𝕭𝖆𝖙𝖙𝖑𝖊 𝕾𝖈𝖆𝖗𝖘 || Fred Weasley

37

13 August 1995

"If what Cassie says is true, we must act now— "

"What are we supposed to do, all-mighty Sirius Black? Storm the manor? Contact the Ministry — the very Minister who refuses to believe he's back?"

"We should do— "

He stopped mid-sentence, staring through the doorway. It was the Harry Potter with the famous scar on his head. Then Mrs. Weasley pushed him out and closed the door behind her.

"Who's the idiot who forgot to charm the door?" asked Cassie, looking at Mundungus Fletcher. He smiled sheepishly. "Seriously... " With the wave of her wand, once Mrs. Weasley had come inside, she cast the charm.

"If anyone has a right to know, it's Harry," said Sirius at once.

"If it wasn't for Harry, we'd be without— "

"Voldemort's simply bad. Harry isn't a child, Molly— "

"He's not an adult, either," she retorted.

"He's not your son!"

"He's as good as. Who else has he got?"

"He's got me," Sirius said.

"Perhaps Potter will grow up to be a felon just like his godfather— "

"You stay out of this, Snivellus!" Sirius remarked.

"Would you stop your bickering, honestly," said Cassie. "You're like an old married couple. It's too early for him to know now. Snape needs to get more information."

"That is Professor Snape to you, Malfoy— "

"Screw honorifics here," said Cassie. "Otherwise, you'd be respectful to your elders in this room. So we're done here, yes?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley, turning around towards the door.

Tonks followed behind Cassie. Then there was a crash.

"Tonks!" cried Mrs. Weasley in exasperation, turning to look behind her.

"I'm sorry!" wailed Tonks, who was lying flat on the floor. "It's that stupid stand. That's the second time I've tripped over— "

But the rest of her words were drowned by a horrible, blood-curdling screech. The moth-eaten velvet curtains had flown apart. An old woman in a black cap was screaming and screaming as though she were being tortured.

The old woman was drooling, her eyes were rolling, the yellowing skin of her face stretched taut as she screamed, and all along the hall behind them, the other portraits awoke and began to yell, too.

Cassie and Lupin darted forward and tried to tug the curtains shut over the old woman, but they would not close and she screeched louder than ever, brandishing clawed hands as though trying to tear at their faces.

"Filth! Scum! By-products of dirt and vileness! Half-breeds, mutants, freaks, begone from this place! How dare you befoul the house of my— "

Mrs. Weasley hurried up and down the hall, Stunning all the other portraits with her wand and a man with long black hair came charging out of a door.