Chapter 51: On the Self-Discipline of Actors
Chapter 51: On the Self-Discipline of Actors
"Are we really going to throw it here?"
In a corner of the second-floor corridor, the Weasley twins, Fred and George, were whispering to each other. After yesterday's efforts, Fred had successfully mastered the unlocking spell. Eager to cause some trouble for Filch, they found themselves in their current predicament.
"Yes, throw it here," George replied, nodding as he looked towards the end of the corridor. "Yesterday, a third-year student named William threw a Stink Pellet here. I heard it took Filch a long time to clean it up."
"Alright, remember to cover for me later," Fred said, feigning a look of sacrificial bravery. As he spotted Filch approaching, he quietly reached into the paper bag, pulled out a Stink Pellet, and was about to say something to George when he suddenly realized that his twin had disappeared without a trace.
"Damn it, that was fast," Fred muttered, taking a deep breath. As Filch walked by, the Stink Pellet in Fred's hand fell to the ground.
A putrid smell filled the corridor. Filch lowered his head, his face contorting in disgust. He suddenly looked up, frantically scanning the area, and his gaze landed on Fred, who was still holding the paper bag.
"You nasty little brat! Do you know how long it took me to clean up that mess yesterday?" Filch's face turned bright red, his cheek muscles twitching as if he were about to explode with anger. He grabbed Fred's hand and lifted it up.
Fred's hand, which had just been inside the paper bag handling the Stink Pellet, was dirty.
"Guilty as charged. Come with me; this time, you're definitely getting detention," Filch said as he grabbed Fred, intending to drag him to his office. "I should convince Dumbledore to bring back the old-fashioned punishments. Hanging you lot from the ceiling for a few days or giving you a good whipping would teach you a lesson."
After Fred was taken away by Filch, George emerged from another passageway, swallowing nervously as he watched his brother being led away. He then lowered his head and stared at his own paper bag before quickly following behind them.
Fred turned back and caught a glimpse of George trailing behind, letting out a sigh of relief. Thankfully, his brother hadn't backed down, or his capture by Filch would have been for nothing.
Speaking of whom, that guy's feet were still emitting the foul stench of rotten eggs, and he was muttering to himself, venting his anger.
Before long, Filch brought Fred to his office.
"Don't even think about running away. If you do, you'll regret it," Filch said grimly, pointing at the chains hanging behind the desk. "I occasionally oil them, and they might just come in handy one of these days. You brats need a harsh lesson so you'll think twice before breaking the rules again, won't you?"
Fred paid no attention to Filch's ranting as he surveyed the office, a place most students tried to avoid.
He began searching for his target—the location of the drawer.
Filch took out a roll of parchment from the drawer in his desk, unfurled it, and then picked up a long quill pen, dipping it into the inkpot.
"Name..." Filch asked, only to realize that Fred wasn't responding. He lifted his head sharply and demanded, "Your name!"
"Fred Weasley," Fred replied nonchalantly, having already located the drawer he was looking for.
"Crime..."
"Using a joke item in the corridor."
"You're defiling the castle."
"Detention..." Before Filch could finish his sentence, a Stink Pellet came flying through the open door, filling the office with an overwhelming stench of rotten eggs.
A look of surprise flashed across Filch's face, and he dropped his quill, rushing towards the door in a frenzied attempt to catch the culprit.
"I hope George can buy me some time," Fred thought as he quickly strode towards the filing cabinet. He pointed his wand at a drawer marked "Confiscated Items, Highly Dangerous," and softly uttered the spell, "Alohomora."
Fred had practiced this spell many times the night before. He swiftly pulled open the drawer, grabbed an envelope without looking, stuffed it into his pocket, closed the drawer, and returned to his previous position.
Outside the office, Filch's footsteps could be heard approaching. He had caught George and was now dragging him by the ear into the office.
"Excellent, another little brat," Filch huffed, still out of breath. He pointed at the remnants of the Stink Pellet on the floor. "I'll make you clean up your own mess. I'll be watching you both, so don't even think about escaping. Now, let's go see Professor McGonagall."
A few minutes later, Filch knocked on Professor McGonagall's office door and proceeded to recount the Weasley twins' mischievous deeds. The Gryffindor Head of House's expression immediately soured. The incident with William the day before had already put her in a foul mood, and now this.
"Gryffindor will be deducted twenty points, Mr. Weasley. And you will both serve detention. I truly wonder what is going on in your heads," Professor McGonagall said, nodding to Filch. "You may arrange their punishment."
"I'll make sure they learn their lesson," Filch replied with a victorious smile as he led the twins away from Professor McGonagall's office.
"I think, before the detention, you should clean up your little prank," Filch said, his eyes narrowing malevolently as he left Professor McGonagall's office and turned to the twins.
Fred and George exchanged glances, one of them murmuring, "But we have classes in the morning."
"Then I suggest you take the day off. Come with me," Filch said, striding towards the first floor of Hogwarts Castle.
The twins had no choice but to follow, and their predicament attracted curious glances and whispers from passersby.
Fred turned his head and winked at his brother, indicating that he had successfully obtained what he came for.
George breathed a sigh of relief. At least their adventure hadn't been in vain; otherwise, he would have felt terrible for getting his brother into trouble.
Indeed, when causing trouble for Filch, it was crucial not to get caught.
The twins were led by Filch to a broom closet under a spiral staircase on the first floor of Hogwarts Castle. Filch retrieved a bucket, mop, and broom from inside and handed them to the twins.
"Alright, start mopping," Filch said, revealing a malicious smile. "Let this be a lesson for everyone on what happens when you act mischievous."
(End of Chapter)
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