"Vera....Vera.....VERA WAKE UP!" shouted a familiar voice in Vera Cowan's ear.

"Wha?" Vera replied as she rolled over in bed.

"Come on, get up," Hermione repeated. "I think breakfast is ready."

"Fine, fine," Vera mumbled as she toppled out of bed.

As Hermione exited the room, Vera moved toward her trunk and pulled out a pair of jeans and a blue knit sweater-shirt.

Once dressed, she went into the hallway and walked down the narrow flight of stairs and entered the kitchen of the Burrow.

"Hello Vera, dear," said Mrs. Weasley cheerfully as Vera sat down at the table next to Ron. "How did you sleep?"

"Well, very well," Vera answered as she watched Mrs. Weasley flick her wand to scramble the eggs in the skillet.

"Good," she said as she flicked her wand again and the eggs removed themselves from the skillet and onto a plate already loaded with potatoes, toast, bacon, kippers, and marmalade. "I'm just going to take this up to Harry, poor dear looks thinner everyday."

At the sound of Harry's name, a commotion of voices spilled out.

"Harry's here?"

"When did he arrive?"

"Why didn't he tell us he was here?"

"Shh!" Mrs. Weasley said loudly holding up her hand for silence. "Harry arrived last night while you all were sleeping. Now I don't want you lot up their badgering him just now, let him re-"

At that moment though, Ron leapt from his seat and was out the door before she could finish the word.

"Ron," called Hermione as she and Vera followed him up the stairs. "Ron, don't wake him yet."

Too late. Ron had burst through the door to Fred and George's old room and pulled back the curtains before they could stop him. Harry was sitting bolt upright and was grabbing for his glasses.

"Wuzzgoinon?" he mumbled.

"We didn't know you were here already!" said Ron, crossing the room toward Harry and hitting him on the head.

"Ron, don't hit him!" said Vera and Hermione at the same time.

Harry had grabbed his glasses and put them on.

"All right?" asked Ron, smiling.

"Never been better," Harry said, rubbing his head. "You?"

"Not bad," answered Ron, sitting down on a cardboard box. "When did you get here? Mum's only just told us!"

"About one o'clock this morning."

"Were the Muggles all right?" asked Ron. "Did they treat you okay?"

"Same as usual," said Harry as Hermione sat down on the bed, "they didn't talk to me much, but I like it better that way. How're you Hermione, Vera?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said Hermione.

"Same here," said Vera, smiling.

"What's the time? Have I missed breakfast?" asked Harry.

"Don't worry about that, Mum's bringing you up a tray; she reckons you look underfed," said Ron. "So, what's been going on?"

"Nothing much, I've just been stuck at my aunt and uncle's haven't I?"

"Vera!" a voice called up the stairs. "Vera, dear, I need you for a minute!"

"I'll be right back," Vera said as she made her leave.

She came across Ginny on her way down the stairs.

"Hello Ginny," she said.

"Oh, hi Vera," she replied in a miserable voice.

Must be Fleur again, Vera thought.

"It's your father, dear," Mrs. Weasley said when Vera entered the kitchen. "He's in the fireplace."

This statement puzzled Vera until she walked into the living room and saw her father's head in the fire: he was using Floo powder.

"Er, hi dad," Vera said, confused as to why her father was contacting her.

"Hello Vera," he replied, sounding rather nervous. "How was your school year?"

"It was okay. How was your trip?"

"In truth, it was disastrous," he said, looking as though he was about to embark on one of his famous hour long speeches, but he thought better of it and began to press onto a new subject. "Never mind, I'm not here to talk about that. Vera I have something very important to talk to you about."

"Um, okay," Vera said. "What is it dad?"

"Well, I-"he stopped though and looked to his right where Mrs. Weasley was watching them.

"Molly, could you please give us some privacy?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, Victor," she answered. "I'll just- what are you doing?" she said to someone in the other room and left through the kitchen.

"Anyway, I don't really know where to start, I...I guess it starts when I found out that your mother and my friend's wife were both pregnant. I figured out a plan to make my friend's son and you become friends as his father and I were," he paused, looked out at the Weasley's living room to check that they were alone, then sighed. "My friend's name was-"

But he was cut off by a shriek from upstairs and the sound of feet running downward.

"Oh, not again," Vera muttered. Dad can we talk another time? Hermione's spazing out again."

"Darling, this is important, I-"

Hermione entered the kitchen and ran to the window, breathing heavily and muttering to herself.

"Dad, I have to go. Say hello to Mum for me," Vera said as she ran to calm Hermione down.

"Hermione, what's- what happened to your eye?" Vera said, gesturing to Hermione's black eye.

"Oh, nothing," she said between gasps of breath. "I'm fine...honest!"

"Oh, no you're not," Mrs. Weasley said as she bustled into the kitchen. "That's a right nasty eye you've got there...let me just get a remedy, dear."

"But, Mrs. Weasley...the O.W.L results are arriving today...I'm not ready!" Hermione said as she paced the floor, running her fingers through her hair.

"Calm down now," Mrs. Weasley said soothingly. "Let me fix that eye."

She began roaming around looking through spell books and searching through cabinets. Soon she had Hermione reluctantly sitting at the kitchen table. As she prodded the bruise with her wand, The Healers Helpmate, opened to "Bruises, Cuts, and Abrasions", lay open beside her.

"It just won't budge," Mrs. Weasley said as Harry and Ron walked in. "This has always worked before. I just can't understand it."

"It'll be Fred and George's idea of a funny joke, making sure it can't come off," Ginny said, hiding a laugh.

"Hi Harry," Vera said.

"Hi Vera," he said looking genuinely glad to see her. "Would you like to, er, talk?"

"Sure," Vera said as she walked into the living room with Harry.

"So," Vera said as they sat on the couch. "What's been going on? I heard you went off with Dumbledore last night. How'd it go?"

"Oh, that," he replied airily. "He just wanted me to persuade an old friend of his to come back and work at Hogwarts."

"Sounds fun," Vera said sarcastically.

"Not really," Harry replied, not picking up on the sarcasm.

A long silence followed. Vera looked over at Harry. His features had changed. His eyes were red and hollow looking. She knew what was wrong. He was deeply missing Sirius.

"Harry," Vera started, trying to come on softly. "It's okay to talk about what happened at the Ministry. You can-"

"No," he said bitterly, "I can't."

"I'm sorry, Harry," Vera said timidly.

"Don't be," he said, standing up to leave.

"Harry, wait, I didn't mean to make you think about it again," Vera said, soon after realizing how stupid that sounded.

"Really? What did you mean to do?" Harry said fiercely.

"I...I," Vera didn't know what to say. She looked at her feet. Harry pulled her chin up. She felt a numb sensation in her fingers.

"Vera, I'm sorry, it's just," he struggled for words, "no one knows what I'm going through."

"I may not know, but I'd really like to help you through it." she said.

"Thanks," Harry murmured.

A scream rang out from the kitchen. Harry ran in the other room followed by Vera. Hermione was standing at the window pointing at four specks coming toward them.

"They're definitely owls," Ron said, walking toward the window.

"And there are four of them," said Harry, also walking forward.

"One for each of us," Hermione whispered. "Oh no...oh no...oh no..."

She grabbed Vera and squeezed her arm tight.

Four tawny owls flew over the pathway leading to the Burrow. They were each carrying a square envelope.

"Oh no!" Hermione yelped.

Mrs. Weasley went forward and opened the window. The owls landed neatly in a line on the table and each lifted their right leg.

Harry went forward, followed by Ron, then Vera and Hermione, who reluctantly came to her owl last. They fumbled with their letters in silence. When Vera had successfully untied her letter, she unfolded the parchment inside.

ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS

Pass Grades Fail Grades

OUTSTANDING(O) POOR(P)

EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS(E) DREADFUL(D)

ACCEPTABLE(A) TROLL(T)

Guinevere Renee Cowan has achieved:

Ancient Runes O

Astronomy E

Care of Magical Creatures A

Charms O

Defense Against the Dark Arts O

Divination A

Herbology E

History of Magic D

Potions E

Transfiguration O

Vera looked up at the others; Harry was rereading his O.W.L.s, Ron was looking ecstatic, and Hermione was wide-eyed and trembling.

"Only failed Divination and History of Magic, and who needs them?" Ron said to Harry, smiling. "Here- swap-"

After looking at Ron's O.W.L.s, Harry and Vera switched papers.

"Nice job, Vera," Harry said.

"Not too bad yourself," Vera replied as she and Ron swapped.

"What's up with you two and Defense Against the Dark Arts?" Ron remarked, looking down at Vera's sheet.

"Well, I think you have all done well," Mrs. Weasley said, ruffling Ron's hair. "Oh, Ron, seven O.W.L.s! That's more than Fred and George put together!"

"Hermione?" Ginny called to Hermione's turned back. "How did you do?"

"I- not bad," Hermione said quietly.

"Oh, come off it," Ron said, grabbing her results. "Yep- ten Outstandings and one Exceeds Expectations in Defense Against the Dark Arts. You're actually disappointed, aren't you?"

Hermione shook her head, still looking small and disbelieving. Harry laughed.

"Well, were N.E.W.T. students now!" Ron said happily.

After that the conversation with her father seemed to be a technicality to Vera. Between the game of Quidditch played later near the Burrow, and the talk of the new Hogwarts teacher, she had no reason to think about it anymore.