Brothers
Chapter 34: Pranking is in the genes
There was a different kind of lesson being learned at Hogwarts. It didn't have to do with charms or transfiguration, divination or flying, it didn't even have anything to do with potions. No this lesson had to do with what happens when you mix two little boys, a poltergeist, and a box of pranks. The answer, it was discovered, was an event that would remain a legend at Hogwarts for many years to come.
It all started when Madam Pomprey decided that the boys were emotionally stable enough to speed up their growth and could be of normal age by Halloween. Thus Hogwarts now had two eight-year-old boys with black hair, their mother's smile, and their father's mischievous streak, running around. Their enthusiasm for pranks had not been nurtured but being the sons of a marauder, it was bound to come out at some point.
That point proved to come one Wednesday morning. The two boys had had a rough night (a night dealing with 3 years of memories of mistreatment) and were wandering to their class where they would learn basic math, reading, and writing skills. On the way to the class, they ran into none other that Peeves, the poltergeist that has been strangely missing lately.
Peeves decided to pick on the boys and dropped two balloons full of paint (originally meant for Snape) on the boys. The boys, oblivious to one caretaker and his cat, ran after the poltergeist thinking of ways to prank him back, all the while leaving bright green footprints in the halls.
Filch was the one person that scared almost everyone. Almost. It seemed that the potter's had either a lot of courage or really thick skulls because none of them really feared the man. The boys chased the ghost into an empty classroom before getting frustrated and suddenly making Peeves turn bright orange.
Harry giggled as the ghost cursed and flew through the wall. That was when the boys discovered pranks were fun.
The pranks started out rather small. Magical itching powder here, disappearing items there. Then the Weasley brothers sent a care package to 'their favorite twins besides themselves'.
What followed were a few of the most disastrous and memorable pranks of all times. The Great Hall gasped when Dumbledore suddenly began dancing on the table, laughed when Snape began speaking in Pig Latin all day, snickered when McGonagall began floating higher than even the floating candles, and almost crying in happiness and laughter when Trelawny turned into a giant beetle that people used to say she was.
The side effects seemed to last anywhere from a minute to all day. Remus was skittish all day and refused to eat. Children all around the Great Hall changed into different animals and began having different things happening to them. Nothing happened to the twins though. They laughed and joked as if the pranks were an everyday occurrence.
Remus was scared. Not only did he have a mini James on the loose, he had two of them. He wasn't really sure Hogwarts would ever be the same again.
Harry and Draco were tired. They had spent all day pranking people so now they were tuckered out. They decided it was time for a nap and curled under a tree outside. The funny thing is, they didn't see the Slytherins watching from just out of site.
The three Slytherins slipped outside to capture the two little boys. They approached stealthily and didn't wake the two little boys.
The first Slytherin reached down to pick up the little boy. He was thrown a few feet back.
The other two snickered at him.
"Shut up. You grab them if you think it's so easy."
The next Slytherin tried and was thrown farther than the first. The doors to the castle opened and a very worried Remus came out. The Slytherins hurried for a hiding place.
Remus looked around outside for the two boys. He spotted them sleeping under a tree. He sighed half in relief half in exasperation.
He hurried to them and reached to pick Draco up.
He was stunned to find himself thrown back from the two sleeping boys. He tried Harry.
He was thrown back again. He pulled out his wand and tried to levitate the two boys. "Mobilacorpus" he muttered.
The boys didn't even so much as switch positions.
Remus took out a phoenix feather and called for Albus.
A few seconds later, Dumbledore appeared next to Remus.
"What's wrong?" he asked looking around.
"Try to pick the twins up." Remus told Dumbledore.
Dumbledore looked at him curiously but proceeded to try and pick Harry up.
He was thrown a few feet like everyone else.
"Is there a charm on them or something like that?"
"Not that I know of. I think they are making a shield around themselves subconsciously. They did it once before, when they were lost in the forest."
"But that is advanced magic not something a child could do accidentally. Even I sometimes have problems with wandless protection spells when I sleep, I think someone else must have put the charm on them."
"We can try to remove the charm. It will come off if someone else put it on them."
"Finite Incantem."
Remus reached down again.
He was thrown further this time.
"Ow, Let's quit doing that. Its painful."
Dumbledore laughed. "I guess we have to wake them to get them inside. Would you like to do the honors?"
Remus glared at the old man. "I don't really want to wake up the little terrors. You just want me to reap the wrath of two cranky little boys, don't you?"
Dumbledore smiled, gestured at the twins, and said nothing.
Remus reluctantly used a spell to make a loud noise.
Harry jumped and woke. He looked around and nudged Draco. "Wake up Draco. Its time to go in."
Remus was curious how Harry could touch Draco when no one else could. He put it aside as he saw Draco slowly wake.
"What?" Draco asked as he looked around.
"We fell asleep. I think its time to eat though, because I'm hungry." Harry told his brother getting up and heading inside. Draco ran to catch his brother.
Remus stared dumbstruck at the two boys.
"It appears our future saviors are more powerful than we believed. It seems that they automatically put up a shield and only allow certain people or things through the shield. That is why Harry was allowed to touch Draco when we could not. It also explains why when they were awake and lost in the forest it repelled the chimera. We will have to watch this new development." Dumbledore's twinkle seemed more noticeable than usual.
Remus hurried after the twins.
He found them in the kitchen talking to dobby. Dobby was nodding vigorously and gesturing with his hands. This was followed by the twins grinning evilly.
Remus made a mental note to not eat tonight.
The Great Hall was full of jumpy students and professors when the two boys entered for dinner that night. No one knew the Weasley twins had invented that many new jokes. Now they were fearful of what ever else they did not know.
Remus was more fearful that now, because the twins' marauder genes were loose, he may never be safe again.
He had never wished more that James and Lily were still alive.
A scream of horror rang out through the Great Hall, or rather a squeak, followed by two little boys laughter. Remus stood in shock staring at what the twins had done now.
A/N: And there ends another chapter. Next chapter will have a lot more Harry and Draco in it. Meaning another round of their conditioning, the progression to second years, the realization that they were once enemies, and other such things. Hope to finish the next chappie soon. Until then...