"Can we sit here?" Hermione asked the next day at breakfast, where Jamie was sitting. Her and Ron gave Jamie her space the day before.
"Sure," Jamie replied, smiling. She couldn't be mad forever!
"When are Quidditch tryouts, Harry?" Ron asked.
"What? Crap! I forgot about that," she said truthfully. Harry had been made Quidditch captain. "As soon as possible, um, maybe this weekend."
"I've practiced during summer – I think I've just about gotten over my nerves," Ron said, ears going red with embarrassment.
They ate silently while the post arrived. Hedwig came with Harry's letter and a school owl came with a package of sweets from Mrs. Jones. Jamie choked on her bagel. Why did her mom always insist on sending her things?
"Who are the sweets from?" asked Ron, eyeing the candy excitedly.
"I got them for you two… Ordered them, you know. To say sorry for the way I've been acting," she made up slowly. She took the card from her mother inconspicuously and put it in her pocket.
"Wow, thanks, Harry!" Ron said, picking through the candy toward the chocolate frogs.
"You didn't have to do that, Harry…" Hermione said.
"You guys take care of all that, I need to go to the washroom," Jamie said, picking up Harry's letter and leaving the Great Hall.
She read the letter in the bathroom. She smiled after reading it. She could activate the Marauder's Map and get into Dumbledore's office. Things were already feeling better to her.
"Harry?" Ron had come to get her.
"Coming," Jamie left the bathroom and went to classes with Ron. She decided to go to Dumbledore's that night after classes. Luckily, there wasn't any DADA that day.
"I'll see you guys in the common room, I have to go see Dumbledore for a minute," Jamie said after supper. Ron and Hermione nodded.
After trying to get the gargoyle to move many times to no avail, Jamie started to search for another teacher to help her. She found Snape not even a corridor away.
"Professor!" she called.
"Mr. Potter," he said sinisterly.
"Do you know the password to Dumbledore's office? I must see him."
"Why must you see the headmaster so urgently?"
"It's private, sir," she said, losing her patience.
"I was heading to see the headmaster myself. Allow me to join you. Chiclets," he said at the gargoyle. Jamie's jaw dropped. She thought of Chiclets many times, but she thought it had to be wizard candy.
She followed Snape up the staircase and into the headmaster's office. "Professor Dumbledore," Snape greeted.
"Good evening Severus, Harry," Dumbledore greeted back. "Take a seat," he indicated two comfortable armchairs he just conjured by his desk.
"Thank you, sir," Jamie said politely, sitting down. Snape simply sat.
"How may I help you this evening?" Dumbledore asked nicely.
Snape looked at Jamie, willing her to go first. "I'd rather speak to you in private, Professor." Jamie said.
Dumbledore looked at Snape, who said, "I suppose this can wait until morning, sir. Goodnight." And left.
"So, Jamie, what is the matter?"
"Professor, I don't think I can do this!" Jamie started. Then she told him about her being girly, her friends' suspicions and her wanting to be herself for a little bit. He didn't interrupt once. When she was finished, Dumbledore sat, thinking, for a couple of minutes. After a while he said:
"You can be yourself after classes on certain days. I can send letters saying that Harry shall meet me for special classes that your friends can verify. Then, you can be Jamie again."
"That's a good idea, sir, but there's one problem. Don't you think Hermione will notice that I'm only around when Harry isn't?"
"If you'd like, you can be yourself other times that won't arouse suspicion. I give you the liberty to do so."
That night, Dumbledore went to the Jones' house by floo powder to pick up Jamie's belongings. He taught her how to change her voice and how to copy Harry's scar herself. The spells were fairly advanced, so it took a while. After learning all that, she shrunk her personal effects to hide them and went to the common room as Harry.
"Hey, Harry," Ron said as she entered the common room.
"That was a long minute," Hermione said. She was smiling, so Jamie knew she was joking.
"Are you finished the Herbology essay?" Jamie asked Ron. He was working on it by the fireplace.
"Not yet," he said, "take yours out – two heads are better than one, and my head's just about none!" Jamie laughed.
They did most of their homework that night, Jamie telling them about classes with Dumbledore. She also made up that there was a girl that he was teaching too. Someone who had been kept away from magic even though she was a witch, so Dumbledore was teaching her what she needed to know.
"What's her name?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure," Jamie lied, "Something like Jessie or Janie or something… But he can't teach us both as the same time, so you might see her around when I'm there."
"Try and get her to come to Gryffindor Tower – we only have three sixth year girls!" Ron said.
"And what is that supposed to mean?" Hermione said reproachfully.
"Well you've got Krum and I don't think Parvati likes me or Harry, considering the Yule Ball. That only leaves one girl, Lavender, but she's best friends with Parvati so I don't think either of us would have a chance," Ron explained.
Hermione sighed. Jamie was trying hard to keep in her fit of giggles.
"Yes, Ron, I'm sure she'll fall madly in love with you once she sees you!" Jamie teased.
"So you think you can win her over, then? Mind you, I'll be seeing her much more often," Ron said. "I'll bet you a Sickle that you can't win her over!"
"What happens if she falls for someone other than either of us?" Jamie asked, Malfoy in mind.
"Then I win." Ron said simply.
"You don't know her and you're already planning on winning her over. Desperate much?" Jamie said, trying to sound as boy-like as she can.
"Have you seen her? Was she in Dumbledore's office?" Hermione cut in.
"No, she wasn't there, she's coming Friday. Dumbledore scheduled me a lesson then so that she could explore on her first day. He really seems to want to fit in as many lessons as he can, without waste!" Jamie said.
Jamie was proud of herself when she went to bed that night. Ron bought it right away – she could have said, "I'm going to a class and this girl is going to appear" and he would have bought it – and Hermione seemed lightly convinced.
In the morning, Jamie got up first and went to have a shower. She got up pretty early, so she wasn't worried about being walked in on. When she was in the shower, she turned back into herself. She loved washing her long hair mostly.
She was rinsing her hair when she heard banging on the door. "Harry! Lemme in I need to go to the bathroom!" Ron said.
Jamie made sure the curtains were completely concealing and said; "If you must, but hurry up!" she closed her eyes and let the water fall down her back. She was completely relaxed.
"Since when do you wake up this early?" Ron asked, rubbing his eyes.
"Bad dream," she made up.
"Again? Wow," he yawned and went to the toilet, unconsciously looking at the curtains. He saw a blurry shadow, but he could see long hair. "Harry?!"
Jamie snapped her eyes open, saw Ron's shadow and turned back into Harry. "What?"
"I thought I just saw…" he looked back at the figure with short hair now. "I think I need glasses!"
"Why?" Jamie asked, trying to make it seem like nothing had happened.
"You looked like you had long hair," he said, "I think I'm still half-asleep, though."
Jamie didn't say anything. 'That was a close one!' she thought. Ron finished what he was doing and left.
Jamie came out of the shower, wrapped a towel around her – she looked like she was wearing a dress – and went to go outside. Then she realized guys wear towels around their midriff. She sighed and put the towel lower. To make her situation feel less awkward, she picked up her pajamas and held them high to cover her chest.
She went into the dormitory and quickly went to her bed and closed the curtains. She got dressed into her robes and swore she wouldn't do that ever again. She couldn't wait 'till Friday.