Chapter 48 Practice Makes Perfect
Once classes were done for the day Harry, Hermione, Ron, Emily and I made our way down to the lake where we wouldn't be overheard. "Dumbledore thinks Voldemort is getting stronger again as well?" Emily asked while we were seated under a large oak tree.
"Seems like it." I said.
"And he trusts Snape?" Ron pryed. "He really trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"
"For some reason." Harry grumbled.
"Why are you to so convinced Snape is a terrible person? Every year when something's up he's the first one you blame. Give it a rest."
"I will, when I'm convinced he's not a death eater anymore." Harry answered as I that completly settled the matter.
"Rita Skeeter!" Hermione whispered as if that would solve everything. Ron gave her an exasperated look.
"How can you be worrying about her now?"
"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione answered. "I'm just thinking...remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? 'I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl. ' This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial, she knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. And Winky too, remember...'Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard.' Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off, he would have talked about it at home."
"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" I pointed out, Hermione only shrugged.
"And Fudge reckons Madame Maxime attacked Crouch?" Ron asked again.
"Yeah," Harry told him. "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage.
"We never thought of her, did we?" Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it-" Ron began to say but Hermione cut across him.
"Of course she doesn't! Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."
"I can see your point Hermione. I mean look at Remus, he was probably one of the best teachers we ever had at Hogwarts and he quite once everyone found out he was a werewolf. It's not right to judge people based on what they are or were, you have to judge them but their actions now."
"This is about Snape isn't it?" Ron asked.
"Definitely." Harry replied before I had a chance to.
"I give up on the pair of you." I said rolling my eyes. "Right well if we're done questioning Dumbledore's judgement, I'm off to find Fred and George. They might be able to help me get ready for the triwizard tournament that everyone expects me to win." I stood up from my seat under the tree and headed off to the Entrance Hall. I was hoping to catch Fred and George on their way down to dinner. I saw the twins bouncing down the steps laughing about something. I put my foot out at the bottom of the steps So that Fred would trip. He topped to the ground and George followed after tripping on his brother. After making contact with the stone floor, Fred whipped his head around and started to shout.
"Alright which one of you first years thought it would be a good idea to trip us..."
"Who says it was a first year?" I asked standing over the twins.
"Oh Alice, it's you!" George laughed as he rose to his feet.
"Lucky thing too, was about to reach for my wand and hex the pants off you." Fred said with a smile. I planted a kiss on Fred's forehead before helping him to his feet.
"I need some help boys."
"Anything for our favorite Triwizard Champion!" George agreed instantly.
"You haven't even heard what I wanted to..."
"Doesn't matter, we'll do it." Fred jumped in.
"The last task is a maze." I dropped my voice down low so that only Fred and George could hear. "We have to fight our way to the center. I wanted to ask if either or both of you would be willing to teach me some spells? I mean I don't know for sure how far along Krum and Fleur are in school, but Cedric's a sixth year like you guys so he'll know tons more spells than me. I'm sure the judges didn't build the task around my fourth year skills. Well do you think you could take time out of your busy schedules to help me out?"
"Definitely." They answered in unison.
"Ok, how's next Friday night sound?" I asked.
"How about tonight?" George suggested.
"Meet in the Entrance Hall after Filtch's gone to bed." I instructed them before I headed into the Great Hall. After dinner I went with Emily to our common room. We worked on our homework for a few hours before Emily became tired and went to bed. I sat up in the common room watching the flames of the fire flicker back and forth. Now that I was alone I began to the about Severus. Had he been put on trial the way Karkaroff and Mr. Crouch's son had? Or had Professor Dumbledore spared him that fate? What did actually convince Dumbledore that Severus was not a Death Eater? And out of everyone, why had he chosen Severus to be his number one spy? I tried to shake it all from my head because I knew I could stare at those flames for days and never have the answers to my questions. Once enough time had passed I headed out of the dungeons and stood in the Entrance Hall. I waited several minutes before wondering if Fred and George had decided not to show. I was relieved when I saw the pair of redheads coming down the stairs. I raced up the steps to meet them.
"So George and I were thinking,"
"And we wondered if you've found a place to practice?"
"I hadn't thought of that." I said thinking. "Well we can just use one of the abandoned classrooms right?"
"Won't work." Fred shook his head.
"A lot of spells, require a target, and thought Fred and I are confident in your ability to not kill us, you are still just a fourth year and well..."
"If we have the choice we'd rather not be on the receiving end of a jinx gone bad."
"No I understand. I'm sorry I should have thought of something like that. Maybe we can meet sometime next week after I've found a place?"
"Now what makes you think we haven't got a place?" George smiled.
"Well because you said..."
"We only asked if you had a place in mine." Fred grinned. "Remember that room I took you to before, on the seventh floor?"
"The one with the flowers and candles? How are flowers and candles..."
"Its called the Room of Requirement." George interrupted me. "It's a room that changes for the user's needs. If we ask it to, it'll have everything you need to learn whatever spells, jinxes and charms you heart desires!"
"What are we waiting for? Let's go!" I said taking off at a run. Fred and George's idea to use the Room of Requirement turned out to be a brilliant one. The entire room was padded for obvious reasons, there were also various objects from transfiguration and several items that the twins were able to easily enchant to become moving targets.
After that first time I met with Fred and George almost nightly over the next few weeks so that I would be properly prepared for anything the tournament maze could throw at me. I was starting to think I might actually beat the other champions to the center of the maze.