The weather turned off rainy when George and Angelina put their plan into motion. They both charmed Fred and Katie with a subtle spell that would cause them to stick together the first time they touched the other. They had planned to fabricate a reason for the two to touch, but fate intervened.
On the grand staircase, the steps wet from students coming outside had grown super slippery. Katie lost her balance and fell backwards. Fred, forgetting his wand, jumped forward to catch her. George was trying to suppress his grin as he watched a blushing Katie smile up at his twin.
"Thanks for saving me." Katie gushed.
"It was nothing." Fred was blushing in return. He went to try and set Katie down. Dread filled George when he realized that the charms would ensure the couple to be would be stuck in the same position. Sure enough, Fred and Katie frowned as they were unable to separate.
"What's going on?" Katie asked, even as her angry eyes locked onto George.
George looked for the support of his wife, only to find Angelina jumping off the stairs and casting a cushioning charm on herself as she descended. He turned to look at their victims.
"Umm, just a harmless prank, right?"
*A-Weasley-Redo*
Harry entered the Common Room to find Katie sitting on Fred's lap while he whispered in her ear. It was a nice change of pace after the school turned against him when his name came out of the goblet, like he knew they would. It didn't hurt so much this time around thankfully, and the people that mattered were still in his corner. It was almost creepy how little Ron not abandoning him changed about his life in Hogwarts after the Goblet of Fire had spat out his name as the second Hogwarts champion. It was nice to see some change though, so Harry approached Geroge who was holding an ice pack to his right eye.
"How long have they been an item?" He asked his brother-in-law.
"About two hours." George said, taking the pack away and revealing his shiner. "Angie and I pranked them to get them together. I got rewarded with a Bell right hook."
Harry groaned. During his Sixth year, had had been on the receiving end of one of those by accident, when Katie had thought he was staring at her and not Ginny. Katie had been very sorry after he told her it was the Weasley he fancied.
"She liked him back in the old timeline." Harry confused. "She told me as much when I confessed to her Ginny was my one and only."
George nodded. "Fred wanted to wait until after the war to make his move. I followed him with Angelina, though we both came to regret that. Well, good night, Harry. I have some ointment to rub on my eye to get this shiner gone by morning."
Ginny was fawning over the new couple, making Fred blush with embarrassment. Katie asked Ginny.
"So, you still after Harry or is there another boy on your radar?"
Ginny looked over at Harry and gave a subtle wink. "Oh, I don't think I can ever get over the boy with eyes as green as a fresh pickled toad. Waiting for him to man up and ask me out, but I am also willing to wait until he is ready."
Harry smiled as he left the scene, hoping it would look like he was fleeing from embarrassment. He had long since become immune to Ginny's old poem. Well, mostly anyways.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
"I have to applaud your acting, mate." Ron told him as they sheltered from the fall chill behind Hagrid's hut. The Blast-Ended Skwerts were not yet big enough to be a threat, but neither was taking chances. "I overheard Professor Moody complaining about how incompetent you were, and he would need to step in as I was passing his office door today. You think Hagrid knows yet?"
Harry nodded. "I got the note from Hagrid to come tonight and bring my cloak to 'learn' that we are facing dragons. Then a short meeting with Moody about the task and things should be on track."
He was glad they had all agreed to using Muffilito when talking about the Mission. It was dead useful.
Ron looked at him from the side. "Good. I would hate after all the acting and stuff that Snake Face gets a leg up on us. Not when we got all but two Horcruxes destroyed already."
Harry nodded. "I worry that everything I do might change things. What if I have the roast chicken tonight and that some how leads to Riddle making and hiding another Horcrux?"
"You'll drive your mad like that, Harry." Hermione scolded as she joined them. "I doubt having chicken for dinner will change anything. Now, if you were throwing the chicken at Moody and expose him as the imposter that he is…"
Harry nodded, following her logic. "Alright. Sorry Hermione."
She beamed at him. "It's fine. It's why you're lucky we all came back with you. Imagine if you had to do this all alone."
Harry reached out and pulled his best friends into a hug. "I couldn't bare it, especially if I had to go back to you not trusting me, Ron. If the three of us stand united, what chance does Tom Riddle stand?"
Ron's ears turned red. "Thanks, Mate. Hermione and I got your back." Ron took his wife's hand in his and gave it a gentle squeeze.
Hermione squeezed back. "You're stuck with us, Harry. We might not all live together in one home, but you know we would drop everything and come to your aid, just as you and Ginny would for us."
Harry grinned. Suddenly that chilly breeze did not feel so bad.
*A-Weasley-Redo*
Fleur had made it clear to anyone in her school that thought Harry would try to use their friendship against her could go jump in the lake. Fleur was one of Harry's favorite sisters-in-law. Their connection as Champions of the Triwizard tournament had sealed the bond between them. Still, she kept hanging around him and the Weasleys, other than Ginny, to a minimum. This morning, he and Fleur had gone out and were walking around the lake, tossing scraps of rolls to the Giant Squid.
"What is Ginny up to?" He asked Fleur when they were out of earshot. "She's being real sneaky and I'm not used to being out of the loop."
Fleur giggled. "Poor man. You married a crazy one, Harry. She is planning for the Yule Ball. She wants to make sure it will be a firm place to start your future relationship from if we get stuck in this time."
Harry nodded. His wife's machinations making sense. "I'm game for anything as long as I'm with her. That's what matters most to me."
Fleur reached over and hugged him. "You two are so cute together."
*A-Weasley-Redo*
This time, Harry did not cut Cedric's bag on his way to class like he had done the last time. Instead, he had sent Hedwig with a note to Cedric to meet him in the after dinner. They met at the exit of the Great Hall and walked out together as if by chance.
"Harry, what's so important you have to tell me in secret?" Cedric asked as they walked through the halls.
"Someone told me that the first task is going to be dragons," he said quietly. "I know for a fact Fleur and Krum know by now and didn't seem fair for you to be the only one unprepared."
Cedric looked at him with suspicion but then shook his head. "No, you would not make something like this up. Thank you for telling me, Harry. I owe you one."
Harry smiled. "We both want the same thing, Cedric. A Hogwarts victory."
Cedric clapped him on the shoulder. "You're alright, Harry. Despite what the rest of the school has been saying about you. I did try…"
Harry waved him off. "Doesn't bother me. Just having the trust of my closest friends and fellow champions is more than enough for me. Even with Skeeter poking around."
Ginny had been furious when during the Weighing of the Wands, Harry had been again ambushed by Skeeter. He had learned some time ago how to handle Quick Quotes Quills but it would be odd if he did so he had unfortunately had to let her grievously misquote him again.
Cedric grimaced. "I dislike that woman. She didn't even put my name in the paper. My dad was furious and tried to blame you, but I managed to talk him down."
Harry grinned at him. "Thanks Cedric. Anyways, I should be going."
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Got a redheaded girl to visit, eh?"
Harry blushed. "Is it that obvious?"
Cedric laughed. "I wouldn't have known if Cho hadn't told me. She was going to ask you to join us for Seeker practice on the train to school and saw you kiss Ginny. She was blushing pretty hard and forgot completely about inviting you. Then when we learned Quidditch was cancelled anyways, we figured it wasn't to be."
Harry made a mental note to be more cautious where he and Ginny kissed. "We would appreciate you two keeping this to yourselves. We're not ready to go public with your relationship yet so only her family and our closest friends know."
Cedric winked. "No problem, Harry. I understand, with all the grief you get from the student body after all. See you later, Harry."
Ginny smacked Harry gently on the head as they sat in the room of requirement that night.
"Ow, what was that for, Gin?"
"Oh nothing. I swear, you're hopeless at reading the feelings of others, Harry."
He shrugged. "I can tell when people are angry or going to get violent. Those were about the only moods of the Dursleys. Why, did I miss some kind of social queue with Cedric?"
She sighed. "Only that they were considering inviting you to something similar to what Gabbi was wanting with us."
Harry blinked and stared at the wall for a while. If this were the case, maybe that would explain a few things about what happen the first time around. Still, that was the past.
"Doesn't matter." Harry promised as he squeezed Ginny's hand. "You are all I want, Gin."
She kissed him softly. "You're all I want to, Harry."
*A-Weasley-Redo*
The first trial was a breeze for Harry, though he took great pains to make it seem like it wasn't. Since his wife was a professional Quidditch player, Harry spent a lot of free time flying and helping her practice between games. This had tempered his natural talent and gave him a gift that had paid off several times in his career.
Fleur had done better than the last time, but also made sure to make a tiny mistake to avoid suspicion. Dumbledore knew both were playing with an advantage over Cedric and Krum so made sure to award them a point lower than maybe they deserved. Still, they scored well enough to put Harry in first and Fleur in a close second. Harry had been last again with the Horntail. As he landed, he saw Ginny waiting for him. They did not kiss but they did hug briefly.
"You were brilliant." She beamed and lead Harry to where the others were preparing to be judged.
Madam Pomfrey started to walk over to check on him but she quickly noticed like Fleur, he was unharmed. Both Krum and Diggory had taken some minor dings in their respective trials.
Once they were all back in the Common Room celebrating, the Weasleys and Harry waited for things to settle down before slipping out and to the Room of Requirement. Alastor was waiting for them, grimacing as Dobby handed him another plate of food.
"Master Moody must get his strength back." The house Elf insisted.
"I'm fine, Dobby." Moody grumped. "I was only there for a short time."
The group all gathered around a small table and looked at the golden egg.
"Come sense says it will be Ginny and Bill Dumbledore takes to the bottom of the Lake." Ron said. "Though we could ask he still take me and Gabrielle."
Fleur looked at him angrily. "I do not like the idea of my husband down there in the deep, but nor do I like my sister being down there. Even if we know it wasn't for real this time."
Harry laughed. "Even if something goes wrong, Fleur, I wouldn't leave anyone down there. Even knowing what I know now."
Ginny kissed his cheek. "It's just not in your nature my love. Now, it's time to plan how we want to handle the Yule Ball and what is to come after."
Harry looked up into the eyes of everyone there. "About that. I had a thought recently. What do you think of this plan…?"
A/N: What is Harry's plan? Find out in the next chapter of A Weasley Redo! Very little changed about this task, and we will be cruising to Task two in the next chapter. I hope you're enjoying the story. As usual, please considering checking out my other works here on the site and my original works. The links to those are included
fiction/55565/song-of-phoenix-ordeal-part-1
