Ron had been pouring over book after book (which was quite a sight to say
the least) about the Oregon Trail and finally he announced that he was
ready to present his theory. Now of course mine was nice and simple: the
Muggles were just plain careful. But no, that wasn't enough for Mr. Ronald
Weasley!
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and I were sitting in the otherwise deserted common room late one Tuesday night studying, when Ron suddenly said, "I've got it! I know just how to prove my theory to everyone! But I'm going to need your help."
Harry looked up from his Potions book. "OUR help? Like, the three of us?" he asked, motioning to himself, Hermione, and I.
Ron nodded. "Yes. And I need Professor Alcott's help too, but he doesn't need to know that," he smiled slyly.
Hermione looked suspicious, and I didn't blame her in the least. "Ron, what exactly are you planning to do?" she asked cautiously.
Ron looked quite proud of himself as he explained his plan to us. "Well, I won't tell you my theory yet, but I CAN tell you my plan. The four of us and Professor Alcott will go back in time to the Oregon Trail and live it! Then when we're through I'll explain my theory and we'll find out whether it's right or not! Isn't that just bloody brilliant?"
I blinked. "And just HOW are five people supposed to travel back over one hundred years in time?" I asked him, setting my Arithmancy homework aside.
"Actually, it CAN be done," said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"How though? With a Time-Turner?" asked Harry, intrigued.
Ron shook his head. "Not quite, but that's a good guess," he began. "Actually, Professor Flitwick was talking about a month ago in Charms. It's called the Time Charm, and it sends you back in time, up to five hundred years ago. They haven't figured out how to go farther yet, but they're working on it. All we'd have to do is use the charm and - BANG - we'd be in the year 1848!" Ron grinned.
"How do you do the charm?" asked Harry.
Ron took out a sheet of paper. "See all these numbers? They're the ID numbers of all the staff and students at Hogwarts. All I have to do is incorporate the numbers into the correct place in the incantation part of the charm and those people will travel with me back in time. Get it?"
We all nodded.
"But Ron," said Hermione, "this is very, VERY advanced magic. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Ron nodded his red-haired head vigorously. "For sure. I've been practicing."
Hermione smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that," she said, and she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Ron's ears wen the color of his hair. "Thanks Hermione," he muttered.
"Okay then Ron," I said, "are you SURE you have this all figured out? I mean, there's no fine print or anything in this deal?"
Ron shook his head. "Nope. In fact, I'll bring the book along with me," he said, slipping a thick book into his bag. "Now who's with me?"
Harry, Hermione, and I all exchanged worried looks. Ron had come up with some crazy schemes in the past, but maybe it was time we gave him a chance.
"All right Ron," said Harry, "I'm with you."
"Me too," said Hermione.
They all looked at me.
I sighed. "Oh, all right," I told them. "But if anything goes wrong, anything at all, it'll be your ass Ron."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't worry Anna, it'll be fine," he said. "Okay, I'm going to start the charm now. Everyone get your bags and put a hand on the table."
We did as told and I closed my eyes as Ron began reciting the incantation. As soon as he said the number "124567468", I felt myself being shoved violently off the ground as my friends and I left Hogwarts far below the dark sky where we were flying freely away.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, and I were sitting in the otherwise deserted common room late one Tuesday night studying, when Ron suddenly said, "I've got it! I know just how to prove my theory to everyone! But I'm going to need your help."
Harry looked up from his Potions book. "OUR help? Like, the three of us?" he asked, motioning to himself, Hermione, and I.
Ron nodded. "Yes. And I need Professor Alcott's help too, but he doesn't need to know that," he smiled slyly.
Hermione looked suspicious, and I didn't blame her in the least. "Ron, what exactly are you planning to do?" she asked cautiously.
Ron looked quite proud of himself as he explained his plan to us. "Well, I won't tell you my theory yet, but I CAN tell you my plan. The four of us and Professor Alcott will go back in time to the Oregon Trail and live it! Then when we're through I'll explain my theory and we'll find out whether it's right or not! Isn't that just bloody brilliant?"
I blinked. "And just HOW are five people supposed to travel back over one hundred years in time?" I asked him, setting my Arithmancy homework aside.
"Actually, it CAN be done," said Hermione matter-of-factly.
"How though? With a Time-Turner?" asked Harry, intrigued.
Ron shook his head. "Not quite, but that's a good guess," he began. "Actually, Professor Flitwick was talking about a month ago in Charms. It's called the Time Charm, and it sends you back in time, up to five hundred years ago. They haven't figured out how to go farther yet, but they're working on it. All we'd have to do is use the charm and - BANG - we'd be in the year 1848!" Ron grinned.
"How do you do the charm?" asked Harry.
Ron took out a sheet of paper. "See all these numbers? They're the ID numbers of all the staff and students at Hogwarts. All I have to do is incorporate the numbers into the correct place in the incantation part of the charm and those people will travel with me back in time. Get it?"
We all nodded.
"But Ron," said Hermione, "this is very, VERY advanced magic. Are you sure you can handle it?"
Ron nodded his red-haired head vigorously. "For sure. I've been practicing."
Hermione smiled at him. "I'm glad to hear that," she said, and she leaned over and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
Ron's ears wen the color of his hair. "Thanks Hermione," he muttered.
"Okay then Ron," I said, "are you SURE you have this all figured out? I mean, there's no fine print or anything in this deal?"
Ron shook his head. "Nope. In fact, I'll bring the book along with me," he said, slipping a thick book into his bag. "Now who's with me?"
Harry, Hermione, and I all exchanged worried looks. Ron had come up with some crazy schemes in the past, but maybe it was time we gave him a chance.
"All right Ron," said Harry, "I'm with you."
"Me too," said Hermione.
They all looked at me.
I sighed. "Oh, all right," I told them. "But if anything goes wrong, anything at all, it'll be your ass Ron."
Ron rolled his eyes. "Don't worry Anna, it'll be fine," he said. "Okay, I'm going to start the charm now. Everyone get your bags and put a hand on the table."
We did as told and I closed my eyes as Ron began reciting the incantation. As soon as he said the number "124567468", I felt myself being shoved violently off the ground as my friends and I left Hogwarts far below the dark sky where we were flying freely away.