star shopping ✰ d.m.

CHAPTER NINE

"I cannot believe - I just - how did - who - what?" Arabella stammered, trying to process what she had just found out.

Apparently, Harry and his Muggle cousin had been attacked by dementors while out minding their own business. When Harry had saved both of their lives by using the Patronus Charm, he had gotten expelled from Hogwarts, then un-expelled and just suspended, and was now facing a hearing to determine whether he would be criminally charged and expelled.

Currently, the Order of the Phoenix had gathered for a last-minute meeting in the kitchen of 12 Grimmauld Place, most likely to determine what they were going to do about the situation Harry had found himself in. To find out whether that was true or not, Fred, George, and Olivia were using a new invention of theirs called Extendable Ears to try to listen in on the meeting.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ron questioned.

"I don't know!"

"Okay, freaking out isn't going to help Harry," Ginny said, grabbing her sister by her shoulders. "You need to breathe, all right?"

"Well I'm not exactly holding my breath!"

Ginny gave Arabella a look before lightly slapping her cheek.

"Hey! What was that for?"

"Quit being a smart ass and listen to me!"

"You could try being nice about it."

"I did, but then you yelled at me."

"Because your advice is absurd. 'You need to breathe.' What do you think I've been doing for the past fifteen years?"

"You're impossible, Arabella."

"Amen to that," Ron agreed.

"Shut it, Ronald," both sisters said.

"What'd I do?" He turned to Hermione. "What'd I do?"

"Nothing," Hermione told him, "they're both being ridiculous."

"When aren't they?"

"Sometimes they're okay."

Ron snorted. "Yeah. Right. I'll believe it when I see it." After watching his sisters argue for a few more moments, he got up, bored of it. "I wonder how Fred, George, and Olivia are doing?"

Hermione got up to leave with him. "Let's check." She turned back to Ginny and Arabella. "Quit bickering and come on!"

Mumbling under their breath, the girls obeyed and followed them out of the room and into the hall, where they saw Fred, George, and Olivia gathered around the bannister looking defeated.

"Did she actually do it?" Ron asked them.

Just a few days previously, the three seventh-years had tried out their new invention during a meeting. Catrina, Olivia's mother, had opened the door after just a few moments and of course, had seen the Extendable Ear. Molly then swore that she would be putting an Imperturbable Charm on the door during meetings. Knowing how her mother was, Arabella knew the answer to Ron's question before it was even spoken aloud.