Fred and George and the Toilers of Trouble (Year 1) ✔

Chapter 7:3

The grumbling at the Gryffindor house table had yet to cease.  Halfway down the line of students, Percy suddenly crushed the morning paper and slammed his fists down on a silver platter, which toppled six goblets and caused Mrs. Norris to leave her post to investigate the dripping juice.  In turn, this triggered the twins to snatch the Daily Prophet from Lee's grasp in the hope of finding something scandalous about their brother.

It did not disappoint.

Following an advertisement for the open position of Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher (and a hideous sketch of what they could only assume to be the leftovers of the previous professor, Eugenus Allergen) was an article on the instability of Hogwarts and the ineptitude of its headmaster, Albus Dumbledore.  At the start was a previously published quote from a letter that Percy had submitted to the paper during the summer about his discovered hallway. 

"Hogwarts is clearly in a tizzy if passages just up and go missing.  Were I in leadership, I assure you that things would be handled differently.  Uncovering hidden corridors is certainly worth more than a few house points.  Why have an award for services to the school if you aren't going to give it to those who are worthy of such honors?"

The magical newspaper cited his letter as verification that the administration of Hogwarts, not the castle itself, was 'in a tizzy', and that the situation was apparently so unstable at the school for witchcraft and wizardry that a third year student would be a better fit for headmaster. 

And so, for the next five minutes, Percy could be heard hollering, "I've been misquoted!"

"Well done, Percival," Fred complained.

"I'm surprised they're making this about Professor Dumbledore," Lee noted. "My father says that it's not looking good for the Minister of Magic.  Some people believe that the Ministry should step in and fill the position."

"I think that's an awful idea," said Cedric.

George refolded the newspaper. "Who knows?  They might find someone who can stick around longer than a year."

"What do you mean?" said Lee.

"Don't you know?" Fred replied hurriedly. "They've had a different Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher every year for ages.  It's gotten so bad that no one is willing to teach the class.  Bill told Charlie that the job is jinxed.  Bill's a curse breaker for Gringotts."

"He's certain of it," said George.

"Wow...placing a jinx on a teaching position.  Who would do such a thing?" asked Cedric fretfully.

"Will you learn about jinxes in Charms, do you think?" Fred wondered in envy.

"Sounds like a Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson to me," said Lee. "We just learned about enchanting ink to erase and appear on command."

"Invisible ink?" George marveled.

"Can you show us?" Fred begged. "Enchantments is so boring.  All we've done this week is listen to talking mirrors blather on about nonsense."

"We can get that from the mirror at home."

For the next few minutes, Lee and Cedric showed the twins how to place an erasing charm on an ink pot with the incantation Aparecium.  After compiling a series of secret messages, which erased within seconds of setting the quill to parchment, they tapped the page three times with the tip of their wand and used the same spell to make the ink reappear.

"What if you want the message to disappear entirely?" George asked, excitedly.

Cedric pointed his wand at the glowing, black words. "Exsculpo!"