CHAPTER TEN
"Nice going you two." Bill said, displeased as was Harry and Percy at what the twins had done. The basement of their shop, which was really a secret passage-way to Hogwarts, was covered with boxes and boxes of stuff Harry didn't really want to know, and the place looked like a tornado had been through.
Percy attempted to muddle through the rubble, but tripped over a large crack in the ground and fell into some boxes. Fred and George tried to stifle their laughter, but it echoed back in the basement.
"How did this get like this?" Harry asked. He had been back here quite often when he was in school. At times it was often cluttered, but the place was never like this.
Fred shrugged. "I dunno. We just got a lot of new stuff."
"Cause its on high demand." George added.
"So we just kept making and shipping more and more and ordering more and more supplied."
"And we just threw the boxes down here."
Harry sighed. "That was great." He said sarcastically.
"Well, its not like anyone uses it." Fred shot back.
"Except for us.even though we probably could just take a train." George continued.
"Yeah, and its not like anyone even has that map." Fred said.
Harry grinned. Its not like anyone even has that map, he thought to himself.
"Well." Bill said, breaking into the argument, "Could we try to get through here?" He shot a look at his brother. "Percy, why don't you try to do something, since I see you are being such a help to this." Bill was grinning, but Percy didn't seem too happy.
Percy sighed, and pulled out his wand from his pocket. He muttered a few words, and all the stuff on the floor started to float into the air. "Come on now, run, before the everything falls on us."
At that, they all took on at a run, and finally reached the entrance of the statue where they would enter Hogwarts.
Bill seemed very interested that the twins and Harry knew all about these secrets ways, but Percy wasn't as thrilled. "How did I let them get away with this.I should have know.butterbeer after every quidditch victory.of course." He was muttering.
"Come on, we're going to be later then we already are." Harry said with a sense of urgency and pushed Fred and George through the statue. Harry was next, and was soon followed by Percy and Bill.
The castle was unusually empty, considering it was a week-end and often most students were wondering about. They made it to the front door without even being seen, but were spotted by Professor McGonagol on their way out the door. She almost fell over in shock, seeing all of them there.
"Wha-wha- what are you [I]doing[/I] here?" She stuttered, trying to be strict.
"Sorry Minerva. Ministry business." Percy said, sounding very professional and holding his head up high.
She nodded and walked away, still shaking her head. Fred, George, and Harry had been used throughout their life to people stopping them and suspecting something, but Percy looked absolutely uphauled. Bill was a little surprised, but figured it was how anyone would react; Five adult just walking out of the castle?
Fred and George got to the tree first, but then immediately backed away, as large tree branch nearly pushed them to the ground.
"Would one of you like to tell me how we are going to go near this tree without getting killed?" Percy asked.
Fred and George looked at each other. "Well, um, [I]we[/I] never really tried this way before." One of them said.
"Distract it." Harry ordered.
"What?" Percy asked, still very skeptical.
"Just distract it." Repeated Harry.
After Harry made them sure he knew what he was doing, they agreed, and Bill and Percy enchanted some rocks on the ground to keep hitting the tree over and over again. Fred and George were doing, as Percy thought, what they do best. They were running in circles around the tree, screaming. Meanwhile, the tree, while trying to swing its branches at Fred and George and fend off the rocks hitting it, didn't have time to swipe at Harry, who was somewhere under the tangle of lashing branches.
The tree had started to give up on them, and realized Harry was right there. Seeing the branch coming, Harry dove out of the way. He looked at where he landed, and saw a knot in the root. He pushed it down, and the tree became like glass.
"Harry- you did that?" Bill called, walking toward the tree.
"Yeah, over here, now lets go." Harry said, seeing the four of them walking over to him.
"I can't believe you never showed us this!" Fred said, almost sorrowfully.
"Yeah, I mean, it could have been dangerous." George added. "But it would have been the ultimate escape from Herbology!"
"Nice going you two." Bill said, displeased as was Harry and Percy at what the twins had done. The basement of their shop, which was really a secret passage-way to Hogwarts, was covered with boxes and boxes of stuff Harry didn't really want to know, and the place looked like a tornado had been through.
Percy attempted to muddle through the rubble, but tripped over a large crack in the ground and fell into some boxes. Fred and George tried to stifle their laughter, but it echoed back in the basement.
"How did this get like this?" Harry asked. He had been back here quite often when he was in school. At times it was often cluttered, but the place was never like this.
Fred shrugged. "I dunno. We just got a lot of new stuff."
"Cause its on high demand." George added.
"So we just kept making and shipping more and more and ordering more and more supplied."
"And we just threw the boxes down here."
Harry sighed. "That was great." He said sarcastically.
"Well, its not like anyone uses it." Fred shot back.
"Except for us.even though we probably could just take a train." George continued.
"Yeah, and its not like anyone even has that map." Fred said.
Harry grinned. Its not like anyone even has that map, he thought to himself.
"Well." Bill said, breaking into the argument, "Could we try to get through here?" He shot a look at his brother. "Percy, why don't you try to do something, since I see you are being such a help to this." Bill was grinning, but Percy didn't seem too happy.
Percy sighed, and pulled out his wand from his pocket. He muttered a few words, and all the stuff on the floor started to float into the air. "Come on now, run, before the everything falls on us."
At that, they all took on at a run, and finally reached the entrance of the statue where they would enter Hogwarts.
Bill seemed very interested that the twins and Harry knew all about these secrets ways, but Percy wasn't as thrilled. "How did I let them get away with this.I should have know.butterbeer after every quidditch victory.of course." He was muttering.
"Come on, we're going to be later then we already are." Harry said with a sense of urgency and pushed Fred and George through the statue. Harry was next, and was soon followed by Percy and Bill.
The castle was unusually empty, considering it was a week-end and often most students were wondering about. They made it to the front door without even being seen, but were spotted by Professor McGonagol on their way out the door. She almost fell over in shock, seeing all of them there.
"Wha-wha- what are you [I]doing[/I] here?" She stuttered, trying to be strict.
"Sorry Minerva. Ministry business." Percy said, sounding very professional and holding his head up high.
She nodded and walked away, still shaking her head. Fred, George, and Harry had been used throughout their life to people stopping them and suspecting something, but Percy looked absolutely uphauled. Bill was a little surprised, but figured it was how anyone would react; Five adult just walking out of the castle?
Fred and George got to the tree first, but then immediately backed away, as large tree branch nearly pushed them to the ground.
"Would one of you like to tell me how we are going to go near this tree without getting killed?" Percy asked.
Fred and George looked at each other. "Well, um, [I]we[/I] never really tried this way before." One of them said.
"Distract it." Harry ordered.
"What?" Percy asked, still very skeptical.
"Just distract it." Repeated Harry.
After Harry made them sure he knew what he was doing, they agreed, and Bill and Percy enchanted some rocks on the ground to keep hitting the tree over and over again. Fred and George were doing, as Percy thought, what they do best. They were running in circles around the tree, screaming. Meanwhile, the tree, while trying to swing its branches at Fred and George and fend off the rocks hitting it, didn't have time to swipe at Harry, who was somewhere under the tangle of lashing branches.
The tree had started to give up on them, and realized Harry was right there. Seeing the branch coming, Harry dove out of the way. He looked at where he landed, and saw a knot in the root. He pushed it down, and the tree became like glass.
"Harry- you did that?" Bill called, walking toward the tree.
"Yeah, over here, now lets go." Harry said, seeing the four of them walking over to him.
"I can't believe you never showed us this!" Fred said, almost sorrowfully.
"Yeah, I mean, it could have been dangerous." George added. "But it would have been the ultimate escape from Herbology!"