Warring Weasleys

Chapter Four: Disturbances

Fred Weasley had grown more and more enamored of Hermione over the week, and he'd noticed his brother had been giving her extra attention as well. Hermione hadn't spoken to him since the night she'd pulled Fred into her secret library room, but Fred guessed that was because they had upcoming exams to concentrate on. He was sure he's fail every single one for lack of study, but could not bring himself to crack open a book. Every day he thought of her, and every day beat himself up, knowing that it was a long shot they'd ever get together.

Although Fred had joked about with George about girls, he did not confide his deepest feelings about Hermione for fear George would make fun of him. After all, the twins were adept at practical jokes, and Fred didn't want to be on the receiving end of their cleverness. He knew what George was capable of. In fact, he'd given George ammunition to use on others on more than one occasion. In school they were seen as a double-threat.

Quidditch practice had been miserable since he'd started pining for Hermione. He found himself wanting to smack the bludger straight at Harry instead of away from him. Oliver Wood, the Quidditch Captain, noticed Fred's lack of concentration and called him over for a talk.

"Look, Fred, you've got to keep your mind on the game. I don't know what you're on about, but when you're on that broomstick, it's got to be Quidditch. The safety of your teammates depends on it, and we've got to win this next game against Slytherin."

"Sorry," said Fred. "I was just thinking about...exams."

"I'm not sayin' don't think about exams, I'm just warning you not to think about them when you're here. We're all worried about passing, but try to see Quidditch as a time to let go of that. When you're here, you're a beater."

"Yeah," Fred said, lifting his chin and showing his grit. "Thanks, Wood."

Wood's pep talk helped Fred get through practice for the next few days, but whenever Hermione came to watch, he'd be a mess again. Instead of impressing her, he just got angry and started goofing off. He noticed George didn't have that problem, as much as he said he seemed to like Hermione, he didn't allow her to interrupt his practice. Fred scolded himself for being too soft. He vowed that he'd never let a girl take precedence over his game.

It was a vow that was soon to be broken.

* * *

"What are you doing, snooping around corners like that?" George said, his voice cracking. He'd been listening for the snuffling sound, but suddenly it had disappeared and he realized how lame he looked with his head pressed against the wall.

"Did you...hear it, too?" Ginny Weasley said, looking like she'd seen a poltergeist. She'd been listening to the noise as well, and followed it along the corridor until she bumped into George. "What is it?"

"Hear what?" feigned George, turning to lean against the wall so he didn't look so suspicious.

"You were listening to it, weren't you, George? I saw you listening to the wall," she stepped away from the dark wood panels and whispered, "is it ...in there? I tracked it all the way from the --"

"Is what in where?" Draco Malfoy interrupted, coming from the direction of the library. He held something large and bulky under his robe.

"The crying," Ginny said, her eyes darting around as if something would swoop down and scoop her away.

"Honestly! You Weasleys are all the same - don't tell me you get frightened every time a ghost says 'boo!'."

George stepped closer to Draco; he was still quite a few inches taller than the Slytherin and much more intimidating than Ron or Ginny. "Be on your way, Malfoy, or I'll be sure to tell that you're stealing a book from the library."

Draco narrowed his eyes into slits. "I'm doing no such thing. Anyway," his face took on a new look, one of cunning and pure contempt. "Aren't you supposed to be watching after your new girlfriend? I saw her with Potter in potions class today. You 'd better keep her on a leash."

"She's not my girlfriend," George said, defensively.

"With all the time she spends with Potter, I'd agree."

"What are you two talking about?" asked Ginny innocently. She was still looking around for the "ghost", only half-interested in the conversation.

"Nothing," said George quickly, grabbing Ginny's arm and yanking her down the hall. "I'll walk you back to your dorm. Maybe the thing in the walls will come get Malfoy."

George looked back and saw Draco standing dumbly but with a look of pure rage on his face. "Just you wait, Weasley!" he cried. He clutched at the book under his robe and stormed off to the Slytherin common room.

George pulled Ginny and as they heard the crying sound again, they ran faster to Ginny's dorm. George left her at the door and raced down to the dungeons. He turned the corner, intending to peek into the Potions classroom, but came face to face instead with Professor Snape, looking greasy and disturbed as ever. He had black soot all over his face and his hair was smoking a bit.

"Get out of my way!" he snarled and pushed past George.

George watched him rush off, then looked in on the Potions class. Something had exploded, and the table down in front was covered in green liquid. Students sat in shock before they started chattering and gathering their wands and books to leave. As they filed out, Seamus Finnegan was heard whining, "...they only just grew back!" Hermione's voice rose above the din, "Don't worry, you can draw them in with some eyebrow pencil. They'll be back in no time and no one will ever notice."

George ducked out of the way so Hermione wouldn't see him. Obviously Draco had been lying as usual. Harry was nowhere to be found.

Hermione saw George in the corridor and walked up to him. "George, have you seen Harry? He was supposed to be in class. Ron, too. But neither of them were there. They're going to hear it from Snape for sure."

"No, haven't seen him," he said, falling into pace beside her. "But I did see Malfoy in the hallway. He's up to something, if you ask me."

"He's always up to something," Hermione shook her head and clutched her books.

"Can I help you with those?" asked George, lending her a hand.

She passed three large volumes to him. "Thanks."

They walked in silence up to the second floor. The books she'd given him seemed to get heavier and heaver until they felt like lead weights when he reached the landing.

"These are dead heavy," he said, struggling not to drop the books.

"Do you wantme to take one back?" Hermione asked with concern.

Atthat moment George lost his grip on the tomes and they crashed down - right into his foot. His face turned beet red and he opened his moth to scream, but nothing came out.

"Oh no!" cried Hermione, touching him lightly on the arm. "Are you ok?"

She was touching him - that was all that mattered. George found his voice and squeaked out, "I...think so."

"You don't look at all well. Did you break any bones? I'd better take you to Madam Pomfrey."

The thought of Hermione steadying him all the way to the hospital wing lightened George's heart. Suddenly, his foot did not feel like it was on fire anymore. His heart, however, was another story.

* * *

"Why would someone want to distract you, Ron?' Harry asked as the two boys walked at a fast clip across Hogwarts grounds.

"I dunno," Ron said, puzzled.

"I'm thinking that they're either trying to get you out of the way, or both of us, since we're best friends. Something's going on and I don't like it."

"Honestly, Harry I was just eating a few beans and frogs, nothing to get all wild over."

Harry stopped. A low rumbling, like thunder, was coming up from the ground.

"What's that?" asked Ron, tentatively.

Harry stood for a moment as the ground began to vibrate. He touched the quivering grass, and then lay his head down, listening.

"Takes a mighty big earthworm to make that kind of noise," said Ron, carefully moving away from the area. After he'd walked about ten feet back, he stopped. "Hey!" he cried, "I don't feel it over here!"

Harry looked up and noticed that the grass blades moved only where he stood. He moved quickly over to Ron. The rumbling followed his feet, causing the area around him to vibrate.

"What is it?" asked Ron, moving away again.

"I don't know." Harry walked about in circles, watching the radius of the disturbance change with each footstep. "It's following me, though, whatever it is."

"This can't be good," said Ron, looking as if he were about to cry. "Should we get a teacher? They'd know what to do."

"We will, but first I want to make sure of something."

"Of course you do," said Ron. "Somehow you never take the easy way out, Harry."

Harry smiled at his friend, concealing his fear and concern. Whatever was going on with the ground, it was targeting him, and Harry wasn't especially in the mood for another scheme from You-Know-Who. And if it wasn't You-Know-Who, then who was it?

* * *