Everything Changes // Fred Weasley

chapter 3: two cars in the forbidden forest

Naomi explained to me that the route too Hogwarts was mostly through the countryside, so no muggles would be able to see us once we left London. It was the getting out of London that was the hard part. When George's brother Ron and his friend Harry did it two years prior, they were spotted by muggles and got into a bit of trouble, and there was absolutely no way that we could be caught, or else they would most definitely send me back home.

The plan was we would be following the train tracks as far as possible while driving and then find a side road so we could take off, and then follow the tracks to school. The car was faster than the train, so we would arrive at Hogwarts about an hour before the other students. Naomi explained that George and Fred had a map of the entire school that showed where people were throughout the castle. The twins had given the map to Ron's friend, Harry, the year before, but George was able to get it back from Harry before he left for school this year, promising to give it back as soon as he could.

Naomi and I would use this map to sneak around the school to get up to the Gryffindor common room, where Naomi would sweet talk the Fat Lady into giving her the password like she always does, and then we would rush up to her bedroom and I would hide out in there until the Great Feast was finished downstairs and Naomi would come back to her dorm and introduce me to my new roommates.

The beginning of the plan was going by smoothly, as we had already taken to the sky and were following the tracks to Hogwarts, ahead of the Hogwarts Express as expected. I still wasn't feeling to great, so I tried to distract myself by asking Naomi about the plan for the entire school year, I didn't like the idea of only being able to hang out with her inside her dorm room.

"So, what's the plan Naomi"

"What are you talking about?" she said looking over at me.

"How is this all going to work? I don't like the idea of being you for an entire year. And I would like to make some friends, and maybe learn a thing or two."

"Oh Gem," she said, with a sadness in her tone, "I don't know how that is going to be possible, George mentioned something about an invisibility cloak he knew that Harry had, but it's going to be hard to convince him to give it up, especially since Harry and I aren't super close, I don't know if he'll care to help us."

"Oh." The reality of the situation was sinking in, I was about to be my sister for an entire year, not being able to show anyone who I really was.

"At least you'll be there with me!" she exclaimed, "Apparently something big is happening this year, they even put an evening gown on our supply list! Maybe if there is a ball you can go with Fred, and people will just think that you guys are George and I!" Naomi laughed at the thought of there being two versions of the same couple at a dance.

"I was just hoping you could give me a tour around the castle, maybe take me to my first quidditch game." I said, disappointed. I knew I should be grateful for everything that she was doing for me, but I just couldn't get past the thought that I was about to basically be trapped in a tower for the next year of my life.

"We'll figure something out, I promise!"

There she goes again with that whole, glass half full attitude, I thought to myself.

It's not glass half full Gem, I'm serious, I will figure something out, you aren't going to be stuck in my room all year.

I looked at her, shocked that she heard me, since I wasn't even trying to think to her.

"How..."

"I'm a witch," she said looking over to me and giving me a wink, "I can do a lot of things that you don't know about."