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

Chapter 27:7

Lee Jordan and Angelina Johnson had heard the explanation from both Madam Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall that the Weasley twins were no longer inhabiting the same physical form. Neither of them trusted that it was not simply the next fantastic tale invented by the Toilers of Trouble. But, as the four of them left the castle that day to walk across the grounds toward the empty Quidditch pitch, Lee and Angelina were quick to accept the truth by how uncoordinated the twins were during the walk, and how nearly impossible it was for them to scale the partition at the entrance gate. Fred and George had most certainly switched bodies.

"They're letting you out of taking exams?!" said Angelina disbelievingly, as she helped Fred up the last remaining stairs.

"How could they not?" he replied. "Can't expect us to be tested using each other's brains, now can they?"

"Snape is trying to develop an elixir to reverse it," laughed George. "I needed to remind him about our lesson on irreversible potions."

"I bet he just loved hearing that one," said Lee, giving George a boost.

"He removed ten points, actually."

"But the house championship is already complete!" Angelina barked.

"We know," said Fred. "He made a note of it for next year...when he's our Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher."

"Is that really happening?" Lee asked.

"Who knows?" said George.

Angelina opened the gate at the top of the stairs and the twins staggered onto the pitch. "There's a far easier solution, in fact," she said. "We'll just make the pill ourselves, then...switch-a-roo."

Fred and George stopped to catch their breath, as they stepped into the brilliant sunlight of the oval playing field.

"You didn't see what we saw, Ange," said Fred, looking stricken. "Bloodcraft...Black Magic...actually witnessing the Dark Arts at work... We need to steer clear of it, no matter the reason."

"Just like Dumbledore said in his one and only Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson," George began.

"What's that?" asked Lee.

"Choose the darkness, and you choose to suffer."

"It's not all bad, actually," George said, as they hobbled across the field.

"The Dark Arts? Are you mental?" Lee blurted.

"No, our bodies getting jumbled. Sure, this part's bloody difficult, but Madam Pomfrey said it shouldn't last longer than the summer."

"And our wands can tell us apart."

"That's right," said George, as they both produced the wand that corresponded with the voice in their head.

"Mine is far better than that Scrapper," said Fred, looking down with a playful scowl at George's wand.

"You're joking! Anything's better than a Hogwarts lender...Ruddy Twig."

Fred brought the worn magic wand to his chest and began petting it lovingly. "Ignore him, poppet. He'll never understand what we have."

"So, you actually like that wand now?" asked Lee. "I remember when Filch broke your last one in half."

"I do, yeah. Gotten used to the old girl."

After several minutes of the twins bragging about the spells they had learned from the journals, including Polichinellus, the jester transfiguration that Fred had tried to use against Parsimonae, Angelina looked back and forth at the empty pitch.

"Shouldn't he be here by now?"

Lee checked his watch. "Hagrid said half-three, assuming Fred and George were released from the hospital wing."

"I wonder what —" Fred stopped when they heard an unmistakably familiar, high-pitched caw coming from somewhere above.

The foursome tilted their heads skyward to see a large bird perched high on the center goal post at the north end of the field. And as it swooped down to greet them, they were overcome with joy. It was a Hippogriff.

"Witherwings!" they cheered, as the small creature coasted around them in sweeping circles before landing solidly at Lee's feet.

He eased himself down, so as not to startle the Hippogriff, but it leapt onto his chest excitedly, just as Hagrid stepped out from between the stands.

"You found him, Hagrid!" Angelina cried encouragingly.

"Where'd he go?" asked Fred.

"Witherwings was 'ere the whole time," Hagrid announced, as he trotted over to them wearing an enormous grin. "After what we seen in Dumbledore's magic bowl..." He fought to hold back the tears. "Well, it reminded me o' all I read back then 'bout Hippogriffs. They love the high ground...mountains, an' that. An' I thought ter m'self, when I was out 'ere chasin' down Victor Sparrow after tha' incident with Doctor Filibuster's Fabulous No-Heat, Summat Fireworks..." He saw the twins' eyes widening. "Tha's right. Slept right through tha', yeh did. Well, everyone seen it from the castle, an' I thought, as I was lookin' up at them fireworks, tha' these goal posts sure look like a bloomin' good place ter roost. And wouldn't yeh know it...there was my Witherwings! All I had ter do was whistle up ter 'im, an' down he came. Bigger, ain' he?"

"Looks the same to me," said George.

"Oh, no. His pappy knows 'im best. Don' I, Witherwings?"

"So, you're going to keep him here at the school?" Lee affirmed excitedly.

Hagrid grimaced and bent down to one knee so he could be closer to the beast.

"No, I'm 'fraid. Tha's why I brought yeh out 'ere. Havin' 'im gone all that time, I realized it's not right ter keep 'im cooped up 'ere at the castle. He should be flyin' round the highest peaks, growin' large, scarin' off a mountain lion er two." Hagrid seemed pleased at the thought. "I'm sendin' him off today. An' I figured you lot might wanna be 'ere with me. Y'know...ter say goodbye, an' all."

The four of them watched as the Hippogriff fluttered over to Hagrid's arms, where the creature encouraged him to stroke its eagle wings with a large and delicate hand.

"Heard me, didn' yeh?" he said, welling with tears. "Yeh be good out there, now. Make yer pappy proud. Find a warm cave — gets cold in the rain. Yeh don' need me tellin' yeh tha', do yeh?"

"Bye, now," said Angelina, as the bird craned its neck to look over at them.

"Thanks for being so lovable," said Lee.

"Don't cause too much trouble," said George.

"Unless it's for a good laugh," Fred corrected.

Hagrid sniffed and held the small hippogriff tightly. "I'm so glad yeh didn' leave without seein' me one last time. But yeh've gotta go." He tapped the creature on the beak twice. "Goodbye, Witherwings. I hope ter see yer again one day."

With that, the gamekeeper stood and thrust the winged beast into the air. It swooped majestically around the oval pitch, cawing pleasantly at them before soaring away into the clouds. Angelina took Hagrid by the hand. He met her eyes, looking content. And from what little Fred and George had seen of his past, this was a moment that had escaped Hagrid for most of his life.