The Flip Side

The Flip Side

Chapter Two

Percy remained furious about the incident at Diagon Alley and refused to acknowledge the twins' attempts to have him provide input on how he would like to see the Slytherins paid back, leaving Fred and George to come up with something themselves. Not that they really minded. Percy never came up with good ideas anyway ("He'd probably hide her textbooks or something," Fred joked), and Lee Jordan was sending nearly an owl a day with some particularly interesting possibilities.

Before they knew it, September first had arrived and the Burrow became an absolute madhouse in the rush to get everyone out the door and into the car. By the time Percy, Fred and George burst through the barrier onto Platform Nine and Three-Quarters, the twins were in such a hurry to find Lee and get a seat on the train that they didn't even notice Harry and Ron had failed to cross the barrier.

"Have you decided on one yet?" Lee asked with a great mischievous grin on his face.

"Not yet," Fred replied as he and George hurriedly loaded their trunks into the luggage car. "We wanted your help to narrow them down. There's loads of great ideas-"

George threw an elbow into Fred's ribs as Flint, Abby (with Nightshade cradled in her arms), Pucey and Higgs passed behind them and entered a nearby car. A look passed between Fred and Abby - his of mockery and hers of disgust - before the group of Slytherins climbed onto the train.

"Blimey, would I just love to wipe the sneer off her face," Fred snorted as he heaved the last trunk into the car and shut the door. The train whistle blew and the three of them quickly leapt on board.

*

Hermione scanned Platform Nine and Three-Quarters one last time as the train began to move. Sitting opposite her, Ginny Weasley frowned and watched Hermione silently. The train soon left the station and the rest of London could be seen outside the window. Hermione faced front again and offered a rather weak smile of encouragement.

"I'm sure Ron and Harry made it on the train just fine," she told Ginny. "They've probably just come across some of our friends and-"

The door slid open and Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas and Neville Longbottom burst in. "All right, Hermione?" Seamus beamed. "Seen Ron or Harry anywhere?"

Ginny cast an expectant look at Hermione, who rolled her eyes and shrugged. "No, I haven't."

"Bit odd, in' it?" Dean asked as he closed the door behind them and they sat down. "We thought they'd be with you."

"So did I," Hermione admitted, now beginning to worry much more than before. "Maybe I should have a nip around - see if I can't find them."

She had barely stood up when the door flew open again and Hermione found herself face to face with Draco Malfoy, flanked by the enormous Crabbe and Goyle.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione snapped.

Draco's steely eyes performed a quick scan of the car's occupants before settling on Hermione. "Nothing to do with you, Granger," he snarled at her. "Though I did hear you lot were talking about my family not long ago. Care to explain what that was all about?"

Hermione knew he was referring to the day in Diagon Alley; Ron had sent a letter a few days later detailing what had happened to Percy because of it.

"Oh please," Hermione rolled her eyes. "Like we've got nothing better to do than talk about you."

She folded her arms and it was a long moment during which she and Draco tried to stare each other down. Finally he snorted and with a jerk of his head to call off Crabbe and Goyle, they continued down the train corridor. Hermione slammed the door and sank back into her seat with a sigh of relief.

"Wow, Hermione!" Neville was looking at her in awe. "You never even blinked!"

"Yeah, great," Hermione frowned. "But now we've got another problem."

"What's that?" Seamus asked.

"Well, it's obvious Malfoy was looking for Harry and Ron, right?" she said and was answered with a round of nods. "But if they aren't in here with us, and Malfoy hasn't found them yet," she screwed up her face in a frown, "then I don't think they're here at all."

"Hermione?" Dean sounded confused.

Hermione turned to look at him. "I think they missed the train."

*

Draco slouched back into the car near the front filled with Slytherins, followed closely by Crabbe and Goyle. Flint stopped talking and they all looked at Draco disdainfully.

"I thought I told you to push off for a while," Flint told Draco. "We're talking."

"I did push off," Draco folded his arms and set himself in his seat. "And now I'm back."

Pucey shot Draco an irritated look. "It's a team meeting, mate," he said. "Go find someone else to annoy."

Draco returned with an irritated look of his own. "Team meeting? Why's she-" he motioned to Abby, "-here then? And what about the rest of the team? I've only just seen Bletchley out in the corridor. You haven't kicked him off the team an' all, have you?"

"No, we-"

"Besides," Draco cut Pucey off, "I've just been 'looking for someone else to annoy'." He rolled his eyes, mocking Pucey's choice of words. "Potter's not here."

"What was that, again?" Flint's interest was suddenly sparked at the idea of Gryffindor missing their famous Seeker.

"I said, Potter's not on the train," Draco repeated. "Couldn't find him anywhere."

The four older Slytherins exchanged a pleased look. "Best news I've heard all day," Flint grinned and conceded to let Draco stay.

*

"What are you three doing?" Angelina Johnson demanded of Fred, George and Lee, all of whom had their ears pressed against the wall of their car.

"Shh!" George waved his hand at her. "Slytherin Quidditch team next door. Might give away some of their secrets."

Angelina looked at Alicia Spinnet and both rolled their eyes as they took a seat in the boys' car. "George, listen," she said, "even if Marcus Flint was thick enough to prattle on about their secret plays out in public - which he isn't - we don't need to hear them to be able to beat Slytherin. Oliver's got a new game plan he's worked on all summer, and I believe we are better than them."

"Besides, all you'll pick up from Slytherin is new ways to cheat," Alicia added.

"How true," George agreed as both he and Lee sat up straight. Fred stubbornly refused to stop listening. "Hey, Fred, leave it, mate," George said.

"Oh Fred, come off it, will you?" Angelina laughed. "You can eavesdrop on Abby Malfoy later."

"You what?" Fred wrinkled his nose in disgust as he sat up.

"Oh please," Angelina said. "Everyone knows you've got a bit of a crush on her."

Fred's eyes nearly popped out of his head and the three boys began to howl with laughter. "Bloody hell, Angelina! Somebody's been feeding you a ruddy great pack of lies!"

"Oh, so you don't fancy her then?" Alicia smirked.

"No chance!"

"So why did you cast that spell on her then?"

All laughter stopped. "I-"

"Because you like her."

"Because I hate her, more like."

"Come on, Fred! It's been two years and you've never given a reason for doing it! Not even to Professor McGonagall," Angelina argued.

"I had a reason," Fred shrugged.

"And that was?" Alicia prompted.

"Nevermind."

The girls huffed angrily. "George, do you know why he did it?" Angelina asked.

"Leave me out of this," George grinned and went back to listening at the wall.

"Thanks for the help," Fred muttered to his twin.

"It's no big deal, Fred," Alicia said.

"You lot are making it a big deal," he retorted.

"You can fancy who you like, I just-"

"I DON'T FANCY HER!"

"Er, Fred?"

"WHAT?" he snapped at George.

"Harry did come with us to the station this morning, didn't he?"

"He did."

"Only Malfoy's just said Harry's not on the train."

"WHAT?" Fred, Angelina, Alicia and Lee all shrieked in unison and soon five ears were pressed against the car wall. Not a word was spoken as they strained to hear what the Slytherins were saying.

*

"You're absolutely certain?" Higgs asked.

"We searched the whole bloody train, didn't we?" Malfoy said and Crabbe and Goyle nodded vigorously. "Not seen hide nor hair of him. So unless he's kipped up in someone's trunk, he's not here."

"This is fantastic!" Pucey laughed. "The only real weapon Gryffindor had last year was Potter! I mean, Marcus and I made mince pudding out of their Chasers, didn't we?"

Flint snickered at the thought of not only taking Angelina Johnson out of the game, but Keeper and Captain Oliver Wood as well. "Almost too good to be true," he said and noticed movement past the closed doors. "Hang on a tick, babe," he grinned at Abby (who was leaning against him) as he stood up. He flung the door open and called down the corridor, "All right there, Wood?"

Oliver Wood and Katie Bell turned around with identical confused looks. Oliver had just been excitedly telling her of a new strategy he'd cooked up for Quidditch this year (though he couldn't let her in on the details now, of course). Katie had been wondering how to politely tell him that since school hadn't even started yet, she really didn't care. Both had been taken completely off guard by Flint's greeting.

"How's that, Flint?" Wood asked as they cautiously walked back toward him.

Flint sneered. "Just extendin' a little courtesy to a fellow Captain. It's the name of the game, in' it?"

"Didn't think you knew the meaning of courtesy," Katie muttered, remembering Flint's brutal attacks on her teammates the previous year.

"Believe me, I do," Flint returned. "And I just wanted to wish you luck in finding a new Seeker. I'd suggest someone a little older this time. Seems first-years just don't have the devotion to see that they come back the next year. Tough break, mate."

Wood was more confused than ever and he surveyed the snickering faces of Pucey, Higgs, Crabbe, Goyle and both Malfoys in the car. "You've cracked, Flint," he shook his head. "I'll not replace Potter for anything, seeing as how he pulled a victory over you lot last year."

Wood expected a much nastier reaction from Flint than the snorting laugh his comment received. "Right, then," Flint said. "Hope that works out for you." He laughed again and returned to the Slytherin car, slamming the door in Wood's face.

"What was he on about?" Wood raised an eyebrow.

"Ignore him," Katie rolled her eyes. "He's winding you up. He just doesn't want to accept that we beat them last year fair and square."

"Hmm, maybe," Wood frowned and noticed George Weasley waving them over from the next car down. He and Katie walked over and entered the car. "I don't suppose any of you know what Flint-"

"Harry's missed the train," Fred and George said together.

Wood's reaction was not unlike setting off a barrel of Filibusters Fabulous Wet-Start No-Heat Fireworks all at once.