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

Chapter 11:1

THE TURNING OF TIME

The following day, Fred and George had their first practical lesson in Astronomy. Instead of endlessly studying astrological maps during the day, the first years from Gryffindor and Hufflepuff were asked to meet in the Astronomy tower at precisely midnight. Of course, the twins were late, but not because of their usual sluggishness. The Bloody Baron was haunting the stairs, according to the Marauder's Map, and they preferred to avoid the unnerving image of his blood-stained coat after the events of the previous night. By the time the Baron had floated back to the dungeons, and they felt safe braving the stairway to the circular room at the castle's highest tower, the lesson had already commenced. And to avoid further questioning on their whereabouts (which now routinely included an assumption that they were off erasing paintings), the twins covered themselves in Professor Dumbledore's invisibility cloak and snuck to an open spot along the battlements. They set up their mother's strange telescopic device and joined the lesson without anyone taking notice.

"Envelop yourselves in the dark sky, students," said Professor Sinistra in a wistful voice. "Remember, a small adjustment on Earth equates to millions of miles in the heavens. Find your constellations and commence your stargazing. When you feel ready to complete a blank star-chart, raise your wand and I will bring one to you."

The twins listened as the pleasant hooting coming from the Owlery below was soon surpassed by the sound of quills scraping along parchment. They looked down the line of students with envy in their eyes. Cedric was joined to his father's telescope, The Diggory Supernova. They'd spent many nights as children using it to spy on the Muggles in town. Lee Jordan's looked to be made out of precious bronze, with silver knobs and crystal fittings. He was moving easily down the star-chart. Angelina Johnson, newly released from the infirmary, was between Lee and Kenneth Towler. Her telescope was worn and dented in spots, but at least it wasn't made out of discarded eyeglasses, empty bottles, and spare twine.

Time was running out, so Fred tried guessing some of the constellations while George used their dodgy telescope to spy on Hagrid's hut. It was a small, but lovely thatched cottage at the end of the lawn in a recess of the forbidden forest, which looked less frightening from such a height. A lantern was hanging in Hagrid's window, and a quick glance at the map confirmed that he was with a dot labeled 'Fang', once again. After a minute of scanning the mountains, George traced the main road up to the train platform, and then on to Hogsmeade. From there he was able to find the Shrieking Shack. Open-mouthed, he passed the bottleneck to his brother. Fred peered inside the homemade telescope and gasped. Somehow, the haunted ruin had magically absorbed the fire damage. In fact, it almost looked better than the night before, as if it had thrived in the mayhem. A few of the scarecrows had been replanted, but many of them were lying in charred ruins along the pebbled footpath.

Fred and George were beginning to think that Dolores Umbridge was right about them. After word spread to the Ministry that Quidditch recruits had set fire to the Shrieking Shack, the area was permanently banned under the threat of expulsion, becoming Educational Decree Number Twenty. Everyone knew the Weasley twins were responsible, and the other Quidditch teams were out for blood. It was the younger students who were the most cross, but the sixth and seventh years were glad the new decree prevented a vote on limiting the use of Hogsmeade as an Apparation site. Still, they weren't pleased. In a single night, the Weasley twins terminated a long-held Quidditch tradition.

And then there was the blaze that had threatened to burn down the forest. The boys wondered if they had somehow conjured the fire by accident, but Charlie debunked this by blaming the rest of their team for not blowing out the candles. In fact, he was downright livid with his teammates for putting Fred and George in danger. But none of their actions made Charlie as angry as he was with the Slytherin team for how they had terrified his brothers. So, at five o'clock in the morning the next day, when the twins were dragged out of their four-posters and brought down to the changing room (only a few hours after being dismissed from Astronomy), their first practice began with a stirring speech from Charlie on how to make Denorda Montague and the cunning Slytherin team suffer once and for all. Despite how tired they were, Fred and George couldn't help but stand and cheer with the others. Their doubts and failures were behind them. They had made the team on their own merits and were about to join the ranks of the most memorable students to ever attend Hogwarts.

When they stepped onto the practice pitch for the first time, the twins were proud to hear a smattering of tired applause. Most of Gryffindor house had woken early to support them, still dressed in nightcaps and shawls. One of the older boys left the crowd and approached the team. He was carrying an equipment trunk, painted in the house colors of scarlet and gold. When he laid it gently on the grass, Charlie bent to one knee, like a knight greeting a princess, and eased back the lid. Inside was the Golden Snitch, no larger than a walnut. Charlie kissed its slick, metal surface and placed the Snitch securely in his robe. Then he removed a large, red ball that the twins recognized as the great Quaffle. He threw it over his shoulder without looking and Briers snatched it from the air with one hand. Briers grinned and slammed the Quaffle into Graham's chest. With a quick breath, Charlie stood and nodded to the boy who had delivered the trunk before hopping onto his broom. The other three joined him in the air above the pitch.

"Charlie, wait," said Fred.

"What about us?" asked George.

"Jacen Wu can handle your training," their Captain hollered back, as he hurled the Snitch into the sky. It sprouted wings and buzzed away. "Don't let me down, boys."

The crowd started chanting, "Dra-gon! Dra-gon! Dra-gon!"

Fred and George faced Jacen Wu and swallowed hard. He looked ready to slay a dragon himself.

"Listen up, you two. Shep is my mate, and he pleaded with me to help you little rats learn to be proper Beaters. I'd, of course, rather watch you get pummeled to death."

"That's comforting," said Fred.

"Why you?" asked George.

"I'm the only one who can. See, I'm the relief player whose spot you absconded with during that stunt against the yo-yo birds. So you'll listen to what I have to say and I'll make you the best damn Beaters this school has ever seen...even if you get to play and I don't." Wu paused for a moment, considering his situation. "Well, hang on. I do get to play if one of you is mortally wounded."

"Let fly the Bludgers!" Charlie yelled from on high.

With a devilish grin, Wu unfastened the straps on the last two balls in the trunk and they went zooming chaotically into the clouds, nearly taking off George's head in the process.

"Go on. Your fans are watching..." said Wu diabolically.

The Weasley twins scrambled for the dark wood bats inside the trunk and mounted their practice brooms. As they took to the sky, George could dimly hear the first years cheering them on from below and it made him smile — even if one of those students happened to be Angelina Johnson.

For the next few hours, the relief Beater put them through numerous accuracy and defensive drills. Wu tried to unseat Fred by forcing him to dodge balls left and right, and he attempted to ruin George's arm for good by sending Bludger after Bludger until he could hardly keep the bat from falling. By the end of practice, the twins were so bruised from the times they had missed the whirling wooden ball that both of them vied for a chance to offer their seat on the team to Jacen Wu.