The Month of January
January at Hogwarts was freezing, and a tense atmosphere reigned over the school. The students were focused on their revisions for exams and upcoming events, but a new tension had set in, this time between Harry and the Weasley twins. After several failures, Fred and George had decided to redouble their efforts and come up with a bolder plan to capture Harry's attention. More than innocent pranks, their attempts at seduction were now more direct and intrusive. They gave him stares, sang songs in public, winked at him and smiled suggestively... but Harry, as always, understood nothing.
Under the dazed eyes of his friends, teachers, Hogwarts students and foreign schools, the situation took an almost absurd turn. Ron and Hermione, who had watched this ballet of pranks and attempts at seduction for months, were desperate. They understood what was going on, but Harry remained as ignorant as on the first day. He was totally impervious to the advances of the twins.
"I don't believe it... Hermione whispered, wide-eyed, looking at Harry as Fred cast a little spell in his direction. "He still doesn't realize... »
Ron, on the other hand, watched with a mixture of amusement and despair. He had never seen his friend so despicably oblivious to the emotions around him.
"It's like he's living in another world!" he sighed, completely baffled by Harry's complete lack of reaction. "I think he'd end up ignoring even a declaration of love if she came with a bouquet of giant flowers and a rainbow in the background."
The teachers were equally baffled, but some were now aware of the game the twins were playing. McGonagall, in particular, watched the scene with growing disbelief. She knew that the twins were insatiable in their desire to make others laugh, but to see their love for Harry go so unnoticed by him was almost tragic.
"It's like watching a train derail at full speed and not being able to do anything," she muttered, shaking her head.
Lupin, on the other hand, was still in denial, although he began to realize that the situation was becoming more and more unavoidable. Every day, he saw Fred and George redouble their efforts, their influence growing as Harry still didn't react. It was now obvious that something was going on, but he refused to accept that his little Harry could be involved in such a complex situation.
One day, after yet another prank by Fred and George, which ended with an enchanted snake singing declarations of love to Harry, Lupin found himself alone in his office, immersed in his thoughts.
"It's just a phase. It's just a phase... He murmured again, his eyes fixed on the papers on his desk. But deep down, something was beginning to change.
Meanwhile, Harry continued to remain completely indifferent to his friends' efforts. He called them to order when he saw them bothered too much with pranks that went too far. His ever-messy hair and growing frustration made him even more restless. But as far as the twins were concerned, he remained as unconscious as ever. He yelled at them not to endanger his life or exaggerate too much, never understanding that their actions were motivated by something much deeper than simple pranks.
In the halls of Hogwarts, the other students whispered to each other, wondering how Harry could be so unapproachable.
"But how does he do it?" whispered a Durmstrang student, looking at Harry, almost incredulous. "It's like he's living in another world."
"He must have an immune system that is ultra-resistant to amorous advances," replied another, laughing softly.
Even foreign teachers watched, impressed by Harry's utter unconsciousness. No one could understand why Harry reacted so differently from what they were used to seeing. The twins kept trying, but they grew more and more frustrated, while losing patience with a Harry who still didn't seem to want to understand.
And despite all this, Lupin persisted in his denial. He was looking at Fred and George and thought it was just a game. He didn't want to admit that the twins were seriously in love with Harry, and he refused to face the truth.
"He's too young... It's just a phase. It will pass. It has to pass. That was all he repeated to himself, hoping to find comfort in his own thoughts.
Thus, in January, as the twins' attempts to seduce them became more and more explicit, the divide between the reactions of the others and Harry's absolute unconsciousness reached new heights. But everyone now knew that the secrets around Harry and the twins were inevitable, even if the main concerned remained hopelessly ignorant.
"The month of January is the first chapter of a book of 12 chapters." — Unknown proverb