Chapter 1
It was the month of September 1996 when Weasley's Wizard Wheezes in Diagon Alley began hosting an assembly of unusual and suspicious activity. Diagon Alley, in London, is home to many goods and services for the benefit of magical folk. The good-hearted, mischievous twin brothers, Fred and George Weasley, opened their joke shop the summer after their unfinished final year at Hogwarts.
Luckily, in the summer of '95, Fred and George were dealt a winning hand by their friend Harry Potter. A decent mail-away prank service became a definite establishment when Harry gave his Tri-Wizard Tournament prize money to the twins in order to open a real shop.
Business had been steadily growing since the grand opening. A real problem for the twins, though, was the current wizarding conflict spreading throughout Europe. The United Kingdom was gradually being taken over by the Death Eaters and their leader, Lord Voldemort. The Death Eaters believed the magical world ought to rule the muggles and muggle-born magicians.
The Weasley family was one of the few British pure blood families still in existence. The family was notorious to the Death Eaters though for accepting half-blood and muggle-born magicians into their lives.
Our story begins on Wednesday, 4 September 1996 in the storage basement of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. 9 AM, an hour before the store's opening, Fred was running through the new inventory for the month. Wooden boxes were stacked in rows throughout the small basement. Beside him, sporting a lovely brown sweater and a polka dot bow tie was Professor Remus Lupin, who just walked in from the basement exit. Arthur Weasley had asked Remus to periodically work with his twin sons, keeping them and the store safe in such troubled times. Diagon Alley was a wreck, after all. The famous wand shop Ollivander's had been shut down since the beginning of the summer. Gringotts Bank was even using extra protection.
Remus smiled and turned to Fred. "How are we today, Fred?"
"Peachy!" exclaimed Fred. "Two cups of coffee already! Business will be great today, I think."
"When did you start drinking coffee?" asked Remus with a snicker.
"Dad introduced it to me after his trip with an American wizard to Germany. He says Americans drink coffee nonstop."
Suddenly behind the two men a loud pop was heard, causing them to flinch. Fred and George's employee, Verity, had just apparated into the room. Her curly, short hair was died a dark, bloody red. She wore jeans and a blue blouse under her robes.
"Ah, Verity! Lupin, this is our assistant. Verity, meet Remus Lupin. Friendly guy. Trustworthy."
"How do you do, miss?" asked Remus charismatically.
"All is well. Green room, Fred?"
"Sure, go ahead" said Fred. "But be back before lunch, we're gonna need you upstairs."
"Mhmm" she replied before walking up the stairs.
Finally Lupin asked, "What's the green room?"
"I'll tell you if you tell me what the Auror's Department has been up to."
"No can do, Fred."
"Fine then!" laughed Fred. "No deal."
George Weasley stood in the kitchen of the apartment above the shop where he and Fred lived, looking out the window. Diagon Alley was a ghost town. Nearly half of the usual businesses had shut since the rise of the Death Eaters. Diagon Alley consisted of four strips of stores crossing like a plus, with Knockturn Alley located behind the book shop Flourish and Blotts. George had always loved coming to Diagon Alley with his family as a young boy. Seeing his older brothers test out their very first wands and looking at the latest broomsticks had always been special memories for George. He pitied the children who are now denied that experience. Luckily Wheezes is located in the bull's-eye of the plaza, good for both business and for those hungry for some Diagon Alley magic. George opened the kitchen windows and enjoyed the warm, comforting sun. Fred and George's black cat, Queen Betty, skipped into the kitchen and sprawled onto the sunlit floor to soak in the golden rays. George heard a hoot and noticed a brown owl sitting on his windowsill next to a pot of singing flowers. The flowers sang a short hello to the bird in colorful harmony. George took the note off the owl's foot and fed him a shred of toast before it flew away. He unfolded the parchment.
Dear George and Fred,
I hope you and your business has been well since our visit in August. Work has been a nightmare these past few weeks, otherwise we would have written sooner. The ministry is doing its best to protect our community but the resistance is strong. Disappearances are still happening- which I imagine you already know. Stay safe over there and remind Remus how important your safety is to us. We also ask that you continue your studies even though you have left school. To be educated is to live fully. I've contacted Flourish and Blotts and reserved a few selections that you both can pick up. One of them is actually written by a muggle! It concerns business methods. There is also one about magic carpets- George, you will find it most delightful. Everything at home has been well. We are still uneven with the quietness of things while everyone is away!
Much Love,
Dad and Mum
George smiled after reading the letter. He left it folded on the windowsill for Fred to read later. Moving to the table, he sat down to glance over the headlines of The Daily Prophet. The front page read Employment Positions in Ministry Branches are Shrinking. The second page's story featured a retiring world-class quidditch instructor, Gillian Williams, who led the English Women's Team for fifteen years. Bored with the newspaper, George stood up and walked across the wood kitchen floor, which creaked with each step. Feeling a bit woozy, he decided to take the stairs down to the store instead of apparating.
The shop was full of all kinds of dazzling wonders. Knick-knacks such as top hats with white rabbits hidden in them, singing flowers, wizard tattoos, U-No-Poo, bewitched slinkies, dancing popcorn, extendable ears, love potions, wizard crackers, and wizard's chess sets. There were brands of candies- Bertie Botts, licorice wands, chocolate frogs, and glowing gummy worms.
"Those bastards must be downstairs" laughed George. He jogged towards the back room and down the steps to find Lupin and his brother, who were still in the basement.
"Morning George" said Remus. "We were discussing Harry's quidditch injury a few years back when Giddy Lockhart made his bones vanish. An idiot, Lockhart is."
"You got that right!" shouted Fred.
"That nasty bludger nearly killed Potter" chimed George. "Sexy Granger took care of that."
"Yeah, then Lockhart turned Potter's shattered bone into Jell-O! You should have seen it Remus, his fingers were like worms."
The three chuckled as they recalled the simple lives they were all living a few short years ago. Fred started to tell an anecdote about Lockhart when suddenly a strong sour odor pervaded the room.
"What is THAT?" exclaimed Lupin.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter," said George, rather quickly.
Fred glanced and scowled at his twin. "George. It's Lupin. He can help us."
"Help you with what?" asked Lupin.
The two twins stared at each other and agreed nonverbally to let Lupin in on their secret. Fred finally looked to Lupin and said, "Come." George and Lupin followed Fred to the door underneath the stairs. He tapped his wand on the door twice and the lock flew open. Behind the door, the three men saw Verity with a protective bubble charm around her face and wearing a rubber apron. She was adding unidentified ingredients to a green potion, which sat in a large black cauldron. The cauldron sat above a small flame, making the brew boil slightly.
Lupin stared into the green liquid for a long moment. Finally he said, "The antidote to Veritaserum."
"Exactly," said Fred. "Completely controlled and produced by the ministry. Illegal for civilians since Voldemort took over."
Lupin, shocked, glanced around the large room and realized there was more. The room was as large as the shop upstairs and maybe bigger. Four large cauldrons, as big as the one Verity was attending to, were set up throughout the room. On the back wall hung a collection of firearms.
"Muggle weapons?" asked Lupin, stunned.
"Welcome to our real business, Remus" said Fred with a smirk. "Trading and selling illegal goods to the highest bidder. We've got potions, insane plants, muggle weapons, magically enhanced drugs. Everything."
George added, "Verity does the potions and connects us with the knockturn alley crowd. I'm normally distributing, and Fred is the brains of the operation."
"Why don't you guys tell him more!?" shouted Verity, irritated. She pulled off the bubble mask and dropped it. "Bunch of idiots."
"This is Remus, Verity. You don't have to f—"
"It's ok, George" assured Remus. He turned to Verity. "My name is Remus Lupin."
"Why should I trust you?"
"I can protect the three of you. Do you know that? Do you understand what kind of trouble you would be in if the ministry discovered this? Do you realize how corrupt the ministry has become?"
"Of course we do!" spat Verity. "We're a part of it."
"This business isn't the most ethical out there," said Fred. "We sell to whomever wants our products. Including some ministry workers. Why do you think this shop is still open and doing so well? We're against the death eaters personally and they're against us, but they still need us."
Remus's face was white with shock. "I can't believe you three. Those firearms. Your dad chases people like you. How disappointed he'd be."
"He's not going to find out," said Fred, plainly.
"Only if I have anything to do with it," replied Remus. "Let me team up with you."
Verity looked at the twins in humorous disbelief. "Is this man serious right now?" she started laughing.
"You let me team up with you on this business. I have connections and authority. More than you would think. I can protect you." The room was silent for a few seconds. "I can also end you. You let me team up with you on this business, I'll contribute my services and collect my earnings, or else I expose this business and turn the three of you in."
Everyone was silent. The three criminals looked as if they were in a deep state of thought, considering their options, or lack of options. Finally Fred reached out his hand and shook Lupin's. "I've got to go upstairs," he said. "It's almost ten." He left the room.