battleground bachelorette

ch. 2 - the age of alchemy

The Hogwarts Express chugged its way towards Hogsmeade Station, filled with the eager chatter of students returning for another year. George looked for his fiery haired twin, unmistakable amidst the sea of faces that crowded the train compartments.

As the train slowed to a halt and students began to disembark, George felt a surge of anticipation course through him. It was Fred and his second last year at this school, they had to make it count.

But amidst the excitement of the new school year, there was a buzz of something extraordinary in the air. Rumors swirled like autumn leaves caught in a whirlwind, whispers of a tournament that would pit students from different wizarding schools against each other in a series of magical challenges.

And as George caught wind of the news, his eyes sparkled with excitement. A tournament at Hogwarts? The very thought set his heart racing with anticipation. It was a perfect way to become a school champion, and maybe impress someone he'd been wanting to impress for a while.

She passed his cabin as the thought swirled in his head. If only Katie looked at him like she looked at the Quidditch Field. He hated himself for the fact, he couldn't get over her. There was no reason he held such strong feelings for Katie, in fact she had rejected him four or five times.

But it wasn't just the tournament that had George's attention; it was the arrival of the students from Beauxbatons Academy and Durmstrang Institute. McGonagall had forbidden pranks against the foreign students, in which she gave a special warning to George and his twin.

The Welcome Feast and the opening of the Triwizard Tournament had spread an air of anticipation throughout the school. Although, Fred and George had until tomorrow to figure out how to surpass the age line drawn around the cup.

They'd spent the past few hours, sitting under a large canopied tree, huddled together, books pages rustled by the wind. Whispering in hushed tones, their eyes sparkled with a mix of mischief and determination.

"If we use an aging potion, " George suggested, tracing an intricate diagram on an old parchment, "we only need to be a few months older,"

His brother, Fred, nodded, his fingers brushing through his hair.

"And if we just drink a drop each, you and me. We'll put our names in, then if one of us wins." He grins,

"We split the money."

It was late into the afternoon when they started to brew the potion, it was not a difficult task. The room was a cluttered haven of glass beakers, bubbling cauldrons, and desks filled with potion books. The air was thick with the scent of herbs and the faint, acrid tang of mysterious potions.

George stood hunched over a worn, paperback book, his brow furrowed in concentration. "According to the potions book, the key to brewing an age potion lies in perfecting the balance of green leaf and orange snake extract," he murmured, his fingers tracing the elegant script on the yellowed page.

Fred, despite his messy bedroom, was neatly arranging ingredients on their worktable.

"I've got the orange snake extract right here," he said, holding up a small vial of shimmering copper liquid. "But where are we supposed to find a green leaf? That sounds like something straight off a tree?"

George stared at his mirror image,

"Fred, are you serious? Green leaves like the paste in your left hand."

Fred looked up, feigning a joking look.

"I obviously knew that, I was just testing you. "

George rolled his eyes. "Hurry up, you tosser. We need to get to the Great Hall."