Catch Me, I'm Falling | Fred Weasley

Chapter 42

Having Jasper around was comforting, but being around her parents was painful. Olivia wasn't mad at them, she understood why they hadn't told her. Yet, every time she looked at them, it reminded her of Rookwood, sending her back into her harsh reality.

Seeing as she couldn't even look her parents in the face, Olivia avoided them. She spent time roaming the surrounding meadows, locked herself in her room, and even apparated to a nearby village. They always looked so hurt, but Olivia couldn't bring herself to explain her complicated situation. She didn't want them to worry. And it tore her apart.

She wasn't about to mope around, though, so she kept herself busy. Now that she knew Fred's killer, she could plan out how to avoid the confrontation from happening. Whether or not her plans were effective, Olivia wasn't sure. But the process of scribbling out ideas was somehow therapeutic.

During the warm Summer weeks she spent at her aunt Mathilda's, she grew quite a bit closer to Jasper. The two spent hours talking and Olivia finally understood how they had been childhood friends. Ever since she'd woken from her coma, she'd been cold and distant with him. And yes, he was a cocky bastard sometimes, but if she looked past the surface, he was a softie.

Soon enough, the Summer was over and it was time for Olivia to head back to school. She wasn't sure whether to look forward to it or dread it.

-

Olivia reunited with George and Fred at King's Cross Station and they caught her up on what had happened at Grimmauld Place. Considering Olivia's handy trick of seeing the future, there wasn't much need for the explanation, but it was more for their sake than hers.

"How is everyone?" Olivia asked.

"They're alright. Mum's a bit mad that we eavesdropped on the official Order meetings, but she'll forgive us," Fred said cheerily. He was back to his old self, and Olivia couldn't be happier to know that he was really okay.

"Harry's a bit... flustered. But I don't blame him, considering everything that happened," George added. Olivia nodded and elbowed him playfully.

"So? Any new inventions?"

Fred's mouth immediately expanded into a mesmerizing grin. "So many things. With the money from Harry, well, we're just about ready to start our business."

"Yeah," George said excitedly, "We've been looking at locations in Diagon Alley..." he trailed off, sharing a meaningful look with his brother.

They seemed to be having a wordless argument when Olivia's laugh interrupted them. "Right, well. I think you two have just about forgotten that I already know. So please cut that out. We've got bigger fish to fry."

George's eyes turned hopeful. "Really? So it'll work out, then?" Olivia gave him a knowing smile.

"You didn't hear it from me."

-

Once they'd made it to school, Olivia headed toward the one person she knew could organize anything. Phebe Strix.

Phebe had been her mentor since she'd arrived at Hogwarts. She'd already graduated, but was hired to assist at Hogwarts. The position of assistant for the head of Ravenclaw house was perfect for Phebe, whose dream was to teach at Hogwarts.

Phebe had always been there for Olivia. And more importantly, Phebe had a valuable skill set. She could turn a mob of first years into an organized line in under thirty seconds. She'd single handedly averted many disasters and proved herself as the best leader and planner Olivia had ever met.

"Strix! Hi, how was your Summer?" She greeted Phebe.

"Much too long. I missed Hogwarts. No place like home. You?" The girl chirped.

"Spent time with family. But I'm glad to be back too. I wanted to ask you something, hypothetically," Olivia said.

"Mm. Yes?"

Olivia took a breath. "Well, hypothetically, if a person was going to die from the killing curse, how could I prevent it?"

"Hypothetically? I have no idea. Got any hypothetical context?" Phebe asked. So, Olivia explained, giving a bare-boned version of the story. She made sure not to spill any secrets. Phebe even looked over her planned sketches, making ferocious edits with a red marker.

Instead of leaving feeling confident, Olivia left feeling dejected. Not only did Strix find holes in all her plans, but she also told Olivia a truth she hadn't wanted to hear: you can't reverse the death curse.

She'd put effort into planning out Rookwood's every move. But Phebe was smart. She pointed out all the ways he could still get to Fred (not that Phebe had any idea of what she was participating in).

Olivia's sour mood didn't improve when Umbridge introduced herself to Hogwarts. Her heels made a little clicking sound as she made her way up to the podium, rudely interrupting Dumbledore. She made an Eh ehm noise as she did so. Like a wave, the entire room fell silence, blinking at the little pitbull of a woman.

Olivia immediately felt hatred for this woman. It wasn't just the visions she'd seen of her. For some reason, Umbridge was a thousand times worse in person. Even the shade of pink she wore made Olivia want to hurl up her lunch.

When the welcome speeches were over, Fred leaned in to Olivia. "Well, she's really something, huh?"

Olivia huffed, "She sure is."

George shook his head. "I have a feeling this is going to be one interesting year." Olivia smiled knowingly.

An interesting year, indeed.