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     THE GROUP CONTINUED through Diagon Alley, Fred and Robyn walking side by side, poking fun at each other, when an audible giggle was heard from behind them. The group slowed to stop and turned around to see a small girl with jet black hair and dark brown eyes grin widely. "Hey, Fred!"

     Fred smiled back at the girl as she ran up to hug him tightly. He kissed her lightly on the lips. "Hey, Jackie," he said, still smiling at the girl, who was donning a bright yellow sundress that contrasted starkly with her dark brown skin.

     Robyn saw Lisa from where she was standing next to George look back and forth between Fred and this new girl. She then looked over to Robyn, her face morphed into one of confusion. Robyn rolled her eyes and backed away from Fred and Jackie to stand next to Lisa.

     Lisa looked down at Robyn. Who is that? She mouthed silently.

     With an audible sigh, Robyn glanced over at George, who looked at Robyn expectantly. She shook her head and let out a frustrated huff. "That over-excited ball of stupidity is Jacinda Bradley, Fred's summer fling," she explained, her voice laced with sarcasm.

     "Well, she was supposed to be a summer fling," George added, the corner of his mouth tugging upwards slightly. At the glare Robyn shot him, the small smirk growing on his lips dropped back into an indifferent frown. "Whatever she is, Robyn hates her."

     Lisa's head cocked to the side, her brow furrowing in mild confusion, and Robyn could notice the tiniest hint of a pout crossing over her lips. "She doesn't seem all that bad. She seems really nice!"

     That's when Flynn moved from where she was on the other side of George to stand in front of Lisa and Robyn, forming a small circle. "That's what you'd think," she snapped, "but she's too nice."

     "What's wrong with being nice?" Lisa replied dejectedly, her face falling.

     "Nothing, nothing's wrong with it," Flynn said hurriedly, taking about a dozen steps back in what she was saying. "All I'm saying is that her niceness doesn't seem entirely genuine."

     Robyn nodded in agreement before glancing back over the two lovebirds, who were chatting away and smiling at each other, grins miles wide.

◇◇◇

"OKAY, FESS UP. What's going on between you and Jackie?" Flynn snapped, propping her elbows up on the table. The group was now in Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, sitting at a booth, enjoying their share of ice cream. Flynn waved her plastic spoon threateningly towards Fred, who sat across from her at their booth. Her dark eyes glared over at the accused Weasley, drawing the group's attention back to the situation from earlier that afternoon.

     Robyn nodded. "You told her, as well as all of us, that it was over when you left for Egypt. So what was that back there?" She scooped up another spoonful of butterbeer ice cream and raised her eyebrows at her redheaded friend before eating the spoon of ice cream.

     Fred shrugged. "I have no idea. I thought we were done, too. It doesn't bother me, though. Just another prankster we can add to our ever-growing army." He grinned his typical impish grin, and Robyn's face darkened.

     "No," Robyn and Flynn said at the same time. Lisa and George looked over, eyebrows raised, their expressions mildly surprised. It was rare for Robyn and Flynn to agree so quickly; it usually began with Flynn thinking extravagantly and Robyn forcing her to step back while she thought about it rationally, debating the pros and cons of every decision.

     Robyn sighed. She knew she would have to explain herself to the group, why she wasn't fond of the idea of growing close (by any definition of the term) with the overly ecstatic Hufflepuff. In actuality, she wasn't entirely certain why she disliked Jackie. Did she feel threatened by her? She didn't think so. Perhaps it was due to the fact that Jackie was never anything but happy, happy, happy. Someone who was that cheerful all the time was nearly always hiding something.

     Yet that was difficult to justify and explain to anyone there, save for Flynn. She and Flynn had similar opinions in this matter, yet to the group Flynn's opinions almost always were considered irrational. That fact wouldn't be changing any time soon, Robyn was sure.

     So she kept her reason short and sweet. "We have enough people," she said quickly. "Too many people and it's harder to keep our plans safe amongst the group."

     It wasn't a lie; Robyn as well as the others knew well that their "army," as Fred had called it, was quite large already. Including Fred, George, Robyn, Flynn, Lisa, and Rose, there was also Lee Jordan, a Gryffindor in their year who was close friends with the twins. Seven pranksters working together already made it difficult enough to remain inconspicuous, add any more and it would become nearly impossible to keep their pranks secret.

     However, it wasn't the reason Robyn didn't want her around. It felt strange lying to the group, but she didn't understand her own feelings. How was she to explain something she didn't understand herself?

     Fortunately, her short reasoning was accepted by the others at the booth. Rose and Lisa nodded in quiet agreement, and George gave Robyn a mockingly skeptical glance before giving up and laughing with a loud, "she's right, you know." Only Flynn kept her thoughts to herself, merely giving Robyn an understanding look. She knew Robyn's true thoughts.

     Fred was about to open his mouth to make a retort when Rose's face suddenly shifted as she stared out the window.

     "Sorry for interrupting," she said, her tone distracted, "but Robyn and I have to go."

     Robyn looked over at Rose, confused, but didn't have time to make an objection when she was dragged up from her seat by Rose's Quidditch-trained arms and yanked outside forcefully. The others at the booth followed them outside with their eyes, and Robyn noticed the same confused expressions across all their faces as well.

     "What the bloody hell was tha-" Robyn started, but quickly stopped once she noticed who was standing outside.

     Ron and Hermione were sitting at a table outside surrounded by several bags full of books, and Harry stood next to them, grinning as they chatted about the incident that happened with Harry's aunt Marge.

     "It's not funny, Ron," Hermione said sharply. "Honestly, I'm amazed Harry wasn't expelled."

     Rose leaned down to whisper in Robyn's ear, "Remember what the minister told you." Her voice was calm, but insistent. There was a force to it that Robyn knew meant that it was important.

     Robyn did remember what the minister had told her. It had only been a day, and one doesn't easily forget an order given to them by the Minister for Magic himself. However, she figured Diagon Alley as safe a place as any, and assumed Harry would be safe there. She didn't need to look after him there. She wasn't his mother, after all.

     "Forget expelled," Harry replied to Hermione, "I thought I was going to be arrested." Suddenly, Harry turned his head, just noticing Robyn and Rose standing there. "Oh, hey guys."

     "Hi, Harry. Hi, Ron and Hermione," Robyn said with a faint smile. "What've you all been up to?"

     Hermione didn't hesitate a moment to recap the last several hours after she pulled back her mass of frizzy brown hair behind her shoulders. "Ron and I bought all of our books for this year, and Ron got a new wand."

     The youngest Weasley brother had an unfortunate incident last year with the Whomping Willow, which ended up breaking his wand. The entire year was incredibly hysterical, from a hex backfiring causing him to vomit slugs to Transfiguring his pet rat, Scabbers, into a furry goblet with a tail. ­

     "Fourteen inches, willow, containing one unicorn tail-hair," Ron piped up, pulling his new wand from a box in one of the bags scattered around them. He showed it off, a cheeky grin spread widely across his freckled face.

     "Harry already has his books, mind you, so he just followed us around and helped us carry our things," Hermione continued.

     "He helped carry your things, Hermione," Ron retorted. "You're the one with three giant book bags there."

     "Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I?" Hermione said, sticking her nose up defiantly. "Those are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies-"

     "What are you doing taking Muggle Studies for?" Ron interrupted, rolling his eyes at Robyn, Harry, and Rose. "You already know all about Muggles!"

     "And how are you able to take all of those classes?" Robyn stepped in, confused. "I know for certain that Divination and Ancient Runes are at the same time. You'd have to be in the same place at once."

     Hermione scoffed. "That's ridiculous," she chided, as though Robyn were merely a small child. "You can't be in two places at once." Robyn frowned.

     "Are you planning on eating or sleeping at all this year, Hermione?" Harry asked jokingly. Robyn had to bite the inside of her cheek from laughing. He had a point. Hermione just ignored them.

     Instead, Hermione opened her purse, checking its contents. "I've got about ten Galleons left from Mum and Dad. Since my birthday's next month, I figured I'd get myself an early birthday present."

     Rose looked kindly down at the third year. "What were you thinking, 'Mione?"

     Ron snorted. "How about a nice book?"

     Hermione shot Ron a sharp glance before replying composedly, "No, I don't think so. I really want an owl. I mean, Harry's got Hedwig, Robyn's got Eira, and Ron, you've got Errol-"

     "I haven't," Ron said. "Errol's the family's owl. I've just got Scabbers." He pulled the little pet rat out of his pocket and set him down on the table in front of him. "He needs to be checked over; I don't think Egypt agreed with him."

     Robyn noticed that the garden rat looked quite a bit thinner than he did last May, and there was a pronounced droop to his whiskers. He looked clearly very ill.

     "The Magical Menagerie is just across the street," Rose offered, pointing over to the magical creature shop. "Hermione can get herself an owl and Ron, there should be something for Scabbers over there as well, I'm sure."

     If anyone were to be an expert on animals, it would be Rose. After years of caring for her magical cat, Anastasia, Rose knew nearly every trick in the book on how to take care of a pet. If she gives you advice, you listen.

     After Harry, Ron, and Hermione paid for their ice cream, the five of them crossed the street to the Magical Menagerie.

     From the moment she stepped in, Robyn was overcome with the smell of litter and pet food. Nearly every inch of the pet store was taken up by different cages containing varied species of magical creatures. A pair of giant purple toads were climbing the wall next to the door, and several brown and black owls were hooting amongst themselves on perches hanging from the ceiling. Robyn could hardly hear herself think amidst the various squeaking, jabbering, meowing, and hissing of the animals in the shop.

     Rose gasped, spotting several cages of cats, and made a beeline over to the myriad of cats, waving and saying "hello" to each and every single one as she went around.

     Meanwhile, Ron approached the witch attending the counter and told her, "It's my rat. He's been a bit off-colour ever since I brought him back from Egypt."

     "Bang him on the counter," the witch replied, slipping a pair of heavy black spectacles over her bulbous brown eyes.

     The young Weasley pulled the disheveled rat from his pocket and placed it on the counter next to a cage full of larger black rats who were playing football with each other. Upon seeing Scabbers, however, they stopped their game to scamper up to the side of the cage to watch him intently.

     The witch picked up Scabbers and began to inspect him carefully, muttering to herself quietly. "How old is this rat?" she asked.

     "Dunno," Ron replied. "Quite old. He used to belong to my brother."

     That was the truth. Scabbers had been in the Weasley family for at least as long as Robyn had known them, since their first year at Hogwarts when she met the twins.

     "What powers does he have?" the witch said, continuing to examine the rat closely.

     "Um..." Truthfully, Scabbers had never exhibited any type of magical ability, not while either Ron or Percy had owned him. The witch's eyes moved from Scabber's tattered left ear to his paws, where one of the front paws was missing a toe. She tutted loudly before setting the rat back down on the counter, where he curled up into a small ball.

     "Well, listen here, then," the witch concluded, "a common garden rat isn't expected to live much longer than around three years. Now, if you want to keep him, I can offer you some rat tonic to try out." She reached under the counter and brought out a small red bottle, putting the bottle on the counter next to Scabbers.

     "Okay," Ron said, nodding. "How much – OUCH!"

     What Robyn could only describe as a large orange fuzz came flying from one of the highest cages. Ron buckled as the mass sprang off his head and came down towards Scabbers, spitting and hissing wildly. Rose's head popped out from behind the cages, a guilty, shocked look on her face.

     "Oh Merlin's beard! I'm so sorry, Ron!" She gasped, slowly closing the cage door.

     "NO, NO, CROOKSHANKS, NO!" the witch cried, but Scabbers shot out from under the mass of fur and leapt from the counter, landed with a splat on the floor, and bolted out the door.

     Ron yelled, "Scabbers!" and followed the little rat out the door, Harry right behind him. Robyn stayed inside, helping the witch control this 'Crookshanks' and get it back into its cage. Instead, the cat bounced from the counter straight into Hermione's arms.

     "Aw, look at him! He's so gorgeous!" Hermione cooed, stroking the cat's orange fur. "I'll take him!"

     Robyn and Rose stared at each other in confused surprise, before Rose shrugged from behind the row of cages.

     "He's been in here for ages," the witch said, adjusting her tall, pointed black hat that had been thrown off balance on top of her head. Her spectacles had been pushed crookedly on her nose as well, and she pulled those from her nose, folding them back up and pocketing them. "No one's wanted him."

     Hermione's face morphed into one of pity as she looked down at the orange mass, whose face looked smashed in, as if it had run into a few too many walls in its lifetime. "I'll take him! How much for Crookshanks and the bottle of tonic?" She pulled one arm from under the cat to point at the small red bottle that still sat on the counter.

     "Nine Galleons for the cat and eight Sickles for the tonic," she said.

     Hermione smiled widely and pulled her coin purse from her pocket, handing it to Robyn. "Can you give her the money?" she asked, shifting Crookshanks in her arms, who had calmed down considerably and was now purring contently.

     Robyn shook her head in disbelief as she gathered ten Galleons from the purse, putting the coins in the witch's hand. The witch nodded, handed Robyn the change, and put the tonic in Robyn's hand.

     "You all have a nice day," the witch said, waving at the three girls as they left the store. Rose immediately circled around to pet Crookshanks, who eyed her warily.

     Robyn smirked down at the orange cat. "This is going to be an interesting year, what with how Crookshanks went after Scabbers in there." How they planned on keeping Scabbers alive with that beast running around Hogwarts was a complete mystery.

     "Nonsense," Hermione scoffed. "Crookshanks will be sleeping in my dormitory and Scabbers in Ron's, there's nothing to worry about." She stroked his fur and he snuggled further down into her arm.

     "You have to get them both to Hogwarts alive first," Robyn shot back, raising a skeptical brow. Harry, Ron, and Hermione always sat in the same compartment on the train to Hogwarts. In that small space, that little rat didn't stand a chance.

     Rose shook her head lightly. "They'll be fine. Come on, let's get back to the Leaky Cauldron. It's nearly time for supper."

     And with that, the three of them went and found Harry and Ron, and they began the hike back to the Leaky Cauldron for the evening, carrying their bags and cats and rats along with them.