Percy stepped out of the fireplace and into the shop. He looked down at the ground to see his brother clutching at his elbow. "What happened?"

George adjusted into the sitting position. "Nothing, I just didn't tuck my elbows in."

"You're lucky you didn't lose an arm." Percy furrowed his eyebrows, making sure he looked as stern as possible. "First rule of Floo travel, tuck your elbows in as close as you can." He offered out his hand and helped George to his feet. "Let me look. It could be broken."

"It's not broken." He insisted, moving further into the shop. "So, what do you reckon?" Percy noticed an immediate change in his voice, the pain in his elbow seemingly forgotten.

He took a moment to take in the surroundings. The word chaos immediately sprung to Percy's mind. Already he could see three health and safety violations. "Well it's certainly..."

"Amazing?" George offered.

He gave a reluctant nod. "I suppose that could be a word to use."

George moved over to the door, letting in the three customers who were waiting outside.

A young boy of about fourteen entered first. He was wearing the Slytherin colours and holding a box of opened Canary Creams. The boy wasted no time in the exchanging of pleasantries and dived straight into what he wanted to say. "You said that these would turn anyone who ate them into a canary."

"That's right." George pointed at the label. "It says so, right there."

The young boy made no attempt to hide the sour scowl that was becoming evermore prominent. "Well they don't work. I planted them on some first year Hufflepuffs and nothing happened."

"You're just some kid after a refund. Do you think I'm honestly going to fall for that?"

The young Slytherin turned to face the two girls that were stood behind him. He pointed to the smaller one who was wearing a bobble hat and a woollen jumper. "You."

She took a step back, stunned. "Me?" She had a small squeak of a voice.

"Yes you." He snarled and reached into the box. "Eat one of these."

"I... I don't really want to."

He forced it into hand. "Just do it, its not as if anything is going to happen."

"Stop this now." Percy intervened, the prefect within him taking over. "Bullying will not be tolerated within this establishment."

"Bullying? I've been ripped off by this joker." He pointed an accusing finger at George. "I just want my money back."

George took the canary cream out of the girl's shaking hand. "Listen, kid. There is absolutely nothing wrong with these. They were only made last week."

"Oh really?" To prove his point, the boy reached into the packet and shoved five creams into his mouth at once, chewed furiously and swallowed.

"Bloody hell, you're not meant to eat that many at once." George panicked. "You'll be sprouting feathers for weeks."

He placed his hands on his hips. "I wouldn't count on it."

After several long and uneventful seconds had passed, Percy spoke up."How long does it take to work?"

George studied the young teen for a moment, looking for any signs of yellowing. "Well... it should've happened by now."

"Ha!" He turned to face the two girls, a look of insufferable smugness in his eyes. "He thought he was right, but I showed him."

Percy steered George towards the counter and lowered his voice so only he could hear. "Just hold it together, don't let him see he's got to you." Once they were at the till, he looked back over to the boy. "Right, there's obviously been some sort of manufacturing error here. For that, we apologise and we'll give you a refund."

"I should hope so. Biggest wasted of three galleons, I've ever spent."

George pushed his finger down onto the open button of the till. "Just take the bloody money and get out." He slammed the galleons onto the counter with more force than what was entirely necessary.

Satisfied with his the trouble he'd caused, the boy grinned to himself and pointed his wand at the counter. "Accio." The coins flew into his hand and he walked out looking extremely satisfied with himself.

Taking a moment to compose himself, George looked over at the girls who were still lingering by the door. "Come on in, Girls." He pointed at the red and yellow scarf wrapped loosely around their necks. "Those from Gryffindor are always welcome."

The taller of the two, lightly prodded her friend who was still clearly shaken from the encounter. "Go on, Emily."

Percy looked at Emily and gave her an encouraging smile. "There's no need to be worried, a Gryffindor needn't be in fear of a joke shop." Percy wondered if he had been successful in his joke. "Talking as former head boy of your house, I'd say that this place has many items that would suit the tastes of each and every house member."

Her cheeks flushed a bright crimson and she looked downwards. "My aunty says the sorting hat must've been mistaken when it placed me in Gryffindor. She says I'm too shy to be worthy of such a house and that Hufflepuff would've been a better choice."

"I'm sure that's not true." Percy said. "After all, the sorting hat is known for its impeccable judgement."

George nodded in agreement. "My brother's right. All of our family got sorted into there, even our brother, Ron."

"Harry Potter's best friend?"

"The very same." Percy confirmed.

"Wow." Emily relaxed into a smile.

"So, how about you tell us what brings you here today?" Percy walked over and crouched down to her height.

"Well uh..."

"No need to threat. You can tell me."

She lowered her voice to a whisper and produced a packet of Fainting Fancies. "I only wanted to use them to get out of potions, but they..."

"Have they not worked too well?"

"I'm sorry." She nervously bit her lip. "They didn't work at all. Is it my fault?"

Her friend spoke up. "Of course it's not your fault." She looked over at George, who was, by this stage, looking very bewildered. "It says on the packet that they have immediate affect and nothing happened!"

Before George had a chance to reply, Percy spoke first. "I took one yesterday and found them to be very powerful. I was out for a good few hours."

"The ones Emily took weren't enough to make her drowsy even." Although she was talking to Percy, her eyes were focused accusingly on George.

Emily apologised once more, looking desperately at the ground, semi hoping that it would open up and swallow her whole.

Percy held out his hand. "Let's have a try."

"Are you... are you sure?" Emily stuttered, taken aback by his request.

"If what you are saying is correct and I don't doubt your honesty, then I should be fine." He took the bag and helped himself. He waited for a moment and as expected, no changes occurred. "No dizziness, no weak legs and no apparent spinning of the room."

"I only made them last week." George stated.

Percy turned his attention back to his brother. "And when was the one I took made?"

"I don't know, a few months ago, maybe?"

Reluctantly, George reopened the till and produced the right amount of change.

Unlike the Slytherin boy, Emily walked up to the counter and took the money herself. "I'm sorry." She whispered.

"It's not you fault, kiddo." George attempted to sound cheery.

Emily's friend cleared her throat to get their attention. George let out a hefty sigh. "Let me guess, you need a refund too?"

"These were meant to make my hair change colour." She held up the packaging that contained said product."I came out in a rash and couldn't leave my dorm for days."

"Oh dear, well that just won't do." Percy sympathised. "George, we better give her a refund."

George passed the money to Emily. "Give this to your friend."

She nodded and made her way back to where her friend was.

"C'mon Emily, lets get out of here." Emily was left with no time to protest as her arm was roughly grabbed and she was lead out of the shop. "This would never have happened in Zonkos!"

Percy locked the door behind them and flipped the sign so it read closed. "How about you take the day off today?"

Ignoring his brother's suggestion, George opened a draw and pulled out a small bag. "I need to feed the Pygmy Puffs." He made a B- line for the cages, barely looking at his brother as he did so. "Remind me to stock up on this stuff, they get through it quicker than I can buy it. I know I shouldn't feed them so much, but they give me this look and then I feel bad for not giving them what they want." He paused, a saddened look on his face. "Fred was always the strict one when it came to these little guys."

Percy swallowed back the lump that had suddenly formed in the back of his throat. It suddenly dawned on him just how much the shop would remind George of his twin. "I'm proud of you, George." His words surprised even himself.

"Come again?" He looked up from the cages.

"I know you didn't get as many O.W.L.S as what Mother would've desired, but I see now that you have worked hard at this place, to make up for your lack of educational achievement, and for that, I'm proud of you."

"Blimey, Perce. What came over you?"

"I'm not sure." He admitted. There was a moments silence before he spoke again. "What happened with those products can be easily fixed. How about I help you?"

George raised an eyebrow. "You? Help me make products for this place?"

"Why not?"

Keen to avoid the subject, George reached into the cage and produced a pink Pygmy Puff. "I just can't seem to sell this one." He smoothed down the fur on the Pygmy's head. "I don't see why not."

Percy took a moment to inspect. "Are you sure it's alright? It looks like it hasn't been bred in the same way the others were." He pointed to the eyes. "I mean look, I don't mean to sound discriminatory towards it, but its eyes are red." He thought for a moment. "It's a bit off putting."

"Nonsense, she's great." George placed it in Percy's hand.

Percy held him at arm's length. "Take it back, George. I don't feel..." Before he could protest further, he felt the sharp sting of a tooth sinking into his finger. "Dear Merlin!" He let it drop to the floor and it scuttled underneath a pile of boxes in the corner of the room.

"Percy! Help me find it."

Percy clutched at his finger, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "It bit me!"

"This has ever happened before, their teeth aren't meant to be that sharp."

Before Percy could respond the Pygmy Puff emerged once more, looking all the more savage. It seemed twice the size and evermore bloodthirsty. It lunged straight for Percy once more, sinking it's fang like teeth into his leg. "Get it off me!" Percy shouted out, desperately kicking his leg.

George pointed his wand,"Stupefy, stupefy, stupefy." He repeated the spell over and over, until the words became mumbled and incomprehensible. The familiar jet of red light was nowhere in sight and the creature remained firmly attached to his brother, moving away from his leg and taking a large chunk out of his arm. Throwing his wand to the side, George picked up a stool and hit it as hard as he could. With that, it released it's vice like grip on Percy and lay motionless on the ground.

"Percy remained where he was, taking deep breaths.

George shook him. "Percy, talk to me."

"Get it in a cage." Percy gasped. "Get it in a cage!"

"It's dead. You're going to be alright, it can't get to you now."

"Cage...cage, put it in a cage, and lock it away, George. Do it before it gets you too." Percy became more and more insistent.

George scooped up the dead Pygmy Puff and isolated it in a cage. "There, there you go. It's dead, it won't do anything now."

"It's..." Percy found himself interrupted.

"It's just a savage Pygmy Puff. The breeding was a bit off." George reassured, placing his hand over the wound on Percy's arm.

"Do something... George, it hurts." Percy said, struggling to breathe through the agonising pain.

George hooked his hands under his brother's underarms and clumsily pulled him to his feet. "I'll take you home, Mum will have something for it and you'll be fine." He looked down at his wand that lay in a pool of Percy's blood. Right now, it was nothing more than a useless stick of wood to George.

"She can't do this to me! I will not die!" Percy said in a voice that wasn't quite his own.

George abruptly turned his head. "What was that?"

"She wanted to let me go. They told her there was nothing more they could do for me; they said I was evil beyond measure." A dead look was in his eyes and his tone of voice had an undertone of burning hatred in it. "I'll show her! I'll show her!" He was practically screaming now.

"Percy stop this!"

Percy pushed George away from. "Hands off me, blood traitor. I'm free now, all these weeks cooped up in that cage, being mauled by your filthy treacherous hands." Fury burned like a destructive fire in his eyes. "She must know!"

"Who must know?" George asked, fearful.

Percy let out another agonised gasp and dropped to the flood, unconscious.