Ron and Harry were being rushed away by Mcgonagall while the twins were trailing behind a complaining Wood.
"You can't just cancel Quidditch!" He yelled. "It's an outrage!"
The twins rolled their eyes until they were finally back in the comfort of the common room. The team automatically collapsed onto the sofas and chairs and let out belated breaths of disappointment. Everyone had been practicing, and everybody was certain they would win. Now, everyone was disappointed and biting back exhilarating comments against the teachers, although most of everyone knew there must be a logical reason behind this.
Once Oliver stopped ranting and blew in a deep breath, Katie poked her head into the air.
"Why do you think Mcgonagall was quick with Harry?" She asked, her voice weary with concern.
"Not sure. But he was with our brother too," George replied.
"You think it has something to do with the rumors?" Fred asked.
"Maybe the Chamber of Secrets have been opened again," Angelina said in a mockingly, menacing voice. Fred and George chuckled in approval, but Wood glared at them.
"Maybe someone got petrified," he suggested in a mellow voice.
The team let a silence befall them. It was an awful joke. Awful, only because they knew of the chances. They were mute with only the sounds of their breathing making conversation, but most noticed how out of place it felt.
Before George decided to mock Woods fidgeting, students began to gather inside carrying rumors and questions with them. They quickly congregated around the team begging for answers that they did not have.
"For the last time," George repeated.
"We know as little as you rotten lot," Fred finished.
"Now scatter," Angelina demanded. But nobody scattered. Lot's of people saw Ron and Harry running after the stern Professor who was failing to contain much of her own emotions.
Soon, the common room was buzzing with energy and mutual worry, so when Ron and Harry finally slipped back in, only a few noticed. That is, until Mcgonagall followed suit with a large piece of parchement and the full attention of every student.
"The new rules are as followed-" she began.
Many were leaned in close, hanging onto every word hoping to catch a hint about the new situation. Except Fred and George, who were heard behind the crowd exchanging small whispers, with no one to nag at them to be quiet.
"I suggest we corner those two," George murmured.
"They definitely know something," Fred added.
"And we better do it before anybody else or they'll just scurry off like little girls."
"In speaking of little girls," Fred realized. "Where's the one that's always nagging?"
George's eyes flew to Ron and Harry, but like his brother implied, she was nowhere near. Nonetheless, he gave a careless shrug.
"She's probably up front so she could hear Mcgonagall better."
"Sure," Fred complied.
"Then again," George resumed. "If Harry and Ron were called for, then-"
"Why wasn't she?"
"Unless those two pulled a nasty prank-"
"And Hermione is giving them a silent treatment," Fred finished.
"Either way, we should question them." George finalized. Fred nodded.
Once Mcgonagall made herself clear and disappeared behind the portrait door, the common room was once again in an uproar. The twins rushed to catch the two boys who were determined to slither away.
"Where are you two headed?" George asked.
"To the only possible place these stairs could lead to, you dimwits," Ron sternly stated. His face was drawn pale, but he was quick with his remarks and attempted to escape his brother's attention once more.
"Now, now, Ron," Fred teased.
"We just want to ask some questions," George added, not understanding their brothers frustration.
"Well maybe we don't want-"
"Look, can you guys ask us another time?" Harry interrupted. "We really need to take care of something right now." He kept his voice calm and stable, but his eyes were sharp and relentless, forcing the twins to make a decision they didn't have.
"Alright, we'll back off," George said, noticing Harrys ghostly face.
As the two were rushing up the staircase, Fred once again noticed an absence.
"Wait," he said. Ron and Harry turned their backs around with annoyed countenances and crossed arms. "Where's the other one?" He asked, waving his hand as if it were a casual curiosity. "Wouldn't she want an excuse to scold you?" Fred knew that once they tell him Hermione's location, he and George could squeeze the information out of her by simply being themselves, and intruding her study space. However, he didn't miss the weary glance between Ron and Harry. He also didn't miss the drooping of Harry's eyelids and the pinched line Ron called his mouth. They stared at the ground, avoiding eye contact and curious glances.
"Fred," Ron said. "Exactly where do you think we were? The Christmas feast part two?" He reprimanded with a roll of his eyes before retreating up the stairs. His statement caught Fred off guard, but Ron was never straightforward with his emotions. He figured him and Hermione got into some pitiful fight over homework, or worse, not eating enough breakfast.
After Ron departed up the stairs, Harry lifted his eyes. "We were at the hospital wing," he finally said. "Hermione was in the library instead of the Quidditch pitch." Of course she was, thought Fred. Did she break her toes by dropping a bookshelf on herself?
"She was found with a Ravenclaw prefect." Found? But before he could ask, Harry was following Ron into their dorm and was out of their sight.
"Suppose Granger carried too many books and hurt her skinny arms?" Fred joked.
"Fred," George began. But before he could finished, Fred lifted his hand.
"I know," he stated.
Somehow, he wasn't terribly shocked. He realized he knew before George did. He knew the minute Ron and Harry stepped inside without Miss Granger taking the lead.
