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

Chapter 18:9

Fred reached in and pulled out a very small potted plant that looked like a bright green lolly with winged leaves. Then he unlatched the bewildering system of springs and ropes that were attached to the pot to keep it centered during the flight. The twins weren't sure how to react. A crate from Zonko's Wizarding Joke Shop would customarily include an elaborate prank or an exploding box of sweets. Certainly not a houseplant.

"Is there a card?" asked Charlie.

Fred found it at the bottom of the box.

"Happy Christmas, lads. I'm sure you were expecting something with a bigger BANG! But trust me, this is very special, indeed. What you see here is a Venus plant." Fred stopped reading when their father cackled in surprise.

"What is it?" asked George.

"Oh, keep reading!" Arthur replied, turning away from his new chess set. "You're going to like this, considerably."

Fred smirked, as he continued. "Venus plants are extremely magical. In the early nineteenth century, the cart of a traveling wizard was ransacked, and a species of the Venus plant was released into the Muggle world. Luckily for them, it was a peckish eater. It preferred small insects, whereas most Venus plants are capable of eating whatever is placed in their pot." Fred did a double take at those last words before glancing over at his brother with eyebrows raised.

George took the card from him and carried on. "Use this plant wisely, and make sure to keep it fed. It will surely die otherwise. From what I've seen thus far, it can eat anything in its vicinity. That's right, including metal, though it favors wood. Which is why I took such precautions in sending it to you. My suggestion — watch where you leave your wands at night. Owl me if it gets out of hand. My brother Wonky has a few of them. Till next time, Zonko Goosefeather."

"Wicked!" said Ron, shaking his head as he gobbled down a handful of Every Flavor Beans.

Percy, pretending to care very little about the plant, found numerous reasons to inch closer to the pot. And when he thought his brothers weren't paying attention, he stretched out a finger to touch its silky leaves.

"Wake up! Breakfast!" Fred yelled, as the mouth of the Venus plant yawned open and snapped at Percy's finger.

"Ahh!" he screamed, rolling backwards into the Christmas tree. The family laughed. Percy straightened his robes, adjusted his hair in the mirror, searched for the book he'd gotten from his parents on the history of the Wizengamot, and stomped away to the table to sit beside his father.

"You boys'll have a marvelous time with that one," said Arthur, staring back at them, bright-eyed. "One of my mates had a Venus plant when we were at Hogwarts. Oh, the laughs we had."

Fred and George removed the last of the springs from the pot and carried the plant around the room, introducing it to their many delicious trinkets.

"I think not!" said their mother worriedly. "Please take it outside — or upstairs — or in your room, or something."

When they handed the Venus plant to Ginny, Molly abandoned the dishes to gather things across the living room. She muttered incomprehensibly to herself, while filling her arms with family portraits.

Ginny walked the pot over to the table and set it down between Percy and their father, who turned to the twins and whispered, "Your mother had to buy four quills and a new robe that year."

Fred took a bowl from the table, filled it with Every Flavor Beans, and demonstrated to Ginny how he could flick them up to the dusty rafters and catch them in his mouth with ease. For her turn, she managed to catch one of the beans in only ten tries. On top of that, it was strawberry flavored. When she bent to clean up the fallen candy, it gave Ron an idea.

"Here, Scabbers. Got some treats for yeh."

The rat hobbled over to them, nibbled on one, and then scampered away.

"Eww, must've been a baddie," said George.

"Here, Scabbers. Come," Percy called, reaching down for his rat. It squeaked and scuttled past his hand, before climbing up Charlie's pant leg.

"Stop feeding the bloomin' rat!" their mother barked. "Do you want him to explode?"

"Would that happen?" asked George.

Fred was already nodding. "We should try, at least."

"Oh, leave him alone," said Charlie under a laugh. He brought him over to Percy so they could hold him together. "Poor thing. He's pitiful enough without you taunting him like that."

Although the twins longed to stuff a hundred or so beans down Scabbers' yellow gullet, they admired Charlie in that moment. He was the only one their family rat actually liked. It sniffed up at his dragon tooth necklace and nuzzled into his left arm. That lucky tooth was a gift from three Christmases prior, when Charlie had first shown promise in Care of Magical Creatures. Charlie Weasley — Professor Kettleburn's favorite student. And now it was dragon scale boots.

Fred and George could confidently say that they knew most of the instructors at Hogwarts, especially with the aid of the Marauder's Map. And out of them all, Sylvanus Kettleburn was the most peculiar. As if he couldn't entirely be trusted.