*Sigh* so… a really bad chest infection, Christmas shopping, and a few other things has stopped me from updating for a while… but I'm back now!
So, with thanks to: Sam, Bellaroe, MaraudersLiveOnAsAnimagus, rowellylovesgryffindor, emmgr2, Phantom MarianneP and the Anon for reviewing.
Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter- just Mia
Also… I've decided to put the NEWTs one week before the OWLs. Now, I know in Order of the Phoenix it mentions that the Seventh Years do the NEWTs at the same time as the fifth years do the OWLs… but I don't really understand how two different years can do two different tests at the same time… so I'm putting the NEWTs a week before… I hope no one has a problem with this…
Chapter 14: Leaving
Easter came around and Mia spent most of her time trying to revise. Notice the word trying. Fred and George stopped her from doing it a lot of the time. One evening, however, Mia managed to sit down in the common room with her Transfiguration book and Hermione.
"I don't understand how you can so calm!" Hermione was saying. Mia rolled her eyes. Fred and George had gone to do something to do with Weasley's Wizard Wheezes; Ron, Angelina, Alicia, Katie and Ginny were at Quidditch practice, and Harry was in the library. "Oh no!" she said.
"What?"
"I've just realised! I'm revising Arithmancy one hour less then the rest of my lessons!" Mia blinked at her.
"Um… sure…" she looked back down at her Transfiguration book. She was distracted by all the little doodles around the text. There was a little stick man with an umbrella and rain pouring down on his head.
"Aren't you worried at all?" Hermione asked, "I mean… you have one less week to revise then we do…"
"Course I'm not worried… I have nothing to be worried about!" Hermione just stared at her.
"Nothing… nothing to worry about?" Mia shrugged. Hermione was shaking her head, "and what are you going to do if you fail your NEWTs?"
"I won't," Mia replied confidently.
"-Fancy banking," Hermione was saying. Her, Ron and Harry were reading through career leaflets.
"Hey," Fred said as they all sat down. Mia sat down next to Ron, who was reading through a pamphlet on Law Enforcement.
"Ginny's had a word with us about you," Fred told Harry. "She says you need to talk to Sirius?"
"What?" Hermione exclaimed. Mia picked up the leaflet on St Mungo's, flicking though it. Good, the required grades hadn't changed.
"Yeah… yeah, I thought I'd like-" Hermione cut Harry off.
"Don't be so ridiculous," she snapped, "With Umbridge groping around in the fires and frisking all the owls?"
"Well, we think we can find a way around that," George smirked, "It's a simple matter of causing a diversion. Now, you might have noticed that we've been rather quiet on the mayhem front during the Easter holidays?" Mia rolled her eyes.
"What was the point," Fred said, "we asked ourselves, of disrupting leisure time?"
"No point at all," George continued, "we answered ourselves. And of course, we'd have messed up people's studying, too, which would be the very last thing we'd want to do."
"But its business as usual from tomorrow," Mia rolled her eyes again. "And if we're going to be causing a bit of uproar, why not do it so that Harry can have his chat with Sirius?"
"Yes, but still," Hermione whispered, "even if you do cause a diversion, how is Harry supposed to talk to him?"
"Umbridge's office," said Harry quietly. Mia looked over at him. His face was thoughtful.
"Are. You. Insane?" Hermione asked through gritted teeth.
"I don't think so," Harry answered casually. Mia snorted, but fell quiet after Hermione shot her a look.
"And how are you going to get in there in the first place?" she asked.
"Sirius's knife."
"What knife?" Mia asked.
"Christmas before last Sirius gave me a knife that'll open any lock," Harry explained "So even if she's bewitched the door so Alohomora won't work, which I bet she has-"
"What do you think about this?" Hermione shot at Ron. He jumped and dropped his leaflet, hesitating.
"I dunno," he muttered, "if Harry wants to do it, it's up to him, isn't it?"
"Spoken like a true friend and Weasley," Fred clapped him on the back as Mia rolled her eyes. Again. "Right, then. We're thinking of doing it tomorrow, just after lessons, because it should cause maximum impact if everybody's in the corridors- Harry, we'll set it off in the east wing somewhere, draw her right away from her own office- I reckon we should be able to guarantee you, what, twenty minutes?" he said, looking at George.
"Easy," George nodded.
"What sort of diversion is it?" Ron asked, wearily.
"You'll see, little bro," Fred grinned. "At least, you will if you trot along to Gregory the Smarmy's corridor round about five o'clock tomorrow." Hermione looked at Mia.
"Don't bother," Mia said, standing up.
"So… what are you doing tomorrow?" Mia asked as they made their way out of the common room.
"For goodness' sake, you three just came in!" the Fat Lady said shrilly.
"Ah… now that is our little secret," Fred said, "however… I guess we could tell you one thing…"
"Yeah?" She asked.
"We're leaving." Mia stopped and looked up at them, blinking.
"What?" she asked.
"We're leaving," Fred replied.
"T-tomorrow? You're leaving… tomorrow?"
"That's what I just said." Mia looked between them.
"And… when did you decide this?"
"The other day," Fred shrugged.
"When was the other day?"
"Last week?" Fred said, looking at George, who nodded.
"Yeah, sometime last week… just after Ginny talked to us."
"So," Mia said, "you've been planning to leave for a week… and you've only just told me? The day before you do it?" Fred and George glanced at each other.
"Well… yeah… I mean… we were gunna run it by Harry first-"
"But you were still gunna go it, anyway!" Mia said, glaring up at them, "whether Harry needed help or not! I mean… it might not been tomorrow, but it would've still been soon!"
"Mia, don't get pissed off," Fred told her.
"Pissed off?" she replied, "Pissed off? Oh! No… no, I'm not pissed off! I'm absolutely ecstatic that you left it 'til the last minute to tell me you were leaving!" she stalked past them and down the hallway.
"Maybe we should of told her earlier…" Fred said.
"Oh, ya think?"
A couple of hours later, Mia exited the library, a finished potions essay in her hand. "WHOA!" she said, as she walked straight into two people. She crossed her arms when she saw it was Fred and George.
"Look… we're sorry, ok?" Fred said. She cocked her head to the side.
"What for?"
"Huh?"
"What are you sorry for?" she asked, popping her hip out. Fred sighed.
"We're sorry we didn't tell you were leaving until the very last minute," he said. Mia just looked at them for a second, tapping her fingers along her arm.
"I'm only forgiving you because if I don't… its gunna be another couple of months before I see you again." the twins grinned at her. She tried not to smile at them, but ended up beaming anyway.
"Just… tell me at an earlier date next time."
"Next time?" George asked, "You make it sound as if we're leaving school twice!" Mia rolled her eyes.
"With you two… I wouldn't be surprised if you managed it!"
The next day, Mia left her last class, and was pushed back down the stairs by a crowd of people. She fell smack-bang into a Slytherin, who pushed her forwards. "Watch where you're going!" he snarled. She stuck her middle finger up at him and joined the crowd flooding up the stairs.
She pushed her way to the front of the crowd. The boy next to Mia was covered in some horrible smelling substance, and she moved along the line to stand next to Lavender Brown. Nearly Headless Nick was floating around behind her, and teachers were spread about the crowd. Peeves was lying in the air above the crowd. And in the middle of the ring of people, stood Fred and George, with Umbridge fuming in front of them.
"So!" she was saying. "So… you think it amusing to turn a school corridor into a swamp, do you?" Mia bit down on her tongue to stop herself from laughing.
"Pretty amusing, yeah," Fred said confidently. Mia was suddenly pushed into Lavender by Filch, who went running up to Umbridge, clutching a piece of parchment.
"I've got the form, Headmistress," he rasped. "I've got the form and I've got the whips waiting… oh, let me do it now…" Mia's eyes widened. Whips? She mouthed.
"Very good, Argus," she said. "You two are about to learn what happens to wrongdoers in my school!" she smiled at Fred and George, who were just standing in front of her, with their arms crossed and smirking.
"You know what?" Fred said, "I don't think we are… George, I think we've outgrown full-time education."
"Yeah, I've been feeling that way myself," George agreed.
"Time to test our talents in the real world, d'you reckon?" said Fred.
"Definitely," said George. Mia rolled her eyes and crossed her arms, smirking. Fred and George raised their wands.
"Accio brooms!" they said together. Everyone looked around as there was a loud crash somewhere in the castle. Fred and George's brooms flew through the crowd, stopping in front of the twins, who grabbed them.
"We won't be seeing you," Fred said, mounting his broom.
"Yeah, don't bother to keep in touch," said George, copying his brother. They looked around at the crowd. George spotted Mia and winked at her. She rolled her eyes and smiled. Bye, she mouthed.
"If anyone fancies buying a Portable Swamp, as demonstrated upstairs," Fred called out to them, "come to number ninety-three, Diagon Alley- Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes… our new premises!"
"Special discounts to Hogwarts students who swear they're going to use our products to get rid of this old bat!" George jerked his thumb at Umbridge, who turned a brilliant shade of red.
"STOP THEM!" she shrieked, at the exact same moment Fred and George kicked off. They stopped level with Peeves, and turned to him.
"Give her hell from us, Peeves!"
Mia shot out laughter as Peeves threw off his hat and saluted the twins. Fred and George grinned down at the crowd for a second, then shot off, out of the double doors. Mia was laughing and clapping along with everyone else in the Hall… except the Slytherins, Umbridge and Filch.
The next day, Mia was sitting dreamily in Charms, doodling on a piece of parchment. Everyone was meant to be revising, but instead, they were all talking animatedly. She was just about to put the arms on a stick man when Flitwick came scuttling over. She snatched her picture covered parchment off the desk as he stopped in front of her.
"Miss Homing…" he said.
"Yes?"
"Would you happen to know how Mr Weasley and Mr Weasley managed to create that swamp?" Flitwick asked, curiosity lacing his voice. Mia grinned.
"Even if I did, sir, I couldn't tell you," she replied, "sorry."
"Oh… well," Flitwick replied, slightly disappointed, "well… good work," he looked at Mia's closed book, "I see you have been practicing the Closing Charm."
"Um… sure…"
"Well, very good… ten points to Gryffindor," he scuttled away again. Mia just looked at him, beaming.
Unfortunately, Fred and George's departure did not sweeten all of the teacher's moods. In fact, Umbridge was storming around the castle, trying to punish anyone and everyone. That evening, Mia was walking back from the library, carrying a pile of books.
"Miss Homing!" she stopped. She turned around and saw Umbridge stalking towards her. "May I ask as to why you are out of your common room so late?" she asked harshly.
"Well… it's not even nine o'clock!" Mia replied.
"According to my watch, Miss Homing, it is three minutes past."
"Well, according to my watch," Mia dropped her books deliberately over Umbridge's feet, then held up her wrist to show Umbridge her watch, "its one minute too… which means I have very right to be out of bed."
"I am afraid… that your watch-"
"Delores…" McGonagall was striding up the corridor now, "can I ask why you are distracting one of my students from what ever she is doing?"
"Ah, Minerva, one of your students is out of bed past curfew," Umbridge stated.
"Past curfew?" McGonagall looked from Mia to Umbridge, "it is only quarter to nine, and I very much doubt it is past curfew."
"My watch, Minerva," Umbridge said, holding up her arm, "clearly states that it is-"
"This watch has been tampered with. It has been charmed to run precisely eighteen minutes fast," McGonagall said, "now, if you'll please leave my student alone, perhaps she can return to the common by nine o'clock and not suffer any punishment."
Umbridge looked like she was about to blow up. Then she turned on her heel and marched, stepping on some of Mia's books.
"Th-thanks, Professor…" Mia said, slightly stunned.
"I suggest you hurry back to Gryffindor Tower, Miss Homing… and I would put you're watch back fifteen minutes; Filch has a nasty habit of prowling the corridors at this time of night." McGonagall turned and walked away, but Mia thought she saw her smile slightly at her before doing so…
"Oh crap!" Mia said a few days later. She was in the dormitory with Angelina and Alicia.
"What?" Alicia asked.
"There's… there's only three weeks left to revise…" Mia almost whispered, "… oh my god, I'm screwed!"
"What? What do you mean you're screwed?" Angelina asked, sliding off her own bed and sitting next to Mia. Mia, however, just sat there, staring at her hands and breathing slightly too heavily.
"I can't revise in three weeks! Three weeks! Oh my god," she brought her hands up to clutch her face. "I mean… I might be able to do Charms… and maybe Herbology… but Potions… oh my god Potions! I'm gunna fail that… I can't fail it! But then if I do I won't be able to-"
"MIA!" Angelina and Alicia yelled together. Mia jumped and looked up at the two of them.
"You were fine the other day!" Alicia said, "why are you suddenly panicking?"
"I dunno!"
"Fred and George did kinda take you're mind off things…" Angelina supplied.
"What?"
"Well… I mean… they're not here anymore… so the only thing you can think about is your NEWTs…"
"Look, I don't care whether it was Fred and George stopping me from panicking or if I had some magical, invisible don't-panic fairy that's suddenly stopped following me around… but I can't revise Potions, Transfiguration, Herbology, Charms and Defence Against the Dark Arts in three weeks!"
Angelina and Alicia glanced at each other. "You will. We'll… we'll get Hermione to draw you up a schedule!" Mia smiled weakly, then grabbed her Potions book and opened it at a random page.
Ok… so… Fred and George are gone… and Mia is panicking about her NEWTs…
Anyways… Please Review!