0418 Cold War

Harry's stay at the Weasley house hadn't been very comfortable these past few days.

Firstly, due to Bill and Charlie's return home, Harry had to squeeze into a room with Ron, Fred, and George. Sirius, wanting to spend more time with Harry and reluctant to return to his old house, along with Remus, who had nowhere else to go at the moment, set up tents in the yard.

Mr. Weasley felt extremely guilty about this and even offered to give up his and Mrs. Weasley's room, but Sirius firmly refused.

Of course, what really made Harry uncomfortable was the situation with Fred and George.

The twins had been secretly working on various odd contraptions, which Harry and the others had known about for a while. After all, at Hogwarts, they often brought out amusing gadgets to entertain everyone.

But it wasn't until Mrs. Weasley exposed Fred and George's secrets on his birthday that they realized just how far the brothers had progressed in developing their joke products.

The sheer variety and ingenuity of their creations were astonishing:

- Ton-Tongue Toffees: Innocent-looking sweets that caused the eater's tongue to swell to enormous size.

- Canary Creams: Custard creams that temporarily transformed the unsuspecting consumer into a large canary.

- Self-Answering Quills: Cleverly enchanted writing implements that wrote answers during exams and can be used for homeworks.

- Skiving Snackboxes: A collection of sweets that made the customers believable ill, (perfect for skipping classes).

- Nosebleed Nougat: A nougat that triggered instant nosebleeds, easily stopped by eating the other half.

- Fever Fudge: Fudge that induced a convincing fever, complete with sweating and flushed cheeks.

- Puking Pastilles: Sweets that caused immediate and projectile vomiting, stoppable with the antidote end.

And these were just the finished products. Scattered among their possessions were dozens of half-finished prototypes, experimental formulas, and concept sketches for future joke items. The twins's room resembled less a bedroom and more an inventor's workshop crossed with an apothecary's nightmare.

The confiscated items, piled high in the kitchen, dwarfed the birthday feast that Mrs. Weasley had painstakingly prepared. It was a stark visual representation of just how much time and effort the twins had poured into their secret gadgets, time that their mother believed should have been spent on their studies.

And this incident completely ignited the conflict between Fred, George, and Mrs. Weasley.

The fierce arguments nearly blew the roof off The Burrow. For several days, Fred and George, who usually brought laughter to everyone, wore gloomy expressions and barely responded even when Harry spoke to them.

Mrs. Weasley, for her part, seemed to have reached the end of her considerable patience. Her reactions oscillated wildly between rage and despair, her voice rising to near-hysterical levels one moment, only to dissolve into tears the next. Her behavior reminded Harry uncomfortably of Aunt Petunia's frantic attempts to enforce a diet on Dudley at the beginning of the summer.

But that wasn't the end of it!

One afternoon, two owls arrived from Hogwarts, bringing Fred and George's O.W.L. exam results.

To be honest, if it weren't for the joke products, Mrs. Weasley might not have been so angry about their grades. But the glaring 'P's on their report cards, with only a few 'E's and 'A's, gave Mrs. Weasley another reason to unleash her fury. It was like pouring gasoline on an already raging fire.

In a moment of fury, Mrs. Weasley gathered up the confiscated joke products – items that had only been temporarily seized after much pleading and negotiation – and burned them in front of the horrified twins. The ensuing argument was so fierce that Harry genuinely feared Mrs. Weasley might disown Fred and George on the spot.

The fallout from this confrontation spread beyond just the twins and their mother. Sirius and Remus, who had been trying to maintain a neutral stance, found themselves caught in the crossfire. Mrs. Weasley, noting the twins's particularly abysmal grades in Defense Against the Dark Arts, turned her ire on the two former professors. The fact that they had taught the subject during Fred and George's O.W.L. years made them convenient targets for her frustration, further straining the already tense atmosphere in the household.

It was against this backdrop of familial strife that a rare moment of peace descended upon The Burrow one sunny morning. The weather, as if sensing the need for a pardon, provided a perfect day – warm sunshine bathing the fields surrounding Ottery St. Catchpole in a golden glow, without the oppressive heat that often characterized English summers.

The Burrow stood uncharacteristically quiet. Mr. Weasley and Percy had left for their respective positions at the Ministry of Magic. Mrs. Weasley, perhaps seeking a brief escape from the cold war atmosphere, had gone to Diagon Alley under the pretext of purchasing household supplies. Bill and Charlie, taking advantage of their rare time back in England, had both gone to London meet their old friends.

On the lush green lawn outside the house, Harry and Ron were playing Quidditch. Harry had lent his Firebolt to Ron, while he rode his old Nimbus, which he hadn't used in a while. The broom had been thoroughly battered by the Whomping Willow last year and had completely fallen apart, but thankfully Professor Watson had worked his magic, allowing it to continue serving Harry.

Although the Nimbus was no longer as good as before, unable to make sharp turns or sudden accelerations, it still felt much better than the old Shooting Stars in the Weasleys' broom shed, which had lost most of their twigs.

Hermione and Ginny sat on the lawn, enjoying the breeze, watching the two boys fly back and forth in the sky, and whispering to each other, occasionally bursting into giggles.

For a brief, shining moment, the troubles plaguing The Burrow seemed to fade away, replaced by the simple joys of friendship and youthful liveliness.

Bang--

The peaceful interval was interrupted by a sharp crack that split the air – the unmistakable sound of someone Apparating. Sirius materialized in the yard, his sudden appearance causing Harry to nearly fall off his broom in his haste to descend.

Sirius looked exhausted, his robes were slightly skewed and his long dark hair was tangled by the wind. Despite his disheveled appearance, there was a spark of excitement in his eyes that immediately captured Harry's attention. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny, drawn by the commotion, hurried over to join them.

"How did it go, Sirius? Did you see Professor Dumbledore?" Harry asked, his words tumbling out in a rush of anticipation.

Hearing Harry's question, Sirius didn't respond immediately, instead looked at the others standing beside Harry.

"I think I heard Mum's voice," Ginny said after a brief silence. "I'll go help her." She hurried away, looking slightly awkward.

Harry had already told Hermione and Ron about his scar, so there was no need to keep secrets from them.

"I did see him—" Sirius said, slightly out of breath. "Dumbledore had gone to find a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher for you all and only returned this morning. I talked to him about the dream while we were having breakfast in the Great Hall."

"What did Professor Dumbledore say? Does he think the dream was real?" Harry pressed, anxiety evident in his voice.

Before Sirius could respond, Hermione interjected with her own burning question: "Who's the new professor?"

"I'll answer your question later, Hermione. Let's talk about Harry's situation first—" Sirius nodded at Hermione before looking seriously at Harry. "Yes, Dumbledore believes your dream might have been a real event."

"But—" Ron's eyes bulged in surprise as he stared at Harry. "Harry, that's... mate, unless you can see what You-Know-Who sees!"

Harry instinctively wanted to rebuke Ron's statement. The idea of any connection between himself and Voldemort was deeply unsettling. However, a memory from his second year at Hogwarts gave him pause. Dumbledore had once told him that on the night Voldemort gave him his scar, he had inadvertently transferred some of his powers to Harry.

Perhaps Ron's guess wasn't as far-fetched as it seemed.

Sirius noticed Harry's silent resistance hidden beneath his silence. After a moment's thought, he consoled, "It's just a possibility, Harry. In fact, this might not be as serious as you think!"

'Voldemort suddenly appeared and killed a Muggle, and this terrible scene was actually seen by Harry in Privet Drive. Isn't it serious?!'

Faced with incredulous looks from the three teenagers, Sirius elaborated, "When I told Dumbledore about your situation, Harry, he looked very calm, just slightly surprised. But I couldn't see much worry in his expression. You know, Harry, if Dumbledore isn't worried about this, I don't think you need to be too concerned either."

While this argument held some merit, it wasn't enough to completely dispel Harry's concerns. The implications of such a connection with Voldemort were too serious to dismiss entirely.

As the group made their way inside for lunch, they were joined by Remus. Unlike Sirius, who seemed energized despite his travels, Remus looked utterly exhausted. The lines on his face seemed deeper, and there was an unmistakable air of disappointment surrounding him.

Without needing to ask, they all knew the reason for Remus's dejected state. Unlike Sirius and Harry, Remus didn't have vaults full of inherited Galleons. In fact, it was uncertain whether Remus even had a vault at Gringotts. His lycanthropy made finding steady employment nearly impossible in the wizarding world, where prejudice against werewolves ran deep.

Remus had to fend for himself, but besides wizards like Dumbledore, who would risk employing a werewolf?

"Mum—" Although the living room was still full of people, everyone was lost in their own thoughts, making the atmosphere at the dining table somewhat gloomy. Ginny looked at the empty seats across from her and asked, blinking her eyes, "Fred and George are still in their room. Can I bring them some food, or call them down?"

"Don't!" Mrs. Weasley rarely got angry with the youngest Weasley daughter, but this time she snapped, "If they want to starve, let them starve!"

Harry and Ron exchanged glances, unconsciously lowering their heads even further, while Hermione sat up straight, eating her food. On the issue of Fred and George, her views actually aligned more closely with Mrs. Weasley's.

"I think you're being a bit extreme, Molly—" While the children didn't dare speak, Sirius frowned and said, "You've seen the things Fred and George have created. They're quite interesting. I've taught young wizards at Hogwarts, and I know the kids will love these things. Since they have a talent for this, why won't you let them give it a try?"

"Talent?" The usually kind Mrs. Weasley glared fiercely at Sirius. "This is irresponsibility and recklessness, Sirius. If they were willing to put half of their cleverness and 'talent' into studying, their O.W.L. results would definitely be much better than they are now!"

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