Dreams come true

Missing Moment: Book 5:10.

Fred and George leaving Hogwarts and opening the shop.

By: FredRocks29 (Priya) of Ravenclaw

"We did it, Gred, we did it!"

"I know, I know, do you think my memory's been wiped or something?"

"No, but you could show a little bit more enthusiasm. I mean, we just escaped the clutches of the evil toad-woman on confiscated broomsticks! How cool is that?"

"OK, you have a point. You forgot to mention the Portable Swamp and the 'flying off into the sunset' bits."

"Details! But they do add to the whole feeling of complete amazingness."

"Attention-seeker."

"Sod off. Like you're not basking in the glow of our supreme brilliance too."

"Whatever." I looked at him in surprise. His tone had gone from teasing to angry in about 5 seconds, and I had absolutely no idea why.

All day, whenever I tried to talk to him, the only responses I got were irritable and tetchy.

"George, what is your problem? "

"I haven't got a problem. It's you with the problem." came the toneless reply.

"All day, instead of rejoicing, you've been mopey and bad-tempered. What's up? You can tell me, you know."

"Fine. I know it seemed like a really good idea when we were at school, but I just want to go back now."

"What?" I asked incredulously. After all we had gone through, this past year that we'd put up with Umbridge and her ridiculous rules, George wanted to return to Hogwarts?

"I – well I miss Katie."

"You want to go back to Hogwarts for a girl?"

"You don't understand, Fred! I think – I think I love her!"

"George... this is our dream. You can't ruin everything by wishing you were back at school!"

"Were you serious about Angelina?" he shot at me. I was so flabbergasted by his change of tack that it took me a few seconds to answer. He knew I'd really liked Angelina; but I wasn't about to let that get in the way of doing what I'd wanted to do for my whole life.

"You know I was. And I know you were in love with Katie."

"Why do you keep talking about it in the past tense? I still am in love with Katie!"

"But it is the past, George. This is our future now; the shop! Isn't this what you wanted?"

"Whatever, Fred. You are way too obsessed with this bloody shop!"

We tried to storm into the room we shared at exactly the same time, both extremely angry with the other. I looked at him, he looked at me, and we paused for a few seconds; then we burst out laughing. Our ability to think the same things kind of freaked me out a bit sometimes.

"George..." I started once we'd calmed down enough to talk. "Look, I'm sorry I was acting like Katie doesn't matter. I know how much she means to you. I know that you miss her. But it's not like you can't ever speak to her again."

"Yes it is. I can't even write to her, 'cause Umbridge will be checking all the mail. And all the fireplaces are blocked from the Floo. And I can't exactly just Apparate to Hogsmeade, can I?" George replied, the dejectedness back in his voice.

"Well, it's almost the end of the year, and she can come visit in the summer, and then you can spend all day with her."

His face lit up at the prospect. A sudden worry hit me.

"Don't forget about me though, will you?"

George snorted. "Are you serious? I can't exactly forget you, can I? You are my twin, after all."

I grinned at him.

"Honestly." he smiles. "What would you do without me?"

I turned to look around our shop – our shop! I could feel that stupid grin coming over my face again, but I couldn't do anything about it.

"Why are you grinning at a poster of Bathilda Bagshot?"

"I'm not!" I could feel myself blushing, as I realised what I had been staring at; we hadn't had a chance to redecorate yet.

"Awww, little Freddie has a crush on Bathilda Bagshot! Mummy'll be pleased – 'At least Freddie's chosen himself a nice lady!'"

"Shut up!" I chucked the nearest thing I could find – one of Lockhart's books – at my twin as he grinned smugly at me.

But nothing, not even the most annoying brother in the history of the world, could affect the feeling of complete happiness inside of me. We had defeated Umbridge; we'd be forever remembered by the students of Hogwarts for our spectacular exit!Our dream had finally come true, after all these years of scheming in our bedroom and testing products on each other.

No-one, except George, understood how bloody awful it had been this last year, sitting in lessons and pretending to study. Sometimes, I'd been so frustrated I hadn't even been able to crack a joke – a first for a Weasley twin.

As I fell asleep that night in the flat above the shop, it seemed like absolutely nothing could go wrong now; I was too happy to even worry about what Mum would do when she found out.

I woke up at 5 a.m. on opening day, and made so much noise that I woke George too.

"Whassamatter?" he yelled groggily in my direction.

"It's opening day! Get up!" I exclaimed.

"All right, all right. I'm coming!"

The next few hours passed in a blur of last-minute preparations and minor disasters, and when I was really at the end of my tether, a Howler arrived from Mum. They must have been able to hear our mother's enraged voice in Southern France. However, once the smoking letter had screamed itself out, the day seemed to go much better.

At last, it was time to start the grand opening. After checking one last time that the timing charms on the fireworks were working, we headed outside. A small crowd had gathered, probably after hearing about our escape from Hogwarts.

'Being famous feels so good.' I told George under my breath.

'Yeah, just what I was thinking. Now hurry up and start talking. The audience is getting restless.'

'Alright, alright!'

We pointed our wands at our throats and said 'Sonorus!' in unison.

'Ladies, gentlemen and excitable young children, prepare yourselves.' I began.

'You are about to make the shopping trip of your lives,' continued George.

'Witness the grand opening of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!' I exclaimed.

As the first firework exploded somewhere behind my head, and the crowd whooped and cheered, knew that finally, finally, my dream had come true.