The Last Great Hogwarts Dynasty

chapter nine.

December 12th, 1994

'Five days and you'll be seventeen!' An overly excitable Fred nudges Katrina with his elbow, which isn't ideal because she's trying to brew a potion in the middle of the common room. 'How do ya' feel? Do ya' feel seventeen?' The bombardment of questions surrounding Kat's birthday was making her head throb; that and the sickly smell of the potion beneath her noise. She ignored Fred, much to his dismay.

Luckily, his brother butts in right on time, pulling him to the side and whispering 'Leave off a bit mate, she's not in a good way.' They both look over at the unresponsive girl as she added the Knotgrass sprig into their very small, makeshift cauldron.

'Oh, yeah, right. Sorry mate, I completely forgot.' Katrina's difficult family was no secret, but that's what often made it so easy to overlook at times - easy to overlook, that is, until the girls foul mood filled the air, leaving no room for anybody else to breath near her.

'Do you lot have to brew that in here?' A puny yet irritated third year yelled over to the three of them.

'Piss off, pint size. We shall do as we please.' Fred barked over at the small boy, who now scurried upstairs with a snear.

'I think I've done it.' Katrina said half-heartdly, not even looking over her shoulder to the boys. She just stared at the purpley-grey potion that shimmered under her nose. It smelt like rocks.

Without hesitation, the two ginger lads rushed to her side, peering over and looking at the potion. It looked like it was supposed to, or at least that's what the poorly put together book in the restricted section said it was supposed to look like. The instructions looked as if written by a 4 year old, the pages of the book torn and worn, but the boys decided to trust it anyway.

'Should we test it?' George asks, looking at Katrina. She presented a pipette and picked up some potion within it, motioning for them both to open wide. One after the other, she released a drop into their open mouths, before waiting for the big reveal. Her face was calculated an curious now, which was an improvement from the scowl she had been wearing all morning.

The twins took steps back, feeling this odd static like sensation spread throughout their bodies. They inspected their hands and miraculously, witnessed them start to evapourate before their eyes. This planted a small smile on Katrina's face; she'd been succesful. Of course she had been, she was very good at potions on top of being a talented astrologer. In fact, she was rather good at most subject, she just hated the idea of making her parents proud, so didn't try in the slightest.

'Freddie, where are ya?' George called out, trying to figure out where his invisible brother was.

'Over here! Where are you?' Fred repeats the question as they both stumble around, arms outstretched as if they'd been blinded.

'Oomf.' They both collide into each other, knocking heads and falling to the ground in a less than graceful fashion, not that anbody saw, of course. Katrina stiffled a laugh as she heard the boys try and work out how to be invisible. The rest of the students in the common room found it rather amusing too. This was before their silhouettes began to reveal themselves slowly, their transparent bodies becoming translucent and then whole again.

'You'll need to take more if you want it to work longer. One drop gives you one minute.' Katrina explains, extending them both an arm to help them up. 'What did you need it for anyway?'

The twins share a cheeky, knowing look and then land their eyes back on the confused girl before them.

'Can't disclose that information.' Fred chirps up first.

'Top secret stuff.' George confirms, both of them nodding their heads.

'What? Even to me?' She was actually rather hurt by this. 'Unfair! I brewed the bloody potion.'