Richard considered this Sunday morning delightful. The charm of it lay in the leaden clouds on the ceiling of the Great Hall… That is to say, the weather outside was dreadful, while inside the castle it was relatively comfortable and almost warm—and there was no need to go outdoors, since it was a day off and there were no Astronomy lessons, which were held atop the Astronomy Tower in the open air.
"Richie, why are you so cheerful?" Justin asked gloomily. "Just look at those clouds!"
"Justin, you have no sense of romance," Richard replied, warming his hands on a steaming cup of tea. "The weather practically whispers: 'Take a book and a cup of tea, wrap yourself in a blanket, and enjoy the fire in the hearth.' What are clouds to me, what is heat to me, when my friends are with me?!"
Applause sounded behind Richard, followed by a playful voice:
"My lord, you are a poet! We are in awe!"
Turning smoothly, Richie found himself facing the grinning Weasley twins.
"Good morning, gentlemen," Richard said, raising his teacup slightly. "A splendid morning. Care for a cup of tea?"
"Oh, how could we possibly?" Fred pressed a hand theatrically to his chest. "To sit at the same table as Your Lordship…"
It dawned on Richard that this was a subtle invitation to a private conversation.
"Gentlemen, I happen to know a place with excellent tea. If you wish, I could show you."
"We could hardly refuse Your Lordship," George said with a mock bow.
"Justin, I'm going for a walk. Don't be bored."
Accompanied by the twins, Richie made his way out of the Great Hall.
"Gentlemen, if you know somewhere more interesting…" Richard raised an eyebrow suggestively.
"There is such a place," Fred replied, now more serious. "Come on."
The boys made their way to the fourth floor of the north wing and entered one of the abandoned classrooms—which, contrary to appearances, was not neglected inside. It was clean; several cauldrons stood about; there were two armchairs with worn upholstery and many empty vials.
"Please, have a seat," Fred invited the first-year.
Richard settled comfortably into one of the armchairs. Opposite him, the twins stood on either side of the second chair, leaning against its back.
"Well then, gentlemen," Grosvenor began, "I take it you are ready for a conversation."
"We have something to show you, my lord," George said with a hint of excitement.
"How intriguing—do show me," Richard replied graciously.
Fred produced a small sweet and, like a seasoned salesman, began his presentation:
"Gentlemen, we present to you a unique product. We call it a Canary Cream. Whoever eats this sweet will transform into a giant canary for several minutes. We've tested them on ourselves."
"Could one of you demonstrate?" Grosvenor asked.
"Watch closely—and don't say you weren't warned," Fred replied.
He swallowed the sweet and was immediately covered in yellow and green feathers, transforming into something resembling an enormous canary.
Richard thoughtfully stroked his chin.
"Fascinating. I take it this is a prank item?"
"Yes," George confirmed. "My brother and I adore jokes and pranks. One day we thought we might try opening a shop like Zonko's."
"I see," Richard said, interlacing his fingers and resting his hands on his stomach. "Is it safe? And could this method be used to achieve other effects? For instance, altering a person's appearance—not for a few minutes, but for a longer duration?"
"It's safe, but it needs testing on volunteers," Fred replied.
"That's already been done," George added. "For turning into another person, there's Polyjuice Potion. You brew it for a month, add a hair from the desired person, and you can become them for an hour."
"I see. I'll keep that in mind…"
Richie watched Fred intently in his canary form, as he waddled amusingly around the room on half-bent legs, flapping his elbows like wings.
"And yet, gentlemen," Grosvenor continued, "have you considered creating something not merely amusing, but genuinely useful? I like the concept—consume something and change—but the nature of these changes is… Hm-m… shall we say, unconventional."
"Does my lord have something specific in mind?" George asked.
"Perhaps I repeat myself, but I am interested in practical effects—even temporary ones. Levitation; concealment through invisibility; alterations of appearance; increased strength, agility, reflexes, endurance; protection from bullets, blades, and so forth."
"Levitation?" Fred stopped his antics. "Ha! That's possible. What do you think, George—could we make a potion to apply to clothing that grants temporary levitation?"
"We could try enchantments—or combine them with a potion," George said thoughtfully. "We'll just need some ingredients for the experiments."
"Gentlemen," Richard said, separating his hands, "I certainly have no wish to stifle your creative pursuits. You may continue inventing prank items—I can see you are talented. To create such sweets at your age is worthy of respect. I am prepared to provide a modest grant for your magical research, but on one condition."
The twins perked up at once. Fred reverted to his human form and asked:
"What condition?"
"You must devote at least part of your time to developing useful items. The key criterion: they should be usable by Muggles."
"Very well, my lord," Fred replied seriously.
"Come to the Hufflepuff common room after lunch. Will one hundred Galleons suffice for now?"
"A hundred Galleons?" Fred echoed, barely concealing his excitement. "What do you think, George—will such a trifling sum be enough?"
"Hmm… Brother mine, Fred, I hardly know… Only a hundred. But what choice do we have? We shall have to accept."
"Your Lordship, we shall make do with this trifling sum," Fred said with a smile.
"Gentlemen, how long will you require for development?"
"About two months," George replied.
"Then I shall expect to meet you in two months' time. Present your creation—or, at the very least, a report on your progress and your ideas. If there is clear potential for further collaboration, you shall receive another grant."
(End of Chapter)
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