Disclaimer: I do not own HP or any associated characters.
Fred and George were a resourceful pair. Their clever tricks were much more than half-brained schemes prepared in the moment; they were carefully planned and rehearsed masterpieces. That's what made the joke worth it afterall. The time spent leading up to the plan, building suspense all the way, was what made it truly delightful. One person's sudden surprise (or mortification) was their bread and butter, for they had been planning and waiting for it all along.
This time, however, chaos was not part of the trick. The twins were not just capable of causing trouble, of course. Their bold methods ought to be used for good sometimes. The two were thoroughly embarrassed after the cake disaster and wanted nothing more than to make up for it. Their brilliantly twisted minds soon found a solution.
***A few days earlier***
It was a quarter past two in the morning as Fred and George tiptoed down the rickety stairs of Grimmauld Place. With light feet and hushed voices, they snuck gently down the steps hoping all the while not to wake the dreaded portrait of Mrs. Black. On his way down, Fred lost his footing in the darkness and landed hard on George, who barely managed to remain upright, let out a groan of both pain and annoyance. The pair froze, fearing that they had given themselves away, but as no one above stirred they continued on their way. Led only by dim wand light, the boys crept down the hallway and reached Sirius's study. They entered and gently shut the door behind them. After lighting a few candles, the room became bright enough for them to begin their research. There were looking for anything that might be of help in their current situation. Any spell, potion, or charm that could aid them was welcome. Now, they just had to find it.
Fred searched through an old charms book while George prodded around a potions book. After a couple of hours, and seven more books, little progress had been made. George had fallen asleep while Fred began placing books back on the shelf, ready to call it a night. As he struggled to jam a chunky potions book back onto the shelf, an odd book title caught his eye; Deceptive Herbs of the Magical World by Lichus Prodd. Surprisingly intrigued, he flipped through it. Each page discussed magical plants that could lessen the appearance of anything from wrinkles to chicken pox, make one partially invisible, reduce pain, and more. Finally, he turned to a page of interest.
Fred excitedly woke his brother. "Wha…what d'you want?" Moaned a groggy George.
Fred smirked and answered, "Praise for my genius, brother."
George gawked at him. "You found something?"
Fred handed the book over to George, pointing to a picture of a gnarled, violet root labeled 'Mandecium Root.' Below the picture were a few paragraphs describing its properties and usage.
The mandecium root is found exclusively in the volcanic landscape of Mt. Vesuvius. This hardy root is incredibly versatile and has shape-shifting properties. The root sends out long, searching feelers underground to locate other successful plant species. Once found, the root will make a copy of the plant and the outside portion of the mandecium plant will change form. However, the root always maintains its rough, purple appearance.
When properly brewed at a constant temperature of 115 degrees Fahrenheit for 3 consecutive hours one may create a potion capable of allowing the drinker to shape-shift into any form. One must simply place a piece of the desired form into the fluid five minutes prior to its consumption. A correctly brewed potion will have a slight violent tinge and will be sweet to the taste. When done correctly, this root may offer a suitable alternative to the highly complicated polyjuice potion. However, the potion will only give the drinker 10-15 minutes of change, less time allowed by the polyjuice potion. It also fails to create a perfect replica as the shape-shifting properties are decreased by the high brewing temperature.
The high temperature needed for brewing, along with the time, are needed to extract the insidious poison found naturally in the root. If not brewed properly, the potion will form into a clear, toxic fluid which appears much like water. The only tell-tale sign of toxicity is a slight citrusy smell, otherwise it is almost undetectable. This poison was the first choice of You-Know-Who's followers when it came to discreet assassinations. Once administered to a victim, the poison took about 6-8 days to work with little to no side effects. Once in effect, it turned the blood toxic and caused immediate death. This nefarious toxin disappears from the body in less than an hour, leaving few traces and making many trails go cold. As a result of its improper usage, the root is now banned in nearly all European nations. The only exception is Italy, where the plant is allowed to grow naturally. Growth outside the Vesuvius area or sale, buying, or collecting of the root is prohibited. However, smuggles are a serious problem and the root can be easily found on the black market worldwide. The most notable market is that of Knockturn Alley in London, Great Britain where large volumes have been reportedly sold despite restrictions owing to the plants "vintage" place in the Dark Arts community.
George gaped at Fred. "Ugh, I don't know about this. We've taken some risks before, but none that could land us in Azkaban."
Fred nodded. "Yeah…but…"
George interrupted him. "And we're not too talented at potions, it could go pretty wrong. Besides, how can this even help us?"
"Its not that hard, really. Just follow the directions and you can see the color change to let us know its safe. And just think; Black and Snape may be too proud to actually sit down and work things out on their own. What if…someone else could do it for them?" Fred replied.
George was dumbfounded. "You mean to say we'll take the potion and change into Black and Snape…sit down with each respective person…all while avoiding the original… and make peace for them?"
"Yep." Said Fred.
George continued. "While at the same time risking our freedom….our health… the future of the order… and Merlin know's what else?"
"Yeah, that would be the plan."
George smiled wickedly. "Brilliant. Its bloody brilliant."
"You in, brother?"
" 'Course! But one little detail… how are we going to even find this stuff undetected? To be honest, neither of us look like we belong anywhere in the alley. We'll be a dead giveaway."
Fred thought for a moment and then smiled widely.
"Brother, we won't be the ones getting it. We have a slimy little friend for that."
George raised an eyebrow. "What slimy little…"
George paused as a sudden realization crossed his mind.
In almost perfect synchronization the two brothers spoke, "Dung."
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Hermione, Ron, and Ginny sat in an upstairs bedroom, still digesting what Hermione had discovered. As soon as she had arrived back in Grimmauld Place she related the deal made by Fred and George and the odd, illicit item procured by Fletcher to Ron and Ginny. Harry was still downstairs talking with Snape, and given that there was no shouting things must be going somewhat smoothly. Ron commented that it was likely that Snape had pickled Harry and had him floating in some jar. This seemed to rile Ginny, who punched him stiffly in the arm.
"I just can't believe this. Fred and George doing something genuinely illegal?" Ron drew out, rubbing his arm.
"I know. I just can't figure out what they're planning. It doesn't make any sense. They've done some amazing things all on their own. Why would they need some illicit object to pull a prank?" Hermione said.
"No idea. But you must have heard something about it? What it was?" Ginny asked.
Hermione nodded. "No, I didn't hear much about it except how dangerous it was. I didn't see it either, so I haven't got a clue what it is."
"And apparently, Harry's got something to do with it. He gave Fred and George the money they used to buy it." Ron said reluctantly. "Must've fooled him into giving it to them for some other reason, mind you. Harry would never do something to get my family in trouble." Ron announced with conviction.
"We'll have to ask Harry about that. That part doesn't make any sense either. Fred and George respect Harry. Why would they lie to him?" Hermione asked.
"Why would they go and buy some stupid illegal substance? They've gone bloody mad." Ron said.
"We should tell Mum and Dad." Ginny breathed.
"Please, don't get Mum involved. She'll freak. Plus, we won't have Dad to calm her down 'cuz he'll lose his cool too hearing about them messing around in Knockturn Alley." Ron snorted.
"I think this is above our heads. Maybe we could talk to Sirius? He seems much more likely to understand, after all." Hermione recommended.
"Talk to Sirius about what?" Said a sudden voice.
The three turned and noticed Harry peeking in through a crack in the door.
"Harry! You're alive?" Ron teased.
Harry nodded. "Yes."
"How was it?" Hermione asked. "Are you alright, you know, giving your history with Sna…"
"I'm fine." Harry interrupted.
However, his flushed face gave away emotions that his denial was not the case.
Ginny rushed over to him and placed a hand on his arm.
"Harry, if there is something you'd like to say…."
"I said I'm fine already. Get off it." Harry answered, slightly agitated.
Ginny backed off looking disappointed. Ron and Hermione were silent, unsure of what to say.
"Now what's all this about Fred and George?" Harry asked.
Hermione sighed and told him everything. When she had finished, Harry eyed her.
"This can't be good." He said. "But I doubt Fred and George did this without good reason. They aren't evil."
"I agree, we have to go find Sirius and tell him." Hermione said.
"No. Leave Sirius out of it." Harry demanded.
"Why not? He's a prankster, too. And he sure beats Mum and Dad." Ron said.
"Listen, Sirius has had enough trouble with the law. He's in deep and the last thing he needs to worry about is Fred and George's stupidity. Don't get him involved in anything that could place him in more danger than he's already in." Harry answered.
"Then what do you propose we do? Its obvious that…"
"Don't you see Hermione? Nothing is obvious! This is all just a big mess and there isn't any clear way out." Harry shouted. His face had turned a rather brilliant shade of red as his famous temper became more apparent.
"Harry, relax mate. What the heck has gotten into you?" Ron asked.
Harry took a deep, calming breath.
"I'll handle it. There is something between me and them, and they owe me one. I'll talk to them, okay?"
With a sigh, Hermione nodded. "Okay, fine. But if this doesn't work I'm getting help."
"Just let me handle it." Harry said as he left the room.
Once his footsteps had faded away, Ron spoke.
"What crawled up his…"
"Just leave him alone, okay? Obviously he's upset." Ginny retorted.
"That may be, but he doesn't have to be such a git about it. Its only Snape. And he even admits that he's involved with them somehow." Ron said, anger beginning to show across his freckly face.
"We can ask him about when he cools off. We know Harry, he only means the best." Hermione answered.
"But for now, we need to be alert. We can't let another one of the twin's tricks go sour. If Harry can't stop them, it'll be up to use to thwart them."
"Okay. You think we should wait until Harry gets back…Ron where is it that your going?" Ginny asked.
Ron was halfway out the door already, looking livid.
"You two can wait if you want to. I'm getting to the bottom of this now."
"Ron you better…" Hermione started.
"This is about my family, Hermione. Keep out of it."
With that, he roughly shut the door. There was no doubt that this would elevate the current sticky situation.
Hermione opened the door and called after Ron.
"Ronald get back here! You're just going to make things more difficult!"
However, her effort was in vain, and he continued on his way after Harry.