Twenty four hours later and the Prophet was in serious financial trouble. News of the protest and the war heroine's speech had spread like wildfire and the overwhelming majority of subscribers had immediately cancelled their paying subscriptions to the wizarding newspaper. Businesses of every kind had pulled their advertising deals from the Prophet too, not wanting to be associated with it anymore, removing the rest of the paper's public funding. Kingsley was in the process of removing the ministry subsidy, set up by Umbridge to control printing, too and once that went through the company would likely go bust.
By Thursday the company announced it was bankrupt.
Over the next few weeks and months the lack of the monopolising newspaper giant gave room for smaller independent newspapers and more magazines to start up. The quibbler and witch weekly magazines remained from before but with the Daily Prophet out of the picture several more found enough space to form and grow, including three smaller general newspapers, a quidditch specialist magazine and a children's paper set up by the twins that would be launched during the shop's grand reopening.
As the end of June approached, the twins were almost ready to reopen and set the date for the first day of July. The shop itself was repaired, extended (thanks to Arthur's help) and decorated magnificently. Each shelf held stacks of products or signs to show what still needed creating and there were platforms on every floor for demonstrating products. The front of the shop was decorated with an enormous bow in purple, orange, blue and yellow stripes and polka dots that flashed whenever anyone looked at them and the words 'Grand Reopening 1st July!' danced across the huge ribbon excitingly.
It was evident from conversations overheard along the Alley, and gossip that spread between the shop keepers whenever they met at the Leaky Cauldron for a few drinks after work, that the twins would be swamped by customers as soon as that bow unfurled. The war was over and everyone needed things to lighten their lives back up with laughter again after spending so long in misery and darkness.
So, while Harry and Ginny worked on decorating the old Potter Manor that he had inherited from his grandparents on turning seventeen but hadn't known about until after the war had ended and he could safely return to Gringotts, Hermione and Ron flooed to the shop each day to work on product creation. The twins needed people they could trust to help as they would be using their secret recipes. So, they were immensely grateful to both their younger brother and his girlfriend for the help they offered.
Hermione and Ron were trying hard to build their romantic relationship so spent a lot of effort flirting as they worked together in the production room at the back of the shop. It wasn't easy for her like flirting with Fred had been but she assumed that this was what it was like in a 'real' relationship. This effort wasn't apparent to anyone else though and Fred found it excruciating to be around the seemingly loved up couple so frequently.
"What's Fred's excuse today?" Ron asked conversationally, he had no idea about Fred's feeling for his girlfriend and reasonably assumed his repeated absences were due to his general well being following the battle.
"He's visiting Teddy to do research on metamorphmagus skills. Really he'll just spend the day playing with the adorable little tyke." George replied in a breezy tone before adding a few more lacewing flies to his potion and stirring it clockwise with a bamboo cane.
The other two simply nodded, concern for Fred evident on their faces but only Hermione was aware of the rumbling in her heart at the conflicting thoughts of Fred dealing with hurt and Fred playing with a little baby.
"How much more needs finishing today?" She asked after an hour of the boys chatting aimlessly about quidditch as they worked.
"I'm on the last batch of potions now and you've finished all the other products, so once these are bottled up it's just stacking the shelves, setting out the displays and then an early night ready for the big day tomorrow!" George said excitedly. "Fred should be back any minute so he can do the shelf stacking and displays with me if you two want to head home. We couldn't have done it without your help so thank you. You'll come over for pizza and firewhiskey next week to celebrate our first week open and to say thank you for all your help right?"
Ron and Hermione wholeheartedly accepted and flooed back to the burrow for refreshing showers and a delicious dinner made by Molly.
"You can come home now, it's just me" George spoke to his patronus, thinking of the moment Fred first walked again after the battle, and sent it off to Andromeda's house.
"I'm pathetic aren't I?" Fred's voice enquired defeatedly as he walked in through the back door having apparated into the alleyway behind the shop.
"You'll get there one day." George had stopped coddling his twin when they were alone, but he would always protect both him and Hermione, as he had promised himself. Hermione seemed genuinely happy with Ron and George wanted to protect and respect her relationship "Maybe it's time to call Katie - "
"No." Fred interrupted, his voice harsh and cold. "No way. I don't care what you say about moving on, I'm Hermione's forever even if she's not mine."
"So you're just going to be some lonely bloke avoiding his brother and his brother's girlfriend forever?" George tested, Hermione was bright and intuitive one day she would notice and that wouldn't be fair on her as George knew she would feel guilty whether she should do or not. He wouldn't force his twin into anything but he wouldn't give up on encouraging for now.
"Weasleys can't get lonely, there are just too many of us." Fred tried to joke.
George simply raised a disbelieving eyebrow at his twin in response.
"Plus I'm getting better," Fred implored "I can cope in large groups. I'll get there one day, just… just give me time."
Spotting the sadness in his twin's eyes George relented for the day, they had plenty to keep them busy getting ready for the grand reopening anyway.
…
"Welcome to Weasleys Wizard Wheezes!" The twins cheered loudly together.
At nine o'clock sharp the brightly coloured bow unravelled itself from around the orange and purple shop front and twirled up into the air causing a host of joyful fireworks to erupt high above Diagon Alley, charmed bright enough to be clearly visible even during the summer morning sunshine. Fred and George stood in the open double doorway in their magenta work robes welcoming the queues of guests that had begun to form overnight. Anticipation for the loud and fun shop had been high throughout the wizarding community so hundreds of potential customers and intrigued passers by flocked to its grand reopening, children, teenagers, adults and grandparents all delighted to see such a brilliant sign of joy returning after the darkness and grey of the last year.
Verity and Lee were working on the tills while Fred and George helped customers navigate around the shop floor, shook hands with well wishers and continuously restocked the ransacked shelves.
While restocking the 'lightning in a bottle' highlighter and 'dark as a death eaters soul' mascara from their wonder witch line, Fred noticed a young teenage boy hovering nervously by the love potions and eyeing his crush from across the room.
"Here, take this and go have a chat. It'll be much better in the long run." Fred said to him under his breath, handing over a confidence potion and swapping it for the love one in his hand. With a wink he sent the boy off to the tills, a grateful smile sent in return, and went to help a little girl attempting to persuade her mother to buy her an orange pygmy puff.
As soon as the little girl's and Fred's combined puppy eyes achieved their goal the redhead was accosted by a grandfather who wanted to do some tricks with his half blood grandson who wasn't magical. Fred grinned and showed him the 'muggle magic' sets, sharing tales of the fun he had had with them when his "muggleborn friend's" (Hermione's) dad had first shown them to him a few years ago. Next it was a group of young adults he recognised as Ravenclaws from Percy's year at school who were hosting a summer party, so he helped them with party favours, games, silly sweets and a huge crate of fireworks. These events continued throughout the day until the shop's clock struck six, and they were supposed to have been closed for half an hour already but were still rammed with customers, when Molly and the rest of the Weasleys arrived to congratulate the twins on their first successful day.
"Blimey!" Bill exclaimed at the still heaving crowds.
"Magnifique" Fleur added, smiling softly at the ecstatic grins on both of the twins' faces.
Ron, Harry, Hermione, Ginny and Audrey scattered and explored the shop, smiling indulgently at recognisable products created years ago like canary creams and delighting in reading about new products they hadn't seen before despite helping with set up.
The shop was spread over several floors with a winding staircase rising through the centre and dedicated areas for different themes like fireworks, sweets, love, pets, protection, muggle magic, games, pranks, toys…
Harry collected a few new toys for Teddy, Ginny a new swing set for her pygmy puff Arnold, Percy and Arthur grabbed a set of muggle magic tricks to share with his girlfriend's parents, Audrey decided on a few appearance changing sweets to sneak into Percy's food since she was a secret prankster, Ron picked up a few rainbow sparklers for a plan he was forming and Hermione chose a weather predicting bottle set. Each corked glass bottle would fill with whatever weather you could expect in your current location, the first was set for one hour's time, the next for three hours and then five and so on for the row of twelve. She hoped to use it to tell Ron when it would be good weather for a quidditch game so they had time to gather any siblings and friends who wanted to play with him.
As they each reached the tills to pay they found Molly reprimanding the twins for skipping their lunch break and all tried to stifle their laughter at the sight.
Molly was standing two steps up on the curving central staircase so that she was at a similar height to her sons, with one hand on her hip and the other waggling a finger in their faces. Customers were laughing goodnaturedly at the comical scene as they continued to collect and purchase various items from around the store.
"How on earth do you expect to keep a shop like this running without any sustenance?" She said sharply "You are overrun with customers even now and it's way past closing time, yet you haven't eaten since breakfast. I have no idea how you haven't collapsed already, there's no excuse for skipping a meal now. Verity and Lee are perfectly capable and you could even take your breaks one at a time if needed, dear goodness I do hope you at least ensured Lee and Verity took their lunches!?"
The twins looked even more sheepish at that, they had prompted Lee and Verity to take breaks throughout the day, ignoring their own advice, but had forgotten to buy them lunch as they had planned.
"Don't worry Mrs Weasley, we each had a snack late morning." Verity piped up from the nearby till as she packaged up a set of glitter goggles, sunglasses that were designed to make objects you were searching for appear to glitter brightly, for an excited teenage girl.
"Well that's not nearly enough." Molly huffed in response "All four of you will be closing the shop now and coming straight over for dinner at the burrow. No arguments. Go."
Knowing when not to argue with their mother George went to prevent any more customers entering the shop while Fred made an announcement with the help of Hermione's expert sonorous charm. He could have easily done it himself but she offered and he wasn't going to pass up on the opportunity to have her touching his throat with her soft fingertips.
"Pips and Squeaks, Women and Warts, thank you for your custom today, my twin and I have loved every moment of your custom. Sadly however, our mother has arrived and decreed it to be time for dinner and while we are both grown men who fought in a war we are still afraid of the mighty Mrs Weasley." He dodged the stinging jinx his mother sent his way and their customers burst into laughter. "Please therefore make your way to the tills where Verity and Lee are waiting to help you with your purchases, or if you need more time please come back tomorrow. Come back every day if you would like, for we would love to see you again!"
The twins roped in the family's help with restocking the shelves from the store room while the customers queued at the tills and Hermione made a list of the quantities of each product that remained to help them know what and how much to create to prevent them running out. Within twenty minutes the store was empty of customers and the shelves were fully stocked for another busy day. George ran the day's extensive takings down to Gringotts while Fred cast cleaning spells around the floors and staircase.
"Ready to go?" Molly asked once George had returned and Fred had lowered his wand, and the whole group flooed back to the burrow from the staffroom's fireplace for a dinner filled with laughter and tales from the shop's first day open in months.