If You've Got the Nerve

“It’s total rubbish – ”

“Not fair at all – ”

“Not like we’re incapable – ”

“We can do anything as well as them – ”

“We’re almost seventeen ourselves,”

“But you’re not,” I fired back at the twins’ heated exclamations.

“What’s a few months?” Fred asked angrily.

“Everything in this case,” I answered coolly, “Dumbledore wouldn’t restrict the age unless he thought it was best. People die in this tournament.” They paid no attention to my words as they continued their dark mutterings.

“I mean…a thousand Galleons! Do you know what we could do with that? The shop would be up in a few weeks time with that sort of gold!” Fred threw his arms up in a wild motion of his aggression as George called the password out for us to enter past the Fat Lady and into the Gryffindor common room before adding with a look that showed he was drowning in daydreams, “And not to mention the kind of challenges they must have planned. No wonder Bill wanted to be back at school for this.”

It wasn’t long after we’d entered the familiar common room that they launched in to a whispered discussion of Aging Potions and other tricks. No doubt they would use everything in their armories to get themselves entered in the tournament.

“Goodnight to you too,” I said under my breath with a roll of my eyes. So absorbed in their plans, the two didn’t bother to bid a good night’s rest to anyone else before scrambling up the stairs to their dorms.

I followed close behind Hermione who was still muttering angrily to herself about “unfair treatment”.

Oh, she’d get over it. After all, the house elves seemed to very much enjoy working themselves every day. So long as there was no cruelty, I didn’t see a problem.

The dorm room was just as I had remembered it. Draped in scarlet and gold, large and comfortable beds arranged neatly, and our side dressers ready to be stuffed with the chocolate we’d soon be stocking up on from Hogsmeade.

My trunk had been placed at the bottom end of my bed and Nexus was sitting comfortably in his cage that sat on my bed. He turned his sleepy gaze to me and gave a hoot of greeting.

“Hey Granger,” I nudged Hermione in the arm, “how do you suppose our stuff gets here every year? Certainly Dumbledore doesn't lug it all up himself.” Her face flushed in realization and I snickered as she stammered over how to protest this action.

She may be a hard worker, but she had always been grateful that her things magically made their way up to our dorm room during the feast.

“My books would be much too heavy to carry myself,” she had always stated almost proudly.

Finally, the frizzy-haired girl settled with a huff of “slave labor” and stormed over to her bed. She ripped the curtains shut and all was silent again.

I hid a few more snickers before a yawn escaped my mouth. I moved slowly over to my bed and collapsed there. Nexus hooted again, this time a good deal louder.

“Oh, alright,” I muttered before moving my hand to fumble with the door’s latch. He nuzzled my hand thankfully before taking off to the window that had been left open in order to keep the room a comfortable temperature.

I watched him fly off until his black figure blended with the stormy sky. Another yawn broke from my throat and before I knew it I had drifted in to a deep sleep with twirling dreams about the exciting year to come.