The Cupboard Series 3: Potter Haven

Chapter 23

Breakfast had not long finished when Oliver Wood, seventh year Gryffindor and Captain of the quidditch team, felt a pair of arms hook into his arms on either side and steer him into one of the vacant classrooms that he'd just been passing.

"What?" he began to protest before his head whipping backwards and forwards found the cause of his sudden change of direction.

The fact that it was the Weasley twins both calmed and terrified him at the same time – calmed because they were a known entity, but terrified, because, well, they were the Weasley twins and anything could and usually did happen around those two.

He watched as the door behind them was shut and promptly warded for privacy by his two red-headed beaters.

"What do you two want?" Oliver asked. "We're going to be late for class."

"Nah, I wouldn't say that," one, Fred, Oliver thought, said, waving off the objection.

"Exactly. You can't be late if you don't turn up," the other, most likely George, agreed.

Oliver frowned at them. "I don't have time to be missing classes. This is my NEWT year."

"What, not even for your star seeker?" Fred asked.

"McLaggen? What's he got to do with anything?" Oliver wondered.

Fred stuck one finger into his ear and promptly wiggled it about.

"Remind me to go visit Pomfrey when we're done here, brother, I was sure that I said 'star seeker'," Fred stated.

"You did, brother," George replied. "I heard it, too. Of course, it could be Oliver's hearing that needs checking out."

Oliver backed away slightly at the penetrating stares that the two turned on him.

"Not McLaggen, then?" Oliver asked.

"Of course not!" Fred replied, one hand over his heart showing his disbelief at the very suggestion. "I did say 'star seeker'."

Oliver's brain rapidly kicked into gear. There was only one Gryffindor seeker that could be considered a 'star'. Unfortunately, he wasn't on the team this year. Hell, he wasn't even at Hogwarts this year.

"You mean, Harry?" Oliver asked, his voice a near whisper.

"Right in one, Oliver," George beamed, before turning to his twin. "See, I told you all those bludgers to the head hadn't done him any harm."

Ignoring the bludger to the head comment for a moment, Oliver focussed on the important part of the conversation. "What's this got to do with Harry?"

"Well, you see, Oliver ..." Fred began.

"We happen to know that you're 'of age' ..." continued George.

"Which means that you've had apparition lessons."

"And you've even got a licence to do it."

"And we have this little letter here that needs to be posted," Fred told him, pulling out an envelope from a side pocket of his robes.

"The muggle way," they smiled together.

Oliver looked from one to the other of the twins. "What's that letter got to do with Harry? And why can't you just send it the normal way?"

"Ask us no questions and we'll tell you no lies, Oliver," George replied.

"But believe us when we tell you that it's for Harry's own safety that we do it this way," Fred replied seriously.