Previously called TWO OF THE SAME
❝ It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all. ❞
Living with her godmother, Dorcas Meadows, and her uncle, Remus Lupin, 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐏𝐄𝐑 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 lives a pretty good life. That's unt...
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HARPER HAD BEEN TO SEVERAL HOGWARTS FEASTS,but never one quite like this. Everybody was in their pajamas, and the celebrations lasted all night.
Harper didn't know whether the best bit was Hermione running towards them, screaming, You solved it! You solved it! or Cedric coming over to her and started sweeping the blood off her face before kissing her cheek, making her go as red as her hair, or Hagrid turning up at half past three, cuffing her, Harry and Ron so hard on the shoulders that they were knocked onto their plates of trifle, or Harry, Ron and Harper's six hundred points securing Gryffindor the House Cup for the second year running, or Professor McGonagall standing up to tell them all that the exams had been canceled as a school treat ("Oh, no!" Hermione said), or Dumbledore announcing that, unfortunately, Professor Lockhart would be unable to return next, owing to the fact that he needed to go away and get his memory back. Quite a few of the teachers joined in the cheering that greeted this news.
"Shame," Ron said, helping himself to a jam doughnut. "He was starting to grow on me."
• ✧ •
THE REST OF THE SUMMER TERM PASSED IN A HAZE of blazing sunshine. Hogwarts was back to normal, with only a few, small differences: Defence Against the Dark Arts classes were canceled ("But we've had plenty of practice at that anyway," Ron told a disgruntled Hermione) and Lucius Malfoy had been sacked as a school governor. Draco was no longer strutting around the school as though he owned the place. On the contrary, he looked resentful and sulky. On the other hand, Ginny was perfectly happy again.
Too soon, it was time for the journey home on the Hogwarts Express. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George, Ginny and Harper got a compartment to ourselves.
They made the most of the last few hours in which they were allowed to do magic before the holidays. They played Exploding Snap, set off the very last of Fred and George's Filibuster Fireworks, and practiced disarming each other by magic. Harper was getting very good at it, if she could say so herself.
They were almost at King's Cross when Harper remembered something.
"Ginny—what did you see Percy doing, that he didn't want you to tell anyone?"
"Oh, that," Ginny said, giggling. "Well—Percy's got a girlfriend."
Fred dropped a stack of books on George's head.
"What?"
"It's that Ravenclaw Prefect, Penelope Clearwater," Ginny said. "That's who he was writing 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," Fred said, who was looking as if his birthday had come early.
"Definitely not," George added, sniggering.
The Hogwarts Express slowed and finally stopped. Harry pulled out his quill and a bit of parchment and turned to Ron, Hermione and Harper.
"This is called a telephone number," he told Ron, scribbling it three times, tearing the parchment in three and handing it to them. "I told your dad how to use a telephone last summer, he'll know. Call me at the Dursley's, okay? I can't stand another two months with only Dudley to talk to . . ."
"Your aunt and uncle will be proud, though, won't they?" Hermione said, as they got off the train and joined the crowd thronging towards the enchanted barrier. "When they hear what you did this year?"
"Proud?" Harry repeated. "Are you mad? All those times I could've died, and I didn't manage it? They'll be furious . . ."
And together they walked back through the gateway to the Muggle World.
"Harper!" Harper could hear Dorcas yell. She turned around and saw her godmother and Remus franctically waving and made her way over to her. Harper ran to them, dropped her trunk and jumped into their open arms.
"I'm so glad to see you're safe!" Dorcas exclaimed. "Dumbledore send us as letter and we were so worried!"
"It's okay, guys," Harper said, pulling back. "I only fought a Basilisk."
Remus smiled and picked her trunk up. "I'm sure you'll tell us all about it."
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April 21st 2023 The end of book two! Any predictions for book three? :) I hope you enjoy it & tell me what you think of it! :)
