Torn Between Three Me's

28 - Plotting and Predictions

'After all we've been through together,' Fred gawked.

'All the wheezes we've pulled off,' George said.

'You really don't trust we can keep this a secret?' They chorused.

'Ugh fine,' I groaned, letting out a disgruntled sigh. 'It looks pretty complicated though. We need dew untouched by sunlight or humans for 7 days, we need to hide another ingredient in a dark, undisturbed place until a lightning storm. And look! We need to store a mandrake leaf in our mouths for a month straight.'

'Nothing the three of us can't handle, right George?'

'Right, Fred.'

'Alright, I'll see about getting started with the chrysalises and looking up when the next lightning storm is. For now...we better get back to studying or out animagus forms will probably be muggles.'

'150 points?' We heard the portrait swing open and turned to see Harry, Hermione, and Neville storm in. 'How could she just do that?' Harry was in a right state.

'What's going on?' I asked him, getting up and going over to him.

Neville stood scared stiff, Hermione looked like she was ready to punch the living daylights out of anyone who looked at her the wrong way. Harry looked angry, but not as much as Hermione, ready to rant to me now that I'd asked.

'Professor McGonagall! She's knocked off 150 points from Gryffindor because we were out helping Hagrid and Malfoy waited for us knowing we'd be out there in order to get us in trouble! That little-'

'Woah, slow down there,' I stopped him. 'Okay, so she knocked off some points, big deal.'

'Everyone's going to hate me. It's all my fault,' Harry sulked, flopping onto the chair I'd previously been sitting in.

'We've lost loads of points before!' Fred chimed in.

'And people still like us!' George added as both of them grinned.

'It's true!' I exclaimed.

'I bet you've never lost 150 points at once,' he said miserably.

We all opened our mouths as if to speak, but then immediately turned to each other with second thoughts.

'See, you haven't!' He grumbled, throwing his head onto his arms on the table.

Fred and George immediately turned to me. 'He really does act just like you,' they chorused.

I waved my hand at them frivolously. Now wasn't the time.

'150 points and a detention with flaming Malfoy,' Harry said, muffled from under his arms.

'Detention?' I asked, my face sterning. Harry didn't answer, so I turned to Neville and Hermione and they nodded, Neville with fear, and Hermione with aggravation. 'Because you were with Hagrid?'

'No, no,' Hermione said. 'We weren't with Hagrid. 'We weren't doing something for Hagrid. We were up in the Owlery meeting Charlie's friends because Hagrid hatched a bloody dragon and it was getting too big for his hut. So Charlie said he'd take it. His friend picked it up and Malfoy was waiting for us to snitch.'

I nodded as I heard her out. 'But the uh...the dragon. They picked it up alright?' I asked her.

'Yes, the dragon's fine,' Hermione assured.

'Norbert,' Neville said. 'His name's Norbert, isn't it?'

'Yes,' Harry said, getting up off the chair. His face was red with the impression of his arms. He turned to the twins, going back and forth between them and me. 'You three have been in detention lots, too, right?'