Everything Changes // Fred Weasley

chapter 10: one too many slips of paper

October 30th, 1994

"I wish I could have seen it!" I laughed as I sat down at the foot of Naomi's bed. She was in hysterics herself, barely able to keep herself from falling off the bed.

All of the new students from the other schools had arrived earlier that morning, and Naomi had explained to me just how magnificent it was when each school arrived. I cursed myself for not watching from my dormer that morning, but that wasn't even the most exciting thing that had happened that day that I missed out on. Fred and George had made absolute fools of themselves trying to enter the tournament despite the age restriction, and I very much wished that I could have been there to witness them aging almost seventy years in less than a second.

"It was honestly the funniest thing I've seen in a long while." She continued, trying to stifle her laughs.

"And you really couldn't tell them apart?" I urged, wishing that she could show me memories from her own mind like we were able to speak to each other. All I wanted was one picture of an elderly Fred, then I could die happy.

"Not one bit!" She wiped the tears out of her eyes from laughing so hard.

"It was stupid, that's what it was," Jules said, lifting her head out of the book she was reading, "They couldn't possibly have thought that their plan was going to work."

"Oh, shove off Jules." Naomi glared at her from across the room. Naomi usually paid no mind to Jules' criticism, but when George was thrown into the mix, Naomi was immediately defensive. Jules could say something absolutely terrible about our mum, and Naomi wouldn't bat an eye, but say one thing bad about George, and her whole persona shifts.

"You're just jealous you didn't think to try to get into the tournament somehow." She continued, "You were too busy yelling at an inanimate object."

I raised my brow at Naomi, but she just shrugged her shoulders.

"Whatever." Jules rolled her eyes and looked back to her book.

"Please stop fighting." Anna said, wearing nothing but a towel as she left the bathroom, "You know I absolutely despise conflict."

"Sorry Anna," Naomi said genuinely, "Jules?"

"I'm not apologizing." Jules scoffed, "I didn't do anything."

Anna sighed and sat down on her bed, brushing through her wet locks. "I wonder who the Hogwarts champion is going to be. I hope it's a Gryffindor, how fun would that be? Having the whole school backing your house."

"I know Carina put her name in the Goblet, maybe she'll be the champion!" Naomi feigned excitement, but I knew her well enough to know that she wouldn't want any of her friends participating in the tournament.

"We'll find out tomorrow," Jules chimed in, barely glancing up from her book, "So there's no use in speculating who it's going to be."

Naomi rolled her eyes and climbed out her four poster to get herself ready for bed, and I did the same.

"Speaking of the announcement tomorrow," I said, pulling my loose tee shirt over my head, "I know that it's my day for dinner, but I think you should go Naomi."

"Absolutely not!" She said, her voice distorted from the toothbrush she was using, "We made a deal."

"I just figured it was pretty important," I continued, pushing past her to get into the tiny bathroom, "Don't you want to be there for the announcement?"

"No, it's fine!" She replied, wiping the toothpaste off her chin, "I have a lot of studying to catch up on, and I know Dumbledore's speeches can last forever. Plus, you can just tell me who the champions are, it's not like me being there will change the outcome."