Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [4]

⚡️ Chapter 65 ⚡️

The Hogwarts ground had never quite looked any more inviting to Vega then when she had no choice but to stay indoors. She was really sad that the weather was improving so much and yet she was stuck inside – and more than that, she was desperate to go out and have a look at what had happened in the forest. As much as she respected the others, Vega wanted to see it through with her own eyes as to what had happened with Mr. Crouch and where he had vanished off to.

However, Hermione was not very accepting of this idea and kept an eye on Vega to make sure that she wouldn't go outside on her own – especially since she could be in danger. In the end, Vega spent her time in the library, looking up hexes with Harry, Ron and Hermione, or in empty classrooms, which they snuck into to practise those very charms and hexes for the Third Task.

Currently, they were working on their Stunning Spells, and it was not surprising that Vega managed to get through with it fairly quickly but Harry still had to practise it a bit. The only trouble was that practising it involved certain sacrifices on Ron and Hermione's part, as Vega couldn't be hurt.

"Rennervate," Vega mumbled, her wand pointed toward Ron, who was lying flat on his back in the middle of their empty Charms classroom that Monday, during lunchtime. "Are you okay?"

"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked, clearly having had enough after being stunned by Harry for the fifth time in a row. "Let's Stun her for a bit. Or you could use Dobby, Harry, I bet he'd do anything to help you two,"

"We can't hurt Dobby, Ron!" Vega warned.

"I'm not complaining or anything," Ron said quickly as he gingerly got onto his feet, rubbing his backside where he had landed. "But I'm aching all over..."

"Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you!" Hermione said impatiently, rearranging the pile of cushions they had used for the Banishing Spell, which Flitwick had left in a cabinet. "Just try and fall backward!"

"Once you're stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione!" Ron said angrily. Vega ran a hand through her hair, unsure whether to be amused or feel bad. "Why don't you take a turn?"

"Well, I think Harry's got it now, anyway," Hermione said hastily. "And we don't have to worry about Disarming because he's been able to do that for ages... I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening," She looked down at the list of spells that they had made in the library.

"Impediment Curse?" Vega suggested, sitting back down on the table, swinging her legs back and forth. "It's supposed to slow down anything that's trying to attack us – we should start with it,"

The bell rang. They hastily shoved the cushions back into Flitwick's cupboard and slipped out of the classroom. Vega pulled her schoolbag onto her shoulder, putting her wand away as they were not quite allowed to use them around the hallway – especially not in a hallway that Filch frequented.

"See you at dinner!" Hermione said, and she set off for Arithmancy. "Vega, see you in the next period –" Vega, Harry and Ron headed toward North Tower, and Divination.

Broad strips of dazzling gold sunlight fell across the corridor from the high windows. The sky outside was so brightly blue it looked as though it had been enamelled. Gently, a soft, warm breeze was flowing into the corridor that was alighting a desire in Vega to go out and have a nap in the lawn.

"It's such a nice weather," Vega mumbled, staring outside the windows anyway.

"Yeah, well, it's going to be boiling in Trelawney's room," Ron said as they started up the staircase toward the silver ladder and the trapdoor. "She never puts out that fire,"

Ron was quite right – the dimly lit room was swelteringly hot.

The fumes from the perfumed fire were heavier than ever, especially since the windows were all tightly closed shut. Vega's head was already spinning as she made her way over to one of the curtained windows. She glanced over toward Professor Trelawney – when the teacher looked away to disentangle her shawl from a lamp – Vega quickly opened the window an inch or so to relieve it.