XXI.   shining on display

     
On the day that Olivia and Atlas had to leave, Devore was a complete mess. She cried the nugget before and she cried the day of, hugging them both like nobody's business. They would be traveling to France before summer ended to visit Fleur and her family. George was a mess as well, though he wouldn't admit it to any of them, but Devore and Fred took a great deal of pleasure teasing him for his affection towards Olivia.

She remained at Grimmauld Place with everybody else and Devore thought about what her fifth year would be like now that You-Know-Who was back and Cedric was gone. What would it be like for Bennet, who was still haunted by his death? What would it be like for Atlas and Olivia know that they had to be in the Hufflepuff common room without his presence? But most importantly, what would it be like for Harry, who had the entire weight of the world on his shoulders and eyes on him all the time?

On the very last day of summer holidays, to which everybody in the home cheered joyously knowing that it was the last day they'd have to go along with Mrs. Weasley's cleaning spree, Devore was in her room, reading on her bed, when Ron walked in. "Dev, booklists have arrived." He mentioned and held up the envelopes he was holding.

"Ugh, finally." She expressed and bookmarked her page. She got up from her bed and followed him to his room, seeing Harry cleaning the top of the wardrobe. "Booklists are here, Harold."

"Dev, that's not my name." Harry responded and climbed down the latter.

Devore shrugged. Ron gave her her list and she was confused on why she had two. "Why do I have two?" She spoke out loud.

He shrugged as well. "Dunno. There's two with my name as well." He explained and held us his two letters.

She sat on Harry's bed and crossed her legs, opening her booklist. She saw that they were all the same except for two:

• Standard Book of Spells grade 5, Miranda Goshawk
• Defensive Magical Theory, Wilbert Slinkhard

There was a crack and Fred and George apparated into the room, none of them being fazed anymore, and Fred sat beside Devore on the bed. "We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhart book," He said conversationally.

"It means Dumbledore's found a new defense against the dark arts teacher." Said George.

Devore put the letter down. "Again? Isn't that the, like, fiftieth one?" She asked in disbelief.

"We overheard mum and dad talking on the extendable ears a few weeks ago," Fred began to explain. "They said Dumbledore's having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year."

"One dead, one's memory removed, and one was locked in a trunk for nine months." Harry counted on his fingers.

"Don't forget one turned out to be a werewolf," Devore muttered and he pointed at her. She opened her second letter.

Dear Miss Taylor,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected to serve as prefect for Slytherin house. Your school records have shown that you have ambition, the ability to lead others, and are resourceful.

We are certain that you will continue to be a model for your fellow students and will take your new responsibilities seriously. Enclosed please find prefect badge which should be worn on your school robes at all times. Congratulations.

Sincerely, Severus Snape

Severus Snape
Head of Slytherin House

"Holy shit," she swore out loud with her eyes going wide. She read it over and over again, slowly standing up from Ron's bed.

Fred swiftly stood up. "What? Dev, what's wrong?"

Ron made a noise and they turned to him, seeing his mouth hanging open as he stared at the letter in his hands.

"What's wrong with you two?" George asked impatiently.

"Prefect." The two fifth years answered in unison. They looked at each other. "You?" Ron pointed at her.

Devore pointed at him. "You—"

"PREFECTS?" Fred shouted when his own eyes read the words of Ron's letter.

George leaped forward, seizing the envelope in his brother's other hand and turned it upside down, sending a scarlet and gold pin to hit the floor. Devore did the same thing with hers and an emerald green and silver pin fell out of hers.

"No way." The twins breathed out.

She squealed with excitement and wrapped her arms around Ron's neck, pulling him down to her height. "Ronnie, we're prefects together!"

"Geteroff—" the boy tried to say as his face was smushed against her cheek.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Ginny expressed, worrisome, and she ran into the room.

"Guess who got named prefect, Gin?"  Devore grinned and held up her letter.

Her light eyes widened. "You two?" She pointed between her and her brother. "Oh, this is going to be great."

"Who in the right mind would make you two prefects?"  George asked in disbelief.

"Dumbledore, apparently." Harry answered, still in shock.

"Oh my god. Oh my god." Fred began to panic.

His twin bursted out in laughter and pointed at him.  "HA! You're dating a prefect!"

"Shut up!"

I'm so proud of you, Devy!" Ginny squealed and hugged her.

"Thank you, Ginny. At least someone supportive."

She eyed the others. Fred laughed nervously.

"Uh, Dev, Do you even know how to be a prefect?" Harry asked her.

Devore shrugged. "No clue, but, I've heard they got a nice bathroom."

"See my point?" George pointed out dramatically.

Ron and Devore stared at their badges and examined them before looking at each other, trying to confirm if it was real or not. The door busted open again and Hermione ran in with flushed cheeks and an opened envelope in her hand. "Did you — did you get — ?" She spotted the badge in Harry's hand and let out a shriek. "I knew it!" She said excitedly, 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 me."

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

She turned red as Ron looked around at her with a defiant expression on his face. Devore grew angry at how mean they were being. She wrapped an arm around his neck again. "That's right, Ronnie and me are your new prefects." She declared with a wide smirk.

"You too, Devore?" Hermione asked with wide eyes.  "I . . . well . . . wow! Well done, you guys. That's really. . ."

"Unexpected?" George asked.

"Baffling?" Said Fred.

"Confusing?" Ginny said as well.

"No!" said Hermione, blushing harder than ever. "No it's not . . . Ron's done loads of stuff. . . and Devore's really. . ."

"You people are mean. Is it that hard to say congrats?"  Devore scoffed. 

"Sorry, love." Fred apologized while wincing. He pulled her by the waist into his side.

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 colour 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. "His lovely shiny new prefect's badge."

"Stop it," Devore warned, hitting him hard on the arm.

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 slowly.

Molly 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 I, next-door neighbours?" Said George indignantly, as his mother pushed him 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—"

Her rambling stopped as her eyes trailed down to the letter written in green ink in Devore's hand. She shrieked even louder. "Devore, you too? Oh my goodness! CHANEL, GET IN HERE—"

"Oh no." She groaned and shut her eyes tightly, hearing Fred laugh.

They heard footsteps rush up the stairs and Chanel busted into the room. "What is it? What's wrong?" She stumbled over her words, a face full of worry.

Molly grabbed Devore from Fred's arms and held her shoulders. "Your daughter just got named prefect for her house!"

Mrs. Taylor's fark eyes widened like saucers. "WHAT? DEVORE LYNN TAYLOR!" She yelled.

"Mom—" Devore groaned but it was drowned out by her mom's yelling. 

She clapped her hands. "Oh goodness, this is wonderful! I was a prefect too!"

The two mothers grabbed their kids and started kissing all over them. Fred and George were both making loud retching noises behind their backs but they did not notice, arms tight around their necks as they kissed their faces repeatedly.

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

"You're embarrassing me." Devore groaned once again.

Molly let go of Ron 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?" He asked, looking as though he did not dare believe his ears.

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

Devore snorted while stilled wrapped in her mom's arms. "Yeah, you definitely need those."

Ron threw her a glare. "

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

"Mum. Can I have a new broom?" He said, hopefully.

Her face fell slightly.

"Not a really good one!" Ron hesitated to add. "Just—Just a new one for a change. . ."

Mrs. Weasley hesitated to answer and Devore started to feel bad, knowing how expensive brooms are.  Chanel quickly chipped in. "Of course you can, Ron, you've earned it. I'll help out."

Molly smiled warmly at her words. "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, along with Devore, sniffed loudly, and bustled from the room.

Chanel faced her daughter and grabbed her shoulders.  "How about you, honey? What would you like? Anything you want." She instead with a proud smile.

There wasn't much of anything Devore wanted that she couldn't buy for herself, but she thought hard. "Well. . ." She clasped her hands together and put them under her chin. "There is, uh, there's a record store in Diagon Alley that Hermione's always telling me about. I'd love to have something from there. . ."

"Oh, of course darling. Absolutely!" Chanel expressed happily and kissed her on the head again. "I'm so proud of, my girl. Your father would be, too."

Devore watched her exit the room in glee, and a tiny smile grew on her lips.

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." George added.

"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." George sniggered.

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

The twins burst out laughing, and Ron muttered, "Drop it, Hermione."

"He probably won't, but I will." Devore stated, crossing her arms.

Fred smirked and leaned his face down towards hers.  "Oh, is that right?"

Her face flushed red. "Mhm."

"We better watch ourselves this year with this one,  Freddie." Said George sarcastically. 

"Seems like our law breaking days are over," Fred said with a fake sadness in his voice.

They looked at each other and grinned. "Nah!"

With that, they apparated out of the room. "Those two!" said Hermione furiously, staring up at the ceiling, through which 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. . . . "

"I'll go with you, Ronnie." Said Devore and she looped her arm through his. When they got out of the room, she squealed with a joyful grin. "Look at us, best friends since first year, and now we're prefects together!"

"Technically not together, but, I get what you mean." Ron grinned as well.

Devore and the girls were in their room, sitting criss crossed on Ginny's bed, painting each other's nails. Hermione was blowing on hers to try the purple nail polish on her fingers while Devore painted Ginny's a light blue. "I still can't believe Snape made you a prefect." The youngest Weasley spoke astonishingly.

"I think it's wonderful." Said Hermione, truthfully

"I'm just wondering who the male prefect will be." Devore stated and blew on Ginny's nails. "Hopefully it's Theo. At least I won't be bored or try to kill him."

Hermione's lips tugged into a frown. "You don't think. . ." She trailed, not being able to say the name.

She paused. "Oh. Right." Shaking her head, Devore painted Ginny's pinky. "Honestly, it probably will be him. Daddy Malfoy probably threatened to have Dumbledore fired if his son didn't get it."

"Are you going to be okay if he is?" Ginny asked her, scared of the question.

She shrugged lightly and blew on her last nail. "I suppose so. Like I said, I've made peace with what happened. I won't be buddy-buddy with him, but, the least I can do is be civil."

Hermione smiled softly at her. "Good for you, Devy."

Mrs. Weasley and Mrs. Taylor returned from Diagon Alley around six o'clock, laden with books. Molly was carrying a long package wrapped in thick brown paper that Ron took from her with a moan of longing. Chanel had two large bags in her hands, one from the record store that Devore told her about.

"Never mind unwrapping it now. People are arriving for dinner. I want you all downstairs." Molly said, but the moment she was out of sight, Chanel winked at the boy, silently saying that he could unwrap it. 

Ron ripped off the paper in a frenzy and examined every inch of his new broom, an ecstatic expression on his face. "T-This is — This is a Nimbus." He looked up at Mrs. Taylor, his jaw hanging open.

"I did say I'd help out, didn't I?" She told him, smirking proudly.

He made a noise of delight and hugged her tightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Taylor!"

Chanel smiled and rubbed his back. "Of course, darling." He ran off to show off his new broom. Grabbing her daughter, Chanel held up the bag. "As for you. . ."

Devore smiled widely, her teeth on display, and she grabbed the bag with shaking hands. When she saw the multiple records, she gasped, and pulled one out. David Bowie's The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars and Heroes, Fleetwood Mac's Rumors, Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of the Moon, and The Beatles's Please Please Me and A Hard Day's Night. "I only asked for one." She said with a dropped jaw.

Chanel shrugged. "Yeah, well, once I started, I couldn't stop."

Her smile grew bigger. "Thank you!" She hugged her neck tightly.

Down in the basement, Mrs. Weasley had hung a scarlet banner over the heavily laden dinner table, which read CONGRATULATIONS RON AND HERMIONE—NEW PREFECTS. She then hung up another one that was green and silver that read CONGRATULATIONS DEVORE—SLYTHERIN PREFECT. She looked in a better mood than they had seen her all holiday.

"I thought we'd have a little party not a sit-down dinner," she told Harry, Ron, Devore, Hermione, Ginny, and the twins. "Your father and Bill are on their way, Ron. I've sent them both owls and they're thrilled." She added, beaming.

"Yes, Molly. It will be wonderful." Said Chanel.

"I can provide the music." Devore mentioned and held up her bag with a wide, giddy smile.

Sirius, Lupin, Tonks, and Kingsley were already there and Mad-Eye stumped in shortly after. "Oh, Alastor, I am glad you're here," said Molly brightly as Mad-Eye shrugged off his travelling 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."

"No problem, Molly. . . " His electric blue eye swivelled 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. . . . Yah, it's a boggart. . . . Want me to go up and get rid of it, Molly?"

"No, no, I'll do it myself later," she beamed. "You have your drink. We're having a little bit of a celebration, actually. . . ." She gestured at the banners. "Fourth prefect in the family" Molly said fondly, ruffling Ron's hair.

"And second in mine." Chanel boasted her daughter.

"How are you a prefect?" Bennet asked his sister when he joined them. "You don't do anything."

"Don't ask me." She pinched his left cheek. "But now I have power over you so I can give you detention whenever I want."

"I'd love to see you try."

"Prefect, eh?" Growled Moody, his normal eye on the three new prefects.

Devore shifted uncomfortably.

"Well, congratulations. Authority figures always attract trouble, but I suppose Dumbledore thinks you can withstand most major jinxes or he wouldn't have appointed you. . . . "

They were saved with the trouble of responding by the arrival of Ron's father and eldest brother. Mrs. Weasley was in such a good mood she did not 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 travelling cloak.

"Well, I think a toast is in order," Arthur announced when everyone had a drink. Devore's brand new David Bowie record, specifically Lady Stardust, played in the back. He raised his goblet. "To Ron and Hermione, the new Gryffindor prefects! And to Devore, the new Slytherin prefect!"

The three friends beamed at the applause.

"I was never a prefect myself," said Tonks brightly from behind Harry 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."

The threes girls laughed at her answer.

"What about you, Sirius?"

Sirius, who was right beside Harry, let out his usual bark-like laugh, along with Chanel. "No one would have made me a prefect, I spent too much time in detention with James. Lupin was the good boy, he got the badge."

"Yes and he was the best prefect partner I could ask for," Chanel said, smiling at the man. "I would have died if I had Sirius."

He gasped. "You act as if you didn't give us half the detentions."

Remus laughed along. "I wasn't about to stop her."

Devore and the twins huddled in a corner with Mundungus, who stopped talking when he saw Harry. They waved their hands. "It's okay," Fred told him. "We can trust Harry. He's our financial backer."

Before the ending of four year, Harry had given all his winnings from the tournament to the twins to help them get started with their joke shop. Fred, who was more than grateful, now constantly apologized to Devore for getting mad at her when she offered him help.

"Look what Dung's got us," said George, holding out his hand to Harry. It was full of what looked like shrivelled black pods. A faint rattling noise was coming from them, even though they were completely stationary. "Venomous tentacula seeds. We need them for the skiving snackboxes but they're a class c non-tradeable substance so we've been having a bit of trouble getting hold of them."

Devore rolled her eyes and looked at Harry. "I'm the one who has to keep them from testing on first years." She explained.

"Ten galleons the lot, then, Dung?" Fred asked.

"Wiv all the trouble I went to to get 'em?" Said Mundungus, his saggy, bloodshot eyes stretching even wider. "I'm sorry, lads, but I'm not taking a knut under twenty."

"Dung likes his little joke." Fred said to Harry.

"Yeah, his best one so far has been six sickles for a bag of knarl quills." Said George.

Harry furrowed his brows. He looked at Devore. She just shrugged. "Don't ask."

"Be careful." He warned them quietly.

"What?" said Fred. "Mum's busy cooing over prefect Ron. We're okay. No offense, love."

Devore rolled her eyes, not bothering to scold him.

"But Moody could have his eye on you." Harry pointed out.

Mundungus looked nervously over his shoulder. "Good point, that. All right, lads, ten it is, if you'll take 'em quick."

"Cheers, Harry!" said Fred delightedly when Mundungus had emptied his pockets into the twins' outstretched hands and scuttled off towards the food. "We'd better get these upstairs. . . . "

He kissed Devore on the cheek and the twins scurried upstairs with all their stuff. She noticed the look of unease on Harry's face. "Why do you look so glum?"

His green eyes flickered to her. "What? I'm not. . ."

"You're a terrible liar. You looked upset upstairs and you look upset now. What's up?"

Devore was one of the only ones who knew Harry better than he knew himself. With that, he sighed in defeat. "I just don't want their mum and dad to be mad at me if their joke shop becomes a success, since I'm financing it."

"Oh, hun," she said and put her hand on his shoulder, smiling kindly. "I wouldn't worry about it, Harry. What happened with Percy isn't going to happen to them, you know that. She may not show it but Molly's very supportive of the idea. It's better than them doing nothing at all with their lives."

"I suppose you're right. C-Congrats on getting prefect, Dev. I'm happy for you."

"Thank you." She boasted but she could still see a distinct look on his face. "There's something else, ain't there? What is it?"

Harry shuffled his feet hesitantly. "It's just, I guess I'm a little jealous. I know it's terrible, but, I thought it would be me, you know? It makes me sick to think like that. I'm happy for Ron, but I guess I just feel left out. . ."

Devore gave him a close lipped smile and grabbed his hand. "I understand Harry, it's okay. You're titled to your own feelings. I can see how happy you are for them, and me. I know things are hard for you and you deserve to have a win too. And you'll get it, I promise."

Harry smiled at her again.