The Girl Who Helped

Waking Up In The Shrieking Shack

I open my eyes in the shrieking shack a day before I am to begin my third year at Hogwarts. I can hear the sounds of the Weasleys talking downstairs, I can't make out what they're saying, but I recognize that Ron is downstairs talking with Hermione because I can hear them both exclaiming back and forth about something again. 

I sit up and stretch as I peer around my room.

Henry, my barn owl, screeched and I looked to see him in his cage sitting atop the side table next to the desk in the far left corner

I swung my feet over the left side of my bed and felt the cold, rough wood beneath my feet.

Standing up, I crossed the room to him

"Good morning Henry," I said smiling and grabbing some pellets from the desk to feed him

"Today is a going to be a good day, I can feel it"

I swung my gave over to the desk to see that someone had snuck in and left the morning newspaper atop it

'Must've been one of the inns' elves' I wondered to myself

I flipped through the morning news while snacking on some Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans that Fred and George had given me the night before until my eyes came across an article that I recognized all to well. The articles title read in bold words across the page

SIRIUS BLACK HAS ESCAPED FROM AZKABAN

I read the article hurriedly while crunching more heavily on my snack. I wondered how mum was taking things at the Ministry. As an Auror, her job was to find Black and bring him back, I was worried about her, but she was strong and I knew she wasn't alone. I finished the article and began to get dressed when I heard the voices downstairs get more furious.

"I'm warning you Hermione! Keep that bloody beast of yours away from Scabbers or I'll turn it into a tea cozy! I can hear Ron exclaiming

"It's a cat, Ronald! What do you expect? It's in his nature" Hermione retorted

'Shes not wrong' I think smiling to myself

"A cat? Is that what they told you? It looks more like a pig with hair if you ask me"

That's rich! Coming from the owner of that smelly old shoe brush...." I can hear Hermione trailing off

I finish up and head out my room only to see Harry coming around from the other side

He doesnt notice me as he leans across the railing to look at the dispute between Hermione and Ron. I slide up beside him and nudge him, taking him by surprise at first but I quickly take a finger to my mouth to shush him. I lean over and we watch as the two continue to dispute

"I swear Hermione, I promise I will make him into my mother's next birthday gift if he doesn't leave Scabbers alone" Ron threatened

"That's ironic Ronald because he'll probably be the nicest gift your mother has ever gotten from you" Hermione spatted

"In my opinion, they need to get together soon or this entire school year will be wasted by their bickering" I quietly snided to Harry

"You know Meg, I've been thinking the same thing"

We both snicked causing Ron and Hermione to stop their bickering and peer up at us.

"Harry" said ron

"Meg!" exclaimed Hermione

Harry and I clambored down the stairs and embraced our friends in loving hugs

"How was both your summers? The Dursleys must've been terrible Harry, I tried writing to you everyday--" Hermione ran on

"Yes thank you" Harry tried to say

"And Meg, how is your mother? Is everything at the Ministry okay? How are they handling everything with the..." she looked over at Harry

"Moms been fine 'mione, the Ministry is handling everything like they usually do" I reassured her

"Good" She said with a sigh, "Well, come on, lets have breakfast!"

We settled down at the table and soon enough a pitcher and four glasses came by and poured us tea. Soon plates, silverware, fresh biscuits, eggs and jam came from the kitchen and settled themselves in front of us and we began to have our breakfast.

"Meg, how was your summer, do anything interesting?" Harry asked

"Oh yes! I visited my grandma and papa in America! It was wonderful seeing them and telling them about school and you lot" I said nudging Harry.

"Oh that must've been fun! They're muggles right Meg?" Hermione asked

"Yeah, moms the only witch on her side of the family, besides the family that my Aunt Sue married into, I have some half-blood cousins who go to Ilvermorny. But besides that, Im the only one that lives here" I said

"Interesting" Harry said

"Wicked" Ron said "So have you been to New York City? I heard Dad say thats where the American Ministry of Magic is!"

"Yeah, my mum and me had to travel there for business once when we were visiting my relatives. It was wicked! We even went to a Broadway show which was brilliant! I could've sworn the muggles knew magic" I said happily!

"I've always asked my parents if we could go to the theatre, but we haven't gone yet" Hermione said sadly

"Maybe I could ask mum if we could go during break sometime! Do you think your parents would allow it?" I asked

"Possibly! I'll have to ask!"

"Alright, alright... Enough about America, how about Egypt" Ron said as he sprawled the Daily Prophet article across the table.

"Egypt! How interesting!" Harry exclaimed