Discoveries

Looking out the window, Fred could see Pig now making his way over the sleepy town of Ottery St. Catchpole. Finally, the tiny brown owl tumbled into the window and collapsed on the sill, leaving Fred free to easily untie the letter attached to his leg.

"You shouldn't have used Pig!" exclaimed Ron, anxiously poking his owl. "The journey was too long; he's exhausted!"

George, Fred's one-hundred-percent identical twin, glared at Ron. "Well, who were we supposed to use? Percy wouldn't let us use Hermes. And Errol, well-" he trailed off, shaking his head.

Ron scooped Pig up and left the room. Fred and George turned their attention to the letter.

Dear Messrs. Weasley,

We regret to inform you that we cannot grant you a patent on your recent invention, Lightning Licks. We feel that these would be too dangerous for public distribution, especially if they were to fall into Muggle hands.

Fred's face fell and he let the parchment slip to the floor. George looked dejected. "What a way to start the school year, eh?" he tried to joke. In less than a week, the twins would be leaving for their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. After the end of the year, they planned to open a joke shop. However, it was getting off to a rough start.

Just then, Mrs. Weasley entered the room. "Fred, George, time t-" she stopped when she saw the twins standing together, still in their pajamas. "Well, get dressed anyway," she said, "We're leaving in forty-five minutes." She closed the door.

The next half hour was chaotic as Fred, George, Ron and Ginny dressed and ate quickly. Today they were going to Diagon Alley to get their supplies for school. Finally, Fred was scooping Floo powder from a pot. He threw it into the fire and walked into it, saying, "Diagon Alley!" In a daze of hot air and swirling fireplaces, Fred spotted the Leaky Cauldron and hopped out. In a few seconds, George joined him.

They were to meet Ron's friends Harry and Hermione at Gringotts, so when the rest of the family came, they made their way through the crowded alley to the snow-white building. Once Mrs. Weasley gave them their leave, Fred and George went straight to the joke shop.

Fred was immediately greeted by Angelina Johnson. "Hey, Fred!" she said, grinning. Fred blushed and grinned back. Lee Jordan was there as well, along with Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell.

George grinned. "Almost feels like home, eh?" The twins began stocking up on the necessary items for a wonderful school year filled with pranks and jokes. Dungbombs, Filibuster's No-Heat Wet-Start Fireworks and other things were bought. Their pockets full, the twins headed off alone to the Apothecary.

Carefully avoiding Harry, Ron and Hermione, George went behind a stack of crates and pulled out a piece of parchment. "How much do you think all this stuff is going to cost?" he whispered to Fred, unfolding the parchment.

"Hopefully not more than thirty-five Galleons," Fred replied, "That's all we've got." He consulted the list and carefully picked out a few bluish things out of a bin. "We also have to make sure no one finds any of this."

"Of course," George said, as he scooped beetle eyes into a paper bag. "That one will be easy as long as Ron keeps his big nose out of our business."

All of the ingredients they collected came to only twenty-one Galleons and three Sickles. Fred shot a sideways glance at George. "Well, should we get it?" he said through the side of his mouth.

George was about to reply when Mrs. Weasley and Ginny appeared. "Let's go get your books, boys," she said cheerfully. Ginny eyed their parcels curiously but didn't say anything. The twins reluctantly followed them to Flourish and Blotts. This being their last year at Hogwarts, the boys' books were larger and heavier than ever.

"Oh no," Fred groaned, lifting an advanced Potions book, "can you imagine carrying all of these around?"

"You'll manage," Mrs. Weasley answered in her cheerful tone. George sighed heavily as she added packages of parchment and quills to their loads. "Now," she said, "because this is your last year and all, we're going to go and get you some new robes."

Fred raised his eyebrows. None of the other Weasley boys got new robes for their seventh year. Then his expression darkened suspiciously. Was she gaining their favor so that he and George would go into the Ministry instead of opening a joke shop? However, new robes did sound nice, so he didn't complain. He could tell that George seemed a little suspicious too as they stood still getting their measurements taken. Fred motioned for him to keep quiet, too.

Arms now heavily laden with packages, the twins made their way back to the Leaky Cauldron where Ron, Harry and Hermione were waiting. Harry and the Weasleys used the fireplace to go back to the Burrow and Hermione left with her parents.

Not bothering to brush the soot off of their clothes, Fred and George fled quickly to their room, flung their new books and robes aside and spread out their other purchases on George's bed. They transferred everything: the jokes and ingredients into flatter wrappings and bottles and laid them carefully on the bottom of their trunks, along with a small bag of gold, two large stacks of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes order forms and boxes of past inventions. That done, they tamped false bottoms over their treasures.

"Phew," George said, leaning back, relieved, "I was so scared that Mum would barge in at any minute."

And at that moment, she did. "I mended your cloaks, boys. PLEASE be careful not to rip them again this year." she stopped, noting their guilty faces. "What are you doing?" she asked.

"Nothing, Mum," said Fred.

"Aye, just thinking of a way to bewitch our books lighter," agreed George.

"No chance," she replied glumly, "I've tried." As she left, the twins suppressed a laugh. Mum trying to take an easy way out? Fred chuckled and carefully loaded his supplies into his trunk.

~

September first came very quickly after that. As usual, the Burrow was very busy as everyone got ready to go to Hogwarts. George took one last look around their room to make sure they didn't leave anything and then he and Fred went out the door. Because of the extra safety precautions taken since Voldemort's return, two Ministry cars were waiting outside. Fred and George were glad to get a backseat to themselves and Mr. Weasley sat in the front with the driver. As they pulled away, the two put their heads together and whispered about their plans for the school year. Mr. Weasley turned around every few minutes to glare at them, but they didn't notice.

Soon enough, the car stopped and the Ministry driver smiled and helped Fred lift the trunks onto the pavement. Kings Cross Station was very busy and many heads turned to stare at their strange procession of trunks, owls and red-haired children. Quietly, Mrs. Weasley directed Fred and George to lean against the magical barrier. Within ten seconds, they fell through.

"Let's go find Lee and get an empty compartment," suggested Fred. Not bothering to wait for the rest of the family, they sped around platform nine and three-quarters, looking for their friend.

"Psst..." said a voice from the train, "Fred, George, I've got a compartment here." It was Lee. They hurried inside.

"Did you get everything?" Lee asked, closing the door.

"All except for the one most important part," sighed George.

"Two," Fred interjected, "we didn't get the patent on our Lightning Licks either!"

Lee shook his head. "I've about given up. I'm thinking of just looking into going into the Ministry anyway. Nobody wants a joke shop now that You-Know-Who is back."

The twins were outraged. "No, Jordan," Fred started.

"We've come this far, you can't just give up now!" exclaimed George.

"If you go into the Ministry, you'll have to do well on the N.E.W.T.s-"

"Which means you'll have to study and get good marks-"

"Which means you won't be able to commentate for Quidditch-"

"Or play jokes-"

"Which means you'll be abandoning us!" finished Fred, staring at Lee in disbelief.

"How can you do this to yourself?" asked George. "It's always been our dream to work together to make people's lives happier."

"Everyone will be too busy fighting off You-Know-Who," Lee said stubbornly.

"Not that busy. Especially when they see what we've been working on!" replied Fred smugly. "It's going to be revolutionary!"

Lee shook his head again and promptly changed the subject. The twins talked enough, but it was obvious that they were very mad at Lee. It was extremely upsetting to Fred that their best friend was backing out of important plans. He hoped that he'd change his mind.

When they reached Hogwarts, the twins left Lee behind and joined Angelina and Katie at the Gryffindor table. There they talked about the upcoming Quidditch season and thoroughly enjoyed themselves until, warm and full, they made their way to the Gryffindor common room. However, when they reached the portrait hole, they realized they didn't know the password.

"Roses red!" yelled a voice at the back of the group of students. "The password is 'Roses red!'" It was Hermione, the newly appointed prefect. When the Fat Lady heard the password, she swung forward and the Gryffindors climbed inside.

"Ahh... it's good to be back!" exclaimed Ron, climbing up to his dormitory. Silently, George agreed. He signaled to Fred and the two of them went upstairs.

Throwing himself onto his bed, George sighed, "I can't believe this is our last year here!"

"Neither can I, " replied Fred, "but that means that we have to work extra hard."

George gave him a strange look. "What, for the N.E.W.T.s?"

"Are you nutters? No! Our joke shop of course!"

"Of course, just checking."

~

"Do you think that's enough?"

"Add just a little more."

George stirred the mixture as it simmered gently. They were in an empty dungeon next to Professor Snape's Potions classroom. Their cauldron frothed and bubbled, issuing an aromatic steam throughout the stone room.

"Taste it," said George.

"Only if you do," replied Fred. They ladled out two tastes of the mixture very carefully. On the count of three, they sampled it together.

"Excellent!" George said.

"Not bad," agreed Fred. "Well, now that we have the taste down, all we need is the magical power." He grinned almost wickedly.

Then, without warning, Professor Snape burst into the room. Fred jumped and George cried out.

"I've caught you!" he screeched. "You're in trouble now!" Then, seeing their terrified faces, Snape stopped, seeming to realize who he was yelling at. "Oh," was all he could say, "I thought you were... never mind." He turned to leave the room, to the great surprise of the twins. But then, to their horror, he paused. "What are you doing?" he asked.

There was no sense in lying to Snape. "Well, we're... inventing," finished George lamely.

"Inventing what?"

"Well, it's for our joke shop we want to open after we leave school," answered Fred hesitantly.

"Oh," said Snape again. There was an awkward pause. He didn't seem to be angry or annoyed at all, which was very unlike Snape.

"We're sorry," stammered George. "We'll clear out now."

"What is that?" Snape interrupted.

"It's-er-Shrinking Soda," George replied. "It makes the drinker about six inches tall for five minutes. Well, we want it to do that anyway, we're still working on it." He shifted uncomfortably under Snape's penetrating gaze.

"Interesting," mused Snape. "So you'll be using a Shrinking Solution and a bit of Twelfth-Hour Potion, then?"

The twins stared at him. "Er, we only have the taste part right now," said Fred, "but I'm sure that's what we'll use."

"However," continued Snape, " you'll need Monkshead and Tarynroot and those are only in my private stores." He fixed them in a potentially dangerous glare.

George panicked. Oh no, he's going to think we were going to steal! We're in for it now! he thought. Out loud he managed, "W-we bought the-Tarynroot at the-the Apothecary in Diagon Alley, but we don't have Monkshead." He held his breath, waiting for Snape's reply.

"I can help you there," he said. The twins' eyes widened and George let out his breath loudly. "Put your mixture in this cask and we'll store it in my classroom." Without waiting for an answer, he picked up the cask and held it out expectantly.

Fred was floored. Snape was on their side? He was helping? He traditionally disliked all Gryffindors, especially so-called "troublemakers" like Fred and George. They feverishly poured their precious liquid into the cask and followed him into the Potions dungeons, too afraid to disobey. Snape motioned to a cabinet where it would be kept safely. He then dismissed them to bed.

The twins left, stunned at this turn of events. Once out of earshot, Fred turned to George, his mouth agape. "We didn't even get points taken off for being out of bed!"

George shook his head in amazement. "Wow, I'm wondering about it. He's nutters for sure."

~

On the nights that the seventh years didn't have too much homework, the twins spent their free time in Snape's dungeon, working hard at their potions. The Shrinking Solution was easy enough, but the Twelfth-Hour Potion was difficult. Snape was happy to offer help and of course a little criticism.

One night on the way back to Gryffindor Tower after nearly finishing the potions, Fred whispered to George, "Snape's been real helpful and all, but don't you get the feeling that he's up to something?"

"Definitely," agreed George, "but thanks to him, we're nearly done."

Fred nodded resignedly. The twins reached their dormitory and moved to George's bed, pulling the curtains closed around them. George retrieved a piece of parchment from underneath the mattress. On it was written the recipes for all of their inventions and a copy of their order form, in case Mrs. Weasley decided to throw them all out again.

"Now that we're almost finished with the Shrinking Soda, we should get to work on something else," said George.

"Yes," agreed Fred, "but we don't have-" Just then the curtain was thrown back and Lee was standing there.

"McGonagall wants a word with the Quidditch team," he said. "You'd better go."

Stashing away the parchment, the twins leaped down the stairs. Quidditch was great fun and the they were always excited to talk about it. Angelina, Alicia and Katie, the three Chasers, and Harry, the Seeker, were already there. As Fred and George rushed up, McGonagall addressed them.

"Because Oliver Wood left two years ago, we need to vote a new captain and hold try-outs for a new Keeper," she said.

"I vote Angelina for captain!" exclaimed Fred.

"Second!" George chimed in. Angelina beamed at them.

"All in favor for Angelina as captain, say 'Yay!'" said Katie.

"YAY!"

"Well, then, do you accept, Johnson?" asked Professor McGonagall, obviously pleased.

Angelina smiled. "Of course!" The team cheered. The rest of the common room joined in, completely unaware of what they were celebrating about.

"Now all we need is a new Keeper!" cried Alicia over the noise.

"Ron's pretty good. I'm sure he'll want to try out." suggested Harry. He ran of to tell Ron.

Fred and George returned to the dormitory. "I hope Ron gets the Keeper position," said George. "It'd be nice to keep a Weasley on the team."

"Yeah," agreed Fred, loosening his tie, "it's also great that Angelina is captain!"

George pulled on his pajamas. "I'm sure you think so!" he exclaimed.

Fred blushed and smacked George with his pillow. A large and nasty pillow fight ensued. Near the end, with Fred winning, Lee reentered the room.

"Hey guys," he said, "What-" His jaw dropped as he started around the room. Feathers were drifting in the air, littering the beds, floor and the twins.

Fred grinned sheepishly. "We'll clean up."

~

Finally it was time to mix together the Shrinking Soda. With trembling hands, Fred ceremoniously poured the Shrinking Solution and the Twelfth-Hour Potion into one cauldron with the soda mixture. It fizzed and turned many colors before settling at orange. Fred looked at George.

"After you," he said, holding up a glass.

Snape shook his head. "No," he said, "I should test it. It is an experiment after all." He picked up the glass and filled it with soda. With a deep breath, he drank it all in one gulp. The twins held their breath in anticipation. Then, little by little, Snape began to shrink. Fred and George erupted into cheers.

"It worked!" George whooped.

"Does it taste alright?" asked Fred eagerly.

"How do you feel?"

"Is it fizzy enough?"

"Let's try some!"

"NO!" squeaked the now six inch-tall Snape. "We'll wait to see how long this lasts first." Reluctantly, they agreed. They were eager to try it. Who knew what sort of things a boy could do when he was only six inches tall!

At last, after what seemed like forever, Snape steadily began to grow until he reached his normal height. He let out an almighty belch. Fred and George yelled and jumped around, celebrating in a victory dance. Even Snape was pleased with the success.

"Well done, boys," he said. "Well done."

~

The sun was bright, but not warm on Saturday afternoon, the day of Quidditch trials. However, Fred and George sang happily as they kicked through piles of leaves, carrying their broomsticks over their shoulders. When they reached the pitch, Angelina was already there waiting for them. Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch were also standing there. Not long after, Katie, Alicia and finally Harry joined them.

Fred hopped onto his broom and kicked off from the ground. The wind whipped his red hair around, awakening all his senses. George joined him in midair. They raced around the field, performing loop-the-loops and dives, until, at a signal from McGonagall, they landed smoothly on the ground.

Now entering the pitch was a line of Gryffindors, coming either to try out or to cheer the others on. The twins spotted Ron, who was looking a little green. George grinned wickedly. This was going to be fun, teasing Ron.

The little group assembled in front of Madam Hooch and Professor McGonagall. Together, they launched into a list of instructions, during which the twins repeatedly poked Ron from behind, just for fun. Finally the group took off. They tried out each hopeful Keeper one at a time. Ron was among the best of them, which made Fred and George very proud.

"Good job, Ron!" congratulated Fred as they walked back to the castle.

"You'll make it for sure!" assured Harry.

George sighed. "Our ickle-Ronnikins is growing up so fast!" he teased, wiping an imaginary tear from his eye.

Ron rolled his eyes. "Gotta go," he said gruffly and sped off ahead.

The other three exchanged confused looks. "Ah, there's why!" exclaimed Fred, "Hermione's coming!" George grinned knowingly.

"You're wrong, guys," Harry cut in, noticing their looks. "There's nothing between Ron and Hermione. They're just friends."

"Okay, Harry, whatever you say," said Fred. He and George hurried ahead.

"Blinder than a bat, that one," commented George as they nearly sprinted up the marble staircase. "And they being friends and all."

They reached the common room. Ron was nowhere in sight. They stored their brooms and Quidditch robes in their dormitory. George glanced around to make sure no one was watching, then opened his trunk. Removing the false bottom, he and Fred gathered a few of the potion ingredients into their arms and stashed them in the bottom of their bags.

"You think he'll be there?" asked Fred.

"Most likely," replied George, now pushing open the portrait hole. Peering around the corners before turning them, the twins made their way to the Potions dungeon.

At the foot of the stairs leading to the dungeons, Peeves appeared. "What have we here?" he cackled. "Saturday afternoon and no classes; could these ickle students be causing trouble?" He stretched out to block the hallway.

Fred glared at him. "Peeves, clear off!" he commanded. "If you don't, I'll get Snape to tell you off!"

"Oh no, not Snape!" Peeves exclaimed in mock horror. "The only way that-" Peeves stopped in mid-sentence, nearly falling out of the air in surprise. The Bloody Baron glided through the door of a dungeon.

"Peeves," he croaked, "come with me."

"Yes, your bloodiness," Peeves replied humbly. He sped after him.

"Whew," sighed George, relieved. The twins continued on to the Potions classroom. Sure enough, Snape was in his office, probably reading over the Wolfsbane essays the seventh years had recently turned in. He looked up when they entered the room, but said nothing. George retrieved their cauldron and Fred, putting his bag on the desk and began to remove the brown paper packages from the Apothecary.

At the sight of these packages, Snape's interest perked. He watched as Fred carefully unwrapped each one: beetle eyes, dragon snot, powdered snake fangs and lacewings. Out of George's bag appeared things that probably came from the kitchens: chocolate, sugar and other baking items. His face fell as he realized that none of the ingredients were illegal.

"We're still missing the most important ingredient," said Fred glumly. He and George exchanged hopeless looks.

"What is it that you need?" asked Snape curiously, almost even suspiciously.

George hesitated a moment, then plunged in. "A six-inch horn of a female unicorn," he replied.

Snape stood up and paced the room. "That would be most difficult," he mused. "But, of course, it is possible. It would mean going into the Forest, preferably at night."

Fred and George's faces looked as if the Christmas holidays had begun early. "Really?" asked George eagerly. "At night and everything?"

Snape nodded matter-of-factly, then asked, "What are you trying to make?"

George grinned. "That is all the genius of my dear brother Fred."

Fred stepped forward and cleared his throat importantly. "We are attempting to create a delicious pastry that, when eaten, makes the eater's skin iridescent. That is why the unicorn horn is so incredibly important: the eater's skin reflects the color of the horn used."

"Very interesting," commented Snape. He looked at a calendar. "We should do it this weekend, then. I'll talk to Dumbledore."

The twins looked at each other, their faces happier than ever.

~

Fred banged his head on the table in the common room. His advanced Potions textbook was lying open in front of him. "Why did Snape give us so much homework when he knows we'll be out tonight and tomorow?" he groaned.

"Yeah, with a Hogsmeade trip tomorrow, no one will be doing any work," complained George.

"We're no better off," said Hermione. "We have Snape's work and Transfiguration."

Even Ron, who had been strutting around all week after finding out he made the Quidditch team, was quietly doing his work. In fact, the entire Gryffindor common room was unusually quiet; Snape and McGonagall had given an especially large load this time.

George glanced at his watch. "Fred," he muttered under his breath, "we should get a move on if we are to be done on time."

"Right," said Fred, lifting his head off the table. They scribbled away furiously for the next two hours.

"Done," sighed George, laying down his quill. "Ready, Freddy?"

"Almost, Georgy-Porgy," he replied. He ended his sentence and stood up. "Let's go."

"Where are you going?" asked Ron, not looking up from his Transfiguration book.

"Out," the twins replied together. And before Ron could ask any more questions, they pushed out the portrait hole.

~

"Now remember," Snape instructed, "the Forest can be very dangerous, so no wandering off." He snapped his cloak into place. It was nearly midnight and pitch-dark on the Hogwarts grounds. The little group walked swiftly to the edge of the Forest, stopping only to illuminate the ends of their wands. Then, in a single-file line, they entered. Fred stuck close to George as they walked down the path. Not even these seasoned Marauders had been in the Forest before. Fred stared at Snape's back warily. Was he planning on leaving them somewhere and letting them find their own way back? Or had he found underneath all the greasiness a little bit of kindness for them? Fred doubted it.

"What if we run into a werewolf or something?" George whispered anxiously.

"Oh, I hope not!" Fred whispered back.

"If so, we'll let Snape stay in front of us."

The twins held back their snickers so neither Snape nor any werewolves would hear them. Fred heard a rustling noise to his left and jumped. Then, the little procession came to a clearing. Above it, the sky was clear and glittering with stars. In the middle of the clearing was a pool of water.

Snape instructed them to crouch behind a tree. "We'll wait here," he said.

Now that they were standing still, the twins realized how cold it was. George shivered and pulled his cloak in closer. Fred wished he had brought his scarf; his ears were freezing.

"How long do we have to wait here?" he asked.

"As long as it takes," Snape snapped impatiently. "They should be coming soon, though."

About a half an hour later, a group of unicorns appeared. There were about nine of them and four were little golden foals.

Snape stood up. "You stay here," he said. He moved in to the clearing. The unicorns started at his presence, but one, a large stallion, stepped forward. Snape showed him the sack they brought and gestured with his hands to show what they wanted. Fred and George watched in amazement as the male went back and brought a young female to Snape. The male allowed Snape to break off her horn.

"Ouch," whispered George, "that has got to hurt."

"When he comes back, ask him why he's doing this," Fred said quietly.

"And get that horn stuck somewhere unpleasant? No thanks."

Fred snickered. "I can't see him doing something like that."

"Well, I don't want to take any chances." They turned their attention back to the clearing. Snape was patting the male and walking out of the clearing, putting the horn carefully into the sack. As he passed, he motioned for the boys to follow.

George stumbled as he stood up. "Ohhh," he moaned, "my legs fell asleep." Snape gave him a fierce look and George shut up.

In a short time, the three were back on Hogwarts grounds. Still, Snape did not say a word. He led them down to his classroom. It was one-thirty according to the clock.

"We'll examine the horn tomorrow," Snape said tiredly. "For now, go up to Gryffindor tower."

It was considerably warmer, even down in the dungeons, but George was still feeling the effects of the Forest. "Let's go to the kitchen and get something warm," he suggested, his teeth chattering.

"Good idea," agreed Fred. They changed their route and reached the painting of the bowl of fruit. Fred tickled the pear and it chuckled, turning into a handle. The twins sluggishly pulled it open. The house-elves were awake, of course. They willingly brought the brothers hot cocoa and warm sticky buns.

"Anything for you, misters," they chanted eagerly.

Warm and full, the twins sleepily climbed the stairs to the common room. Everyone was asleep and the fire was nearly out. George led the way to bed. He put on his pajamas and crawled into his four-poster bed, pulling the curtains closed around him.

"G'night, Fred," he mumbled.

"G'night, George."

~

"Fred! George! C'mon guys, get up! It's nearly breakfast!"

Fred was jerked unpleasantly out of his dreams of winning the Quidditch World Cup. He scowled at Ron who had pulled the curtains back and was glaring at the twins.

George groaned. "Nooo... go 'way!" He rolled over and tried to sleep on.

"If you two lumps don't hurry, you'll miss going to Hogsmeade!" Ron reminded them impatiently.

"If you don't quit bothering us, you'll miss it, too," Fred warned.

"Why?"

"Because you'll be stuffed in that trunk for being noisy!" exclaimed George, sitting up and throwing his pillow in Ron's general direction. It largely missed, so Fred launched his. Ron ducked and the pillow hit the wall.

"Fine," he said, "your loss."

After he left, the twins laid in bed for another five minutes. Then Fred rolled over to face his brother. "We might as well get up. Can't get to sleep anyway."

"Right," agreed George. They got up and, yawning, dressed. Before heading out, they filled their pockets with some money to spend. Tired as they were, it would be a great shame to miss out on Zonko's and Honeydukes. They trudged to the Great Hall, eyes droopy and hair tousled.

"Good morning!" Lee greeted brightly. "Toast?" He offered them a plate. George sleepily stuffed toast in his mouth, not caring whether it really went in or not.

"Hello, Fred," said Angelina as he sat down next to her. "Ready for Zonko's? I heard they got in a new shipment yesterday. They were probably getting prepared for you to come and buy them out."

"Mmph," replied Fred through a mouthful of toast. His mind was too slow right then to be elated that Angelina was talking to him.

"Rough night?" she asked, noting the circles under his eyes.

"Oh yeah, especially because my little git of a brother had to disturb it." Angelina laughed. The group finished their toast and headed toward the front doors where the students were lining up. As they walked by, Professor McGonagall checked them off on a list.

"No trouble today, boys," she warned Fred and George.

"I'm so tired, I don't think I could even set off a Dungbomb," Fred muttered to George as soon as they were out of earshot. "I'll probably fall asleep standing up."

Once inside Hogsmeade, the twins, Lee, Angelina, Alicia and Katie headed, of course, for Zonko's Joke Shop. Sure enough, they had got in a new shipment. The shelves were stocked and full of new tricks and wonders. The twins' eyes lit up.

"Charge!" thought Angelina amusedly as they excitedly went in.

~

A few hours later, the little group marched into the Three Broomsticks. Fred and George were now wide awake and talking happily. Their moneybags were considerably lighter and their hands were full of bags of tricks and sweets.

As Lee went to get their drinks, the twins entertained Angelina, Alicia and Katie by feeding a Canary Cream to the pub's new cat. Sure enough, it turned into a large canary, but it didn't like it too well. Angrily, the cat pulled at the feathers that covered its fur. The five of them were laughing at its antics when Lee returned.

Taking swig of Butterbeer, George glanced at his watch. "Should go soon, Fred," he muttered, "Snape'll be expecting us."

"Right," Fred whispered back.

Angelina raised an eyebrow. "What are you two whispering about now?" she asked suspiciously.

"Nothing," Fred replied quickly.

It was obvious that Angelina didn't believe him. She watched him expectantly, then, on a sudden thought, put on the sweetest smile she could muster. She leaned forward, put her chin on her hands and batted her eyelashes mischievously.

"Oh, look at me," cried Fred, turning pink. "Let's go, George!" He stood up quickly, nearly upsetting the table.

"Er-right." George shot a conspiratorial look at Angelina, grinning broadly. They twins left the pub, Fred dragging George behind him.

~

"Stir it very carefully," instructed Snape. The Iridescence Potion was going very well, but they still had to take extra precautions. The potion was dangerous until the unicorn horn was added. They had examined the horn carefully and found it very satisfactory, it lay shimmering and gleaming on the desk beside them.

"Ooh, this is just..."

"Corking!" Fred finished for George. He was stirring the mixture while George jumped and danced around the dungeon, too excited to hold still. The next ingredient that had to be added was the dragon snot. Not usually used in Potions classes, dragon snot was extremely tricky, and Snape wouldn't allow the twins to use it.

"Keep stirring," he directed Fred. He gently lifted the glass vial and let the stringy stuff pour slowly and smoothly into the cauldron. The potion began to bubble more vigorously.

Just then, Peeves burst into the room, screeching, "Whaaaaaa! I caught you! I caught you!"

Snape's hand slipped. The vial of dragon bogies dropped into the Potion. It began to boil furiously. "Get down!" yelled Snape. They threw themselves on the stone floor. The cauldron rumbled and the potion exploded, sending a spray of liquid up to the ceiling. The twins, hiding under a desk, were protected, but Snape was covered completely. He shrieked in pain.

Peeves stared at the scene, jaw dropped.

"Peeves, get someone!" Fred cried, going to Snape's side. George extinguished the fire under the cauldron. To their surprise, Peeves zoomed out of the room without a word, a look of grave concern on his face. But, to their horror, Filch was the first to arrive. Taking in the potion splattered on the walls, desks, ceiling and floor, his eyes bugged and his face turned red. Before he could begin to scold the twins, however, McGonagall appeared, followed closely by Peeves. It was one of the only times Fred was very happy to see her.

She gasped at the sight of Snape, who was writhing and screaming in agony on the floor, and the twins, whose faces were terrified and white. They held their breath, hoping she wouldn't yell loud enough to bring everyone down. But the lecture never came.

"Help me here, Weasley," she said briskly. They carefully lifted Snape and carried him to the hospital wing. On the way, they passed a few curious students. McGonagall shot them stern looks, so they did not follow them. They reached the hospital wing in record time.

Madam Pomfrey was very distressed. "What happened here?!" she demanded.

"Our potion exploded," Fred explained quickly.

"What sort of potion?"

"An unfinished Iridescence Potion."

Surprisingly, no one asked any further questions. Madam Pomfrey rummaged around for a remedy and McGonagall pulled the curtains closed around Snape's bed. His screams had been reduced to little whimpers, and it was obvious that he was still in excruciating pain. She shooed them out of the hospital wing. But before they could go, Dumbledore entered. His face was solemn.

"Headmaster-" McGonagall began.

"Minerva, I'd like to speak with Fred and George alone for a bit. Go see to Severus." he said kindly. He motioned for the twins to follow him out. He walked through the hall, not saying a word until they reached a stone gargoyle. "Licorice whip," he said briskly. Their eyes wide, the twins followed the Headmaster up the spiral staircase and entered his office.

"Have a seat," he invited, then sat down himself. He leaned on his desk, studying Fred and George with his clear blue eyes. "Tell me what happened."

Slowly, they related the whole story: the Shrinking Soda, Snape's help, the pastries, the Forbidden Forest, the unicorn horn, the dragon snot and Peeves. When they finally finished, Dumbledore didn't say anything. He regarded their worried faces calmly.

"Will he be all right?" asked George anxiously.

"Oh, I do not doubt Madam Pomfrey's abilities," he said, "but I am sure that Professor Snape will not be teaching for a few days."

But Fred was still worried. "We've got to do something!" he said to George as they walked back to Gryffindor tower.

"There's not much we can do, Fred," George replied glumly. The situation was out of their control, but after all Snape had done for them, it seemed wrong just to sit back and twiddle their thumbs idly. They reached the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Password?" she asked.

"Merry Christmas," they said together.

Most of the Gryffindors were gathering in the common room for dinner. Judging by how many people were there, they could tell that many students were still in Hogsmeade. Quietly, the twins slipped up to their dormitory. Fred sat on his bed. Next to him were the packages from Hogsmeade they had thrown in earlier. Sighing, he pushed them aside. He wasn't in the mood for jokes, even though they bought some extra-good ones.

"We should take some of this Honeydukes stuff up to Snape later," he suggested.

"Yeah, but I need some now. My stomach is reminding me of those Sugar Quills and chocolates." George replied.

"Well, I didn't say we take them all. Let's dig in!"

George laughed. Halfway through a chocolate, he sobered. "Our pastries," he said simply.

"We still have the unicorn horn and everything else, we'll just have to get more dragon bogies and probably some more lacewings." Fred replied, stuffing a particularly large chocolate in this mouth. "We'll try again."

George sighed. "Back to square one."

"It feels funny to be sorry for Snape, especially because he's given us so many detentions."

"Well, the man's been decent lately. It's the least we can do."

"You're right."

"Of course."

"Be careful, George darling, this chocolate is coming dangerously close to going up your nose."

"Just kidding!"

~

It was nearly nine o'clock when Fred and George emerged from the dormitory, full of sugar. George had a quirky spring in his step and there was a goofy smile plastered to Fred's face. They were about to bounce out the portrait hole when Ron called out to them.

"Oy, Fred! George! Come and see what Harry's got here!"

"Can't," said George and they dashed out, lugging a full schoolbag behind them. Fred crossed his fingers that Madam Pomfrey would allow them to go in and see Snape. If not, there was always tomorrow, but then there was the possibility of a sleepless night to look forward to. And then Snape's sweets would be in serious danger of being eaten by hungry boys.

They reached the hospital wing and quietly went inside, which was very hard to do because Fred was getting sudden urges to make loud noises and break into a run. Madam Pomfrey was folding a blanket, but looked up at the sound of the door opening. There were no screams or even whimpers anymore.

"Can we see Professor Snape?" whispered George loudly.

Madam Pomfrey gave Fred, who was trying very hard to contain himself, a strange look then nodded. She led them behind the curtains. Snape was lying peacefully on the bed wearing pinstriped pajamas. Fred held his breath to suppress a loud snicker, but couldn't help but smile; he looked so funny in the pajamas.

Snape opened his eyes and seemed surprised to see the twins there. "Weasley," he said softly.

"Er-hello, Professor," said George awkwardly, "we brought you some things to make you feel better." He pulled out the bag of sweets and an enormous card they made themselves.

"NO," Fred burst out as Snape moved to open it. He looked at him, startled. Fred blushed.

"We don't think Madam Pomfrey would like it too much," George explained, "maybe you should open it later."

A hint of a smile played at the corners of Snape's mouth. It looked very foreign on his face. He set it aside and reached for the bag. His eyes widened at the amount of sweets that was inside, making the twins laugh.

"Thank you," he said. The twins grinned in response and made to leave, but Fred turned back.

"Er-Professor?" he asked, fidgeting, "How come you helped us so much on our inventions?" George gaped at him, unable to believe that Fred was bold enough to ask such a question. Then again, his shoes were on the wrong feet and he was extremely hyper.

Snape sobered, searching for a good answer. "Because your inventiveness and curiosity reminded me of myself at your age," he said. A faraway look had come into his eyes.

"Really?" It was George's turn to blurt out.

A dozen or so more questions floated into Fred's head, but he tucked them away for later. Snape wasn't telling them everything and he knew it. The three stared at each other for a moment until Snape cleared his throat.

"You should go now," he said gruffly, "before I give you a detention for being out of bed. And while you're at it, run around the castle a few times to get rid of all that energy, Fred."

The twins laughed and to their surprise, Snape did, too. As they left, he called out, "But... as soon as I'm out of here, should we give that potion another go?"

Fred and George just grinned.