He thought he was free, and even started shading another branch of the tree. But then Flora spoke again, and Meriweather deposited his colored pencil back on the paper. Was there no escape?

"Yes, sometimes, I guess?" Merry answered. There was no point in lying, after all, as it would probably (somehow!) just get him more entrenched in conversation with his younger sister. "I mean, if it was a prefect giving detention for that, you could complain." That seemed like something Kris Lestrange would do, if he thought about it.

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