Ravenclaw's Shadow

Chapter 50

I sit up in bed waiting for Georgiana to come back after George and I saw her kissing Fred. When she finally comes in, she sees me and grins.

"Spill," I demand quietly, trying not to wake the other girls. She sits down on my bed and sighs.

"We were just talking and he asked how the date with Jacob went and I said not so great, and he asked if I would ever consider giving he and I another chance and I said yes," she says happily. I give her a big hug.

"I knew he liked you!" I whisper, "I could tell."

She brushes me off and goes to get changed into her pyjamas. She climbs into bed with me so we can keep talking.

"I think we'll go better now," she says, "I think last time I liked him so much more than he liked me, but we're more even now."

"And older," I point out.

"Probably not wiser though," she giggles, "what about you and George? Did it happen?"

"No," I shake my head, "I don't think it will happen, at least not for a long time."

"Fair enough," Georgiana yawns, "I'm so tired..."

We snuggle down and go to sleep.

   ***   ***   ***

"I can't believe it's April already," I sigh, sitting next to George at dinner, "you're eighteen! You're ancient."

"Only six weeks until our NEWTs," Georgiana adds with a sigh, "it's going to go by far too quickly."

"At least once it's done, it's done," Angelina says, "it'll be so weird not coming back here next year, though."

"Everything will change," Alicia sighs sadly.

"Have you lot thought about what you'll do next year?" Angelina asks.

"Probably travel," Georgiana says, "I still have no idea what I want to do with my life."

"We have a DA meeting tonight," Fred interrupt quietly, "did you guys get the memo?"

"Yep."

"Yeah."

"Aurelia, don't you usually have Care of Magical Creatures on Monday dinners?" Alicia asks.

"Shit!" I leap up, grabbing my bag, "I'll see you guys later!"

I sprint down to Hagrid's hut. Our lessons haven't been very interesting recently, as Hagrid has been distracted by other things. I actually miss Professor Grubblyplank.

After the lesson I head back up to the castle for Advance Arithmancy. There's only two of us in this class, Kia and I. After the class I run up to the Room of Requirement.

"Sorry," I say, as usual, and take my place beside George.

"We're going to be learning to make a patronus today," Harry says, "the incantation is 'expecto patronum' but the most important part is picking a memory, a really happy memory. It has to be strong. Spread yourselves out and try."

"If my patronus is a bat I'm going to be so mad," I mutter to Georgiana.

We start trying the spell. There are puffs of silver, but nothing too solid.

"Really let the memories fill you," Harry calls out, "make sure it's something really strong. Focus on that memory."

A few people start to get it, silver animals are leaping around the room.

"Whoa!" George jumps as an animal leaps from his wand, "what is that?"

"A coyote," Georgiana supplies. A hyena bursts from Fred's wand next, immediately tackling George's coyote.

I turn my attention back to the spell. I need something happy, something really happy. I watch Fred and George for a moment, jostling each other and laughing.

"Expecto patronum!"

"Wow, what is that?" Georgiana asks as my patronus skirts around me.

"It looks like a hyena," I say, "but smaller."

"No, look at Fred's, they're different."

Alicia and Angelina are trying to figure out what it is too. A third year Hufflepuff girl comes over.

"It's an aardwolf," she says, "it's in the same family as the hyena, but they only eat bugs."

"Weird..."

There's some commotion up near Harry and everyone gradually falls silent.

"Is- Is she coming?"

"Yes, Harry Potter!"

Harry looks around at us all.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR?" he yells, "RUN!"

George grabs my hand and pulls me out the door. We sprint upstairs, stumbling as all the students try to get away.

"In here," Fred shoves us behind a tapestry into a corridor. We run down it and come out on the other side of the school.

"Where are we?" Georgiana asks, panting.

"About four floors below Ravenclaw tower," Fred says, "come on, let's go hide there for a while."

We sit in the Ravenclaw common room talking quietly for a few hours, wondering if anyone got caught, or if everyone got back okay. A bit after curfew Fred and George head back to Gryffindor tower.

The next morning we hurry downstairs to find out what happened last night. The news spread quickly that Dumbledore was sacked, but Umbridge didn't have the list of the DA members.

"I think we should have a celebration in honor of our new headmistress, don't you, Fred?"

"I do, George. I do."

I look at them both and decide it's better not to ask.

I don't have to wait long to find out. I come out of class with Georgiana and hear an explosion a few floors below us. We exchange a look and go sprinting towards the noise. As we get closer we can hear whizzing and banging. We round a corner and see an elaborate array of fireworks, with Filch and Umbridge trying to get rid of them. We back up against a wall to watch the show.

"That was brilliant," we say later, joining the twins at dinner.

"Why, thank you," George says happily, "I thought that it went quite well."

"Certainly one way to lead up to the holidays," Georgiana says, "especially now we don't have the DA anymore."

"You just wait," Fred says, "you haven't seen anything yet."

"Ooh, tell," I say, leaning towards him. He shakes his head, grinning.

"It'll be spectacular, though," he says.

"Oh, go on!" Georgiana says, nudging him.

"Nope, it's a surprise," George says, "come on, Fred, Aurelia has to get to class, so we might as well go and do some preparation."

We watch them walk away and shake our heads.

"They're a handful," I say, getting up and slinging my bag over my shoulder.

"I bet it'll be brilliant, though," Georgiana says, following me out. We pause in the door way and watch the twins walking up the marble staircase.

"They're going to do something great," I say.

"Yep."