MrBlackWing
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✭ Chapter 66 ➜ Art is an Explosion ✭
🕑 Added 2025-04-09 00:56:02 +0000 UTCIn contrast to the troubled Slytherins, the Gryffindor table was buzzing with cheer, especially after watching Rozier storm out of the Great Hall in anger — their laughter only grew louder at the sight.
"George, is this the Nimbus 2000?" Once the Slytherins had left, a dark-skinned boy with dreadlocks eagerly approached the twins, "What are we waiting for? Let's have a look!"
His enthusiasm was instantly echoed by others.
"Yeah, show us what you've got!"
"By Merlin's beard, this must be the finest broom available right now. Even professional teams might not have the Nimbus 2000."
Despite the excitement around them, Fred and George showed no interest in opening the package.
George looked at the boy next to him with mock disdain, "Hey, Lee Jordan, I'm Fred. Can't you tell us apart yet?"
"Sorry Fred, I can see..."
"No, I'm Fred." The real Fred put his arm around Lee's shoulder, "How could you fall for such a simple trick? I'm starting to doubt if you're really our best friend."
Poor Lee was completely bewildered. He stared at the two identical faces beside him, unable to spot any differences between them.
They were perfect mirrors of each other.
"Alright Fred and George, I'm sorry." Lee shook his head and took a deep breath, "Whoever you are, can I just have one look at the Nimbus 2000? Just one look. Please?"
Usually, he would point at the twins' noses, mock their tired pranks, and throw in some choice words. But now, he skipped all that and went straight to apologizing — a rare show of humility.
He had no choice but to swallow his pride. As a devoted Quidditch enthusiast, the allure of an unreleased new broom was irresistible — he knew he wouldn't sleep that night without seeing it.
"What Nimbus 2000?" Fred glanced at him innocently, "No idea what you're talking about. We're using the old Cleansweep Five."
"I know you want to keep it secret..." Lee glanced around, "But all the Slytherins are gone now, and everyone here is on our side. Just one quick peek won't hurt..."
Fred and George remained silent.
"Why don't we go back to the common room?" Someone suggested, "It'll be safer to look at it there."
"You can't do this..." Some Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw students protested, "We want to see it too!"
But their objections fell on deaf ears.
The Gryffindors huddled around the twins and hurried out of the Great Hall.
Yet when they reached the Fat Lady's portrait, Fred and George were nowhere to be found.
"They must have slipped away while we were climbing the stairs," Lee said dejectedly, "How awful — they're even keeping secrets from their own house!"
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By lunchtime, the atmosphere at the Slytherin table remained tense.
They had searched throughout Hogwarts all morning but hadn't found a trace of Fred and George — it was as if the twins had vanished into thin air.
Those who had sent letters home met with no success either. Several hot-tempered parents even scolded them in their replies, telling them to focus on their studies instead of chasing unrealistic dreams.
Rozier was one of them.
"Nimbus 2000? How about I get you a Nimbus 2100?!" He crumpled up the reply letter and nearly threw it, but something made him pause. He pulled back his hand and demanded, "Still no news?"
The people around him exchanged glances, maintaining their silence.
"Useless!"
Just as he was about to flip his plate, a Slytherin player came running in urgently.
"Captain, I found something." Marcus Flint grinned, showing his large teeth, "I passed by the Quidditch pitch and saw the Gryffindor team there. They must be testing the broom's performance while we're eating in the Great Hall."
Rozier looked up.
Indeed, none of the Gryffindor team members were present in the Hall.
"Captain, should we go check it out?" Marcus asked tentatively.
"Let's go!"
Without hesitation, Rozier led a group toward the Quidditch pitch.
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Just as Marcus had reported, the Gryffindor team was indeed there — but they weren't training or testing the broom's performance.
They were... fighting?
More precisely, the Weasley twins were fighting while others tried to stop them.
Seeing this, Marcus was overjoyed, "Internal conflict in Gryffindor?"
With the match happening this afternoon, discord among their opponents was wonderful news for Slytherin. Moreover, Rozier noticed that the package delivered by owl that morning lay unattended near their tunnel.
And there was no one watching it.
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A minute later, the Slytherins left the Quidditch pitch, huddling tightly together and completely shielding the person in the middle.
They didn't return to the Great Hall or their common room. Instead, they slipped into an empty classroom.
After closing the door, they finally spread out, revealing the person in the middle — and the long package he was holding.
"Captain, is it safe to hide it here?" Marcus asked nervously, "I think we should put it in the common room..."
Before he could finish, Rozier kicked him. He wasn't trying to steal the broom; he just wanted to hide it before the match so the Gryffindors couldn't use it.
What good would putting it in the common room do? Someone might let it slip.
Slytherins stealing brooms? If that news got out, Professor Snape would be the first to punish them.
Rozier surveyed the room — all the desks were covered in a thick layer of dust, clearly unused for a long time.
"This place will do. Make sure to hide it well." Rozier said.
But no one moved; everyone stood still, staring at the person holding the package.
After a long silence, someone suggested, "Why don't we open it? What if it's not actually a broom? Then all this would be for nothing."
Others nodded in agreement.
"No, we can't open it." Rozier said firmly, snatching the package and putting it aside.
He knew those Gryffindors well — if the information was false, there definitely wouldn't be anything good inside that package. It was best to leave it unopened.
"Hee hee hee, clever little rascal." A pearly-white little man suddenly appeared outside the window.
"Get lost, Peeves!" Rozier barked.
"Rude little brat, you shall be punished!" Peeves shattered the glass and hurled in a liquid-filled balloon.
The balloon missed everyone but landed precisely on the package. Whether from contact with water or something else, the package started to expand violently.
"I knew it... damn you, Peeves!" Rozier turned to flee, but the door was stuck and wouldn't open from the inside.
He drew his wand.
✭ Bombard
BOOM—
With a thunderous explosion, the package burst, and a putrid stench instantly filled the entire classroom.
