"M - m - morning, Harry," yawned Johnny the next morning. His hair was unkempt, unlike his usual slicked back style. "Sleep all right?"

"Yeah," said Harry.

"I've b-b-been up all night," Johnny said, with another shuddering yawn. "Come and sit down..."

Johnny drew out a chair, knocking over the one beside it in the process.

"What do you want, Harry?" Mrs. Weasley called. "Porridge? Muffins? Kippers? Bacon and eggs? Toast?"

"Just - just toast, thanks," said Harry.

Lupin glanced at Harry, then said to Johnny, "What were you saying about Scrimgeour?"

"Oh... yeah... well, the Order need to be a bit more careful, he was asking Benjamin Sawyer and I funny questions... and I'll have to tell Dumbledore I can't do night duty tomorrow, I'm just too tired," Johnny finished, yawning hugely again.

"I'll cover for you," said Mr. Weasley. "I'm okay, I've got a report to finish anyway."

Johnny smiled and nodded thankfully. Mr. Weasley turned from Johnny to Harry.

"How are you feeling?"

Harry shrugged.

"I-I-It'll all be over soon," Johnny said through another yawn. "In a few hours time you'll be cleared."

Harry said nothing.

"The hearing's on my floor, in Amelia Bones's office. She's Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and the one who'll be questioning you."

"Amelia Bones is okay, Harry," said Tonks earnestly, walking into the kitchen. "She's fair, she'll hear you out."

"Don't lose your temper," said Sirius abruptly. "Be polite and stick to the facts." Harry nodded again.

"The law's on your side," said Lupin quietly. "Even underage wizards are allowed to use magic in life-threatening situations."

Johnny chuckled as he watched Harry jump a foot in the air. Mrs. Weasley was running a wet comb through Harry's hair, trying to flatten it.

"Doesn't it ever lie flat?" she said desperately.

Harry shook his head.

Mr. Weasley checked his watch and looked up at Harry.

"I think we'll go now," he said. "We're a bit early but I think you'll be better off at the Ministry than hanging around here."

"Okay," said Harry automatically, dropping his toast and getting to his feet.

"You'll be all right, Harry," said Tonks, patting him on the arm.

"Good luck," said Lupin. "I'm sure it will be fine." '

"And if it's not," said Sirius grimly "I'll see to Amelia Bones for you..." Harry smiled weakly. Mrs. Weasley hugged him.

"We've all got our fingers crossed," she said.

Johnny approached Harry last, pulling him into a brotherly hug.

"I'm with you, Harry," Johnny whispered, patting Harry's back. "Till' the end of the line."

Harry's arms tightened around Johnny's shoulders. They wasn't just cousins, they were brothers.

"Right," said Harry, pulling away. "Well... see you later then."

Four hours later, they were all gathered in the kitchen when Harry walked in. A wide grin broke out on Harry's face as he told them he got off. The room broke out into large cheers. Johnny sprinted to Harry wrapping his arms around his cousins shoulders in a tight hug.

"I knew it!" yelled Ron, punching the air. "You always get away with stuff!"

"They were bound to clear you," said Hermione, who had looked positively faint with anxiety when Harry had entered the kitchen and was now holding a shaking hand over her eyes, "there was no case against you, none at all."

"Everyone seems quite relieved, though, considering you all knew I'd get off," said Harry, smiling.

"Shut up and hug me back, you bastard," Johnny laughed, swaying with Harry happily. Harry laughed too, obeying his cousins command.

Mrs. Weasley was wiping her face on her apron, and Fred, George and Ginny were doing a kind of war dance to a chant that went: "He got off, he got off, he got off..."

"That's enough! Settle down!" shouted Mr. Weasley, though he too was smiling. "Listen, Sirius, Lucius Malfoy was at the Ministry -"

"What?" said Sirius sharply.

"He got off, he got off, he got off..."

"Be quiet, you three! Yes, we saw him talking to Fudge on Level Nine, then they went up to Fudge's office together. Dumbledore ought to know."

"Absolutely," said Sirius. "We'll tell him, don't worry."

"Well, I'd better get going, there's a vomiting toilet waiting for me in Bethnal Green. Molly, I'll be late, I'm covering for Tonks, but Kingsley might be dropping in for dinner -"

"He got off, he got off, he got off..."

"That's enough - Fred - George - Ginny!" said Mrs. Weasley, as Mr. Weasley left the kitchen. "Harry, dear, come and sit down, have some lunch, you hardly ate breakfast."

Ron and Hermione sat themselves down opposite Johnny and Harry, all three of them looking considerably happier. The gloomy house seemed warmer and more welcoming all of a sudden; even Kreacher looked less ugly as he poked his snoutlike nose into the kitchen to investigate the source of all the noise.

"Course, once Dumbledore turned up on your side, there was no way they were going to convict you," said Ron happily, now dishing great mounds of mashed potatoes on to everyone's plates.

"Yeah, he swung it for me," said Harry. "I wish he'd talked to me, though. Or even looked at me."

Johnny watched as Harry clamped his hand to his forehead.

"What's up?" said Johnny, looking alarmed.

"Scar," Harry mumbled. "But it's nothing... it happens all the time now..."

None of the others had noticed a thing; all of them were now helping themselves to food while gloating over Harry's narrow escape; Fred, George and Ginny were still singing. Hermione looked rather anxious, but before she could say anything, Ron had said happily, "I bet Dumbledore turns up this evening, to celebrate with us, you know."

"Press X to doubt," Johnny muttered so no one would hear him.

"I don't think he'll be able to, Ron," said Mrs. Weasley, setting a huge plate of roast chicken down in front of Harry. "He's really very busy at the moment."

"HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF, HE GOT OFF!"

"SHUT UP!" roared Mrs. Weasley.

Over the next few days Johnny couldn't help noticing that there was one person within number twelve, Grimmauld Place, who didn't seem wholly overjoyed that Harry would be returning to Hogwarts. Sirius had put up a very good show of happiness on first hearing the news, wringing Harry's hand and beaming just like the rest of them. Soon, however, he was moodier and surlier than before, talking less to everybody, even Harry and Remus, and spending increasing amounts of time shut up in his mother's room with Buckbeak.

"Don't you go feeling guilty!" said Hermione sternly, after Harry had confided some of his feelings to her, Johnny and Ron while they scrubbed out a mouldy cupboard on the third floor a few days later. "You belong at Hogwarts and Sirius knows it. Personally, I think he's being selfish."

"That's a bit harsh, Hermione," said Johnny, frowning as he attempted to pry off a bit of mould that had attached itself firmly to his finger, "you wouldn't want to be stuck inside this house with the only company being your husband."

"He'll have company!" said Hermione. "It's Headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix, isn't it? He just got his hopes up that Harry would be coming to live here with him."

"I don't think that's true" said Harry, wringing out his cloth. "He wouldn't give me a straight answer when I asked him if I could."

"He just didn't want to get his own hopes up even more," said Hermione wisely. "And he probably felt a bit guilty himself, because I think a part of him was really hoping you'd be expelled. Then you'd both be outcasts together."

"Come off it!" said Johnny, Harry and Ron together, but Hermione merely shrugged.

"Suit yourselves. But I sometimes think Ron's mums right and Sirius gets confused about whether you're you or your father, Harry."

"That's out of line, Hermione," Johnny said, looking at his girlfriend with wide eyes. "Think of all the trauma Sirius has been through. He was forced to leave home at sixteen because his family didn't love him. Two of his best friends turned out to be evil and three of his best friends are dead. He has three people left in this world that are Harry, Dani and Remus. Sirius has every right to think-"

At this point, Mrs. Weasley entered the bedroom behind them.

"Still not finished?" she said, poking her head into the cupboard.

"I thought you might be here to tell us to have a break" said Ron bitterly. "D'you know how much mould we've got rid of since we arrived here?"

"You were so keen to help the Order," said Mrs. Weasley, "you can do your bit by making Headquarters fit to live in."

"I feel like a house-elf," grumbled Ron.

"Well, now you understand what dreadful lives they lead, perhaps you'll be a bit more active in SPEW!" said Hermione hopefully, as Mrs. Weasley left them to it.

"You know, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to show people exactly how horrible it is to clean all the time - we could do a sponsored scrub of Gryffindor common room, all proceeds to SPEW, it would raise awareness as well as funds."

"I'll sponsor you to shut up about SPEW," Ron muttered bitterly, but only so Harry and Johnny could hear him.

On the very last day of the holidays Johnny was sweeping up his room when Ron and Harry entered the bedroom carrying a couple of envelopes.

"Booklists have arrived," Ron said, throwing one of the envelopes up to Harry and the other to Johnny, who was moving a chair. "About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come much earlier than this..."

Johnny swept the last of the dust into a rubbish bag and threw the bag over Ron's head into the wastepaper basket in the corner, which swallowed it and belched loudly.

"Only two new ones," Harry said, reading the list, "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk, and Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard."

Crack.

Fred and George Apparated right beside Harry.

"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," said Fred conversationally.

"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher," said George.

"And about time too," said Fred.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked, jumping down beside them.

"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back," Fred told them, "and from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."

"Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" said George.

"One sacked, one dead, one's memory removed and one locked in a trunk for nine months," said Harry, counting them off on his fingers. "Yeah, I see what you mean."

"What's up with you, boys?" asked Fred, looking at Johnny and Ron. Ron and Johnny didn't answer. Both were standing very still with his mouth slightly open, gaping at their letters from Hogwarts.

Dear, Mr. Grindelwald,

I'm writing to inform you that Professor Dumbledore has decided to abolish the position of Student Headmaster as he found it utterly pointless. However Professor Dumbledore and I have agreed that you and Ms. Blackwood will be Prefects for Slytherin.

You're wondering why you have to badges? Well congratulations Mr. Grindelwald, you are also the Slytherin Quidditch Captain for the rest of the time you're on the team.

Yours sincerely,
Professor Severus Snape

"What's the matter?" said Fred impatiently, moving around Johnny to look over his shoulder at the parchment.

"P-P-Professor Snape," Johnny stuttered, holding out his two badges. "I-I'm Prefect and Quidditch Captain."

"And I'm a Prefect!" Said Ron in shock, holding out his own badge.

Fred and George's mouths fell open, too.

"Prefect?" George said, staring incredulously at the letter. "Ron? Prefect?"

George leapt forwards, seized the envelope in Ron's other hand and turned it upside-down. Harry saw something scarlet and gold fall into George's palm.

"No way," said George in a hushed voice.

"There's been a mistake," said Fred, snatching the letter out of Ron's grasp and holding it up to the light as though checking for a watermark. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect."

The twins' heads turned in unison and both of them stared at Harry.

"We thought you were a cert!" said Fred, in a tone that suggested Harry had tricked them in some way.

"We thought Dumbledore was bound to pick you!" said George indignantly.

"Winning the Triwizard and everything!" said Fred.

"I suppose all the mad stuff must've counted against him," said George to Fred.

"Yeah," said Fred slowly. "Yeah, you've caused too much trouble, mate. Well, at least one of you's got their priorities right."

"We knew Johnny was becoming Quidditch Captain, didn't think prefect due to the Headmaster thing," George explained, patting Johnny's back.

Fred strode over to Harry and clapped him on the back while giving Ron a scathing look. "Prefect... ickle Ronnie the Prefect."

"Oh, Mum's going to be revolting," groaned George, thrusting the prefect badge back at Ron as though it might contaminate him.

Ron, who still had not said a word, took the badge, stared at it for a moment, then held it out to Johnny as though asking mutely for confirmation that it was genuine. Johnny took it. A large Prefect was superimposed on the Gryffindor lion.

The door banged open. Hermione came tearing into the room, her cheeks flushed and her hair flying. There was an envelope in her hand.

"Did you - did you get -?"

She then spotted the two badges in Johnny's hand and shrieked in delight.

"Prefect and Captain?! I knew it!" Hermione said with glee, kissing Johnny. She then spotted the badge in Harry's hand and let out another shriek.

"I knew it!' she said excitedly, letting go of Johnny and brandishing her letter. "Me too, Harry, me too!"

"No," said Harry quickly, pushing the badge back into Ron's hand. "It's Ron, not me."

"It - what?"

"Ron's prefect, not Harry," Johnny explained quietly.

"Ron?" said Hermione, her jaw dropping. "But... are you sure? I mean -"

She turned red as Ron looked round at her with a defiant expression on his face.

"It's my name on the letter," he said.

"I..." said Hermione, looking thoroughly bewildered. "I... well... wow! Well done, Ron! That's really -"

"Unexpected," said George, nodding.

"No," said Hermione, blushing harder than ever, "no it's not... Ron's done loads of... he's really..."

The door behind her opened a little wider and Mrs. Weasley backed into the room carrying a pile of freshly laundered robes.

"Ginny said the booklists had come at last," she said, glancing around at all the envelopes as she made her way over to the bed and started sorting the robes into two piles. "If you give them to me I'll take them over to Diagon Alley this afternoon and get your books while you're packing. Ron, I'll have to get you more pajamas, these are at least six inches too short, I can't believe how fast you're growing... what color would you like?"

"Get him red and gold to match his badge," said George, smirking.

"Match his what?" said Mrs. Weasley absently, rolling up a pair of maroon socks and placing them on Ron's pile.

"His badge," said Fred, with the air of getting the worst over quickly. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."

Fred's words took a moment to penetrate Mrs. Weasley's preoccupation with pajamas. "His... but... Ron, you're not...?"

Ron held up his badge.

Mrs. Weasley let out a shriek just like Hermione's.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe it! Oh, Ron, how wonderful! A prefect! That's everyone in the family!"

"What are Fred and George, next-door neighbors?" said Johnny sarcastically, as Mrs. Weasley flung Fred aside and flung her arms around her youngest son.

"Wait until your father hears! Ron, I'm so proud of you, what wonderful news, you could end up Head Boy just like Bill and Percy, it's the first step! Oh, what a thing to happen in the middle of all this worry, I'm just thrilled, oh, Ronnie -"

Fred and George were both making loud retching noises behind her back but Mrs. Weasley didn't notice; arms tight around Ron's neck, she was kissing him all over his face, which had turned a brighter scarlet than his badge.

"Mum... don't... Mum, get a grip..." Ron muttered, trying to push her away.

She let go of him and said breathlessly, "Well, what will it be? We gave Percy an owl, but you've already got one, of course."

"W-what do you mean?" said Ron, looking as though he did not dare believe his ears.

"You've got to have a reward for this!" said Mrs. Weasley fondly. "How about a nice new set of dress robes?"

"We've already bought him some," said Fred sourly, who looked as though he sincerely regretted this generosity.

"Or a new cauldron, Charlie's old one's rusting through, or a new rat, you always liked Scabbers."

"Make sure it's not some creepy guy in his thirties this time, yeah?" Said Johnny sarcastically, eyeing his two badges with extreme pride.

"Mum," said Ron hopefully, "can I have a new broom?"

Mrs. Weasley's face fell slightly; broomsticks were expensive.

"Not a really good one!" Ron hastened to add. "Just - just a new one for a change..." Mrs. Weasley hesitated, then smiled.

"Of course you can... well, I'd better get going if I've got a broom to buy too. I'll see you all later... little Ronnie, a prefect! And don't forget to pack your trunks... a prefect... oh, I'm all of a dither!"

She gave Ron yet another kiss on the cheek, sniffed loudly, and bustled from the room. Fred and George exchanged looks.

"You don't mind if we don't kiss you, do you, Ron?" said Fred in a falsely anxious voice.

"We could curtsey, if you like," said George.

"Oh, shut up," said Ron, scowling at them.

"Or what?" said Fred, an evil grin spreading across his face. "Going to put us in detention?"

"I'd love to see him try," sniggered George.

"He could if you don't watch out!" said Hermione angrily.

Fred and George burst out laughing, and Ron muttered, "Drop it, Hermione."

"We're going to have to watch our step, George," said Fred, pretending to tremble, "with these two on our case..."

"Yeah, we all know Prefect Johnny loves our pranks to much to punish us for them," said George, once again patting Johnny's back, and with another loud crack, the twins Disapparated.

"Those two!" said Hermione furiously, staring up at the ceiling. They could now hear Fred and George roaring with laughter in the room upstairs. "Don't pay any attention to them, Ron, they're only jealous!"

"I don't think they are," said Ron doubtfully, also looking up at the ceiling. "They've always said only prats become prefects... still," he added on a happier note, "they've never had new brooms! I wish I could go with Mum and choose... she'll never be able to afford a Nimbus, but there's the new Cleansweep out, that'd be great... yeah, I think I'll go and tell her I like the Cleansweep, just so she knows."

He dashed from the room, Harry following, leaving Johnny and Hermione alone.

"Screw the rule about not having sex here?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

"Sounds good to me, little dove," Johnny said, his red alpha eyes darkening with lust as his voice dropped into a low husk.

Two hours later, Johnny and Hermione had made themselves look presentable after showering, and the two of them headed to the basement. Down in the basement Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, and there was a Gryffindor lion in each of the four corners, which read:

CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE NEW PREFECTS!

There was another banner hung up facing the scarlet one. This one was a dark green with silver writing, a Basilisk in every corner. This one caught Johnny's eye the most, as it was made especially for him and him only. It read:

CONGRATULATIONS JOHNNY! NEW QUIDDITCH CAPTAIN AND PREFECT!

"I didn't get to express my congratulations to you earlier, dear," Mrs. Weasley said, pulling Johnny in for a hug he hadn't felt in a long time. This was a mother's hug, exactly how Evelyn used to hug him. "I know Evelyn would be so proud of you, dear."

Mrs. Weasley pulled back to wipe a tear that had fallen from Johnny's cheek.

"I thought we'd have a little party, not a sit-down dinner," she told Johnny, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Fred, George and Ginny, her arm still wrapped around Johnny's waist comfortingly. "Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron. I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled," she added, beaming.

Fred rolled his eyes.

Sirius, Lupin, Tonks and Kingsley were already there and Mad-Eye Moody stumped in shortly after Johnny had got himself a Butterbeer.

"Oh, Alastor, I am glad you're here," said Mrs. Weasley brightly, as Mad-Eye shrugged off his traveling cloak. "We've been wanting to ask you for ages - could you have a look in the writing desk in the drawing room and tell us what's inside it? We haven't wanted to open it just in case it's something really nasty. We think it's another Boggart but we're not sure."

"No problem, Molly..."

Moody's electric-blue eye swiveled upwards and stared fixedly through the ceiling of the kitchen.

"Drawing room..." he growled, as the pupil contracted. "Desk in the corner? Yeah, I see it... yeah, it's another Boggart... want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly?"

"No, no, I'll do it myself later," beamed Mrs. Weasley, "you have your drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually..." She gesture d at the scarlet and green banners. "Fourth prefect in the family!" she said fondly, ruffling Ron's hair.

"Prefect, and Quidditch Captain, eh?" growled Moody, his normal eye on Johnny and his magical eye on Johnny's banner. Moody's face broke into a grin, patting Johnny's shoulder proudly. "Well done, son, well done."

Arthur and Bill walked in soon later. Mrs. Weasley was in such a good mood she didn't even complain that they had brought Mundungus with them; he was wearing a long overcoat that seemed oddly lumpy in unlikely places and declined the offer to remove it and put it with Moody's traveling cloak.

"Well, I think a toast is in order," said Mr. Weasley, when everyone had a drink. He raised his goblet. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects!"
Ron and Hermione beamed as everyone drank to them, and then applauded.

"And," said Mr. Weasley, refilling everyone's drinks. "To Johnny, the best Slytherin Quidditch Captain and Slytherin Prefect Hogwarts will ever see!"

Johnny blushed in embarrassment as everyone cheered again. Ron however gave a very half-hearted cheer.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks brightly from behind Johnny as everybody moved towards the table to help themselves to food. Her hair was tomato red and waist-length today; she looked like Ginny's older sister. "My Head of House said I lacked certain necessary qualities."

"Like what?" said Ginny, who was choosing a baked potato.

"Like the ability to behave myself," said Tonks.

"No, surprises there, dickhead," Johnny said, amused as he flicked Tonks's forehead.

"What about you, Sirius?" Harry asked. Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual bark-like laugh.

"No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. My dear husband was the good boy, he got the badge."

"I think Dumbledore might have hoped I would be able to exercise some control over my best friends," said Lupin. "I need scarcely say that I failed dismally."

Johnny looked around the room, listening in on conversations. Hermione was talking very earnestly to Lupin about her view of elf rights.

"I mean, it's the same kind of nonsense as werewolf segregation, isn't it? It all stems from this horrible thing wizards have of thinking they're superior to other creatures..."

Mrs. Weasley and Bill were having their usual argument about Bill's hair.

"... getting really out of hand, and you're so good-looking, it would look much better shorter, wouldn't it, Harry?"

"Oh - I dunno -" said Harry, slightly alarmed at being asked his opinion; he slid away from them in the direction of Fred and George, who were huddled in a corner with Mundungus.

Johnny smiled to himself, this truly was a wonderful night.