Chapter Three

Curses

" What in the World? What did you do to your hair?!" mother screams at us.

" It looks terrible! Just saying." Claire states matter-of-factually.

" You better have a good explanation young ladies." So, how should I word this? 'The wind blew and it changed our hair?' 'What are you talking about? It looks the same to me.' or, 'It was MAGIC!' Hmm, none of them quite fit, and the wind one sounds ridiculous.

" Uh, we don't know." I finally answer back.

" Of course you know! It's YOUR hair!" mother snaps.

" Honest, we're telling the truth! Just-"

" I want to hear the true story! Now, you better tell me. Tell us." Okay, here goes nothing, except being grounded forever.

"We were walking through the forest when we met Fred and George. They left, and we started to come home, but a fierce wind began to blow and our hair changed. That's all we know."

" You suck at telling lies telling lies Vera, you know that right? I mean, you just expect to think that the wind changed your hair color? That is the dumbest thing I have ever heard of." Chris says. Oh he really wants it!

" Chris, be quiet. You don't know anything."

" Just stop it!" my mother shouts. "All of you, go to your rooms now! And you two-" she points at Mona and me, "you have some explaining to do." The rest of our siblings get up from the table and make their way up the stairs. Jacob turns around and sticks his tongue out at us. "Jacob." my mom threatens and he sprints up the stairs to his room, slamming his door behind him. My parents turns to us.

"So, you dyed your hair." my dad states.

"No we didn't." Mona interjects, "It was the wind! Our hair literally changed color after a gust of wind blew!"

"Stop lying! I thought I taught you better!" my mother scolds.

"We're not lying, we're telling the truth!" Mona cries.

"I don't want to hear it! It's like you're saying magic exists! It's impossible!"

'Maybe not that impossible.' I think.

"But it's not! It happened! We can't you just believe us?"

"Because its impossible to believe! Wind doesn't change your hair color! You dyed it! I can't believe you dyed it-"

"Constantine, please," my dad interrupts her, and she looks greatly offended, "I trust these girls, and if they say they didn't dye their hair, they didn't dye their hair."

"Rupert-" my mom starts, but my dad holds up his hand.

"Honey, they didn't do it." My mother finally nods.

"Fine. I don't know what happened, but I trust your father, and besides," she continues, "that color actually works well for you two." With that, she and dad walk away, clearing the plates off the table.

Mona and I sit down, quickly shoveling food into our mouths. We put our dirty dishes into the sink and head upstairs. I know that our parents are still upset about our hair, I am too, and that we are all confused.

And that was just the beginning of it.

For the next couple weeks all sorts of weird stuff stared happening. And I mean weird.

First of all, the morning after our hair turned white, it turned back to normal. When I woke up and looked in the mirror, I thought maybe it was all a dream. But it wasn't. When Mona woke up, she was confused and when we went downstairs, our mother asked us how well changed our hair back.

Next, all the vegetables in our garden started growing again, but they started growing oddly. The carrots looked almost like someone had made them into action figures, with legs and arms and faces.

And that cold front? Well, it's JUly, and for some reason, at our house it's 42 degrees everyday, and everywhere else it's between 50-60 degrees. And at our house, it never changes. A steady, 42 degrees day and night.

"You know," Mona says to me one day as we walk around outside of our home, "all this weird stuff started happening once Fred and George came back. Maybe their using their magic to pull pranks on us. I mean, mutant carrots is sure up their alley."

"Mona, that's genius!" I cry. "C'mon, let's go find them!"

We run up to our rooms, drop off our stuff, and head down to the Burrow. When we arrive, we knock and there is a clatter of pots and pans inside. Mrs. Weasley opens the door.

"Why, Mona, Vera, what a surprise! I assume you're here for Fred and George. I'll get them." She walks away and yells their names up the stairwell. Seconds later we hear footsteps running down the stairs and the twins pop up in the doorway.

"Hi, guys!" They say.

"Now, I want you back by 6 o'clock, sharp!" Mrs. Weasley tells them. They nod and come outside with us. We run through the woods and to our tree, a place we know is safe from our siblings. We climb up and sit down, catching up with each other.

"So, Fred, George, we need to ask you something about your, uh, magic?" Mona starts, twirling her hair around her finger.

"Yeah, what about it?" George replies.

"It's just that, um, ever since you two got back, there's been weird stuff happening."

"Like what?"

"Like this." I unfold the towel in my hand and show them the ugly carrot.

"Bloody hell, that's hideous!" Fred exclaims.

"And it's always 42 degrees at our house." Mona says.

"Well then turn up the thermostat if you're that cold. Why do you keep it that low?" George answers.

"That's not what I mean. Outside it's always 42 degrees."

"I think you're being a little over dramatic."

"No, I'm serious. We could go there right now and show you."

"I'll take your word for it." George says, giving a look to his brother.

"And, perhaps the strangest of all, a few weeks ago, when you got back, after you left there was a gust of wind, and our hair changed color."

"Uh, okay, sure-"

"We're serious!" I cry, making them jump, "Now, tell us the truth, why are you doing this?"

"What?"

"Why are you using your magic on us?" Mona asks. Suddenly, there's a gust of wind and we fall out of the tree. "Like, right now, guys? Really?"

The twins look at us, confused and...scared maybe?

"Uh, we're not doing that." Fred answers.

"Oh yeah right. You're just using your magic to pull pranks on us." Mona says, standing up and brushing herself off. She gives me a hand up. The twins hop down and join us.

"We can't use magic outside of school, we're underage." George admits.

"What?"

"It's against the law."

"But if you're not doing it, who is?" Mona asks, worried. George looks at his brother. Their eyes go wide.

"You are." George hesitates, squinting at us.

"What? What do you mean it's us?" I stammer.

"It's you. You're wizards." Fred says, looking at us in the eyes.