A miserable-looking young man with red hair walked through the door with his head hung down. He knew he'd get taunted at home. He glanced up to see exactly what he'd expected.

"Hello Percy. How was work?" asked Fred innocently.

Percy's ears turned red. "Just fine," he said coldly.

"Has Mr. Crouch assigned you any new reports to do?" added George. The red had now spread into Percy's cheeks.

"Perhaps one on prison bar thickness?" suggested Ginny.

Percy's whole face was red, and he responded, "Mr. Crouch is no longer at the ministry. He made a mistake he...."

"That's not what you said yesterday," said Fred.

"Or the day before," said George.

"Or the weeks before that!" said Ginny. "You've been worshipping the ground that criminal walks on since you started working for him, and he is a criminal! You've insulted all of us, claiming how much better than us Crouch is."

"You've been licking the boots of a real lawbreaker..." said Fred.

"While acting like making a little noise was a crime," said George.

"I HAVE NOT BEEN LICKING HIS BOOTS!" yelled Percy.

Ginny did her best Percy imitation. "Oh Mr. Crouch is of the opinion..."

Fred joined in. "Mr. Crouch can speak so many languages."

George added, "I've left Penelope for Mr. Crouch. We'll be married soon."

"Is he still your role model, Percy?" asked Ginny.

"I'm sure he had a good reason..."

"To break a Death Eater out of Azkaban?" suggested Molly, who'd just walked in. She'd been putting up with Percy's Crouch worship as much as anyone else.

"Or keep his own son under the Imperius Curse?" said Arthur, who'd been with Molly.

"My question is why he'd bother to break him out just to be a prisoner at home," said Molly.

"I used to think, along with everybody at the ministry besides you, Mr. Crouch had a heart of stone," said Mr. Weasley, "but I was wrong. To do that to his own son, your idol must not have any heart at all."

"But he was so dedicated to the rules..."

"That he broke the most important ones," said Arthur. He sighed. "So, did you find anyone to give you a job? I know you were running around from department to department."

"He lost his job?" asked Ginny.

"Well," said Arthur, "Percy had gotten the person who took over his department in trouble with Mr. Crouch for getting back from lunch five minutes late while he was visiting his wife in St. Mungo's last week. The first thing he did was fire Percy."

"The rules state that the lunch break is exactly..."

"Nobody I talked to wanted to hire Percy. They've all heard him worshipping Crouch in the lunch room and think Percy's a joke."

"For your information father, I did find another position in the ministry!" snapped Percy. "I'm now assistant to the Senior Undersecretary to Minister Fudge himself, Madam Umbridge," he said proudly.

Arthur's jaw dropped. "You're working for that bi..."

"Arthur!" snapped Mrs. Weasley. "You must mind your language no matter whom you're describing, although I admit it's hard to when it's that...woman."

Percy's face was getting redder. "I'll have you know that..."

"Who's Madam Umbridge?" Ginny asked her father, interrupting Percy.

"Last year," answered Arthur, "she proposed a law that forces muggleborns to obey anything a pureblood tells them. Virtually making them slaves! Naturally, it didn't get passed. If she weren't so close to Fudge, she'd have ruined her career in the ministry for her bigotry."

"That was just a misunderstanding," said Percy firmly. "What she and Mr. Malfoy, who helped her draft that bill, were trying to say is that pureblood families like ours deserve respect, and that muggleborns who just waltz into our world taking over..."

"DON'T YOU DARE SPEAK THAT WAY ABOUT MUGGLEBORNS!" shouted Mrs. Weasley over the rest of what Percy was saying. The kids were watching silently in shock over what their brother was defending.

"But it's true when you think about," said Percy calmly. "Look at how many positions in the ministry are now being held by them, while pureblood wizards like myself have trouble finding work."

Arthur was really getting upset, but he decided to find out just what his son thought. He calmly stated, "Perhaps we could investigate the possibility of keeping muggleborns from applying for work at the ministry. That way we could at least keep the jobs that we have."

"Exactly," said Percy. "You see, Madam Umbridge..."

"Is a bigot, and I'm sorry to say you are too." said Arthur sadly.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!" shouted Molly. "I RAISED YOU TO BE BETTER THAN..."

"If you'll just listen to Madam Umbridge," said Percy condescendingly as though speaking to five-year-olds. "She's done so much research into..."

"GET OUT!" shouted Molly through tears. "I WILL NOT LIVE IN THE SAME HOUSE WITH A BIGOT!!! I CAN'T BELIEVE..."

"FINE!" shouted Percy, "Just let me get my stuff!" He turned and stormed up the stairs while Molly silently sobbed. Five minutes later Percy wordlessly walked down the stairs with his old trunk floating behind him and stepped outside the door, slamming it behind him.

The other Weasleys, even the twins, were silent until a few minutes later Ginny, who was weeping, softly said, "I...I can't believe that...that Percy would just suddenly become...prejudiced like that. That's one step away from being a...a Death Eater."

"I don't think he really believes that," said Fred.

"He just takes on whatever philosophy his boss has," said George.

"I...I think you're right boys," said Mr. Weasley. "I hope you are."

At that moment, Ron walked into the house carrying a broomstick. "Hi. I just saw Percy apparate away with a trunk. Is he going on a vacation?"

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At the same time, Harry and Hermione were just coming back into the house after a fun-filled afternoon of playing on the swing set, kissing, swimming, and kissing. As Hermione walked up the stairs to change into regular clothes, Harry found himself wishing she'd always wear a bathing suit. He shook that thought out of his head and walked up to his room. He then dried himself the rest of the way and changed his clothes. He then opened his door so Hermione would know he was dressed and started reading the Ancient Runes book.

It wasn't long until Hermione entered the room wearing a pair of green-blue shorts and a loose light-blue t-shirt. He looked up from his book when he heard her walk in and close the door. Her hair was in a messy ponytail and her skin was slightly wrinkled from the pool, but he thought she was breathtaking. "How is it that I spent all that time with you at Hogwarts and never realized how incredibly beautiful you are?"

She blushed at that statement, but said. "Maybe you should have your contact lenses checked. I'm not even wearing nice..."

"It's not what you're wearing or your hairstyle or anything like that. There's just something about you that is...I don't know...enchanting. Maybe it's your eyes or your smile. Maybe it's your kindness or..."

"Maybe it's how much you love me that makes me beautiful to you," Hermione suggested while smiling at Harry.

He smiled back. "I doubt very much I'm the only guy who thinks you're gorgeous."

"My dad doesn't count," she countered with a smirk.

He marked his place in the book he was reading and walked up to her, taking her hands in his. "Hermione, you shouldn't put yourself down." He took a deep breath as he gazed in her brown eyes. "Maybe you are more beautiful to me than anyone else, but that doesn't mean you're not beautiful. I...I wish you could see yourself the way I see you."

He touched her right cheek with one hand, while holding her hands with his other. "You would see a radiant angel who has done nothing but try to help people from the moment I met her. The first time we met you were helping Neville find Trevor. Since we became friends, you've helped me more times than I could ever count."

He then walked her over to a mirror and stood next to her and started pointing things out. "I know you hate it, but I love your hair that is hard to control, untamable like yourself. When you know you're in the right, nothing can stop you. Those eyes that show wisdom, combined with a little mischief, that always show me whether you're happy or sad or angry. I'm sorry for every time I caused your eyes to lose their happiness."

He rubbed her cheek lightly with his finger and continued as she watched his eyes, looking for any sign of deceit or humor. "Your skin is so soft and smooth, and just has to be kissed." He kissed her cheek where he'd just touched her. He then kissed the top of her nose, earning a chuckle from her.

"My nose that won't stay out of your business," she said laughing.

He chuckled for a moment, and then replied, "I don't want you to stay out of my business anymore." He then looked at, "Your lips, that I so much want to...."

She beat him to it by aggressively pulling his head down and kissing him passionately. After about thirty seconds, Harry felt something outside his closed lips trying to gain entrance. Realizing that it was her tongue, he parted his lips, allowing entrance.

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Not too much later, the Grangers arrived home, and the teenagers told them how Percy's boss that he worships who had thrown Sirius in prison without a trial had just been caught earning at least a life sentence in Azkaban, if not worse.

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The next morning at Sirius' house, Ginny told them what happened with Percy, which left Hermione shocked. "Does he...he never acted like...does he really feel that way about muggleborns?"

Ginny shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know, but that's what he's claiming now. I thought he just felt superior to everyone. Fred and George think he's just acting like that to suck up to his new boss."

"Even at home?" asked Harry.

"Yes. He wouldn't want her to find out he's lying when he agrees with her at work."

"No offense Ginny, but I think Percy should've been a Slytherin," said Sirius.

"None taken. In fact, I'll bet that's what the sorting hat would say if he was put on Percy's head now."

Hermione then changed the subject. "Did you see Neville last night Ginny?"

She looked sad. "Yes, and I asked why he never told anybody about his parents, and apologized for never asking him."

"What'd he say?" asked Harry.

"No one asked him, but he'd rather not go through what Harry does with people asking about his parents. He visits them a lot at St. Mungo's. He's going to bring me with him in a few days."

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The next few days flew by quickly as Harry and Hermione trained, studied, and snogged, and before they knew it, it was July 31st, Harry's birthday, the day before he'd move in with Sirius.