Whelp II The Wrath of Snape

Molly sighed a little and looked at Harry again. 'You'll have to excuse them, they're a little excited.'

'We're a lot--' said one of the new boys, as they quit picking on Ron and came forward as one.

'Excited, Mum. It's not every day--' said the other twin, picking up as if they were talking from the same brain.

'You get to meet someone--'

'Famous!'

'This is Fred,' Mrs. Weasley said, gesturing to the boy on the left. 'And this is George.'

'Mum!' said the one she had called George. 'I'm Fred.'

'Honestly! And you call yourself our mother . . .' The other twin sighed.

'Oh!' Mrs. Weasley shook her head and peered at the boys. 'I'm sorry, Fred.'

'Just kidding, Mum.' The boy grinned. 'I am George.'

'Now that introductions are well under way,' Father said, his words clipped and precise, 'I believe I must make my way to class.'

Harry looked up at him, wanting to ask him to stay, but knowing he should not. Treacle Tart chose that moment to twine in through his legs, and he smiled at her, bending to scratch her under the chin.

'Oi!' said Fred . . . or George. 'You've got a kneazle!'

'You didn't have it last week,' Ron said. 'Where'd you get it?'

'Hagrid gave me her,' Harry said, picking her up and showing off her white coat and cute little toes to the others. 'Isn't she pretty?'

'She's a beaut, she is,' said George . . . or Fred. 'Lookit those eyes.'

'Can I pet her?' Ron asked.

Harry nodded, hardly noticing that Father had stepped away, toward the door, with Mrs. Weasley. 'She likes her ears scritched.' He grinned. 'And she likes bacon.'

'She's got good taste, then,' said one of the twins. 'Bacon's the best thing in the world.'

'After Quidditch,' said the other twin.

'And pranks.'

'Like dousing Percy--'

'With a Rainbow Hair Tonic. Nothing better--'

'Than seeing that prat with--'

'Stripey hair.'

Harry's gaze darted from one twin to the other as they spoke. Following their conversation was a bit tricky, but he was soon able to pick out small differences in their tones and the way their mouths twitched around words. 'Didya really do that to your brother?'

'Sure. Mum was a bit--'

'Put out by it, but--'

'Less than Perce was,