Disclaimer: I do not own Harry potter.
The 14th Year
Fred and George usually wake up before I do. It is a fact that is probably correlated with the likelihood that they will sleep through the night without waking up. But ever since we came home for an early Easter break, I've been waking up earlier than usual and just stare at them. Fred's split lip was looking better every day. And George's bruises had mostly cleared up, but he was still experiencing some stiffness in motion. They're fine. We are all fine. But I still got this awful feeling that they could be taken from me at any moment. As if feeling my eyes on him, George wakes up. We make eye contact immediately. It takes George a moment to get his eyes to focus, but when he does George closes them again. "Another nightmare?" He mumbled; pulling his blankets up higher around the both of us.
"Yeah", I answered. That explained why I was in his bed. But it didn't explain why he woke up to me staring at him. He was getting used to it, however. He and Fred. I've been doing this for about a week now. Was it weird? Very. But I doubted I would be able to stop. Not until things started to feel normal again.
George opened his eyes. If he had the intention to go back to sleep, I think he's too awake for that now. "Mum's going to be high-maintenance today". His tone is weary. It is something we have all been feeling in the Weasley household as of late. "I don't know what she was thinking".
I hummed and glanced up at the ceiling to collect my thoughts. When Mum first mentioned having a bunch of people over, no one was very enthused by the idea. It was only about a week ago that Hogwarts had to be closed early for Easter break, and all students were sent home. No one was permitted to stay over the holiday. It was unexpected enough that I expected to see my dorm room instead of the Burrow when I wake in the morning. "I think she's hoping that this will help everything return to normal", I said after a moment.
George nodded. "Still". But he didn't fully agree. "Today of all days, after… all that".
I shrugged as I started to get up. We'd just have to get through the day. And who knows? Maybe Mum is right, and today will make things better because none of us really know what to do.
"What do we do?" Mum asked after McGonagall finished the school-wide announcement. Dad and Mr. Pucey swiftly walked to the hospital wing's doors. Mr. Pucey already had his wand in hand, and Dad was pulling out his own as he walked. That spoke to the seriousness of the situation. Dad hardly ever pulled out his wand. He always tried to use his hands for whatever need he had. It was more fun for him that way. But at the moment, he was all business.
Mr. Pucey reached the doors first, He opened one of them wide enough to stick his head out. From the hospital wing, we couldn't hear anything. I doubt Mr. Pucey could see anything either. Mr. Pucey pulled his head back in and looked at Dad. "Should we investigate? Logically, based on the information we have already been given; the third-floor corridor is probably where the Philosopher's Stone is being kept".
Dad glanced over at Mum; however, he didn't get a chance to answer. "Marcellus" Mrs. Pucey spoke up. She had risen into a standing position, one hand clasped onto her son's shoulder, and the other gripping the handle of her ivy wand. "We should wait for more information. They said someone should be along presently".
Mum was having a different line of thought. "Arthur, the children", she exclaimed, climbing to her feet. She didn't mean all the students at Hogwarts. She meant my five siblings that are currently elsewhere in the castle.
Dad seemed to be of similar mind if his pale expression was anything to go by. "They would have gone to their common room", he reasoned. "We know Percy will watch over Ginny". Of course, the only thing that would calm Mum is if she had all of us in her line of sight, not Dad thinking aloud. The announcement had directed all students not in the hospital wing to return to their dorms. Rule-follower Percy would have done that. As far as we knew, he also was currently watching Ginny, so Ginny should be with him. Fred, George, and Ron were not rule-followers but it would be crazy to assume they would be foolish enough to ignore a school-wide lockdown. But knowing what I know, I can't shake the feeling that at least one of my brothers may be ignoring the lockdown for the sake of the Philosopher's Stone.
"It has to be that Quirrell person," Mr. Pucey said, his eyes glossing over everyone in the room. He seemed agitated. "He must be going after the stone. Bah! This will ruin our new contract with Hogwarts". Mr. Pucey turned to his wife as he said that as if she would share his pain.
Mrs. Pucey was unsympathetic. "Marcellus", she said sternly. Her face had darkened in just the last few minutes. "We should lock the doors and wait until we have more information". Her tone left no room for argument.
Except for Mum, that is. "That is very well for you". Mum's voice was rising in shrillness. It had me straightening my spine with the sense that I was somehow in the wrong. "You have one child that is currently safe and with you". Mum waved her wand in the direction of the doors. "Five of my children are out there in Merlin only knows what state with a madman on the loose who uses legilimency on minors!" That might just be the Molly Weasley rant of the year.
"As long as they don't go to the third-floor corridor they should be fine" Mr. Pucey broke in, but he made no move to secure the doors. Actually, the way he said 'the third-floor was filled with so much longing, it made me think he wanted to go to the third floor.
Dad spoke at the same time Mr. Pucey had. "We don't know that, Molly".
Mum pushed up her sleeves and squared her shoulders. "We don't know anything," Mum said in a lower octave. Uh oh, she means business. Briefly, I made eye contact with Dad. I think we are of a similar mind. Mum marched forward, heading straight past Dad and Mr. Pucey. "Stay with Holly!" She yelled at Dad before thundering out the hospital wing's doors. Quirrell better hope he doesn't cross paths with Mum. We all watched her go with our mouths open.
"Um…um", Dad stuttered. "Molly!" He called after Mum, but when it was clear that she was gone, Dad tightened his grip on his wand. He looked at me, then back at the doors before looking at Mrs. Pucey. "Please look after my daughter". And then Dad was gone, chasing after Mum.
After a moment, Mr. Pucey closed his mouth and coughed. "Florentina, my dear, I feel it would be prudent if I go af-"
"Marcellus", Mrs. Pucey interjected. "Close the doors".
Mum was already hard at work in the kitchen by the time we went downstairs. "Morning", Fred mumbled as he walked over to his usual spot at the table. As George and I followed his lead the Weasley family table became full. Well, mostly full. Mum, of course, is cooking so she's not at her seat at the table. But everyone else is… almost. Bill and Charlie are here. They managed to get the time off they needed from their jobs in order for them to be here for today's event. Bill is currently trying to get a glum Ginny to eat more than just a couple of mouthfuls. While Charlie was attempting to engage Percy in a conversation. Ever since we came home, Percy hasn't been seen without his nose buried in a textbook. He says it is because of his OWLS, but I think he is studying like a maniac because it keeps his mind busy. If he is studying, he doesn't have to think about what has happened.
Dad looks up from his Daily Prophet. "Morning Fred". He is the only one to respond. Dad's voice is rough and croaky. I don't think he is getting enough rest.
As soon Fred, George, and I started to place eggs or toast on our plates, Mum whirled around. She had a ladle in one hand and her wand in the other. "Eat quickly", she ordered. "We've got a lot to do today before everyone starts to arrive". All of us triplets groaned at her words. That meant chores. Mum wanted us to do chores today of all days. "None of that", Mum scolded. "It's important that we put our best foot forward". When Mum didn't meet any more resistance, she started to give us our marching orders. "Arthur, would you clean out the fireplace?"
"Yes, dear", was Dad's automatic response.
"That way if anyone floos in they won't get soot all over the floors. And you'll need to pick up the Grangers too. They won't be able to travel by magical means without our help", Mum continued. "Bill and Charlie will get the table and chairs set up outside. We won't be able to host everyone inside. Ginny, dear, I want you to dust everything on the first floor, and pick up anything lying about''. Ginny made a sniffling noise in response. "Percy, I want you to polish the silverware, and when Bill and Charlie are done, set everything up. Make sure there is enough for twenty people''. I almost choked on my toast when I heard the number. George had to thump me on my back. I don't think we have ever had that many people over before. Of course, our family is rather large, so maybe it really isn't that many guests. But still, Mum is really going all out for this. Do we even have enough silverware and plates for that many? "Fred and George can degnome the garden". My fellow triplets rolled their eyes at each other at Mum's announcement. They always get stuck with degnoming. Honestly, I think Mum just likes to keep them out of the house when she's getting ready for an event. "And then you can weed as well. Just make sure you leave yourselves enough time to clean up before everyone starts to arrive". That left only one more person, me. "And Holly will help me in the kitchen". Mum turned back to her stove. With a flick of her wand, she added about three dozen eggs to a large pot of boiling water. With her back turned, all of us at the table, Dad included, stared at each other with forlorn expressions. Today of all days. But we manned up. Shoved the rest of our breakfast into our mouths and moved to do exactly what Mum asked of us. No one wanted any confrontations today. And if I glanced at Ron's empty chair a few too many times, no one commented.
"Get up", Mrs. Pucey told Adrian and me. "Have your wands on hand. We should be safe where we are, but let's not leave anything to chance". She swept past Adrian's bedside and over to her husband, who seemed to be engaged in some sort of complex wand work as he cast spell after spell on the hospital wing's doors.
Adrian moved slowly, but he obeyed. First, he threw back the blankets, before swinging his legs over the side. He was dressed in the standard set of hospital wing pajamas. In any other situation I would have laughed at the sight of the poised, aristocratic Pucey donned in cotton white pajamas with thin blue stripes. But now, I am currently humorless. Adrian finds his wand on his bedside table. He picks it up before turning to me. When he sees that I haven't moved, his eyebrows crease. "Holly", he started to say, but he stopped himself and pressed his lips together as if he thought better. He probably didn't want to promise me something he couldn't guarantee. "Let's get through today, and worry tomorrow".
I'm not sure how. But after Adrian's words, I managed to climb out of bed and locate my wand. I even managed to make a comment about how Adrian and I matched seeing as I was also wearing hospital wing pajamas. But I couldn't help but worry. My parents left. I understand why, but it still didn't feel very good to be left behind. And it bugged me that I didn't know what was going on in the third-floor corridor or if all my siblings and friends made it back to the common room. I also felt that if anything happened, I was partially to blame. This was not the order of events that I knew, and that was because I had tampered with them. If anyone got hurt, I think it would be my fault.
Mrs. Pucey had Adrian and me stand over by medicine cabinets. She said it was best because if anyone came through the doors, they wouldn't immediately see us, and it gave us things we could duck behind. She really didn't have much faith in the magical powers of two third-years. Not that I am complaining. Whatever Mr. Pucey had done to the doors led to him standing in front of them, nodding his head in satisfaction. "It's a work of art, I tell you", he boasted despite his wife's disapproving look.
The Puceys and I stood on guard in the Hospital wing for about ten minutes until there was a hurried tapping on the doors. "Let me in!" A squeaky voice yelled for the other side.
"Who is it?" Mr. Pucey asked as Mrs. Pucey moved to stand in front of Adrian and me.
"Professor Flitwick!" The voice clarified from the other side.
"Flitwick who?" Mr. Pucey yelled back. Bloody hell. Is this a knock-knock joke? Do wizards even know what knock-knock jokes are?
We could hear Flitwick sputtering on the other side of the doors. "I'm the charms professor! Now let me in!"
Mr. Pucey turns his head in our direction. "Is that correct?" He asked.
"Yes," Adrian answered.
"It does sound like Professor Flitwick", I added.
With the twitch of his nose, Mr. Pucey turned back and performed another intricate wand wave. "The doors will open now", Mr. Pucey said. "But be warned, if you are not who you say you are, the consequences will be dire".
The first thing we saw of Flitwick was his nose as he peeked in. When nothing unfortunate happened, the short Wizard shuffled all the way in. Mr. Pucey made sure the door shut behind our Charms professor. "My word", Flitwick squeaked. "You are prepared", he said as he peered up at Mr. Pucey.
"What can you tell us about what is happening, Professor?" Mrs. Pucey asked, probably to keep everyone on track.
Flitwick didn't immediately answer her. Instead, he looked around the room until his eyes landed on Adrian and me. He gave a short nod, before answering, "All but five students are accounted for. We have not seen hide or hair of Professor Quirrell. Professor Dumbledore and a few selected members of staff are currently working on checking on the stone and all the protections we had set for it. I was informed that you all are aware of its presence here. The others are securing the castle and the grounds. If Professor Quirrell is found, Professor Dumbledore has ordered that he is to be apprehended at once."
I have a question, but Mrs. Pucey speaks up before I can. "You don't think Quirrell is going after the stone? Why would the staff find him anywhere other than the third-floor corridor?"
Flitwick nodded sagely. "It seems likely that he has gone for the stone, but we don't have defiant proof, so we must be prepared on both ends".
I open my mouth to voice my own question but am beaten to it again. "Then why did the announcement ask for members of staff to convene at the third floor?" Mr. Pucey piped in.
Flitwick held up a finger for emphasis. "Because that was the best place to start. Professors Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape have gone to check on the stone after we were all given our assignments. Mr. Sirius Black has also joined them".
Finally, I managed to get a word in. "What students are unaccounted for?"
At my question, Flitwick shifts his body until he is fully facing me. His grim expression is really all I need, but I get a verbal response anyway. "The students unaccounted for are; Fred, George, and Ronald Weasley, Hermione Granger, and Harry Potter". Bloody hell, of course, they are.
Handling a kitchen knife was similar to handling a potions knife so I had no problem peeling the potatoes as Mum prepared the seasoning blend for her roast chickens. The task was methodical and I was enjoying it. I didn't have to think as I dropped the peels into the waste bin by my feet. There was only the next potato. "When you're done with those and have them halved, put them in water so they don't brown and then you can shell the peas", Mum said as started to rub the seasoning into the chicken.
Shell enough peas for twenty people? That was going to be a lot of peas. "When is everyone arriving?" I asked as I finished one potato and moved on to another one.
"Noon" Mum said without pausing in what she was doing. "I told everyone to get here at noon. The chickens should be done by then". One of the pot lids started to rattle on the stove. Looking up from my task, I watched as Mum abandoned the chickens to take the hard-boiled eggs off the burner. "These are done", Mum said as she started to ladle out the eggs and place them in a large bowl of cool water. "Do you remember how to make deviled eggs?" She asked me. The only response I gave was a nod. "Good. You can do that when I cook the potatoes. We'll have the deviled eggs as appetizers. Of course, the chicken, potatoes, and peas will be the main course. And I still have to finish the dessert". At this point, Mum was mostly talking to herself as she explained today's menu. "I'm glad I baked it last night".
I finished peeling another potato but paused before starting another one. "Mum?" I waited for Mum to hum at me as a form of recognition before continuing. She was tapping the oven with her wand, so I assume she is setting the temperature. "Isn't this all a little too much?" At my question, Mum's shoulders tensed; spurring me to say more. "I mean, with everything that has happened isn't this too soon?"
"We're celebrating life," Mum said, before glancing over her shoulder. "There isn't a better time". Her gaze was steady, even if she was a little misty-eyed. But it was effective. She had me cowed. I looked back to the stack of potatoes I needed to peel and moved on to the next one. I could hear Mum opening the oven door and the clang of pans as she slid her chickens in. Our oven was magical, of course. Dad had spelled it with an extension charm many years ago so Mum could cook multiple things at once. It was a necessary thing for a family as big as ours. "You're still on the potatoes, so I'll start on the peas", Mum said as she wiped her hands on a dishtowel before moving to join me at the table.
I made a lunge for the doors. To hell with the fact that I was in hospital wing pajamas and that I wasn't wearing any shoes. I had brothers that I needed to find. But I only made it one step before I was hauled backward. "Not on your life, Weasley," Adrian said. Only then do I realize that he had grabbed a fistful of my pajama top with his wandless hand. "Don't even think about it". He didn't sound surprised. Kind of like he was waiting for me to run from the room.
"I'm not thinking about it, I'm doing it!" I retorted, trying to get out of Adrian's hold by rolling my shoulders. It doesn't work.
"Weasley", he complained when I continued to squirm in his grasp like a hyperactive puppy. "Holly" he tried again. "If you go after Quirrell you're just going to end up having another fit". Adrian tried to reason.
I twisted again, trying to get him to let go. If this didn't work, I suppose a stinging hex would. "I'm not going after Quirrell". I argued though it had no effect.
"Mr. Pucey is quite right", Flitwick said. The adults had watched our whole scuffle without commenting. If this was any other day I would worry about what Mr. and Mrs. Pucey thought of this display. "We will remain here and wait. Now, if Mr. Pucey", Flitwick said nodding to the older Mr. Pucey. "Would kindly secure the doors once more". Adrian waited until his father had performed the complicated wand motion again before letting go of the back of my pajamas. Taking two steps away from Adrian, I gave him a scowl. Which he returned with a glare, but it's not heated. The jerk. Flitwick cleared his throat. "Now, where are Mr. and Mrs. Weasley?' I groaned and covered my face with my wandless hand.
I don't know how much time passed, but I spent it pacing the hospital wing floor. Mr. and Mrs. Pucey interrogated Flitwick for any possible pieces of information that he might have forgotten. While Adrian tracked my pacing with his eyes. Occasionally, he'd tell me to sit down and that I was giving him a headache. But I ignored him. If he has a headache, he earned it when he stopped me from going after my family. My pacing doesn't cease until there is another knock on the door. Mr. Pucey checks it just like he did the first time, except without a knock-knock joke type of questioning. When the doors are opened, we see McGonagall ushering Fred and George in front of her. My heart stops. George had his arms wrapped around his middle as if it hurt to move. While Fred was holding the sleeve of his school robe up to his bottom lip that was dripping blood. It seemed that there was even a bloodstain growing on his collar. "What happened?" I demanded to know as I just about jumped on them.
"This, Ms. Weasley", McGonagall said in her driest voice "is what happens when students don't follow directions that were given for their own safety". Her sharp eyes scanned the area "Where is Madam Pomfrey?"
"She never returned from lunch," Mrs. Pucey said, walking a couple of steps closer.
"Are you alright?" I asked my brothers.
They shared a look between them and I got a glimpse of slight swelling under George's left eye. "Unfortunately, Holls", Fred started to say. His speech sounded jumbled due to the sleeve he had pressed against his lip to mop up the blood.
George finished his sentence. "Fred and I are not musically inclined". That was the only information they gave me, even with the dumbfounded look I gave them. Because come on! That didn't tell me anything.
"Your brothers will be fine, Ms. Weasley", McGonagall said; eyes softening just a tad when she looked at me. "Madam Pomfrey will check them over when she is able to return". McGonagall redirected to Flitwick. "The lockdown is still active". She looks at all of us one last time before stopping on Fred and George. "Stay here". If her words are pointed, no one comments. "I have to return to aid the others".
As McGonagall turns to leave, Mr. Pucey phrases a question that halts her. "Can you tell us any news?"
"The situation is still unclear," McGonagall answered.
The first guests to arrive were Lee with his Mum. Fred and George had just finished cleaning up after completing their yard work, and the boys immediately ran off to the pond near our house. Why? On this day, no one really cared to know. "Stay close" Mrs. Jordan called after them, as she accepted the deviled egg Mum offered her. We had just sprinkled them with paprika not too long ago.
"Lunch will be served soon," Mum added, as the boys disappeared around the corner. "How are you, Cece?" Mum asked as I slid the oven mitts on my hands and pulled out the roast chickens one by one. Mum will have to turn off the oven with her wand when she gets a chance. But she will, Mum never forgets. The air filled with the scent of savory chicken juices. That mixed with the steamed peas and buttery mashed potatoes.
"I'm well," Mrs. Jordan said before she popped the deviled egg into her mouth. "Mmm," she hummed as she chewed. At least we knew it tasted good. Mrs. Jordan held a hand in front of her mouth as she talked around a mouthful of food. "I'm happy that Lee is home in light of everything. It was good news to hear that the school will reopen at the end of the holidays, but I worry about Lee going back". Mrs. Jordan said all of this as she chewed and swallowed. "How are you holding up, Molly?"
Mum sighed as she added the final touches to her dessert. I started to dish out the food onto the serving platters. Mum will have to carve the chickens, however. She has a certain way that she likes to do it. "I'm alright. I just don't understand how things could have gotten this far". With the cooking done, I was freed from the kitchen and I left the two older witches to talk amongst each other; heading into the living room. Ginny had finished dusting a while ago so I had the space to myself. It wouldn't last for long. Especially when more guests started to arrive. I sat down on the chair closest to the window and peered out. Bill and Charlie had finished setting up the chairs, and Percy was placing the last of the silverware on the table. Hopefully, this afternoon won't pass too slowly.
There was a flash of green as the fireplace flared up from the kitchen. That's where the main hearth of the Weasley household lies. "Welcome," I heard Mum say. "There are some appetizers on the table. Have you met Mrs. Jordan? She has a son in the same year as the triplets and your son". One guess on who the new arrivals are. "Adrian, Holly is right through there if you would like to join her".
I looked away from the window in time to see Adrian appear in the living room entrance. He looked different outside of his school uniform. Of course, I had seen him in street clothes before, but it was still a contrast. His robe was forest green with a high collar. He has a pair of black slacks underneath with a matching shirt. It was a stark difference from the hospital wing pajamas that I last saw him wearing. "Hi", I greeted as he moved further into the living room.
"Holly", he returned. Quickly, he scanned the room. I wonder how much the wooden floors, mismatched furniture, and farmhouse décor differed from his own home. It might be a bit of a cultural shock. But he didn't comment. We locked eyes. "Thank you for inviting us".
The smile I give him in return is a half one, but at least it was genuine. "Thanks for coming".
It took a while before I managed to get Fred and George separated from the other occupants of the hospital wing. It was hard to do this without drawing attention to ourselves. When we finally found a moment, I leaned in close and whispered harshly, "So, when you say you're not musically inclined…"
"Means we couldn't get past Fluffy", George finished for me. It was the confirmation I needed that they had gone to the third-floor corridor.
"How?" I asked. "I told you guys how to get past all of the different obstacles".
"Well, our trip to the out of bounds third-floor corridor wasn't planned", Fred said.
"We didn't have time to grab a musical instrument".
"And it turns out that Fluffy prefers classical".
"Didn't calm down at all when we started singing".
"Acapella seemed to wake him up, more than anything else".
I stared at my brothers with wide eyes. What? They successfully achieved many things this year; the impenetrable hats, the reversal spell, and pestering Percy until he was at his wit's end. For them to get stopped at the first obstacle leaves me speechless. I mean, seriously!
"What are you three doing?" Flitwick called from the other end of the Hospital wing.
"Nothing!" We all yelled in sync. It was a well-practiced response at this point in our lives. Having Flitwick here with us was a small blessing. Any other professor would be marching over to break us up. But the Puceys were eyeing us with suspicion. We'd have to end this private conversation soon.
"Why did you go to the third-floor corridor in the first place?" I asked. It's not like them to make a big move without consulting with me. Especially something I have knowledge about.
Fred and George's faces darkened. "We were watching the map", George whispered.
"Thought it was unlikely that Quirrell wouldn't do something after what happened last night", Fred continued.
"Except, we couldn't find him on the map anywhere".
"But we did notice Ron and friends heading to the third-floor corridor", George explained. My heart clenched. It was what I expected considering recent events, but still. We were planning on the golden trio not having to face the third-floor corridor like they did in the book.
"Thought it strange that they were skipping lunch", Fred continued.
"So, we followed them", George said as he glanced over at the Puceys. Mr. and Mrs. Pucey were talking with Flitwick, but Adrian was staring at us. It gets easier to ignore after a while, trust me.
"We reached the third-floor corridor when the teachers started the lockdown."
"They found us not long after in the room they were keeping Fluffy".
Fred nodded in agreement with everything George said. "Honestly, I'm surprised that we're still alive. McGonagall looked like she wanted to throttle us". I sighed as I disregarded the attempt at humor. At least that was something; the teachers going to investigate the third corridor. Maybe they could pull out the golden trio soon. And what was that part about not being able to find Quirrell on the map?
We didn't have to wait long, but it wasn't what we wanted either. The next people to be let into the hospital wing was everyone who had gone to the third-floor corridor. McGonagall was back. She walked in with her arm over the shoulders of a crying Granger, who appeared to be relatively unscathed. Sirius and Harry entered next. They were walking close together. Harry was staring at his feet with his bangs hiding his expression. While Sirius had an irritable expression on his face. I wondered what the dynamic was behind that. Dumbledore followed. He was holding his hands behind his back, and his face was grim but not foreboding. Did that mean things didn't end in a worst-case scenario? The last two people to enter the hospital wing were Snape, who in all honesty looked exactly the same as he always does. He was using his wand to float and transport the limp form of our youngest brother. Oh, Merlin.
Dad returned home after picking up the Grangers while Mum was still holding introductions between Mrs. Jordan and Adrian's parents. Adrian and I could hear everything in the living room. "Sorry", Dad said. "We got distracted. They were showing me how to use a toaster".
"My Dad really likes muggles and their inventions," I told Adrian as we listened in. We hadn't done much since he arrived. Mostly, we discussed the insane man-hunt the ministry had undergone to track down Quirrell. It was in all the newspapers. The muggle world had been notified that a deranged psychopath was on the loose. The ministry was flabbergasted that they couldn't find him. But I bet they haven't looked in Albania. Of course, You-Know-How was not mentioned in any of the newspapers or talked about at all by the ministry… Well, actually that's not true. The story was spun in such a way that they made it sound like Quirrell was insane and thought that he was You-Know-Who. Neither Dumbledore nor anyone else corrected them. I suppose that is for the best. Wouldn't want the reign of Umbridge to occur any sooner than it has too. Another thing the newspapers never mentioned was the stone. Somehow, that remained under wraps.
"How does he feel then?" Adrian asked as he glanced away from the direction of the kitchen. Soon, we'd have to leave the semi-privacy of the living room (Both Mum and Mrs. Pucey had poked their heads in a couple of times and just looked at us for a few seconds before retreating. No idea why) and socialize with everyone else. "Having a daughter that was once a muggle." Adrian clarified.
I wrinkled my nose before answering. "There hasn't been an appropriate moment for him to interrogate me yet. But there probably will be a time when he demands to know everything that I can tell him about muggle devices". At least that is something that wouldn't happen today. Mum wouldn't let that happen today.
We're called together for lunch soon after. Despite three people still being absent. Mum clucked her tongue as she started to pass around the food. "They're late". Her voice was filled with disapproval. "No point in putting off lunch for their sake".
"I'm sure they'll be here soon, Mum," Charlie said as he spooned some peas onto his plate before passing them to Percy.
"Everything looks wonderful, Molly" Mrs. Jordan complimented as she dished out some potatoes for herself and Ginny who was sitting on her right. "I never know how you do it".
"Yes", Mrs. Pucey agreed. "Everyone looks and smells divine". And she was right of course. Despite the circumstances surrounding this event, the food was delicious and the weather was beautiful. It was a good day for lunch in the garden. The air was clean with blue skies. The grass under our shoes was green and there were birds twittering in harmony in the nearby trees. Everyone was getting along surprisingly enough, and it made it feel like Hogwarts wasn't closed, and that the ministry wasn't hunting for Quirrell, and that the future wasn't uncertain.
We were halfway through the meal when our final guests arrived. "Hello" Sirius greeted everyone with gusto. Adrian leaned forward when his brother from another life made an appearance, but he remained seated. "This looks amazing" Sirus complimented.
But that wouldn't work on Mum. "You were supposed to be here at 12:00", Mum informed him.
Sirius rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, we were having too much fun," he said, gesturing to the two boys who had filed in behind him. Ron and Harry gravitated towards Hermione the moment they saw her. The first-years had their heads bent together as they chattered, seemingly unaware that everyone was watching them. After the three of them were found in the third-floor corridor, we learned a couple of things. The first was that Quirrell never tried to get to the stone on that day. The man had waited until the whole school would be distracted by lunch before disappearing. Hence, the man-hunt. No one knows where he or his parasite was. The lockdown was initiated when Snape, who had been keeping track of Quirrell between the man's classes, couldn't find him. It was assumed that he would go for the stone. However, what the teachers found in the third-floor corridor was Fred and George, and the three first-years. Of course, all of them received detentions to be served after school started again. Our parents and guardians were reassured that this detention would not involve the forbidden forest or anything of the like. Mum had been furious, and in a rare occurrence, so was Dad. It is unclear if Hermione, being a muggleborn, received any parental consequences for her actions. And Harry, well, Sirius grounded him right there in the hospital wing in front of all of us. Of course, Sirius had to ask Mum and Dad what you do with kids when you ground them. But Mum and Dad appreciated his attempt. Grounding isn't really a punishment Mum and Dad used, but Fred, George, and Ron ended up doing a few days of manual labor once we all came home.
With the last arrivals, we all resumed eating. Conversations were light as we all steered clear of the Quirrell topic. Bill and Charlie were talking about living abroad. Percy was in a lively exchange with Mr. Pucey about the stock market. While Sirius talked to Fred and George about his time at Hogwarts. The others were all sitting too far away for me to really gauge what they were discussing. Except for Adrian, because he was talking with me. "What do you think?" He asked. "Would you like to attempt Hogsmeade one more time?" That is, of course, if they allowed us to go to Hogsmeade with Quirrell still on the loose.
"I don't know," I said, putting my elbow on the table and resting my chin in the palm of my hand. "Do you have any more secrets you're going to surprise me with?"
Adrian leaned in ever so slightly. "You already know all of my secrets".
I smiled a full smile this time. "Then I think we can give it another go". This time I wouldn't have to wear the stupid pink hat either, because I am confident that Quirrell would have fled further than Hogsmeade. My mind should be safe for a while.
When Mum decided that everyone had eaten their fill, she left to go into the kitchen. Ron let out a big yawn and said loud enough for everyone to hear, "I'm never staying up that late again". He had spent last night at Sirius' house with Harry. While Sirius made a serious attempt to discipline Harry, he wasn't very good at it. A couple of days into Harry's grounding, Sirus contacted Mum and Dad and asked if Ron could sleep over. To Ron's delight, Mum and dad felt it was safe enough to agree. And just like all of us, they were ready for things to return to normal. They wanted us to stop looking over our shoulders and expecting to see a turban-wearing professor standing behind us. Everyone smiled at Ron's comment as Mum came back out with a three-tiered cake. She used her wand to levitate it from the kitchen to the end of the table where Fred, George, and I were sitting. From past experiences, I knew that the bottom layer was chocolate. That was Fred's favorite. The middle layer was George's favorite flavor, lemon. The top tier was for me, consisting of a red velvet cake. The whole cake was iced in purple frosting and decorated with little sugar stars. Each tier contained multi-colored candles, alit, and flickering in the light breeze. "Make a wish", Mum said, a little misty-eyed as she went around the table, kissing each of us triplets on the temple. Fred, George, and I only needed to share one look before we knew what we wanted to wish for. At the same time, we took deep breaths and blew out the candles together. The table erupted in a round of applause and Mum moved to start cutting the cake. She was right, this was a good way to celebrate life.
Feeling Eyes on me I turned my head back to Adrian. His grey eyes were focused. They weren't cold, analytical, or overly intense. If anything, they were relaxed. "Happy Birthday," Adrian said softly.