Two wizards, one time lord and one muggle made their way down to the great hall for dinner, all deep in conversation. Fred had never once seen a non-magical, non-squib, non-ghost or non-giant guest at the Hogwarts feast ever. The Doctor and Amy Pond must be something special. Amy, he thought, certainly was an enigma of beauty and wit. He scrunched up his nose and grimaced at the thought of how his brother would delight in ripping him to sappy pieces over that love-stick admiration, however true it was.
"What's the face for?" Amy poked his shoulder insistently. Fred shook his head.
"Nothing. So… who are you? The great cousins of Merlin or something?"
"No idea who Merlin is, Fred." Amy reminded him, scooting under a bench next Fred and some young wizards and witches in black and red robes that were whispering things, presumably about Fred. She caught the words 'prank' 'expelled' and 'fireworks' more than she would have liked.
"Hmm.. probably not his cousin then." Fred mused, pulling her from the conversation about some absurd sounding fireworks display she was trying to eavesdrop on.
It was only when Amy realised she hadn't seen The Doctor in almost 3 minutes that she properly looked up around the room. What she saw amazed her. Great, high ceilings rife with floating candles and flickering stars, illuminating a massively gorgeous hall with wooden benches stretching its entire length. The peaks of wizard hats dotted her line of vision, not greatly helping the search for The Doctor.
"People actually wear those hats?! Why!" Amy was half-amused, half-amazed. She owned one herself, wearing it often to Halloween fancy dress parties. She found it unusually amusing.
"Yeah, course!" Fred insisted. "They fine tune magical frequency, sort of like a human antenna."
Amy's eyes bulged. "No way!"
"No way, indeed. I'm afraid your new friend is playing tricks on you." A low voice smiled kindly behind them. The pair whizzed round and there was Dumbledore, who excused himself to sit at the teacher's table, and the Doctor, who looked indignantly at the close proximity of Fred and Amy.
"Hey! She's my companion! Get your own." He proclaimed, attempting to squeeze between them and failing miserably, his long limbs hindering the process. He was left with one leg jammed under the table and the other behind him, slipping into a position not unlike the splits.
"Doctor" Amy scolded, yanking his abnormally large feet from under the wood and turning her whole body to face him. "I'm not yours, nor am I his." Amy huffed. Fred, although he didn't know why, felt slightly disappointed that he hadn't told the stupid Doctor whatever his name is to sod off and that she was his companion. He didn't even know what a companion meant in their terms. Wife? Sister? Captive? He considered the possibility of a love potion affecting his senses.
His train of thought was cut off by Dumbledore's booming voice commanded silence from the length and width of the gigantic room without after speaking barely three words.
"Good evening, all" his voice always hinted kindness, eyes peering from over his odd half-moon spectacles. Fred and Amy turned to face Dumbledore.
"I hope you are all well. There are no notices for the evening, I address you only to request that members of Slytherin House remain behind after their feast and await individual dismissal. A lost object has been found."
Excited murmurs floated from corners of the hall, pondering the value of the magic missing object. Some theorized it was the locket of Salazar Slytherin.
As Fred and Amy listened to Dumbledore's speech, both facing the front of the hall parallel to a sulking doctor perched on the stone floor, Fred was extremely glad Amy was behind him and could not see his face. A very prominent blush had painted his cheeks. Amy's arm was resting on the table, lying immediately next to his and brushing his skin lightly. They were too close. She smelt like oranges. I need to get some air! he thought, and with that, he gently removed himself from the bench and hurried towards the large wooden doors, cursing his red-haired blush.