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Chapter 589: The Troublemaking Twins
Chapter 589: The Troublemaking Twins
Easter break passed day by day, and Felix had to appear in the solemn and serious courtroom every day, watching one unfamiliar Dark Wizard after another receive judgment. Spotting a familiar face felt like winning a lottery.
Of course, those familiar faces usually didn't have a good outcome, as they were Death Eaters and would almost always be sentenced to life imprisonment.
The foreign observers sitting across from him weren't just statues; they provided a lot of identity information, and Scrimgeour, who never seemed to tire, would always read out unrelated violations as background information before the official verdict.
At such times, Felix's mind would start to wander.
Valen hadn't come along these past few days. It had gone to confront Ron Weasley again. Felix was quite surprised; when had Ron developed the same hobby as his two older brothers? But that telescope really wasn't harmful; it just gave a scare, well, a scare to a Niffler.
And according to Felix's research, the thing was supposed to create black eye circles on the face, making it look like someone had been punched. But on Valen, the effect was more like the black fur around the eyes getting matted and drooping onto the skin.
Felix laughed heartily.
He even wrote about it in his letter to Grindelwald, "I'll introduce you to them sometime..."
Of course, these were just side stories. He spent a lot of time describing how different the times were, "After all, you've been isolated from the world for too long, and it's understandable." He also mentioned his plans: "Once the war is over, I'll choose an appropriate time to raise the issue. With the various products from 'Future World' as a foundation, they might better understand Muggle technology. By then, they'll realize the severity of the problem on their own."
Given the old man's unpleasant attitude in previous letters, Felix deliberately used his past experiences as a contrast several times.
"…This way, they'll take my opinions very seriously and won't label me as a heretic…"
From the reply, it seemed Grindelwald was quite excited, tearing through several pieces of parchment. Of course, it could also be due to old age.
Additionally, Dumbledore's feigned tired appearance was noticed by a sharp-eyed reporter the next day. When asked about it, Dumbledore vaguely passed it off as staying up too late playing ten-pin bowling. After that, his complexion improved, and the issue didn't gain much traction—after all, Dumbledore was known to do such things.
However, for some 'observant individuals,' his contradictory behavior was suspicious.
On the fifth day of the trials, Felix habitually went for a walk at Malfoy Manor and noticed sharply that someone had been there. Following the trail, he reached the garden and saw that the once beautiful and intricate fountain had melted into a pool of foul-smelling sewage. He knew what had happened.
Voldemort had been there but left disappointed.
The following days were uneventful, except for the evening of the 15th.
The Weasley Twins, without any warning, held a fireworks show on the grounds. They launched twenty different types of fireworks into the sky above the castle. At the time, Felix, Valen, Sirius Black, and Professor Flitwick were playing cards together. Suddenly, a loud bang came from outside, and the focused Flitwick fell off his chair.
"Summon the Acromantula—good heavens! What's going on?"
Flitwick got up from the floor, and it seemed a fire dragon had flown past the window?
Felix silently looked out the window, and a familiar wheel-shaped firework flew past the balcony. He recalled that it had recently appeared in one of the green skull eyes in the sky above Hogwarts.
Excited shouts came from below the castle.
They went to the balcony to look down. Below the castle, a circle of people stood around, and at the center, Fred was holding an exaggeratedly large rocket-shaped firework, while George carefully approached with his wand. "It's a bit dangerous, we haven't tested it many times—" he told everyone to move back.
Based on past experience, everyone obediently retreated several feet.
"Will this thing explode?" Hermione asked, worried.
"Don't worry, they know what they're doing", Ron said happily.
A small orange flame emerged from the tip of George's wand and approached the firework. "Be careful not to burn my hand—" Fred called out, as George's eyes were clearly looking elsewhere. He followed the gaze and saw Professor Hooch and Professor Black watching them.
Fred grinned guiltily, "Bang!" A massive explosion sent waves of air and smoke billowing out, and the two of them tumbled out in a disheveled mess.
"Failed?" George asked, disappointed, sitting on the ground.
"I don't think so", Fred said, lying on the ground and looking up at the sky. He raised one arm, which pointed like a flag, and the audience, who had been coughing from the smoke, followed his lead and looked up.
The enormous firework shot straight into the sky, almost invisible in the darkness except for a glowing tail. After a dozen seconds, the black velvet sky suddenly erupted in a burst of vibrant colors. The night was filled with countless sparkling stars, which rained down like a meteor shower, then froze in mid-air, forming a vivid, colorful pattern.
Felix, standing on the balcony, had a blank expression, but his actions revealed his true feelings. He stared at the giant half-portrait in the sky, which bore a striking resemblance to him, smiling brightly and giving a thumbs-up.
A collective gasp echoed from the crowd below.
"Oh, my God, my God—" Hermione was so shocked she could hardly speak. People nearby stared in amazement at the spectacular sight.
On the field, a few Acromantula-shaped fireworks crawled around, and a Broomstick-shaped firework dragged a long banner, persistently spelling out letters: Happy Birthday, Professor Hup—
"Bang!"
Felix raised his wand, making it explode in the air. Not far away, Dumbledore pushed open the window of his office, his blue eyes behind the half-moon glasses curved into a smile as he curiously examined the giant portrait hanging in the sky. He then looked down at the lively scene below.
Even Fawkes poked his head out, watching the fire dragon-shaped firework spin and spout red and green sparks, completely engrossed.
Dumbledore waved at Felix through the window.
At that moment, Professor Mcgonagall ran over from the castle, her face shocked at the chaotic scene.
It was unclear what the twins had said to Professor Mcgonagall, but she didn't try to stop the various fireworks flying around, seemingly accepting everything. She then grabbed Fred and George Weasley by their ears and dragged them back to the castle.
"It's actually quite beautiful", Sirius Black said with a grin when Felix turned around.
He had gotten his revenge—on the night before Valentine's Day, Felix had insisted on testing a transfiguration spell on him, and then apologetically told him there was no counter-curse. "Turn my nose back!" Sirius shouted, sporting a pig's nose, and had to wear a large mask during his meeting with Amelia, refusing to take it off no matter what.
When Felix saw the twins again, it was in Professor Mcgonagall's office. They were quietly hanging their heads, looking dejected. However, when they saw Felix walk in, they immediately perked up and winked at him.
Their expression seemed to ask: Are you satisfied, professor?
"Violating school rules, frightening students—" Professor Mcgonagall said angrily.
"They're having a great time!" Fred protested, the noise outside seeming to confirm his words.
Professor Mcgonagall's chest swelled, "Playing tricks on professors—"
"We just wanted to give the professor a birthday surprise!" George shouted.
"Exactly", Fred nodded repeatedly. They had extensive experience breaking rules and knew how to downplay things, even negotiating detentions.
"Minerva", Felix said softly. Professor Mcgonagall frowned, "They must be punished." "I completely agree", Felix said, placing a hand on each of the twins' shoulders. They chuckled, but then realized the professor was getting taller.
No, they were getting shorter.
In the end, Felix bent over like a dark lord, his face twisted into a terrifying smile, and grabbed the now one-foot-tall twins.
"Oh, Felix!" Professor Mcgonagall exclaimed, "We never advocate corporal punishment—"
"Don't worry, it's not corporal punishment", Felix said, shaking the two tiny figures vigorously, making them dizzy. He raised his hands and said threateningly, "I hear you've always wanted to leave a memorable impression before graduation? Well, I can help with that."
"Professor—"
The miniaturized Fred said dryly, "Do you think the scene isn't big enough? We can take your advice—"
Felix laughed in exasperation and stuffed them into the large pocket of his robe. The two struggled fiercely. "Ouch—It's too dark in here!" one of them complained, trying to poke his head out, only to be pushed back by Felix's cold hand.
"I'll educate them properly, don't worry. It's just a standard punishment", Felix assured the stunned Professor Mcgonagall.
On the way back, Felix deliberately climbed up and down, making the pocket swing. It took him twice as long to return to his office. When he pushed the door open, he could still see part of his half-portrait firework from the window—the large thumb up. Felix's anger flared.
"You two have a lot of free time, I see. Finished your homework already?" He pulled the dazed pair out of his pocket and stuffed them into two empty ink bottles.
"Done", one of them mumbled, still disoriented.
"Excellent", Felix said with a sinister smile. "I hear your club is doing well, with many people joining?"
Fred, who had just managed to pull his bottom out of the ink bottle, hadn't realized the danger and said slowly, "Yes, it's going great." George pushed him back down forcefully.
"Ouch—" Fred flailed his arms.
"'Vow to Uphold School Rules'? Sounds good, but you need to set an example", Felix said ambiguously, turning to leave.
"What's the Professor going to do?" George asked uneasily.
"Who knows? Don't you think today's performance was a success? Including this—it's all part of the act", Fred said happily.
Valen jumped onto the table from the other side, shaking his head at them.
"Why does it feel like Valen is pitying us?" George said.
"Bang, bang."
Two quills, taller than they were, landed on the table, startling George. Looking up, he saw a dozen parchments flying over, and they quickly jumped aside.
"You're being punished by copying the school rules", Felix's distant voice said. "No transformation until you finish."
It turned out he had misjudged. The twins' thoughts were completely different from normal people. Their first reaction wasn't frustration but excitement. They looked at each other and said, "We've wanted to do this for a long time!"
"Deal, Professor!"
From their expressions, it didn't seem like a punishment but a special favor.
For the next while, the two enthusiastically trudged across the parchments, writing and critiquing each other's "work."
"Your 'W' is really ugly."
"Why don't you look at the letter 'O'? So standard, your letters look malnourished—"
"Nonsense!"
Felix extended his finger and cast a Silencing Charm nearby, finally bringing peace to the office—ignoring the excited shouts of students and the "whoosh" of fireworks outside.
He ultimately didn't use magic to erase the fireworks above his head.
...
Ignoring the twins who were copying sentences while playing, Felix sat in the armchair of the sofa, twirling a strand of pitch-black magic between his fingers, examining it closely.
The mere strand of magic itself exuded a heavy, ominous aura.
This was the magic he had extracted from Lucius's Dark Mark, belonging to Voldemort.
The more Felix studied it, the more he felt this magic was too extreme. He even doubted whether Voldemort could still use positive and constructive spells. But thinking about his recent research on the Patronus Charm, he wasn't so sure.
As he pondered, there was a rapid knock on the door.
Felix waved his hand, and the door opened automatically. Harry, Ron, and Hermione burst in. He wasn't surprised; they were probably here to plead for the twins. What he didn't expect was that Draco was behind them.
After Draco came in, Felix was about to speak when a fifth person entered, Luna, looking a bit bewildered. She seemed to have gotten lost and followed Harry and the others on a whim. Then came Ginny and Neville, followed by Daphne and Astoria, who squeezed into the office. Behind them were Cedric and Chang.
Felix was completely baffled. How did all these people end up together?
The newcomers were also taken aback, staring wide-eyed at the twins who were wrestling on a stack of parchments on the desk. Due to the Silencing Charm, they hadn't yet realized what was happening.
(End of Chapter)
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