In the Melancholy Moonlight

Chapter XL: You Give Me One

Lost my gloves
You give me one
Wanna hang out?
Yeah, sounds like fun

"It's Nice to Have a Friend"
Taylor Swift

HARRY:

The morning of the Hogsmeade trip, I saw Hermione and Ron off and started wandering the castle, looking for Lucy. She had said she was going to get up early to hit the Quidditch Pitch with Ginny, but it was so cold and snowy outside I half-hoped they had called it quits and come in early.

"Psst, Harry!"

The twins were on the third floor, peeking around a statue of a one-eyed witch.

I cocked my head to the side. "What are you doing here? How come you're not going to Hogsmeade?"

Fred winked. "We've come to give you a bit of festive cheer before we go. Come in here."

I followed them into an empty classroom, George closing the door behind me.

George smiled. "Early Christmas present for you, Harry. Fred, if you will?"

Fred dramatically drew a piece of parchment from his robes and laid it out on a desk. I stared at it for a second, half-expecting it to jump up and start dancing. When nothing happened, I asked, "What's that supposed to be?"

George patted the parchment fondly. "This, Harry, is the secret of our success."

"It's a wrench, giving it to you, but we decided last night, your need's greater than ours."

"Anyway, we know it by heart. We bequeath it to you. We don't really need it anymore."

I still suspected that they were playing me. "And what do I need with a bit of old parchment?"

Fred closed his eyes and hissed as if I'd stabbed him and insulted his mother. "A bit of old parchment! Explain, George."

"Well, when we were in our first year, Harry --- young, carefree, and innocent --- well, more innocent than we are now --- we got into a spot of bother with Filch."

"We let off a Dungbomb in the corridor and it upset him for some reason-"

"So he hauled us off to his office and started threatening us with the usual-"

"-detention-"

"-disembowelment-"

"-and we couldn't help noticing a drawer in one of his filing cabinets marked Confiscated and Highly Dangerous."

I started smiling. "Don't tell me..."

Fred rolled his eyes. "Well, what would you've done? George caused a diversion by dropping another Dungbomb, I whipped the drawer open, and grabbed this."

"It's not as bad as it sounds, you know. We don't reckon Filch ever found out how to work it. He probably suspected what it was, though, or he wouldn't have confiscated it."

"And you know how to work it?" I asked.

"Oh yes. This little beauty's taught us more than all the teachers in this school."

"You're winding me up," I said.

"Oh, are we?" George took his wand out and tapped it to the paper ceremoniously. "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The parchment came to life then. Green words appeared at the top of the page.

Messrs. Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs
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