Mistake stared up at them all.

"Don't say that name," she said angrily scratching a word into the boxes. That had been a very touchy subject over the past couple days and always drove Annie into a bad mood whenever it was mentioned. "And besides, I honestly don't know why anyone would care that Hagrid's half-giant. Anybody who's met and really knows him will know that he's completely harmless."

"Annie's right," Hermione said cautiously watching Annie out of the corner of her eye. "I really hope Hagrid didn't take it so bad. I don't see him up at the staff table."

"Well, it's not like you could miss him," Ron said laughing a little and stabbing a piece of sausage with his fork. He popped it into his mouth and then turned to Annie. "Hey, Annie?"

"Yes?" she said moodily taking bite of her cereal.

"You know, we've see you doing those cross-words all the time," Ron continued as Harry shot him a warning glance.

"You're point is?"

"Well, I was just wondering, have you ever submitted them for the grand prize drawing?" he asked.

Annie finished the cereal in her bowl and drained the last of the milk. "No, I haven't. I just do them because I like to," she said standing up from the table and picking up her bag. "I'm not going to Herbology today."

"Annie, you can't just skip class because Harry made you angry. It's the first day of the new term," Hermione said scandalized.

"Hermione, I have more important things to do than stand here and argue," Annie replied crossing her arms across her chest. "I've got an essay for Muggle Studies to finish."

Hermione opened her mouth to retort but Harry cut across her.

"Just let her go, Hermione," he said and Hermione frowned. "I've obviously pissed her off. Just give her a chance to cool down. And I'm sorry, by the way," he added looking up at Annie.

"S'okay," she said hitching her bag higher up on her shoulder. "I'll see you guys at Hagrid's. I promise."

Annie left the Hall with Hermione shaking her head disbelievingly. As she walked up the stairs, three boys were coming down laughing and joking.

"Hey, Annie! Where are you going? The food is this way!" Lee yelled down to Annie.

Annie stopped when they became level with each other and smiled. "I already ate."

"Then where are you going? I thought you had Herbology," Fred asked leaning his arm on George's shoulder.

"I don't feel like going," she said simply shrugging her bag up her shoulder as it slipped.

"You okay, babe?" George asked looking at her with concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she nodded. The boys all gave her disbelieving looks. "Really, I'm fine. Pissed off but I'm alright."

George took Annie's hand and kissed it. "Talk later?"

She smiled. "Yeah. See you."

Annie waved and continued up the stairs. Once inside the common room, she walked up to her dorm and grabbed her Muggle Studies book and put it under her arm as she took the hunk of chocolate off her bedside table and put it between her teeth. She ran back down to the common room and stretched out on the floor in front of the fire and started her essay. A little while later, Harry, Hermione and Ron trooped into the common room and found Annie diligently finishing up her essay. Harry sat down next to her and ruffled her hair.

"You are actually working?" he asked looking over to read what she had written.

"I told you I had work to finish," she said rolling up her parchment and sitting up. "Did I miss anything?"

"Oh nothing. Only an entire class, Annie," Hermione answered still looking a little mad.

"Give it up, Hermione," Annie said warningly. "I'm not going to skip any other classes today, I promise."

"Okay," she said watching Annie put her essay in her bag. "Well, are you ready for Care of Magical Creatures? We've got to get down to Hagrid's."

"Yeah, I'm ready," Annie said standing up and grabbing her bag. "And I'm sorry for being in such a bad mood."

"It's okay," she said giving Annie a hug. "It's not your fault what's been happening."

The group of friends made their way out of the castle and down the slippery slope toward Hagrid's hut. But as they approached, they did not see the jovial face of the gamekeeper, instead they were greeted by a much shorter witch.

"Come on, come on. Hurry up!" she called as they walked over to join her and the rest of the class. "My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank and I will be filling in for Professor Hagrid."

"Where is Hagrid?" Harry asked looking around as if expecting him to come out of the forest.

"Professor Hagrid needed some time off and Professor Dumbledore has asked me to fill in," she answered. "Now if you will all follow me."

Annie and Ron shared a confused look and followed the substitute around the edge of the forest. They stopped in front of a small paddock, the same one Hagrid used last year for their lesson on hippogriffs and everyone gathered around. Professor Grubbly-Plank walked into the forest and came back with a couple of unicorns tethered to a long leather strap. The class gasped at the sight of them.

"Now unicorns are fast creatures," Professor Grubbly-Plank began. "They are proud and don't trust very many people especially the men. So ladies if you would like to come closer, boys you may stay back and listen to the lesson from where you are."

The girls climbed over the paddock and walked forward cautiously. Annie however, stayed back with the boys and leaned on the fence. Professor Grubbly-Plank looked around at the class and noticed her amongst the boys.

"You," she said pointing to Annie. "What is your name?"

"Annie Black."

"Is there a reason why you didn't come forward with the girls?"

"No, no reason," Annie said smiling. "I just thought I'd stay back."

"Alright, if you wish. Just try and pay attention," Professor Grubbly-Plank said. She continued on with the lesson but it was completely lost on Annie as she started to fool around with Ron and Harry. After the lesson Hermione rejoined them and they walked back up to the castle for lunch.

"First night of a new term, I'm drunk off my tits, let's do something," Annie said from her seat on George's lap, holding up the bottle of Firewhiskey Lee had brought down from his dorm. It was late in the night, most of the students had already gone to bed and Annie, George, Lee and Fred were still up sitting in the common room drinking and laughing and playing Exploding Snap.

"Like what?" George asked taking a sip of his own drink and wagging his eyebrows mischievously. Annie shoved him lightly in the chest and laughed.

"Nothing like that, you dolt," she said as Fred and Lee laughed. "No, I mean let's mess with someone." Annie looked around at the last few stragglers in the common room to see who was left. She noticed that it was mainly a couple devoted fifth years and seventh years still studying for their O.W.L.S. and N.E.W.T.S still months in advance. "Oh, I know! How about the second year boys?"

"Why the second years?" Fred asked as he cracked open another bottle of Firewhiskey on the edge of the table. "How about the first years? We've messed with the second years plenty last year."

"But I've gained the trust of the first years," Annie said. She drained the rest of her drink and gave the bottle to George who placed it on the table. "They're my boys, my mates. They love me!"

Lee laughed and spit a little of his Firewhiskey on the table. "Annie, they love you because they think you're hot and because you talk to them."

Annie tossed her long, curly brown locks over her shoulders. "Hey," she said pointing at Lee and taking the open bottle that Fred had handed her. "They don't just think I'm hot, they know."

George laughed and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Okay, then we'll mess with the second years. What do you have in mind?"

Annie got to her feet and the boys joined her. "We wing it."

They made their way over to the staircase leading up to the boys' dormitory and walked up to the second years' room. Half an hour later, they were stumbling out of the room holding each other as they laughed quietly, tears rolling down their cheeks.

"I can't believe you-"

"I know and then Fred-"

"And where you put that-"

They were laughing so hard they could hardly get the words out. They walked Annie over to the staircase and George gave her a long kiss goodnight. Annie stumbled down the stairs and up the ones leading to her room. She fell onto her bed with all of her clothes on and fell asleep. In the morning she woke up took a quick shower, grabbed her wand and bag and stumbled back down into the common room where Fred, George and Lee were waiting for her.

"Hey, babe," George said putting his arm around her shoulders after they climbed out of the portrait hole, "sleep okay?"

Annie wrapped her arm around his waist. "Yeah, I slept okay. Since when has it been so bright in the castle?" She pulled out the pair of sunglasses from her robes and placed them on her nose. "I do not want to go to class today. I feel like shit."

"You look like shit," said Fred laughing.

"Thank you," Annie said in mock sincerity.

They walked into the Great Hall and sat down next to Harry, Ron and Hermione and started eating breakfast. Five minutes later the second year Gryffindor boys walked in with their heads bowed down trying not to be seen. Each boy had their hair changed to a different color and had their faces dyed to match. The Hall burst into laughter at the sight of him as they walked to the table in an awkward manner. Lee and Annie clutched laughing each other and as Fred and George banged on the table. Harry and Ron joined in as Hermione looked over at them angrily.

"I suppose that was your doing?" she asked.

Annie wiped the tears from her eyes. "Of course."

"Why were they walking awkwardly?" Ron asked.

"Itching powder in their underpants," Fred answered as he calmed down and picked up his fork. "Annie's idea."

"Then I'm sure she won't mind joining you and your comrades in detention, Mr. Weasley," said a voice behind Fred. They looked up and found Professor McGonagall looking down at all of them, her face livid.

"Of course not, Professor," she said flashing a genuine smile.

"Good. You will serve your detention Saturday evening with me, seven o'clock," she said looking around at the guilty students who nodded. "Ms. Black I would like a word with you."

Annie shot her friends a curious look and stood up from the table and followed her professor out into the Entrance Hall. The professor turned around to look at her.

"I wanted to speak to you about your animagus training," she said watching her student.

"Oh," Annie said looking shocked. "What about it?"

"I would like to start your training next Monday night at eight o'clock to start and see where we will go from there," said Professor McGonagall.

"Yeah, that's perfect, Professor."

"Excellent, Ms. Black," she said smiling. "I'm very glad you are still up for this challenge. Now if you don't mind, I have a couple letters to write." She placed her hand on Annie's shoulder. "Your father will be very proud."

"Of the detention or the animagus training?" Annie asked confused.

"Both."

Professor McGonagall turned and walked down the corridor to her office. Annie laughed and turned back to the Great Hall to rejoin her friends.