𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 97

CHAPTER NINETY-SEVEN
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-: seventh year :-

── IN WHICH PLANS ARE
MADE

. . .

"Are you ready for this?" The question echoed in Elodie's ears as she felt the weight of an arm swing around her shoulders, and she looked up to see Lee smiling back at her, before being pulled rather violently away and replaced by Fred, who repeated the exact same phrase back to her.

"I don't know.. I've heard horror stories." It was a joke - just a slight one - but a cloud passed over the usually smiling face. Elodie hadn't lied, in fact she was telling the truth and nothing but it. 

The first lesson that Umbridge had taught was fifth years on Monday afternoon. And as per her introductory speech - which not only set her on course to be one of the most disliked professors before having even taught a class but also told them exactly whose side she was on in the ongoing argument that raged over the cover of the Daily Prophet - that was soon confirmed by her first lesson with the Gryffindor fifth years.

Quite frankly, and this was putting it more than lightly, the class had been a nightmare. That was going to be obvious enough as soon as Umbridge had instructed them to put away their wands and just use their textbooks. It really wasn't a lesson for theory - especially not when Voldemort had returned.

It descended into complete madness when Umbridge was asked abut the absolute nonsense in the textbook, and then it seemed to get even worse when she let her class descend into a  question-and-answer session with the perhaps worst participants she could have allowed to do this.

Without going into too much detail, Elodie had learnt that she had called kind - so kind - Professor Lupin a half-breed, denied that Voldemort had returned and told Harry he was making everything up, and promptly given the poor Potter boy a detention every night at 5pm for Merlin-knows how long.

And word of that had spread through the school like wildfire, causing other students to both dread and look forward to their first lesson with her in strange excitement. From what Elodie knew, there hadn't been any other incidents quite so bad as what had happened with the Gryffindor class on that very first Monday, but none of them were exactly good either.

Now, Elodie was sharing that same dread and anticipation for her first lesson, coming from her chosen subject of Arithmancy before Defense Against the Dark Arts, and catching up with the twins after spending several lessons apart due to timetable matters.

"I know." Fred didn't look so excited about the lesson, but for a moment as they walked, he fell silent, lost in thought. "We've got to do something fun." He finally concluded.

"Hm.. like what exactly?" George asked. "We've got to be careful with this though. Angelina's already upset enough that Harry's missing the Quidditch tryouts for Elodie and the keeper tomorrow. If all three of us get busted there's no chance."

"All three?" Elodie's eyebrows raised. "I'm definitely involved in this now then?"

"Of course, you expected not to be?" Fred chuckled, shaking his head and tightening his grip around her shoulders. "It was included since the very moment we started dating." He stared at her for just a moment longer than usual.

"What? Do I have something on my face? I didn't splatter ink everywhere, did I?" Elodie asked, eyes wide in sudden panic. 

"No." He shook his head. "No - there's no ink. But you speak French right?" 

"No shit, idiot." George shoved Fred's shoulders. "You're actually dimmer than I thought. Of course she speaks French - she grew up there and only came over here last year."

"No - obviously I know that." Fred let out a sigh. "I think I just forgot she wasn't British. But you do speak French fluently?" Elodie, who had been taken aback by his question, nodded. "How about speaking very garbled English, like you're just beginning to learn how."

"I could attempt it. Why?" Elodie replied. "What are you planning? You know I do want to do well in my NEWTs right?"

"And this shouldn't affect your learning." Fred's eyes glittered. "All you have to do is not speak English around her. Me and George can be your translators. Just don't say a word that isnt French."

George and Lee looked on in approval as they came to the line outside of the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom. "Could you?" The second twin asked. "Do you think you could do that?"

Ellie nodded, confident. "Of course I can. I just hope she doesn't speak French either, because this could allow for some good pranks." It seemed, unlike most people, Defense Against the Dark Arts would be a breeze for the four.

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