The curtains in the compartment were drawn tight, thick enough to block out the sunlight, making the space feel dim and conspiratorial.
Five figures huddled around the table, scheming up an evil plan.
"First off, we need someone unfamiliar to knock on the Slytherin compartment door. If any of us go, they'll be suspicious," George began, glancing over at William.
"You're the only first-year here, so they definitely won't recognize you," he added.
"That's true," William said, stroking his chin thoughtfully before raising an eyebrow. "But... as the only one going to knock, I'll be the first they suspect if something happens. Unless I plan tp drop out of school after this, I'll have to watch my back."
"Isn't that great? It'll add a little excitement to your otherwise boring school life," Fred patted William on the shoulder, trying to console him.
George chimed in, "You can always come to Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall will definitely protect you."
William rolled his eyes. Yeah, right. Like I'd trust you two.
"So, what's next?" Lee Jordan asked, eager for more details.
"Next, I'll use this to fire a smoke bomb into their compartment to create chaos," George said, revealing a gun-like launcher in his hand.
It was a modified device they'd originally made to chase away gnomes.
In George's right hand was a small white sphere—a product from Zonko's Joke Shop. When struck with enough force, it would release a thick cloud of white smoke, giving the appearance of a fire.
Originally, the Weasley twins had planned to use a Filibuster Firework, but its firepower was too much. They feared the flames would pierce the roof of the train.
While such a spectacle would have been thrilling, like something right out of a movie, they couldn't afford to foot the bill for train repairs.
Though the Weasley brothers loved a good prank, they knew how to keep the consequences manageable—no need to cause more trouble than their family could handle.
"Is that the whole plan?" Cedric asked, relieved.
Cedric was a good kid, and if it was just a prank like this, he wouldn't feel too guilty.
But Cedric was in for disappointment.
Like a heroic outlaw, Fred grinned and dug into his pants pocket, rummaging around before pulling out a furry, black creature.
With its sleek black fur, flat snout, short, stubby tail, and webbed feet, it looked like a cross between a mole and a platypus. It was about the size of a large hand.
"A Niffler?" William exclaimed, recognizing the magical creature from Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
"Exactly!" George grinned. "Just a little troublemaker, only four months old. It stole loads of knuts from Fred and me this summer. But thanks to it, we also found some secret stashes of money Dad hid away years ago!"
William was certain the twins hadn't handed the money over to Mr. or Mrs. Weasley.
But right now, he was more curious about where Fred had been hiding this thing. Stuffing a Niffler down your trousers? Didn't Fred worry about being bitten?
Lee Jordan was practically drooling with envy, rubbing his hands together in excitement. "Where'd you guys get it?"
"A few months ago, George and I found an injured mother Niffler in the Forbidden Forest and brought her to Hagrid," Fred explained.
"She had eight baby Nifflers, and this little guy kept biting his siblings, so Hagrid gave him to us."
"Wow! But how could you go to the Forbidden Forest without telling me!" Lee huffed in mock indignation.
While the boys were chatting, the Niffler had already wriggled free from Fred's grasp, swiftly stealing the knuts from his pocket and tucking them into its belly pouch.
Nifflers had small external pouches that were deceptively spacious inside, like they had been enchanted with an Undetectable Extension Charm.
After emptying Fred's pockets, the Niffler turned its sights on William, sniffing for his gold Galleons—until its gaze landed on Boba Tea, who was lounging in the sunlight.
Under the bright light, Boba Tea's orange fur seemed to glisten like pure gold.
The Niffler's eyes lit up with excitement, and it hurriedly scampered over, its tiny paws grabbing hold of Boba Tea's slender tail, trying to stuff it into its pouch.
Boba Tea let out a startled "meow!" and leapt to its feet.
While Boba Tea didn't like its tail much, it was the kind of thing only it could bite—not some sneaky little mole-platypus hybrid.
With its bright blue eyes glaring, Boba Tea extended its paw and gave the Niffler a swift smack on its head, sending it skidding across the table.
The Niffler slid gracefully across the surface, coming to a stop after colliding with Cho's pet rabbit.
The rabbit, which had barely recovered from its earlier scare, now seemed unable to contain its rage.
"How dare you!" the rabbit seemed to say, standing up on its hind legs, paw on its hips, angrily pointing at the Niffler, chattering away in what could only be described as rabbit cursing.
"..."
The entire compartment fell silent, everyone unsure of what to make of the situation.
Apparently, the rabbit was a bit of a bully itself!
But the Niffler wasn't one to be intimidated either—it was a magical creature, after all.
George quickly stepped forward and grabbed the Niffler by its scruffy neck, pulling it back.
Fred chuckled, "This little guy's a handful, but even though he's a thief, he's still a good chap."
George nodded in agreement.
"We'll rely on him today. Once the smoke bomb goes off, we'll toss him into the Slytherin compartment."
"How do we get him back out?" Lee Jordan asked.
With the Niffler's greed for shiny objects, it might not return until it had stolen everything in sight.
William had an idea. "That's easy. Nifflers are drawn to bright things—the shinier, the better. We just need a mirror... anyone got one?"
Everyone turned their eyes to the only girl in the compartment—Cho Chang.
Raising an eyebrow, Cho reached into her pocket and pulled out a small, intricately carved hand mirror, its surface gleaming in the dim light. The silver bracelet on her wrist clinked pleasantly as she raised the mirror with a smirk.
"You want this?" she asked slyly.
"Four cups of Fizzing Whizzbees," Cho said, driving a hard bargain, likely as payback for her poor rabbit.
Cedric didn't hesitate. "Deal!"
Wow—this guy is really whipped, William thought.
...
...
The Slytherin students had claimed the middle carriages of the train.
William, feigning the role of a lost first-year, strolled innocently up to one of the compartment doors.
But he didn't knock as George had suggested.
The first rule of mischief: don't let them see your face!
If the Slytherins saw him, no matter what happened next, he would be remembered—and that wasn't something William wanted.
Though he wasn't afraid of them, he wasn't an idiot. He wasn't about to take the blame for this.
Drawing his wand, William tapped it lightly on the door handle and whispered,
"Alohomora."
With a soft click, the door's latch opened. William grabbed the handle, yanked the door wide open, then quickly darted around the corner.
George, who had been waiting in the wings, seized the opportunity and accurately fired the smoke bomb into the compartment.
Immediately, a thick cloud of white smoke began to hiss and billow out.
At that moment, a small shadow dashed inside.
This was the true Wild West showdown—the arrival of the infamous outlaw:
Robin Niffler, the Thief!