The Harry Potter characters and world are the sole property of JK Rowling. My thanks to her for letting me borrow them.

Best Served Cold

by LNLisa

Chapter Two- Wednesday, Part II

Tonks met Harry when he was still only halfway up the stairs. She held out a plastic bag with two small, yellow cylinders in it.

"Put these in your ears," Tonks told him. "They're Muggle earplugs-great for long boring meetings. With magical earplugs you couldn't hear a dragon roaring beside you. These muggle things just cut down on most of the noise. Depending on how tightly you put them in, you should still be able to hear what the old bat is screaming, but without getting a headache."

Harry looked at the foam cylinders, then tore open the package. He carefully pushed the earplugs into his ears. He looked up, and realized Tonks was saying something to him, but when he motioned to the earplugs with a shrug she only laughed before going the rest of the way down the stairs.

Harry was surprised when he came up the stairs into the hallway and found his friends already sitting in front of Mrs. Black. Harry stopped at the end of the hall watching them. Harry had always expected Ron to help him. He'd even thought that Hermione might join them, but he had never considered that the other three would help too. Yet, there they were.

Ron waved him over and patted the empty chair next to him; they'd left his original chair empty. Harry walked over and sat between Ron and Ginny. Then Ron handed Harry a clipboard.

Harry noticed that everyone else had clipboards too. He looked to see if they'd written anything yet.

Neville was studiously trying to copy down everything Mrs. Black said. The tip of his tongue was sticking out of his mouth the way it always did in their classes at Hogwarts. Ron had written a few words, but then he'd obviously gotten bored with it because he was flipping through a Quidditch magazine and his clipboard was on the floor. Ginny had made a list of words and phrases Mrs. Black was saying. Now and then she added tally marks, in between doodling around the edges of her parchment. Luna's eyes were closed and her lips were moving. She was tapping the arm of the chair with her fingers, but not in any rhythmic fashion. Harry noticed she seemed to be concentrating very hard on whatever she was thinking about. Harry smiled knowing that if he asked her what she was doing he wasn't likely to understand her answer.

They actually want to be my friends, thought Harry watching them. Why? He'd been so annoyed the night they went to the Ministry and the other three had insisted on joining him too. And since then, he'd felt so guilty whenever he thought of them.

Why are they all here? Last June should have taught them what it means to be a friend to the "famous Harry Potter." They were all there with me that night, and because of it, they all have to testify at the hearing now.

Suddenly his thoughts went back to the day Dumbledore had broken the news of the hearing to Harry and his friends. They were there that day too.

The garden of the Burrow had been crowded all day with friends and family who'd come to help celebrate Mr. and Mrs. Weasley's thirtieth wedding anniversary. Harry hadn't been surprised to find the adults who'd been invited were mostly Order members he'd seen at Grimmauld Place the summer before. Later he noticed Neville and his Gran were also there. He'd only noticed Luna a little while ago talking animatedly to Ginny, Bill and Fleur. In the back of his mind he'd wondered at the presence of the other two teenagers, but he was quickly distracted away from those half formed thoughts when Hestia Jones turned into a canary.

His curious misgivings all came back though after he saw Mr. Weasley waving to him. He was standing next to Professor Dumbledore and Professor Lupin beside the backdoor to the Burrow, and none of them were smiling.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, come over here, please," called Mr. Weasley.

As the trio walked towards the men, Harry noticed that Mrs. Weasley was walking towards them with Ginny, Luna Lovegood, Neville, and Mrs. Longbottom. Harry suddenly realized that today's party was more than a social event. Ron and Hermione seemed to notice something unusual too. They watched the approaching group suspiciously.

"Bill," Mr. Weasley waved his oldest son over. "Don't let anyone come in here." Bill nodded. The six teenagers and five adults went into the kitchen of the Burrow. Mrs. Weasley checked the living room locking the front door while Mr. Weasley ran lightly up the stairs. After they were both sure no one else was in the house, the group sat at the table.

Harry looked at his friends nervously. They each looked as surprised and worried as he felt.

"Mr. Potter, students..." began Professor Dumbledore with a very serious look on his face. "I apologize for interrupting the festivities this way.

"As you know, when you left the school grounds last June, many laws were broken," Harry began to argue, but Dumbledore held up a hand silencing him. "Please let me explain, Harry. I have a great deal to tell you today, all of you.

"A preliminary hearing will start in two weeks," said Dumbledore quietly. "It will be different from a trial, different even from other hearings where someone is accused of a crime and then must either found innocent or proven guilty, the purpose of this hearing is to establish the facts of the case and answer some key questions.

"You should understand that setting up this hearing had been an arduous process," Dumbledore told them with a sigh rubbing his forehead as though from remembered frustration. "Preparations began almost the moment you returned to my office at Hogwarts, Harry, but arranging the specifics have taken more than a month to work out. Many of the most important procedures and traditions of British Magical Law had to be considered. For example, since the six of you are minors and entitled to certain considerations, there have been extra delays while the Ministry and the school governors have worked out the best ways to conduct the hearing all while maintaining your rights and being true to justice.

"There has also been the problem of jurisdiction. The events at Hogwarts that night clearly fell under the supervision of the school governors, but unfortunately when you left school grounds you also passed out of their sphere of influence. The two events were, as I'm sure you'll agree, inextricably linked, so having two hearings didn't seem practical or wise. However, since the integrity of the entire Ministry has come into question, most felt that leaving the investigation to the Ministry would be a serious conflict of interest. As you can see, a normally involved process was hugely complicated by circumstance." Dumbledore paused steepling his fingers in front of his chin. He seemed to be waiting for something from Harry, but Harry just continued to stare at the floor. After a moment, Dumbledore continued sounding resigned.

"Some standard procedures have now been set aside for what we hope will be the most effective way to address all concerns–a hearing whose primary purpose is to investigate the facts and create a body of evidence for later trials. A committee combining both the Wizengamot and the school governors will be officiating."

Dumbledore paused for a moment taking in a deep breath before continuing. Here comes the really bad news, Harry thought. "I have excused myself from the proceedings because of my personal involvement. Amelia Bones has been elected as chairwitch." Harry looked at Dumbledore in dismay. He remembered the witch from his hearing the summer before, and she had seemed impartial. Still, Harry would have felt better knowing that Dumbledore was on the stand too.

"Mad," said Ron shaking his head. "This whole business sounds mad."

"Oh I don't know," said Harry his eyes lighting up with sudden bitterness. "It sounds like normal Ministry procedure to me… all messed up!" Ron and Ginny laughed while Dumbledore looked down without saying anything. Hermione gave them a sour look.

"Be that as it may, many good witches and wizards have worked tirelessly to make this hearing as fair as it could possibly be," Dumbledore quietly told them. Several of the adults who were listening in, including Mrs. Weasley, nodded in agreement. Harry's opinion didn't change though.

"There is one more thing I should tell you," said Dumbledore. "Because of the public accusations that Minister Fudge and the entire Ministry have withheld vital and lifesaving information, the hearing has been opened up to the public." Dumbledore paused when Hermione gasped in dismay. Harry was staring furiously out the window trying to control his breathing. "As I said earlier, normally because you are minors you would be given specific considerations—privacy is one such consideration." Dumbledore shook his head sadly. "But now, we are at war, and to ensure the safety of all participants, this hearing will be broadcast on the Wizarding Wireless Network in Britain as well as the Wireless Networks of several other countries."

Harry looked at Dumbledore in complete shock. If what the headmaster was saying was true, then Witches and Wizards throughout Britain and possibly even farther would know everything about him.

Suddenly a new thought occurred to Harry, What will happen if the magical community turns against me like the students and the Daily Prophet did the year before?

He jumped out of his seat and ran up to Ron's room before anyone could stop him. He slammed the door behind him feeling a certain satisfaction when the entire house shook at the impact.

Let them all turn against me! Harry wanted to shout, but as he lay back on his cot even he couldn't deny that being shut out of the magical community would be a blow beyond bearing. He never fit in with Muggles. He'd found his true friends as a wizard, and now he couldn't imagine a life without magic.

Harry came back to the present with a jerk.

Ron was waving a note in front of his face, it read, "What would you get if you crossed Mrs. Black with a Crumple-Horned Snorkack?" Harry looked up shaking his head and laughing.

Ron took the paper back and wrote, "I don't know either, but at least then we wouldn't have to look at her!" Ginny, who'd been reading over Harry's shoulder, snatched the parchment out of Ron's hands and quickly added a note. She then passed it back to Harry. Ron read over his other shoulder.

"What would you get if you crossed Mrs. Black and Gilderoy Lockheart?"

Harry shook his head again laughing.

"A much better looking painting!"

"Are these supposed to be funny?" Harry wrote. Ron and Ginny both shook their heads no.

"Okay," wrote Harry trying to think of another one. "What would you get if you if you crossed Mrs. Black with my cousin Dudley?"

Ron and Ginny grinned waiting.

"A really ugly pig!"

Ron and Ginny exchanged a look and then in silent agreement Ginny took the quill out of Harry's hands and Ron took the parchment.

Ron wrote, "Harry, maybe you better just watch for awhile." Ginny nodded in agreement. Harry laughed.

The five teenagers spent the morning taking turns copying down Mrs. Black's constantly streaming abuse, sending funny notes back and forth about the more amusing insults and placing bets on what the painting's next insult might be. Ginny was the first to realize that "FILTH!" was Mrs. Black's favourite jeer, and she won a dozen sickles before the others had all caught on.

Mrs. Black's painting was getting more and more aggravated with Harry and his friends as the morning passed. The last hour before lunch she alternated between sustained screaming and yelling a never ending litany of "FILTH! FILTH! FILTH!" Finally, when she noticed that they were timing the lengths of her screams, she stopped. After that, she took to pacing back and forth across her painting and muttering under her breath.

The group was actually quite cheerful as they went down to lunch. They could already tell that they were making progress. The painting was getting more and more annoyed, while they stayed completely calm and even jovial.

They helped Mrs. Weasley finish sandwiches and set the table. Remus joined them as they sat down.

"So how is it going?" Remus asked.

"Pretty good," said Ginny. "She is starting to get really angry with us."

"Filth is definitely her favourite word," said Ron. The others nodded in agreement. "We've been taking notes on what she's saying." Ron explained. Remus nodded.

"But what do we do with our notes?" asked Neville.

"There are certain words she always uses," said Harry thoughtfully. "She's not very creative."

"She only gets a 2.3," Luna said with a nod.

"What?" asked Harry.

"For her insults, she only gets a 2.3," answered Luna. Harry looked at her questioningly. "Her insult score," continued Luna as though this were the most obvious thing in the world. When their confused expressions didn't change, Luna sighed and began explaining.

"I always give people a score when they insult me, my mum taught me how. Michael Comer usually scores a 2.6, Pansy Parkinson a 3.2, and Draco Malfoy usually only earns a .8–he's really not very good at insulting people."

"So..." began Ginny with a look of growing comprehension, "the reason you stare at people for so long after they insult you is...because...you're doing the math and figuring out their score?"

"Yes," agreed Luna, "I'm not very good with Maths, so sometimes it takes me awhile." Everyone started laughing uproariously. Luna watched them calmly with a faintly puzzled air about her.

"That's so perfect!" Ginny exclaimed still laughing. "Did you know it drives Michael crazy when you do that? Serves him right, the silly prat..."

"Oh, and he's especially difficult–good words, but so repetitive. I have to add and then subtract...all in my head..." Luna shook her head sighing.

"That's brilliant, Luna," Harry told her. "Will you teach us how you score people?"

"It's simple really," she told them. "Half a point per syllable, and then minus .1 for each repetition. It's surprising really, that people don't get higher scores. I just think they don't put enough effort into it."

"Who has the highest score?" asked Ron.

"Professor Dumbledore!" said Luna with a laugh.

"Who did he insult?" Harry asked thinking he'd like to know what Dumbledore would say about someone like Fudge or Snape.

"Himself!" Luna screamed laughing hysterically now. The others around the table began laughing too.

They were finished with their lunch and about to return upstairs when Remus stopped them.

"Sitting in front of that painting all day is going to get tiring very quickly, and honestly, I'd rather you didn't sit there all day just listening to what she says." Mrs. Weasley nodded vigorously in agreement. "Why don't you take it in shifts?"

They nodded seeing reason behind this. They quickly decided to have two people in an hour long shift. Harry and Ron would take the first two spots.

The afternoon passed quickly. Ron had a gift for mental computation, and it wasn't long before the two were holding up spare bits of parchment for scorecards. Remus usually got at least a five point insult when he walked by, and Harry and Ron began taunting Mrs. Black in a contest to see who could get the higher rated insult. When Ginny joined them an hour into their shift, she brought down the Exploding Snap cards the twins had left the night before. The three took turns flicking the cards at Mrs. Black.

"Bullseye!" Ginny jumped up and started dancing in a circle. "My card hit her right on the nose! Did you see that? I got her on the nose!"

"ILL-BRED, MANNERLESS BRATS! FILTH! BY-PRODUCTS OF DIRT AND SCUM!"

"Seven points, Ginny," Harry called giving her a high five.

"That's nothing," said Ron. "Watch and I'll hit both of her ears! I bet I get at least a sixteen point insult for that!" Ron started flicking two cards at once with a look of great concentration on his face. The other two laughed while Mrs. Black kept shrieking.

"TRESPASSERS! YOU DARE MOCK ME! VILE, DISEASED MUTANTS!"

"You know," said Ginny, "I almost feel sorry for her."

"Just think of Sirius," Harry told her. "Think of the mother she should have been to him."

"Harry's right, and besides, Ginny, it's just a painting," Ron reminded her. "You didn't feel sorry for those Dark Objects we cleaned out of this place last summer. This painting is just one more thing that needs to be thrown out." Ginny nodded, and the three went back to their game.

When Luna came down for her shift, Harry and Ron went upstairs to join Neville. The three boys reviewed for Potions until it was Neville's turn to go downstairs.

"Wish me luck," said Neville.

"You won't need it," said Ginny who had just entered the room. "Luna can do all the talking. She has a natural talent for annoying the old bat!" Ginny grinned at them, and the boys laughed in return. Neville stepped out of the room, and Harry and Ron set out their pieces for Wizard's Chess.

Remus announced supper a little while later. The chairs in front of Mrs. Black's painting were already empty when they went downstairs. When the four entered the kitchen they found Fred and George were already seated along with Bill and Kingsley Shaklebolt. Harry noticed that Hermione hadn't yet returned from the hearing.

"We heard about your new summer project," said Fred.

"And we approve!" said George.

"We're even willing to give tips and suggestions," Fred added nodding.

"That would be great," said Harry with enthusiasm.

"A demonstration even, if you like," said George.

"Harry needs a demonstration," Ron told them. "He doesn't have the first idea on how to use a clipboard!" Harry gave Ron a dirty look, but Ron only shrugged. "Watch Fred and George. See if you don't agree."

"Poor Percy..." said Mrs. Weasley shaking her head as she set extra plates at the table. The Weasley children laughed unsympathetically earning a dirty look from their mother.

"How did this clipboard business begin?" asked Remus curiously.

"With Percy, of course," Fred told him.

"When he was about nine and we were seven, he got a hold of one of dad's spare clipboards..." George began, but he was interrupted by the arrival of Mad-Eye Moody, Hermione, Hermione's parents, and Mr. Weasley.

"What happened to the drapes in front of Mrs. Black?" Hermione demanded angrily as soon as she entered the room. She gave each of the twins accusing looks.

"Harry has started a little summer project," Fred answered her sweetly. Hermione swiftly turned around to stare accusingly at Harry who was sitting opposite Fred.

"What project?" she asked in a voice so quiet and angry that shivers went up and down Harry's spine. Before Harry could answer her question, George spoke up.

"He's going to convince Mrs. Black to come off the wall!"

"Convince her to come off the wall? Convince her to come off the wall? Convince HER to come off the wall?" Hermione's volume had increased with every question until she was shouting directly into Harry's face. "That is the most absurd...you call this a summer project...my parents have to listen to that kind of verbal abuse all because of some stupid, immature...SUMMER PROJECT?"

"Hermione, calm down," Ron told her. "Harry has a good reason..." Hermione turned and scowled furiously at Ron. He quickly stopped talking. Then she turned her attention back to Harry.

"Hermione," Mr. Granger said quietly placing his hand on Hermione's shoulders. "It's alright." Hermione's anger seemed to drop away from her, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"It's not all right," said Hermione almost in tears. "The things she said...you should never have had to hear that!"

"I'm so sorry," began Harry genuinely upset. "I never thought, never realized...I didn't mean for Mrs. Black to insult you too."

"Is she any nicer to you?" asked Mr. Granger.

"Well no...she isn't nice to anyone. That's why we're trying to get her down," Harry explained. Hermione looked ready for an angry retort, but her mother answered first.

"I think," Mrs. Granger told them, "that if all of you can ignore her, then we can too. "Hermione, calm down." Mr. Granger led Hermione to an empty chair next to George, and then he sat in the empty chair between Hermione and Fred.

"Arthur here tells me we've been invited to supper?" asked Mr. Granger.

"Oh yes," Mrs. Weasley nodded quickly. Mrs. Granger asked a question and the two women began discussing shortcuts to preparing meals for large groups of people.

Mr. Granger asked Fred about his and George's joke shop. Then he began telling Fred about the items for sale in a muggle joke shop.

"Why not just use real vomit?" Fred asked curiously.

Once both of her parents were involved in conversations, Hermione leaned forward and in a quiet voice that only Harry heard said, "We'll talk about this again later." Harry nodded in resignation.

The meal passed quickly. Afterwards Ron, Neville, Ginny and Luna decided to continue their game of Exploding Snap target practice. They climbed upstairs to the drawing room to get the cards they'd left there. Harry and Hermione were following behind the group, but when they passed the dinning room, Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and pulled him in after her.

"What's this project?" Hermione demanded once the door was closed.

"I'm sorry about that," Harry apologized. "I should have waited until tomorrow."

"Waited until tomorrow for what? Why did you cut down those drapes?" she asked.

"Because that painting needs to come down off the wall. It needed to come off last year," Harry said.

"And your plan is to let that thing insult every single person who walks by?" asked Hermione. "My parents didn't need to listen to that kind of abuse, especially after the way they were treated at the Ministry today!" Hermione stopped putting the heal of her palms to her eyes and taking deep breaths. Ron opened the door just then and stuck his head in. Harry waved him in. Ron closed the door behind him as he watched them both with concern.

"What happened at the Ministry? Were they rude to your parents?" asked Harry.

"What do you think happened?" asked Hermione putting her hands on her hips. "You know how most witches and wizards feel about muggle-borns. How do you think they'd react to seeing two muggles in the Ministry of Magic?"

"Most witches and wizards don't feel that way," Ron told her.

"Really? I would never have guessed that after being at the hearing today!"

"I can't believe the Wizengamot was rude to your parents," Harry said in disgust.

"It was mostly just Fudge...and the reporters, and some of the people in the audience and in the hallways," Hermione told them, shoulders slumped as she leaned back against the wall. Hermione stared at her feet for a minute while the two boys watched her. "They came...they came to support me, and what happens? They get insulted, jeered at! It was so awful...and then we came back to that...that blasted painting!

"Harry, why are you doing this? Really?" asked Hermione. "Is it so important to get her off the wall?"

Harry thought carefully before answering her. "Part of this is for Sirius. Listening to that painting hurt him, maddened him. Like your parents, it was a case of insult after injury...just too much," Harry found he was trying to understand himself as he explained his reasons to Hermione. "But it's more than that. We have to get that painting off the wall for Remus." Harry looked down thinking about all of the support Remus had freely given him since Sirius death, of Sirius' last letter, and the pain he had often seen in Remus' eyes. "I won't let her mistreat Remus. He hates being here as much as I do, but he has to stay while we get to go back to Hogwarts.

"Besides," Harry smiled at his two best friends, "it's good practice for me, for Occlumency. You always say I need to talk about my feelings, and that book you bought me says I need to control my temper." Harry shrugged watching for their reaction.

It hit him then. What they thought of his actions mattered. When Ron had backed his decision earlier that day, it had strengthened Harry and made facing Mrs. Black much easier to do.

"I guess I should have talked to both of you first," Harry muttered sheepishly.

"Yeah, and make sure you ask us first next time you want to go to the loo," Ron answered. Harry and Hermione both laughed. Some of the pressure went out of the room. Ron smiled, proud of himself, but then he gave them both a more serious look.

"Harry, mate, you don't have to talk to us about every little thing you do..." Ron began. Hermione sputtered, "Little?" but Ron ignored her continuing on. "Putting up new drapes is easy. You thought this through first. That's good enough for me." Hermione nodded hesitantly.

"It's true, Harry," Said Hermione. "I didn't mean to question your judgment. I know I'm a little hard on you sometimes. You usually have good intentions...it's just coming back from that hearing...to her screams and insults, they were more than I expected. I shouldn't have taken my anger out on you though, so I'm sorry."

"My timing could have been better," Harry conceded. Hermione smiled gratefully.

"Of course Harry, when I said you need to talk about your feelings, yelling at a painting wasn't exactly what I had in mind," Hermione told them.

There was a knock on the door behind them, and Fred stuck his head in. "Is this a private snog session, or can anyone join in?"

"Oy! I forgot," said Ron. "Fred and George said they'd take the first shift, so if you want to watch them..."

"Of course they want to watch! Learn from the best, I always say," George, who'd stuck his head in next to Fred's, told them.

"We may not be at our best tonight though..." Fred told them.

"That's true," George agreed sadly. "It's all about interpersonal chemistry."

"We just haven't bonded with Mrs. Black like we have with Percy," Fred explained.

"That's why, Fred and I have already agreed," said George.

"At the first opportunity, we're willing to demonstrate with our preferred subject..."

"Percy," declared the twins. Harry and Ron laughed. Hermione gave them all a disapproving look.

Ron and Harry followed by Hermione joined the twins in the hallway. "Well, if nothing else, this should be interesting," Harry heard Hermione mutter to herself. The three joined Ginny, Neville and Luna on the stairs above Mrs. Black's painting so that she couldn't see anyone else but the twins.

"HORRID, DISEASED DEMONS!" Mrs. Black shrieked as the twins pulled two chairs forward. They sat side by side each holding a clipboard on their lap and a self inking quill in their hands.

Fred tisked, shaking his head as he wrote.

"A classic case," George told Fred in a hushed voice, which still managed to be loud enough for everyone to hear it.

Fred nodded his agreement, "Yes, but clearly more severe than most..."

"But surely, she's not too far gone..." began George sounding upset.

"I'm afraid she might be," Fred answered shaking his head sadly.

"But let's not give up hope yet," said Fred consolingly patting George on the shoulder. George nodded grimly clearly trying to pull himself together.

While the twins talked back and forth in loud whispers, Mrs. Black's insults came with gradually longer and longer pauses.

"FILTH...DEGENERATES...SCUM...FREAKS...FILTH..."

"Alright, we may as well get started. Note the severe discoloration," George said pointing. Mrs. Black reacted by looking all around her painting.

"Yes, I saw that first thing," Fred agreed. "But that doesn't concern me nearly as much as the cracking..."

"Ah yes, that is very bad, quite advanced given the age of the painting." George said nodding.

"I'M NOT CRACKING!" Mrs. Black screamed at them.

"Of course you're not cracking," Fred answered loudly in an overly sweet tone of voice. Then in an aside to George still loud enough to be heard, said, "The denial stage, clearly symptomatic."

"STOP WHISPERING ABOUT ME! YOU, YOU HORRID TWIN FREAKS! I KNOW YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT ME!"

"Paranoia as well. I'm afraid, it's getting worse!" Fred told George.

"At least she's rational enough to recognize that we're twins. There may be hope yet," George said, but Fred shook his head worriedly.

"Perhaps a closer inspection?" suggested Fred. The two approached the painting, each holding his clipboard in one hand and his wand in the other. Fred began tapping the frame, while George, who'd conjured a magnifying glass, inspected the surface of the painting. Harry and the others tiptoed further down the stairs near the front door. They wanted to get a better look at what the twins were doing.

"Infested, clearly," Fred said absently. Mrs. Black gasped in fright, rushing to the edge of the painting to look for herself. "Strange that it's only on the outer edge...she must have forgotten to charm this side." Fred tisked again shaking his head as he paused to write a note on his clipboard.

George nodded, "I wouldn't be surprised. Sloppy job, this. Do you see how the colours are bleeding together, and the fading..." George shook his head sadly.

"Alarming," agreed Fred.

George put his clipboard down on the chair behind him, and then moved until he was standing directly in front of the painting. "Maybe this will help," he told Fred.

George raised his wand and chanted,

"Sunshine, daises, butter mellow,

Turn this ugly, fat bat yellow!"

George waved his wand, and as they watched the painting suddenly took on a yellowish cast. Mrs. Black began screeching incoherently as though in pain. Fred quickly cast a silencing charm.

"That isn't a spell!" Ron burst out. "I tried it! It didn't work! You lied to me! That isn't a real spell!"

"You always said the yellow wrong," Fred replied calmly. "It's 'YEL-low.' You always say, 'yel-LOW.'" George nodded in agreement.

"Ron, you do have a slight problem with enunciation," Hermione added. Ron, whose face had been slowly turning redder and redder, now looked at Hermione in horror.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS!" Ron yelled before running up the stairs.

Hermione ran after him, yelling, "Ron, it's a common problem! Nothing to be ashamed of..."

"Well done, George," said Fred watching Hermione chase Ron up the stairs.

"Yeah, I reckon it was worth the wait," said George. "Though six years is a long time."

"Mm, it's a shame that he doesn't stomp his feet anymore like he gets angry. That was always so much fun to watch," added Fred thoughtfully.

"Little Ronniekins is growing up," George agreed.

"What was that for then?" Ginny asked them.

"Oh, well back in second year," Fred began.

"More like, after second year," George said.

"We discovered little Ronnie had been in our room, going through our stash of Chocolate Frogs," Fred told them.

"We told him then that he'd be sorry," George said.

"We always keep our promises," finished Fred.

"And you've waited all these years to play this prank on him...for revenge?" asked Harry incredulously.

"Harry, Harry, Harry, you have so much to learn," Fred told him.

"Rule Number Three in the Weasley Twins' Guide to Life..." George quoted, "Revenge is a dish best served cold!"

A/N (I forgot to add this initially) The idea for the misuse of a clipboard came from a story by Jack Weyland.

A/N I'd like to thank all the people who've responded with reviews. They have been so helpful and encouraging. And while I'm thanking people, I'd really like to thank the people who beta for me Kari, andy, and the divas of ShouldersFree! Their advice has been so tremendously helpful, and this story has really improved because of their input and encouragement.