Miss Mischief ▶ George Weasley

Chapter Eighteen

Emerson woke to the feeling of being violently shaken, making her reluctantly open her eyes.

"Emery, you gotta get up. You promised Oliver you'd be there before the match started and it's thirty minutes." Alicia's blurry form quickly came into focus. Her eyes were puffy and her Quidditch uniform was in disarray.

"Why wasn't I woken up sooner?" Emerson's eyes wandered to the mirror in front of her bed and her reflection was gastly. Her hair was in a damp ball of snarls and knots on the top of her head and her own eyes were puffy.

"Well don't blame me," Alicia snapped. Taking in Emersons taken back look, Alicia sighed and rubbed her eyes. "I'm sorry, Emery. I'm just exhausted. Oliver's in a bad mood and Fred and George have been going on and on all morning about the Hufflepuff's being too scared to play because Harry's gonna petrify them..."

Emerson lost focus of what Alicia was saying as she rolled out of bed to get dressed. Alicia looked down at her watch and clicked her tongue. "Look, you better hurry up. If you're not in the locker room Oliver will at least expect you to be in the stands."

It didn't take long for Emerson to get dressed. It was still quite cold out so she threw on a thick sweater and wrapped her Gryffindor scarf around her neck. She glanced down at the walking boot that laid on the floor and after a few moments of contemplation, she kicked it under her bed. There was no way she would be able to put the mess of velcro and straps on in time.

Emerson knew she was taking a big risk, but her leg was fully healed and the boot was just meant for maintenance. Besides, what Madame Pomfrey didn't know wouldn't hurt her, right?

Before racing out of her room, Emerson swiped the Marauder's Map from her nightstand. It would allow her to find the quickest way to get to the Quidditch stadium. Past the Great Hall and around the library.

She walked quickly, taking a look down at the map to inspect for teachers before breaking into a quick jog. Madame Pomfrey was going to have her ass for running, but it would be better than Oliver Wood screaming at her again.

With everyone waiting for the match at the pitch, the map only showed the ghosts, a couple of teachers, and...Hermione Granger?

Emerson stopped in her tracks, confused as she looked down at Hermione's name. It was stationary, unlike the other names that floated around next to their footprints. Right next to her was a name that Emerson had only heard a few times, Penelope Clearwater, also frozen in place.

Emerson's heart began to pound in her chest. She was only a few feet away from turning the corner to the library. She had never seen a name so still before as she looked down at the map. Even when people are sleeping the name still manages to move in place.

As she began to turn the corner, Emerson pulled her wand out, just in case her worst fear was to become alive. But what she saw might have been worse. Her stomach jumped to her throat and her head began to spin as she looked at the two girls that laid frozen on the floor.

No, no, no, no, no, no Emerson's brain screamed as she rushed towards them. Each of them were pale, as white as snow. Eyes were wide with fear, and Hermione's knuckles were pure white from clenching a golden mirror in one of her hands.

Emerson gingerly touched Hermione's face, hoping that maybe there would be the slightest movement from her. But there was nothing.

She reached down for the map and raked through it, hoping that one of the teachers in the castle would be nearby. The nearest was Madame Pince in the Library. Emerson jumped to her feet, stuffing the map in her pocket, and fully sprinted into the library. A dull ache began to twist around her knee and lower back.

"Madame Pince!" Emerson's voice was high and strained as she ran towards her.

The librarian's head shot up from the book she was reading, her little glasses nearly falling off the tip of her nose. Anger twisted in her old features. "How dare you come in here—"

Emerson slammed her hand down on Madame Pince's desk. "There are two students who have been petrified right around the corner!"

Immediately, her wand was pointed to her lips and her voice strained. "All teachers and nurses report to the library immediately." Madame Pince turned back to Emerson with horror in her eyes. The horror only increased when she saw Hermione and Penelope.

The clock on the wall read ten fifty-five. Five minutes until the match.

McGongall rounded the corner, out of breath. "Irma what has happened...oh no..." Her face paled and a shaky hand raised to her lips. She must have been one of the only teachers in the school, because it was just her and the nurses. "The Quidditch match must be canceled. Please, get Miss Granger and Miss Clearwater to the hospital. Miss Diors, come with me."

Mcgonagall's pace was almost jogging speed. Emerson ignored the pain in her leg as she tried to keep up with her. Even though the doors to the castle were getting nearer, to Emerson they felt like they were going farther and farther away. "Professor, what's going to happen now?"

"I don't know."

Everyone was in shock. Silence filled the Gryffindor common room as everyone waited for any news about what was to happen. The Quidditch match was canceled, much to Oliver Wood's displeasure.

People began to doubt Harry's involvement. After all, he was Hermione Granger's best friend.

The news of Penelope Clearwater also shook the castle. She was a half-blood afterall, which showed that it wasn't just the Muggle Borns who were being affected.

Emerson laid on the floor between the two couches in front of the fireplace. She was ordered by her friends to put her boot back on, after she winced walking up the stairs to Gryffindor tower. Laying on the floor made her pain subside. George demanded that she go see the nurse right away if it all continued to hurt.

McGongall marched in, a grim look on her face. "Alright students." Emerson didn't move from the ground to see her teacher. She just laid there. "There will be a few new rules that must be followed by everyone. All students will be taken from class to class by a teacher. All students will be in their common rooms by six o'clock unless they are with a teacher. No student will use the restroom unaccompanied by a teacher. All Quidditch trainings and matches will be postponed."