Chapter 4
"Good thing ickle Ronniekins isn't here, eh?" Fred called over his shoulder to George, a huge grin plastered on his face.
"Why, what does the square say?"
"Something about eight legs...obviously a spider."
"What plans do you have?" George said, looking concerned.
"A blast of spider poison from my wand, of course!"
"You don't know any spider poison spells. Come to think of it, there are no spider poison spells. Spider poison potions, perhaps, but not spells."
"Worry not, George!" Fred said merrily. "We shall see just how scary this spider can be."
THUMP. THUMP. Grrrrumble. THUMP. The ground trembled, and the ominous sound of breaking twigs and branches grew closer.
"Apparently this spider is very big," Fred commented, cocking his head to the side. He turned around to face his brother and grinned. "It is a really good thing our littlest bro isn't here, eh?"
George had no chance to respond. His eyes, fixated on a point behind Fred's shoulder, had grown as round as the enormous platters their mum used only at family reunions. At last, he spoke in a low, cautious, you-might-not-want-to-turn-around-just-now voice.
"That's no spider, Fred."
"Alicia, stop, you're making me depressed just watching you."
Katie spoke irritably to her friend, who was busy venting her anger on the wildlife around them. Alicia, after discovering that they were confined to their START square (until it was their turn to move, that is), had started bashing the trees closest to their square with her frying pan, with a wild ferocity that would have made any cook skilled in cooking-utensil-combat proud.
"You'll end up breaking your pan, and then you'll have nothing left."
"I - don't - care." Alicia emphasized each word with a swing of her pan.
"If it makes you happy, would you like to switch? I can't see me using these at all." Katie looked ruefully at her bow and arrows. "In any case, I like to cook and maybe my culinary skills will save us all sometime." She spoke sarcastically, but Alicia brightened considerably.
"Really? Katie, you're a doll." She eagerly handed her frying pan to Katie. It never made it to Katie's hand. Every time they attempted to switch weapons, an invisible force seemed to block their efforts.
"I think we're meant to hold on to what was chosen for us," Katie said, staring at her bow with new-found curiosity.
"Oh, fiddlesticks!" Alicia let out a disgruntled cry and slumped onto the grass.
"It's all right, Alicia, I'm sure the frying pan will help you when you least expect it," Katie said kindly, now feeling sorry for her friend.
"It's not about the pan, Katie!" Alicia cried, tugging at her hair. "It's just...this!" She motioned toward their surroundings with a sweep of her hand. "I don't want to be here!"
"None of us do," Katie said soothingly, sitting beside her despondent friend and putting an arm around her. "But we'll make it out of here."
"We better," Alicia said fiercely. Then, as if her tirade had exhausted her, she leaned wearily against Katie. With a little sigh, she said, "I suppose we might as well cover some ground while we're here, right? I've been meaning to ask you this for some time..what do you think about Oliver?"
Katie stiffened. "Oliver?"
"Yes. Oliver."
"Oliver."
"Yes, Oliver. As in Oliver in seventh year. As in Oliver, our insane Quidditch Captain. As in Oliver, the Wood."
"Oh shut up, I get it," Katie snapped. "I don't feel anything toward him."
"Katie darling, you've crushed on him since second year."
"That was then, this is now."
"Things haven't changed. Well, they have... in one aspect. I suspect he fancies you."
"LOOK, a rescue plane!" Katie lied, pointing skyward.
"Oooh oohh WHERE?"
Out of the trees stepped what could only be described as a mutant two-headed amphibian. An enormous, green blob covered in bumpy, uneven warts, the monster could only be explained by saying two frogs had been mushed together in a blender, with some uber-powerful growth hormone thrown in. With two heads, four eyes, and, as promised, eight legs, the monster could be considered by some people to be even more terrifying than an acromantula.
Apparently, not to Fred. "Wow, look at this idiot toad!" he crowed, laughing delightedly. "This is a challenge? C'mon, Superfrog, show me what you've got!"
In response, the monster led out an enormous roar that shook the area, including the twins. Fred gulped. Perhaps his foe was more formidable then it looked. But then again, just because it could let out a loud burp didn't mean it could hurt him, right?
Oops. Wrong again. The monster lunged at him, its powerful hind legs pushing off the ground, and Fred barely had time to dodge it.
"Stupefy!" he shouted. The spell blasted from his wand, but only seemed to be absorbed by the frog's thick skin. He tried again. "Relashio!"
The spray of sparks, though small compared to the frog's gigantic body, was still enough to burn a small spot on its back. The monster roared again, and suddenly, a stream of red liquid spurted from its eyes.
"Bloody hell!" Fred screamed, and dropped to the ground, missing the liquid by mere inches. He turned around to see where it landed - in a clump of flowers. Once hit by the spray, the flowers blackened and died. The acrid smell of something burning reached Fred's nostrils.
"Fred!" George screamed. He looked about to faint. For the frog, taking advantage of Fred's shock, was looming threateningly over him.
"Mother!" Fred squeaked, and tried to escape. But alas! Like a flash of lightning, the monster's tongue darted out of its mouth, and soon the sticky tongue was wrapping around Fred, who shouted bloody murder. The frog reeled him in...closer...closer
"DO SOMETHING, GEORGE!" Fred yelled, but George could not obey. He tried to move, but seemed to be frozen. Apparently, the game was making him stick to the rule - every man must fend for himself.
The frog's mouth was looming ever nearer, and desperately, Fred whipped out his wand, shouting, "Impedimenta!"
The spell shot into the monster's mouth. There was an enormous roar, even louder than before, and the creature dropped Fred to the ground, bellowing in pain. It seemed as if a great wave of force had driven straight down its throat, and for a moment the frog had trouble breathing.
Fred lay on the ground, panting. That was a close call, he thought grimly. Too close. Standing quickly, he aimed more Stunning spells at the beast, but still they had no effect. What do I do next? he thought desperately, running out of ideas. C'mon Fred, use that brain of yours!
"The flame thrower!" George screamed.
Well, if my brain isn't working, at least George's is. Fred whipped his head around. There, many feet away, lay the weapon that he had dropped earlier. The question was...could he reach it in time?
If he did, he should consider himself extraordinarily lucky. For the frog, now recovered, returned to attack its prey, angrier than ever. It stood in the way to the flame thrower, and as if anticipating Fred's next move, it let out a a low growl from the depths of its throat.
"Look, there's a princess to kiss you and turn you into a prince!" Fred shouted, pointing to the side before racing toward the weapon. The frog, only momentarily distracted, lunged toward him...
It seemed Fred was doomed.
"He's going to die!" Bole screamed, watching the action from above. He was biting his nails frantically.
Flint whirled on him. "Are you a true Slytherin or not?" he snarled viciously. "Never let me catch you acting in such an embarrassing manner again!"
Bole pouted, his lower lip sticking out. Whether Fred Weasley was going to die or not, Bole could only think of one thing - he had just been accused of not being Slytherin material. Oh, the humiliation!
Draco smirked.
"Gotcha!" Fred cried, falling upon his weapon and clutching it anxiously. The monster was about pounce on him any second now, he knew. Fred looked down at the flame thrower. There were markings on it, but there was no time to contemplate what each one meant. Without even thinking, without having used it ever before, he pushed a random lever all the way to the top and fired, just as the monster attacked.
It seemed Fred had chosen the intensity lever and put it to its maximum level. For an enormous wave of red-hot flames engorged the monster in mid-air. Its eyes widened with shock as it fell to the ground, and Fred managed to roll away just in time. The monster let out one last bellow, and then a soft, pained moan...
Then, only silence could be heard for what seemed like eons. Slowly, Fred raised his eyes to look into those of his brother, and their gazes met over what could only be described as an immense mound of roasted frog meat.
"He's still alive," whispered Derrick in wonder. "He's alive."
"I can't believe he managed to kill it," said Warrington in awe.
"Oh, it's not that big of a deal," Flint snapped, annoyed, because secretly he was wondering if he could have acted as bravely as Fred had.
"Well, shall we move on?" Draco said briskly, as if a near-death occurrence for a fellow student was an everyday experience. "Who's next?"
"I am," Montague said, still dazed from watching Fred's battle. Then, as if realizing what he'd just said, he repeated, "I am." He looked up in surprise. "Katie goes next."
"Well obviously, you doofus!" Flint drawled. "You picked her, didn't you? You jealously had her separated from Oliver, didn't you? You bloody fancy the filthy Gryffindor and her mixed blood, don't you?"
Montague reddened. "You don't have to be so nasty," he said darkly.
"You don't have to be so nasty," Flint mimicked. "Now hurry up and roll the die, would you?" He smirked. "Wouldn't it be funny if something deliciously, dramatically dangerous happened to your Katie?"
Montague, shaking with anger, picked up the die and rolled it wordlessly...
...6
"I can't believe you lied to me about the rescue plane," Alicia grumbled.
"Would you like a formal apology written out on parchment? Unfortunately I have none, so you'll have to make do with words written in the sand with this stick."
"I hate you, Katie Bell."
"I feel the love."
"You only mentioned the plane so you could change the subject from a certain Quidditch captain."
"Do you see me denying it?"
"No, not about you changing the subject, but yes, about Oliver Wood."
"Alicia, you go around electing yourself Official Matchmaker of Hogwarts all the time and half the time the relationships don't even work out."
"And what about the other half, hmm?"
"Alicia, give it up. Please? Roger Davies fancies me and I'm already half in like with him... So you see, I've given up on Oliver Wood once and for all."
"Ugh, you get SO dramatic sometimes..."
"Says Miss Teen Drama Queen herself."
"Excuse me? Well I'll have you know, Katie Bell, that you are- KATIE!"
As if an invisible hand had grabbed Katie, the girl was flung down the path, where she was dumped rather unceremoniously six spaces away.
"Oh Katie, I didn't mean it, I didn't even say it anyhow, but you just flew away from me like that-" Alicia cried, in hysterics. "Can you hear me? Huh? Katie, can you hear me? Bloody hell this stupid game, I'm trying to get to you but it's like something's holding me back. Katie? Katie! Oh dear God, Katie, are you alive? Now you're dead and I'm all alone and I think I'll just faint from fear and I'll never make it out of here, and see my mum again, or have her yummy apple pie..." She paused, then, "KATIE!"
Katie let out a little moan from where she'd fallen. She raised her head. "I told you you were a drama queen," she muttered.
"Oh, you're all right!" Alicia gasped, holding the back of her hand to her forehead as if she was about to faint. Then, only a moment later, she stopped, looking thoughtful. "Hmm, perhaps I am a bit dramatic."
Katie would have rolled her eyes if the square underneath her hadn't lit up just then. Startled, she jumped to her feet, and her eyes grew round as she read:
Beware, for things are not what they seem...
