Hogwarts Castle, 1989...
Fred and George Weasley were laughing over their mother's latest letter, where she, as usual, cautioned them to not do something reckless and stupid. But their mother's definition and their definition of idiocy differed drastically, and thus, a few hours later, the two first-years found themselves in a corridor, waiting for some hapless students to pass by, and activate the Dungbombs they had placed beforehand.
However, , the noxious caretaker Filch's equally noxious cat padded into view and staring at them with her disconcerting yellow eyes, meowed softly. She almost seemed to sense that the twins were about to do something that broke the school rules. Fred softly nudged his brother and whispered, "Say George, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" George, staring back at Mrs. Norris smiled. "I think that excellent charm we learned last week might do, eh Fred?"
"The one Flitwick taught right? Oh yes. This should be fun. And heaven knows, the cat deserves it. She got us another detention last week, just because we Levitated a bucket of water on Filch's head." George sagely nodded. "Not to forget the week before, when we got a dressing down from Professor Mcgonagall for sneaking out at night. Do you want to do it, or should I?"
"Go right ahead, George."
George pulled out his wand and taking aim at the cat, said clearly, "Tarantallegra!"
A flash of bright green light hit the cat and Mrs. Norris' legs started jerking uncontrollably in the semblance of some crazy dance. She yowled crazily and the twins, lost in spasms of laughter failed to notice the frowning apparition behind them.
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY CAT?!", yelled Filch as he grabbed both the twin's shoulders firmly and marched them off. After locking them in his office with a warning not to touch anything, he went off, the madly jerking cat clasped firmly in his arms, to presumably find a counter curse.
"Galloping gargoyles, did you see that cat dance? I'll never forget her surprised yowl for as long as I live," laughed George loudly. Fred was chucking too, but sobered up. "Now wait a minute. We're in Filch's office. Imagine all the things we could do! Let me see, I'm pretty sure I have a bunch of Dungbombs somewhere in my pocket..." In the meantime, George was walking around, trying the drawers in Filch's old worn desk, only to find all of them locked.
Fred sat up, frowning. "Hurry up, I think I hear footsteps." George pointed his wand at the last drawer, that said Classified and Highly Dangerous, and cried, "Alohomora!" The drawer opened with a click and George grabbed the first thing he grasped, which appeared to be a bit of parchment. Hastily stuffing it under his sweater, he shoved the drawer closed and sat back in his chair just as Filch entered with Professor Mcgonagall. The twins flashed their most innocent smiles, and tried to look contrite. Mcgonagall however, was not fooled.
After yet another detention, this time spent polishing old trophies won by old students (which took them until midnight), they entered the abandoned common room and sank into two comfortable armchairs. "So what did you manage to grab in the short time we were there in Filch's office? I dropped a few Dungbombs under the cushion of his chair." With a flourish, George pulled out the folded parchment and spread it out only to see... nothing but blankness.
Fred clapped. "Oh well done! All those things that Filch has confiscated over the years and you pick up a piece of blank paper! Good job!"
George put on a thoughtful face. "If it was merely a parchment, there's no reason for it to be locked up. There must be something about it..."