Chapter 8: Four Seconds For Fireworks

AN- YES I UPDATED. I haven't had enough free time / motivation to continue, but I love this story so…here. :B

On December 23rd I nearly woke all of Hogwarts when I looked out my window at seven in the morning.

"Snow! Snow! Madison look! Snow! It's pouring snow!" I chattered, dancing away and towards where Madison stood groggily, rubbing her eyes.

"For someone who's scared of water you're sure excited to see it when it's frozen." Madison pulled her curly hair back into a ponytail as she walked towards the window.

"Whoa, that is a lot of snow." She whispered quietly.

And she was right- all of the grounds were coated in a thick layer of snow. I'd have to say it was at least two feet.

"C'mon, let's go play in it!" I slid across the floor to my trunk, hastily lashing shorts and school skirts out of the way to dig up my winter stuff.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I'm not having a snowball fight, I'll tell you that right now." Madison rolled her eyes, as if throwing powered water was beneath her.

Not even five minutes later we were clad in winter gear and rushing out the front door behind a couple of third years.

It's much harder to run on the grounds when you're feeling as squishy as a marshmallow and dragging your feet in one-size too big winter boots.

To my surprise there were more people than I'd expected out here. All years- first through seventh. I longed for a snowball fight and I was so lost in my snowy white daydreams I didn't notice Madison walk off to talk to some second years.

But you can bet I noticed the snowball that hit me square in the back of the head. Freezing water dripped down my back, somehow penetrating my sweatshirt, winter coat and three shirts. I began to shimmy a bit, and then before I knew it I was "dancing" spastically, snow still dripping down me.

And then I realized who I was friends with when I heard the snickers erupting behind me. Leaning my head back I yelled, "Fred and George, I am going to JINX YOU BOTH TO THE 5TH OF NOVEMBER!"

I guess my shrimpy, sticky frame and uber feminine voice didn't pose much of a threat to them because this made them laugh even harder.

For some reason. I'm fearsome, right? If I roared you'd pee your pants. Riiight?

"That's the last straw! ROOOAR!" I growled, scooping up snow in each of my hands and hurling it with all my might at their faces.

I guess my aim isn't all that great because both snowballs whizzed past their ears. Or thighs, because now the dynamic duo was doubled over laughing at me.

I shuffled over to them in Meredith's old boots (I didn't know she had such big feet!) and kicked snow into their faces.

I believe I would have disowned my limbs if I'd missed that shot.

They coughed and sputtered, snow falling out of their open mouths. When Fred and George were upright again, they just blinked rapidly at my triumphant face, partially hidden behind my two Gryffindor scarves.

Soundlessly they whipped out their wands and the next thing I saw was pure white snow being launched by magic into my face.

"What a waste of-" I cut myself off, sneezing twice. Three times. Four times…

"You two got snow up my NOSE!" I hollered, a mixture of shock and whining.

I sneezed for the fifth time and snow dribbled out of my nose.

What, too much information?

"Eww," The twins chimed in, in perfect unison.

"Hey, that gives me an idea!" I grinned widely, wiping my nose on the back of my glove.

"Don't eat the green and white snow?" Fred quipped, obviously meaning all was forgiven.

"No." I shot him a quick look of disapproval and then continued. "You guys have fireworks, or the stuff and knowledge to make some?"

"You have to ask?"

X

"Is the dang thing DONE yet?" I sighed impatiently, pacing in circles around the twins and gnawing on Droobles, careful to keep it in my mouth this time.

"Plural: things." George reminded me, tweaking something on the bright red-and-gold…thing that lay on the floor before him.

"Almost finished here…" Fred grunted, tugging on a dangling piece of wax and then remembering he has a wand, muttering a spell to sever the piece.

"Ta-da!" George grinned, holding up the finished makeshift firework-bomb.

To be honest, I have absolutely no clue how they pulled this off. I don't know the jist of how to do it, but all I know is that involves some brass rings, twine, magic, candles and part of my scarf.

For the record, I'm still a little teeny bit sad to see the four inches of fabric go.

"Okay guys, this is how it goes. We put one firework each in the socks-" I held up my brother's socks for emphasis- "And then wrap them all nice. We hand the gift off to someone as an early Christmas present…wait, how do you make them go off?"

"It's a simple spell. Micans tela, okay? After we light them, we have exactly fourteen seconds before they explode." Fred answered.

"Change of plans." I began again, the plan coming together in my mind's eye like a Rubiks cube or a jigsaw puzzle. "Two of us hand off the present. The third person says the spell on the signal, and then we do a countdown- build it up like it's something really good. We move away slowly during this, and then watch the fireworks. Literally." My lips curled into an excited grin.

"Who's our victim?" George interrupted my reverie of red and gold fireworks showering over the common room.

"Hmm…" I tapped my lips with my index finger, thinking hard. And then my hand fell sharply to my side, because I really don't want to turn into my big sister. And I remembered my vow of revenge.

"Madison. Miss Flynn herself." My grin got wider.

And before you ask, I'm not a bad friend. Get back to me when you can put up with learning magic, being slapped awake with about seven hours of sleep AND all of what Fred and George do to me.

X

A simple twenty minutes later we were locked, loaded and ready to go. We decided to plant George behind Madison's chair and go in front of her, so that it'd be much clearer to all of us. Fred and I were to deliver the gift. The gift of chaos and eyefuls of soot and sparkles. I'm so poetic, aren't I?

"Madison!" I exclaimed, mocking surprise as Fred and I walked towards her, the gift held between us.

"You two look like conjoined twins." Madison held a level face, but her left eyebrow went up barley a quarter of an inch.

"We-" I gestured first to myself, and then to Fred, "pitched in and got you a present. Early, we know but…Merry Christmas!" I tapped my chin with my pointer finger three times- the signal.

I heard George barely whisper the spell, and I knew the show was about to go on.

"Now let me just tighten the bow…" I leaned in and pulled on the loops. Fred leaned in too, and whispered urgently: "What are you doing?"

I replied, "So we can just-"

There was a loud crack and before I knew it I had a mouthful of soot, and my own (sort of) fireworks danced above my head.

I ran an index finger on my forehead, and at least two millimeters of gray-black soot was left on my fingertip.

I looked up, spitting the ash out of my mouth. George had a hand clapped over his mouth and his shoulders shook with laughter. Madison was nearly hyperventilating in her armchair, her shrieks of laughter audible for what was probably miles around.

Fred was rooted to the spot, spitting soot into the torn and dilapidated box.

I just groaned. That kind of stuff is too overwhelming for any reaction.

George craned his neck over Madison's armchair as the sparkles finally disappeared above us. His smile widened.

"Well, at least the socks are gone."