Coup de Foudre [Fred Weasley] [7]

⚡️ Chapter 5 ⚡️

Vega and Harry shared a look of confusion as the pair of them followed after the ginger-haired boy out to the tiny landing outside his bedroom, and Vega was further intrigued when Ron pulled out his wand, pointing it at the low ceiling, muttering, "Descendo,"

A hatch opened right over their heads and a ladder slid down to their feet. A horrible, half-sucking, half-moaning sound came out of the square hole, along with an unpleasant smell like open drains. Vega turned to look at Ron, her eyebrows raised.

"If I remember correctly, that is your ghoul, isn't it?" Vega inquired as she had never met this creature but had heard its distant existence in the nightly silence.

"Yeah, it is," Ron confirmed, climbing the ladder. "Come and have a look at him,"

Harry followed Ron up the few short steps into the tiny attic space. Vega bit her lower lip as she made her way up after the two – her head and shoulders were in the room before she caught sight of the creature curled up a few feet from her, fast asleep in the gloom with its large mouth wide open. Vega crunched her nose up, not very thrilled at the sight.

"But it... it looks... do ghouls normally wear pyjamas?" Harry asked.

"No," Ron answered. "Nor have they usually got red hair or that number of pustules,"

"This is... not very nice to look at," Vega muttered.

It was human in shape and size, and was wearing what, now that Vega's eyes became used to the darkness, was clearly an old pair of Ron's pyjamas. She was also sure that ghouls were generally rather slimy and bald, rather than distinctly hairy and covered in angry purple blisters. Ron looked remotely offended at what she had said of it.

"He's me, see?" Ron told the pair.

"No," Harry replied. "I don't,"

"I'll explain it back in my room, the smell's getting to me," Ron said.

The three of them climbed back down the ladder, which Ron returned to the ceiling, and re-joined Hermione, who was still sorting books.

"Once we've left, the ghoul's going to come and live down here in my room," Ron said. "I think he's really looking forward to it – well, it's hard to tell, because all he can do is moan and drool – but he nods a lot when you mention it. Anyway, he's going to be me with spattergroit. Good, eh?"

Vega sighed and Harry merely looked his confusion.

"It is!" Ron said, clearly frustrated that Harry had not grasped the brilliance of the plan. "Look, when we four don't turn up at Hogwarts again, everyone's going to think Hermione and I must be with you, right? Which means the Death Eaters will go straight for our families to see if they've got information on where you are,"

"But hopefully it'll look like I've gone away with Mum and Dad," Hermione added. "A lot of Muggle-Borns are talking about going into hiding at the moment,"

"We can't hide my whole family, it'll look too fishy and they can't all leave their jobs," Ron said. "So, we're going to put out the story that I'm seriously ill with spattergroit, which is why I can't go back to school. If anyone comes calling to investigate, Mum or Dad can show them the ghoul in my bed, covered in pustules. Spattergroit's really contagious, so they're not going to want to go near him. It won't matter that he can't say anything, either, because apparently you can't once the fungus has spread to your uvula,"

"And... are your Mum and Dad keen on this plan?" Vega inquired, concerned.

"Dad is," Ron replied. "He helped Fred and George transform the ghoul. Mum... Well, you've seen what she's like. She won't accept we're going till we're gone,"