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Part One / Chapter Eleven
"Shall we do Snape's stuff first?" said Ron, dipping his quill into the ink. Venus offered to help Ron with his Potions homework. Her and Hermione were flying through theirs; Constance, Harry, and Ron, on the other hand, were still stuck on Potions.
" ' The properties . . . of moonstone . . . and its uses . . . in potion-making . . .' " Ron muttered, writing the words across the top of his parchment as he spoke them. "There." He underlined the title, then looked up expectantly at Hermione. "So what are the properties of moonstone and its uses in potion-making?"
"No," Hermione said flatly, not bothering to even look up at him.
"You'll help me won't you, Venus?"
But Venus wasn't listening; she was squinting over into the far corner of the room, where Fred, George, and Lee Jordan were now sitting at the center of a knot of innocent-looking first years, all of whom were chewing something that seemed to have come out of a large paper bag that Fred was holding. Cordelia was next in line to taste whatever was inside.
"No, I'm sorry, they've gone too far," she said, standing up and looking positively furious. "Come on, Ron."
"I — what?" said Ron, plainly playing for time. "No — come on, Venus — we can't tell them off for giving out sweets. . . ."
"You know perfectly well that those are bits of Nosebleed Nougat or — or Puking Pastilles or — Fainting Fancies?" Venus fumed.
One by one, as though hit over the heads with invisible mallets, the first years were slumping unconscious in their seats. Most of the people watching were laughing; Venus, however, squared her shoulders and marched directly over to where Fred and George now stood with clipboards, closely observing the unconscious first years.
"That's enough!" Venus said forcefully to Fred and George, both of whom looked up in mild surprise. She snatched the paper bag from George's hands before Cordelia ate candy from it.
"I told you this morning, you can't test your rubbish on students!"
"We're paying them!" said Fred indignantly.
"I don't care if you're paying them, it could be dangerous!" said Venus, holding Cordelia closely. The first-year stood there confused watching the elder students bicker.
"Rubbish," said Fred.
"Calm down, Venus, they're fine!" said Lee reassuringly as he walked from first-year to first-year, inserting purple sweets into their open mouths.
"Yeah, look, they're coming round now," said George.
A few of the first years were indeed stirring. Several looked so shocked to find themselves lying on the floor, or dangling off their chairs, Venus surely knew Fred and George had not warned them what the sweets were going to do.
"Feel all right?" said George kindly to a small dark-haired girl lying at his feet.
"I-I think so," she said shakily.
"Excellent," said Fred happily, but the next second Venus had snatched both his clipboard and the other paper bag of Fainting Fancies from his hands.
"It is NOT excellent!"
" 'Course it is, they're alive, aren't they?" said Fred angrily.
"If you don't stop doing this, I'm going to —"
"Put us in detention?" said Fred in an I'd-like-to-see-you-try-it voice. "Make us write lines?" said George, smirking.
Onlookers all over the room were laughing. Venus drew herself up to her full height; her eyes were narrowed and her curly hair seemed to crackle with electricity.
"No," she said, her voice quivering with anger, "but I will write to your mother."
"You wouldn't," said George, horrified, taking a step back from her.
"Oh, yes, I would," said Venus grimly. "I can't stop you eating the stupid things yourselves, but you're not giving them to first years."
"That's not fair," Fred said, attempting to take the clipboard and paper bag from Venus who quickly swerved away from his grasp, "How would you feel if I wrote your mother—"
Ron quickly stood, "Fred!"
"Yeah! Tell her what a buzzkill you are," George joined in.
"Both of you, shut your mouths," Harry said threateningly. "Her mother's—"
"That's quite impossible," said Venus, thrusting Fred's clipboard and the bag of Fancies back into his arms. "Can you write letters to the dead? Is it a new product?"
"Venus, we didn't—"
"Stop testing on the first-years." With one last threatening look, Venus stormed out of the common room. She grits her teeth with anger, also stopping herself from crying.
She slammed her dormitory's door and slid down against it. She pressed her ear on the door and heard Harry and Ron scolding the Twins. Constance shrieking madly. Even throughout her choked tears, she smiled. Suddenly, three small knocks sounded against the door. She opened it, figuring it would be Constance or even Hermione. But as she stared eye-level there was no one there, until she gazed down and saw Cordelia. Her big brown eyes gazing up whimsically at Venus.
"Oh, hi Cordelia," said Venus wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Come in."
"Are you alright?" the small girl asked, sitting down on Constance's chest. "My parents died, a little while ago."
"Oh, Cordelia. I'm so sorry."
"It's quite alright. I have my Pop, he's the coolest ever. He's all I need really, my parents, they weren't good people. But my Pop is." Not even a glint of sorrow was present in Cordelia's eyes, she looked up and gave Venus a lopsided grin.
"I'm glad you have your Pop," said Venus sitting down on the chest beside the first year.
"And I'm glad you have your friends, especially Constance, she almost cracked George's skull," told Cordelia flatly. "And Harry, he was really angry. Shouted up a storm at Fred, it was quite frightening actually."
The thought of Harry defending her made her heart skip a beat. She queried why because thinking of Ron doing the equivalent did not affect her.
"And I have you, Cordelia," Venus laughed. The two girls hugged tenderly, obtaining comfort within their individual tragedies. "You're like the little sister I never had."
"Can I?" she spoke, her great eyes widening curiously. "Be like your little sister? And you be like my older one?"
Venus's smile only enhanced. "Of course, little sis."
