Slytherin Weasley

Chapter 33

It was a strange night, I barely slept and neither did Fred or George. We didn't speak, just lay in the darkness listening to each others breathing. 

Time seemed to creep by. The slow click off the clock the only marker of passing time. 

It was endless. 

Click...

Click...

Click... 

Until Professor McGonagall burst through the door. 

"Ginny's been saved. The chamber is closed." 

I sat bolt up right. In shock. "What?" 

"You're brother and Mr. Potter, entered the chamber of secrets and defeated the beast within, saving your sister." She, said. "There shall be a feast to celebrate."

"Of course they did," Fred said and pulled me off the bed. "You can yell at them in the morning." 

"Yeah, lets celebrate tonight Immy," George said and we hurried down to the great hall.

I had been to countless Hogwarts feasts, but never one quite like this. Everybody wasin their pyjamas, and the celebration lasted all night. Hermione came running toward us, screaming at Harry. "You solved it! You solved it!" 

Daph running behind her, and straight into my arms, and Justin Finch-Bletchley hurried over from the Hufflepuff table to wring his hand and apologize endlessly forsuspecting him.

Hagrid turned up at half past three, cuffing Harry and Ron so hardon the shoulders that they were knocked into their plates of trifle. 

Harry and Ron earned fourhundred points for Gryffindor securing the House Cup for the second year running, and Professor McGonagall stood up to tell us all that the exams had been cancelled asa school treat ("Oh, no!" said Hermione).

Dumbledore announced that, unfortunately,Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next year, owing to the fact that heneeded to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in thecheering that greeted this news. 

"Shame," said Ron, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He has starting to grow on me." 

The rest of the final term passed in a haze of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back tonormal with only a few, small differences — Defence Against the Dark Arts classes werecancelled and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. Draco was nolonger strutting around the school as though he owned the place, looking resentful and sulky, and Ginny was perfectly happyagain. 

Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron,Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and I got a compartment to ourselves. We made themost of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. Playing Exploding Snap, setting off the very last of Fred and George's Filibusterfireworks, and practicing disarming each other by magic. Harry was getting very good atit. We were almost at King's Cross when Harry spoke up. 

"Ginny – what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?" I snickered.

"Oh, that," said Ginny, giggling. "Well — Percy's got a girlfriend." 

Fred dropped a stackof books on George's head. "What?" 

"It's that Ravenclaw prefect, Penelope Clearwater," said Ginny. "That's who he waswriting to all last summer. He's been meeting her all over the school in secret. I walked in on them kissing in an empty classroom one day. He was so upset when she was —you know — attacked. You won't tease him, will you?" she added anxiously. 

"Wouldn't dream of it," said Fred, who was looking like his birthday had come early. 

"Definitely not," said George, sniggering. 

"Couldn't even imagine it said." I said. 

The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. We all piled off and I watched Harry pull out his quill and a bit of parchment and turning to Ron and Hermione. 

"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it twice, tearing theparchment in two, and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone lastsummer — he'll know. Call me at the Dursleys', okay? I can't stand another two monthswith only Dudley to talk to..."

"That's not going to end well" I leaned over to Fred and whispered.  

"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" said Hermione to Harry as they got offthe train and joined the crowd thronging toward the enchanted barrier. "When theyhear what you did this year?" 

"Proud?" said Harry. "Are you crazy? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manageit? They'll be furious..."

And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle world.