On the first day of the new school year, Fred and George instantly became the center of everyone's attention.
Even when they got back to the common room, the younger wizards were still talking about the two of them.
"Do you really think the Weasley Brothers can actually sell those candies?"
Cedric sat on the sofa, asking a bit skeptically, "Professor McGonagall probably wouldn't allow that, right?"
"Definitely not out in the open." Kael thought for a moment, then said, "But as long as they don't get caught, it should be fine. The school also has rules against bringing Dungbombs and Filibuster's Fireworks into the castle, but have you ever seen a shortage of those around?
The professors are usually way too busy to care about little things like that."
"That's not quite the same," Cedric said, frowning a little.
He remembered the Weasley Brothers mentioning before term started that those candies were meant to help young wizards skip class... Would the professors really turn a blind eye to that?
To this, Kael only shrugged, showing he really wasn't sure either.
But based on what he knew about Fred and George, those two had probably already figured out a solution.
And as long as they're not caught on the spot, the professors probably wouldn't even suspect Fred and George.
They'd just think those candies were products from Zonko's or some other joke shop, and eventually, they'd just add the Ton-Tongue Toffee to the contraband list.
Yeah... something like that, probably.
As a Hufflepuff tradition, catching up on missed homework after school starts was inevitable.
As more and more people filed into the common room, Kael and Cedric headed back to their own dorm, leaving the space to those students eager to create a miracle.
Their dorm was still the same one as last year, except now there was a new sign on the door: "Second Year."
The room itself hadn't changed one bit, and it was spotless, probably thanks to the house-elves cleaning ahead of time.
Kael lay on his bed, staring up at all the familiar sights, his mind quickly going fuzzy.
Because he went to bed early, Kael woke up early the next morning and headed to the eighth floor of the castle on his own.
Thanks to the Room of Requirement perfectly mimicking natural environments, and the Moonstruck Beast fertilizing consistently every day, the flowerbed was thriving even though Kael hadn't tended to it in two months.
But of course, there were some changes.
The most obvious one was the Devil's Snare—since it was closest to the Moonstruck Beast's nest, it was a lot bigger than two months ago. The tendrils were now about as thick as a wrist, and their color seemed even deeper.
Also, the Chomping Cabbage planted before the break had sprouted, their fist-sized mouths opening and closing. Kael figured they'd start growing teeth in another week or two.
The Dittany and Ruta Graveolens were doing just as well, a lush green patch of them.
The Moonstruck Beast was sleeping.
Tiny Billywig buzzing circles in the air—when it spotted Kael, it zipped over with its propeller whirring on its head.
Kael instinctively took a step back, greeted it briefly, and left the Room of Requirement.
The little guy seemed a bit too excited today, buzzing chaotically around Kael, totally forgetting that it was still carrying a stinger.
Kael definitely didn't want to get stung by it.
After leaving the Room of Requirement, Kael came down the stairs and arrived back at the Auditorium.
By then, a lot of people were already seated, gathered in little clusters, all glancing and whispering toward Gryffindor's table.
"Over there, quick, look!"
"Where?"
"Next to that tall, red-haired guy—the one wearing glasses."
"Harry Potter!"
"Did you see his face... that scar!"
Harry looked really uncomfortable with all the attention, keeping his head down and eating his breakfast as fast as possible.
Kael walked over to the Hufflepuff table.
Fred and George were there too, chatting with Cedric.
"Homework, Cedric, you've got to save us."
Fred pleaded pitifully, "I didn't realize we'd have Magic Potion class on the first day, and if we don't turn in our homework on time..."
George shivered, "Snape is definitely going to kill us."
"I guess I could lend you my homework," Cedric said. "But class is starting soon—are you sure you even have time to copy it now?"
"We should have time."
Fred nodded enthusiastically. "Our Magic Potion class is second period, so we can finish up during Divination."
"Alright then." Cedric considered for a moment. "I'll grab it for you after breakfast."
"Thanks so much!"
Fred and George looked at Cedric with grateful puppy-dog eyes.
"You've saved our lives!"
Cedric only smiled slightly. He'd already saved several people since last night.
Kael sat down next to the Weasley Brothers, and asked curiously, "You guys picked Divination?"
"Divination and Care of Magical Creatures,"
Fred replied. "Divination is a must—Charlie said you can get high marks super easily, plus the class is really chill."
"As long as you make everything sound as tragic as possible when Professor Trelawney asks, you're free to just do whatever you want."
George said, "I recommend you pick Divination next year too—it's basically a student's best friend."
"Yeah, I might have to consider that."
Kael looked at the pair, hesitated for a second, then said suddenly, "If you guys can, I'd suggest you both add Ancient Magic Language Class."
"Why's that?"
Fred looked puzzled. "I heard that class is really hard."
"Really tough," George agreed, frowning. "Percy spent almost all of break just studying that."
"That's true,"
Kael nodded. "But haven't you two always dreamed of opening a joke shop? Ancient Magic Language really helps with Alchemy."
Alchemy?
Fred and George looked at each other—they were starting to get what Kael meant.
Those joke products would count as Alchemy Items too. If that's the case, then Ancient Magic Language would definitely be useful.
"Kael, why are you only telling us something this important now?" George scratched his head.
Course selection was already over. If they wanted to take Ancient Magic Language, they'd have to ask Professor McGonagall to add another class.
Except… three electives... That would eat up a ton of their time. If they actually applied for it, they probably wouldn't get much time to do what they love.
But opening their own joke shop had always been their dream. If Ancient Magic Language truly helped with Alchemy, then it was definitely worth it.
The twins immediately started to panic and agonize over the choice.
"How about we talk to Professor McGonagall?"
After thinking for a moment, George asked tentatively, "Do you think she'd let us swap Care of Magical Creatures for Ancient Magic Language Class?"
…
Sorry, I just got back late last night and forgot to schedule a post.
Bang bang bang... Please forgive me!