In the corridor, Fred and George Weasley were in perfect sync, raising their eyebrows at Sean.
"Need something, Fred?" Sean asked, playing along.
"I'm not Fred, I'm George," said the red-haired Weasley on the left.
"Honestly, can't blame you. Hardly anyone can tell us apart."
"Got it, Fred," Sean said softly.
"Merlin's beard—"
The redhead on the left exchanged a glance with the one on the right. In a flash, they circled Sean, spinning around him a few times.
"Who am I?" asked the left Weasley, crossing his arms and winking.
"Fred," Sean replied.
"Oh—!"
The red-haired senior was thrilled.
"Not even a single Galleon! Just tell us how you figured it out—"
"How about a trade?"
The right Weasley mirrored his brother's pose, arms crossed. Both third-years crouched down slightly—they were too tall otherwise—to meet Sean's calm green eyes at eye level.
"You're always the first to speak, Fred," Sean explained.
"Even Mum doesn't know that!" Fred blurted, then clapped a hand over his mouth, gesturing for Sean to continue.
George blinked. "Even Mum doesn't know that!"
"Talk about a surprise!" Fred picked up the thread.
The twins' eyes glinted with mischief.
"For your brilliant contribution—oh, by the way, who are you?" Fred faltered for a moment but pressed on eagerly, eyeing Sean.
"Sean Green."
Sean noticed the odd assortment of items in their hands: a quill, a biscuit, and a small cage with a toad inside…
Truth was, telling the twins apart was simple. When the Weasley twins got up to their wildest pranks, Fred was usually the ringleader.
In Harry's second year, when the twins and Ron rescued him from Privet Drive, it was Fred behind the wheel of that flying Ford Anglia.
Even in smaller pranks, Fred was often the mastermind.
Like "rescuing" a fire salamander from Care of Magical Creatures class so they could feed it Fizzing Whizbees.
Or Fred "accidentally" dropping a Ton-Tongue Toffee in front of Dudley.
It was Fred who came up with the (failed) plan to use Aging Potion to sneak their names into the Goblet of Fire—and he was the first to step over the age line.
Even when it came to mouthing off to Umbridge, Fred led the charge, orchestrating their grand final flight from Hogwarts.
"Great Green!" George's voice rose and fell dramatically.
Sean froze. That wasn't a title to throw around lightly—
The last "great" wizard was Grindelwald, all about making wizards great again for the "greater good."
The most recent was Tom, pushing for pure-blood greatness.
So, what did they have in common?
"Great Green!" George noticed Sean's slight change in expression and shouted it again, hamming it up.
"For your outstanding contribution, Great Mr. Green, we've decided to share some great knowledge with you—" Fred's tone turned theatrical, lending the moment a mock-serious air.
His booming voice didn't match the trembling tie around his neck.
"Amplifying Charm, Sonorus…" Sean muttered, analyzing.
"I knew he was a genius!" George exclaimed.
"Teach him the good stuff!"
"So, Green, what do you think alchemy is?" Fred yanked off his tie, suddenly serious.
"Is it all those ancient runes Professor Bathsheda Babbling goes on about—those magical, marvelous, endless texts? Oh, wait, you're just a first-year—"
"He's memorized them, Fred," George cut in.
"Alright, I know, George… but still—"
Fred tossed a biscuit to the toad, which puffed up and shrank before turning into a canary.
"Canary Creams, our masterpiece!" George said proudly.
"A few little charms in just the right places, and you get something extraordinary! Check this out—you'll feel it!"
Fred handed Sean a quill. It looked like any old Quick-Quotes Quill, except it glowed faintly with runes, thanks to a Revealing Charm.
Sean took it, seeing for the first time how runes worked their magic. Just a few Levitation Charms and a weaker Legilimency spell…
And they'd created the wizarding world's best-selling quill for centuries.
Sean could feel the magic flowing through the quill, sensing how each charm worked, how they intertwined in a complex, mysterious dance to produce a lasting effect.
[You thoroughly observed an alchemical creation. Magic Branch: Alchemy Unlocked]
[Unlock Conditions: Skilled Potions Title (Not Achieved), Skilled Charms Title (Achieved), Skilled Transfiguration Title (Achieved)]
"Merlin's beard, I bet you felt it! If you can make a floating quill on your own—" Fred said, grinning at Sean's stunned expression.
"Follow our notes. It's not that hard—we only spent half a term on it!" George added.
"Then we'll introduce you to Professor Terra!" Fred called as they started to leave.
"She's a big deal. Getting a meeting with her isn't easy!" George said, winking.
"But we always find a way!" they said in unison.
…
In the Hogsmeade cabin, the tidy desk was covered with odd items: ink bottles, a helmet, a homework planner, and more.
Sean sat lost in thought for a long time.
The conditions to unlock alchemy were the toughest he'd ever seen.
Fred's words came back to him:
"You know, alchemy as an elective requires Outstanding grades in Ancient Runes, Transfiguration, and Charms in your O.W.L.s. Some think a decent Potions grade is enough—but trust me, anyone who believes that will get a big fat 'T' (Troll) in alchemy!"
Sean's experience told him the stricter the conditions, the greater the reward.
Staring at the quill and the twins' tools, he didn't rush to experiment with their notes. Instead, he opened their notebook and started reading.
---
Support me by leaving a comment, review and vote
visit my P****on at ilham20