Thanks again to everyone that reviewed! An explanation is coming soon, butmeanwhile here's chapter 3!
Fred and George stared at the photograph in horror. Hermione and Snape? But Snape hated Hermione! And what on earth was Hermione thinking? Surely she would never stoop that low? Just the thought of anyone kissing that slimeball was enough to turn both the boys' stomachs. If they weren't careful, George thought, they really would be ill.
"Isn't that the jumper Hermione was wearing at breakfast?" Fred asked Ginny, who nodded.
"I think it must have been taken this morning," she added. "You know how Hermione always has a photograph of her parents by her bed?"
"No, I'm not allowed in the girls' dormitory, remember?"
"Oh right. Well, it's not there, which means she must have already packed her trunk."
Beside them, Fred said nothing. He was still wondering where Harry, Ron and Hermione had got to. It had been over half an hour since they had left Hagrid's hut and there was less than an hour left until all the students would have to leave for the station. Why had the three of them mysterious vanished now, right when Fred and George needed to find them?
"That's it," Fred said eventually. "We have to find Ron now. Something funny is going on and I want to know what it is. Ginny, are you coming with us?"
Ginny shook her head. "I haven't finished packing yet," she said. "I'm going to stay here and wait for Hermione to come back."
"Suit yourself."
The two boys muttered the password to the Fat Lady and left the common room. They were about to make their way back downstairs when they noticed that just outside the portrait hole stood Professor Lockhart, looking far more like his old self. Resplendent in robes of a deep, rich crimson colour, his hair was immaculate and his expression was just as smug as it had ever been. Both the twins stopped abruptly in surprise. Nobody had seen Lockhart since he'd lost his memory: he'd been up in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey had kept the curtains around his bed constantly closed. Even when Fred had let off a Filibuster Firework and it had hit Lee in the eye they hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of their old professor. But there he stood looking as though nothing had happened.
"Ah, Weasley," Lockhart said, flashing a brilliant grin at George. "Just the person. I'm looking for Harry. Is he in Gryffindor Tower by any chance?"
George gaped at Lockhart.
"But you... you... you lost your memory!" he stammered. "You've left! Dumbledore told us at the feast!"
"I assure you there is nothing wrong with my memory, boys. Now is Harry here or not?"
"What do you want with Harry anyway?" Fred asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Lockhart puffed up his chest importantly.
"That is a matter between Harry and myself," he said. "But since you ask, I'm writing a new book about how I defeated the basilisk and saved Harry and your sister from certain death. The photographer is downstairs waiting to take a picture of them both."
Just then the portrait hole behind them swung open and Ginny peered out. Her eyes were a lot less red now and she had obviously washed her face. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, Lockhart leapt forward and hustled her back into the common room.
"Miss Weasley! Excellent! Is Harry there by any chance as well?"
A moment later the portrait hole slammed shut and Fred and George were left alone on the landing.
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "Better make sure Ginny's ok," he said.
"Yeah, that git will probably put a memory charm on her and make her say that it was him who rescued her, just so he can put it in his stupid book."
Back inside the common room, Lockhart had sat Ginny down by the fire and, just as the twins had feared, he was holding his wand. Immediately they pulled out their own wands ready to stop him but before anyone could speak, the portrait hole opened yet again and this time it was Professor McGonagall who was climbing through.
"Gilderoy!" she cried, in strangely un-McGonagall-like tones. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She didn't look herself either: her face was flushed, her hair was loose and she wasn't wearing her glasses. Neither Fred nor George had ever seen the deputy headmistress without her glasses, despite that fact that she'd been called from her bed on several occasions when the twins had been caught sneaking around at night. And even then she'd always had her hair in a net, never loose. Something very strange was happening... but what?
"Oh Gilderoy," she continued. "Please don't leave Hogwarts! I love you!"
Lockhart leapt to his feet, dropping his wand as he did so, and rushed over to embrace Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva," he exclaimed, "I love you too! Let's run away together and get married!"
The twins stared in horror. Was this really happening? What on earth was wrong with Professor McGonagall?
"Maybe she's been drinking too much butterbeer," George muttered.
"Maybe he's put a spell on her, too," suggested Fred.
"That would explain the photo."
"No it wouldn't! Why would she be on Ron's bed? And she was normal when we saw her downstairs just now. And what about the photo of Snape?"
"Well how else do you explain it then, cleverclogs?"
"Hang on a minute!" Fred dived over to the floor where Lockhart's wand lay and hurriedly scooped it up.
"George, this looks like Harry's wand!"
"Why would that oaf have Harry's wand?" George asked.
Fred started to reply but was stopped by a strange choking noise coming from the corner. The twins turned to see Ginny doubled up with laughter, holding her stomach with one hand. Helplessly she collapsed into an armchair.
"Sorry, Harry" she managed between giggles. "I can't help it! It's just too funny!"
"Harry?" George and Fred said together.
"Somebody had better tell us what's going on RIGHT NOW!"
To be continued...
All will be revealed shortly ;)
Fred and George stared at the photograph in horror. Hermione and Snape? But Snape hated Hermione! And what on earth was Hermione thinking? Surely she would never stoop that low? Just the thought of anyone kissing that slimeball was enough to turn both the boys' stomachs. If they weren't careful, George thought, they really would be ill.
"Isn't that the jumper Hermione was wearing at breakfast?" Fred asked Ginny, who nodded.
"I think it must have been taken this morning," she added. "You know how Hermione always has a photograph of her parents by her bed?"
"No, I'm not allowed in the girls' dormitory, remember?"
"Oh right. Well, it's not there, which means she must have already packed her trunk."
Beside them, Fred said nothing. He was still wondering where Harry, Ron and Hermione had got to. It had been over half an hour since they had left Hagrid's hut and there was less than an hour left until all the students would have to leave for the station. Why had the three of them mysterious vanished now, right when Fred and George needed to find them?
"That's it," Fred said eventually. "We have to find Ron now. Something funny is going on and I want to know what it is. Ginny, are you coming with us?"
Ginny shook her head. "I haven't finished packing yet," she said. "I'm going to stay here and wait for Hermione to come back."
"Suit yourself."
The two boys muttered the password to the Fat Lady and left the common room. They were about to make their way back downstairs when they noticed that just outside the portrait hole stood Professor Lockhart, looking far more like his old self. Resplendent in robes of a deep, rich crimson colour, his hair was immaculate and his expression was just as smug as it had ever been. Both the twins stopped abruptly in surprise. Nobody had seen Lockhart since he'd lost his memory: he'd been up in the hospital wing and Madam Pomfrey had kept the curtains around his bed constantly closed. Even when Fred had let off a Filibuster Firework and it had hit Lee in the eye they hadn't been able to catch a glimpse of their old professor. But there he stood looking as though nothing had happened.
"Ah, Weasley," Lockhart said, flashing a brilliant grin at George. "Just the person. I'm looking for Harry. Is he in Gryffindor Tower by any chance?"
George gaped at Lockhart.
"But you... you... you lost your memory!" he stammered. "You've left! Dumbledore told us at the feast!"
"I assure you there is nothing wrong with my memory, boys. Now is Harry here or not?"
"What do you want with Harry anyway?" Fred asked, his eyes narrowing with suspicion.
Lockhart puffed up his chest importantly.
"That is a matter between Harry and myself," he said. "But since you ask, I'm writing a new book about how I defeated the basilisk and saved Harry and your sister from certain death. The photographer is downstairs waiting to take a picture of them both."
Just then the portrait hole behind them swung open and Ginny peered out. Her eyes were a lot less red now and she had obviously washed her face. She opened her mouth to speak but before she could say anything, Lockhart leapt forward and hustled her back into the common room.
"Miss Weasley! Excellent! Is Harry there by any chance as well?"
A moment later the portrait hole slammed shut and Fred and George were left alone on the landing.
Fred shrugged his shoulders. "Better make sure Ginny's ok," he said.
"Yeah, that git will probably put a memory charm on her and make her say that it was him who rescued her, just so he can put it in his stupid book."
Back inside the common room, Lockhart had sat Ginny down by the fire and, just as the twins had feared, he was holding his wand. Immediately they pulled out their own wands ready to stop him but before anyone could speak, the portrait hole opened yet again and this time it was Professor McGonagall who was climbing through.
"Gilderoy!" she cried, in strangely un-McGonagall-like tones. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" She didn't look herself either: her face was flushed, her hair was loose and she wasn't wearing her glasses. Neither Fred nor George had ever seen the deputy headmistress without her glasses, despite that fact that she'd been called from her bed on several occasions when the twins had been caught sneaking around at night. And even then she'd always had her hair in a net, never loose. Something very strange was happening... but what?
"Oh Gilderoy," she continued. "Please don't leave Hogwarts! I love you!"
Lockhart leapt to his feet, dropping his wand as he did so, and rushed over to embrace Professor McGonagall.
"Minerva," he exclaimed, "I love you too! Let's run away together and get married!"
The twins stared in horror. Was this really happening? What on earth was wrong with Professor McGonagall?
"Maybe she's been drinking too much butterbeer," George muttered.
"Maybe he's put a spell on her, too," suggested Fred.
"That would explain the photo."
"No it wouldn't! Why would she be on Ron's bed? And she was normal when we saw her downstairs just now. And what about the photo of Snape?"
"Well how else do you explain it then, cleverclogs?"
"Hang on a minute!" Fred dived over to the floor where Lockhart's wand lay and hurriedly scooped it up.
"George, this looks like Harry's wand!"
"Why would that oaf have Harry's wand?" George asked.
Fred started to reply but was stopped by a strange choking noise coming from the corner. The twins turned to see Ginny doubled up with laughter, holding her stomach with one hand. Helplessly she collapsed into an armchair.
"Sorry, Harry" she managed between giggles. "I can't help it! It's just too funny!"
"Harry?" George and Fred said together.
"Somebody had better tell us what's going on RIGHT NOW!"
To be continued...
All will be revealed shortly ;)