BREAK FROM TORONTO, HARRY POTTER.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: "HUSH, DEAN THOMAS."

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR.

     The next morning, Aveline, Ron, Hermione, and Harry were still in the common room — completely knocked out.

     Hermione was curled up in her chair, Ron was sprawled out — his head back and his mouth ajar, and Aveline's head was on Harry's shoulder, his arm around her.

     "GOOD MORNING, LOVE BIRDS!" Fred and George yelled loudly, sitting down on either side of Harry and Aveline.

     Harry jerked awake and Aveline stirred slowly, looking around. She glanced at Harry's arm around her, then at his shoulder, then at him. They made eye contact for a brief second before Aveline sat up and Harry's arm fell from her shoulder.

     "Enough of the shouting," Hermione groaned, uncurling herself from the chair and stretching.

     "Sleep well?" Fred asked.

     "In each other's arms? Like a maaaaaarried couple?" George grinned.

     Aveline shoved George's face away since he was closest to her.

     "Bugger off," Harry mumbled as the two got up off the sofa and disappeared into the dormitories.

     Aveline could faintly hear Fred and George begin a rendition of 'Harry and Aveline, sitting in a tree' and she rolled her eyes.

     "Good morning," Mariah said quietly from her side of the room.

     "Good morning," Aveline muttered, rubbing her eyes before stretching and disappearing into the bathroom. She took a shower, straightened her hair, changed her clothes, brushed her teeth, washed her face, and put on her robes.

     No period yet. Thank God.

     Aveline went down to the Great Hall and people were already sniggling and giggling about her and Harry.

     She waved at the Slytherin table and her friends waved back. She waved at the Ravenclaw table and Emandeline and Luna waved back. She waved at the Hufflepuff table and Vance, Ernie, and Hannah Abbott waved back.

     She sat down between Harry and Dean just as the Daily Prophet came in along with the rest of the morning post.

     Much to her surprise, an owl landed in front of Aveline. "Uhh..."

     "I thought you didn't have any family here?" Dean asked.

     "I mean... I do, but like... they're distant. I don't really know them," Aveline replied.

     Aveline took the letter from the large snowy owl and it flew away. Her plans to open it were stopped short by Hermione's dramatic gasp as she laid out the Prophet on the table.

MINISTRY SEEKS EDUCATIONAL REFORM
DOLORES UMBRIDGE APPOINTED FIRST EVER "HIGH INQUISITOR"

     "'High Inquisitor'?" said Harry darkly, his half-eaten bit of toast slipping from his fingers. "What does that mean?"

     Hermione read aloud:

     "In a surprise move, last night, the Ministry of Magic passed new legislation giving itself an unprecedented level of control at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

     "'The Minister has been growing uneasy about goings-on at Hogwarts for some time,' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley. 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by anxious parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'