Through the Pages of Time: Joey’s Hogwarts Tale

Joey had noticed something strange about Cedric this semester. He kept staring at Professor Quirrell's turban. She'd caught him doing it multiple times.

Sure, Professor Quirrell's stuttering and his ridiculous turban were hard to ignore. The twins had even tried—and failed—to yank it off for "research purposes." But that kind of curiosity was typical for Gryffindors. Cedric, a Huffelpuff, shouldn't be so fixated, right?

During Herbology class, Joey leaned over to Cedric, who was across from her, and asked bluntly while watering the vine seedlings, "Do you like Professor Quirrell's turban?"

"Huh?" Cedric looked at her, confused. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I've seen you staring at it a lot," Joey said, raising an eyebrow.

Fred appeared out of nowhere, having pushed Angelina over to George's side. "Yeah, she's noticed you staring. What's the deal?"

Joey nodded. "Exactly!"

"Oh," Cedric lowered his eyes, his voice soft. "I was just wondering if it's true that his turban can ward off vampires."

"Ha! We thought the same thing!" Joey exclaimed, her excitement bubbling over. "Fred and the others tried everything to get it off, but Professor Quirrell's turban is like superglued to his head. Right, Fred?"

"Uh, yeah," Fred said, though he had a feeling Cedric wasn't being entirely truthful. But as long as Cedric wasn't making moves on Joey, Fred didn't care.

"So, do you want to join us?" Joey asked Cedric eagerly. In her enthusiasm, she didn't notice her glove slipping off. The vine seedling she was handling lashed out, licking her finger and leaving a swollen welt. "Ow! That hurts!"

Fred immediately grabbed the seedling and tossed it to Cedric. He took Joey's hand, pulled out a small bottle of their newly tested "Quick Healing Potion," and dropped a single droplet onto her finger. Then, he blew gently on it.

Joey's face turned bright red. The warmth of his breath sent a strange, tingling sensation up her arm. She yanked her hand back, stammering, "It's... it's fine now."

"Works like a charm," Fred said, grinning as he watched Joey's flushed face. His plan was working.

At the start of the semester, Fred had confided in George: "This year, I'm going to make Joey see me as more than just a childhood friend." Step one? Make her aware of him as a guy—not just Fred, the twin.

Cedric, meanwhile, was fascinated by the potion. "Is this your new product? It's impressive!"

"Here, take it," Fred said, handing over half the bottle. He was in a good mood. "Make sure to spread the word!"

"Will do," Cedric said, examining the potion. His eyes flicked to Joey, who was fumbling with her gloves, her face still red. "Why are you blushing so much, Joey?"

"None of your business!" Joey snapped, her voice louder than intended. She hated being called out like that.

Fred smirked. "That's her go-to response when she's embarrassed."

---

Joey quickly forgot about Cedric because something far more exciting was happening: Harry Potter had joined the Gryffindor Quidditch team! The Boy Who Lived was now their Seeker. Joey couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Back in her first year, Professor McGonagall had strictly forbidden her from trying out. Clearly, Harry was getting special treatment.

"He's brilliant! Almost as good as Charlie!" Wood gushed, dragging a nervous Harry into the common room for a team meeting. His enthusiasm was so intense that Joey had to wipe spit off her face.

Fred pulled her away from Wood. "Hey, Captain, watch the spit! We all know Harry's great. Can we wrap this up?"

Wood blinked, his train of thought derailed. "Uh, right. Okay, everyone, dismissed!"

As soon as the meeting ended, Harry and Ron scurried to a corner, whispering anxiously. Joey watched them, her arms crossed.

"Professor McGonagall's biased. Why wasn't I allowed to try out in first year?" Joey grumbled.

Fred leaned on the back of her chair, hopeful. "So, does this mean you don't find Harry so cute anymore?"

Joey glanced at Harry. His messy hair, round glasses, and chubby cheeks made him look like an adorable little deer. She sighed. "Nope. He's still too cute to hate."

Fred groaned internally. "At least he's just a kid in her eyes. Otherwise, I might have to duel the Boy Who Lived."

But Fred's annoyance faded when Harry received his Nimbus 2000. The broom was a beauty, and Harry generously offered each team member ten laps on it. Fred, of course, made sure he was paired with Joey.

"I don't want this perfect broom to carry two big guys. That'd be unfair," Fred said, shamelessly abandoning George.

George rolled his eyes as Fred helped Joey onto the broom. "This guy's got no shame."

As Fred wrapped his arms around Joey's waist, breathing in the faint scent of her hair, he thought, "Harry's not so bad after all."

---

Joey was also thrilled that Professor Snape's wrath had shifted from her to Harry and Neville. According to Ron, Snape even deducted points when Harry coughed.

"That bat's got it out for Harry!" Ron fumed. "He left Neville alone in the corner too. It's ridiculous!"

"Ah, the torch has been passed," Joey said cheerfully. "Last year, it was me. Now, it's Harry's turn."

Harry looked at Joey with wide eyes. "You got in trouble with Snape too?"

Joey couldn't resist pinching his cheek. "Oh, honey, the points I've lost could fill Gryffindor's hourglass twice over!"

Harry blinked, startled by the sudden attack.

Fred, who'd been too slow to stop Joey, scowled. George nudged him, grinning. "This is the girl you're into? Good luck, mate."

Fred ignored him, stepping between Joey and Harry. "Snape hates all Gryffindors. You're not the first, and you won't be the last." He smirked, pinching Joey's cheek. "You've got plenty of cheek to pinch too, huh?"

Joey swatted his hand away, her face red. "You're so annoying!"

Fred laughed, dodging her kicks. George was on the floor, clutching his stomach. Even Ron and Harry were laughing, though they didn't quite understand what was going on.

---

That night, Joey cornered Angelina in the bathroom. "Don't you think Fred's been acting weird lately?"

Angelina, applying skincare products, looked down at Joey, who was squatting on the floor. "Can you not squat like that? It's weird."

Joey obediently moved to squat on the toilet instead. "But don't you think Fred's been different this semester?"

Angelina sighed. "What's so different?"

"He's not glued to George anymore! And he keeps contradicting me and grabbing my hand..." Joey trailed off, her face heating up.

Angelina raised an eyebrow. "Finally, she's noticing."

"Maybe it's because George isn't between you two anymore," Angelina said, half-joking.

"That's it!" Joey exclaimed, as if she'd solved a great mystery. "Without George, it's like a three-legged stool missing a leg. It's unbalanced!"

Angelina stared at her, wondering how someone could be so oblivious. "Fred, you've got your work cut out for you."

As Joey rambled on, Angelina muttered under her breath, "The only one missing a leg here is you, Joey."