Chapter 7
It was perfect. The revenge plan. The timing, the unique-ness of it, and the spell that would execute it all.
Usually Hermione wouldn't care for such retaliation, but in a personal battle she was very much a part of, between just her and George, she would put everything into it. And for a couple weeks, she had. Not only did she have to think up what she would be, but she had to create the spell herself. Nothing was as unexpected as that. And, thought bias, she thought it was a brilliant spell.
It took all of her spare time to create. Research was done discreetly, since the very moment George asked her when she was going to attack. She had taken down pages of notes and ideas to even get the image of what the spell would do in her mind. Then it was about figuring out what the incantation would be. This took Hermione one week of her time.
After that, she spent spare time experimenting with it, using it on objects to see how it worked, accidentally getting herself into part of the spell as well. After that she was adamant about the counter curse, not liking the situation she found herself in for an hour and a half before it wore off.
But now it was perfect, and she would do it before breakfast, because a good part of the Weasley family and close friends were having breakfast at the Burrow, as it was a Sunday. Seeing as it was also spring break for students, Ginny would be coming in for the day from school, but only this one day because she had to study for NEWts and Molly wouldn't allow her to slack off at home.
This was slightly disappointing, Hermione found, since she was friends with Ginny the past couple years, but at least the cinnamon haired daughter of the family would witness Hermione's incredible plan.
Setting things into motion, Hermione was out of her room by seven thirty, and sneaking across the hall. As usual George was in a good, deep sleep, as she opened the door. Not entering fully, Hermione simply withdrew her wand and pointed it at George. Under her breath, she spoke the spell. "omnia lentum."
A short, barely noticeable blue glow settled over George before disappearing completely. Refraining from jumping up and down in excitement or making any noise of glee, Hermione closed the door and happily went up stairs to wake Ron and Harry. She didn't knock and bother with the same silence she had moments ago upon entering their room, jumping onto Harry's bed.
"Wake up!" She yelled at her friends, jumping up and down with excitement on Harry's springy, noisy mattress. As he yelped in shock and woke, she jumped across the small gap between beds and onto Ron's bed. "Up, Ronald Weasley! Get up and listen to my brilliant plan before I hex you!"
Ronald yelped like a girl at her jumping and threats, waking quite efficiently. Hermione noted these tactics for future morning when he was difficult to stir. Thoroughly pleased now that both boys were awake, she got off Ron's bed and calmly stood in the middle of the room, eyes flickering from one startled, confused boy to the other.
"I'm getting revenge on George." She was suddenly quiet as she told them this, though her grin was wide with mischief. Feeling what she was feeling, proud and nervous, but ecstatic all at once, she somewhat understood why Fred and George were always so quick to show off their new tricks.
Ron groaned and fell back onto his bed at her confession, uncaring. Harry gave her a stern look. "Did you have to wake us so violently to tell us that?" He wondered in a groggy tone.
"Yes, because it's brilliant, and I wanted to warn you not to touch George this morning." Hermione crossed her arms diligently. These seemed to peak both men's interests, and she smirked. "I put a charm on him, so anything other that the structure of the building -floor, walls, doors- will stick to him and be unable to be taken off."
Curiosity was brewing in them. "So if he sat on the toilet, would he be stuck?" Ron asked, looking up at her from his pillow, incredibly amused.
"Crude, Ronald, and no." She flushed slightly, lifting her chin. "That's part of the building."
Once again uninterested, Ron lifted his pillow and hid his head under it. Not allowing him to put such a damper on her good mood, Hermione gave the pillow a smack right where his face ought to be.
"Both of you should get up soon. Ginny said she should be here by eight o'clock, and it is now seven forty-two." She said while leaving the room. From the hall she heard, she knew, Harry jumping out of bed and running into something before a dresser drawer opened.
Rolling her eyes, Hermione jogged down the stairs. Before going all the way down she went to George's room and knocked quite loudly. "Get up, Georgie!" She yelled and didn't even check on him before bolting into her room as though she would immediately get caught.
George heard Hermione's insane yelling and groaned as he put quite a bit of effort into lifting his head from his arms. Taking in a deep breath he pushed himself out of bed and stood before realizing the oddest thing. His sheet was not coming off his back.
Usually he would laugh and somewhat enjoy the thought of it looking somewhat like a cape, but right now he was too tired to appreciate it, and needed to get dressed before Sunday breakfast. He, after all, felt this odd and impeccable need to look nice for his visiting sister. This in mind, he reached back with his left hand and pulled the sheet gently, thinking it would come off.
It didn't move or slip a bit. He pulled harder before taking in the fact that it was stuck. Right away it clicked in his mind that this was not an accident. This was a prank, it had to be, Hermione's inevitable payback. He didn't exactly feel amused by this thought, but at least she had finally come up with something that would bother him.
George walked to his door and reached for it with the same hand he pulled his blanket with, looking at his palm. It was stuck to the blanket as well now. At least Hermione was being thorough. He would probably stick to everything.
His first thought was, Clever.
His second was that he needed help, and maybe somebody else could pull the blanket off of him. Opening his door slowly, glad that he didn't stick to the doorknob, George went downstairs. The only person there so far, in the kitchen as usual, was his mother. Molly was in the middle of cooking when he entered the room, looking distressed and quite tousled.
"Mum, can you pull the blanket off me?" George requested absurdly as he entered the room. Molly looked up with a bit of a startled reaction.
"Of course, dear, but how did it get stuck?" She asked as he turned around. Molly went to pulling at it without any success as George thought of how to really answer that.
If he lied, what would he say? Then again, if he told the truth Molly could probably convince Hermione much quicker that he could to fix whatever she had done. "I think Hermione pranked me." He finally decided to say.
The simple accusation made Molly stop her pulling. "Well, dear, go and ask her to fix it. Ginny should be here any moment."
That moment, it seemed, came just as George was walking through the living room to the stairs. Right next to him the fire place burst into green flames and spat out a short, red haired girl. She immediately squealed upon her arrival.
"George!" She shrieked and launched forward.
Shocked and nearly horrified, he tried to move out of the way. "No, don't touch me!" George yelled.
This exclamation came a moment too late. Even though he moved, Ginny had managed to grab his arms, as though preparing to pull him into a hug. As he yelled she went to jump back, only to have her hands stuck to her brother, who lurched forward slightly at her tug. Eyes squeezing shut, nose scrunched in frustration, George pulled a very Percy move by pinching the bridge of his nose.
"What in the world, George?" Ginny began to panic, trying to pull her hands off of him. Nothing worked, only jostling George's arms about and making him move. "Why are you, well, why am I sticking to you?"
Letting out a breath he glared at the ceiling, as though glaring through two floors and at Hermione. "It's a prank."
Ginny blinked. "Really?" She had received letters a while back that Ron was trying to prank George. Was this his work? "Well, who did it?"
"Hermi-" He began to utter the name that, right now, belonged to someone he sort of loathed, just for a moment, when something hit him in the face.
It was a quaffle, and it effortlessly stuck to his cheek. A glare etched into stony, dark features he looked towards the attacker, to see the golden trio themselves. Harry and Ron were feigning innocence while Hermione was hitting Ron in the arm. George had a feeling this was his brother's fault, the quaffle.
"Ginny, you're early." Harry happily smiled at the girl, his girlfriend, itching to hug her. Unfortunately she was in no position to receive it. "I've missed you, a lot."
The girl noticed them and her face brightened. "Aww," she cooed," I missed you too, Harry. Ron, set me free so I can hug my boyfriend." She glared at Ron.
"This wasn't me!" Ron hollered, seeming to remember the death glare of George well from Hermione's very first prank, and not at all wanting the blame for something else.
Arthur appeared next to Hermione from the stairs.
"What's going on down here?" He happily asked, walking towards the kitchen. He noticed George's odd state of dress and went to pat his son's shoulder before anyone could warm him. "Don't you think you should get dressed, George? Breakfast is nearly ready."
He went to move, but his hand was stuck to George's shoulder.
Ron laughed while everyone else sort of watched on sympathetically. "What is this foolery?" Arthur pondered quite loudly.
"Oh no." Hermione sort of laughed as she cried it out. This was, after all, a bit amusing. "I'm sorry, Mr. Weasley. Let me get my wand and I'll get you all free, okay?"
She bolted up the stairs, while Ginny looked positively ruffled. "Wait, Hermione pranked George? Brilliant." She praised.
Coming to notice what was going on, Arthur chuckled himself. "Ah, this is her retaliation. At least this time I get to see what has been done, well, actually experience it, really. I'm not quite sure I know this spell, however."
"I think she made it herself." Harry piped up, keeping a safe distance away from them all so he wouldn't get stuck as well. Ron didn't think as logically, and was only staying away because Harry was. "Last week she told me she was busy working on a spell, but I'm pretty sure she can do any existing spell without such practice."
Arthur was even further impressed. "Wonderful!" He exclaimed.
At the same moment the floo flashed green again. This time Percy calmly stepped out, knocking into the group before he realized what was happening. Ginny, George, and Harry yelled at him to stop but it was far too late. One of his hands went just above Ginny's on George's right arm to steady himself. He, as well, became stuck.
"What is going on now?" Molly yelled and bustled into the kitchen. She noticed her husband and two of her children effectively stuck to her other son. George looked positively furious. "Oh, dear, where is Hermione?"
Arthur chimed, "Getting her wand to set us free. I dare say, this spell of hers is strong, don't you all think?" He gleefully asked Percy, who was just gobsmacked and staring at the mess he came a part of.
Hermione came running down the stairs. "Oh, Percy! I'm sorry." She cried upon seeing a new addition to the mess. Clearing her throat and lifting her wand, she said the counter curse. "Liberum iterum."
The first sign that the spell worked was George's bed sheet falling to the ground slowly. Then, everyone jumped away as though in but a moment they would get stuck again.
"Freedom!" George yelled, not exactly happy or sarcastic, but seeming like he actually meant it. He ran up the stairs before anything more could happen to him, leaving his sheet behind.
Ginny wanted to comment on how well George seemed to be, but was pulled into a tight embrace by Harry. Such things, like her brother's welfare, completely fled her mind at the touch of the man she loved. Everyone was glad to see the seen, except for Ron, who pretended to gag at his sister and best mate holding each other.
The moment they let go, everyone was excitedly saying hello to the girl, greeting her and then Percy. In the mess of Sunday morning normal-ness, Luna Lovegood, Neville Longbottom, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Bill and a pregnant Fleur, Minerva McGonagall, and Andromeda Tonks carrying little Teddy, all arrived. At some point George even returned, dressed and prepared for a crowd, but not looking happy.
But he had a silent truce with Hermione now that the prank was over. It was made the moment they made eye contact, nodding at each other. Hermione was slightly disappointed that not everyone got to see it, but the story was retold by anyone who saw at some point during breakfast.
It was a loud, crowded occasion, Sunday's at the Burrow. But they were all thankful for magic, making the kitchen much bigger, and the table long enough for everyone. You couldn't always talk to everyone you would like to until after the meal, but either was Hermione and the others were happy with exactly where they sat, pleasantly chatting with whoever was near. In the middle of breakfast, a note even found it's way down the table to Hermione.
It was from George, she knew automatically by the note's appearance. Folded into a broom and flying down the table, shocking people who were reaching for their glasses or lifting their forks by zipping right past their hands. Then the note made a crash landing into Hermione's hair, to which she squealed slightly before retrieving it. The paper held only a few words.
"Very nice spell. Teach it to me sometime for the joke shop."
Cheer bubbled up in her like never before. Not because she was praise, oh no, she was used to that. She was incredibly happy by the fact that George wanted to get involved in his shop again. It had been, apparently, months since he had even left the house, let alone worked. This was a major improvement, and would have made anyone incredibly cheerful.
Finding George's eyes from far down the table she leaned forward to see him better and excitedly nodded. He smiled at her, and she grinned largely back, before continuing to eat her meal. She didn't even think about the fact that he would soon retaliate with his own prank until long after breakfast was over.
