Harry Potter and the Bucket List

Year 5 - 3

Harry and I headed up the stairs, content with finding our room on our own—I assumed we'd end up sharing. We heard voices chatting in one of the rooms—the door was ajar—and we opened it to find Hermione and Neville on the floor playing some kind of card game while Ron sat on the bed and watched. As soon as Hermione spotted Harry she leapt over Neville and hug-tackled Harry.

"You're here! We didn't hear you arrive! Oh, how are you? Are you alright? Have you been furious with us? I bet you have, I know our letters were useless—but we couldn't tell you anything, Dumbledore made us swear we wouldn't, oh, we've got so much to tell you, and you've got to tell us—the dementors! When we heard—and that Ministry hearing—it's just outrageous—" At that, Hermione pulled away from Harry and looked over at me, continuing in her breathless rant. "I've looked it all up, they can't expel you, they just can't, there's provision in the Decree for the Restriction of Underage Sorcery for the use of magic in life-threatening situations—"

"Thanks, sweetie but I'm not worried about it," I said, carefully reaching forward and placing a hand on Hermione in a calming gesture.

"Hey Harry," came Neville's quiet greeting.

"Hey Neville. Hey Ron," said Harry as he took a seat next to Neville on the floor.

"Rosie," Neville greeted with a nod at my direction. I exchanged nods with him and Ron before I sat on the floor and pulled Hermione down beside me.

"So what's this place now?" asked Harry. "Why are you all here? I mean I'm happy to see you all of course, but pretty surprised."

"Mom and Dad thought it'd be safer here," answered Ron.

"Better here than home," added Neville with a shrug.

Harry raised an eyebrow at that, giving Neville a pointed look.

"Gran's not been happy with me this summer," he mumbled, looking away.

Whoa, what's going on with the Gryffindor boys?

One of the downsides to being Slytherin meant I was out of the loop when it came to what the Gryffindor kiddos were going through. I still hadn't managed to figure out how Neville and Luna met up so early and every time I asked Neville he evaded the question.

If he doesn't give me a straight answer I'll have no choice but to put a request for one of my babeh snakes to kidnap Luna so I can ask her.

"I thought—I thought you might want some company and my parents agreed," Hermione answered. "Especially when I saw the paper. This place—it's the new headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. That's—that's a secret society. Dumbledore's in charge, he founded it. It's the people who fought against You-Know-Who last time."

"Who's in it?"

"Quite a few people—"

"—we've met about twenty of them," said Ron, "but we think there are more—"

With two loud cracks, Fred and George had materialized out of thin air in the middle of the room.

"Rosie!" they cheered upon spotting me. They twins lifted me up into a hug and I joyfully returned. Twin hugs were always the best. I kissed both of their cheeks in return.

"Harry get in so we can get a double hug going," I ordered as I continued to embrace Fred and George.

"I dunno, I'm pretty comfy."

"Harry. Now."

Harry sighed as he stood up. George opened his arms and Harry joined us in the twin hug that tragically had to end after a minute.