If He Lived | Fred Weasley

Chapter Seven - Department of Mysteries

"Chamber that leads to this place," Fred said, pointing to every corner in general. Hermione looked around. All it was was a room.

"This is - er - a room," Hermione said hesitantly.

"Ah, how the brightest witch of our age contemplates," Fred said in an airy voice. "Don't you have your eyes? Of course it is a room. Thanks for stating the obvious," he added, as he went around tapping bricks on the wall just like in Diagon Alley.

"What is it that you're doing?" Hermione asked.

"Doorway, 'mione! And all this fuss and you're the brightest witch of the age. Do you think I'd get you here to show you an empty room? Where's the fun in that?" Fred muttered. "The great Fred Weasley, proprietor of the greatest jokes and mysteries in wizardkind takes a girl to a newly white-washed room to show a secret. Ha, as if!"

Fred went on for a few moments, until Hermione recognised he was making a pattern. "That's a pattern," she said decisively.

"You don't say," Fred said in mock admiration as a wall just slid away, revealing a large tunnel fitted with lights on the roof.

"Muggle tunnel. Why is it even near Hogwarts?"

"Oh, yes, about that - " Fred thought for a moment.

Hermione waited silently to finally obtain some information about Hogwarts that she didn't know from Hogwarts: A History.

"We don't know," Fred said and shrugged.

"How come I never knew about this?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"'Oh, I know things that'll make your greasy hair curl, boy,'" Fred said in a Moody-like voice. "Or girl," he added as an afterthought.

"Where does this lead me to?" Hermione asked enquiringly.

"It will lead us to someplace we shouldn't be," Fred said solemnly.

"How come that does not surprise me?" Hermione asked, as they walked through the tunnel.

"It comes from being a Weasley," Fred said and shrugged.

"Bet Charlie would be disappointed in you," Hermione noted.

"I'll tell ya something 'mione, don't start me off with Charlie again. My brother Charlie was as much an O.W.L. student as I am. As for N.E.W.Ts, yes, he did well. He scored mine, George's and Ron's O.W.Ls combined. Add in Harry's if you want. But what he did after achieving so much was getting his lazy bum out of house somewhere far where he wouldn't have to hear stuff about his choices. That's pretty much what we are going to do."

"Score those many N.E.W.Ts?"

"Get our lazy butts out of our house," Fred said. "You all are ickle Prefects, which is a waste of life again. If I were ever a Prefect, George would take my mickey out! And it would wound the Weasley honour. All we are going to do is sit back and watch you ickles trying to do stuff you're supposed to be doing right now."

"Yeah, I'm not supposed to be here!" Hermione remembered suddenly.

"Well, you're here. We are here." Fred pointed to a sudden slope which ran upward.

"Not much athletic, are ya?" He gave Hermione a hand as she huffed to climb the slope.

"Strong, that I am," she said with an air of certainty.

"Doubt it." Fred smirked.

"I'll throw at you the various fat books that I carry. Maybe that'll take care of your doubt. Twenty points if it hit your head," Hermione said defiantly.