Twin-termetion
Marvolo looked down at his own sunset orange hands before examining the two responsible before him; Fred and George Weasley. Despite only being at the tail end of their second year they already showed great potential. Earlier that day they had managed to use the sole potion that students learn in their second year, the Color change potion, to change the majority of the people at Chéile’s hands by sliping the potion into the hand soap dispensers across the school. Only to have been caught sneaking into a men’s room near the main dining hall with potion vials in hand.
Now he examines the children in front of him having met the boys a couple of times over their two years at his school, despite Lucius’s protests about offering Weasley’s a scholarship. The two boys are of average height for nearly 11 year olds with iconic Weasley red hair, mischief brown eyes and faces spotted with freckles. Dressed in the standard school black over robe lacking the colourful trim that comes from being sorted in a house once in the third year. Under their robes the twins are dressed in khaki knee length shorts, scuffed up black tennis shoes and different coloured tee shirts: a solid grey shirt for Fred and a pale blue shirt for Geroge. Their matching Aventurine translation stones are set in matching leather cuff bracelets on their left wrists.
“So boys”, he started as the twins turned their attention from their wordless conversation with each other to their headmaster before them. Seeing he now had their full undivided attention he held his colourful hands out before them and asked, “May I know why the two of you felt the need to contaminate the school’s supply of hand soap with Colour change potion”?
One thing he had always tried his best to do as a headmaster is to get every side of a student's story before he decides on any type of punishment he would give the. It was one thing he had decided upon after learning of how Severus was often punished for being the victim of the Marauders pranks, while the ones who pranked him were praised for their efforts.
The twins look at each other before nodding and going to answer the question in their usual twin speak, Fred being the first to speak. “Well we had”,
“Noticed that not”,
“Everyone was washing”,
“their hands after”,
“Using the restroom”.
“So”,
“We”,
“Decided to see”,
“Who does”,
“Or does not”.
“Wash their hands”. The twins finish at the same time with matching grins that show they don’t feel the slightest guilt for what they've done.
“I see”, Marvolo said as he thought this situation over. In all honesty this was a relatively harmless prank with mostly pure intentions in mind considering how young the culprits were. He knew a situation like this cannot go unpunished, though, or else things would just escalate if they believed they could just get off scot free every time. “Well then I have a few things to say to you boys, firstly good job”.
Hearing their headmaster compliment them for their prank has the twins blink in surprise before saying in sync, “Huh”?
“Yes the two of you broke school rules but I shouldn’t ignore the skill that went into this prank. You were able to brew a large amount of Colour change potion perfectly by yourselves without any help. You were also skilled enough to sneak into a majority of toilet and tamper with the soap without getting caught even by the house elves until you hit over 80% of the restrooms in the school. I would be remiss for not acknowledging all the skill and planning the two of you must have put into this prank”. Marvolo explains truly shocking the boys. In the past, whenever they pulled a prank back home, their Mom would always punish and reprimand the pair without acknowledging how smart they had to be in order to actually pull off their pranks. But here they were with their Headmaster not only asking them why they pulled a prank, but praising them for the work that went into it. He hadn't even gotten angry with them for making his hands orange, nor was he raising his voice.
“However”, Marvolo continued, snapping the twins out of their daze. “I cannot ignore the fact that the two of you broke school rules by not only brewing potions independently outside of the class without any supervision, but somehow got your hands on all the necessary ingredients. You also had to have gone into the women's washrooms and locker rooms in order to do this prank which goes against the rules(question here, which are the specific two rules that have been broken. The wording makes it seem like the previous sentence had the two but then have this as a third) , so the two of you must be punished for this but since I’m feeling generous I’ll give you a choice for the punishment.
“First choice is 2 weeks of helping the house elves with dish duty”, this of course was one of the more standard options for detention in their school after all the house elves deserve a helping hand every once in a while. And length or what job you help them with was normally dependent on how bad the crime was that the student committed.
“Or you can also sign up to be a big student next year”. Now this wasn't actually considered a punishment. The big student program was where older students years 3 and up could sign up to help first years find their way around the school and get adjusted to attending a boarding school so far away from their homes. In a way it was like the prefect job during the first year at Hogwarts, only more one on one and personal, not to mention it lasted for at least a whole school year. It was normally voluntary on most students' parts but if a teacher asks you to sign up it’s considered a huge honour especially when it’s the headmaster himself asking you to do it. Now the punishment came from the mandatory 7 hour orientation for any student who’s selected for the program. The first 5 hours of which are considered so boring it’s like a dementor sucking your soul out of your very body. This was the option Marvolo was hoping the two would pick for there’s a certain student coming to Chéile next year that he’ll take great pleasure out of having a Weasley be their Big Sibling.
The twins looked at each other before looking at Marvolo, “Can we”,
“Have a minute”,
“To talk”,
“This over”? They ask while a British Barn Owl swooped into the room and droped a thick envelope into Marvolo’s mail basket.
“Of course”. Marvolo said as he stood up from his Mahogany desk to make his way over to the basket to examine what’s just been delivered to him on the front of the letter has him shocked.
To Headmaster Marvolo S. Sayer of Chéile Academy
From James and Lily Potter
The shock that the very family he had attempted to kill over half a decade ago was now contacting his very academy but for what reason could they possibly have to do so? He wondered if they knew who he was and were trying to get in contact with him or were they trying to enrol his children in his school? But Albus would never let Julius Potter, his precious boy who lived, attend another school so that didn't make sense. While Marvolo was in deep thought over this for a few minutes the twins before him reached their decision. “Headmaster Sayer, we've come to a decision”. They speak in harmony to catch his attention.
Turning his attention back to the students, Marvolo remembered what he was doing before the letter arrived. “I see, one moment boys. FILLY”! He called as a house elf pops into the room wearing a green and brown uniform adorned with the Moosleute house emblem.
“Yes Master Sayer, how’s may Filly help you today”? The female elf asked with a deep bow.
“Please go get assistant Headmaster Connor for me. I have something important to discuss with him after I conclude my business with the twins here”. He instructed Filly who disappears right away to get Barty then turns back to the twins before him. “Sorry about that. Something has come up so we’ll need to rush through the rest of our meeting. Now what is the decision the two have you have come to”?
“We’ve decide”,
“To sign up”,
“For the Big”,
“Sibling program”. The two answered, making Marvolo smile happy to hear them pick the option he was hoping they chose. He brings out the signup sheet for the program he was planning to hang around the school later that day and watched the two put their names at the very top of the sheet.
“I’m glad to hear it, boys. I think you’ve made the right decision here. You'll have to report to the Auditorium two weeks before the next school term to learn who you’ve been partnered with. Then attend the mandatory orientation which if the teacher in charge tells me you haven’t completed the entirety of the orientation you’ll be kicked out of the program and have to do a month of dish duty for shirking out of your punishment on top of your punishment for the soap prank”. He explained, as the duo nodded in understanding. Once their conversation was over Marvolo walked the boys out of his office to be greeted with the sight of a flustered Barty who clearly just ran all the way up to Marvolo’s office from where he was in the Castle.
“Ah Barty, thank you for joining me, I’ll be with you in a moment”. Marvolo said to his friend before turning back to the twins for the last time that day. “Now boys, I hope you’ve learned your lesson about pulling pranks. Now move along, dinner is in 30 minutes and I’m sure you’re starving after running around the entire school today to get to all those soap dispensers. Also next week is Familiar day, I look forward to seeing what kind of familiar’s the two of you will bond with”.
“See ya later Headmaster Sayer” the twins called out to Marvolo as they raced down the halls. With the Wealey duo out of sight, Barty turned his attention back to Marvolo having caught his breath and they made their way back into his office.
“So, what do you need me for”? Barty asked as Marvolo wordlessly hands him the letter he received from the Potters. rReading the front over, the dragon kin raised his eyebrows in surprise. “The Potters are contacting you, the headmaster of this school, what for? It’s a known fact both their children are Hogwarts bound”.
“I don’t know, I haven’t opened the letter yet. I thought it would be better if I had someone by my side to read this in case this letter is the worst case scenario and somehow they’ve learned I was Voldemort”. Marvolo said, nervously taking the latter back and staring at it like the contents could ruin everything he’d worked for with Chéile. Gathering his courage he opens the letter to read it’s content aloud
“Dear Headmaster Sayer of Chéile Academy
We are submitting our application for our son Harry Potter to attend your establishment for the next 2 years at minimum. You see we have two sons and our older one is known as the Boy-Who-Lived throughout Britain which has caused his brother Harry to become isolated and withdrawn while in his brother's shadow. When we asked someone we trust for advice they suggested having Harry spend some time away from his brother to grow on his own.
When we asked our friends about places we could send Harry, Molly Weasley, who has two sons, Fred & Geroge, who attend your school, recommended it to us. Enclosed is the completed enrollment paperwork that came with the pamphlet Molly gave us about your establishment. We do believe attending Chéile will help Harry make friends since Molly’s sons who go there are already considered his friends and can help him make more.
Now Harry & his brother have been signed up to attend Hogwarts since they were born, but we have talked it over and have decided that after two years at Chéile Harry will have the option of going to Hogwarts or staying at your school. So please accept our application even if Harry isn’t guaranteed to study at Chéile for all 9 years.
Sincerely James & Lily Potter”
Unable to believe what they had just read, Marvolo set the letter on top to the side to read through the enrollment paperwork enclosed below. All the paperwork was indeed in order to have the true boy who lived enrolled in Chéile the following year, if a bit close to the deadline. After processing the contents of the letter for a minute Barty started laughing at the irony.
“So you’re saying that to get out of the false boy who lived spotlight, his parents are sending the true boy who lives straight into the dark lord's school”?
“So it would seem, not that they know those facts of course, if their words are to be believed”. Marvolo said as he decided what to do next. “I believe I’ll accept the Potter’s application. It would be the best option, after all it would truly be tragic if Albus got his hand on the child who actually defeated me all those years ago, and it’s like they said in the letter it's up to Harry if he stays at Chéile or not after two years”.
Confused Barty tries to figure out what’s going through Marvolo’s head. ”Soare you going to show him favouritism at Albus’ Gryffindor level treatment in hope’s it’ll spoil him enough into staying? Because that would go against everything we stand for as educators”.
Shaking his head in amusement at Barty’s concern, Marvolo walks over to his desk to see the big sibling program sign up sheet with two names on it and gets an idea, “Oh nothing like that Barty. The Potter elders mentioned Harry already having friends here, we don’t need to show him any favouritism beyond simply reuniting friends who haven’t seen each other in years. I have full confidence our school’s unique charm will win Harry over all on its own”.
After all, despite the pairings for the big sibling program to be decided at random beyond being separated by gender, he wanted the twins to be in the program next year because he wanted at least one of them to be paired up with a certain student who’ll start attending next year. So by pairing one twin with Harry and the other twin with this student he had a hunch things are going to get interesting in the years to follow.
Oh Lucius is going to be livid, Marvolo thought to himself with a chuckle as he went to write Harry Potter’s Acceptance Letter.