"OWL scores don't tell the whole story, Molly," Sirius said, his voice carrying a hint of the aristocratic upbringing he so despised. "And not every young wizard who graduates and lands a cushy job at the Ministry is considered successful. If you're struggling to understand my point, just think about Bryan. He seemed to have been unemployed for a few years after graduation, but now look at him—he's accumulated almost as many impressive titles as Dumbledore himself."
In Harry's opinion, Sirius had made an excellent point, but unfortunately, Mrs. Weasley wasn't buying it.
"If you're trying to lecture me on how to raise my children, Sirius, I'm sorry, but I clearly have more experience in this matter," she said, her words clipped and sharp. "Bill and Charlie never went astray, and just look at Percy. He's a shining example of what hard work and talent can achieve. Why haven't all these good role models had any positive effect on Fred and George?"
Remus who had been quietly observing the exchange from his position by the window stepped forward.
"That's not entirely fair to Fred and George, Molly," he said, running a hand through his graying hair. "To be honest, I don't think Sirius is wrong in his assessment. At the very least, the items they've created are quite impressive from a magical standpoint. You couldn't just grab any young wizard at Hogwarts and expect them to create something of that caliber."
"Before you bur... ah, disposed of those items, I examined their creations. Each one was truly remarkable, showcasing an intricate understanding of complex charms and transfiguration. I can assure you with absolute certainty that even NEWT level students would struggle to produce any of those things."
Mrs. Weasley, whose anger had been momentarily softened by Remus's calm demeanor, now exploded again. Her face flushed an alarming shade of red as she exclaimed, "That's exactly my point, Remus! They're not lacking in intelligence; they're just not applying their considerable talents properly! We've received more complaint letters from Hogwarts about their misbehavior in the past few years than about all our other children combined. I just can't figure where we went wrong with those two!"
Harry opened his mouth to explain that Fred and George's products were actually incredibly popular among the young wizards at Hogwarts. However, before he could utter a word, he caught sight of Hermione as she shot him a warning look. Reluctantly, Harry closed his mouth, swallowing the words of defense he was about to offer.
As the echoes of Mrs. Weasley's outburst faded, an uncomfortable silence settled over the room. The only sounds were the ticking of an ancient grandfather clock in the corner and the distant clanking of dishes from the kitchen, where Ginny was helping her mother with the post-lunch cleanup.
Remus furrowed his brow as he stared at Mrs. Weasley's retreating back. While others in the living room were still quietly discussing the conflict between Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley. Perhaps feeling the need to repay the hospitality they'd received over the past few days, Remus said.
"This stalemate can't continue forever. One side will have to compromise first."
Ron, sprawled across a worn-out sofa, snorted sarcastically. His freckled face wore an expression of absolute certainty as he said, "There's no chance Mum will be the one to compromise. You might as well ask a Blast-Ended Skrewt to tap dance."
"Why didn't you let me speak earlier, Hermione?" Harry looked at the uncharacteristically silent Hermione, and said with some dissatisfaction tinging his voice.
"Because I think—" she began, then paused, aware that she was about to voice an unpopular opinion.
Hermione knew that on this particular issue, everyone in the living room, including Sirius and Remus - two former professors, also seemed to side with Fred and George. But Hermione had never been one to shy away from speaking her mind, even when it meant standing alone. She straightened her back and continued,
"Yes, it's true that Fred and George's joke products are immensely popular among the young wizards. I've seen it too. But you're all overlooking the fact that their items are illegal!"
Ron raised an eyebrow, about to say something, but Hermione, having found her momentum, continued relentlessly.
"You've all heard the commotion emanating from Fred and George's room these past few days. The explosions, the strange odors, the occasional yelp of pain – which means there's a certain level of danger in manufacturing these items and they can't possibly be sure that their products don't have unforeseen side effects, can they? They experiment on themselves, which is reckless enough, but sometimes they even use younger students as unsuspecting test subjects. Surely you can see how problematic that is?"
Hermione paused to draw breath; her cheeks flushed with the enthusiasm of her argument. The others in the room stared at her, momentarily stunned by her words. But Hermione wasn't finished. She pressed on, her voice taking on a note of urgency.
"Most importantly, they've been selling these joke products to students for quite some time now, but not a single one of their inventions has been approved or regulated by the Ministry of Magic. If something were to go wrong - forgive me for saying this, Ron- but if a student were to be seriously injured by one of their products, I'm afraid your parents wouldn't have nearly enough Galleons to cover the potential compensation claims!"
Hermione's words, as always, cut straight to the heart of the matter with laser-like precision. The room fell into a stunned silence. Not only were Harry and Ron dumbfounded, but even Sirius was momentarily speechless.
It was Remus who broke the silence. A slow smile spread across his face as he looked at Hermione with undisguised admiration. "You're absolutely right, Hermione," he said, his voice warm with praise. "I wouldn't be at all surprised if you become an outstanding professor or an excellent official in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in the future."
"Oh, I just—" Hermione began, her usual confidence faltering in the face of such high praise. Having voiced an opinion that differed from the majority had put considerable pressure on her, and she found herself particularly vulnerable to Remus's kind words. A blush crept up her cheeks as she smiled shyly and continued, "I was just expressing my view on the matter,"
Sirius, who had been unusually quiet, now spoke up.
"Sticking to your beliefs, especially when they go against the popular opinion, is perhaps the most admirable quality a person can possess," he said, nodding approvingly. "Well, now I think it's indeed necessary to have a serious conversation with those two unruly youngsters and offer them some much-needed advice."
"Let's go now," Remus said, showing an unexpected sense of urgency about the matter. He stood up from his chair and gestured for the others to follow him upstairs.
When they reached the twins' room, Sirius pulled out his wand with a swish. With a muttered incantation and a complex wand movement, he dispelled the locking charm on the door. As the lock clicked open, they braced themselves, half-expecting to see two dejected figures sprawled across their beds in misery after their mother's outburst.
However, the scene that greeted them as the door swung open was entirely unexpected, catching them all off guard.
Fred and George had transformed their small, messy bedroom into a makeshift potions laboratory. All the beds and furniture had been unceremoniously shoved against the walls, carving out a significant open space in the center of the cramped room. The floor in the middle was covered with a chaotic display of magical ingredients - dried herbs of various hues, desiccated insects with shiny wings, ground animal innards that emitted a faintly nauseating odor, and numerous other unidentifiable substances.
In the heart of this alchemical jumble sat Fred and George. Each twin was absentmindedly munching on a piece of bread, their attention fully focused on a large, bubbling cauldron that sat between them. The potion emitted sporadic puffs of multicolored smoke, filling the air with an odd mixture of scents.
The twins were so engrossed in their work, muttering incantations and occasionally adding pinches of various ingredients to their concoction, that it took them several long seconds to realize someone had pried open their supposedly impenetrable door.
Thinking it might be Mrs. Weasley, they instinctively hid the jars behind their backs. When they saw who it actually was, Fred lowered his shoulders from his defensive hiding posture and said irritably, "Well, well, what do we have here? A surprise inspection committee? Can I file a lawsuit with the Wizengamot for trespassing?"
"No need to go through all that trouble," Sirius replied smoothly, his eyes roving with undisguised interest over the bubbling cauldron and the magical ingredients surrounding it. He couldn't quite tell which twin was speaking, so he replied vaguely, "You can just write a letter to Bryan, telling him I broke down your door. He's a member of the Wizengamot, I'm sure he'd be happy to send me back to Azkaban for you."
George wasn't in the mood for jokes at the moment. He rolled his eyes dramatically and then returned his attention to the product that was about to take shape. "Look, we don't mean to be rude," he said, though his tone suggested he didn't particularly care if he came across as rude or not, "but we don't have time to entertain guests right now. We're in the middle of a very delicate stage of production!"
"You haven't given up on your... business venture? Or should I say, your dream?" Remus asked, stepping out from behind Sirius. His curiosity was piqued, as he moved forward to examine the solution in the cauldron more closely, he sniffed the aroma in the air, and then turned his gaze to a cardboard box on the twins' bed which contained numerous Canary Creams and what looked like some sort of modified fireworks.
"You've managed to produce so many new items again?" Remus asked, somewhat surprised.
"Oh, of course. Nothing can stop us from pursuing our dream, sir, not even the woman who might be doing her chores in the kitchen downstairs!" Fred said, raising his eyebrows proudly. "These beauties have already been sold, you see. We have a responsibility to ensure that the customers who've already paid their hard-earned Galleons get their goods as soon as the summer holiday ends. It's a matter of professional integrity."
George nodded in agreement, then added with a hint of apology in his voice, "Honestly, we don't typically welcome outsiders into our workshop - it involves some rather sensitive trade secrets, you understand."
Well, at least judging from Fred and George's enthusiasm, the earlier fears about them being discouraged seemed like a joke.
The room fell into a brief silence. Hermione frowned as she stared at the solution in the cauldron that was about to solidify, realizing that even with her knowledge, she couldn't determine what it was. Harry and Ron, on the other hand, were clearly on Fred and George's side, looking at the cardboard box on the bed with interest, looking eager to try the products.
'How to start the conversation?'
Sirius found himself in a dilemma. As he observed the twins, so focused on their work, a part of him couldn't help but admire their dedication and ingenuity. These were clearly two very talented young wizards with a passion for their craft. The last thing he wanted was to discourage them from pursuing their dreams. And yet, he knew he had a responsibility to gently remind them that their current behavior, while impressive, wasn't exactly appropriate or safe. At the very least, they needed to be made aware of the potential dangers and legal implications of their work.
As Sirius pondered how to broach this delicate subject, In the moment of silence, Hermione observed everyone's expressions. Her pursed lips looked exactly like Professor McGonagall's. Just as she was about to step forward and voice her concerns, Remus, who had been silently considering, suddenly shifted his gaze. He glanced inconspicuously at Harry, and then said something that shocked everyone in the room:
"So, Fred and George, I came here to ask: would you accept an investment?"
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