Just Like Magic (George Weasley)

Three.

Professor Lupin quickly became the favorite teacher amongst students. Nobody cared that his robes were patched and frayed except for Draco Malfoy and his cronies. His lessons stayed as interesting as his first one, we studied many interesting creatures and we had lots of fun in his class. The story of Professor Snape in a dress during his third year classes first lesson had spread amongst the students, and Professor Snape was in more of a foul mood than usual.
   
Hagrid had also begun to teach some more mundane lessons after what happened with Draco and Buckbeak. Hagrid was now spending lesson after lesson teaching us on looking after Flobberworms. The class was now extremely dull, but just like every class I did my best to pay attention and take in as much as I could. I just wish that Hagrid hadn’t lost his confidence because he really does love this subject with all his heart.
   
I didn't have any more run-ins with George Weasley for the first two months of school, but everyone once in awhile I saw him sneaking a glance at me in the Great Hall from the Gryffindor table. There was a Hogsmeade trip on Halloween, the first one of the year. I spent the day with Nadine walking around the village. We went to Honeydukes Sweet Shop and Zonko's Joke Shop and then headed to the Three Broomsticks Pub for some Butterbeers to end our day.
   
It all seemed like a normal Hogsmeade trip and then we headed back to the Castle for the Halloween Feast where the castle ghosts did a performance for us students. We went back to our House Common Rooms. It was just before everyone was about to go to bed for the night when Professor Snape came into the Common Room and told us all to follow him and not ask questions. So we did what we were told.
   
He led us to the Great Hall, and we were handed a sleeping bag and a pillow each and told we were sleeping here. I had no idea what was going on, yet I knew at the same time. My dad had to have gotten in the castle. There were reports of him being close to the castle at the beginning of the month, but I didn't pay it any mind because I didn't think he'd actually get into the castle. I thought the Dementors guarding the school would keep us safe.
   
Percy Weasley, the Head Boy of Gryffindor House, volunteered to go looking for my dad, and he did. Snape did too, he searched the Dungeons alone looking for him. They came back and reported they didn't find him, and Dumbledore said that he was certain my dad had left the castle by now, but he would keep us here for the night out for safety.

My nerves took over my entire body. I couldn't sleep. It was quiet in the Great Hall so I figured that most everyone had fallen asleep by now. I sat up, and I scratched my scalp and I ran my fingers through my wild curls, my fingers getting caught at the end and I had to force them the rest of the way down. It hurt to do that.
   
I saw the Weasley twins were awake. They were sitting up and talking to each other. I shouldn't have looked in their direction but I did. And when I did the one I can assume is George waved at me quickly. I waved back sheepishly and then laid back down and forced myself to calm down enough to sleep. I was scared though. He was here in the castle. George asked me if I was scared if he was going to come for me, and I said I didn't know, but now I do. I was terrified of that.
   
The only other reason I could think of for him showing up here was to capture Harry Potter and kill him like Lord Voldemort tried to when Harry was a year old. The truth was that he has two very strong motives for showing up here, and I was one of them.

All everyone at school talked about for about a solid week was Sirius Black. My suspicion was right, he did try to get into Gryffindor Tower. He even slashed the portrait of the lady who guards their common room and it had to be replaced while they got it fixed. There were rumors going around school about all of the crazy things that Sirius can do and turn into, but anyone with a brain wouldn't believe them.
   
The teachers began to keep closer eyes on Harry, even Percy Weasley was always tailing behind him. I myself even had a watcher on me at all times. Most of the time it was just Lupin though so I didn't mind. He called me into his office the next day, and he asked me if I were scared that my father was in the castle. I assured him I was fine, but I don't think he believed me.
   
The Slytherin team backed out of the very first Quidditch game. Apparently it's because Draco's arm still isn't healed, but we all know that they just didn't want to play in the persistent rain that's been pouring since we arrived at school two months ago now. Since they backed out, Gryffindor is now playing Hufflepuff in awful weather conditions.
   
That weekend was the game, and it was a nasty one. Professor Snape took over for Professor Lupin’s class, and when I asked him where he was he said that Professor Lupin was too ill to teach. He made us start the chapter on werewolves. He assigned an essay on the ways to recognize and kill werewolves. Some third years said he assigned the same assignment to their class too.
   
During the game, Cedric Diggory and Harry both saw the Snitch around the same time. Harry kept his eyes on the snitch, but Cedric was smart enough to stop. Harry kept going and he flew into a swarm of Dementors that were flying above the pitch. He came tumbling down from about 70 feet in the air.
   
People rushed to him and took him to the Hospital Wing. I watched as he was dragged away by the Weasley twins. Nadine and I went back to the Slytherin Common Room once Harry was gone. I felt so bad for him.
   
I felt somehow responsible for what happened to him, even though in reality I had nothing to do with it. It was because of my father that those Dementors were even here at school. It just made me feel awful. And because this happened to Harry Potter, it made me feel worse. I wanted to visit him, to talk to him. I told Nadine I wanted to go to the library and I left for the Hospital Wing.
   
The Gryffindor Quidditch team were exiting as I arrived. George Weasley flashed me a quick smile as he walked past me. They were all still wet from the rain during the game. It happened so quickly that I didn't smile back. I started looking for Harry as soon as I entered through the doors. I found him lying in his Quidditch Robes in a bed.
   
"Hi Harry," I say, as I approach him, "I know you don't know me. I'm-"
   
"Penelope Black," he says, finishing for me. "I know who you are. George told me."
   
I look down at my feet, feeling sheepish.
   
"I just want you to know that I don't have anything to do with my father. What he did was terrible. I feel so bad just because I'm related to him. I hate what he's done, and it's because of him those Dementors are even here. I feel kind of responsible."
   
"It's not your fault they're here," says Harry.
   
"I know but it's because of my father, which makes me feel guilty by association. And he tried to get into Gryffindor Tower on Halloween, probably to try and get to you. I'm sorry."
   
"You don't have to feel bad about things you can't control," he says, softly. "You don't need to feel bad about things you have nothing to do with. It's not your fault."
   
"Yeah, well, someone needs to apologize for what my dad has done, and if he's not going to do it then I might as well."
   
"You're not your father," says Harry, as he sits up now, "I can see that, Penelope. It's okay, you don't need to feel guilty for what he's done or caused."
   
"Thank you, Harry," I say, nodding, "I'm glad you're okay."
   
"Thanks, me too," he chuckles then. It makes me laugh too. It suddenly felt lighter in here.
   
I left him not long after that. I felt better knowing Harry was okay. I went to the library then to do some homework. I wasn't alone very long.
   
"Mind if I join you?" Asks a voice I have heard before. I looked up and I saw the smiling face of George Weasley.
   
"Sure," I say, and I looked back down to my book. "I went and saw Harry," I tell him as he takes a seat across from me.
   
"Did you? He had just woken up right before we left. Madam Pomfrey made us leave, saying Harry needed rest."
   
"I just felt so bad. My dad has caused him so much pain, and he doesn't even know half of it."
   
"I know," says George, "My mum has made us swear we won't tell him. Ron doesn't know anything either, because he would tell Harry."
   
"It should stay that way. I wish I didn't know what my dad has done. And the longer Harry doesn't the better."
   
"Oh he knows your dad is after him, but he doesn't know just doesn't know that your dad and his dad were best friends at one point. I think that would send him over the edge."
   
"Well then he can't know," I say, matter-of-factly.
   
"He won't," he says, nodding.
   
It felt so...easy...to talk to George. It felt almost, dare I say, natural. He was very easy to talk to, and I felt like I could talk to him and he wouldn't judge me. I love Nadine, she's my best friend, but I can't always tell her how I feel without a disagreement. Which is fine. It just means that sometimes I can't always tell her everything. But I felt like I could talk to George and he'd actually understand.
   
He perked up suddenly, like he just remembered something. "You know, I've never asked you; how have you been since Halloween? I've been dying to ask you."
   
"I've been fine," I say, but just like when I said it to Remus, I don't think he believed me. "He tried to break into your house, not mine."
   
"You must've been scared on Halloween though, right?" He says, his brown eyes eyeing me. "He did go for Harry first but there was nothing stopping him going after you next."
   
I sigh. I didn't want to think about that happening let alone talk to someone about it. It made me angry. I didn't like being angry.

"George, why does how I feel about my dad fascinate you so much? You don’t know me. We're not friends. If you were my friend you'd know I don't like to talk about him. You think I'm interesting because my father is crazy. Well I'm not crazy. I'm nothing like him. He didn't raise me, he went to jail when I was 2."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you, Penelope," he says, his voice small.
   
"Well you did," I didn't want to be here anymore. I should have told George to piss off when he asked if he could sit with me. I stand up and grab my book that I was reading and I throw my bag around my shoulders. "Quit asking me about my dad, Weasley."

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Here's part 3!

It felt so awful to make her be so mean to George at the end there.

The girl's got an attitude problem.

-Emily Winchester.