when i met you

80

Angelina was telling Lexi about try-outs the next morning during breakfast, "They're at five o'clock and I want the whole team there. We need a new Keeper now that Oliver's left."

Lexi sighed, "Honestly, Ange? No one's going to be able to replace Oli."

The quidditch captain agreed and they went back to listening to Lee and Fred argue over a prank idea. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting close to them and they could hear Ron moaning about his timetable.

"History of Magic, double Potions, Divination and double Defence Against the Dark Arts ... Binns, Snape, Trelawney and that Umbridge woman all in one day! I wish Fred and George'd hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted..."

"Do mine ears deceive me?" said Fred, escaping his argument with Lee and shuffling down the table to sit beside his younger brother, George followed. "Hogwarts prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look what we've got today," said Ron grumpily, shoving his timetable under Fred's nose. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen."

"Fair point, little bro," said Fred, scanning the column. "You can have a bit of Nosebleed Nougat cheap if you like."

"Why's it cheap?" said Ron suspiciously.

"Because you'll keep bleeding till you shrivel up, we haven't got an antidote yet," said George, helping himself to a kipper.

"Cheers," said Ron moodily, pocketing his timetable, "but I think I'll take the lessons."

"And speaking of your Skiving Snackboxes," said Hermione, eyeing Fred and George beadily, "you can't advertise for testers on the Gryffindor noticeboard."

"Says who?" said George, looking astonished. He glanced over to Lexi and she shrugged, he grinned.

"Says me," said Hermione. "And Ron."

"Leave me out of it," said Ron hastily.

Hermione glared at him. Fred and George sniggered.

"You'll be singing a different tune soon enough, Hermione," said Fred, thickly buttering a crumpet. "You're starting your fifth year, you'll be begging us for a Snackbox before long."

"And why would starting fifth year mean I want a Skiving Snackbox?" asked Hermione.

"Fifth year's OWL year," Lexi piped up from her spot a few seats down the table.

"So?"

"So you've got your exams coming up, haven't you? They'll be keeping your noses so hard to that grindstone they'll be rubbed raw," said Fred with satisfaction.

"Half our year had minor breakdowns coming up to OWLs," said George happily. "Tears and tantrums... Patricia Stimpson kept coming over faint..."

"Kenneth Towler came out in boils, d'you remember?" said Fred remmiscently.

"No, no," said Lexi, interrupting George who was about to speak, "That's because you put Bulbadox powder in his pyjamas."

"Oh yeah," said Fred, grinning. "I'd forgotten... hard to keep track sometimes, isn't it? How'd you remember?"

Lexi rolled her eyes, "Because it was all he complained about on our rounds for a week!"

"Anyway, it's a nightmare of a year, the fifth," said George. "If you care about exam results, anyway. Fred and I managed to keep our peckers up somehow."

"Yeah... you got, what was it, three OWLs each?" said Ron.

"Yep," said Fred unconcernedly. "But we feel our futures lie outside the world of academic achievement."

"We seriously debated whether we were going to bother coming back for our seventh year," said George brightly, "now that we've got—"

He broke off at a warning look from Harry, who knew George had been about to mention the Triwizard winnings he had given them.

"—now that we've got our OWLs," George said hastily. "I mean, do we really need NEWTs? But we didn't think Mum could take us leaving school early not on top of Percy turning out to be the world's biggest prat."

"We're not going to waste our last year here, though," said Fred, looking affectionately around at the Great Hall. "We're going to use it to do a bit of market research, find out exactly what the average Hogwarts student requires from a joke shop, carefully evaluate the results of our research, then produce products to fit the demand."

"But where are you going to get the gold to start a joke shop?" Hermione asked sceptically. "You're going to need all the ingredients and materials—and premises too, I suppose..."

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Hermione. C'mon, George, if we get there early we might be able to sell a few Extendable Ears before Herbology."

The twins walked away and Angelina got up after them but Lee and Lexi stayed. Hermione turned to the Head Girl and shuffled down a few spots so they were directly in front of each other.

"How many OWLs did you get?" she asked.

Lexi thought for a second before replying, "Ten. I got an Exceeds Expectations in both Herbology and Divination." Lie.

The golden trio gaped at her, even Lee.

"What's the highest you can get?" asked Harry.

Good, they didn't pick up on it.

"Twelve." She replied, "But only four people have done that —" she looked at Ron "— Bill and Percy, along with Barty Crouch Junior. It's virtually impossible though, you'd have to have a time-turner." She glanced at Hermione.

"Well how'd you do it?"

Lexi shrugged, "I took classes on weekends and holidays."

"WHY?!" Ron practically screeched.

"I wanted to keep my options open."

Harry's mouth was still agape, "B-But you were always free! I never saw you studying!"

Lexi smiled, "I study at night in my dorm with Angelina and Alicia."

"So..." said Hermione, "You take every subject?"

The oldest Potter nodded, "Yes: Charms, Transfiguration, History of Magic, Defence Against the Dark Arts, Potions, Herbology, Care of Magical Creatures, Astronomy, Ancient Runes, Divination—shouldn't have taken that—Arithmancy, and Muggle Studies."

"Wow..." her four friends chorused in complete shock.

"And you still take all of them?"

"No, I dropped Divination and Muggle Studies." Like saying that made a difference at all. With another smile, Lexi stood up and grabbed Lee's arm, pulling him up with her, "Well, this was a lovely chat, but we have Herbology and mustn't be late. See you's later!"

They got halfway to the greenhouses before Lee said anything, "Even I didn't know you took that many subjects... and I'm your best friend!"

Lexi laughed, "Relax, Lee."

I would like to acknowledge the events of 9/11 and the lives lost, it was such a tragedy. My heart goes out to all of you somehow involved from New Zealand :)

On another note: I have my Indoor Nationals Archery competition on Friday, so— !!!!

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