The following morning, Harriet refused to go downstairs. "I will not, Helga."

Helga stood at the end of her bed, hands on hips. "Yes you will, Miss Harriet. You must go. They'll be 'specting you."

"But I slapped him, Helga! How can I look him in the face? No. I will not go down."

Helga had not budged. "Miss, you will go downstairs. I hearin' that yer brother be needin' help with his lady friend. Wouldn't wanta disappoint 'im, would you, Miss?

Harriet groaned. "Remind me never to tell you anything again. You only use it against me."

Helga grinned. "I knew that would be gettin' ya out of bed. Besides, if ya slapped 'im hard 'nough, how will he reco'nize who he be talkin' to?"

Harriet gasped as she giggled. "You wicked creature! This is why I chose you to be my maid and friend. You have a sharp wit."

Helga smiled a little sadly. "I be wishin' that we coulda been friends without being a maid, but I'm glad that I met ya, Miss."

Harriet sat pondering. "Suppose you were to meet a nice gentleman…"

"Beggin' your pardon, Miss, but I don' think that's likely, given me station. Me speech could use a li'l refinin' too."

Harriet waved her hand through the air, dismissing the statements. "I can help you with that."

"There's still the problem o' me bein' a maid, Miss."

Harriet smiled. "Just think of the scandal you could cause, though! Would that not be exciting! A gentleman comes to a house party, looking for a bride. The maid of one of the guests catches his eye, instead…"

Helga laughed. "That sounds like a mighty fun way ta meet a nice gen'leman, Miss. I'd like nothin' more. I seriously doubt it'd happen ta me, though."

Harriet cocked her head to the side. "Why ever not? We are at a house party, I am a guest, and you are my maid. There are supposed to be scores of eligible bachelors here."

"If'n you be plannin' somethin', Miss, at least let me help you get dressed while ya do it."

While Helga helped Harriet get ready for the day, the later taught her maid proper English. By the time Harriet was ready to go down, Helga had made vast improvements. Harriet journeyed downstairs in high spirits. They dropped, however, when she ran into Joseph.

Joseph held up his hands in defense. "Please, Harriet. I promise not to pester you if you promise not to hurt me again." He rubbed his jaw. "I had no idea that you could hit so hard."

Harriet rolled her eyes. "Good day, Mr. Potter. I trust you slept well?"

"Mr. Potter! Come now, Harriet. We are old friends, are we not?"

"No, we are not old friends. Is your memory so poor that you could have forgotten? And I would like to be addressed as 'Miss Harriet', or 'Miss Gryffin', if you do not mind. I set plain 'Harriet' aside when I started school."

He smiled. "Ah, yes. School. I understand that you lived away from home, correct?" He continued after she confirmed his words with a nod. "That must have been very hard on you. I believe that you are very close to your family. Your mother, I am sure, was devastated to see you go. What was it called? The school?"

Unsure how to answer, she said, "You would not have heard of it, I am sure." Feeling the need to change the subject, she continued with, "Now, if you do not mind, I am in great need of some breakfast."

He nodded and stepped aside so that she could proceed to the breakfast room. Then he followed her. She turned and gave him a questioning glance. "I am in need of nourishment myself, Miss Harriet. You would not refuse me that in my own house, would you?"

They breakfasted in silence until Daniel entered the room. "Good morning!" He laughed when he saw Joseph's face. It had bruised slightly from the contact it had with Harriet's palm. "Have you gotten in trouble already, Joseph? I am guessing that is Harriet's work. I do not know of anyone else that has yet arrived."

Joseph nodded. "Yes, Daniel. Your sister was kind enough to stow a present on me. I will admit that I fully deserved it. You did not warn me that she has become defensive."

"She has no reason to be defensive with me, so I had not the slightest idea." He helped himself to the dishes at the breakfast table before sitting down. "Tell me what you have been up to since the last time I saw you."

While they talked, Harriet tuned them out so she could think about other things. The main thing on her mind was the last encounter she had with Joseph right before she left for school for the first time.

Harriet was all packed for Hogwarts. She had been for days. The train was scheduled to leave tomorrow at eleven o'clock. She had been anxious from anticipation ever since receiving her letter. Magic! She would learn magic!

Hearing a noise outside, she passed over to the window. Below, she saw Daniel and Joseph playing a game. It looked like it might be fun so she hurried down to join them. When she reached them, they stopped playing.

"May I play with you?" she asked. She looked up at her older brother. He was a few years older than she was so it seemed as if she was looking at a giant.

Daniel shook his head. "This is a game for boy, Harriet. How about you run along and play with your dolls."

She sniffed as she tried to prevent the tears that were forming in her eyes from falling. "But I want to play with you! I leave tomorrow and won't get to play with you for a long time."

He frowned as he remembered. "I forgot that you leave, too. Joseph leaves tomorrow as well. He is going to live with his aunt while he goes to school somewhere, as well."

"So how about we all play a game together?"

Daniel and Joseph stepped aside and discussed it, looking at her now and then as they did so. Harriet watched as Daniel laughed at something Joseph said. He then returned to deliver his edict. "Very well, Harriet. How about we play a game of hide-and-go-seek?"

Harriet jumped up and down and clapped her hands with joy. "Yes, that sounds fun! Who will count first?"

"I will," he replied. After hearing him say "one", Harriet and Joseph ran off. She looked around as she ran. Then she spotted the house that Daniel and their father had build in the tree. There were many good places to hide in there. She darted over and up the ladder. She then hid in the little closet that held all of the games that they had up there. She peeked out, and to her horror, she saw the ladder disappearing from view. She got out to see Joseph pulling it away.

Maybe Daniel will rescue me when he comes to find me, Harriet thought. She waited for a while before looking out. Not seeing either of them, she slumped against the wall. She eventually slid to the floor and fell asleep. She awoke to find the sun setting. Her stomach protested at the sight, as if know that it had missed having lunch and dinner.

Shortly thereafter, she heard someone calling her name. It was Helga. Harriet rushed to the window opening and waved. Harriet spotted her and called to the head gardener. He ran over and put the ladder back in place. Then he climbed the ladder. He found Harriet too weak to climb down herself. He managed to get her down. Then he and Helga rushed Harriet to the house.

When their mother saw her, she panicked. When Harriet told her what had happened, she stormed the house, looking for the boys. Joseph's mother happened to be there as well. Together, they cornered the boys. They confessed immediately after seeing the looks on their mothers' faces.

Both their mothers took them by the ears and pulled them to Harriet's room. Both of the boys apologized immediately. Harriet decided right then and there that Joseph Potter was no longer her friend. Daniel, she knew, would not have done something like that without having Joseph giving him the idea, so she forgave him eventually.