Through the Pages of Time: Joey’s Hogwarts Tale

Joey and Cedric hurried upstairs, moving as discreetly as possible. When they reached the point where their paths diverged toward different house towers, they exchanged quick goodnights and went their separate ways. That night, Joey felt that Cedric wasn't as peculiar as she had once thought, and Cedric, in turn, found Joey a little less intimidating.

By the time Joey finally managed to wake up the Fat Lady and gain entry into the Gryffindor common room, elves had already arrived with a large basket. Meanwhile, Fred and George were busy handing out Butterbeer to eager students.

"A bottle of silver sickle, dear," Fred announced, passing over a bottle while collecting coins. He grinned mischievously. "Oh, you want to know where we get our Butterbeer from? That's a trade secret! Do you think I'd just tell you? Hah!"

"Rest assured, it's the real deal," George added, sporting a banner around his neck that read Butterbeer: Hogwarts Processing. He was enthusiastically promoting their venture when a Quidditch team Chaser intercepted him.

"Yeah, yeah, it's the good stuff!" the Chaser affirmed, taking a long sip and smacking his lips in satisfaction.

Several first-year students had lined up, clutching silver coins eagerly. They had to hand over their payment to George before any chaos erupted. Within minutes, the twins had sold out of Butterbeer, leaving behind a common room filled with dizzy, laughing students, most of whom were still captivated by exaggerated Quidditch tales.

As the boys slumped onto the sofas in a half-drunken stupor, the girls burst into laughter, amused by their clumsy antics. Seizing the opportunity, Joey placed a full basket of strawberry puddings and brownies on the table, sparking another commotion.

"Oh, Joey! Where did you get all these delicious treats?" someone exclaimed. "Are they all for us?"

No one could resist the lure of food. Soon, the common room was filled with students happily stuffing their faces, and the celebration concluded with half of them sprawled out in exhaustion.

Angelina, who had been knocked over by a rogue Butterbeer bottle, stirred on the couch. Joey nudged two boys off the sofa and helped Angelina lie down more comfortably.

"So, what did you get up to tonight?" Fred asked as he and George tucked away the night's earnings into a small pouch.

Joey crossed her arms, eyeing them accusingly. "You're asking me? Why didn't you take me with you to Hogsmeade today? Have we disbanded as a group?"

"Come on, we saw you on the Marauder's Map," Fred countered, waggling his eyebrows. "You and that Cedric Diggory, wandering around all over the place. Care to explain?"

"I was just looking for food," Joey huffed. "And Cedric happened to know where the kitchens were, so he took me there." She stifled a yawn, her exhaustion setting in.

Fred's expression turned sly. "Oh, so it's Cedric now? Seems like your relationship has really progressed, huh?"

Joey shot him a glare. "I'm tired, Fred. Give it a rest."

Fred smirked but didn't press further. Instead, he grumbled under his breath, "Early romances never end well, especially with a Huffelpuff pretty boy like that."

Joey, fuming, stomped off to bed, dreaming of wrestling Fred to the ground a hundred times over. Meanwhile, Fred turned to George. "Did I say something wrong?"

George, too busy counting their profits, barely glanced up. "Huh? What?"

Fred sighed. "Never mind."

Shrugging off the tension, the twins spent the rest of the night excitedly planning their next business move, while their dormmate Lee Jordan snored loudly, oblivious to it all.

The next morning, the Gryffindors had a new topic of interest: Joey and the twins weren't speaking. Betting pools quickly formed, with most students guessing they'd reconcile within three days. But two weeks passed, and the silence remained unbroken—an unprecedented event.

Curious whispers floated through the common room, but Angelina, though privy to the truth, refused to indulge in gossip. The root of their falling-out? Cedric Diggory.

Angelina vividly recalled waking up with a splitting headache after the party. Joey had practically dragged her to the Great Hall for breakfast, despite her protests. On the way, they ran into Fred and George, one of whom (she still couldn't tell them apart) started teasing Joey about spending time with Huffelpuff's golden boy.

Fred had warned, "You should be hanging out with your Gryffindor mates, not letting that smooth-talking Diggory fool you. You're too gullible, Joey."

Joey exploded. "Gullible? And who are you to tell me who I can be friends with? Do I need your approval now?"

The argument escalated, with neither side willing to back down. Angelina, still dazed from her hangover, couldn't keep up. Eventually, Joey stormed off, declaring their friendship officially over.

That afternoon, in Herbology class—paired with Huffelpuff—Joey had made a point of sitting next to Cedric, whispering to him throughout the lesson. One of the twins had nearly popped a vein, and the rift between them grew even deeper.

Angelina found the whole thing ridiculous. Joey is allowed to have other friends, isn't she? And as far as she knew, Cedric had a great reputation. The twins were being ridiculous!

On Valentine's Day, Joey and Angelina found themselves in the library, slogging through an essay for Professor Snape.

"I trust you'll have plenty of time to complete your papers today," Snape had sneered during class. "And should I find any… similarities among your submissions, I might be inspired to give the guilty party another masterpiece to write next year. Even triplets can think independently, can't they?" His eyes flicked over Joey before moving on.

Joey was certain he had been alluding to her. "I have proof," she muttered bitterly.

"You've sighed thirty-seven times, Joey," Angelina groaned. "Just write already!"

Joey pushed her parchment away dramatically. "I don't want to write! Why do other people get to celebrate Valentine's Day while I'm stuck here suffering?"

Angelina rolled her eyes. "You don't have a boyfriend."

"But I could be out observing couples! I could warn them about the dangers of young love!"

"You just want to make trouble," Angelina deadpanned.

Joey didn't even bother denying it. She sighed again, lamenting the lost opportunity to team up with Peeves and wreak havoc on Hogwarts' lovebirds.

At that moment, a light tap on her head made her turn around, ready to snap—until she saw a roll of parchment being placed in front of her.

"If you need it…"

"Need!" Joey snatched it up enthusiastically.

"Cough." Madam Pince shot them a sharp look, and Joey quickly covered her mouth. Cedric sat down beside her, smiling warmly, while Angelina blinked in surprise.

"Merlin's beard, Cedric, you're my savior!" Joey gushed, unrolling the parchment. The neat handwriting made her eyes shine with gratitude.

Angelina peered over her shoulder and gasped. "Huffelpuff's really do write the best essays."

"There are four copies. Take what you need," Cedric said, his smile gentle.

"We only need two," Joey replied, though she clung to all four as if they were treasure.

"You and the twins aren't close anymore?" Cedric asked curiously.

"Oh, we broke up," Joey said nonchalantly, though the bitterness in her voice was unmistakable.

Cedric hesitated before speaking. "I just saw the Weasley twins in a fight with Slytherin's Shafiq and his gang. Professors McGonagall and Snape caught them…"

Angelina glanced at Joey, then at the parchment. "Uh… mind if I copy first?"