Tomfoolery in Love
It was opening day. Fred and George Weasley had moved into a flat near their shop, "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" at No. 93, Diagon Alley. They had never lived in London before, and found it to be quite intriguing. George adjusted much faster than Fred to the sounds of the large city. Fred, of course, was busy making introductions—of himself.
"Fred, d'you remember our slogan we talked about," George said, busy putting up a "Welcome" banner.
"Yes, I do," he cleared his throat, and held his chin high. In a noble voice he spoke, "'A Wondrous Utopia of Tricks and Tomfoolery'."
"Right," George approved, "but don't hold your head like that. You'll scare off the customers, reminding them of Percy."
"You know," Fred said, "I wonder if that slogan is too long. Maybe it could go without the 'wondrous'."
"'A Utopia of Tricks and Tomfoolery?' I would rather have 'wondrous' in there," George added. Fred shook his head and kept working. George had just finished hanging the banner when there was a ring at the bell of the shoppe. Fred got to the door first.
"You two finally making something out of yourselves," sniggered Harry.
"Ah, Harry! Welcome to our noble facility," Fred rang.
"First day and we already have the third greatest trouble maker from Hogwarts come to visit," George shouted with glee, "and look who he's brought with him!" Hermione and Ron walked in, with Ron's eyes wide open, and Hermione's jaw down to her neck.
"This is brilliant," Ron complimented, "I hope you share some of the profit with certain family members!" Fred and George laughed and gave him a welcoming hug.
"I think it's wonderful," Hermione added, "and I wish you both the best of—Oh! What is that?" she inquired towards some displays on the wall.
George grinned. "That would be our newest invention of tricky sorts. It is called a Flogging Tube. Fred, please demonstrate." Fred was at the wall as soon as George started talking.
"As you see here," he said, lifting the tube off the shelf, "It seems to be very light in weight. Here, hold it for a bit," and he handed it to Hermione. Ron stepped in and took it before she could get it.
"Oh no you don't!" Ron snapped, "You aren't jinxing my friends..." and he opened the tube. Just as Fred and George were screaming "Wait!" Ron had been whipped in the face. Something crawled out of the tube and on to the floor in a rush.
It seemed to be a snake-like creature, curled up and in a docile pose. "Ron, you always have to be 'that guy' don't you? By the way that mark on your face will fade in a few minutes" Fred said as Ron rubbed his cheek. George laughed a little, and picked up the slithering creature.
"This is a Floggy. It's not alive; it's just a charm on a rubber band inside a thin cloth. If you reach for it, it whips at you . . . unless you know how to handle it."
"It reminds me of those horridMonster Book of Monsters," Hermione stated. Harry agreed and shivered from the memory.
"Well, as you can see, I picked it up by its tail. Not at the very end, or else its head-end will come up and flog ye. You have to get it just before then end and after the middle."
Fred smirked and took the Floggy from George, and as he did so, he had grabbed it in the middle and got a whip near his eye. "Fancy that, see, it's the worse when you get it from the middle, because then it gives you a pelting from both ends."
Harry sighed. "What exactly is the point of this Floggy, just to scare your mum and sister?"
"Basically," George said, "And to watch your dad play hero, and get swatted all over his face and arms." Fred nodded in a serious manner, and then he too started to laugh with George.
"Well, most everything in here seems wonderfully creative," Hermione said as she smiled, looking around again. George leaned towards Fred and whispered, "I told you the word 'wondrous' was appropriate."
It was opening day. Fred and George Weasley had moved into a flat near their shop, "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes" at No. 93, Diagon Alley. They had never lived in London before, and found it to be quite intriguing. George adjusted much faster than Fred to the sounds of the large city. Fred, of course, was busy making introductions—of himself.
"Fred, d'you remember our slogan we talked about," George said, busy putting up a "Welcome" banner.
"Yes, I do," he cleared his throat, and held his chin high. In a noble voice he spoke, "'A Wondrous Utopia of Tricks and Tomfoolery'."
"Right," George approved, "but don't hold your head like that. You'll scare off the customers, reminding them of Percy."
"You know," Fred said, "I wonder if that slogan is too long. Maybe it could go without the 'wondrous'."
"'A Utopia of Tricks and Tomfoolery?' I would rather have 'wondrous' in there," George added. Fred shook his head and kept working. George had just finished hanging the banner when there was a ring at the bell of the shoppe. Fred got to the door first.
"You two finally making something out of yourselves," sniggered Harry.
"Ah, Harry! Welcome to our noble facility," Fred rang.
"First day and we already have the third greatest trouble maker from Hogwarts come to visit," George shouted with glee, "and look who he's brought with him!" Hermione and Ron walked in, with Ron's eyes wide open, and Hermione's jaw down to her neck.
"This is brilliant," Ron complimented, "I hope you share some of the profit with certain family members!" Fred and George laughed and gave him a welcoming hug.
"I think it's wonderful," Hermione added, "and I wish you both the best of—Oh! What is that?" she inquired towards some displays on the wall.
George grinned. "That would be our newest invention of tricky sorts. It is called a Flogging Tube. Fred, please demonstrate." Fred was at the wall as soon as George started talking.
"As you see here," he said, lifting the tube off the shelf, "It seems to be very light in weight. Here, hold it for a bit," and he handed it to Hermione. Ron stepped in and took it before she could get it.
"Oh no you don't!" Ron snapped, "You aren't jinxing my friends..." and he opened the tube. Just as Fred and George were screaming "Wait!" Ron had been whipped in the face. Something crawled out of the tube and on to the floor in a rush.
It seemed to be a snake-like creature, curled up and in a docile pose. "Ron, you always have to be 'that guy' don't you? By the way that mark on your face will fade in a few minutes" Fred said as Ron rubbed his cheek. George laughed a little, and picked up the slithering creature.
"This is a Floggy. It's not alive; it's just a charm on a rubber band inside a thin cloth. If you reach for it, it whips at you . . . unless you know how to handle it."
"It reminds me of those horridMonster Book of Monsters," Hermione stated. Harry agreed and shivered from the memory.
"Well, as you can see, I picked it up by its tail. Not at the very end, or else its head-end will come up and flog ye. You have to get it just before then end and after the middle."
Fred smirked and took the Floggy from George, and as he did so, he had grabbed it in the middle and got a whip near his eye. "Fancy that, see, it's the worse when you get it from the middle, because then it gives you a pelting from both ends."
Harry sighed. "What exactly is the point of this Floggy, just to scare your mum and sister?"
"Basically," George said, "And to watch your dad play hero, and get swatted all over his face and arms." Fred nodded in a serious manner, and then he too started to laugh with George.
"Well, most everything in here seems wonderfully creative," Hermione said as she smiled, looking around again. George leaned towards Fred and whispered, "I told you the word 'wondrous' was appropriate."