Everything felt fuzzy, like a nightmare underwater. Anne's ears were simply buzzing, her skin itching where her tears were drying and her nose stuffy. A rational part of brain understood Ned's points and she was very happy he knew what happened with the bludgers. Anne was lucky he was smart and calm. She hadn't been calm, she hadn't helped at all. She felt her eyes pricking again and she blinked them violently. She couldn't be such a baby if she was going to play quidditch and not embarrass her brother in front of his friends. Like she said to Miss Bixby, she bet real players weren't crying.

Plans were made around her and, a real shock, she could only nod dumbly as Ned voiced the need to leave. Dropping a tiny curtsey in the general direction of Mr. and Mrs. Bixby, she managed to find her manners somewhere under the buzzing in her brain. "Thank you very much for the invitation. I hope Mr. Rufus gets better quickly." She took Ned's hand as he moved them toward the stairs. Doing her best to keep her voice steady and quiet, her vocal chords were drowning apparently, her voice far too watery. "Ned, I want to go home to mum, please." The last barely a squeak.

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