𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 33

CHAPTER THIRTY THREE
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH THEY VISIT THE RESTRICTED SECTION

. . .

Time seemed to be rushing forward after Elodie figured out the clue. She had managed to 'de-code' it pretty easily - in the sense that she knew what it was attempting to tell her.

From what she had figured out - and it was really only a guess - the song was informing her that something dear would be taken from her (what that 'dear thing' was, she wasn't sure), and she had an hour to recovering it. 

From where - well she had figured pretty quickly that it would be something to do with water. And as for the time limit of an hour, Elodie had also figured that this was used loosely - there was no way that if they took something they would 'sorely miss' they wouldn't be given it back.

All in all, now that she had got the clue sorted, Elodie was feeling confident. The bubblehead charm was easy to cast, she knew of several plants that would work for helping her with breathing and could even transform her into part fish for the same purposes. There probably wasn't enough time to brew a potion for it and there was most likely a transfiguration spell that could also help her - but Elodie had deemed the bubblehead charm by far the most easy and effective to cast in a short amount of time. 

That being said, she had convinced Fred and George to get her into the Restricted section of the Hogwart's library. It had taken her only two days to get all the books about underwater magic - she had a way with librarians, as proven by Madame Pince's uncharacteristic soft spot for her. 

And considering just how books were in the Restricted Section, Elodie wanted to have a brief check around for anything. There was bound to be something in there, and maybe things which could help her in the future. 

She already was preparing for the Third Task, feeling so confident with the Second Task that it would be a breeze in comparison to the First Task. All the nerves she had felt for the First Task had come from the knowledge of there being dragons and simply because it being the first one overall. 

But this time, she most likely wasn't going to have to do anything with an audience watching her, and she had listened extremely well in all lessons that had included underwater creatures - it was lucky that at the time, she had been rather interested with that specific branch of magical animals.

But all the same, Fred and George had helped her break into the Restricted Section, without much of an arguement. And so, the three of them were stood in the darkness, using their wands to study the dusty spines of the books.

"Someone's been here." Elodie whispered, and the twins' heads snapped towards her, concerned. "The dust pattern's been distrupted. There's fingerprints everywhere. This book, that table, there's a book missing here." She pointed out. 

George let out a sigh - which sounded like it was full of relief. "I thought you said there was someone here." He breathed out, before holding out his hand. "Here's a book, something on underwater creatures."

Elodie took it, pointing her wand down at the pages and opening it, studying the depiction of a Grindylow on the first page. She thanked George, who quickly moved over to her whilst Fred was off in another aisle, still searching.

"Not usually this guy, but how are things going with Fred?" George asked, Elodie stared at him, stifling a laugh. "I know, I know." The twin shook his head. "But hey - even if this is unusual for the both of us, he's still my twin and I don't want him hurt." 

"I get that, I really do. I just assumed I would never be getting this talk." Elodie smiled, looking down at the desk that lined the aisle and carefully sat on it, staring up at George. "Any questions?"

"Are you planning on staying together with Fred when you go back to Beauxbatons." George instantly said, and Elodie froze. The reality suddenly hit her - Hogwarts wasn't actually her school, Beauxbatons was. 

But she loved both places, and in the short few months she had spent there, Hogwarts had easily equalled Beauxbaton's level of 'home'. Elodie felt just as home there as she did at Beauxbatons, maybe even more now. 

"I didn't think about that." She mumbled, her tone slightly sad. George frowned, about to say something when the door into the library swung open, and a warm light appeared just above it, and visible from where the twins and Elodie were.

"Nox." They all quickly said, and George pulled Elodie down, quietly crawling down the aisle and to where Fred was. From the movement, the twins told her it was Filch, and he would be extremely thorough in his search. 

And Elodie couldn't afford to get in any more trouble with the Hogwarts' staff, and she would feel awful if she got Fred and George into any more as well.

But they were essentially trapped, with no way out.

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