Chapter 3
Fred and George crept into the creepy old house. They wished they had an Invisibility Cloak like Harry. Fervently wishing that nobody was in the house, they slowly and quietly pushed open a door, revealing a gleaming silver machine. That was, obviously, the Time Machine. They gaped at the machine. Who would have thought that Muggles could make such magnificent machines without magic?
Although they could not wait to see their futures, they did not want to be left stranded in the future either. Fred's sharp eyes caught a little instruction book on a table. He motioned to George about the book, and George tiptoed across the room and pocketed it.
"Mission accomplished," whispered Fred.
They suddenly heard voices in the living room. "Oh no, those Muggles must have returned. Why did they choose such an hour?" the twins thought.
They quickly darted into a nearby cupboard and whispered quietly.
"Fred, what do you think we should do now?"
"I guess we'll wait till those people are gone. It's a pity we can't use magic during the holidays, or we would be able to put a memory charm on them!"
"What if they discover us then?"
"They don't know that we are wizards, but they might think that we are spying on their operation. They'll find that we've taken the instruction book and most probably sue us or something. I'm not sure about the Muggle laws."
"Well, I guess if we really have no choice and it is an emergency, we would have to use the memory charm. If the Ministry of Magic finds out that we've used magic - which I'm sure they will - I guess we just have to deal with it. Maybe lie or something."
"Yeah."
***
The twins hid in the cupboard for what seemed like ages.
"The Muggles seem to be stuck in that place. Why can't they get out?" the twins thought.
Unable to stand being stuck in the cupboard, the twins decided to go for it. They pushed open the door of the cupboard and dashed out of the house. The Muggles stared at them for a moment before one of them yelled, "Catch the spies!" Fred whipped out his wand and yelled, "Obliviate!" The Muggles stopped and their eyes slid out of focus, a dreamy look on their faces. The twins immediately ran back to the Burrow.
"Whew! That was close!"
"Well, it seems like we have no choice but to accept the Ministry of Magic's punishment."
"I certainly hope that they didn't catch us. It seems like we were lucky - the letter usually arrives immediately and we haven't gotten any - "
"Too late."
A brown, tawny owl appeared in the skies, its silhouette gradually becoming bigger and bigger. George unlatched the window and the owl flew in, dropped a letter, and flew out again.
Fred picked up the letter and opened it.
Dear Mr Fred and George Weasley,
We have received intelligence that a Memory Charm was used at a deserted area behind your place of residence this evening at nine minutes past six.
As you know, under-age wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Under-Age Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity which risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offence, under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk Improper Use of Magic Office Ministry of Magic
"Wow, that was a long letter." Fred commented.
"We'd better keep it out of Mum or Dad's sight."
"Or Percy's. You know how he can be a tell-tale sometimes."
"Yeah."
"What do you reckon we do now, then?"
George grinned. "Well, there's only one thing we can do now, isn't there? Let's examine the instruction book."
***
"Now, let's see, the blue button brings us to the past."
"And the purple one to the future."
"We will only be able to travel through time in England."
"And we choose our destination by pressing the correct buttons on the left panel."
"During the journey through time, the red light will be blinking."
"And when we've arrived at your destination, the green light will be blinking."
"Well, that's a lot of instructions to remember."
"And we must remember not to bring back anything from the past or future."
"Because that will disrupt the passage of time, whatever that means."
"And if the machine detects any item from the past or future, we will not be able to get back to the present."
"We will be able to walk around our destination, but we can't go 10km away from the machine."
"Because if that happens we will not be able to get back to the machine on time when our time slot is up."
"And we will each be given a watch."
"Which will show our distance from the machine and the time left to explore."
"And when time is up."
"We press the glowing red button on the watch."
"And we will appear in the time machine immediately to travel back to the present."
"And we press the orange button with the word 'present' to get back."
"And we will appear back where our journey started."
"And when we are in the past or future."
"We will not be able to speak to anybody during that time."
"And we will appear invisible to everybody there! Now that's interesting. I didn't know Muggles knew those kinds of spells."
"That's why, George! I told you Muggles are smart and you didn't believe me."
"Ohhhhhh. Fred! Don't start that SPIM thing again! You and Hermione will make a fine pair, what with SPEW and SPIM!"
"I didn't start SPIM! You were the one who gave it a name!"
"But you were the one who started protecting those intelligent Muggles who are in fact not intelligible at all!"
"George! MUGGLES ARE SMART! ADMIT IT AND STOP ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT! I'M SURE DAD AGREES WITH ME! LOOK AT HOW THEY LIVE WITHOUT MAGIC!"
"ME ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT? NOW LOOK WHO'S ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT! AND MUGGLES CAN LIVE WITHOUT MAGIC BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO DUMB TO KNOW THAT MAGIC EXISTS! THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO - "
"What are you guys quarreling about?" Charlie, who had just returned home for vacation, heard their squabbles and went up to their room to calm them down.
"HE THINKS HE'S SO SMART!" yelled Fred.
"HE IS A MUGGLE-LOVER!" yelled George.
"Okay, boys, calm down. You two are the best of friends, right? What happened?"
Fred and George scowled and sat down on the bed with their arms crossed, backs turned away from each other.
Charlie sighed. He silently wished that the twins would both stop acting like idiots and just grow up. Even Ron, who was younger, was more sensible and kept his temper for most things. The quarrel reminded him of one he had with Bill. They had a cold war for a month - it was over a girl - and they only made up when they found out that the girl had cheated on both of them. The next month, both of them were kept busy playing tricks on the girl, and ignoring all her shrieks and curses. Now, his twin brothers were facing the same dilemma. What could he do?
His eyes wandered around the twins' room, and he caught sight of a little book on the table. Thinking that it was a book of tricks, he reached for it and flipped it open, hoping that he could find some tricks to play on himself to cheer up the twins. "The things I am willing to do for my brothers!" he thought, shaking his head.
He scanned through the book, only to find that it was filled with instructions with occasional phrases like "press the purple button", "pull the big lever", or "wait till the green light starts blinking". Curiously, he was about to flip to the front page and find out what the book was for when the twins jumped to their feet and snatched the book away.
Fred scowled. "You can't just read our stuff like that, Charlie!"
"What's that book for anyway?"
"It's really none of your business," George replied.
"Are you guys ganging up on me?"
The twins glanced at each other and grinned, thinking of how childish and stupid it was of them to quarrel like two over-aged babies.
"Yeah!" The twins then threw a dungbomb at Charlie and shoved him out of their room.
"Best friends and twins again?" Fred asked, sticking out his hand.
"Why not?" George shook his hand and grinned.
Fred and George crept into the creepy old house. They wished they had an Invisibility Cloak like Harry. Fervently wishing that nobody was in the house, they slowly and quietly pushed open a door, revealing a gleaming silver machine. That was, obviously, the Time Machine. They gaped at the machine. Who would have thought that Muggles could make such magnificent machines without magic?
Although they could not wait to see their futures, they did not want to be left stranded in the future either. Fred's sharp eyes caught a little instruction book on a table. He motioned to George about the book, and George tiptoed across the room and pocketed it.
"Mission accomplished," whispered Fred.
They suddenly heard voices in the living room. "Oh no, those Muggles must have returned. Why did they choose such an hour?" the twins thought.
They quickly darted into a nearby cupboard and whispered quietly.
"Fred, what do you think we should do now?"
"I guess we'll wait till those people are gone. It's a pity we can't use magic during the holidays, or we would be able to put a memory charm on them!"
"What if they discover us then?"
"They don't know that we are wizards, but they might think that we are spying on their operation. They'll find that we've taken the instruction book and most probably sue us or something. I'm not sure about the Muggle laws."
"Well, I guess if we really have no choice and it is an emergency, we would have to use the memory charm. If the Ministry of Magic finds out that we've used magic - which I'm sure they will - I guess we just have to deal with it. Maybe lie or something."
"Yeah."
***
The twins hid in the cupboard for what seemed like ages.
"The Muggles seem to be stuck in that place. Why can't they get out?" the twins thought.
Unable to stand being stuck in the cupboard, the twins decided to go for it. They pushed open the door of the cupboard and dashed out of the house. The Muggles stared at them for a moment before one of them yelled, "Catch the spies!" Fred whipped out his wand and yelled, "Obliviate!" The Muggles stopped and their eyes slid out of focus, a dreamy look on their faces. The twins immediately ran back to the Burrow.
"Whew! That was close!"
"Well, it seems like we have no choice but to accept the Ministry of Magic's punishment."
"I certainly hope that they didn't catch us. It seems like we were lucky - the letter usually arrives immediately and we haven't gotten any - "
"Too late."
A brown, tawny owl appeared in the skies, its silhouette gradually becoming bigger and bigger. George unlatched the window and the owl flew in, dropped a letter, and flew out again.
Fred picked up the letter and opened it.
Dear Mr Fred and George Weasley,
We have received intelligence that a Memory Charm was used at a deserted area behind your place of residence this evening at nine minutes past six.
As you know, under-age wizards are not permitted to perform spells outside school, and further spellwork on your part may lead to expulsion from said school (Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Under-Age Sorcery, 1875, Paragraph C).
We would also ask you to remember that any magical activity which risks notice by members of the non-magical community (Muggles) is a serious offence, under section 13 of the International Confederation of Warlocks' Statute of Secrecy.
Enjoy your holidays!
Yours sincerely,
Mafalda Hopkirk Improper Use of Magic Office Ministry of Magic
"Wow, that was a long letter." Fred commented.
"We'd better keep it out of Mum or Dad's sight."
"Or Percy's. You know how he can be a tell-tale sometimes."
"Yeah."
"What do you reckon we do now, then?"
George grinned. "Well, there's only one thing we can do now, isn't there? Let's examine the instruction book."
***
"Now, let's see, the blue button brings us to the past."
"And the purple one to the future."
"We will only be able to travel through time in England."
"And we choose our destination by pressing the correct buttons on the left panel."
"During the journey through time, the red light will be blinking."
"And when we've arrived at your destination, the green light will be blinking."
"Well, that's a lot of instructions to remember."
"And we must remember not to bring back anything from the past or future."
"Because that will disrupt the passage of time, whatever that means."
"And if the machine detects any item from the past or future, we will not be able to get back to the present."
"We will be able to walk around our destination, but we can't go 10km away from the machine."
"Because if that happens we will not be able to get back to the machine on time when our time slot is up."
"And we will each be given a watch."
"Which will show our distance from the machine and the time left to explore."
"And when time is up."
"We press the glowing red button on the watch."
"And we will appear in the time machine immediately to travel back to the present."
"And we press the orange button with the word 'present' to get back."
"And we will appear back where our journey started."
"And when we are in the past or future."
"We will not be able to speak to anybody during that time."
"And we will appear invisible to everybody there! Now that's interesting. I didn't know Muggles knew those kinds of spells."
"That's why, George! I told you Muggles are smart and you didn't believe me."
"Ohhhhhh. Fred! Don't start that SPIM thing again! You and Hermione will make a fine pair, what with SPEW and SPIM!"
"I didn't start SPIM! You were the one who gave it a name!"
"But you were the one who started protecting those intelligent Muggles who are in fact not intelligible at all!"
"George! MUGGLES ARE SMART! ADMIT IT AND STOP ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT! I'M SURE DAD AGREES WITH ME! LOOK AT HOW THEY LIVE WITHOUT MAGIC!"
"ME ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT? NOW LOOK WHO'S ACTING LIKE AN IDIOT! AND MUGGLES CAN LIVE WITHOUT MAGIC BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO DUMB TO KNOW THAT MAGIC EXISTS! THEY ARE SIMPLY TOO - "
"What are you guys quarreling about?" Charlie, who had just returned home for vacation, heard their squabbles and went up to their room to calm them down.
"HE THINKS HE'S SO SMART!" yelled Fred.
"HE IS A MUGGLE-LOVER!" yelled George.
"Okay, boys, calm down. You two are the best of friends, right? What happened?"
Fred and George scowled and sat down on the bed with their arms crossed, backs turned away from each other.
Charlie sighed. He silently wished that the twins would both stop acting like idiots and just grow up. Even Ron, who was younger, was more sensible and kept his temper for most things. The quarrel reminded him of one he had with Bill. They had a cold war for a month - it was over a girl - and they only made up when they found out that the girl had cheated on both of them. The next month, both of them were kept busy playing tricks on the girl, and ignoring all her shrieks and curses. Now, his twin brothers were facing the same dilemma. What could he do?
His eyes wandered around the twins' room, and he caught sight of a little book on the table. Thinking that it was a book of tricks, he reached for it and flipped it open, hoping that he could find some tricks to play on himself to cheer up the twins. "The things I am willing to do for my brothers!" he thought, shaking his head.
He scanned through the book, only to find that it was filled with instructions with occasional phrases like "press the purple button", "pull the big lever", or "wait till the green light starts blinking". Curiously, he was about to flip to the front page and find out what the book was for when the twins jumped to their feet and snatched the book away.
Fred scowled. "You can't just read our stuff like that, Charlie!"
"What's that book for anyway?"
"It's really none of your business," George replied.
"Are you guys ganging up on me?"
The twins glanced at each other and grinned, thinking of how childish and stupid it was of them to quarrel like two over-aged babies.
"Yeah!" The twins then threw a dungbomb at Charlie and shoved him out of their room.
"Best friends and twins again?" Fred asked, sticking out his hand.
"Why not?" George shook his hand and grinned.