The Other Potter Book Two

Chapter Thirty Two: Pyjama Parties, Huge Hugs and Train Trips.

I had been to several Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their Pyjamas, and the celebration lasted all night.

Harry and I walked in, Ron alongside us, to a roar of applause.

Every table stood up to cheer our return, even the Slytherins.

I looked up, radiantly beaming, and caught George's eye. I smiled at him in a way that he knew what I was thinking.

I sprinted over to him and we embraced in an epic hug.

"I'm sorry!" I cried to him.

"I'm sorry too!" he said back.

I was crying with happiness, and it was even more awesome when Fred joined in our hug, along with Ron, Harry and pretty much all of Gryffindor.

I somehow ended up popping out at the edge of the group hug, when I saw her, standing up at the doors looking at me.

"Hermione!" I screamed, sprinting over.

"Willow!" she yelled back.

The Gryffindor hug dispersed as everyone was looking over at us, we were then hugging epically.

"THEY SOLVED IT! YOU SOLVED IT! I SOLVED IT!" She was screaming.

"WE SOLVED IT!" Ron suggested as he and Harry ran over to join our hug.

"OH MY GOD! A NEW HUG!" the twins screamed as they came and joined the hug.

Suddenly, the whole of Gryffindor was in another enormous hug.

We all finally sat down and I began to devour everything in sight – I hadn’t eaten in three weeks, cut me some slack.

Justin hurrying over from the Hufflepuff table to apologize to harry for suspecting him.

At half past three, Hagrid came over and we all ended up in another hug again.

Harry, Ron and my six hundred points secured Gryffindor the House Cup for the second year running.

Professor McGonagall stood up and some point to tell us all that the exams had been cancelled as a school treat.

And then Dumbledore announced that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.

At the end of the feast, I snuck George a kiss on the cheek.

“You two make me sick.” Lucy informed me.

***

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal with only a few, small differences - Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were cancelled ("but we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione) and my Dad had been sacked as a school governor. 

Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny Weasley was perfectly happy again.

I was called into Dumbledore's office at one point and he told me he had organised for me to stay at the leaky cauldron for the holidays. Beaming, I gave him a hug; even though I wasn't sure I was supposed to do that.  

Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. 

Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and I got a compartment to ourselves. We made the most of the last few hours in which we were allowed to do magic before the holidays. We played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic.

Harry was totally kick arse. 

We were almost at King's Cross when Harry said something. 

"Ginny - what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well - Percy's got a girlfriend." Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head. 

"What?"

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he was writing to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. You won't tease him, will you." she added anxiously. 

"Wouldn't dream of it," said George, who was looking like his birthday had come early.

"Definitely not," said Fred, sniggering. 

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. 

Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron, Hermione and I. 

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing the parchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer - he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay. I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to..." 

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione as we got off the train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it. They'll be furious..." 

With one last peck on George's cheek, I told everyone to write to me and stuff, and send it to the leaky cauldron.

Beaming happily, we crossed the barrier together, into the muggle word.