Clueless ━━ Fred Weasley

xxii. Sweet Seventeenth

       She can't help it. At Hogwarts, she never would've thought she'd get it — at Hogwarts she was a decent student, sure, but she was never the best. She never did anything remarkable. Sure, she dreamt of the Basilisk a couple of times but she never did anything else that was special.

       She thinks that's the difference between Hogwarts and Beauxbatons, for her. At Hogwarts she was one thing and one thing only — Briar Crouch, the Seer. That was it. She was pretty and sorta popular because of it, sure, but she was never anything apart from that. But, at Beauxbatons, the focus isn't just on a part of her that she has no control over. At Beauxbatons, she's actually kind of good at school? In the new lessons she takes, like Fine Arts, she gets it, and she enjoys it. The teachers are all nice... Or, at least, none of them are like Snape. Some are a little bitchy, but Briar's able to think, Not Snape though, is it? And, just like that, the teacher's a lot less terrible. Instead they're just a less bitchy Snape... And Briar can manage that.

       The letter from Maxime, though, explained four things:

       - Why Briar was chosen. "Not only am I incredibly proud of your growth over the past year, and how you are blossoming into a courageous young woman, but the student body was also highly in favour of you becoming head girl, thanks to this past year." The news obviously travelled back to France. Maybe they know she's cool and has a boyfriend, too. She hopes so. At school, he'll be living in a different country, and that is very cool.

       Back to the letter. "The head girl is truly the face of our school, of who we want our students to grow up to become, and I hope that every young girl joining Beauxbatons will grow like you have done, this past year." Briar cried... Fred and George took the piss for the entire day... Both for the courageous young woman, and because she was weeping over her headmistress' letter.

       - How last year, because of the Tournament, there was only a head boy (some kid that should've entered the Tournament, but for reasons unknown he was not allowed to leave France) so this year, there's only a head girl.

       - Briar's responsibilities. (The list was fairly short but it stressed that she was supposed to determine her responsibilities herself: "Focus on what you sees fit." Briar's thinking of helping out the younger years.)

       - And, last but not least, how Madame Maxime is going to be busy for the majority of the year, and therefore in her absence, Briar has to make sure that the school doesn't burn down.

       (Livvy mentions that was the exact same reasoning as to why Briar had to go to Hogwarts last year in the first place, and Briar, again, cried, but also, imagined Maxime writing the letter, making that reference, and smiling to herself... Malecrit, not to sound like a teacher's pet, but Briar actually loves Maxime?)

       Briar's sitting next to her dad in the kitchen when Harry arrives. She's been allowed to sit in the Order meetings, because although her dad didn't tell the others that she's a werewolf, he felt that because of her condition she should be aware of what's going on, just in case. He did forbid her from telling the others, though, as did the other adults in the room. Which is annoying, but she understands... And so did Fred and George, after they were in a strop for a full morning.

       She's asked by Mrs Weasley to get the others from upstairs, and she nods, and she Apparates up to Ron and Harry's room. Her inner eye predicts that George is going to, like, frown, or something, whilst in that room, so she figures that's the best place to go.

       So, Briar appears, and Hermione jumps. She frowns. "Oh, uh, sorry," says Briar, quickly, to Hermione. She turns to Harry and she smiles. "Hi, Harry... How have you been?"