After the Battle

Chapter 12

At breakfast the following morning, three owls flew through the open window and landed in front of Ginny, Hermione and I. My letter contained information on necessary books and clothing, his quidditch captain badge and a small note telling himm to meet Hagrid outside the Hogwarts gates at 12pm.

Hermione squealed. For the first time in the seven years that I had known her she was speechless.  I gave her a knowing smile, 'You knew', she said.

'Knew what?', Ginny enquired. Hermione flung the badge in her face. Ginny opened her mouth and then gave Hermione an enormous smile before pulling out her prefect's badge. They both burst into fits of laughter and I just rolled my eyes at a very sleepy Ron who was looking utterly bewildered by the girls behavior.

'Who do you think the other prefects are?', Ginny questioned.

'I don't know', said Hermione, 'Who do you think Head Boy is?'

'I know', I said. They both turned to look at me, very silently with incredibly suspicious looks upon thier faces. 'I can't give you to many specifics but what I can tell you is that Neville is Head Boy. Hermione's jaw dropped.

'Neville?', she questioned.

'He was totally brilliant last year, Hermione', Ginny explained, 'It's no wonder McGonagoll chose him.'

'So Harry?', Hermione asked, 'Do you really know who all of the prefects are?'

'Just the Gryffindor ones', I answered her, 'In theory, as head of house, I was supposed to choose them so McGonaggal gave me some recommendations and I helped to finalize them.'

'So you mean, you chose me to be a prefect? Surely that's not fair.' Ginny asked, somewhat downheartened.

'No, no. You were on McGonagalls dead-cert list.'

Her face lit up, Mrs Weasley came down the stairs.

'Did I hear prefect?', Mrs Weasley asked, 'Well done Hermione!'

'Actually Mrs Weasley, Ginny's Prefect not me.'

'Congratulations Ginny!' Mrs Weasley's smile was widening by the second.

'Thanks Mum, Hermione got Head Girl though! She's just being modest.'

The three women stood hugging each other in the Kitchen, tears streaming down Mrs Weasleys face. This time she was smiling. It was going to be ok.

'I'd better be off then, McGonagall wants to see me'. I went to kiss Ginny but just as my lips touched hers Mrs Weasley let out a loud gasp. 'Damn', I whispered. I could tell from Ginny's face that she didn't mind.

'Since when?' Mrs Weasley asked.

'Go on Harry, go to see McGonagall. Give us some space to talk.' Ginny reasoned.

I smiled at her reassuringly and bent down to give her one last kiss before I left. Mrs Weasley tutted dissaprovingly and Ron 'wretched' into his cereal. As I walked out of the door I rolled my eyes at him as if to say, 'Grow up mate, you two are a hell of a lot worse!'