The Woods threw a going-away party for the Weasleys and invited all the wizarding families in the neighborhood, including the Diggorys. Maisie hadn't spoken to Cedric since their train ride home. For weeks she'd been very angry and hurt. She wasn't angry anymore, but she dreaded the awkwardness.

As the time of the party drew near, Dad and Mum grew more frenzied. Dad worried that the garden was not fit for guests, even though everything was blooming and pruned within an inch of its life. The charm on the garden fountain had been refreshed: the nymph danced in her basin of water, and every flick of her hair and arms showered more water into the fountain, sometimes splashing out of the bowl.

The enormous flagstone kitchen was scrubbed until it shone, the broom sweeping the fireplace on its own while Mum rushed about laying out dishes and glasses. Maisie and Oliver tidied the living room, though it seemed unlikely that anyone would use it on such a lovely day.

The Weasley family arrived first. Mrs. Weasley brought a raspberry trifle.

"Molly, you didn't have to do that!" said Mum breathlessly.

"It's no trouble, dear. I didn't feel quite right coming without something to share," said Mrs. Weasley. "Can I help?"

"No," said Mum firmly, "everything is ready. Please, have some punch and relax."

Mum had strictly forbidden Quidditch during the party, so Maisie and Oliver started a game of Exploding Snap in the living room. Ron, Ginny, and the twins joined in, but Percy held himself aloof.

"Thinks it's not fitting for a Head Boy," George said.

Maisie gasped. "Percy's Head Boy?"

"Yes, and he's being bloody insufferable about it." Ron rolled his eyes. "Wears the badge around the house, as if that gives him more right to tell me to wash my socks."

"To be fair, Ron, your socks reek," said Fred.

The two Lovegoods arrived soon after that, bringing a tureen of their infamous freshwater plimpy soup. Luna Lovegood was Ginny's age, but she was uninterested in Exploding Snap.

"I thought I might explore your garden," she said. "Daddy says you've got mooncalves. You know their saliva has divinatory properties?"

"Divinatory, you say?" The corner of George's mouth twitched.

"I'll come with you, Luna." Ginny glared at her brothers.

Maisie set down her cards. "We'll all go."

They went out to the barnyard, and Maisie showed her guests the family's mooncalf herd and their small flock of diricrawls. Ginny was particularly enraptured by the diricrawls, which popped in and out around the barnyard.

"What keeps them in there?" said Fred. "Why don't they just Apparate out and leave?"

"They like it here," said Maisie, "but there are charms on the barnyard—I don't know which ones, Dad won't tell me."

They spent a pleasant half-hour watching the animals. Maisie fetched treats for the mooncalves, who kept nibbling at her sleeves, which of course made the diricrawls want food, too. Their attempts to Apparate across the fence were hilarious; it was rather like watching feathery balls bounce against glass.

When they walked into the front garden for dinner, Cedric was there with his parents and young sisters. He smiled when he saw them and gave an awkward little wave.

This is it, Maisie thought. "All right, Cedric?" she said.

Fred and George threw her surprised glances, but Cedric grinned.

"Yeah, Mays. You?"

"All right, thanks. Did you get something to drink?"

"I did, cheers. Good to see you, Fred, George."

The twins nodded curtly. Cedric wilted slightly.

"Cedric!" Oliver shook hands and clapped him on the back. "Heard you've been made Hufflepuff Quidditch Captain! Well done!"

"Thanks, Oliver." The smile returned to Cedric's face. "Looking forward to our match against you. You've given me so great ideas for training exercises over the years."

Oliver laughed ruefully. "I knew playing Quidditch with Hufflepuffs was a bad idea! I've given away all our secrets!"

"C'mon, Ollie, it was all in good fun," said Maisie.

"No, Mays, it was strategy," said Fred. "We've been studying your every move for years."

"Every since our first day at Hogwarts," said George, "we've thought: how can we use Maisie Wood to better our Quidditch game?"

Maisie gasped. "Are you telling me that our entire friendship has been based on a lie?"

"Yes," said Fred with a straight face. "And now the truth is out."

They ate dinner on the lawn. The neatly set table inside remained unused. They stuffed themselves with Dad's cooking, and watched the fireflies come out as the sun set.

After dinner, Dad and Oliver lit a bonfire, and they gathered around it to roast marshmallows and make s'mores, a Muggle treat Pippa had shown Maisie.

"These are amazing!" said Cedric with his mouth full. "What's in these white gooey things?"

"They're called marshmallows, and I've no idea," Maisie said. "You should ask Pippa."

"Muggles are incredible." Fred looked at his s'more reverently. "I'd like to personally thank the Muggle who invented s'mores."

It was nearly eleven by the time the guests started to leave.

"We're taking a special Floo connection to Bill's office in Egypt in two days," said Mr. Weasley. "Gringotts arranged the whole thing. They like Bill, and they're good to him."

"You must be proud," said Dad.

Mrs. Weasley approached Maisie. "While we're gone, Maisie dear, I'd appreciate it if you look in on our house. The plants will want watering—twice a week, unless it's really dry—and the garden will need to be de-gnomed at least once while we're gone. I hope it's not too much bother."

"Not at all, Mrs. Weasley," said Maisie. "I'd be happy to do it."

"Good girl." Mrs. Weasley patted her cheek. "Take care, and we'll see you when we get back."

"Say, Mays—Maisie, will you do me a favor?" said Ron.

"Um, sure." Maisie had no idea what favor Ron Weasley might ask her for.

"Would you write to Harry? I don't reckon he gets much mail, and those Muggles—"

"Say no more. I'll do it."

Ron grinned. "Thanks. I'd write him while we're away, but it's a bit far for Errol to fly."

The twins converged on Maisie and scooped her up in a hug that lifted her feet off the ground.

"Guys!" Maisie kicked her feet in midair. "Put me down!"

"Be good while we're gone, Mays," said Fred.

"Don't do anything we wouldn't do," said George.

Maisie laughed. "There's not much overlap there, guys."

"Why, Maisie, are you implying that we are never good?" said Fred. "I take offense to that."

"Yeah!" said George. "What about all those times we didn't get detention?"

"Why, because you weren't caught?" Maisie laughed.

The twins unceremoniously dropped Maisie on the ground.

"Ouch!"

"Oops! Sorry, Mays!" said Fred.

"It's fine." Maisie smiled up at the twins, who were taller than her these days. "Have a good trip, guys. I want to hear all about it when you get back."

Fred grinned. "You can count on it."

A/N: Thanks so much for reading! That's the end of this installment. The next one will cover Prisoner of Azkaban and Goblet of Fire. The title will be some derivation of the line from the Sorting Hat's song: "Those patient Hufflepuffs are true." Coming soon!