BREAK FROM TORONTO, HARRY POTTER.

CHAPTER EIGHT: "DID I UPSET YOU, GEORGIE POO?"

CHAPTER EIGHT.

     It was the last day of the summer holidays — which Aveline didn't understand why it was a holiday. It was a summer break.

     She was cleaning out Lala's cage as she'd been putting it off for the last few days.

     Aveline had been in this new world for almost a month now and she was beginning to get a sense of normality. She still missed her parents and the few friends she had back in the future, but this world was starting to feel right.

     Lala was hopping around Aveline, Ginny, and Hermione's room. Aveline had left a trail of rabbit food around the room to keep the animal occupied.

     "Aveline," Hermione said as she and Ginny entered the room, "our book lists came."

     "Don't they usually come earlier than this?" Aveline asked as she reconnected the tiny water container to the inside of Lala's cage.

     "Yeah, but Dumbledore had to find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher before the lists could come out," Ginny explained as Hermione handed Aveline an envelope.

     She stopped short when she saw the name on the front of it:

     Aveline M. Zabini

     "Oh . . . so that's . . . a thing," she muttered as she opened it. She read over the two pieces of parchment and sighed. "Well, I've already got the Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5. Oh, that's weird. It's like being in 5th grade."

     "We are . . ." Ginny trailed off.

     "No, so like in the future — plus I lived in America — we start going to school at age 5. That's Kindergarten—"

     "AGE FIVE?!" Ginny exclaimed.

     "Yep, and you attend school all the way up to age 17 or 18 and that's 12th grade. Then, you have the option of going to school some more after that if you want a really good job," Aveline continued.

     Ginny looked appalled, but Hermione didn't look too bothered. Aveline assumed she went to regular school before Hogwarts reached out to her parents.

     Suddenly, Hermione gasped loudly.

     "What?" Aveline and Ginny asked, looking to Hermione. Lala came hopping back to Aveline and sat on the floor beside her.

     Hermione let out a string of incoherent noises of excitement as she jumped in place.

     "Bloody hell," Ginny groaned and snatched the letter out Hermione's hands. A small gold and scarlet pin fell on the ground and Aveline reached over and picked it up.

     "Oh," she said, her voice a higher octave than normal, "it's a perfect badge."

     "Prefect?!" Ginny exclaimed. "Well, of course! Who else would they make prefect?"

     "Okay, Hermione! Material gworl!" Aveline exclaimed.

     "Mater— what? Merlin's sake, what are you talking about?!" Hermione asked.

     "I— Nothing," Aveline dismissed as Hermione grabbed her pin and ran off. Aveline picked Lala up and followed her.

     By the time Aveline caught up with Hermione, all her excitement had died down and she was confused and stumped.

     "But . . . are you sure?" Hermione asked. "I mean—"

     Aveline looked at Ron who looked at Hermione with a defiant expression on his face.