Belladonna

The Re-Write

Belladonna 15

The Re-Write

17 December 1992

"Three rolls! Three bleedin' rolls! How does she expect me to write three rolls on this nonsense?!"

"Whoa, Little Snake, where are you off to?"

Ana left McGonagall's office in such a tizzy she didn't notice Fred and George still lingering down the corridor. A feat really since Fred still looked so remarkable and George so...out of place at the appearance of Ana.

"Oi! Little Snake..." Fred reached out and grabbed Ana's arm, bringing her to a grinding halt. She whipped out her wand quickly and directed it at him.

"Oh! Red, sorry, I...I didn't see you there." Ana lowered her wand.

"Clearly. What's wrong?" Fred did not let go of her arm.

"It's...McGonagall; she's... And people call me wicked."

"What's she making you do, because chances are, we've already done it. Polishing the trophies—" There was a pause as Fred expected George to add on; when he didn't, Fred bumped him in the arm

"—removing all the gum from the desks—" George added dryly.

"—mucking out the stables—"

"Stables?" Ana questioned. "What are you talking about?"

"There are stables out in the forest."

"Like, for a horse?"

"What else?

"Hogwarts doesn't house horses, Red."

"Ah, well these aren't your ordinary horses." Again George didn't want to participate, so Fred finished for him. "They're invisible."

"Invisible horses? Now I know you're pulling my leg."

"Well, we've never seen them, but something keeps filling those stables."

Ana laughed, "Never mind. Sounds more like McGonagall is pulling your leg."

Fred looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Anyway, it's none of those," Ana said. "It's not detention; she's making me write three rolls of parchment on the lapifors spell."

"Isn't that the one that turns things into little rabbits?" Fred asked.

"It is," George said.

"What's wrong with wittle wabbits? Haven't you always wanted a cute, cuddly little pet?"

Ana looked at Fred dryly. "Does Sev look like the cute, cuddly pet type?"

"Now that you mention it, he seems more like a greasy, slimy, never bathes pet type." This time, Fred didn't give George an opportunity to speak.

"I had a frog once," Ana said.

"Did you now? Well that's...something," Fred said.

"Yeah. I brought it home from the park one night. Course...it died within the hour, somehow... Oddly enough Sev had fresh frog legs in his potion stores that night too."