Chapter 135: The Weasley Brothers’ Disaster

William entered Professor McGonagall's office and sat down in one of the chairs.

Professor McGonagall stood with her back to him, scanning a row of bookshelves.

"I normally wouldn't recommend learning Animagus transformation at your age," she said. "I didn't start preparing until my third year, and even then, it took a year under Professor Dumbledore's guidance to master it.

"However, William, your Transfiguration skills are already exceptional. I'll do my best to help you."

She pulled out an old, worn book from the corner of the shelf and handed it to William.

"This is Advanced Transfiguration. It's available in the library, but this copy has notes from when I studied Animagus transformation. Take it and study it carefully."

William thanked her, accepting the book with care.

The book was a treasure trove, especially because Animagus magic was so rare. In the 20th century, only seven Animagi were officially registered, and Professor McGonagall was one of them. Though there were unregistered Animagi, their numbers were not high.

William already had another book, The Detailed Guide to Animagi, but McGonagall's annotations made this copy invaluable.

They arranged for William to come to her office every Friday evening for lessons starting the next week.

Before he left, McGonagall warned him, her tone stern:

"William, I know your Transfiguration skills are advanced, but I forbid you from practicing Animagus transformation on your own. It's dangerous. One mistake, and you could lose control and never change back.

"I only attempted it with Professor Dumbledore's guidance. If I catch you trying it alone, I'll have you expelled—no matter what Proffessor Dumbledore says."

William nodded fervently. He wasn't about to risk his life. He wasn't a Gryffindor, after all.

….

McGonagall's casual mention of the map earlier seemed to have sparked a wildfire of rumors. 

By the afternoon, the gossip had spread across the school. Some students were even claiming that every professor had ordered a map.

William didn't know who started the rumors, but he did recall Fred and George stopping by at lunch to pick up some promotional funds; only a few Galleons.

With just a few Sickles, they could rally a small army of supporters, and Ravenclaw's enthusiastic "free marketing team" amplified the effect.

By the end of the day, over a hundred maps were sold, and all fifteen custom order slots were booked.

The demand was so overwhelming that they added ten more custom slots, but even that wasn't enough to keep up with the frenzy.

For the first time, William realized just how many wealthy young wizards attended Hogwarts—and how strong their competitive streaks were.

….

To capitalize on the momentum, William's group placed advertisements in The Daily Prophet, even quoting McGonagall's earlier praise. 

Many parents sent in orders via owl post, eager to keep tabs on their children's academic progress.

This enthusiasm wasn't entirely unwarranted. After the previous semester's dismal grades, many parents suspected their children had been skipping classes.

If only they knew those poor grades were partly due to William's side hustle selling answer keys, they might not be so eager to buy maps!

But not all the news was positive.

On Wednesday, Mrs. Weasley sent a letter ordering three maps. Her intent? To "better monitor" Fred, George, and Ron, ensuring the youngest Weasley wouldn't follow his brothers into trouble.

The tone of her letter implied that if she didn't step in soon, two of her sons would end up in Azkaban.

For the Weasley brothers, this was a disaster.

Fred and George fretted over it for days, and when Ron found out, he was livid.

"She doesn't trust me!" Ron fumed. "What's the point of relationships if there's not even the basic trust?"

Meanwhile, Percy paraded around smugly, his prefect badge glinting under the light. He frequently lectured Ron:

"You've got a map and still manage to be late all the time. You've lost Gryffindor so many points. Serves you right!"

After several such instances, Ron began to suspect Percy had something to do with Mrs. Weasley's overly detailed letter.

"Wait…" Ron said one day, his face darkening as realization dawned. "You told her, didn't you? How else would she know I've been in trouble already?"

Percy stammered something about needing the bathroom and fled.

"Traitor!" Ron shouted after him. "You snitch!"

Fred and George ultimately decided to ignore Mrs. Weasley's order entirely, pretending they had never seen it. 

After all, she couldn't storm into Hogwarts to enforce it.

….

The map's success naturally invited knockoffs.

By the third day, counterfeit maps began circulating.

Most of these were amateurish—hand-drawn attempts to replicate the Hogwarts Magic Map.

But Hogwarts was a complex, ever-changing structure, with shifting staircases and hidden passages. 

A static map was practically useless.

Cedric, who had learned graphic design skills from Ollivander, ensured their maps were leagues ahead of the crude imitations.

Some students, confident in their Transfiguration skills, attempted to recreate the map's functions. 

But without the advanced "Tracking Charm" integrated into the original, their copies were mere decorations.

The true innovation lay in how the Hogwarts Magic Map synced with the Marauders' Map using advanced charms. 

The resulting functionality—tracking the map owner's location—was beyond the reach of most students.

Attempts to reverse-engineer the maps often resulted in them locking up entirely, turning into useless scraps of parchment. After several such failures, students stopped trying.

William's team had effectively created a tech monopoly. 

Their product was so advanced that competitors couldn't even dream of copying it.

….

Soon enough, it was time for William's first Defense Against the Dark Arts class of the year.

Since Professor Tywin's arrest, the subject had been left untaught for some time. 

While Tywin had been a Death Eater, most students agreed he had been a competent teacher—especially compared to past instructors.

When William entered the classroom, Cho and Marietta were already seated. They waved him over.

"What have you been up to lately?" Cho asked, frowning. "You've been so hard to find."

"I've been brewing potions," William replied in a low voice.

The Slytherin girls from the train had already sent their down payments, and William had ordered the necessary magical ingredients via owls from Diagon Alley.

This was turning into a lucrative venture, and William had been working diligently. If all went well, he planned to finish the potions by Halloween.

Potion brewing required meticulous focus and a distraction-free environment, and only the Room of Requirement could meet those needs.

"What are you brewing?" Marietta asked, curious.

"Love potions," William said casually.

"William… are you planning to use them on someone?" Marietta asked, adjusting her hair. 

There was a hint of hopefulness in her tone.

"Of course not," William said with a laugh. "Why would I need a love potion?"

Marietta looked disappointed.

"Oh, you want to volunteer as a test subject?" William teased, catching on. "That's great! Since Robert graduated, I've been looking for someone willing to help test potions. The pay is negotiable—since we're friends, I'll offer you a good rate."

Since Ravenclaw's prefect Robert had left, he'd stopped being William's go-to "potion guinea pig." William often lamented the loss of such a reliable test subject and wished Dumbledore had allowed him to stay on for six more years.

As the old saying goes: "At Hogwarts, we stick together. Graduating early is for quitters."

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