Chapter 3: Christmas at Hogsmeade (part 6)

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George's pov

Quidditch practice had recently been tough, and Imelda Reyes clearly had no idea what light training entailed. The girl was so competitive that she could keep training till her body failed her.

"That's it, great job, George, but we'll need to practice more frequently if we want to be ready for next season" Imelda stated when our practice ended.

"We don't even know if Black will allow Quidditch next season, Imelda" I let out, still struggling to catch my breath.

"Regardless of that, we always need to be prepared" Imelda proudly explained and then walked to speak with the rest of the team. I was not part of the team yet, but Imelda saw my potential and wanted me to practice with them as a Beater. After her little speech, I was about to leave the Quidditch court, when I ran into Adelaide Oakes.

"Hey George, I didn't know you're such a good Keeper" she complimented me.

"Beater! And thanks, Adelaide" I discreetly smiled at her.

"Hey" Poppy chimed in.

"Hey Poppy - well I've got to go, see you" Adelaide said in a rush and walked away.

"What did Adelaide want?" Poppy asked.

"She was watching our practice, and I guess she just wanted to say hi" I responded.

"Why would she even watch your – anyway, I saw Mia earlier and she told me she, Grayson and Jess are all waiting for you in the Room of Requirement" Poppy informed me with a blank face, but her tone indicated her annoyance.

"Thanks for telling me! I'm going to have a quick shower first, want to join me?" I glanced at her playfully.

"I'd love to, but I need to report to detention" she sighed.

"Detention? Watch out Poppy, you are turning into a bad girl" I joked. She pushed me lightly and bit her lower lip. I kissed her goodbye and made my way to the Slytherin Common Room.

Mia's pov

The Room of Requirement used to be a pleasant and relaxing place, where we could focus on our studies, but things had recently changed. We were meeting more and more frequently, due to all the events happening.

"Finally!" Jessica exclaimed as George entered the room.

"Sorry, I had Quidditch practice!" George sarcastically responded. "What is this meeting about?" he then asked.

"Well for start, Mia gave the potion to nurse Blainey" Jessica replied.

"Aren't these supposed to be good news?" George raised an eyebrow.

"And I heard her talking to Professor Garlick and she was telling her that she isn't going to give the potion, unless Black authorises it – she worries it might be dangerous" she explained.

"Polyjuice potion!" George exclaimed.

"You and Garreth can brew a Polyjuice potion, right? And then one of us can transform to Black and authorise it!" he suggested with enthusiasm as if he had an epiphany.

"It's not going to work! Polyjuice potion requires at least a month to brew, and by the time Black returns to Hogwarts, nurse Blainey is going to ask for his approval of the potion" I chimed in. It was clear that we needed to come up with a different plan.

"What if we find an already brewed potion and only add Black's hair like you did last year, Mia" Grayson's recommendation was solid.

"Garreth mentioned having some spare ones at home, but this would have to wait until after the holiday, so it won't work either" I answered.

"Should we talk to Niamh about it?" Jessica asked.

"I doubt she'd be of any help, she tried to ask for Black's aid when Mia had to complete her trial and he refused – plus he "borrowed" the book about Larissa from the library, we can't trust him!" George's expressed in a serious tone.

"The suitcase!" Grayson's eyes lit up.

"What suitcase?" I had no idea what he was talking about.

"The suitcase that Professor Fig left for us before he..." Grayson paused his sentence as a wave of melancholy spread across the room. "I think I remember seeing a few Polyjuice potions in there" he then added hesitantly.

Indeed, Professor Fig had left an old suitcase for us, which we stored in the Room of Requirement as it was the safest place for us. We searched for the old suitcase and, with Deek's help, we managed to find it. We opened it up and there were two Polyjuice potions in there. The only ingredient missing? Headmaster Black's hair.

"Grayson you're a genius!" George smirked.

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