The Temple of Le Fay

Chapter Twenty-Five: Veasleys' Vigorous Valentines

George stared at the letter for some time, deciding whether or not to ask Fred for his advice. In the end, as he watched Fred fussing over two witches who had been in the year ahead of them at Hogwarts, he decided to do this one on his own.

George, the letter began

Just your favourite sister here with an update on life at Hogwarts. You said you wanted to hear all about life here now you and Fred aren't blowing things up every day? Well, here goes.

The Hogmanay Ball was a big success. Sort of. Luna Lovegood came with Draco Malfoy. I guess Malfoy is on the up-and-up after all. Who'dve thought it? Mum was right: Everyone deserves a second chance.

Harry and Cho Chang were together. Ron reckons he saw them snogging in the rose garden. I have to be honest, I felt like I'd been kicked in the stomach when I heard that. Hermione says Ron was wrong, though, and I'm choosing to believe her.

(Yeah, I know, I know. I'm bored of me and Harry as well, believe me. I'm trying, okay? Keeping busy, like you said. Just because it worked for you, brother mine...)

Anyway, Ron and Hermione are bickering, probably. I think it's about Harry -everything's about Harry, right? - but I think Ron's doing okay. He talked to Luna, of all people, and whether or not she meant to do it, he's doing much better. Hasn't said anything bad about Harry in two weeks, which is a record since Halloween.

So, that's everything that Harry's done or influenced in the last month. What about me? Well, I got an O and two E's on my work this month. I know it's not living down to the example you set, but I've never had your talent for making loud noises. I leave that to Seamus and Dean - are you selling to anyone but those two? Last night they let off a Birthday Bomb in the middle of Dueling Club and fifty people tried to hex it. You should have seen some of the weird effects all those ricocheting spells caused Dean and Seamus got three weeks detention, by the way - and just get on with my work.

Still, sometimes it helps to be a Weasley. We seem to have that knack of being in the midst of things, don't we? Yesterday I walked in on one of my room-mates sobbing her heart out because her boyfriend broke up with her. Sounds familiar, right? Anyway, it's her own fault for dating a Slytherin seventh year. We all said she'd get her heart broken.

Not that I said that to her. She really does deserve better. The younger Slytherins are pretty nice, to be honest, but the ones who were around with Marcus Flint and the slimy version of Draco Malfoy as their example are mostly hopeless. Terrence Higgs is cool, though, even if taking Pansy Parkinson to the Hogmanay Ball just to dump her means that he's a Slytherin deep down.

Anything else to report? Everyone's asking if there's going to be another Weasley Valentines Day this year. If there is, please keep the Cupids Kisses away from here. Bad enough that half the girls in the school asked Harry to the Ball, I don't need to see him deluged with those things. Everyone seems to know he's not going out with Cho - Ron was the last to work it out - so he's fair game again.

I hope that you notice I'm not completely against the idea of Valentines Day? Aren't I good? I'm just going to hide in the dormitory all day. It's a Friday, so I'll only be missing Ancient Runes and History of Magic.

Hermione's just looked over my shoulder and scowled at me. Isn't it amazing how it's okay for her to read my letter?

But she's right. I'm not allowed to bunk off on Valentines. No matter how much I want to. I have to face Harry.

I understand now what you said last summer about having good days and bad days. I'm okay when I'm busy, but sometimes, like now when I'm writing to you, well, it still hurts. I'm okay, though. I've got lots of friends who I love like mad, so I don't need to be Harry Potter's girlfriend to be happy.

It helped, though.

So that I don't end on a negative note, Ron's just walked down from the boys' dormitory. I don't think he's noticed that someone put frogs-spawn soap in the boys' bathroom yet.

Oh, now he has.

And Dean and Seamus have legged it out the portrait hole. There's a surprise.

And there goes Ron, chasing after them.

Perhaps you can speak to him when you see him? Tell him that there's no way that a broomstick will fit where he's threatening to shove it.

Actually, I suppose it might, but still, nasty, nasty thought.

Wincingly yours,

Ginny.

George smiled, picked up his quill, and scribbled a quick reply.

Ginny,

Yeah, we're coming down for Valentines Day. Try and stop us! We've got loads of new toys to show off, and don't worry, the Cupids Kisses look like they'll be well sold out before the big day itself, but our other normal lines are doing really well right now as well. And to think we thought that Valentines would be a quiet time. I guess there's a lot off spurned witches and wizards out there, out for revenge...

We're offering discounts to the recently jilted, by the way, don't know if you're interested?

Anyway, about Harry, it does take time to heal a broken heart, and I didn't have it anywhere near as bad about Alicia as you did - do - about Harry. I'm not surprised you're still thinking about him.

Fred and I have decided to have a talk with him when we get there. Don't worry, we won't leave any marks. Then again, maybe we should. Scare off all those evil wenches trying to steal our baby sister's man.

(Fred, by the way, is flirting with two ex-Slytherin girls. We know that some Slytherins are okay.)

About Harry, though, well, he's a git, but I guess he must have had a good reason, in his mind at least. I'm glad you don't hate him. He has a lot to put up with already, and I reckon that there'll come a time when he wants to make up with us. It'll be easier if we don't go completely overboard on him, Howlers notwithstanding. Did you hear about that?

Anyway, better go. Angelina's due soon, and if Fred's still flirting when she shows up...

Bacon savingly yours,

George

*

Ginny smiled as she read over the letter. Having the twins back at Hogwarts would certainly liven things up. Ginny was almost looking forward to Valentines Day.

*

Harry awoke with a start. His eyes snapped open on a world of pink. He reached out for his glasses, but his hands met empty air as he realised that the pinkness was due to a set of robes thrown over his head. He pulled it away to reveal two blurs grinning down at him. One of them thrust Harry's glasses at him, which he gratefully put on. Belatedly, he realised that he was in the common room, rather than his dormitory.

"Fred? George?" Harry's eyes widened as he took in their robes. "What on earth are you wearing?"

The twins looked delighted at Harry's reaction to their attire. George turned around so that Harry could get the full effect, while Fred sketched an almost ladylike curtsey.

George was wearing white robes that dazzled Harry slightly. He had big feathery wings sprouting from his back. A golden halo hovered above his head, and a glittering harp hung from his belt. His hair was long and blonde, and Harry noticed that the dye job was much better than it had been the year before.

Fred had kept his usual red hair, but otherwise his appearance was every bit as dramatic as George's, although very much in contrast to that of his twin. His robes were a matte black that seemed to absorb any light that came too close. He had long, metallic, sharp looking fingernails and two pointed horns stuck out of his forehead. But Harry's eyes were drawn to Fred's feet rather than his devilish head. The pointed tip of what Harry could only assume was a tail swished lazily beneath the hem of Fred's robes, and if Harry squinted, he could make out-

"Hooves?" he asked incredulously.

"Cloven ones, no less," Fred replied, hitching up his robes to reveal that he had the legs of a goat.

"Full body Transfiguration," Harry said. "Impressive."

"He's impressed. Fred, we've impressed Harry Potter. Will wonders never cease?" George grinned.

"I'm still not sure it was worth it. It's still a right pain to sit down when your legs bend the wrong way."

Harry started to smile, but caught himself. He hadn't heard from either twin since the Howler in November, and wasn't quite sure what to expect from them.

"Now then, young Harry," Fred said, clapping Harry on the shoulder and accidentally ripping his pyjamas. "Oops, 'scuse fingers. Now, we don't want to create a false impression, Harry. We're still absolutely furious at you about the way you treated Ron and Ginny, but it's Valentines Day, after all. And it's a long held tradition that on Valentines Day the three of us dress up in ridiculous costumes and look like idiots so lots of people can snog each other."

Harry's mood darkened, his face contorting into a scowl. George and Fred both took a half step backwards.

"Forget it," Harry spat. "Valentines Day didn't exactly bring me a lot of happiness, did it? I felt like an idiot last year, I'm not doing it again. And as for giving me one day off from hating me? Don't do me any favours. Better that everyone hates me. It makes it all that much easier."

Harry stormed off, throwing away the pink robes that the twins had draped him as he left.

"What on earth was that all about?" Fred asked.

"Dunno," George shrugged. "Maybe Ron was right, and he really has gone bonkers. You realise we need someone to put on Lockhart's robes now?"

"Ah, no we don't," Fred said, pointing to where the robes had landed.

Harry had thrown them into the fireplace, and the smouldering embers of the previous evening's fire had caught merrily alight with fresh fuel to burn. The twins watched in respectful silence as Lockhart's face appeared, panicking silently, on the robes, before being consumed by the flames.

"They were horrible robes," George said reverently.

"I wore them to Katie's birthday, do you remember?" Fred said.

"Yeah. Angelina didn't talk to you for a week."

"Was that what it was?" Fred asked, surprised. "I always thought it was me spiking the punch."

"No, she spiked it first, didn't she?"

"That's not fair. We have a strict understanding in our relationship. I spike the punch with Firewhiskey, she spikes the hoops with Quaffles."

"You were distracted."

"Was I?"

"Flirting with Katie's cousin," George reminded him

"Oh, yeah..."

"In fact, that may have been why she didn't talk to you for a week."

"Probably," Fred admitted

"Yeah."

"So, are we going to sell any of this stuff, then?"

"Of course. I'll still miss the robes, though," George said with a sigh.

"Nah, just look on it as business expenses. We can buy new ones tomorrow."

"Can we have Snape on these ones?"

"Ah, the best joke yet. Dress robes with Snape prowling all over them. Another fine Weasley Wizard Wheeze..."

*

Ginny came downstairs to a scene of uproar outside the Great Hall. Bright neon signs flashed above the crowd. The largest one read Veasleys Vigorous Valentines. Under the second sign (Virtuous) stood George, dressed like an angel and selling a range of products that all looked surprisingly innocent. As Ginny watched, James Staunton bought a huge card, scribbled a few lines on the inside, and handed it to Padma Patil. Padma blushed, but opened the card, which erupted in a huge shower of confetti that lasted nearly fifteen seconds. Ginny winced at the idea of Filch's fury if cards like that would be going off all day.

"What's up, little sister? You don't like our Virtuous Vomiting Valentine?"

Ginny turned around to find Fred grinning at her, revealing pointed fangs and a forked tongue.

"So, am I looking devilishly handsome or what?" he asked.

Ginny merely raised an eyebrow at her brother.

"Vengeful?" she asked, pointing at the sign hanging over his head.

"That's right!" Fred grinned, selling a Vomiting Valentine to a second year Hufflepuff girl. Ginny watched suspiciously as the girl handed it to another Hufflepuff. The boy took it reluctantly, writhing under the hushed gaze of the crowd. He looked like he was going to run away, but the girl grabbed the card and yanked it open, making the card erupt in his face.

Ginny gasped. This card hadn't sprayed confetti. Instead, it had vomited-

"Stinksap," Fred said into the stunned silence. "Took us weeks to get the mix right. Right then," he added, raising his voice. "Vengeful Valentines! Get 'em while you're furious! Fire-breathing snapdragons, Vengeful Vomiting Valentines, itching perfume... Stocks are limited, ladies and gentlemen..."

*

It was a chaotic day, the Weasley twins adding their own brand of mayhem to the usual uproar of Valentines at Hogwarts. Dean and Seamus took great delight in sending each other Vengeful Vomiters, while Dennis Creevey received over a dozen Virtuous Vomiters over lunch, after which he was buried under a pile of confetti. Ginny had noticed a number of the younger girls in the school scowling at each other as Dennis opened card after card.

Unsurprisingly, Harry got the most post. Ginny noticed that he set aside two cards unopened. Seamus, snatching one up and opening it, received his second faceful of Stinksap of the day, much to Dean's amusement.

Harry, to everyone's amazement, opened the second card himself, and made no effort to block the Stinksap that he must surely have known was inside.

"Subtlety's never been the twins' strong point," Ron commented.

"True," Ginny said. "Unless it was from the Slytherins."

She pointed at the Slytherin table, where Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson were laughing hysterically at Harry's predicament.

"Catch them buying something off a Weasley?" Ron asked. "Nah, it was Fred and George. And Harry just took it. Wonder why?"

Ron's musing was interrupted by the sudden appearance of Pig, who flew through a high window into the Great Hall. The miniature owl dropped like a stone and looked as though it were about to hit the stone floor. At the last second, Harry sprung sideways from his seat at the head of the Gryffindor table and caught the owl, rolling over and coming smoothly to his feet.

"Nice one!" Ron said reflexively, as Harry stood and brushed himself down. He walked over and handed Pig to Ron.

"Thanks," Ron said, still impressed by Harry's catch.

"Don't mention it," Harry said, before turning and going back to his seat.

Ron gaped after him until Pig, held tightly in Ron's hands, began to hoot shrilly in complaint. Ron released him, and untied the heavy package from his legs.

"About time this got here," Ron said. "Now Hermione will believe that I didn't forget."

"That was really good of Harry, wasn't it?" Ginny said suddenly, as she watched him struggle to keep hold of his thirty-seven cards - she'd kept count - and the many presents - she'd lost count - that he'd received. He looked faintly exasperated, and his mood probably wasn't helped by Peeves the poltergeist cannoning through the doorway and sweeping Harry's load up into the air, scattering cards and presents wildly across the Great Hall until Professor Skeeter banished him with a wave of her wand.

"Sorry?" Ron asked, looking up from Hermione's present for the first time. "Oh, yeah, very good of Harry. But you don't really expect much else from him, do you? Even if he has decided to hate us, he'd still do anything for us."

Ginny watched Harry walking around the Great Hall, apologising and collecting his things.

"I don't think Harry hates us," she said, watching Harry patiently endure Slytherin taunts as he tried to collect his cards from Pansy and Crabbe. "I don't think he hates anyone, really."

"Yeah, well, doesn't matter, does it?" Ron said, not unkindly. "It's not our problem. He's made that perfectly clear."

"I wish I felt like that," Ginny said. "But there's something he's not telling us."

Ron muttered something under his breath that sounded suspiciously like "Women!" but brightened considerably as Hermione arrived in the Great Hall, passing Harry on his way out.

Ginny watched him leave as Hermione joined them, and barely heard her friend gasp in delight at the necklace Ron had given her. Sighing, Ginny turned back to her dinner.

*

Dean found Harry in the boys' toilet, trying to scrape Stinksap from his hair.

"Any luck?" he asked.

"None," Harry grunted. "Maybe I'll just shave it all off, like you."

Dean ran a hand over his almost-bald scalp. For him, wiping off the Stinksap had been a matter of a few seconds with a napkin. Harry looked destined for a long shower.

"Listen, Harry, I'm glad I got you alone."

"What's up?" Harry asked. "Do you need help with the Patronus again? I thought Ginny was helping you with that?"

"She has been. I'm still not getting anywhere, but at least I'm not stopping you from teaching someone you might get results with."

Harry stopped the futile attempt to comb the Stinksap out, and looked at Dean.

"I didn't mind," he said. "You were teaching me a lot. I'm just sorry I couldn't help you. Still, I guess it's good that you and Ginny get to have some time together."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I know how hard it is when you're dating someone to get time alone," Harry said. He went back to combing his hair.

"I'm not dating Ginny," Dean said, surprised.

"You're not?" Harry paused, studying Dean's reflection intently.

"No. Harry, she's still crazy about you, mate. I mean, you're a hard act to follow, did you know that? Ginny's good at hiding it, but you're all she thinks about."

Harry attacked his hair again. "She needs to get over me," he said, shortly.

"Yeah, well, easy enough to say," Dean agreed. "It's not so easy to do though, is it?"

"Yeah, well..." Harry trailed off. "Look, it's for the best."

"So I keep hearing," Dean said. "The thing is, Harry, there's a beautiful redhead out there who doesn't agree with you. Now, I don't know what makes you think the way you do nowadays, but I know that if I was lucky enough to have Ginny Weasley feel that way about me, no power on this Earth would make me dump her."

"You don't know what it's like!" Harry snapped, suddenly furious. "Everyone tries to tell me what's right, what I should be doing. Why can't they just trust me? Everyone expects me to be this big hero, and then they second-guess me every time I try and be what they want me to be."

Harry and Dean stood nose to nose. Dean didn't back down from Harry's anger, instead saying quietly "Your way put you in a coma and lost you your magic. You haven't cast a spell in over three months. If You-Know-Who came in here now, how far would your way take you in a fight against him?"

Dean walked off, letting the door bang shut behind him. Harry stood frozen, his chest heaving. His face, already red with anger, grew still redder until, with a scream of rage, he drove his fist into the wall beside him, rewarded with a cracking, splintering noise that seemed to echo in the toilet. He felt the welcome distraction of pain blossom from his split knuckles before he swept from the toilet, his robes billowing around him.

As the door banged shut again, the mirrors on the bathroom wall began to crack, slowly splintering outwards until the glass shattered into a million tiny fragments.

*

"Welcome one and all to the fifth Quidditch match of the year," Lee announced to the crowd. "It's a beautiful spring day here at Hogwarts, and we're all looking forward to a fine match. It's a close championship this year, with Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Gryffindor still capable of winning the title. Slytherin are playing for pride in their final match. Here's to a great performance by both teams!"

Lee tried to inject some spirit into the crowd, but even the usually vocal Slytherins were lifeless. In the three weeks since Valentines Day, there had been a string of attacks by Dark wizards throughout the British Isles. To make matters worse, a number of attacks had been reported for the first time in Ireland and mainland Europe. The Ministry of Magic claimed that the responsible wizards would be captured within days, but the mood in the wizarding community was one of near-mutiny. Too many times had Minister Fudge's reassurances proved to be false. Far more telling, the Prophet claimed, was the silence from the office of Deputy Minister Arthur Weasley. While Mr. Weasley could usually be relied upon for an evenhanded report, there had been no sign of him at the Ministry or at his home for several days. Mrs. Weasley had threatened trespassing reporters with the family ghoul until they had left the Burrow.

Hermione, sitting quietly in the stands beside a subdued Ron, had noticed that Dumbledore had been absent from Hogwarts as long as Mr. Weasley had been absent from the Ministry. She had also noticed that several members of staff, including Professor McGonagall and Professor Snape, had been absent at various times over the last few weeks. She had mentioned it very briefly to Ron and Ginny for fear of giving anything away. Ginny, who had been sleeping badly for several nights and had stayed behind to try and catch up on some sleep, seemed slightly cheered by the idea of her father helping to catch the attackers. Ron, who had been extremely worried about Mr. Weasley's disappearance, had taken some small measure of consolation in knowing that he was probably with Dumbledore.

However, even Snape missing their practical Potions lesson - Professor Grubbly-Plank had acted as a substitute and nearly caused paralysis in half the class when she mixed up ingredients - hadn't cheered Ron up very much. He sat beside Hermione now, a distracted look on his face even as the two teams took to their brooms.

"A big hand for Hufflepuff, ladies and gentlemen!" Lee's request was met by a faint smattering of applause. "Well, it's the thought that counts, I'm sure. Anyway, for Hufflepuff today we have the excellent Elenor Branstone in goal, Beaters Hannah Abbott and Ernie McMillan, Susan Bones, Megan Jones and Laura Madley the fetching trio of Chasers, and Seeker and captain Justin Finch-Fletchley."

The Hufflepuff crowd members applauded politely as their players were announced.

"And for Slytherin," Lee paused, as though encouraging the booing that usually came with Slytherin's name. There were none. The apathy was palpable, whether due to Slytherin's poor Quidditch record in recent years or because of the recent attacks.

"For Slytherin then," Lee repeated. "Graham Pritchard in goal, Beaters Malcolm Braddock - quite the most talented player to come through the ranks in the last couple of years - and Callum Williams. The Slytherin Chasers are Blaise Zabini, Joseph Arthur and Adrian Pucey, and the Slytherin captain and Seeker is Terrence Higgs. Higgs and Pucey are in their seventh year, folks, and it's their final game before they finish school this June, so let's give them a big hand!"

There was another smattering of applause. The Slytherin fans were notable only by their near complete silence.

The match kicked off, and the apathy level of the watching fans, if anything, actually seemed to increase.

After ten scoreless minutes, even Lee was struggling to make the match sound exciting. The two pairs of Beaters were playing particularly well, which meant that the attacking players couldn't settle into a rhythm. Every pass saw a Beater drawing a bead on the recipient. Every offensive move was met by a well-aimed Bludger. Soon, people began to drift away from the match. Dean, sitting with Seamus and Lavender, was watching the crowd far more than the match. Looking around, he saw Harry sitting at the top of the Gryffindor stand, well away from the rest of his housemates. Scowling, Dean shook his head, annoyed at Harry's determination to stay set apart from everyone else.

"This is dreadful," he heard Seamus mutter. "Want to go work on that Potions essay?" he asked. Dean cast one more look at the pitch, where Braddock and Hannah Abbott were whacking a Bludger back and forth relentlessly, and nodded.

"Yeah, sure."

*

Dean, Lavender and Seamus weren't the only ones leaving the match early. As they walked through the gates, Dean noticed Cho Chang walking with a couple of the other Ravenclaw seventh years. He was struck by an idea, and moved over to speak to her.

"Cho? Excuse me, I'm Dean Thomas."

"Hi," she said, a little guardedly. "I know who you are. I've seen you at Dueling Club."

"I'm a friend of Harry and Ginny," Dean said. "Well, I was a friend of Harry's -"

"Look, I'm sorry, but if you just want me to try and get him to talk to you, I can't," Cho said. "He's stopped talking to me as well as everyone else."

"Er, no," Dean said. "Sorry. I was hoping that you could knock some sense into him about Ginny."

"Well, like I said, he's not talking to me."

"Yeah, but he's not talking to anyone, not about this sort of thing," Dean persisted. "He wouldn't say more than two words to anyone if it wasn't related to work in someway, but you got him to the Hogmanay Ball. You must be able to talk to him."

Cho scowled slightly.

"I tried to get Harry to open up," she said. "I tried to get him to stop acting the way he has been. It didn't work. I'm sorry, I really am. But I can't even get him to talk to me, let alone let me try and fix things up between him and Ginny."

Dean's shoulders dropped.

"She's really devastated by the way he's acting, She tries to hide it, but she's looking for him all the time, and she won't admit it to anyone, even herself. But it's obvious."

Cho stopped walking, and looked at Dean as though seeing him for the first time.

"And when she sees him," she said, her previously strident voice suddenly much lower, "it just makes it worse, because she can't be with him." Her previously bright eyes seemed devoid of life for a moment, before she shook her head slightly.

Dean nodded unhappily.

"I understand," Cho said eventually. "I'll do what I can to help. I'm not sure what I can do, but... Keep me informed, okay?"

"Sure," Dean said. Cho turned, and walked away, not hurrying to catch up with her friends but rather walking alone. Dean looked after her curiously, feeling that he had gained a powerful ally in his quest to reunite Harry and Ginny, but not entirely able to say exactly why.

*

Ron watched dejectedly as the extremely dull game played out before him.

"Don't know why we bothered coming," he said. "We've already played both of these teams. There's nothing new to be learned. We might as well work on that Potions essay."

"We could go for a walk, then," Hermione said. "I just thought it would be nice to get out. It's been a horrible winter, and it's the first nice day of the year."

"Yeah, s'pose it is," Ron admitted. "Okay, let's go. I'm not going to sit around here and watch this rubbish any longer. It's just making me feel worse. What I need is some quality time spent with my girlfriend."

As they stood up, Terrence Higgs threw himself into a steep dive. Justin Finch-Fletchley, who had been at the other end of the stadium, could only watch in frustration as the Slytherin captain snatched the Snitch suddenly. The Slytherin team swamped their captain, celebrating his winning his final match for their house.

"And Slytherin win, one hundred and fifty points to zero. Well done Terrence Higgs, it's a shame to see you go, I'm sure," Lee said. "Right, folks. Let's be off. It's a lovely day, let's all go and do something interesting, shall we?"

To be continued...