A/N: Thanx for reviews and esp. to Love4Longshanks for backing me all the
way!!!
* * *
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were making their way (very slowly) to double Potions with the Slytherins.
"Urgh, the first lesson on a Monday morning has to be with the Slytherins and Snape," groaned Ron, gazing dejectedly at his broken wand.
"Just ignore them, Ron," said Hermione briskly, quickening her pace, "Come on, we don't want to be late."
Harry looked at Ron. They both rolled their eyes. This was a very typically- Hermione thing to do.
Unbeknownst to Hermione and Ron, two grinning figures (identically alike in every way) stood in the shadows watching them.
"Say the incantation," whispered George.
Fred aimed his wand at Ron and Hermione, careful that it wasn't going to hit Harry as well, and began the charm, "Cupid's arrow can do harm, make this spell work like a charm." And a silver jet sprouted out of the end of Fred's wand towards Ron and Hermione.
Harry noticed the forthcoming spell and shouted in alarm. "Ron! Hermione! Watch out!"
It was too late; both students were knocked back against the stone wall and fell to the floor gasping for breath.
Harry rushed over to his two friends, whom were both holding their stomachs.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"Can't talk . . ." gasped Ron, "Breath knocked out of me . . ."
Harry nodded and began to help them up. Hermione accepted Harry's hand, dusting herself off crossly and looking around for the culprit.
"It was probably Malfoy," said Ron angrily, once he had recovered, "It's like him to stoop low - attacking people when they are unaware and unarmed."
Meanwhile, Fred and George were totally bewildered. They hadn't meant to send Hermione and Ron crashing back into the wall. The spell should have enveloped them in a pink haze and enchanted them.
"It didn't work," said Fred, suppressing the urge to curse.
"You must have said the incantation wrong," said George.
"No, I said it right," insisted Fred, and he began to recite exactly what he said, "Cupid's arrow can do harm -"
"That's wrong! You're supposed to say 'Cupid's arrow can do NO harm'," hissed George, "no wonder the spell backfired and hit them like a curse."
Fred stared wide-eyed at his brother, speechless for once but he regained himself quickly. "Well it can't do much more harm now, can it?"
As soon as he said the fateful words, irony kicked in and Hermione spun on her heel to face Harry. "How could I have been so stupid? There's no one else down here but you, Ron and me . . . I can't believe you did that to us Harry!" her eyes shone angrily.
Ron suddenly looked ferocious as well. "Yeah, now that I think about it - you are the only one within range to get a good shot at us."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Me? You think I cursed you??"
"Do you see anyone else here?" snapped Hermione.
"It wasn't me!" shouted Harry, it was now his turn to become angry, "And if I did think about cursing you it would've been with a much stronger spell than that!"
Hermione and Ron gasped. "So now you're admitting to wanting to curse us!"
"I didn't say that . . ." protested Harry, but the damage was already done.
"Yes you did!" Ron shook his head, "I can't believe we ever became friends, Harry."
"Yeah, let's go and find our real friends," Hermione said to Ron, but gazed meaningfully at Harry, "who DON'T want to try and curse us!"
Harry was shocked beyond words. How could his best friends think that he wanted to hurt them? But Harry was too angry to give this question a rational answer.
"This means war!" he shouted after his two retreating "friends."
Meanwhile, Fred and George had watched the scene unfold with barely disguised astonishment.
"George?" said Fred, eyes still glued to Harry's receding form, "They didn't say anything about this on the label!"
* * *
* * *
Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley were making their way (very slowly) to double Potions with the Slytherins.
"Urgh, the first lesson on a Monday morning has to be with the Slytherins and Snape," groaned Ron, gazing dejectedly at his broken wand.
"Just ignore them, Ron," said Hermione briskly, quickening her pace, "Come on, we don't want to be late."
Harry looked at Ron. They both rolled their eyes. This was a very typically- Hermione thing to do.
Unbeknownst to Hermione and Ron, two grinning figures (identically alike in every way) stood in the shadows watching them.
"Say the incantation," whispered George.
Fred aimed his wand at Ron and Hermione, careful that it wasn't going to hit Harry as well, and began the charm, "Cupid's arrow can do harm, make this spell work like a charm." And a silver jet sprouted out of the end of Fred's wand towards Ron and Hermione.
Harry noticed the forthcoming spell and shouted in alarm. "Ron! Hermione! Watch out!"
It was too late; both students were knocked back against the stone wall and fell to the floor gasping for breath.
Harry rushed over to his two friends, whom were both holding their stomachs.
"Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.
"Can't talk . . ." gasped Ron, "Breath knocked out of me . . ."
Harry nodded and began to help them up. Hermione accepted Harry's hand, dusting herself off crossly and looking around for the culprit.
"It was probably Malfoy," said Ron angrily, once he had recovered, "It's like him to stoop low - attacking people when they are unaware and unarmed."
Meanwhile, Fred and George were totally bewildered. They hadn't meant to send Hermione and Ron crashing back into the wall. The spell should have enveloped them in a pink haze and enchanted them.
"It didn't work," said Fred, suppressing the urge to curse.
"You must have said the incantation wrong," said George.
"No, I said it right," insisted Fred, and he began to recite exactly what he said, "Cupid's arrow can do harm -"
"That's wrong! You're supposed to say 'Cupid's arrow can do NO harm'," hissed George, "no wonder the spell backfired and hit them like a curse."
Fred stared wide-eyed at his brother, speechless for once but he regained himself quickly. "Well it can't do much more harm now, can it?"
As soon as he said the fateful words, irony kicked in and Hermione spun on her heel to face Harry. "How could I have been so stupid? There's no one else down here but you, Ron and me . . . I can't believe you did that to us Harry!" her eyes shone angrily.
Ron suddenly looked ferocious as well. "Yeah, now that I think about it - you are the only one within range to get a good shot at us."
Harry couldn't believe what he was hearing. "Me? You think I cursed you??"
"Do you see anyone else here?" snapped Hermione.
"It wasn't me!" shouted Harry, it was now his turn to become angry, "And if I did think about cursing you it would've been with a much stronger spell than that!"
Hermione and Ron gasped. "So now you're admitting to wanting to curse us!"
"I didn't say that . . ." protested Harry, but the damage was already done.
"Yes you did!" Ron shook his head, "I can't believe we ever became friends, Harry."
"Yeah, let's go and find our real friends," Hermione said to Ron, but gazed meaningfully at Harry, "who DON'T want to try and curse us!"
Harry was shocked beyond words. How could his best friends think that he wanted to hurt them? But Harry was too angry to give this question a rational answer.
"This means war!" he shouted after his two retreating "friends."
Meanwhile, Fred and George had watched the scene unfold with barely disguised astonishment.
"George?" said Fred, eyes still glued to Harry's receding form, "They didn't say anything about this on the label!"
* * *