Wicked

Chapter Four: Fifth Year

"So, I heard you blew up your aunt? How far she go?" You poke your head round the door, smiling widely as you see Harry trying to get his Monster Book of Monsters closed and back in his case. 

"Blimey, you gave me a fright." he turns to you after jumping a little and then smiling. "Good to see you." he hugged you, after last year he's started to see you more as the older sister he never had. 

"Come on, there's some gingers downstairs who really wanna see you..." You say as you help him fasten his book shut before heading down the stairs. You'd spent the start of the summer with the Weasley's but had come back to the Leaky Cauldron for the rest as the family were going on holiday and you felt to guilty letting Arthur pay for your place so you decided to pretend your muggle parents wanted to see you... which wasn't true although you had written. Your father had got wind of what happened at Hogwarts and wrote to see if you were ok. You'd replied saying you fine and asked about the family. It was a weird feeling, writing to a family who had almost run from you but as you wrote the letter you suddenly felt a surge of relief. You were glad they'd distanced themselves from you when you came to Hogwarts because if the Dark Lord had come back and they'd died because of you, you'd never forgive yourself. 

"I'm warning you, Hermione! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers or I'll turn it into a tea cozy." You grin at Harry as you both watch Hermione and Ron argue at the bottom of the stairs. 

 "He's a cat, Ronald! What do you expect? It's in his nature." She defended her fluffy pet with gusto. 

"A cat!? Is that what they told you it was? Looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me..." Ron retorts. 

"That's rich coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush." She hisses back " It's all right, Crookshanks. You just ignore the mean little boy..." she coos. Then, sensing a presence in the room, they both turn. 

"Harry! Y/N!" They beam smiling up at you both. Leaving the trio to hug you skip round to the large table in the middle of the room and oder some food. On sitting down, Ron whips out his clipping from the news paper showing off his holiday. 

"Not flashing that clipping about again are you Ron?" the twins walk in, George rolls his eyes as he picks up the clipping walking over to sit on one side of you, Fred on the other. 

"I haven't shown anyone!" Ron protests.

"No, not a soul. Unless you count, Tom." 

"The day maid." 

"The night maid." 

"The cook." 

"The bloke that came to fix the toilet..." Fred finishes his and George's usual game of speech tennis, putting an arm round the back of your chair. 

"Don't forget that wizard from Belgium..." You add earning a 'shush' look from Ron but a beaming smile from the twins. As Arthur and Molly greet Harry, the former taking the young wizard off for a chat you catch up with the boys for the first time properly since they got back. 

"I like the hair.." you say looking at them both, their hair starting to grow out. 

"Thanks, grew it ourselves" they say proudly in unison. 

"You look different too" Fred eyes you suspiciously. You were hoping it was just the fact you were dressed a bit better and had your hair in your favourite style and not... as Molly so lovingly put it... that this was now fifth year and you were starting your journey to womanhood, by the end of school you'd finally be 16 only one more year till adulthood. 

"Maybe its lack of stress form having you two gone all summer" you tease earning a jab in the ribs. 

"Ow"