NO SIGNAL ➝ FRED WEASLEY [1] ✓

FIFTY FIVE [NEWTs]

this is my absolute favorite chapter i've ever written ever

Walking into the Great Hall to sit for her first—and only—NEWT exam with a contraband firework in the pocket of her robes, all the while with Muggle clothes instead of her uniform on under her robes, was as nerve-wracking as it was thrilling. As far as disobedience went, Amelia left most of the troublemaking to the Weasley twins, so this small act of noncompliance was enough to set her heart racing.

Amelia was to sit in front of Bellamy, due to alphabetical order for all students taking the test, but before taking her seat she turned to her sister.

"Are you ready?" The elder said under her breath, incredibly aware of how her wand was poking her from where it was hidden in her sock.

Bellamy nodded. "As I'll ever be."

After the majority of seventh year students had sat down at their correct desks, Professor Umbridge noticed two missing towards the back of the classroom.

"Miss Bishop." The toadlike woman called from the front of the room. "Where are the Weasley's? They were due to be here five minutes ago!"

Amelia struggled to keep her smile hidden. "No idea, Professor."

Umbridge made a hmph noise. "Very well. I guess they will be failing this exam. Now, for the rest of you, begin."

Amelia, no matter how hard she tried, could not focus on the test in front of her. And, if asked, she probably could not even tell you which class it was for. Instead of trying to decipher any of the words on the page, she tapped her foot impatiently and watched the watch on her wrist, waiting for Umbridge to get comfortable enough to stop pacing around the room.

It took the woman nearly half an our to situate herself behind the desk at the front of the hall, and that was enough of a signal for Amelia.

Amelia slowly stood from her seat, hands trembling with excitement and fear.

"Miss Bishop, take your seat right this instant!" Umbridge cried, rising from her chair as well.

"No, I don't think I will."

Amelia proceeded to step onto the chair, then onto the desk, and her heavy combat boots made the wood creak.

She drew the firework from the pocket of her robes and ditched the outer garment entirely, letting it drop onto the floor. She heard a chair scuff against the stone floor and the desk behind her creak, and she assumed that Bellamy, too, had stood on her own desk and pulled out her own firework.

Pulling her wand out of her sock, Amelia smiled cruelly. "You see, Professor, my sister and I aren't very fond of your teaching methods. We've decided to pursue, well, alternate forms of education."

She held her wand to the end of the firework and, in unison, the Bishop sisters whispered "Incendio" and threw the fireworks high into the air.

Amelia saw Umbridge pick her wand up from where it sat on the desk, and it looked like the professor was about to shoot a spell at her, but Amelia was faster:

"Petrificus Totalus!" Amelia shouted, a jet of light from her wand arcing through the air and hitting the woman. Umbridge went completely stiff and fell flat on her face.

Before she could even begin to laugh, the doors to the Great Hall exploded open, and in rode her knight in shining armor.

Fred Weasley raced towards her on his broom, one hand outstretched.

She quickly caught it, and he hauled her up to sit behind him on the broom.

Amelia saw, after briefly looking over shoulder, that Bellamy was on the back of George's broom, and with the thunderous applause of their classmates to cheer them on, the two sets of twins flew out of the castle and into the horizon.