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PART THREE
Exploding Snap
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" y/n's point of view "
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FRED AND GEORGE decided that the night back in the common room after the first day of classes was the best possible time for them to begin marketing more of their products.
This time it was something inedible.
"Headless Hats!" George shouted over the excited shrieks and laughs coming from the group around them. I watched from my usual spot on the couch nearby. "Two Galleons each, watch Fred, now!"
Fred put the hat on his head, and for a second, nothing happened. Then in an instant both his head and the hat disappeared.
Some girls screamed, but most of the students around them were impressed or laughed.
"And off again!"
I watched as my headless boyfriend's hands groped the air for a moment, then his head reappeared seconds later, the hat in his hand.
I clapped along with the rest of their audience as they continued to show off their hats.
Harry walked past the twins as he headed to his dorm, dodging George, who had attempted to put one of the Headless Hats on him.
It's strange how a regular, enjoyable night can be followed by such a horrible morning.
MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN
MINISTRY FEARS BLACK IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS
I stared at the Daily Prophet headline at breakfast the next morning after Neville put the paper down.
The look of shock, fear and pain on his face made me feel for him.
Bellatrix Lestrange had escaped from Azkaban.
The woman who had tortured his parents to the point of insanity, my father's cousin, had escaped.
And they were blaming it on my dad.
"You okay, Neville?" I asked him. He had been staring down at the table, zoned out, and looked up at me.
He nodded slowly, but he looked extremely shaken, and I didn't blame him. The poor kid had been through so much.
And after Hermione told me what she, Harry, Ron and Ginny had seen when they bumped into him at St Mungo's, this was the worst possible thing that could've followed.
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I SAT IN Defense Against the Dark Arts studying by reading my textbook along with everyone else, which was basically my only option in Umbridge's class.
Though I was only half-paying attention, because I also had a horrible anxiety feeling bubbling in my stomach as Fred and George played Exploding Snap in the back of the classroom.
"Guys, stop mucking around or you're gonna get in trouble." I warned them in a harsh whisper as Umbridge walked down the middle of the desks.
I had learned pretty early that in Umbridge's class she would take absolutely anything I did as a reason to punish me, and I assumed that was because of who my father was.
I had luckily avoided any detentions for most of the year, but it had come close. I thought it was best that due to the day's news it was best I didn't make a sound.
"Mr. Weasleys!" Her shrill voice suddenly broke out in the classroom and my head shot up from my textbook, and the heads of several students snapped towards the two boys.
I looked down and dipped my quill into my ink pot and went back to my work, only occasionally glancing over from the corner of my eye.
"What do you boys think you're doing?" Umbridge questioned them.
"Playing Exploding Snap, Professor." George replied, a cheeky smile on his face that made me feel sick.
"And why aren't you doing your class work?" She asked. "You have N.E.W.T.s coming up and you need to study. Put the cards away."
"Well, Professor," Lee started from his seat beside the twins and I took a deep breath. "Your new rule says you can't talk about subjects you aren't paid to teach."
Lee was right about that. Her newest 'decree' had stated:
"Teachers are hereby banned from giving students any information that is not strictly related to the subjects they are paid to teach."
Umbridge stared Lee down as he went on.
"Exploding Snap's got nothing to do with Defense Against the Dark Arts, Professor! That's not information relating to your subject!"
"Detention, Mr. Jordan." Umbridge put on her usual smile and Lee's had dropped. "My office, five o'clock this evening."
Then she looked to Fred and George.
"Would you two like to join him? Or are you going to put the cards away and do your work?" Umbridge stared them down and Fred collected up the cards.
Umbridge held out her hand and he slowly passed them over.
She snatched them away and turned around, walking back to the front of the classroom.
That evening, when Lee got to the common room after his detention, the back of his hand was bleeding badly.
"Merlin, Lee," Angelina grabbed his hand and lifted it up. "What did she do to you?"
"It's no big deal." Lee pulled his arm away and started dabbing at the blood with the sleeve of his robes. "Where are Fred and George?"
"In your dorm." I said and Alicia nodded along. "But, Lee, don't act so casual about this. It's not normal. The woman's crazy."
"How is she allowed to do this stuff? She's a teacher!" Lewis looked around our group.
"It's because she's evil, Lewis." Angelina said.
"Hey, Lee." We all turned our heads to see Harry standing to the side of us. Lee looked over to him too.
"What's up?" He asked.
"Uh, just, I'd recommend using Murtlap Essence on your hand." Harry said, ignoring the piercing gazes of the rest of our group. "It really helps."
"Thanks, Potter." Lee said and Harry nodded before turning around and walking away.
I grabbed onto Lee's hand to examine it. The blood was coming from cuts on his hand, and the cuts were letters spelling out 'I must not talk back.'
"I can make you some Murtlap Essence." I told him as Lee took his hand back. "Hermione probably has the tentacles, I'm betting she made it for Harry."
"Thanks." Lee muttered and I nodded along, looking around our group in silence.
"So when's the next Quidditch practice, Y/N?" Angelina asked, breaking our silence as we fell back into regular conversation.