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We got to the portrait of a Fat Lady, whom I introduced to everyone, not forgetting to give the password. When we went into the common room, many students didn't even really notice it, but the rest looked with a surprise from me, the leader of the first years, to Ron sitting at the table, who was loudly talking about how "it's cool to be a prefect, huh?" He was telling this to a despondent Potter, who was staring at the chessboard in front of him with a meaningless gaze.
I brought the kids to the center of the common room.
"Wait here, guys."
The first years obediently nodded their heads, and I crept up to Ron like an inaudible shadow. Copying Snape's voice and intonation, I spoke from behind him:
"Mr. Weasley."
Ron jumped but was in no hurry to turn around.
"I admit that your back of the head is a better interlocutor than yourself. However, unfortunately, I wanted to ask you a couple of questions."
Weasley slowly began to turn, and there was a surprise and apprehension on his instantly pale face. But when he saw me, he sighed with relief.
"Oh ... Max ... Damn, you scared me. Why do that?"
The Gryffindors laughed, and Weasley himself smiled.
"It sounds so similar…."
"Mr. Weasley," I didn't change my tone. "Let me ask you, what is on the collar of your robe?"
"Where?" Ron glanced first at one and then at the other collar. "Oh, this is the prefect's badge! Can you imagine? I was appointed prefect. I never would have thought. If it was Harry...»
"That's enough already," Potter waved him off. "This is not for me."
"Prefect, huh?" I looked more closely at the badge.
"Well, yes!"
"Please accept my congratulations. But I have another question. Look at the center of the common room. What do you see?"
"Um ..." Ron glanced behind me. "Well, first years."
"How did they end up here, Mr. Weasley?"
"Please stop doing that," said Ron, and then it hit him. "Merlin's beard... I forgot…"
"That's it. Ron," I spoke already normally, "In these difficult times for all of us, we cannot afford to be careless and relaxed. Do you know what I mean? You are now the prefect. Do not fail Dumbledore's trust.
"Damn ... Well, I …"
"Go, greet them, make some speech."
Turning around, I made my way to my already traditional seat on the sofa, but before I could reach it, Hermione and Lavender entered the common room. The second one had the prefect's badge pinned to her robe. Hermione hurried to sit next to me on the sofa, and I just noticed Dean, Seamus, and Parvati, sitting at a table next to our sofa and playing cards.
"Well," I rested my head on the lap of Hermione sitting next to me, "I see you were dismissed from the post."
"It was not easy, and it looked like the professor was a little disappointed in me. She was sure that I was the perfect candidate. They also wanted to appoint you, but the owl came back again and again with the badge, and the professor decided to appoint Ronald."
"That's good. I don't want to do this every day."
We were silent for a while.
"I guess," Hermione was almost imperceptibly embarrassed, "I should apologize. After all, we thought that we could spend at least a couple of weeks of the summer not at school."
"It's okay," I closed my eyes, "Parents are more important. By the way, what finally convinced them to let you go?"
"Well… I summoned Fiendfyre".
My eyes opened by themselves from the unexpected news, and I was able to see a really embarrassed Hermione.
"There's something you're not telling me."
Hermione bit her lip, trying to hide her smile.
"It was in the shape of an otter… You have no idea how terrifyingly comical the swarm of fire otters looked against the background of distorted images of Fiendfyre…."
"You have some strange idea of comicality."
Hermione poked me lightly in the side with her fist.
"It seems," I couldn't help but smile now. "I'm influencing you badly."
"Who knows… Who knows…"