Harry Potter and the Prince of Slytherin

Chapter 27: Post-Game Developments

7 November 1992 (After the Quidditch Match)
The Gryffindor Boy's Locker Room

The first clue that something was amiss was when Fred, George and Oliver made it back to the locker room to find the door standing wide open. Inside, they found that all the non-Quidditch clothing they'd brought to change into after the game had been unceremoniously dumped into the middle of the communal showers, doused with water, and then apparently frozen into a block of ice with a Freezing Charm. As pranks went, it was pretty feeble, though plenty annoying for three guys in sweaty, smelly Quidditch gear and certainly not the sort of thing the Twins would let go without retaliation if they found out who did it. The real drama started when George opened his locker and found that it was empty save for a folded piece of paper.

Dear Weasley Terror,

I don't know who this book bag belonged to (whether it's the stupid one or the ugly one), but at least one of you blood traitors will have a difficult time in class without your books and notes. Such a pity you're too wretchedly poor to buy replacement copies of your text books. Mess with the snakes, and you get bit.

Signed,

A Slimy Slytherin

P.S. Slytherins Rule. Gryffindors Drool.
P.P.S Poof

With that, there was a flash of green flame and the paper disintegrated. George slowly sat down on a bench, completely stunned.

"It's okay, Brother-of-Mine," said Fred. "You can use my textbooks for your homework. I mean, we sit next to each other so it's not the end of the world."

George looked up at his twin, his eyes misting with emotion. "Fred, I had the Map folded up in my Charms book."

"... What?" Fred said. "I mean... you ... you WHAT?! How could you be so...?"

George's face hardened. "How could I be so what, Fred? You were there when we talked about taking Ron exploring right after the Quidditch match. I hid it in my bag so it would be handy and we wouldn't have to go back for it."

Fred sighed in frustration. "Let's look around outside, George. Maybe they just threw it up on the roof or something."

"Fred," said George dejectedly. "The Slytherins hate us. I'm not talking about Slytherin-Gryffindor rivalry. I mean they hate you and me. I reckon the book bag and the Map are either at the bottom of Black Lake or else they're burning up in the Slytherin fireplace. Not to mention they got all my notes for Lockhart's research group. And the really hilarious thing is that they were probably just being petty by stealing my books and my notes. Whoever took the Map probably has no idea what he has and won't even after he's destroyed it."

George put his head down into his hands and then jumped a few seconds later when Fred struck the door to his locker so hard he put a dent into it. "Oww!" he hissed in pain as he shook his hand out.

"Oi!" said Oliver Wood as he stepped back out of the shower where he'd been trying to defrost the trio's fresh clothing. "What's all this then?"

Fred said nothing. Finally, George spoke. "Whichever Slytherin messed with our clothes also took ... something that belongs to us."

"Was it valuable?" Wood asked. Both boys nodded. "Well, go and tell McGonagall about it. I'm sure she'll turns some rocks over and get it returned to you." Then, he went back to his defrosting efforts.

Fred actually laughed harshly at the thought of telling their Head of House about the Map and asking for her to get it back to them. "Oh yeah, that's going to happen. 'Here's yuir map, wee bairn. Now go back to makin' yuir mischief!" he said in a poor attempt at a Scottish accent. George didn't laugh.