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

Chapter 11:2

Waiting in the corridor outside the changing room, Lee and Angelina were practicing the levitation spell from Charms on a leaf that had flown in from the courtyard.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" Lee spat, rocking his wand up and down. The leaf shuddered, but remained on the floor. "I can't get it. And that bit was probably the wind."

"It's because you're not concentrating hard enough," replied Angelina promptly. "Magic isn't just a word and a wand movement. It comes from within."

"Well, it looks like I'm going to have to live without," he tittered, stowing his wand. "If I need something to levitate, I'll come and find you." Lee noticed the twins trudging up the short flight of steps and his expression shifted straightaway. "There they are! The scourge of Gryffindor! Best Beaters ever to burn down a house!"

"Very funny, Lee," said George with a frown.

"You're doing better. Eh, Angelina?" said Fred.

"Thanks. I'm glad something good came out of that blunder," she replied, wrinkling her nose at the memory. "Cheers on making the team, Fred."

"What about me?" pressed George.

"What about you?"

Angelina reeled away from the group and walked steadfastly toward the courtyard where the rest of Flying Class was assembling.

"She's a right menace, that girl," George retorted.

Moving speedily, Charlie swept up behind the twins and clawed into their sore shoulders. They both winced. "I defy anyone to challenge us after that performance. Well done, boys. Bill would be proud."

"Hi, Charlie," Lee said with a wave. "Did you have a chance to —?"

"That I did, Mister Jordan," he nodded. "Our friend was looking for a way out, apparently. I'll speak with Dumbledore after lunch if you're still interested."

"Are you joking? Yes, thank you!"

"Brilliant," said Charlie with a relaxed grin. "I'll let you know later on, yeah?" He walked off and was almost instantly joined by a group of giggling girls.

Lee was beaming.

"What was all that?" Fred asked.

"You'll have to find out with everyone else," Lee replied cheekily. "I don't want to jinx my chances."

"That's not how jinxes work, I don't think," said George.

"Perhaps not, but we may find out this afternoon," Lee continued. "I heard Dumbledore is leading a joint lecture in Defense Against the Dark Arts after our second lesson. I expect it'll be in the Great Hall if every student will be in attendance. What do you think?"

"I think I'm about to fall over," Fred wheezed, as the three of them staggered into the courtyard.

The twins were so exhausted from a late Astronomy lesson, and so battered from early Quidditch practice, that they underperformed in Flying Class without even trying. George toppled off twice and Fred fell asleep, sending his broomstick soaring through a greenhouse window. Madam Hooch was so concerned about their obvious inexperience that she threatened to overrule their appointments to the Quidditch team. Fred and George would have objected if they had been even half awake at the time.

Professor Quirrell was just as disconcerted to find the Weasley twins in such a state. He moved them to the back of the room so their constantly plunging heads wouldn't disrupt the lecture. Although there was a moment when his teaching had revived their rapidly depleting focus.

Through the endless stuttering, they heard Quirrell discussing the lore of Leprechaun gold, and how it is enchanted to vanish within a day of being found in the wrong hands. He then enlightened the class on some treasure-hungry creature called a Niffler and the history of using enchantments to guard wealth. By the end of the lesson (or, really, by the time they had truly gone to sleep), the twins were certain that the treasure the Marauders had alluded to in the map was hidden somewhere at the school and that Professor Quirrell had returned from his sabbatical with the sole purpose of discovering its location. George swore it explained his nervous stuttering, but Fred had already closed his eyes. It wasn't until Professor Quirrell tapped on their heads that they even knew the hour had ended.

"N-n-next time, I'm taking f-five points from Gryffindor," he pronounced.

George lifted his head groggily. "How many is f-five?"

"If what you're saying is that a midday snooze only costs me five house points..." Fred started, holding up a finger in thought.

"Good day, Weasley brothers," Professor Quirrell stated clearly, shuffling them out of his dungeon classroom. "Your headmaster is waiting."

For a brief moment, the twins thought they had gotten into trouble again, but then recalled what Lee had said before Flying Class and were revitalized. After nearly a month of school, they were finally getting a lesson in Defense Against the Dark Arts.