Before the Dawn | George Weasley

6

George looked uncharacteristically tired in Potions class the next morning.

"You alright?" I asked in a low voice, nudging him gently. "I heard about what happened. Do you really think it was Black?"

"Nah," Fred leaned forward to join the conversation. "The Fat Lady's always been full of it, everyone knows that."

"But whoever did it tried to take a chunk out of her, that's for sure," George added.

"Who do you think it was, if it wasn't Black?" I looked between the twins.

"Some gassy Slytherin," joked Fred.

"Something at dinner didn't sit right, and the Fat Lady got in the way," George followed up with a grin at his brother.

I frowned at their inability to take this seriously, but then I noticed the dark circles under George's eyes.

"How are you, though? It must've been scary."

George grimaced. "I'm fine. I was a little spooked, but they've got us sleeping in the Great Hall now and let me tell you, those stone floors are about as comfortable as they look."

"And Potter?"

"He's doing well, all considered, I think," said George.

"He's resilient, that one," said Fred. "I reckon he's used to this sort of thing by now."

I frowned again. Potter was only in his third year. He should be having fun and learning, not fearing for his life at every turn.

Snape began the lesson, then, and I flipped open my Potions textbook to follow along. I tensed as George leaned over, his face close to mine.

"You coming to the Quidditch match tonight?" I could feel his warm breath on my cheek.

"And what, sit in the Gryffindor student section?" I whispered back, keeping my eyes trained on Professor Snape as a charmed piece of chalk scribbled across the blackboard at the front of the class.

"Yeah, we won't bite. Most of us, anyway." I could hear the smile in George's murmur.

"I'll be hexed."

"Not so long as you're cheering for the right team."

"In that case, maybe I'll sit in the Hufflepuff section."

"Now that would be a sight to see."

Snape's sharp gaze landed on us. "Mr. Weasley, Miss Doyle, since you do not feel the need to pay attention in my class, perhaps one of you can tell me the effects of Valerian root and which potions it is most well-known for?"

I opened my mouth to answer but then closed it again, my mind reeling. I knew this. I knew this. "Valerian root is a, er..."

"Sedative," George sneezed.

My eyes widened, remembering now. "It's a sedative, most commonly found in sleep-inducing draughts or other brews intended to relax the senses. In more extreme cases, a higher concentration can be used to shut down the body altogether, such as with the Draught of Living Death."

Snape's black eyes flitted to George. "Mr. Weasley? Anything to add?"

Fred piped up from behind us. "An acceptable substitution for Valerian root, or any sedative for that matter, would be this class."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for speaking out of turn, Mr. Weasley, as well as detention. See me after class." Snape was unfazed by neither Fred's cheeky remark nor the giggles that swept the classroom in response.