"Nothing surprising there—look what befell the previous four instructors," George observed dryly.
"One deceased, one imprisoned, one forced into resignation, and one confined within a trunk for nearly an entire academic year," Harry tallied on his fingers. "Right, I grasp your meaning perfectly."
"Your thoughts, Ron?" Fred inquired.
Ron offered no response. He remained motionless, jaw slightly agape, transfixed by his Hogwarts correspondence.
"Something amiss?" Fred demanded impatiently, striding over to peer at the parchment across Ron's shoulder. His expression immediately mirrored his younger brother's stunned bewilderment.
"Prefect?" he breathed, staring at the letter with profound disbelief. "Prefect?"
George lunged forward, snatching the envelope from Ron's trembling grasp and inverting it. A scarlet and gold object tumbled into his palm.
"Extraordinary," George whispered. "I mean—there's Harry! Triwizard champion, Philosopher's Stone protector, Chamber of Secrets solver... surely Dumbledore should have selected him!"
"Prefect... little Ronnie's become a prefect..." Fred repeated mechanically, his gaze shuttling between Harry and Ron as though suspecting elaborate deception.
"Merlin's beard, Mum will absolutely lose her mind," George groaned, flinging the prefect badge back toward Ron as if it carried contagion.
Ron maintained his silence, retrieving the badge to scrutinize it momentarily before tossing it to Harry—a wordless plea for authentication.
Orli leaned closer for examination: a prominent "P" gleamed above the Gryffindor lion emblem. She'd witnessed an identical badge adorning Percy's chest during her first Hogwarts term.
The door exploded inward. Hermione burst through, tears streaming down flushed cheeks, her hair in complete disarray. An envelope crumpled within her desperate grip.
"Did you—have you received—?" Her eyes found the badge in Harry's possession, triggering a piercing shriek. "I knew it!" She brandished her envelope triumphantly. "Me as well, Harry! I'm one too!"
"Actually, no," Harry corrected hastily, pressing the badge back into Ron's hands. "Ron earned the appointment, not me."
Hermione's complexion deepened to crimson as Ron fixed her with an almost defiant stare.
"The letter bears my name," he stated flatly.
"I..." Hermione stammered, appearing utterly bewildered. "I... well... oh! Brilliant work, Ron! That's genuinely—"
"Unforeseen," George supplied with a knowing nod.
"No," Hermione protested somewhat incoherently, her gaze sweeping the room before settling on Harry and Orli standing apart. This observation only amplified her distress. "...Ron accomplished tremendous things too... I never anticipated... Orli... I..."
The door widened further as Mrs. Weasley bustled through, arms laden with freshly laundered robes.
"Ginny mentioned the book lists arrived," she announced, noting the scattered envelopes before approaching the bed to sort robes into neat piles. "Hand over those lists—I'll visit Diagon Alley this afternoon so your books await when departure time comes. Ron, you'll need larger nightclothes; these fall six inches short at minimum. Your growth rate astounds me... any color preferences?"
"Purchase red and gold to complement his new badge," George suggested with unmistakable mischief.
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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