What Would You See?

What Would You See?

By Ada Kensington

Author´s note: I was eating a tub of Twiglets while I wrote this. Just thought you´d like to know - in case you´re doing research on "foods that inspire," or something...

The air in the subterranean dungeon class was thick and stifling. Potions bubbled and boiled furiously in their deep, iron cauldrons - their slick, waxy, indigo contents sending misty, shimmering fumes into the air - making the occupants of Snape´s Thursday afternoon potions class extremely drowsy and sluggish.

Well, they made the majority of the class drowsy and sluggish. For there were two freckle-faced, red haired students who were by no means interested in the subtle science and exact art of potion making. That was why their particular potion was a watery turquoise, instead of a thick, soupy, indigo, and why they were plotting, in hushed tones, on the best way to disrupt their most hated professor´s Thursday afternoon potions class.

There was a particularly tense moment when they thought that they would be caught, as Professor Snape glided soundlessly behind the two and made a remark about their watery potion that would have made Hermione Granger burst into tears, and separated the twins for the fifth time in three weeks - but fortunately, he stalked off to bully Lee Jordan, and all was well.

It was time.

"Psst...Fred! Hey! Fred!" George whispered, grinning evilly. "Have you got it?"

Fred nodded, and - grinning just as slyly as his twin - produced a smooth, round, jet-black object about the size and consistency of a small marble from his robes, and winked.

George nodded in acknowledgement and craned his neck round to see where Snape was. Professor Snape was now standing a little away, bending over another fuming cauldron, testing the contents with a long, silver ladle, with his back turned to the Weasley Twins. George turned to Fred and gave him the thumbs up, then Fred placed the little marble-like object into the outstretched palm of his hand and - drawing out his wand from inside his robes - he stood up quickly, pointing his wand at the little black ball, and - taking aim - whispered: "Waddiwassi" - and it zoomed out of his hand and landed in Lee Jordan´s cauldron with a muffled "plop".

Lee started sniggering - being in on the joke - for he knew exactly what it was that Fred Weasley had just fired into his cauldron - and was ready to duck and run when the thing went off. For the little, jet-black ball was, in fact, a prototype explosive from Fred and George´s "Weasley´s Wizard Wheezes" range of joke products.

It was an ingenious little thing. Perfect for dropping into potions, because the actual evidence melted away after the explosion took place - and immersion in liquid - any liquid at all - was all that was required to set the thing off. Fred and George had called it "a Pepper-Imp Bomb" and it was "inspired by Dr Filibuster´s Wet-Start Fireworks" but was "more efficient, less noticeable" and "leaves no evidence." Encouraged by the recent disaster in Snape´s third year class, where someone had launched a firework into a cauldron - the Weasley Twins knew, in their hearts that today was the day to test their latest invention. After today - there would be no want of buyers for their merchandise.

There were only a few seconds left...

Lee tensed; ready to spring out of the way. Fred was covering up a muffled snort of laughter by pretending to be interested in crushing his dried porcupine quills and George was staring intently at Lee´s cauldron - his eyes glittering with mischief...

Then - there was a knock at the door.

"Come," Professor Snape said lazily, stopping his bullying rounds and walking towards the door.

Professor Lupin popped his head round the door and glanced around the class and smiled. He emerged from the doorway and met Professor Snape halfway across the classroom - right in front of Lee´s cauldron.

"Shit!" George hissed through gritted teeth, casting a worried look at Fred, as Lee turned round - looking slightly worried.

"What´re we going to do?" mouthed Fred, his eyes wide with fear.

After a horrible, horrible moment, their eyes fell, in unison, on the simultaneously wonderful yet terrifying image of both their most loved professor and their most hated professor about to get a faceful of sealing solution. Their mischievous sides almost got the better of them by the sheer temptation of seeing that git, Snape get covered in sticky, indigo, goo - but their Gryffindorian spirits and admiration for the mild-mannered, Professor Lupin overcame even their deepest hatred for Professor Snape, and - as one - they both lunged for a professor.

"PROFESSOR, GET DOWN!" they screamed, as they both tackled the shocked professors to the floor in a clattering avalanche of tables, chairs and potions ingredients. They just caught the beginnings of Professor Snape´s: "WHAT IS THE MEANING OF THIS?" - before the cauldron exploded.

Thick, blue, boiling liquid erupted, Vesuvius-like, from Lee Jordan´s upturned, wildly-whirling cauldron and rained down upon the unsuspecting students - covering them in steaming, sticky ooze. Pupils shrieked. Tables and chairs and potions ingredients crashed to the floor amidst the chaos - in turn upsetting further cauldrons of sealing solution, which slithered across the floor like one hundred bright-blue raw eggs and, upon contact, setted immediately - sticking fallen students to the floor, stopping madly sprinting students in their tracks, sealing screaming students mouths shut and sticking their frantic, flailing hands to their hair and faces. The Thursday afternoon potions class - once under the spell of softly shimmering potions and Professor Snape´s intimidatory tactics, was now a perfect picture of anarchy.

The class was an utter shambles.

Soft, muffled whimpers were mingled with hysterical laughter, as each student got the change to survey their surroundings. The floor and walls were covered with a few unfortunate victims, who were plastered there by the thick, sticky sealing solution. Upturned cauldrons, tables and chairs littered the floor - stuck fast by the now fully set potion - and also stuck to the floor, pinned suggestively on top of each other (in the eyes of the students) - were Fred Weasley and Professor Snape.

Fred´s face was a mixed picture of fear, embarrassment and amusement - and he had to fight very hard to suppress the hysterical laughter that was threatening to burst out from inside.

Professor Snape´s face, however, was nothing of the sort. His pale, sickly face had turned a nasty, brick colour. A vein was throbbing in his temple and his greasy, black hair - thick with the bright blue sealing solution - was flying wild and messily over his face. His flowing black robes were now covered in slick, sticky blue, and he was staring up at Fred in a way that simply said: you are in trouble.

Fred and George started to feel a little sick. How could it have gone so terribly, terribly wrong?

Oh, if only Professor Lupin hadn´t come in...

Suddenly, Professor Snape spoke - and all of the background laughter and whimpering ceased immediately at the dangerous tone of his voice. Even Professor Lupin, who was lying, pinned to an upturned desk a little away, looked grave. Fred felt Snape´s hand shift to reach for something inside his robes - and squirmed uneasily, thinking Snape might be about to curse him.

"I have the antidote here," Snape whispered dangerously. "However, there is only enough here for the Mr Weasleys, Lupin and myself."

Snape opened the bottle (with a little difficulty) and poured a few drops on the sticky film. Fred felt himself slide away, and immediately threw himself from Professor Snape (having quite a good idea of what his fellow classmates were thinking) and found himself in the air. Snape, with admirable foresight, had cast a levitation charm on him. Fred watched, with mounting horror, as Snape freed the struggling Lupin and his brother, George - casting levitation charms on both - and turned once more to address the class, his face now rigid with anger.

"Never, ever, had I seen such a display of idiocy in all my years of teaching at Hogwarts," Snape whispered venomously, his voice shaking with fury. "Disrupting the education of those who wish to learn and succeed... Assault on - not only two professors - but fellow pupils as well, and, by far the worst," he spat, and paused to direct a smouldering stare at the now pale-faced twins "... a total lack of consideration for the real dangers and real physical threats that you have put innocent people through today," - the last remark was directed pointedly to Fred and George, who were floating helplessly about a foot from the floor - their faces now burning with guilt and shame - paraded on show by Snape, and rotating slowly in the air, for everyone to get a good, long look at.

"This is a very serious matter," Snape went on, in barely a whisper. "Very serious."

Then, with a sudden flick of his wand, that made Fred and George flinch visibly - Snape´s robes were clean and presentable once more - and he was smiling at Fred and George in a very strange way...

"As punishment for your classmates´ idiotic behaviour," Professor Snape said, to the class, but still fixing his burning gaze upon the red-faced Fred and George " you shall all wait where you are for the time being until I return from handing your classmates" - the last word was spat venomously - "over to the Headmaster".

There was a sudden outbreak of protestations. Fred and George started to feel slightly sick. Dumbledore? He was going to Dumbledore? That almost certainly meant a letter home...

Oh no... What will Mum say?

"SILENCE!" Professor Snape roared, quashing all hint of rebellion. "You will stay where you are... IN SILENCE... until I see fit to release you."

With a snap, Snape spun on his heel in mid-air and floated towards the door, which he kicked open angrily, and summoned Professor Lupin, then Fred and George, out of the door with another irritated flick of his wand. As soon as their feet touched the ground, Snape whispered silkily from behind: "...The Headmaster´s office. Now."

Feeling decidedly ill with dread, Fred and George started marching dejectedly behind Professor Snape, trailing the sticky, blue sealing solution all the way up to the stone gargoyle that marked the entrance to Dumbledore´s office. Professor Lupin walked silently beside them - his robes now sufficiently clean again - and together, they all walked up to the Headmaster´s office.

Fred and George couldn´t help thinking that it was like being arrested.

~ ~ ~ * * * ~ ~ ~ * * * ~ ~ ~ * * * ~ ~ ~ * * * ~

It wasn´t quite as bad as they´d thought it would be. The talk with Dumbledore included the usual stern lecture that masked his mild amusement at the antics of the Weasley Twins, the eventual informing of their none too surprised Head of House, Professor McGonagall and then the standard detention, then fifty points from Gryffindor (which rankled a bit because they´d just lost the fifty point lead they had had on Slytherin) - but all in all, ashamed and red-faced as they were under the penetrating gaze of Albus Dumbledore, they had gotten off pretty lightly.

It was the letter from Mrs Weasley that had hurt them the most:

Fred and George,

I received Dumbledore´s letter last night.

Your father and I are deeply, deeply disappointed with your behaviour.

Why, when after all Ginny and Ron went through last year, do you continue to be a burden to your Professors, the school and your Father and I, with your disruptive and unacceptable behaviour? Why can´t you be more like Percy, and take a leaf out of his book?

I won´t ask you what you were thinking because it´s pretty obvious that you weren´t thinking about anyone but yourselves. How could you be so selfish? Oh, and don´t bother sending an owl to apologise because all of the apologies in the world won´t wipe this one from the slate.

If you two put one more toe out of line, we will send for you immediately.

Yours,

Your Deeply Disappointed Mother.

If anyone had noticed the white faces of Fred and George Weasley as they abruptly left the Gryffindor table at breakfast - they didn´t show it - and continued to laugh and talk happily as the normally cheery and cheerful Weasley Twins exited the Great Hall, pale and silent.

They had been wandering dejectedly for quite some time now, and had missed Charms, Herbology and Double Potions (for which they were quite thankful). Not a word had been exchanged since before the opening of the letter that Mrs Weasley had sent the night before by owl. About two hours later after missing Herbology - they had stumbled upon an empty, deserted looking classroom, and had wandered in and slumped down on the filthy floor - sending up great clouds of dust into the air of the dark, eerily lit classroom.

Fred and George sat, staring blankly at the floorboards, noticing the joins in the woodwork on the floorboards and where the dust had clogged them up. Fred started picking awkwardly at the joins - dislodging decades worth of dust in a matter of moments - and spoke first.

"I feel awful, George," Fred said hoarsely. "I mean, we could´ve really hurt everyone yesterday... not to mention being nearly expelled..."

George nodded heavily and swallowed, and said:

"I think we should send an owl to mum and dad to say sorry."

"You heard what mum said, George!" Fred cried, raising his head to look at his twin brother.

"You think she really meant all that?" George asked shakily.

Fred fell silent and looked again at the floor.

"Well, why shouldn´t she, after all we´ve done," he said, eventually. "I wouldn´t be surprised if mum and dad disown us..."

Fred trailed off suddenly, and reached over and tapped George on the shoulder.

"Hey, what´s that?" he said quizzically. "Look behind you!"

George wiped his brow with his sleeve and, coughing as he dispelled yet more dust into the air, shifted himself around, then frowned, puzzled, as his eyes fell on the great, golden mirror that his identical twin brother had already spotted.

"Whoa!" he breathed. "What a mirror!"

"Must be fake!" Fred said, as both boys rose to their feet, all of a sudden strangely eager to have a look at this grand, beautiful and obviously old mirror.

Fred and George reached the mirror simultaneously (as twins tend to do) and stood there, together, standing shoulder-to-shoulder and wearing identical, puzzled, frowns. They both started to walk around the mirror, running enquiring hands over the surface - checking for any secret compartments or hidden traps, and when they found nothing - they walked round to the front once more and stood, again, before the mirror.

"Well, I´m beaten," George said, with a frown. "Wonder what this thing actually does?"

Suddenly, as if in answer to George´s question, the reflections of the Weasley Twins disappeared, then reappeared smokily into view, like rising wisps of fog on a clear, cold, winter´s morning - and the twins gasped with fright as they saw the reflection of their mother appear behind them.

Fred and George jumped about a foot in the air and whirled round - eyes wide and faces pale - ready to beg for mercy.

"We´re sorry, Mum, we were just..." Fred began quickly, before he turned to find that there was no one there.

They both turned to each other, then back to where their mother should have been standing, then once again - to the Mirror.

Mrs Weasley was, apparently, standing behind them both - well, in the mirror image, anyway - and she was looking down upon Fred and George with a loving expression. Suddenly, the image changed, and she scooped up both of her sons (who were a bit bigger than her) in a tight, bear hug - practically strangling the twins with love and affection.

"What the hell...?" Fred said, now staring intently at the image in the mirror and secretly feeling a little sad and not a little guilty about what he had caused his mother to go through.

"Fred..." George said slowly, unable to take his eyes from the mirror, and his voice a little shaky with emotion. "Do you think this mirror shows the future?"

Fred looked at the image of his mother once again beaming down proudly at her sons, and then turned to his brother, his eyes watering a little - but his voice steady.

"How can it?" Fred replied, after a long pause. "Mum is already proud of us."

George smiled, his eyes also beginning to water a little, and pulled his brother into a strong embrace.

"Come on," he whispered hoarsely. "Let´s get out of here. We´ve got a lot of planning to do."

"What do you mean?" Fred asked slyly, as both brothers pulled back - grinning from ear to ear.

"Well, we´ve got to get Snape back for that public humiliation the other day, now, haven´t we?" George replied - his eyes glittering with mischief.

"Course we have," Fred said, "and it´s going to be even better than the last time - and it´ll have the added bonus of not being caught this time!"

George slapped Fred on the back jovially.

"Well, let´s go then!" he roared. "Race you back to the Common Room!"