If she were honest, she didn't much care about the girl's reasons, as long as she wasn't going to sneak in and trash the place or kick house elves for a laugh. Mostly, this would just get the first year off Jemima's back. Maybe she'd even forget about bumping into Jemima and dropping the last of her baked cookies.
"It's just this way," Jemima said with something of a sigh, trotting away to the corridor nearby where all the paintings that lined the passageway were pictures of fruit. She stopped in front of the one with the bowl of fruit. "It's this one, see," she instructed, a little pleased that she did have some special secret knowledge to impart to the Youth. "You've got to tickle the pear, and it'll let you in." She inclined her head at the painted pear, encouraging the ginger girl to try so she didn't think it was just a trick.
"It's just this way," Jemima said with something of a sigh, trotting away to the corridor nearby where all the paintings that lined the passageway were pictures of fruit. She stopped in front of the one with the bowl of fruit. "It's this one, see," she instructed, a little pleased that she did have some special secret knowledge to impart to the Youth. "You've got to tickle the pear, and it'll let you in." She inclined her head at the painted pear, encouraging the ginger girl to try so she didn't think it was just a trick.
