[DISCONTINUED] Speak of the Devil // Fred Weasley

September 1997 Part 1

A/N: This chapter is dedicated to Kan, I promised you a chapter by the end of the day so here it is. If anyone finds any mistakes please let me know because this was all written today.

Also, I know I'm dramatic for putting this song just let me be cheezy.

Word Count: 1400+

The blistering August heat had long died down and with it the girls' spirits. Ginny and Rhiannon, while not excited for their return to Hogwarts, missed their friends dearly. Rhiannon had spent the remainder of August alone at her parents' home in Bath, and though she had not spent more than a week there, she despised the empty feeling of the building.

Both girls, even being nearly 100 kilometers away from each other, packed nearly identical trunks. Each trunk harbored a multitude of WWW products that were expertly hidden amongst their uniforms, pajamas, regular clothing, and toiletries. With the aid of a handy Undetectable Extension Charm, they were able to fit in at least 500 Galleons' worth of merchandise into less than 1/4 m3.

The train ride to Hogwarts this year was somber. Guards at the entrances onto the train had told them to keep quiet and not to be rowdy but their silver masks and hooded cloaks drove immeasurable amounts of fear into the children's hearts. No one dared to break the silence, the fear of persecution was too great. Ginny, Luna, Neville, and Rhiannon all occupied one cramped cubicle. Sitting patiently and hardly moving a muscle, everyone's breaths and every subtle move could be heard. The deafening silence amplified their thoughts tenfold.

Rhiannon's mind could not stop churning. She wondered if she would even make it out of Hogwarts alive, if that awkward hug and high five with Fred would be her last, or if she would ever see her parents again.

Her body lurched forward on the cramped seat as the train came to a screeching halt. One of their many possessions was pitched off of the luggage rack and towards Neville. Luna, luckily, cast the Arresto Momentum Spell calmly and silently before the item reached the boy's head. Trevor, on the other hand, was frightened by this and jumped onto Ginny causing her to swat the bulky toad onto the ground. Neville, the poor boy, looked like he wanted to scream at Ginny but couldn't due to the silence they had to maintain. All of this chaos continued in their cabin for nearly 20 minutes, when the Death Eaters allowed them to leave, but Rhiannon's mind was still far far away.

Once in the chariots which she knew to be pulled by majestic Thestrals, the worries that plagued her mind finally eased. Their ride to the castle resembled every other ride which they had had in years prior. It brought her a lovely feeling of nostalgia which she was happy to share with her friends. Here, they were left at peace with not a Death Eater in sight so they giddily caught up and reminisced about times past.

The Thestrals slowed their loud, majestic gallops when they neared the looming castle. What once held so much joy and beauty was now clouded over with gloom and despair. As students exited their chariots they were lined up into perfect, military-like rows. Once all second through seventh-year students had been sorted into such rows, they were bellowed at by a fearsome cloaked wizard to commence their marching. In surprising synch, created by their fear, the students marched through the grand wooden doors that led to the interior of Hogwarts.

Flickering torches illuminated the stone from which the school was built and provided wavering moments of warmth to its cold halls. Taking care to stay unnoticed and avoid the heels of fellow students, Rhiannon and her friends kept their heads down. Soon, the rhythmic beat of their steps approached the Great Hall and as they came to a rest, all that could be heard was their quiet breaths and hearts beating.

They were ordered to wait in front of the grand doors of the Great Hall, none of them prepared for what lied within. In their minds anticipation and fear were rampant. For what seemed to be at least fifteen minutes no one moved a muscle.

Suddenly, with no warning at all, the wooden doors swung open to reveal a sorry sight.

Professor Snape stood at the majestic podium at the end of the Hall, dressed in his usual drab cloak and sporting a simultaneously tired and cross look on his face. The Great Hall, which was usually adorned with festive decorations and mountains of mouthwatering food, was now decorated with only the candles that floated above their heads and their tables contained nothing more than meager quantities of soup in ugly silver bowls.

None of the students dared to express their disappointment and disdain towards their new headmaster but all of them felt it. Hatred coursed through their veins, hot and overpowering. Rhiannon made her way over to her house's table. She hated being a Slytherin, especially during times like these. All of her friends seemed to be so far away when and all she longed for was their comfort. She sat hip to hip with her fellow Slytherins, cowering as Death Eaters strode behind them.

"Students, if found out of bed, will be punished severely. If you are caught with contraband, if you skip a single class, if you put a single toe out of line. You. Will. Be. Reprimanded. Do not test these limits, I will not be lenient like Dumbledore was. Gryffindors will no longer be praised for wiping their own asses, Hufflepuffs will no longer be thanked for being pushovers, and Ravenclaws can no longer earn points for smart-assing their way out of trouble. We will be doing things my way from now on. A new and grander era has begun at Hogwarts. Be thankful that you are a part of it."

Once Snape finished his tedious speech, he finally allowed the famished students to slurp their soups. Each one seemed to be slightly different but no one knew what made each soup unique. Rhiannon's was strongly aromatic and held the brutally strong flavors of cilantro, fish, and blue cheese. She hated all of these foods but she was much too hungry to refuse the meal. Slowly but painfully she gulped down every last ounce of the grey-ish sludge and she noticed that everyone else seemed to be struggling to down theirs too.

After what was the longest hour of their lives, they were finally allowed to return to their dormitories. Ginny and Neville gave Rhiannon and Luna a small wave which they returned as they all headed in different directions. Rhiannon walked slowly towards the dungeons that housed her dormitory. When she reached the safety of her bed she collapsed onto it exhausted and in distress. She took a look around and to her luck, no one else seemed to be occupying the room. All of the other Slytherins were ecstatic to be back and Rhiannon seemed to be the odd one out.

She rummaged through her personal belongings until she found what she wanted. An enchanted journal. She and Ginny had the twins make them so that they could communicate with each other while they were apart. They even kept a spare set that also communicated with the twins in the case of their owls being stopped on their way into or out of Hogwarts.

Rhiannon began writing. She could sense that Ginny had also reached for her journal. One of the many perks of being best friends. 

"Was your soup weird too? Mine was like reverse Amortentia. It was disgusting."

"Yeah, I noticed it too. Neville couldn't even get a spoonful down."

"What did you taste in yours?"

"Red pepper, onions, and corn. I hate all of those things. Was yours different?"

"Very. Mine seemed to have cilantro, fish, and blue cheese. Three foods I haven't touched in years."

"Why do you think Snape is doing this to us?"

"Because he can. The man is power-hungry but he's also insecure, Harry told us. Remember?"

"My guess is that he won't last until the end of the year."

"Is that a bet?"

"You're on Evans!"

"One Galleon. Sound fair?"

"Works for me. See you on the Pitch tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow, Ginny. I have to get something sorted out."

"Okay. Sleep tight, don't let the Death Eaters bite."

"Ginny. If you were anywhere near me right now, I would smack you. As Snivelous said, 'be grateful' that you're not."

With that Rhiannon drifted off to sleep in the cold and desolate dorm, still holding the notebook to her chest.