Chapter 2: Times of Change
Fred and George kept looking at each other, then themselves again, as though they were stealing themselves to say something.
"What?" Harry asked nervously. After a few minutes, this had certainly gotten annoying, but he was somewhat anxious of what somebody as extroverted as Fred and George may be afraid of saying.
Finally, Fred gave in, "Ron didn't mention whether you had received your results yet," he began.
"You know, for the OWLs," finished George, glancing sheepishly at Harry.
"Just out of curiosity, because of all those interruptions you know."
Harry pointed unhelpfully at the pile of mail lying on his bedside table. As Fred approached, he noticed a highly official scroll resting on top. "That it?" he asked.
"Yup," Harry said glumly.
As Fred picked it up, George came over to glance at it too. Harry shifted his feet uncomfortably. For some reason, he felt awkward showing the twins his results.
Fred smiled broadly at Harry, "Hey, you got an O in Defence Against the Dark Arts!"
"Lupin certainly wasn't wrong when he said that you were great," George smirked.
As Harry remembered this exam, a bright grin lit his face, "It was great performing all the jinxes and counter-jinxes right under Umbridge's nose."
"You even managed to get an A in Potions. Wow," breathed Fred. "I guess you did much better not having Snape stare down at you from his greasy nose."
Harry shrugged enenthusiastically, "Maybe. But then again, maybe I'm just rotten at Potions."
"At least you won't need to take any more classes with that git," said George.
Harry remembered what Professor McGonagall had told him during his Career Advice about potions being very useful for Aurors. Harry hoped that this stroke of luck about not needing to take any more classes with Snape wouldn't ruin his chances of becoming an Auror.
"Seven OWLs," Fred said with a slight smile, "That's not bad."
"Well-" Harry began, but George interrupted him.
"We only got three each, but we still managed."
George pointed at the pile of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products which were strewn across Harry's room.
"Yeah… What is all this stuff anyway?" Harry asked, eager to get off the subject of examinations.
"All of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes' products," said George, a bright smiling spreading across his face.
"And it's all because of you." Fred winked at Harry.
"Now you mention it," began Harry hesitantly, "How's your mom doing about all this?"
Last Harry had heard, Mrs. Weasley wasn't too happy with Fred and George. She didn't seem to think that owning a joke shop was a suitable career for two of her sons. Although, she hadn't seemed too down-hearted when the members of the Order of the Phoenix picked him up from the Hogwarts Express in June.
"She's taking it alright-" started Fred.
"Better than we thought she would," interjected George.
"Yeah… She's even talking to us," continued Fred, nodding his head slightly. "We think that she might even be proud of us."
"Although she won't admit it!" George chuckled, winking at Harry.
Before Harry had the chance to ask them anything more, a barn owl fluttered in through Harry's open window with the Daily Prophet. Harry paid the owl five knuts and took the newspaper. He glanced at the cover quickly and was putting it down when something on the front page caught his attention.
"Look at this," muttered Harry to the twins, handing the paper over in their direction. Most of the cover pictured a lady's face, smiling up at them.
"Amelia Bones: New Mistress of Magic. Wow," breathed Fred.
"In a press conference last night, ex-minister of magic Cornelius Fudge stepped down from his position. Since the events of last June, of which the details are still not completely confirmed, Cornelius Fudge has been subject to much controversy. Many witches and wizards believe that he was deliberately keeping the magical community in the dark about the return of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," George read, "However, we are greatly excited about the instalment of Amelia Bones as the new mistress of magic."
George stopped reading brusquely. All three heard footsteps pound in the hallway.
