Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

The Magic Word

Snape scowled as he loomed over Lee's and Alicia's Cauldron. "Five points from Gryffindor, Mr. Jordan. That is not how we address faculty members at Hogwarts".

Behind Lee and Alicia sat Fred and George. They had their heads bent over their cauldrons to hide their snickering faces from Snape. Not that they were fooling anyone. The class hadn't started yet, and as such their cauldrons were not lit. And there was nothing brewing inside of them, so they really had no reason to be sticking their heads so close to it. "I apologize sir", Lee said in a voice that suggested the contrary. "I will not address you as schoolteacher Snape again."

Snape, with his abnormally large nose, can always be trusted to sniff out when there was more tomfoolery underfoot. Twisted around in my seat at the front of the room, I could tell because Snape's usual dour look had adopted an air of conflict. Like he knew Lee hadn't just used the word schoolteacher for no reason but had not yet decided if poking the bear further would be worth the headache it would undoubtedly cause him. This morning, the boys had told me that they were ready for the third game of their year-long competition. So, in secret, I gave each boy a word that they weren't allowed to say. If any of them said their word, they lost. Lee's word is 'professor'. And judging on Fred and George's body language, they had figured out Lee's magic word. Snape turned on his heel and walked back to the front of the classroom, leaving me to assume that he had reached the conclusion that it was too early for this nonsense. Wise man. Following Snape's example, I turned back around before he could find something offensive about looking over your shoulder in a classroom. Today is going to be a good day. Well… a good day as long as you're not Snape. With this new game underway, we had decided to arrive early at the potions lab. Which we never do. I think Snape was genuinely shocked to see the Gryffindor half of his class earlier than a minute before class started. We were so early that Adrian the early-bird wasn't even here yet. We probably ruined Snape's morning by breaking our normal routine.

"Hey Lee", I heard Fred say as I started to take out some parchment for notes. "Can you call professor Snape back over here?" Fred asked with a heavy emphasis on the word professor.

"Yeah", George continued. "We need to ask Professor Snape about ingredients that are used in potions that stop people from bleeding", George used a voice similar to Fred's.

"No, I will not call grand potion's master Snape, back over here". Lee answered, As Adrian suddenly appeared, slipping into his seat next to me.

"Hey", I said, as I turned to smile at my boyfriend. "Do you want to get some petty revenge on my brothers for all the pranks they pulled on you last year? Because, today-" I cut myself out as soon as I read his facial expression. His eyebrows were slanted, highlighting his grey eyes there were unusually stormy. His lips were pressed together to form a very thin line, and his nostrils flared on every exhale. "What's wrong?" I asked, feeling like I was about to take an unexpected journey.

Adrian loudly exhaled. "When I talk, do you listen?"

"Yes", I started to answer.

"Because I feel like you listen. You maintain eye contact, you generally don't interrupt me, and, on occasion, you respond appropriately". Why can't I decipher if I'm being complimented or critiqued? "Maybe it's your memory that's the problem. Tell me, do you often forget what you're doing or lose time?"

"No", I answered carefully and confused. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out what caused this mood swing. Was he going through a hormonal shift? Was there a chemical imbalance in his brain? Was his body experiencing a shortage of serotonin?

"Oh", Adrian responded with scathing sarcasm. "So, maybe it's a selective memory problem that is afflicting you. Otherwise known as only recalling what you want to".

When Adrian finally paused, probably just because he needed to take a full breath of air, I said, "I'm sorry", while feeling like I was walking around blindfolded.

"What for?" Adrian demanded to know.

Merlin, it's a shame that I'm not an American in this life. If I was, then I'd plead the fifth. "I have no idea", I answered honestly. "It just feels like that is the correct answer".

Adrian huffed and looked away from me; busying himself his school supplies. Quickly, I went searched my noggin for …. Whatever could be the cause of this. His birthday hadn't happened yet. We weren't the type to celebrate something ridiculous like a one-month or two-month anniversary. Did I miss arbor day? When humor didn't reveal the real answer to me, I tried to regain Adrian's attention. "Adrian", I called.

And he grunted at me. Him. Adrian, the old man in a young person's body. The person who lives and breathes manners and maintaining public appearances. I guess it's good to know that there is a teenage boy somewhere under all that pomp and circumstance.

"Adrian", I tried again. "we won't be able to kiss and make up until you tell me what I did that was wrong".

"You would like that wouldn't you?", Adrian retorted.

Was that a trick question? "Yes", I answered slowly as I thought about how the strangest things always seemed to happen in Snape's class.

"Because then you wouldn't have to invent stories to torment Stimpson with. You would be able to tell her the truth when you make offhanded comments about how talented I am at using my tongue", Adrian spoke bitingly.

Using his tongue, I replayed in my head. "Oh", I said when it donned on me.

"Yes, 'Oh'", Adrian confirmed.

Before I could apologize for real this time. Before I could investigate why kissing comments bothered him so much, Snape drew everyone's attention to him. "Today we will begin our unit on natural antidotes that can be foraged".

"Talk later", I whispered to Adrian. And he was just mad enough that he didn't feel the need to confirm.

"Though I implore all of you to not try to find these ingredients yourselves", Snape continued. "As I refuse to be held responsible when you mistakenly misidentify a healing herb and end up poisoning yourself". That man, he just has so much faith in is.

"Aye Aye, Captain Snape", Lee blurted out from the other side of the room.

"Detention Jordan".

"Yes, Snape-Sensei".

In Lockhart's class, we were doing his favorite activity; taking turns reading from one of his books. Today's selection was Voyages with Vampires. Unfortunately, Fred wasn't living up to Lockhart's standards. "'The Vampire with his marble pale skin and glistening fangs stalked closer. I knew I only had a few precious minutes to react'", Fred read aloud. "So, I withdrew my magic stick, and I-"

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley", Lockhart interjected. "That is not the right word. Please don't paraphrase. I don't want your classmates following along to become confused".

"Right", Fred agreed quickly. "I'll try again". He made a big show of clearing his throat and ignoring the snickers of George and Lee, who had probably just figured out his word. "'So, I withdrew my spell-casting baton, and-"

"No, no, no, no", Lockhart interrupted again as our peers started to muffle their amusement. "Mr. Weasley, are you using a bootlegged copy?"

"No, Sir" Fred answered as I turned to Adrian. With Lockhart distracted by Fred and his use of synonyms, I was confident that he wouldn't notice any side conversations that were taking place during class.

I was having a hard time judging how angry Adrian actually was. On one hand, he'd had never been this frosty with me before. Not even when he found out that I had sent fake letters from him to Stimpson. On the other hand, we were still sitting together in our shared classes and he was letting me share his books since Fred and George had possession of our copies. So he couldn't be so mad that he didn't want to keep a ten-foot distance between us. "You didn't like the kiss comment I made to torment Stimpson", I whispered.

Looking up from Voyages with Vampires, Adrian gave me a look that said he wanted to crown me with the obvious award. "I especially didn't like that I had to hear about this from Stimpson in the common room, or that you said something so crude in front of my impressionable younger cousins".

I bit my lip to prevent myself from making a comment about Hestia and Flora. Because if there was one thing those girls were, impressionable wasn't it. If Adrian wasn't so angry, I probably would have commented. "I didn't think that you would hear about it", I said instead. And I truly hadn't. Sure, maybe his cousins would tell him about how they creamed me in Gobstones. Maybe Ginny would have mentioned how Stimpson had verbally insulted me in front of the first years. But I hadn't thought that Stimpson would share our exchange with him.

"You never do", Adrian whispered back with a harsher intensity. "You just say whatever you want without considering who it will affect or how it will be perceived".

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times; unsure if I agreed with that observation. And unsure that, if I did disagree with it, if I wanted to argue that it wasn't true. "My dear boy, I am simply flummoxed about why you can't say the word, wand", I heard Lockhart say as I paused to think.

But Adrian wasn't done yet. After taking a deep breath he continued to whisper his grievances. "How do you think I felt when Stimpson marches up to me when I am socializing with my acquaintances and loudly proclaims that my girlfriend is a floozy".

Well… Wasn't that nice? "Floozy", I repeated. Causing Adriana to nod. Somehow, I think that's worse than being called a lickspittle.

"Among other things", Adrian added. A moment passed of us locking eyes. He was visibly deflating now that the problem was out of the open. While I was starting to feel some self-reproach for the discomfort that I had undoubtedly caused him. "Do you remember", Adrian started to ask. "that day when we took a walk around the lake".

"Yes, it was very nice", I answered.

Though Adrian continued as if I hadn't said anything. "And we talked about reputations and how damaging a bad one can be. And that I wouldn't do anything to give you a bad name".

"Yes, that was very big of you", I whispered.

"Except that does little good, if my own girlfriend is soiling her own name; making lewd comments about how talented my tongue is", He finished that statement with a pointed glare.

"In my defense", I said as Lockhart gave up on getting Fred to say the word wand, and decided that it was George's turn to start reading. "It was only one comment. And it gave you major cred in the man department".

Adrian stared at me blanking; suggesting that he didn't care about man-cred in the slightest. Interesting. I don't think I've ever dated a guy who didn't care about man-cred. "I'd prefer it if you didn't share our personal business. Especially, when you're just trying to torture others". Yeah, I guess that's fair.

"Does it help that Stimpson was the one who started it?" Adrian answered my question by snorting and turning a to a random page in Voyages with Vampires. Even though there was no point in doing so. It's not like either of us was paying any attention in this class. "So, what do I have to do to get you to forgive me for Stimpson's floozy comment?" I asked instead.

Adrian hummed softly. Probably relishing in the sudden power he had over me. "You can start by telling me why your brother can't use the word 'wand'".

"Dobby is most pleased to be here", Dobby said as a greeting the moment we arrived at the room of requirement.

"Thanks, Dobby", I said as we took in the room. Apparently, for destroying Horcruxes the appropriate décor consisted of dim lightening, leather couches, and throw pillows. Lots and lots of throw pillows. Okay, room of requirement. You do you. "Any problems getting here?" I asked as Fred pulled out the diary from under his robe. It was once more disguised as a Magical Me copy for easy transport.

"No Miss", Dobby answered as my brother and I sat down on one of the couches. "Me's family went to bed on time".

"Time?" George snorted as he made himself comfortable, and Fred started sniggering to himself. "The Malfoys have bedtimes?"

"Yes, sir", Dobby answered. Not seeing why we found amusement in this fact.

"Here Dobby", Fred said as he handed the diary over to the house-elf. "Any idea on how you're going to do it?" He asked out of curiosity.

Dobby took the diary with a shrug. "With magic sir", he answered in a very to-the-point manner. I cleared my throat as the boys choked on a chuckle. Right, our mistake. I'm not sure why we never considered using magic to destroy the diary.

"We thought that we'd focus on the diary tonight and discussion your liberation the next time we meet", I said once I found some composure. Between Lee, Stimpson, Adrian and now Dobby, I was finding it increasingly difficult to reframe from sarcasm.

Dobby only nodded his assent as he moved away from the couches to an open space in the room. Fred, George, and I twisted around on the couch to watch him. Dobby was very serious as he removed the book cover from the diary. How considerate of him. He is silent as he places the diary in the middle of the stone floor and steps back, taking the book cover with him. When he is standing about six feet from the cursed diary, he places the book cover by his feet before locking his gaze on the Tom Riddles' memory. For a solid minute, no one moved. Not me, not Fred, not George, and especially not Dobby. He was staring at the diary absolutely transfixed as his eyes narrowed and his focus grew in spades. This could be it. We could be moments away from a historical moment. Watching the first of seven Horcruxes being destroyed. With inhuman poise, Dobby raised his right hand with his long nimble fingers in position to snap. The magical energy in the air intensified the longer Dobby stared at the diary. "It's a shame I can't be this powerful with my magic stick", Fred said as the silence got to be too much for us.

"Shh" George and I shushed him at the same time. Watching this felt like the equivalent of watching an Olympic gymnast perform on an injured ankle and win a gold medal. We would regret it if we missed a single second of this.

Breathing deeply enough that the rise and fall of his chest were visible for us to see, Dobby took one more second to prepare himself. But then the second was over. He snapped with his thumb and index finger and a burst of magically charged energy engulfed the diary, like a high-pressured fire hose pointed at a burning building. The diary shook and flailed on the floor like a fish out of water as magical destruction seeped into its pages and light started radiating from it. But nothing about the diary's structure appeared to be changed. The leather cover didn't crack and none of the pages appeared to be disheveled. That's alright, I told my self as Dobby's magic started to subside. It was very unlikely that we would be successful after a first attempt. Dobby lowered his arm and turned his head towards. But before he could say or ask us anything, sheer white light beamed from the diary. It was bright enough to reach every nook and cranny in the room. Ringing. A high-pitched ringing, the type that signifies hearing losing started to pulsate from the diary as it raised off the floor at a speed that mocked eighties horror movies. What's happening? I asked myself as a hand, probably Fred's since he's the person sitting next to me, made contact with the top of my head, and pushed until I was fully covered by the backrest of the couch. Just in time too. Not a moment later, the ringing exploded into a full magical crack. Magical power ricocheted off the walls. It slammed into the leather upholstery of the couch with enough force that I could feel it vibrating as it was pushed back a couple of inches. Dobby went flying backward. And we only knew this due to the loud yell he released as his body collided the wall behind him. It was like someone unleashed a landmine without body parts being blown to bloody smithereens.

Fred didn't let me raise my head until it had quieted down for a good solid minute. Not until the only sounds were a groaning Dobby. I had to blink the blinding pain out of my eyes from excessive light exposure before I could take anything in. The stone walls were scorched. The back of the couch's leather was now in tatters. It looked more like a fail attempt at making homemade beef jerky than a comfy home furnishing. The only thing that looked untouched was, of course, the diary. Dobby let out another pained groan in that high-pitched tone of his; effectively snapping the three of us out of our post-failure daze.

"Dobby, are you okay?" I asked, even though George is the first person to make it to the house-elf's side.

Very similar to the backside of the couch, Dobby's pillowcase was in tatters. At least, his skin wasn't in the same state. Instead, there were angry red splotches all over his body. Like he had been burned. Dobby didn't answer me as we all squatted around him. Instead, George looked at us and said, "I think we'll need burn salve", in the voice that is generally reserved for when Ginny does something with a broomstick that terrifies her older brothers. And since we're in the room of requirement, luckily, the much-needed burn salve poofs into existence. I guess it's a good thing we didn't try to do this in Gryffindor tower. As Fred fetched the salve, I returned to the couch and grabbed one of the throw pillows. "Here", Fred and I said at the same time. Fred, because he was handing the salve to George. And me, because I was sliding the throw pillow between Dobby's head and the wall.

With butterfly fingers, George applied the salve to every place that looked like it needed it. While Fred and I tried to spark a cognitive response from Dobby. "Dobby?" Fred tried. "Do you need anything? Other than your skin, what hurts?"

Instead of an answer, we got, "Dobby is sorry. Dobby's magic wasn't strong enough".

"Don't worry about it", I said, trying to prevent him from getting up too soon. "It sounded like you hit the wall pretty hard".

"Yeah", Fred agreed as George finished up with the burn salve. "Like a bludger trapped indoors".

"Does that feel better?" George asked with a bedside manner that I didn't know he had.

But we still didn't get an answer. "It's too dangerous. Dobby must get it out of Hogwarts now", Dobby declared as he made to sit up.

"No", all three of us said quickly.

"Our first attempt failed", I admitted once Dobby had stilled. "But that doesn't mean that should never try again".

"Maybe house-elves can't destroy evil possessed diaries", Fred added on.

"We didn't know that. So we tried it. And now we know, so we can try something else", George continued.

"We promise you Dobby", I said. With us triplets taking turns taking, we were probably giving Dobby whiplash. "That Hogwarts will not be safe unless we figure out how to destroy the diary".

It took us a while to talk Dobby down from taking the diary and running. It took even longer to get him to honestly answer if he was okay or not. It was nearing three o'clock in the morning when we were finally ready to start regrouping. "Okay", George said as he casts a quick repairing charm on the book cover we were using to disguise the diary. "So, I don't think we should try that again".

"Agreed", Fred and I echoed.

"And I don't know what we should try next", George continued as he retrieved the diary to place the cover back on it.

"Which means we need to go back to the drawing board", I said as I pulled out my wand to help Dobby fix his pillowcase. It wouldn't do for him to go home in this state. What would the Malfoys say?

"So next Wednesday, if we meet, we should focus on figuring out how to free Dobby", Fred said as he watched us get organized. At least we didn't have to do anything to clean up or fix the room of requirement. It is nice to have a room that can pick up after itself.

Dobby's ears perked up. "You still want to help Dobby?" He asked in disbelief.

"Yeah", Fred said.

At the same time, George responded with, "of course".

"A deal's a deal," I said. "You tried to help us, so now it's our turn to help you. We already have a couple of ideas about how we can get Malfoy Jr. to slip you some clothes.

"And who knows", Fred continued. "Maybe there's still a way you can help us destroy the diary. Even if it isn't with house-elf magic".

George snorted. "Maybe the great and conquering hero, Lockhart can help us".

I rolled my eyes but was grateful for the attempt at levity. "Oh yes, Lockhart the defeater of all things evil will definitely be able to destroy the diary".

"Such a shame that destroying the diary wouldn't be a long enough adventure to turn into a book, otherwise I'd say we should ask him", Fred said, adding to our round-robin game of sarcastic humor.

"How do you think he'd do it?" I asked, just to keep this bit going.

George answered with a shrug. "Probably just like he did in Voyages with Vampires. With his wand and cascading spells consisting of magical superiority".

"It's such a pity he wasn't teaching here last year", Fred said so sardonically that I could taste it.

"I know", I said, playing along. "We would have learned so much".