Tori started down the hallway slowly, trying to push away the gross feeling in her gut. She was almost wondering if she could use it as an excuse to skip Quidditch practice. So many thoughts were going through her head, she felt a little bit dizzy.

She and her family didn't get along, obviously. But being afraid of them? That wasn't something Tori was expecting. Fred was waiting for her by the Great Hall, immediately noticing the hopeless look on her face. "Hey, Woah. What's going on?"

Tori tried to play it off with a shrug. "Nothing. I just... don't feel... well." Fred saw through her fib within seconds, raising an eyebrow.

"You're a terrible liar."

"No, I'm not!"

"Ah-ha! I knew you were lying! Now come on, tell me what's going on." Tori sighed, telling him what Professor Lupin said and her connection with her family to the snake. Fred nodded along, leading her up to the common room to get ready for practice.

"I can never just get a day off." She ranted. They walked up the stairs, holding on to the railing. Fred stayed quiet for a moment, trying to think of what to say. "You have us, Tori."

"I know, and that's enough. I just... What about you? Your boggart—"

"Was a little weird? Yeah. On the bright side, at least the paper didn't call me George."

Tori laughed, running before the stair could switch again. Fred shrugged, continuing.

"I guess George and I do the things we do... so someone will remember us."

"Fred—"

"Well, think about it. All our other siblings have these great accomplishments. So we have to do something, you know? So we're not just 'The Weasley Twins.'"

Tori nodded, patting him on the arm. "You're so much more. And, the teachers definitely know that." Fred smiled, thanking her as the two now separated to get ready for their first quidditch practice.

✧ ✦ ✧

Oliver Wood was a burly seventeen-year-old, now in his seventh and final year at Hogwarts. There was a quiet sort of desperation in his voice as he addressed his six fellow team members in the chilly changing rooms on the edge of the darkening Quidditch pitch.

"This is our last chance— my last chance— to win the Quidditch Cup," He told them, striding up and down in front of them. "I'll be leaving at the end of this year. I'll never get another shot at it.

"Gryffindor hasn't won for seven years now. Okay, so we've had the worst luck in the world— injuries — then the tournament getting called off last year..." Wood swallowed, as though the memory still brought a lump to his throat. "But we also know we've got the best – ruddy— team— in— the— school," He said, punching a fist into his other hand, the old manic glint back in his eye

"We've got three superb Chasers."

Wood pointed at Tori, Angelina, and Katie, who grinned at each other.

"We've got two unbeatable Beaters."

"Stop it, Oliver, you're embarrassing us," Fred and George Weasley said together, pretending to blush. Tori grinned, she was enjoying this pep talk quite a bit.

"And we've got a Seeker who has never failed to win us a match!" Wood rumbled, glaring at Harry with a kind of furious pride. "And me," He added, as an afterthought.

"We think you're very good, too, Oliver," George grinned.

"Cracking Keeper," Fred said.

"The best there is." Tori agreed the others nodded their heads.

"The point is," Wood went on, resuming his pacing, "The Quidditch Cup should have had our name on it these last two years. Ever since Harry joined the team, I've thought the thing was in the bag. But we haven't got it, and this year's the last chance we'll get to finally see our name on the thing..."

Wood spoke so dejectedly that even Fred and George looked sympathetic.

"Oliver, this year's our year," Fred assured him.

"We'll do it, Oliver!" Tori cheered, wrapping her arms around Katie and Angelina's shoulders.

"Definitely," Harry grinned. Tori rubbed his hair, excitedly.

Full of determination, the team started training sessions, three evenings a week. The weather was getting colder and wetter, the nights darker, but no amount of mud, wind, or rain could tarnish their wonderful vision of finally winning the huge silver Quidditch Cup.

Tori returned to the Gryffindor common room one evening after training, cold and stiff but pleased with the way practice had gone, to find the room buzzing excitedly. She was using a warm washcloth, wiping any extra mud she had on her face off.

"First Hogsmeade weekend," Ron was telling Harry, pointing at a notice that had appeared on the battered old notice-board. "End of October. Hallowe'en."

"Excellent," Fred acclaimed. They had followed Harry through the portrait hole. "I need to visit Zonko's, I'm nearly out of Stink Pellets."

She took a seat next to Lee, who was doing his astronomy homework. "Why do we need to know where stars are? I don't frankly care. I don't want to be an astronomer." He complained.

Tori chuckled, pointing out some of the spots he missed. Tensions were already high since their teachers were shoving homework down their throats.

O.W.L.S. was all the teachers seemed to want to talk about. They loved to remind their students how this dictated their entire life.

Tori browsed through Alicia's potions book with Fred. They were finishing their report on The Draught of Peace. "The Draught of Peace is a potion which relieves anxiety and agitation." She wrote. She could feel her hand cramping up. Writing constant essays and playing quidditch was rough.

"I might need ten of these once this year is through," Tori muttered, running her fingers through her hair. Fred chuckled, glancing up at her. "You've got a little bit of mud on your face—" He licked his thumb, wiping it off Tori's cheek. Tori tried to keep her face from burning up. She tried to convince herself it was the fire that made her face so warm.

Tori muttered a weak thanks, ignoring George's smirks. She was so going to sock him after this. The crowd in the common room slowly faded away as the night dragged on. It was near eleven o'clock when the only people in the common room were Tori, her friends, a few sixth and seventh years, and the rest being fifth years.

"I'm heading to bed. I'll do the rest of this during my free period tomorrow." Alicia announced, dropping her books dramatically on the floor. She yawned goodnight to the group and Katie decided to do the same shortly after.

By the time the clock hit eleven thirty, it was just Tori, the twins, and Lee in the common room. "I genuinely don't understand how you aren't sick of me," Tori was telling the twins. "I mean, this summer, two months, was the longest we've ever been apart."

"Woah, really?" Lee had a look of surprise on his face. Fred laughed, "Merlin's beard. You're right. But how would we get sick of you? You're practically family now."

"Except we like being around you." George winked. Tori grinned, going back into her book. Her eyelids were getting heavy, but she didn't want to fall asleep on the couch.

Fred was discussing a new prank idea, but Lee was shaking his head. "Didn't we already let a Fanged Frisbee on Filch last year?" He asked. Tori recalled an idea she had the other day, turning towards them swiftly.

"Okay. Don't take this the wrong way..." She began.

"Uh oh." George chuckled.

Tori shifted on the couch, holding back a yawn as she continued her thought. "You're pranks? You're always using the same things. Things from Zonko's or Gambol and Japes. Which is fine, but you use them the same way, always. But what if you used them in different ways?"

"Do our own things with them. Create our own things..." George said, looking at Tori.

"Exactly. So instead of rolling a dungbomb out, trying leaving it there and setting it up so—"

"No, wait. Hold on." Fred interrupted Tori. The twins shared a mischievous glint in their eyes as they both immediately understood what the other was saying. Lee and Tori didn't.

"Create our own things," George repeated. Tori and Lee glanced at each other, confused. "Yeah, like changing the way things work—"

"No, no." Fred waved his hand. "He means create our own things. From scratch."

okay, so tori didn't tell the twins to make their own products.

they thought of it themselves

✨okay✨