𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐰𝐚𝐫 | n. tonks

vii

"Stunning is one of the most useful spells in your arsenal," Harry told them at that day's Dumbledore's Army meeting. "It's sort of a wizard's bread and butter, really. So, um, come on then, Nigel. Give me your best shot."

Nigel, a Gryffindor second year, stepped forward. He stared at Harry in uncertainty before raising his wand and aiming it at him. "Stupify!"

Harry flew backwards. So did Nigel. He landed with a painful thump on the floor, nearly rolling into the burning fireplace. Hadley rushed over and held a hand out to help him up.

"Good," Harry said, grunting as he stood up. "Not bad at all, Nigel. Well done."

"Are you alright, little buddy?" Hadley asked as she pulled him up.

"Y-Yeah." Nigel dusted himself off and smiled gratefully at the seventh year. "Thanks, Hadley."

The redhead smiled and patted him gently on the shoulder. "Don't mention it."

Harry paired them off into groups of two to three people, making sure that the triplets weren't in a group together. He couldn't trust them to stay on task if they were. He paired Hadley up with Ginny instead, paired Fred with Nigel and Neville, and George with Ron.

"Go on, Gin, just do it," Hadley told her little sister as they stood facing each other on the far side of the room.

"But I don't want to hurt you." Ginny frowned, her eyes filled with concern as she gripped her wand and pointed it at Hadley.

"And I don't want to hurt you either, but if we don't practice now, we won't be ready when we're faced with the real thing," Hadley stated. She glanced over her shoulder at the pillows laying behind her before looking back to her sister. "Go on, Ginny. I'll be okay."

"O-Okay..." Ginny took a shaky breath and whispered an apology before raising her wand, tightening her hold. "Stupify!" She gasped and covered her mouth as her big sister went flying backwards, landing on the pillows set up to soften the blow of the landing. She ran over to her and reached a hand out to help her up. "Are you okay, Haddie? I'm so sorry, I–"

"Great job, little sis." Hadley smiled up at Ginny as she took her hand and stood up. The fourth year looked at her in confusion. Why was she so proud of her for hurting her? "Do you want to try again? It was actually rather fun."

"Fun? Being blasted back was fun? Are you mad?" Ginny looked at Hadley like she was insane, and the older girl nodded, grinning. "Well...Well, alright then. Um..." She raised her wand. "Stup–"

"Stupify!" Hadley pointed her wand at Ginny, who screamed as she went flying back onto a pile of pillows. She reached for one and stood up, hitting a laughing Hadley with it.

"You tricked me!"

"Yeah, and you were silly enough to fall for it." Hadley chuckled, lightly poking her sister's cheek. "You really should've seen it coming, Ginny."

"You're so mean to me." Ginny threw the pillow at Hadley with a small pout.

"Oh, I could never be mean to you, you little cutie," Hadley cooed as she wrapped her arm around Ginny's shoulders and gave her a playful noogie to the top of her head.

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Filch was onto them. The triplets had seen him hiding behind pillars and waiting outside the entrance to the Room of Requirement numerous times, so they decided to leave him a box of chocolates.

Chocolates made from Fever Fudge, that is.

Fred, George, and Hadley stood behind a pillar and watched with anticipation as the hated caretaker stuffed chocolate after chocolate into his mouth. They did their best to stifle their laughs when his face began to break out in giant pus-filled boils. They bumped their fists together and ran back to their common room, exploding into a fit of laughter once they were safely through the portrait hole.

"Did you see the look on his face when he realized the chocolates were jinxed?" Fred snickered as George mimicked the face Filch had made.

"Do you–" Hadley wheezed and bent over in laughter, "–think he knew it was us?"

"Oh, definitely." George flopped down on the couch and kicked his feet up onto the coffee table. "But he should've seen it coming after all the times he's gotten us in trouble."

"No regrets." Fred shook his head. He chuckled when he noticed Hadley laying on her back on the floor, catching her breath from all the laughing. "You alright, Haddie?" he asked as he reached a hand out to help her up.

Hadley took her brother's hand. "Never better." She giggled. They took a seat on the couch with George, and Hadley tucked her legs underneath her. "So, who are we pranking next? My vote is for Peeves."

"I say we do Umbitch again." George motioned to Hadley's hand, which was beginning to heal from the Black Quill. "She can't torture you and think she can get away with it."

"Georgie," Fred said, smirking a little, "as always, you and I are on the exact same page."

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a/n

sorry it took a bit longer to get this chapter out. i was dead inside from school and needed a short break from writing, but now i'm ready to jump back into it!

i love writing hadley's relationships with her siblings 🥺

thoughts?