Light in the Darkness

Chapter 11: A Revelation

"Not surprising, is it," continued George, "when you look at what's happened to the last four?"

"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed, and one locked in a trunk for nine months," Harry said thoughtfully. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

It was only then that Fred noticed Ron gaping at his letter. Was it possible he'd been expelled before the school year even started? "What's up with you, Ron?" Ron said nothing. "Well, what's the matter," Fred said impatiently. He stepped forward to look at Ron's letter. Fred gaped, too. How could this have happened? Harry was the obvious candidate! "Prefect? Prefect?"

George leapt forward, snatching the envelope in Ron's hand. The scarlet and gold badge fell out onto George's palm."No way," George murmured quietly.

"There's been a mistake," Fred continued, grabbing the letter and holding it up to the light as though checking for its authenticity. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect..." Fred and George looked over at Harry in unison. "We thought you were a cert!"

"We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!"

"Winning the Triwizard and everything!"

"I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against him," George said to Fred.

"Yeah," Fred agreed slowly. "Yeah, you've caused too much trouble, mate. Well, at least one of you's got their priorities right." Fred clapped Harry on the back in congratulations.

Ron was still ignoring them, too preoccupied staring at his badge with a large P in the middle. He held it out to Harry, astonishment etched on his face. Ron must have thought would have been picked instead of him. Probably never expected it when he had Harry Potter to compete with.
The door banged open. Hermione raced into the room, her cheeks flushed, her bushy hair flying around her. She was holding an envelope in her hand.

"Did you-did you get-?" Her eyes fell on the badge in Harry's hand and let out a shriek. "I knew it! Me too, Harry, me too!" She brandished her letter about in the air excitedly.

"No," Harry amended quickly. He thrusted the badge back into Ron's hand. "It's Ron, not me."

"It-what?"

"Ron's prefect, not me." Fred tried to wipe the look of amusement off of his face. Nice one, Hermione, he thought.

"Ron?" Hermione's jaw fell open. "But..are you sure? I mean-" She blushed when she saw the defiant expression on Ron's face.

"It's my name on the letter," Ron stated.

"I..." Hermione turned slightly more red, a bewildered look on her face. "I...well...wow! Well done, Ron! That's really-"

"Unexpected," prompted George.

"No," Hermione refuted, still trying to amend her earlier statements. "No, it's not...Ron's done loads of...he's really..."

Hermione was saved by Mrs. Weasley walking into the room, carrying a pile of fresh laundry. "Ginny said the Hogwarts letters have come at last. If you give them to me, I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing... what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his badge," George smirked.

"Match his what?" Mrs. Weasley said absently, her eyes trained on the laundry before her.

"His badge," Fred enunciated. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge." Mrs. Weasley's eyes snapped up to Ron, the laundry all but forgotten.

"His...but...Ron, you're not...?" Ron held up his badge. Mrs. Weasley shrieked with excitement.