Light in the Darkness

Chapter 20: Summer Before Sixth Year

"Who d'you suppose'll be the next Defense Against the Dark Arts professor?" George asked, staring the Daily Prophet. Currently, Fred and George were sitting at the table in their flat above the shop, slowly eating their dinner. They had lost track over the amount of articles that had been released about You-Know-Who's return, how the Ministry was finally admitting Harry Potter was not lying all this time. At this moment, George was reading about the former High Inquisitor, who had been found after a centaur attack. "Apparently, Umbridge has returned to the Ministry."

"Seems they're meant for each other," murmured Fred under his breath.

"A lot of people are going to be scared," George continued. "Says here that Muggles are dying because of this."

"I have an idea," Fred said. "Been thinking about it, Georgie. What if we...helped the Ministry out?"

"That doesn't seem like a kind hearted thing that we would do," George answered. "Ministry's just a load of prats."

"Yeah, but you heard what Dad was saying last night. Most of the Ministry can't even do a decent Shield Charm. We got those Headless Hats, right? What if-"

"Shield Hats?" George continued, thoughtfully. "Huh. There's an idea."

"We could sell them to the Ministry, help them out a little." George nodded, pulled a piece of parchment out, and began planning what the Shield Hats would look like. Since the night at the Ministry, the Weasleys had been waiting for Percy to return. Or to at least admit he was wrong. But, that didn't seem to be happening. Percy was too proud to admit that he was wrong, he hadn't even spoken to the Weasleys in the following weeks.

"Ready for tomorrow?" Fred asked George. He nodded. They had waited so long for this opportunity, for the time where they would finally open their own shop. It seemed a little surreal to them. After everything, they were finally doing what they wanted to with their lives.

Lee Jordan was working for them for the time being. He was currently trying for a position as the Chudley Cannons' commentator. Yet, in the meantime, he was working for Fred and George and flirting quite terribly with Verity. Verity was a nice girl and Fred and George were glad that she was willing to work for them. Last week, she had been helping them organize and stock the shelves in anticipation for the grand opening. They tried numerous pranks out on her and she seemed completely unfazed by it all. She told them that she had twelve siblings, she was used to strange things happening around her.

They decided, then, that she was going to do just fine at Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes.

"Granger coming, right?"

"She said she would," Fred told him. He pushed his food around with his fork. The Hogwarts Express was chugging along to King's Cross as they spoke. Tomorrow, Hogwarts students would flood the streets of Diagon Alley.

Fred would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous because he was. He was extremely nervous. Everything he wanted was going to happen tomorrow. He briefly worried that no one would come to their grand opening, but stopped that train of thought quickly. No, he wasn't terribly worried that no one would come to their store. Actually, he was worried that his parents still wouldn't be proud of him and George after tomorrow. That they would still see this as a waste of their time and money.

Sleeping that night was hard for him. He kept thinking through the next day and everything that it would entail. He woke up early and spent most of his time waiting for the grand opening at eleven.

Hermione was there, like she had promised. Her parents were standing behind her, looking slightly disgruntled. Fred made a note to ask her about that later. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were in the crowd, equal looks of worry plastered on their faces.