"Step right up! Only 5 Galleons each! Bargain!" The Gryffindor common room was filled with the sound of Fred's voice as he held the small box high into the air.
"Puking Pastils and Nose-Bleed Nougat." shouted George
"Fever Fudge and Fainting Fancies!" followed Fred
"Get your Skiving Snackboxes right here, right now!" the twins yelled in unison.
A large group of people were gathered around the pair, arms reaching out, little fists clutching gold coins.
"This special offer lasts only for today, so come and get them while you can!" George grinned at a rather pretty sixth-year girl as he handed her a Snackbox, winking.
"You don't think we're going to run out at this rate, do you?" Whispered Fred, gazing at the considerably smaller pile of merchandise that had been shrinking all evening.
"More profit for us if we do, but maybe we should save just one for further production." George nudged a single box with his toe and it slid under a nearby sofa and out of sight of the screaming crowd. The twins had worked hard on their items, and although business was booming, there lay a great threat of them running out and losing their target audience.
"Do you think we should get Lee into marketing and selling while we increase the items? No sale with no Snackbox." Fred raised one in front of George's face and it was immediately snatched by a second-year boy who clutched it tightly to his chest before dropping gold Galleons into the small container on the desk. The coins made a clattering sound against the rest, the box now almost at its filling point.
"I think we need to scarper to make more of these." George pointed at the pile. "But we can't leave our stands."
Fred winked at George before turning toward the crowd. "A demonstration, if I may." He spoke and pulled out a tiny object from the pocket of his robes. The crowd fell immediately silent in awe. "The Decoy Detonator!"
"What does it do?" Whispered a tiny first-year girl, her eyes wide as she gazed at the Detonator.
"Observe." Fred placed the Decoy Detonator on the floor at his feet and it scurried away and hid behind a couch. As one, the students' heads turned to follow it. With this distraction, Fred placed his hand behind his back and George placed a small sack in his palm.
Suddenly, the Detonator began to whistle loudly, popping and clanging and emitting great jets of smoke. The crowd jumped in shock, some students gasping. The twins took this opportunity to seize their moment. Pouring black, glittering powder from the sack, they threw it to the ground and darkness overwhelmed the room. The crowd of onlookers, now blinded by the Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder, cheered and whooped, all applauding in the dark. Slowly, the light returned and the crowed gazed towards the now empty desk where the twins previously stood. They were gone.
From the top of the spiralled staircase leading towards the dormitories, Fred and George silently laughed, high-fiving each other as they slipped into their rooms.
No comments:
Post a Comment