Arthur Weasley stared at the scarlet train, the Hogwart's Express, with eager anticipation. He couldn't wait to get on the train for his final year at Hogwarts . . . he was eager to try out for the Quidditch team again, as a Chaser.
"Arthur, you'd better hurry, or you'll miss your ride," said his mother, as steam started to cascade from the train.
"'Bye, mum," Arthur said, hugging her. "Tell dad I'll send him my old Muggle Studies book." Arthur's dad was obsessed with the world of Muggles, a hobby of which Arthur's mum did not approve.
"Very funny," said Mrs. Weasley, smiling. "But really—don't." Arthur smiled, and hugged his red-haired mother again.
"See you," he said, and his mother gave him one last bone-crunching hug. "Take care, Arthur," she said, "and try your best; you want a good career, so study hard."
Arthur nodded mechanically as he boarded the train, dreaming about the possibilities he'd have, if only he was Chaser . . . he went to find his friends, Gideon Prewett and Robert Fawcet. He met up with Robert in a compartment by himself.
"Hey," Arthur uttered a greeting. "Where's Gideon?"
"Oh," said Robert, rolling his eyes, "he's Head Boy."
"Good grief, bet that was a nightmare when he told you."
"Yeah, he kept going on about how his so-called 'honor, responsibility, and respect for his elders, particularly the Headmaster, not to mention following the rules' had earned him his badge," said Robert. Arthur snickered.
"He always was a bit stuck-up."
"Did you get a letter from Molly? I've been trying to communicate with her all summer. She's really gotten—"
"Gideon's sister?" Arthur burst out incredulously. Gideon's sister and Robert? What on earth had Robert's family done to him over the summer? They barely knew Molly Prewett! He thought it wise, however, to keep his opinions to himself, since Robert would not share his views when it came to girls. . . .
"Yeah," Robert replied dreamily, "she has great hair. . . ."
Arthur could no longer hold it back. He snorted with laughter. "Are you interested in dating her?" Robert looked at him, slightly put out.
"You'd agree with me if you saw her," he said.
"Wait till I tell Gideon," sang Arthur, knowing Gideon's over protectiveness for his sister would get Robert in trouble with him.
"Don't you dare, you know he'll beat me up if I so much as look at her in his presence—"
"I'm kidding, Bob, but you looked so funny. 'She has great hair,'" said Arthur, now laughing uproariously. Robert looked at Arthur, and reluctantly stopped frowning.
"In my defense, I'd like to say that if you ever got interested in a girl, you wouldn't think it was funny," said Robert, smiling.
Suddenly there was a slight tremor in the hall outside their compartment, and Robert, thinking it was Gideon, immediately shut up.
But it was Fabian, Gideon's brother, who burst into their compartment, fuming. "Malfoy's cursed Anisa again, and just because she stood up for Molly when Molly said that she'd never go out with Malfoy! You'd think he'd've learned his lesson from last year when he dueled with us. Gideon wrote a lesson to Professor McGonagall and now Malfoy's got a month's worth of detentions this year for an unprovoked attack with our dear old Professor . . . won't that be fun. . . ."
He and Arthur exchanged looks. They had always thought that Fabian had a thing for Anisa but hadn't dared to voice it out loud . . . Fabian was just as touchy as Gideon when it came to girls.
"Yes," said Fabian, exasperated. "He's cursed Molly too, I only just got away—he seems to have found two stupid henchman, Cabbe and Groil or something like that—"
Robert and Arthur looked at each other. "What can we do to help?" Arthur asked, mentally noting how the fact that Molly being cursed had been added later, like an afterthought . . . as he glanced at Robert, he knew Robert was thinking the same thing.
"Well, help me figure out the counterjinx . . . but first, let me tell you what happened . . . it might help. . . ."
"I swear, I'm not taking any crap from Malfoy this year," said Fabian hotly. "Remember last year?"
"How could I forget?" Molly asked sarcastically.
"Does he still fancy you, even after all the times you've said no?" Anisa asked disbelievingly.
"I hope not," said Molly, as Anisa chuckled. They walked down the aisle, and into an empty compartment. Molly sat on the comfy red seats, then said, "Uh-oh!" and pointed to the door. It was Malfoy. Great, thought Molly.
"Hello, Prewett—is it just me, or does the room seem brighter with you in it?"
"In the hopes that I'm not a human lamp, let's say it's just you," said Molly icily.
"Go away, Malfoy," said Fabian. Malfoy blinked, but instead of looking angry, like he had in their previous year, he looked over a Fabian, and said calmly, "Oooh, not very friendly, are we?"
"Go jump in a lake," Anisa said angrily.
"Before we have to make you ourselves," said Fabian.
"In other words," Molly said, "Don't force us to get rid of you."
Malfoy scowled. You could tell he was restraining himself from cursing Molly and swearing at her. His face got red. Fabian looked like he was enjoying Malfoy's predicament immensely.
"Will you go out with me?" Malfoy burst out finally.
"NO," said Molly.
"Densaugeo!" Malfoy said calmly, his wand pointed at Anisa. The curse hit her full blast, and she flew backwards, hitting the compartment wall. The green light from the spell was glowing around her teeth. Malfoy snickered. Anisa's teeth were growing, and fast.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Fabian yelled, his wand pointed at Malfoy. Malfoy ducked, and the curse hit one of the henchmen behind him.
"Crabbe!" Malfoy yelled, and turned to Fabian, his wand raising high and—
"Incarcerous!" cried Molly. The spell hit the remaining henchman. He dropped like a sack of potatoes, with cord-like ropes binding him. Molly could tell that Fabian was thinking furiously of a spell—any spell, for Molly was doing the same. Just let it curse his fat face to Timbuktu, she thought.
Malfoy, sensing danger from Molly, looked at her menacingly. "Expelliarmus!" he bellowed. Molly's want flew out of her hand. She looked at him with a mixture of both anger and fear. Malfoy made a start for Molly's wand. "Accio!" cried Fabian, his wand pointed at Molly's. Malfoy turned, and snatched the wand as it began to fly toward Fabian.
Next Anisa tried to Stun Malfoy, but her teeth made it difficult for her to speak . . . with an angry cry of "Stubufy!" a jet of light shot out of her wand, and ricocheted off Malfoy. who had cast the Shield Charm with both the wands, and shattered the light in the ceiling.
"Incendio!" cried Malfoy, both wands pointed at Fabian's shoes. Two jets of flame shot from the wands, hitting Fabian's shoes. As Fabian put out the flames with his wand, he lost the seconds he would have had to defend himself.
"Crescocapillus!" Malfoy yelled, his wand pointed at Fabian.
"NO!" shouted Molly, and threw herself in front of Fabian. A purple jet of light shot from Malfoy's wand and hit Molly squarely in the face. She was rocketed backwards, the purple light glowing, infesting her nose . . . and Molly began to grow braided nose hair from her nose, just like the hair Malfoy had grown last year. Fabian glared at Malfoy, yelled "Accio Molly's wand!" grabbed it, and was about to jinx Malfoy's face into a dried prune, but Malfoy was too quick for him.
"Expelliarmus!" Malfoy shouted. The spell, missing him by inches, was enough to convince to head out of the compartment and get help.
"Pretty much a repeat of last year, isn't it?" asked Arthur. "Dueling with fire on the Hogwart's Express, you will be in trouble. . . ."
"Don't remind me," said Fabian. "And stop channeling Gideon's spirit, I get enough of him at home.
"Is Malfoy still there?" asked Robert.
"I don't know, I think he might've ran off," Fabian said. "He is, after all, not stupid—although he is a great bullying git. But don't worry, I got Gideon, he's head boy, he'll catch Malfoy." Fabian added vehemently. "I hope that bitch gets thrown out of Hogwart's." He glared at the floor. Arthur and Robert stood up. Arthur said, pausing to think, "I think I've heard of that spell before—so her teeth grew, did you say?"
"Yes," muttered Fabian. He was clearly ashamed that he had not been able to prevent it. They headed over to the compartment in question. The girl called Anisa was lying on one side, groaning, and frantically trying to cover her teeth from Fabian, which were now well past her chin. Robert performed the countercurse, and her teeth began to shrink back to normal. She stood up shakily and pointed at Molly, who had appeared to be knocked unconscious by the blow when she hit the wall, and was lying spread-eagled on the floor.
"Can you help her?" Fabian asked anxiously, indicating Molly's nose hair and helping Anisa to her feet.
"Yes," said Arthur, and screwed up his eyes in concentration. He began muttering furiously under his breath, his wand pointed at Molly, his eyes shut tight. Molly's nose hair shrank, slowly at first, but finally disappeared. Arthur, for the first time, was able to see Molly . . . she wasn't around when he visited their house. Her red hair, glinting in the sunlight . . . her freckles on her nose . . . he pointed his wand at her, and said softly, "Ennervate." Molly blinked, and stared up at him with wide brown eyes . . . beautiful eyes. . . .
