Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 43: The Patronus

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Coming back to Hogwarts was rough. The concept was supposed to be cheerful but knowing Umbridge was there, they couldn't find any joy in it anymore.

"Let's just keep our heads down, pass our NEWTs and get out of there, okay?" said Selena before they got off the train, and Sarah nodded. She stepped off and with knots in their stomachs and mentally preparing for atrocity, they made their way towards the last few months of school.

A few days after coming back, Hermione barged into the common room with a couple news papers in her hands. She gave them to the people gathered around the couch and desks, that would be Sarah, Harry, Ron, Fred, George and Selena.

They all almost got up from their seats in shock, "10 high-security prisoners escaped? Are they for real?" shrieked Sarah and Selena quickly turned the pages, reading more about the information.

"They're blaming Sirius for it," said Selena, looking up at Harry and he snatched the paper from Sarah who was closest to read it for himself.

"Bellatrix Lestrange escaped," whispered Sarah, and she glanced at Harry, both thinking of what Sirius told them when he showed them the picture of the original Order of the Phoenix. Neville's parents. They had been driven to madness because of her use of the Cruciatus Curse.

Seamus walked in then and they all ruffled the papers to hide behind them.

"Harry," he called, and Harry's head peaked from behind the paper.

"I uh- I wanted to apologize," said Seamus.

Sarah was sitting on the desk where Fred was writing, they both hid behind it and exchanged a look. "Didn't think he had it in him," whispered Fred.

"I know. But it's good it's happening," she whispered back, glancing to the side to see Harry look at Seamus, unknowing of what to say.

"Now even my mum says the Prophet's version of things don't add up. So," he stopped, like he was trying to collect his thoughts, "What I'm really trying to say is that I believe you."

Harry nodded, "All right. I guess, thanks, Seamus."

Seamus looked around at the people holding the papers to hide their faces, and Harry invited him to the next DA session, for which Seamus was grateful.

"That was unexpected," said Hermione when he walked away and Harry nodded.

"Yeah, that's for sure," he said, looking back at the paper. "So we were discussing the most upsetting news of prisoners and Death Eaters escaping Azkaban before-"

They read the papers, also scoffing and wishing to rip it up when they read about the information the Ministry was printing, all that conspiracy about Dumbledore and Sirius.

"He'll kill us all because he can't face the truth," spoke Hermione bitterly, shaking her head at the printed words.

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During the month of February, the seventh years had mock exams prepared on the sixteenth, which led to George whining over spending the fourteenth in the common room with Angelina, Alexander, Lee and Sarah, studying for the exams in two days instead of alone with Selena.

Fred also walked in, pulled a chair next to the desk Sarah sitting on and she raised a brow when she saw him settling his books and parchment, "Really? You're joining us?"