The Serpent's Secrets

Gnomes and Twins

Edelweiss stood next to Molly looking up from the Burrow, it never ceased to amaze her at the fact that it was still standing. She watched the flying car come down from the clouds and land in the field driving towards them. Molly greeted Harry who had been sitting in the back seat.

"It's good to see you again Harry, come inside for some breakfast dear." She said glaring at the three boys, two of which having spotted Edelweiss grinned widely.

"Hello, Weiss." They said in sync, making to walk over to her, but Molly intercepted them, taking an ear in each hand and dragging them into the kitchen.

"Oh no, you two are coming with me! I'll have you degnoming the garden." She snapped and Edelweiss winced, Ron started to slink away taking Harry with him as the 6 made their way inside. "That goes for you too Ronald." Molly hissed, muttering under her breath after releasing the twins. "Stealing the car, immature, reckless, it's a wonder they didn't get caught." Edelweiss and Harry watched her yell at the 3 boys until she checked her book on household pests and finally sent them off on their punishment.

"I'll go along to help, they were going to get me after all." Harry said the second part to himself. Molly looked surprised.

"Oh no Harry dear, there's no need for you to help them, it's their punishment." She said, glancing at Edelweiss, "Would you mind supervising them Weiss dear?" She asked and Weiss smiled.

"Of course, Mrs. Wealsy. I'll take Harry with me so he can watch too, he's probably never seen a gnome before so it'll be a good learning experience." She said to Molly, who nodded frantically.

"Yes that's a wonderful idea, listen to Edelweiss well Harry dear, she knows what she's talking about." Molly suggested, and Harry nodded unsurely. The pair walked outside to where the twins and their younger brother who were looking around the garden.

"Find anything?" Edelweiss asked, chuckling.

"No not yet Weiss, but rest assured the first one I throw will be at you." Fred glared playfully at the girl.

"Oh so you don't want my help with the gnomes." She said, slyly, glancing at the holes in the garden.

"Hey it's the least you can do to help, you're the one who explained how to drive the car in the first place!" Fred shouted at her, while Harry and Ron looked on in shock.

"You asked me for the most efficient way to get to Privet Drive. I just told you." She retorted, and the other twin stepped in.

"Now now you do have that spell to get rid of the gnomes right?" George asked hesitantly.

"Yes I do, and it is far better than that stupid Gildroy Lockhart's method that your mother likes so much. The man sounds like a pure con artist just from his books alone." She snapped half mumbling to herself.

"Well then show us what you got, Weiss." Fred and George took a step back away from the garden, and the angry gnomes that would make their way out of it. She whisked her wand out and pointed it to the area,

"Locomotor pestibus." She said, and the many gnomes in the garden began to float away from their holes. She grinned as she spun her wand in a circle, the floating gnomes doing the same. After 10 tight circles, she flicked her wand away from the house, and the gnomes followed, unwillingly. Fred placed a hand on his forehead as if to shield his eyes from the sun, looking in the direction of the gnomes.

"Wow, that works." He commented, and George laughed.

"You doubted her?" He teased his brother, who grinned.

"Of course not, but that distance was surprising." Fred said stroking his chin, "The spell was locomotor right?" He asked curiously, while Harry and Ron looked on in awe.

"Yeah, pestibus only works on pests anyway. Besides your mum would have my head if she knew I helped you with another prank. She went berserk when she found out I'd brewed you an invisibility potion. Not to mention the Erumpent potion." Edelweiss shuddered.

"Wait, you're the one who gave them that invisibility potion?" Ron said shocked at the revelation.

"Yes that was me, they got Peeves of my back for me a little while in our second year. Baron asked him to look after me and he took it way too seriously." She sighed, "I owed them a favor, but they went and left Artemis on the windowsill for your mum to find, she put two and two together and I got a lecture." She explained.

"Artemis?" Harry asked, slightly less confused and stunned.

"My owl, my augurey's named Apollo, but he doesn't deliver letters so I got Artemis, a crested owl, very unique and your mum recognized her right away." Edelweiss glared at the twins, "If you'd just given her the return letter she wouldn't have found out." George interrupted.

"To be fair you didn't really expect us not to test it out beforehand did you?" He asked teasingly and she scowled and pointed her wand at them both.

"Aqua eructo!" She snapped and a spray of water hit the twins soaking them to the bone.

"Hey! I didn't say anything!" Fred shouted,

"Yeah but you certainly didn't help did you?" Edelweiss hissed back. "I'm beginning to wonder why I came and helped you in the first place. I thought you two knew better than to get caught with that car." She said turning away to go back into the Burrow.

"Will you at least dry us off?" Fred asked, "We are your best friends after all." He teased.

"Fill in those holes so your mum doesn't think I helped you, Tergeo." She continued flicking her wand over her shoulder and the water pulled itself off of the boys falling to the ground with a splash. Edelweiss continued on to the Burrow where she helped Molly prepare dinner. The boys eventually reentered the Burrow as their father arrived, and received a lecture from Molly about messing with Muggles items.