Quidditch League Season 10

Round 4, True Believer

Team: Wigtown Wanderers

Position: Chaser 3

Prompt: The Amazing Spider-Man #145 (clone [using twins as a clone sub.]; death of a loved one)

Additional Prompts: 3. (restriction) all of the characters are teenagers; 11. (relationship) aunt & nephew or any gender equivalent (Uncle & Nephew); 15. (dialogue) "Oh. I didn't realize you were going to be here."

Title: Carnival Chaos

Summary: George has a date with Angelina Johnson over the summer. Sucks he ended up with a cold. But one way or another, he WILL NOT cancel this date.

Warnings: Discussion of canon violence, references to triwizard tournament

Topics/Tags: Being a teenager is awkward, Slight canon divergence, post GoF

Author's Note/Word Count: I'm pulling the concept of the summer carnival from Hogwarts Mystery where there are fairs all the time. Thanks to my fellow Wanderers for Beta-ing. Word count- 1911

It was a warm, surprisingly dry evening, the perfect night for a date to the summer carnival. George had been planning this date ever since he attended the Yule Ball with Angelina back in December. Though everyone had assumed it was his brother who had taken her, on the contrary, he had been the one to enjoy her company. Normally, he wasn't one to care about feelings and romance, but there was something about Angelina… She was beautiful, but she was also feisty, especially on the Quidditch Pitch. She was smart, but not in the obnoxious way Percy was. And she had a sense of humor. That was crucial. She was perfect for him. No, this date would happen, come hell or high water.

Every year, the residents and shop owners of Hogsmeade Village put on a summer carnival. It was a great time to get out and shop, to gather with friends, and to have some friendly competition with the various games. For students under the age of seventeen, it had the bonus draw of being the only place outside of Hogwarts where they were able to use magic. It was highly governed and restricted to designated game booths, but nevertheless, magic. So it was the perfect place for a first date. Or a second one, technically, but who was counting.

Because of his age, he wasn't able to apparate by himself and needed to be dropped off outside of the festival grounds by his mother, of all the humiliating ways. At least his mother had the decency to leave rather quickly, so even though other people witnessed his drop-off, thankfully Angelina wasn't there yet to bear witness.

Ironically, though he usually had plenty to say, he found himself speechless when he saw her approaching. How dumb that a date would make it harder to interact with someone he'd known as a friend for ages.

Thankfully, his business ventures with his brother were going well enough that he was able to pay the entrance fee and buy game tokens with his own money. Though Angelina wasn't the type of person to be offended by paying for a date, he didn't want to throw it on her.

"How has your summer been so far?" he asked as they walked through the carnival gates.

"It's been quite boring actually. I'm honestly ready to get back to school. At least in school I have friends and quidditch. What about you?"

He shrugged, "Haven't been up to much, either. Just working on the business. In hiding. Mum still isn't pleased with the idea."

"Well, I think it's brilliant," she reassured. The conversation died again. "Up for a game of Gobstones?"

The booth hosting a Gobstones competition was just up ahead so the two made their way over. But unfortunately, a game had just started. And he recognized one of the competitors, Penelope Clearwater, Prickly Percy's girlfriend. As Angelina watched the current competitors play, he scanned the grounds, looking for something else they could do, a way to escape a possible encounter with his brother. He spotted a hedge.

"That's a bit insensitive, aye?" he pointed out, leaning in to speak to his date in private.

She tensed as she turned her gaze to where he was pointing. "Perhaps a bit. You would think the carnival committee would know what happened, considering how close we are to the school." They were, of course, referring to the previous year's Triwizard Tournament, in which a student had returned from the hedge maze dead. This one was smaller and not nearly as tall, but it was eerie all the same.

Angelina eyed him curiously. "You want to check it out, don't you?"

He nodded eagerly. But leaving the crowd of Gobstones spectators turned out to be a lot more challenging than anticipated. Such a nerdy sport. And ultimately, his attempts at avoiding his brother were all for naught.

"Oh. I didn't realize you were going to be here," Percy greeted curtly. "Would have thought Mother would have you lot locked up in the house, considering all the rumors that Potter boy is spreading."

George rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course, Percival, Harry's the crazy one. Tell me, how is the ministry? I've heard you have a new boss since your previous one was murdered."

Percy turned red in the face, much to his brother's delight. "I would expect better from you, Fred. I know you don't particularly care about academics, but I'm certain you're smart enough to not fall for some teenager's propaganda."

"Fred?" Angelina interrupted, but she was ignored as the brothers continued to bicker.

"Says the nineteen-year-old. And you don't even recognize your own brother," he gasped, clutching at his heart, though his tone was far from hurt. "I gotta tell you, Perseus, I didn't think you could be any more of a prick. So congratulations, you've outdone yourself this time!"

"Well you—what are you—you haven't worked a day in your life, what would you know?" Percy stumbled on his words before finally grasping on to the one thing that wouldn't be viewed as an insult.

"You know what Hermione says, dear brother? The brightest wizards don't have an ounce of common sense." He patted Percy on the shoulder. "Pardon, but I'd like to enjoy my night with my date. Smell ya later, Persephone."

George walked away before Percy could say anything else, leaving Angelina to chase after him, feeling a bit bewildered. Percy had definitely just called her boyfriend Fred. And sure, it was common for people to mix them up, but shouldn't his family at least be able to tell them apart?

She dismissed the thought as they approached the hedge maze, hand-in-hand. A red-headed teenager was standing on a round circus-like podium, practically yelling at carnival guests walking by, attempting to get engagement with the predictably unpopular attraction.

"Welcome to the Hedge Maze! Grab a card and search for the item on your card. Bonus prizes for completing your search in under 15 minutes!"

They walked up to the teen on the stand. "What kind of things are on the card to search for? There wouldn't be a cup, would there?"

Angelina cringed at her boyfriend's remark. Surely, George knew better than to make such a crass statement. Fred would go for something like that, but George usually had more tact when speaking to others. But then Percy had called him Fred. Maybe there was something to that? But, no.

"A cup? Why is everyone so concerned about this stupid maze? It's usually the most popular attraction out here," the teen responded.

"It might have been before a student died in one at the end of last term," Angelina supplied, watching as the teen's eyes widened.

"Nobody tells me anything! I tell ya, you get de-aged and suddenly nobody trusts you." He stepped off the podium, suddenly eyeing her date curiously. "Oh. I didn't realize you were going to be here."

"De-aged?" Angelina pressed.

"Realize who would be here?" George or… Fred? Gred… asked at the same time.

"You heard me right. Death Eaters tried to kill me and my twin brother. Five against two was hardly a fair fight. Turns out, they were uncoordinated and we were so in sync, they messed up their curses. Turned us into infants instead but with all the knowledge we'd gained over the years. Thought my lovely nephew here might have recognized me, but I suppose not. You were quite young at the end of the first war, weren't you, Freddie?"

Angelina turned on Forge.

"You must be mistaken, I'm definitely George," Gred answered, avoiding eye contact with his date. "But if you're a not-actually-deceased twin and really my uncle…"

"Uncle Gideon, I'd be. Fabian is around here somewhere. And of course you're Fred! It'd be almost criminal to be unable to differentiate fellow twins."

"You've been alive all this time, letting Mum think you're both dead? She'll kill you when she finds out."

Uncle Gideon rolled his eyes. "Don't think Molly would have wanted to take in two more toddlers when raising six kids of her own. And your sister was born soon after. Ginerva is the name, right?"

The Weasley twins weren't often speechless, but Forge was clearly having trouble coming up with a response to this revelation. "She goes by Ginny."

"Well Freddie, perhaps Fabian and I are old enough now to come around and visit our dear sister. All of her babies have grown up, I think she could handle us now. We just turned fifteen for the second time!"

Angelina wasn't sure if she should laugh or scream. "I hate to break up this unusual family reunion, but I would like to spend the rest of our date together. Wouldn't you agree, George?"

Gred let out an intense cough that sounded as if it were covering up a laugh. "Of course. Give us your best scavenger hunt, uh, Uncle Gideon."

"Glad you'll be taking up the challenge. Your objective is to find the ginger cat with the black tail. Here's a picture of her on the card. Good luck!"

Angelina took the card with a nod of thanks before taking Gred… Nah. Definitely Fred… Fred's hand and pulling him along with her. She tugged him along through the maze until she eventually came to a dead end. She turned on her heel.

"Alright, Weasley. What are you playing at? This better not be some stupid joke."

Fred threw his hands up in the air. "Alright, alright, I'm Fred. You got me."

Angelina was fuming. "I agreed to go on a date with GEORGE. And twins you may be, but you're not the same person." She turned away from him. "God, I feel like such an idiot. I should have known the difference. Your face is more rounded than George's."

"I'm sorry! It's not what it looks like, I swear," Fred pleaded, all jokes aside. Perhaps he was sincere. "Wait. You actually know how to tell us apart? Even our family is right only half the time."

"I've known both you idiots for six years now, of course I can tell the difference. And I should have known. You even talk differently. But I just brushed it off as a result of a different environment." She was tempted to take off and leave him there. "Tell your brother if this is his idea of a fun prank, it's not funny and we're over."

Fred started to panic. "Wait! Angelina, I can explain. George came down with a cold or the flu or something and he knew he wouldn't be able to make the date. He was worried that if he canceled, he would lose his opportunity to be with you, so he sent me in his place."

She stared at him for a solid minute before swiping her hand across her face.

"You are both idiots," she laughed. "But I guess I'm glad he cares that much about me that he felt he couldn't cancel."

"I solemnly swear," Fred insisted, rummaging through his pockets. "If you want me to prove it, I can take you back to the Burrow. Mum gave me a portkey to get home." He pulled a muggle bicycle horn from his pocket. "Just maybe don't let him breathe on you."

Angelina laughed and rolled her eyes, but nodded her agreement. Fred activated the portkey with a tap of his wand, they each grabbed hold, and were whisked away.