Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter or McDonalds.
I am SOOOOO sorry for how long this took. I honestly didn't have inspiration. The first half of this chapter has been written for several months, but I had no idea how to transition it to them eating Frogs, or who they should find. I hope that the wait is never this long again, but I can't tell as this is simply a collection of one-shots that I write as inspiration hits me. I still have a lot of cards to be found, so this will continue for awhile still. Happy reading.
I accidentally uploaded from the wrong story, hence the massive word count change. Sorry about that.
A/N This story is taking place April 1, 2008.
George sat behind the counter at WWW where he was going over some of the accounting as the shop was closed. Today was the worst day of the year, or was it the second worst? It didn't matter. This day still hurt just like it had hurt for the past ten years.
"Hey, George!" said Lee as he walked into WWW. He had an entrance key, so he could come in even if it was closed. "I just thought of a new prank idea you could use. That is, if you're interested in discussing something like that today." The last part was said in a lower voice.
George turned from the counter and looked at his friend. It would be ten years since the battle next month and he still thought of Fred daily. It was hard not to think of him, especially with Fred Jr. running around, but it was doubly hard today. Today George was thirty: a whole decade older than Fred.
"Yeah, I'd like to hear it," said George a bit huskily. "Fred would be glad that I'm still trying to invent things." He got out of his chair and walked towards Lee while dusting his hands off on his shirt.
"I'll tell you over lunch," said Lee. "It's two o'clock and I know you probably haven't eaten today."
"You're right," said George quietly. "I can't seem to do anything on this day."
"I don't think anyone expects you to," assured Lee gently.
George nodded and called upstairs, "I'm going out with Lee, Angel!"
"All right, dear," Angelina said coming downstairs holding baby Roxanne. "I finally got Fred down for a nap. I swear that kid is a human cyclone."
"He's got energy," agreed George smiling at Angelina and his daughter. "Take care."
"You too, George," said Angelina, giving him a one armed hug. "I know today is difficult."
George nodded, not daring himself to speak for fear he'd burst into tears. He kissed the two women of his life goodbye and walked out of the shop with Lee. "Whatever we do, I want to go to a private place," he said huskily. "That, or a Muggle place."
"Yeah, I was thinking that," said Lee slowly. "We both want to avoid the paparazzi today." The entire wizarding world made a big deal of any and all Weasley birthdays, even the next generation, and that made it so it was nearly impossible to go anywhere in the wizarding world on a actual birthday.
George nodded silently again.
"Come on, George," said Lee. "I'll Side-Along Apparate you. One, you probably don't know the area we're going to, and two, you're in no condition to Apparate today."
A moment later the two were standing in a park. "Where are we?" asked George.
"Another area of London," Lee answered. "Come on."
The two walked for awhile and soon Lee led George to a fairly small food court. They went into a McDonalds where Lee ordered an egg McMuffin and George went for the Double-double, as he wasn't certain what most of the other items were. Fast-food was basically a foreign land to him, though once little Fred started to grow up, it wouldn't be foreign for very long.
The two slowly walked back to the park after getting their food.
"So, what was the idea?" George asked quietly. He didn't really want to talk about pranks, but he also knew that if Fred could come and hex him for still acting like this, he would. So he tried to keep up his spirits as much as he could, with avoiding actual spirits.
"Well, I was thinking that you could do something that involved turning someone into a piece of furniture for a brief amount of time," said Lee.
George raised his eyebrows. "Where'd you get that idea?"
"To be honest, it isn't technically my original idea," began Lee. "I was watching this old film called 'A Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy' and there's one scene where two guys end up as couches for a short time. I thought it might make a strange prank product."
"Strange certainly is the right word," George said. "That isn't something that's crossed my mind." He took a bite of his burger. "How would it work," he asked through a mouthful of food.
"Eight years of being married to Angelina, and she still hasn't taught you manners?" asked Lee in surprise.
"Oh, shut up," muttered George, still with food in his mouth.
"Relax, I was just teasing," said Lee. "So, how do you think that could work."
George swallowed. "Lee, you do know that I'm not the best at coming up with how ideas work. I've mostly been working from Fred's notes. He had a lot of thing planned, most of which I don't understand very well."
"It's just an idea, George," said Lee. "You're welcome to throw it out the window. Metaphorically, that is. I don't want to get tossed."
George cracked a grin. "I think that somehow placing a transfiguration spell on the candy would be a start. It would have to be something that wouldn't be activated though until it was chewed."
"I had thought of that too," said Lee. "And actually tried it on a Chocolate Frog. It hasn't been tested yet though."
"Do you have the Frog with you?" asked George.
"Yeah," Lee answered, and he fished it out of his pocket. "Here ya go," he said, handing it to George.
"What kind of spell did you do?" George asked, wondering if he should risk eating it.
"I think it was a desk, but it might've been a table," Lee answered.
George glared at his friend, but he opened the package and started to chew the frog. Suddenly he felt strange, as if some of him was made of wood. He suddenly toppled over, and ended up on his hands and knees. But they weren't his hands and knees. Instead, they were wooden legs. Nothing else had changed though, which made it even weirder.
Lee was howling with laughter. "I guess the spell didn't quite work," he said.
"How the heck do I get out of this?" said, George, trying to glare at his friend.
"It only is supposed to last for a few minutes," assured Lee, still trying to stop his laughter.
As suddenly as George had realized that his arms and legs were wooden, he realized that they were normal again. He struggled to his feet. "That was weird," he said. "But quite interesting. If it can be perfected, so the table or whatever isn't left with a human head and top, it might work. Now where's that card?" He looked around for the card, and found it still in the box.
"I wonder who's on it," he mused and pulled it out. The picture was of Neville, holding the sword of Gryffindor in his hand. "Hey, Lee, look at this," said George, and he handed the card to Lee.
Neville Frank Longbottom July 30 - present
Neville Frank Longbottom was born to Auror's Frank and Alice Longbottom at the height of the first wizarding war with Voldemort. He was raised by his paternal grandmother as his parents were unable to care for him, and he attended Hogwarts from 1991-1999, repeating his seventh year because of the war. During his Hogwarts years he was actively involved in the D.A. and during his seventh year when the Golden Trio was on the run, he was a leader of the D.A. and helped many of the younger students during the Carrow's regime. At the Battle of Hogwarts, he is remembered for defying Voldemort and for slaying the snake Nagini with the sword of Gryffindor. He is now married to Hannah Abbot, and has two children, Frank and Alice. Currently he is the Herbology professor at Hogwarts and enjoys teaching and spending time with his family.
"Wow," said Lee. "That's a lot of information."
"Neville was important," said George. "He is responsible for getting rid of the final Horcrux. Next time he's around, we'll have to show it to him."
"Knowing Neville, he'll probably be a bit embarrassed," said Lee, "but it'll be good teasing. Chocolate Frog Cards are always good for that."
So saying, the two Apparated back to the joke shop. George was feeling much better. Lee had helped to cheer him up, and he had a new prank idea and some teasing material for Neville. The day which had started out pretty bad, had improved. It wasn't perfect, but it was much better.