MTL NOVEL Chapter 57: Sunny June 10
Professor Sirius Black never disappointed. As the students filed out of their Defense Against the Dark Arts exam, smiles lit up their faces. The exam had been nothing short of exhilarating—no written test, just practical demonstrations of spells and dueling techniques. The students were so impressed that they collectively decided to sign a petition begging Sirius to become a permanent professor.
Hermione, however, was less than thrilled. "He didn't give us a written exam!" she fumed, tugging at her already messy hair. "How can there be no written test? I memorized all the books! What was the point of all that studying?"
Fred, ever the opportunist, seized the moment to plant a loud kiss on her cheek.
"Ugh—" Ron gagged, earning himself a flying card to the forehead from Fred.
"How can you keep playing?!" Hermione snapped, snatching the cards from Ron's hands. She threw down a Gifford Ollerton card, neatly defeating Joey's Hengist of Woodcroft. "Haven't you read the stories on these cards? Ollerton is a famous giant-slayer! How could you not know that?"
"Who memorizes the characters on these cards?" Ron shot back, clearly offended.
"Ollerton's on the Chocolate Frog cards too! You have four of him! No wonder you couldn't remember Nicolas Flamel!" Hermione retorted, her tone sharp.
Ron clutched his chest dramatically, as if her words had physically wounded him.
"Hermione, you're on fire today!" George laughed, clearly entertained.
"This is your invention! How can you not remember the characters on your own cards? It's ridiculous that the creators are losing!" Hermione's frustration was now directed at George.
George raised his hands in surrender. He'd always thought Hermione belonged in Ravenclaw, but now he saw why the Sorting Hat had placed her in Gryffindor. She was a force to be reckoned with.
Joey and Fred, meanwhile, had been quietly snickering in the corner like two mischievous squirrels. But their laughter died when Hermione proceeded to defeat them both in quick succession.
"You're terrifying!" Joey admitted, genuinely impressed.
Hermione beamed with pride.
The school year in Gryffindor ended with Hermione single-handedly dominating their card game. Fred and George, ever the entrepreneurs, even offered her a position as the spokesperson for their Exploding Snap game. Hermione accepted shyly, and years later, when the game became a national sensation, she even earned a spot on the Chocolate Frog cards.
As the Hogwarts Express prepared to depart, Joey asked Fred and George to find a carriage while she stayed behind to deal with her overprotective brother, Ryan.
"Aren't you coming with us?" Fred whined, wrapping his arms around her waist and nuzzling her hair.
Joey pushed him away, trying to ignore the shiver that ran down her spine. "Angelina's already gone home, so Ryan's going to be hovering around me like a hawk. I'll find a crowded carriage, and when he sees there's no room, he'll leave me alone. Then I'll come find you."
Fred sighed but relented. Ryan's fear of Angelina was well-known, and Joey's plan made sense. "Fine, but no sitting with Anlix, Norn, or Shafik! And definitely not that Hufflepuff, Ragson!"
Joey rolled her eyes. "Who even are those people? And why would I sit with Shafik? Are you still waterlogged from falling into the lake?"
Fred opened his mouth to argue, but George dragged him away before he could embarrass himself further.
Joey quickly found the perfect carriage—Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Sirius were already inside. She squeezed in next to Hermione and grinned at Sirius. "Big Dog, why are you crowding the train again?"
"I'm escorting my godson back to the Dursleys," Sirius replied with a dark smile. "And I plan to express my... gratitude to that lovely family."
"You should transform in front of them! That'll really give them a thrill," Joey suggested excitedly.
Sirius pointed at her, clearly delighted. "You get me!"
"But the Ministry of Magic will have a problem with that," Hermione interjected. "You're not a registered Animagus."
Sirius waved her off. "The Ministry won't bother me. Fudge and I are best friends now."
Joey leaned forward, intrigued. "How did you manage that? Didn't he suspect you were Dumbledore's spy?"
Sirius launched into a detailed account of his exploits at the Ministry, including his generous "donations" and his strategic use of gossip about Dumbledore's supposed love life. Joey listened with rapt attention, occasionally handing him popcorn or chocolate frogs.
At one point, Sirius mentioned that he'd shared Joey's stories about Dumbledore and Grindelwald with Fudge and Umbridge. Joey nearly choked on her chocolate frog. "You told them what?!"
Sirius laughed. "Relax, Dumbledore wasn't mad. In fact, he thought it was hilarious. He even said you should submit it to the Daily Prophet!"
Joey wasn't convinced. She was ready to strangle Sirius, but the arrival of Ryan interrupted her murderous thoughts.
"Joey, would you like to join me in my carriage? It's less crowded," Ryan offered, eyeing the full compartment.
"No, I'm fine here," Joey replied quickly.
Ryan seemed satisfied and left without further argument.
Once he was gone, the conversation turned to the Philosopher's Stone. Harry recounted their first-year adventure, including the challenges set by the professors and how they'd ultimately saved the Stone. Joey listened intently, her expression darkening as she realized Fred had never mentioned any of this to her.
"You told Fred about the Mirror of Erised, but he never told me?" Joey asked, her voice dangerously calm.
Harry hesitated. "Well, yeah. He was really interested in the mirror. I thought he'd tell you."
Without a word, Joey stormed out of the carriage, leaving the others in stunned silence.
"Uh... is she mad?" Harry asked nervously.
Sirius chuckled. "Couples fight. It's normal."
Meanwhile, Fred was anxiously waiting for Joey in their carriage. When she finally burst in, she grabbed him by the collar and pinned him to the seat. "Why didn't you tell me about the Mirror of Erised? You looked into it yourself, didn't you? I wanted to see what I'd see in the mirror! You selfish jerk!"
Fred's mind raced. The Mirror of Erised? His gaze drifted downward, taking in Joey's short skirt and the way she was straddling him. The image of her in the mirror seemed to overlap with the real Joey, and suddenly, he felt a rush of heat to his face.
"Uh, Fred... your nose is bleeding," George pointed out, trying not to laugh.
Fred quickly covered his nose, his face turning bright red. Joey stared at him, torn between anger and amusement. The Gryffindor carriage erupted into laughter, marking the end of another chaotic but unforgettable school year.