The Weasley twins burst through the entrance to the Gryffindor common room, panting and flushed from their mad dash across the castle.
To their surprise, not a single person looked up.
At this hour, the common room was still lively. Hermione was tutoring a cluster of first-years on their wand movements; second- and third-years huddled in animated discussions; a few upperclassmen were buried behind towers of books, cross-referencing parchment as though prepping for N.E.W.T.s.
Scanning the room, the twins finally spotted their classmates in a corner, reciting something at high speed.
Just then, their friend Lee Jordan caught sight of them. He waved his wild dreadlocks in greeting, only to be silenced by a sharp glare from Angelina. With exaggerated innocence, he hid behind his copy of Potions Class Safety Regulations, waggling his eyebrows at the twins through a gap in the parchment.
For the first time ever, the Weasley twins felt a distinctly Ravenclaw atmosphere settling over Gryffindor Tower.
Throwing their arms around each other, they called out, voices brimming with excitement:
"Oi, mates! Want to hear what we got up to tonight?"
"Oh, I bet no one wants to hear about Peeves banishment spells!"
"Fred, if Professor Holmes's binding rope spell could tie Peeves up like a peach, why isn't it called the Peeves-to-Peach spell?"
"George, what are you on about? Blimey! Peeves actually signed a non-aggression pact with Professor Holmes?"
"Fred, you're a legend! Facing down a hundred ghosts with your brother—brilliant!"
Their banter drew every eye in the common room.
BANG!
A loud explosion rang out.
Everyone instinctively glanced at second-year Seamus Finnigan.
Seamus shot his hands up defensively, book in hand. "Wasn't me! I'm revising—I haven't even got my wand out!"
Suspicious looks lingered on him.
From across the room, Ginny, who'd been practicing the Freezing Charm, glared at her brothers. "That was me! You startled me—made me shatter a teapot. If you tell us what happened tonight, I won't tell Mum you scared me!"
All eyes swung back to the twins.
The younger students were practically vibrating with excitement, while the seventh-years wore puzzled expressions. Some seemed to recall hearing about a Peeves banishment charm, but couldn't quite place it.
A seventh-year girl frowned, thinking hard. "Peeves banishment charm? Isn't that a load of rubbish? I remember when I started at Hogwarts, some older student tried to cast a spell with a slip of yellow paper—didn't do anything at all."
Others exchanged glances, then several more seventh-years nodded in agreement, memories jogged.
(The Peeves Banishment Charm fiasco happened in late May 1986. This group of seventh-years entered Hogwarts that September, so they missed the whole debacle. And since the incident lasted only a few days before a mishap on May 20th, the professors banned all discussion of it.)
At that moment, Ginny approached, pinching her nose. "Did you two get hit by Dungbombs? Why do you stink so much?"
The twins beamed, puffing out their chests.
"Aha! You wouldn't know!"
"Professor Holmes's top-secret recipe!"
"Stinky tofu, that's what it's called, right, Fred?"
"Absolutely—I heard it straight from the source!"
Curious, a few brave souls leaned in for a sniff and nearly retched.
(Authentic stinky tofu brine, when properly aged, is truly… potent. My dad sold stinky tofu snacks for ten years, and the brine lived in our kitchen…)
In the end, the twins were unanimously banished to stand beneath an open window. They could tell their story from a safe distance.
As they regaled the crowd, questions flew up from below.
Hermione listened intently, then frowned. "If what you're saying is true, this wasn't some minor event. But why doesn't the latest edition of Hogwarts: A History mention any of it? The new version talks about Harry enrolling last year and being sorted into Gryffindor. It even mentions the failed Peeves banishment in 1876 and the resulting agreement. But nothing you describe is in there."
Hearing Hermione mention that Harry's sorting made it into the latest Hogwarts: A History, Ron glanced at Colin nearby, then nudged Harry.
Harry turned to follow Ron's gaze—only to find Colin staring at him with such intensity he nearly jumped. Harry half-expected him to shout, "Oh, Harry, flip to that page and pose for a photo, will you?"
The room erupted in debate over the story's truthfulness.
Most believed it—assuming the twins weren't spinning another wild tale. It wasn't that anyone doubted them; it just sounded too fantastical.
Ask Professor Holmes for confirmation? Not unless you wanted triple homework.
Professor Snape? Out of the question—unless you fancied Gryffindor's points plummeting.
Professor Sprout might be approachable; students began discussing which year had Herbology lessons tomorrow.
Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "Hang on! According to George and Fred, the Professor only promised the ghosts there wouldn't be any more runes like that—but he never said we couldn't learn the spell that tied Peeves up like a peach!"
The common room exploded with excitement.
If you ranked Hogwarts' most hated residents, Peeves would be second—Filch could only hope for third.
Imagine being able to tie up Peeves every day for a laugh! Some were already plotting to dangle him from the Great Hall chandelier and pelt him with moldy bread.
Hit him—ten points.
Hit his head—twenty!
Just then, Sir Nicholas, Gryffindor's resident ghost, drifted through the wall and into the room.
His arrival had the effect of a powerful Silencing Charm—the room fell instantly quiet.
Every eye fixed on Sir Nicholas, who was so startled his head toppled clean off his neck.
(Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, known in death as "Nearly Headless Nick," was so named because, during his execution, the headsman's axe was so blunt it took forty-five strikes to nearly sever his head.)
He hastily righted his head, then spotted the twins by the window.
He didn't need Professor Trelawney to tell him—he could feel doom looming.
Sure enough, the students crowded forward, bombarding him with questions:
"Sir, can you tell us what really happened between the ghosts and Professor Holmes?"
"Hey, Nick, is it true what George said? Does Professor Holmes really have a way to hurt ghosts?"
"Are Peeves banishment charms real?"
"They must be! Professor Holmes is brilliant—of course he's powerful!" (Ron was fiercely defending the Professor against any doubters.)
"..."
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