Echo | Harry Potter - George Weasley

Chapter 36: Hogsmeade Village

Standing in the clocktower, Shaye stared down at the group of students departing the school grounds and heading toward Hogsmeade. Balling her hands into weak fists, she turned away as the large hand of the clock ticked past her face.

Everyone had returned from holiday break a few days ago and, as planned, there was another trip into Hogsmeade village—a trip that Shaye and Harry, just like last time, wouldn't be participating in. 

"I'm sorry that your dad didn't sign your paper," Harry said, noticing the dejected expression on Shaye's face. "I'm sorry about the other stuff too. What are you gonna do now?"

Shaye huffed and took a seat on the cold steps. "I don't know. It feels like the end of the road but I don't want to give up. I can't."

"Can't or won't?"

Shaye thought for a moment and pulled her sweater tighter around her body. "Maybe both?"

"Well, we can take this time to brainstorm," Harry suggested as he pulled the unsigned Hogsmeade form out of his pocket and scanned the list of businesses on the back. "Who needs Hogsmeade anyway? I mean, Zonko's Joke Shop, Honeydukes, the Three Broomsticks, Carter's Broom Repair? It's all childish and lame anyway."

"Yeah!" Shaye agreed with a bout of forced enthusiasm. "But if I'm being honest, I was looking forward to the joke shop a little."

"Yeah, me too," Harry admitted. "This sucks."

"It does." Shaye scanned the list that Harry had just read from. "Wait a minute, Carter's Broom Repair?"

Harry nodded. "Yeah, not too excited about that one. Probably just some dusty old repair shop for Quidditch brooms."

"It's not the shop that's interesting," Shaye told him. "It's the name. Carter's Broom Repair. Hattie's last name is Carter. What are the chances her family owns that shop?"

Harry pondered for a moment. "I mean, there are probably a lot of people with the last name Carter, but I suppose it's all we have to go off of right now."

"My thinking exactly." Shaye grabbed the paper from Harry and stuffed it into her pocket. "We need to get into Hogsmeade ... but first, we need to get out of Hogwarts."

Harry smiled. "Leave that part to me."

Ten short minutes later, Shaye and Harry were making their way across the snowy courtyard, their bodies hidden by Harry's invisibility cloak. The cloak really had been the very best Christmas gift that Harry could have ever gotten because it had saved the day on more than one occasion.

Watching her feet as she walked, so as not to accidentally trip, Shaye realized that her boots left footprints in the snow. The invisibility cloak was good, but it wasn't that good. All the two of them could do was hope that no one noticed their footprints in the snow and continue on until they were off school property.

They were making pretty good progress, weaving in and out of students and teachers, but then they came across Fred and George. The twins were building a snowman in the middle of the courtyard, and sure enough, they just so happened to look over at the worst possible time and spot the two sets of footprints mysteriously appearing in the snow.

Shaye and Harry attempted to avoid the twins, but no matter which way they tried to go, the twins tracked them. Then, they lunged, Fred grabbing Harry's arm and George grabbing Shaye's.

"Guys, let us go!" Harry struggled to get free.

Fred snickered. "Clever, you two."

"But not clever enough," George added. "Besides, we've got a better way."