The seemingly peaceful holiday passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, the start of term was approaching.
With one week left before school began, the new school year's acceptance letter and shopping list finally arrived.
A minor accident had occurred at the Ministry of Magic this year, and even the Wizarding Examinations Authority had been affected.
As a result, the Hogwarts professors had only now finalized the textbooks that needed to be purchased.
Harley's letter also contained an additional scarlet-and-gold badge—the badge signifying that she was the Gryffindor girls' prefect at Hogwarts.
No one at Number 12 Grimmauld Place found this surprising. After all, apart from Harley, they could not think of anyone else qualified to be Gryffindor's prefect.
Sirius and the Weasley Twins, meanwhile, were exceptionally excited.
As far as Sirius was concerned, neither he nor James had been prefects back then, and they would occasionally tease Lupin, the prefect of their year, for being a model good boy who did not suit the identity of one of the Marauders.
The Weasley Twins had also always maintained that only the dumbest idiots in the world would become prefects or Head Boys and Head Girls.
But once Harley became a prefect, Gryffindor prefects immediately became the most honorable title in the eyes of Sirius and the Weasley Twins.
What? We used to complain about prefects?
Slander! Pure, unadulterated slander! Someone was slandering us!
Amid his delight, Sirius eagerly suggested taking the children to Diagon Alley, treating it as a little outing.
Of course, the real reason was that he had not gone out for far too long and wanted to take advantage of his goddaughter's opportunity to have a look around.
When she heard Sirius's suggestion, Mrs. Weasley looked somewhat displeased.
"Sirius, given the current circumstances, I think it