Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [5]

⚡️ Chapter 14 ⚡️

Before they even realised it, the last day of the holidays came by – yet they had not received their letters yet. It made Vega realise that things were really tense at Hogwarts after Cedric passing away. But just that day, Ron entered his bedroom carrying a couple of envelopes and looked toward Vega and Harry, who were sweeping up Hedwig's owl droppings from the top of the wardrobe.

"Booklists have arrived," Ron informed them, throwing envelopes to Vega and Harry, both of whom were standing on a chair each. "About time, I thought they'd forgotten, they usually come much earlier than this..."

Harry swept the last of the droppings into a rubbish bag that Vega had been holding open for him, and she tied it up and threw the bag over Ron's head – aimed right into the wastepaper basket in the corner, which swallowed it and belched loudly. She fist-pumped the air at her success.

"It's going to be very busy at the Diagon Alley this year around," Vega commented as she gently opened her envelope, and pulled out the two pieces of parchment inside.

One of the parchments was the usual reminder that the term would start on the First of September, and the other one informed her of all the books that she needed for her upcoming school year. Vega's eyes traced the long list of books for twelve different subjects.

"Only two new ones," Harry said, reading the list as well, and Vega realised that they didn't have as many as her. "The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 5, by Miranda Goshawk and Defensive Magical Theory, by Wilbert Slinkhard,"

Crack!

Fred and George Apparated right beside Vega and Harry – but the two of them were so used to the twins doing this by now that didn't even stumble in shock or fall off of the chairs that they had been standing on.

"We were just wondering who assigned the Slinkhard book," Fred said conversationally.

"Because it means Dumbledore's found a new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher," George said.

"And about time too," Fred added.

"What d'you mean?" Harry asked, jumping down beside them.

"Well, we overheard Mum and Dad talking on the Extendable Ears a few weeks back," Fred said. "And from what they were saying, Dumbledore was having real trouble finding anyone to do the job this year,"

"Not surprising, is it, when you look at what's happened to the last four?" George said.

"Umm..." Vega said as she hopped down from the chair carefully. "One of them was sacked, one died... another's memory removed and the last one was locked in a trunk for nine months,"

"Yeah, I see what you mean," Harry agreed.

"What's up with you, Ron?" Fred asked.

Ron did not answer. Vega turned around to look at the youngest Weasley boy and saw that he was standing very still with his mouth slightly open, gaping at his letter from Hogwarts.

"What's the matter?" said Fred impatiently, moving around Ron to look over his shoulder at the parchment. Fred's mouth fell open too. "Prefect?" he asked, staring incredulously at the letter.

"Prefect?" George asked as he leapt forward, seized the envelope in Ron's other hand, and turned it upside down. Vega watched something scarlet and gold fall into George's palm, who spoke in a hushed voice, "No way,"

"There's been a mistake," Fred said, snatching the letter out of Ron's grasp and holding it up to the light as though checking for a watermark. "No one in their right mind would make Ron a prefect..."