"Aubrey ... are you okay?" This was a rather stupid question from Lexy; Aubrey's boyfriend had magically transformed into a weirdly clingy love-sick creature seemingly overnight. The tears in her eyes threatened to overflow but she reminded herself there were other people around and it was this thought that successfully quenched them.

"Fred, what is wrong with you?" Angelina's soft hisses were audible over the dead silence of the room, it appeared that everyone was listening intently. Yet as Aubrey regained her composure, she noticed something ... everyone was listening to Angelina except for Fred. 'Fred' was staring at her, his eyes wide, completely oblivious to his friend's lecture.

"Aubrey," She felt the gentle fingertips of Lexy Masters brush her shoulders, slowly tightening in an attempt to pull her away, "We should probably go ... you don't look okay - "

"No!" It came out louder than intended, catching everyone by surprise. Quickly she added the comforting, "I mean ... I'm fine, hon ... he probably just woke up on the wrong side of the bed or something..." but she didn't turn to look at Lexy when she spoke. Instead, her gaze remained as fixed on Fred as his was on her.

Everything about him was off - not just the out of character speech but ... literally everything. His eyes were wide and terrified but she'd been him, when he was scared he half smiled, his eyes crinkled rather than enlarged. Right now, his hands were clasped but Fred had firmly instructed her last year to only ever keep them in his pockets, folded and hanging at the side. Even the way he stood and carried himself was completely unlike him and she should know, this was a topic she'd studied in greater depth. If it hadn't been obvious before, there was no doubt about what was going on now. With last year on her mind, the conclusion suddenly became obvious.

There was no way he was her fucking boyfriend. 'Fred' was an imposter.

For most people, this would have terrified them but weirdly, it only created a strange smile across her lips. Catching and tricking imposters was her home territory, she knew how to handle this and for the first time in a while, the feeling of drowning in loose ends and unknowns lessened a little. She was in control now (hopefully) and getting Fred back would be piss easy by comparison to the wild goose chase of Gillian.

Everyone else seemed to disappear as her mind quickly got to work on the problem at hand. Even if the weird behaviour wasn't Fred's, she knew for sure that she'd seen it before. There was only one person that jumpy at school, whose eyes widened almost as much as she spewed the weirdest things any human had ever said. 

"George ... Lexy ..." Without taking her gaze off of the Imposter, her fingers gripped Lexy and George's cloaks as she began to pull them away, "Maybe I am a little ... stunned by this ... I need some time away."

The contrast between the half smile dancing across her lips and her words had clearly unnerved the small crowd around them judging by the concern etched across their faces. Even George and Lexy exchanged a nervous look yet followed nonetheless. The moment they were outside, Lexy pounced, launching a hug attack on her friend.

"Oh my God, Aubrey, are you okay? You look stunned ... you look so out of it ..." She pulled away, holding Aubrey at arm's length, "You look ... happy?"

"I am happy ... well, not really but I think I know what happened to Fred," She grinned manically in a very Fred-esque way, "That's not him - "

"You don't say," George added dryly although it was clear he wasn't taking this as calmly as Aubrey.

"It's Saskia - "

"Polyjuice potion?" Lexy guessed instantly.

"No ... no, I don't think so," Aubrey took her friend's hand, nudging her head for George to follow, "Lexy ... we have a lot to catch you up on."

"Oh for the love of God, FINALLY!"

In the most rushed way possible, George and Aubrey filled Lexy in on the shit that had gone down. By the end, Lexy was forced to recline on the desks of their favourite abandoned classroom as her mind tried to figure out all the events. George and Aubrey decided to use this time, leaping off the desk and already starting to brainstorm what they could do.

"So ... Saskia's not human ... and she's Fred right now ... how?"

"I don't know that yet ... books! We need books!" Aubrey snapped her fingers, "George, write that down!"

"On it."

Her previously calm state had been replaced by a sudden frantic need to formulate their plan right there and then, "I suppose we could try our technique of last year that led us to finding out ... Barty was not Moody - "

"Aubrey, we stumbled on that by accident," George half laughed, "Fred's life is at risk ... maybe ..." He gave a somewhat hysterical laugh, "We can't just ... be spontaneous - "

"I know that!" Aubrey returned his slightly terrifying laugh with a manic fist clench, "We know it all now ... so we must be able to come up with something. We could ... knock her out or ... or spike her drink ... we just need to come up with something..."

Aubrey's mood truly was all over the place today as the drowning feeling kicked in once more. Only moments ago she'd felt like everything was sussed, control was her's yet the true weight of the situation was hitting her now. Fred's life could genuinely be at risk ... if he even was alive. This could not be messed up, it had to be perfect.

"Aubrey ... are you okay?" George asked.

"What ... yes - "

"Aubrey, you're crying..." She looked up to meet George's worried gaze, suddenly becoming aware of a single tear rolling down her cheek that she hadn't even realised was there.

"No, hon, I'm ... I mean, maybe I am ... I don't know," She suddenly sunk down in defeat, her words coming out in stutters and bursts, "I thought we had it, I was so confident but ... this is so much pressure ... I can't make it worse ..."

George's wand clattered to the floor as he quickly dashed over to her, putting one arm around her, "We can do it ... we've done it before - "

"But he always here with us ... with me!"

It appeared that crying was contagious and soon the pair of them were slumped against each other, stuck in a weird state of shock and half sobs.

"What ... what if we can't ... I mean, she's not human ... we don't know how anything works - "

"You said she was a jinn, right?" Lexy had been so quiet for so long that Aubrey and George had almost forgotten she was there, "Like a Genie ..."

Both of them turned back to see Lexy still reclined on the desk although her brows were now furrowed as she stared intently at the ceiling.

"I ... I think so ..." Aubrey's voice cracked, "I don't know for sure ... my Dad was ... so upset, I couldn't read more - "

"Is she your Jinn? Like you rubbed her magic lamp and she appeared?"

Wiping a tear from her eye, Aubrey shrugged away from George to face Lexy, "I mean ... I think so. She said her magic works through me but I never rubbed anyone's lamp ... but yes, I don't know who else's she could be - "

"Then just wish her to change back," Lexy finally sat up, "In TV shows, most of them give you 3 wishes so just ... use one - you seem to have more than 3 from what I've seen. Ask for her to show you the real Fred."

"I don't think it works like that, hon," Aubrey murmured but Lexy persisted.

"Well, she's been doing something ... you've been doing something!" She replied, "Like ... things just appear when you want them, Quidditch equipment, snacks ... just do what you did then!"

"I can't remember what I did really," Aubrey replied, "I think I just ... said I wanted it and ... she gave it to me."

"Then do it..." Lexy stood up from the table in time with Aubrey, the two slowly walking towards each other, "Wish for her to come here. I know she's never really appeared at will before but you didn't know you could wish for things before, it was an accident."

"It's worth a shot," George admitted, "But what do we when she's here? I dunno how confident I am in my duelling skills without Fred to be honest."

"I could bind her or something," Aubrey suggested, "Or just ... say she can't leave ... Merlin's Beard, this is horrible!" She staggered back onto the table, covering her face with her hands, "I hate this ... it's like that old saying, you either die a hero or live long enough to see yourself become the villain ... I feel like the villain!"

Lexy took a step forward, "I mean ... she's a human-hating creature who took your boyfriend's body ... I don't know if you're the villain in this really..."

"Can I even do that?" Aubrey pondered, "I mean ... I don't know if I can control her or just get her to make things..."

This was a fair point and right now, the desire to find Fred was so intense she was willing to try anything. Taking a deep breath, she opened her mouth before being cut in by Lexy, "You'll never know if you don't try ... and be specific! Genies are all tricksters in the films I've seen."

"Okay... it's alright, hon, you can do this."

For some reason, this amused George who sniggered a little despite the situation, "Did you just call yourself hon?"

"Babe, not the time," Lexy whispered.

Ignoring this, Aubrey breathed in deeply again before uttering the words, "I wish ... want ... no wish for Saskia Cyrus to come here. I want her to leave whatever she's doing right now, walk directly here by the fastest route and stand rig - "

The three jumped as the door suddenly opened, slamming hard against the wall as if the hand that had opened it was fighting against itself within. Aubrey's lips twisted into a smile as standing in the doorway, his face contorted as if in severe pain was 'Fred' ... except it wasn't. It was Saskia and right now, she was completely under Aubrey's control.

" - right in front of me, hon," Aubrey finished, watching Saskia's every step as slowly moved closer. Every step seemed strained as if Saskia was resisting it but failing, Aubrey's wishes overriding her free will.

"Aubrey - " Lexy began but was silence by a mere wave of Aubrey's hand.

"I want the doors, windows and walls to only let humans in and out. Can you do that?" Aubrey asked but by the time the words had left her lips, it was already down judging by the faint turquoise tint visible through Saskia's skin.

A sudden rush went through her that she hadn't felt since the discovery of Veritaserum. Right now, Saskia was entirely at her bidding, she could do whatever she wanted her to do.

"Aubrey ... I ... I - "

"I know what you did ... well, I don't but I know what you are," Aubrey said, "You're a Jinn, aren't you?"

"Aubrey - "

"Can I wish for you to only tell me the truth?" She asked, "Is that an option? Because I think I control you... your magic works through me, a powerful subservient creature ... yes, it all makes sense."

"I ... I don't know ... I've only ever had two other masters but I - "

"Can I wish for Veritserum that works even on Jinns then?" Aubrey pressed on, "Can I?"

"It might be too much for me ..." Saskia glanced down at her turquoise hands, "I might disappear ... Aubrey, you don't understand ... I didn't think you'd figure it out ... I forgot that humans can be that perceptive... I thought I'd be able to hide it - "

"Well you failed!" 

"I DID FAIL!" Saskia's wretched wails echoed around the room. She shook her head, her face contorted into the same sadness as before yet it evoked little sympathy. It was hard to feel anything akin to that when Saskia had stolen Fred's face, "Aubrey, you don't understand though ... I just want to protect you - "

"I don't care!" Aubrey cut in suddenly, "Just tell me where Fred is - "

"Please don't make me ... " Saskia continued to plead, "You'll only get hurt more ... Aubrey, you don't understand ... I might not remember it all but I ... I know you're in so much danger! Barty Crouch ... The Three Marids ... even your own Dad and Gil ... there are so many threats, I'm just keeping you safe- "

"NO!" 

"Aubrey ... calm down," Lexy's hands gripped her back again, steadying Aubrey as she unexpectedly lurched forward. This was more for Aubrey's benefit than Saskia's but Aubrey didn't see it that way. Shrugging her friend off, she pushed forward, her hands slightly shaking as she came to a decision about what she had to.

"I ... I need to know Saskia ... I need to know where Fred is but first..." Aubrey tilted her head, fixing her dark brown eyes on Saskia, "I can't do it if you're ... you're wearing his face and I'm tired of you doing this, of you hurting people by stealing faces ... Saskia, as your Jinn owner - I think - I want to see your true form."