Go on, Boss-Get Revenge for Me

After they returned from London Zoo, the days filled up with sunshine and laughter.

Even London's weather cooperated for once.

The rain confined itself to early mornings and evenings, never catching Gavin or Cordelia outside.

Gavin took Cordelia to Chessington World of Adventures. She screamed herself hoarse on the white-water raft, then got off and tugged at his sleeve until they queued for a second ride.

A street performer in Covent Garden tossed five colored balls into the air at once. She watched until her neck ached, then dropped a Muggle coin Gavin had given her into the performer's hat.

The shop windows on Regent Street lit up one by one at dusk. She lingered before a formalwear shop, looking at a sea-blue satin gown with silver sequins scattered across its hem like stars.

Gavin asked if she wanted to try it on. She shook her head and said the color was too mature. Maybe when she was taller.

Then she bought three books at a shop around the corner. One was The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Botany, because she had found a blue wildflower in the manor garden whose name she couldn't identify anywhere.

But those carefree days had to end for a while.

Gavin was going to Romania, and Cordelia had to start catching up on her lessons.

Dumbledore's letter arrived with her acceptance letter on the evening they returned from Regent Street.

The parchment laid out two options in detail:

First, start again as a first-year in September.

Second, have Alaric tutor her in the entire first-year curriculum over the summer, take a Resit Exam before term began, and move straight into second year if she passed.

At the end of the letter, he added in his warmest tone—

"Whichever path you choose, Hogwarts will welcome you."