Daisy's father said, and she herself agreed, that the Weasleys were one peculiar bunch.
They weren't as affluent, sociable, and affable as her other neighbours. They never came to the local kids' birthdays, they never invited the local kids to their...
Don't get him wrong. George really loved Daisy. His entire family loved her to bits, even Percy, and that was saying something.
But Fred was on a whole another level, even if he didn't realize it yet.
George snickered and elbowed Ron, who was standing beside him.
"Didn't you bet them going out by age fifteen?"
Ron rolled his eyes, "You bet thirteen."
"I bet seventeen," Ginny suddenly quipped, "At least. They're both too oblivious for their own good."
"No, no! You can't join the bet, too!"
"Why not?"
"Because you're right," George said, patting Ginny's head, "Ron just doesn't want to pay you three galleons."
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August 31st, 1993
"DAISY'S NOT COMING?" Harry asked, peering at the Weasley's crowd.
"No, it's homeschool day for her."
"Did you really blow up your aunt, Harry?" said Hermione in a very serious voice.
"I didn't mean to," said Harry while Ron roared with laughter. "I just— lost control."
"It's not funny, Ron," said Hermione sharply.
"Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."
"So am I," admitted Harry. "Forget expelled, I thought I was going to be arrested."
"Probably 'cause it's you, isn't it?" shrugged Ron, still chuckling. "Famous Harry Potter and all that. I'd hate to see what the Ministry would do to me if I blew up an aunt. Mind you, they would have to dig me up first, because Mum would've killed me."
The Golden Trio then talked about Hermione's three bulging bags of books, her incredulous wish to study every possible lesson including Muggle Studdies, and Scabbers' declining health as they paid Magical Menagerie a visit, where creatures of all sizes, shapes, colors, and hybrids were available for purchase. Hermione began scanning the room for a potential pet while Ron placed Scabbers on the counter.
Next to the glossy rats in the cage, he looked especially woebegone.
"Hm..." said the Magical Menagerie witch, picking up Scabbers. Her eyes moved from Scabbers's tattered left ear to his front paw, which had a toe missing, and tutted loudly, "He's been through the mill, this one."
"He was like that when Percy gave him to me —OUCH!"
Ron buckled as something huge and orange came soaring from the top of the highest cage, landed on his head, and then propelled itself, spitting madly, at Scabbers.
"NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" cried the witch, but Scabbers shot from between her hands like a bar of soap, landed splay-legged on the floor, and then scampered for the door.
"Scabbers!" Ron shouted, racing out of the shop after him. Harry followed.
It took them nearly ten minutes to catch Scabbers, who had taken refuge under a wastepaper bin outside Quality Quidditch Supplies. Ron stuffed the trembling rat back into his pocket and straightened up, massaging his head.
"What was that?"
"It was either a very big cat or quite a small tiger," said Harry.
Hermione, however, came out of the shop with that enormous ginger cat and a smug smile.
"You bought that monster?" said Ron, his mouth hanging open.
"He's gorgeous, isn't he?" said Hermione, glowing.
"Hermione, that thing nearly scalped me!"
"He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?"
"And what about Scabbers? He needs rest and relaxation! How's he going to get it with that thing around?"
"Stop worrying! Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in yours, what's the problem? Poor Crookshanks, that witch said he'd been in there for ages; no one wanted him."
"I wonder why," said Ron sarcastically as they set off toward the Leaky Cauldron.
Harry chuckled behind his bickering best friends' back.
Hermione probably got the cat just to annoy Ron, and she definitely succeeded.
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September 1st, 1993
DAISY ALWAYS WISHED that she was born as a witch, but she had never wished more to be one than that particular day. Even Ms. Sloan's chemistry experiment looked bleak compared to the thought of visiting King's Cross and running through a wall into a whole, other magical world.
But this was her world. That was theirs.
Fred... George, Percy, Ron, Ginny, Harry... What were they doing? How was their trip? Would there be any incident this particular year?
"Jane!" Mrs. Sloan exploded, stopping her from pouring acidic solution onto her own hand, "Where's your head at, honey? Focus!"
