Chapter 14
Fred and George
After Madam Hooch had caught up with her daughter, she dragged her off by the ear to see Professor McGonnagal in order to figure out just what Amelia had done, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Mariah headed back to the Gryffindor common room. It was there that they meet up with Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, who had recently opened their joke store in Hogsmeade.
"Hello, all," Fred called out as the four of them entered.
George, on the other hand, gave Mariah the once-over, then said, "So...this is McGonnagal's niece, eh?" This caused Mariah to blush slightly, and look away.
The twins looked at one another and smiled. Harry suspected that they were going to attempt to sell something to his new friend.
"All right, you two. What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.
"Well, two things really," Fred announced. "First off, we wanted to congratulate you all on your victory over Hufflepuff last Saturday. Spiffing good job, ladies and gents!"
They all smiled, in spite of themselves. The victory still was sweet this day. But that didn't stop Hermione from still being suspicious. "That's one. What else?"
Fred appeared to not of heard her, and rambled on. "We came up here and decided to take ourselves some seats and wait to see you all in person."
"Hey, I've got a question, Harry. Who's this Hooch girl who's taken over Lee´s old job?" George asked.
"Oh, that's Amelia. She´s Madam Hooch's daughter," Harry said.
George goggled at hearing that. "You're joking?"
"Aren't you?" Fred asked, looking from Harry to his brother and back.
Before Harry could fashion a suitable answer, the portrait opened up, ushering Amelia Hooch inside. She looked pale, but furious. "It´s an absolute hell having your mother as your teacher," she growled. She then looked up, blinked at the sight of Fred and George, but continued on with her story. "Professor McGonnagal told Mum that it was I who put that spell on the school brooms, you know...so that they turned green with silver hearts on them. Now, right bloody now...she wants me to repaint them all...and without magic, mind you."
"That's rough, Amelia," Ron said, sympathizing with her.
"Now, you said you had two things you wanted to talk to us about, Fred. Something else you wanted to know?" Harry asked the twins. They looked back at him, oddly quiet and a bit sheepish, which was highly unusual for this trouble-making twosome. "Well...yes. You could actually. Um, do you think one of you three might teach George and I to become, well, animagus?"
Harry was rocked back on his heels. "How did you know?" Harry demanded, highly surprised.
"Well, it was Dad, really," George admitted. "He heard it from a friend of his at the Ministry, you understand."
"Well, sorry. I wish we could, you two," Harry began, "but we've already agreed to train Neville. Sorry, Fred. George."
The twins sagged in defeat. But Hermione smiled, and got their attention. "Don't lose hope, you two. You could always go to who trained us in the first place, you know," Hermione said smiling sweetly.
"Oy! And who'd that be?" The twins asked eagerly.
"That would be Professor McGonnagal, guys," Harry told them.
The twins looked over at each other, then nodded and grinned. "Why not?" they said.
So it was that Harry led them down to McGonnagal's office.
"Yes? May I help you, Mr. Potter?" McGonnagal asked.
"I've run into some old friends, Professor. Remember these two?" Harry asked, pointing over his shoulder at the Weasley twins.
Professor McGonnagal rolled her eyes, and sighed. "How could I ever forget those two or their endless pranks?" McGonnagal observed.
Instead of looking ashamed, the two beamed at her. "Why, thank you, Professor," Fred said and bowed.
"Might I inquire as to precisely why you two are here?" McGonnagal asked.
"Certainly, Professor!" Fred gushed. "Originally we came to pay our respects to Professor Umbridge, you understand. But...well, somehow, regretfully, she doesn't seem to be employed at the school any longer. A real shame that." Fred grinned at George and Harry before continuing. "Since that wasn't possible, why...we decided we'd come to you so that you might teach us to become animagus," both Fred and George declared impishly.
McGonnagal snorted at their story, a smile threatening to appear on her face at any minute. "Flattering, I'm sure. But, why don´t you have Mr. Potter here teach you both?" McGonnagal asked.
"Sorry, Professor," Harry chimed in. "But, Ron, Hermione, and I have agreed to teach Neville Longbottom, ma'am," Harry informed her.
McGonnagal sighed heavily, then gazed at the twins fiercely for a moment or two. The two somehow managed to look back at her with angelic looks, that finally made her cough to cover up a chuckle. "Very well. I shall do this only on the condition that you both swear to follow my every order, and do precisely what I instruct you to do. Agreed?"
"You've got yourself a bargain, Professor," the twins replied, making a show of shaking McGonnagal's hand any number of times.
"Stop that...immediately," McGonnagal threatened. The twins quickly sobered up, and were now on their best behavior. "Good, that's much better. Now, come visit me this weekend, as I am quite busy befor that time."
The grinning triumphant twins began walking towards the exit, when Professor McGonnagal spoke again. "Oh, and by the way, should I find out that you have been selling your joke paraphenalia to my niece---even once!-- -the deal is off. Am I understood?"
Fred and George gaped at her in surprise and respect. "H-H-How did you know?" George finally managed to ask.
"Mr. Weasley, I've been the Head of Gryffindor House the last seven years. Did you really think I'd forget such things after you two had departed?" Fred and George grinned guiltily, but wisely said nothing. "Oh, yes...Professor Flitwick tells me that congratulation are in order for that marvelous charm you two created to make that swamp last year in the corridor. He was mightily impressed, I think you should know. Now, good day to you all, but I'm rather busy."
The twins grinned prouldy, nodded to Harry, and walked out, heads held high.
Fred and George
After Madam Hooch had caught up with her daughter, she dragged her off by the ear to see Professor McGonnagal in order to figure out just what Amelia had done, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Mariah headed back to the Gryffindor common room. It was there that they meet up with Ron's twin brothers, Fred and George, who had recently opened their joke store in Hogsmeade.
"Hello, all," Fred called out as the four of them entered.
George, on the other hand, gave Mariah the once-over, then said, "So...this is McGonnagal's niece, eh?" This caused Mariah to blush slightly, and look away.
The twins looked at one another and smiled. Harry suspected that they were going to attempt to sell something to his new friend.
"All right, you two. What are you doing here?" Hermione asked.
"Well, two things really," Fred announced. "First off, we wanted to congratulate you all on your victory over Hufflepuff last Saturday. Spiffing good job, ladies and gents!"
They all smiled, in spite of themselves. The victory still was sweet this day. But that didn't stop Hermione from still being suspicious. "That's one. What else?"
Fred appeared to not of heard her, and rambled on. "We came up here and decided to take ourselves some seats and wait to see you all in person."
"Hey, I've got a question, Harry. Who's this Hooch girl who's taken over Lee´s old job?" George asked.
"Oh, that's Amelia. She´s Madam Hooch's daughter," Harry said.
George goggled at hearing that. "You're joking?"
"Aren't you?" Fred asked, looking from Harry to his brother and back.
Before Harry could fashion a suitable answer, the portrait opened up, ushering Amelia Hooch inside. She looked pale, but furious. "It´s an absolute hell having your mother as your teacher," she growled. She then looked up, blinked at the sight of Fred and George, but continued on with her story. "Professor McGonnagal told Mum that it was I who put that spell on the school brooms, you know...so that they turned green with silver hearts on them. Now, right bloody now...she wants me to repaint them all...and without magic, mind you."
"That's rough, Amelia," Ron said, sympathizing with her.
"Now, you said you had two things you wanted to talk to us about, Fred. Something else you wanted to know?" Harry asked the twins. They looked back at him, oddly quiet and a bit sheepish, which was highly unusual for this trouble-making twosome. "Well...yes. You could actually. Um, do you think one of you three might teach George and I to become, well, animagus?"
Harry was rocked back on his heels. "How did you know?" Harry demanded, highly surprised.
"Well, it was Dad, really," George admitted. "He heard it from a friend of his at the Ministry, you understand."
"Well, sorry. I wish we could, you two," Harry began, "but we've already agreed to train Neville. Sorry, Fred. George."
The twins sagged in defeat. But Hermione smiled, and got their attention. "Don't lose hope, you two. You could always go to who trained us in the first place, you know," Hermione said smiling sweetly.
"Oy! And who'd that be?" The twins asked eagerly.
"That would be Professor McGonnagal, guys," Harry told them.
The twins looked over at each other, then nodded and grinned. "Why not?" they said.
So it was that Harry led them down to McGonnagal's office.
"Yes? May I help you, Mr. Potter?" McGonnagal asked.
"I've run into some old friends, Professor. Remember these two?" Harry asked, pointing over his shoulder at the Weasley twins.
Professor McGonnagal rolled her eyes, and sighed. "How could I ever forget those two or their endless pranks?" McGonnagal observed.
Instead of looking ashamed, the two beamed at her. "Why, thank you, Professor," Fred said and bowed.
"Might I inquire as to precisely why you two are here?" McGonnagal asked.
"Certainly, Professor!" Fred gushed. "Originally we came to pay our respects to Professor Umbridge, you understand. But...well, somehow, regretfully, she doesn't seem to be employed at the school any longer. A real shame that." Fred grinned at George and Harry before continuing. "Since that wasn't possible, why...we decided we'd come to you so that you might teach us to become animagus," both Fred and George declared impishly.
McGonnagal snorted at their story, a smile threatening to appear on her face at any minute. "Flattering, I'm sure. But, why don´t you have Mr. Potter here teach you both?" McGonnagal asked.
"Sorry, Professor," Harry chimed in. "But, Ron, Hermione, and I have agreed to teach Neville Longbottom, ma'am," Harry informed her.
McGonnagal sighed heavily, then gazed at the twins fiercely for a moment or two. The two somehow managed to look back at her with angelic looks, that finally made her cough to cover up a chuckle. "Very well. I shall do this only on the condition that you both swear to follow my every order, and do precisely what I instruct you to do. Agreed?"
"You've got yourself a bargain, Professor," the twins replied, making a show of shaking McGonnagal's hand any number of times.
"Stop that...immediately," McGonnagal threatened. The twins quickly sobered up, and were now on their best behavior. "Good, that's much better. Now, come visit me this weekend, as I am quite busy befor that time."
The grinning triumphant twins began walking towards the exit, when Professor McGonnagal spoke again. "Oh, and by the way, should I find out that you have been selling your joke paraphenalia to my niece---even once!-- -the deal is off. Am I understood?"
Fred and George gaped at her in surprise and respect. "H-H-How did you know?" George finally managed to ask.
"Mr. Weasley, I've been the Head of Gryffindor House the last seven years. Did you really think I'd forget such things after you two had departed?" Fred and George grinned guiltily, but wisely said nothing. "Oh, yes...Professor Flitwick tells me that congratulation are in order for that marvelous charm you two created to make that swamp last year in the corridor. He was mightily impressed, I think you should know. Now, good day to you all, but I'm rather busy."
The twins grinned prouldy, nodded to Harry, and walked out, heads held high.