Chapter 3

AN: I don't own them. Just to let you know; it's unlikely I'll be able to update again until next week because of exams so don't hold your breath!! Also, I've put in a link to this at my LJ so it's easier to read with the strikethroughs. Thanks for all the great reviews so far. Enjoy!

Easy read link: emsana . livejournal . com / 69803 . html

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Hogwarts, February 1992

Dear --Charred-- Charlie,

WE WON!!!!! WE WON!!! We're not even going to complain about having to --steal Ron's pocket money-- fork out our savings to pay for the carnage at your end of what was left of the owl because WE WON!!!! It was a close call, what with Snape refereeing but he's just no match for the wonder that is Gryffindor!! We'd tell you to shut up about your stupid Welsh Green but nothing seems bad today... nothing. We can die happily now. Almost.

As you may have heard, your last owl --snuffed it-- didn't quite make it hear in one piece so if ever you manage to get round to --reitteratter-- tell us what it was you suspected about our brother then that would be nice. Not that --we care anymore-- you should feel you have to because WE WON! Even he seemed pleased and --disturbingly-- kindly went over the congratulate Wood afterwards. Our Captain was obviously so shocked he even stopped --hyperventilating with joy-- --grinning maniacly-- buzzing long enough to thank thim. Despite this, Percy seems more Percy-like: He's started revising for his OWLs now so he must be back to normal. That is, normal for Percy.

Fred and George

P.S. - WE WON!!

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"I need a decent coat"-ville, February 1992

Dear Fred and George,

Well done for winning. --Now will you please shut up about it?-- I'm sure you're all still celebrating so I won't keep you long with this. --My fingers are shaking as I write anyway.-- It's a little nippy round here but you'll be pleased to hear that both your brother, and his fiery charges are all surviving --just about--.

Sorry about the owl... I'd offer to pay but --but I'm catasrophically broke-- Dad always told us never to send money but post so... it would probably be disintegrated anyway. If Percy is seeming reasonably Percy-esque again I won't bother enabling your --perverse obsession with his personal life-- speculations futher. However, starting revision for summer exams when it's still winter doesn't sound at all healhty... even for someone like Percy. --Not that that would have anything to do with my previous theory-- --When you say he went to congratulate Wood how did he-- Maybe you should politely suggest he gives himself a break (and you two can do the same) and actually do some work? You could even try paying Ron some attention for once – is he still reading? If so, take a leaf out of his book (pun unintended) and do the same before McGonagall pulls you off the Quidditch team for your poor grades.

Charlie

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Hogwarts, March 1992

Dear Charlie,

--We're going to ignore your foul quips... oh dear, that's an intelligible sentence isn't it?-- We'll get to the point: we were wrong. We thought Percy was --less deranged-- doing well. Only the other day we came down to breakfast to find him revising. We noticed that he'd read the book before and when we pointed this out to him because --we like to torture him-- we care so much he called us fools. He also said some rather unkind things about how we wouldn't recognise a book if we were slapped around our faces with one. --He obviously inherited his sarcasm from you.-- We decided to try our best and leave him be but when we sat down with him he looked at us as if we were mad. He asked why we weren't tormenting him (we were mildly insulted) so we told him about what you and Wood had said about leaving him be and he went all red and funny and muttered something about something and ran off without eating. --And we always thought you were his favourite brother -- Obviously he doesn't take kindly to you interfering. When we saw him later he asked us when the next Quidditch practice was and then dashed off to be a --nerd-- Prefect elsewhere. We're started to wonder if he's even our brother anymore.

Work? Us? --Have you been whacked round the head by a dragon's tail one too many times?-- Are you mad? Frankly, the mere thought of it sickens us. --Do you really think McGonagall would actually pull is from the team?-- McGonagall would never stoop to such a low to pull us off the team. --Who else would beat anyway?-- There's no-one good enough to replace us.

Ron is still --acting strangely-- reading. We're thinking about taking him to have his head examined too. There's not some bizzare Weasley curse that only effects the third and sixth children is there? We'll investigate further and let you know anything we know when we know it so that you know it. --My head hurts.--

Fred and George

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A winter wasteland, March 1992

Dear Fred and George,

Concerning Percy: You are blind, deaf, and exceptionally stupid. I'm not even witnessing this saga first hand and I'd say I'm certain that I've figured it out. Think really, really hard, --actually, better not, you might hurt something!-- it may just come to the two of you. Shall I give you a clue? --I'm tempted not to, seeing as how impolite you are about my dragons-- I'm feeling generous so:

Don't dash off after the next Quidditch practice.

Really, if you can't figure it out by yourselves after that then there's no helping you. As a bonus I'll point out that Percy has always been --mildly psychotic-- a bit anal when it comes to exams so cut his weird eating habits and excessive reading out of the equation and what have you got?

Yes, I really do think that McGonagall would chuck you if she thought you might get on with some work. At least try and hand something in late for once. It may even do you some good. Other than --spying-- exercising far too keen an interest in your brothers and bashing around a Quidditch pitch you two don't seem to get up to much.

Charlie

P.S. - You still haven't figured out this thing about Percy yet have you?