Chapter 18. The Three's Prank
When they reached the bedroom door, Fred turned sideways, ready to push it open.
Suddenly, hurried footsteps came from below, as if someone were chasing them.
Duncan felt the floorboards under his feet shuddering violently with that person's steps.
"Has Ron come up as well?"
"It's got to be him." George shrugged. "No one but him could make a racket like a beast charging."
"He's probably curious about what we're doing..." Fred pushed the door halfway open and lifted a leg to step in, then suddenly paused, blocking Duncan and George in the doorway.
"What is it?" Duncan asked.
Fred looked back at the two behind him, wearing the wicked grin of a proper villain. "In a moment Ron will definitely crouch at the door to eavesdrop on us... you know what I mean?"
One look at Fred's grin and Duncan understood.
After all, he had been around these two "bad guys" for so many years, and the bit of mischief in their heads was crystal clear to him.
"With you two as his elder brothers, tsk, tsk, I almost feel sorry for Ron."
Duncan worried about Ron's prospects.
With elder brothers like Fred and George at his side, it really wasn't easy for him to grow up.
"That's right!" Fred lifted his head proudly. "We are the best elder brothers in the whole wide world!"
"All right, in you go." George glanced downward and lowered his voice. "Ron's about to come up."
The three of them slipped quickly into the rather narrow room, and Duncan plopped himself onto the bed.
It truly was the Weasley twins' room.
All sorts of strange gadgets and tools were piled on the floor, some of which Duncan had never even seen before.
The school textbooks were pitifully squeezed into a tiny corner, while encyclopaedias on craftwork or material records—which ought to have been in that corner—occupied the desk by the window in a mess.
A few of those volumes were on the verge of falling apart, proof that Fred and George usually read them very diligently.
"We still need a sentry..." Fred looked around, fixed his gaze on a crumpled ball of waste paper on the floor, drew his wand, and flicked it while muttering a spell.
The paper ball seemed endowed with life, unfurled swiftly, folded itself into a little frog, and hopped out through the crack under the door.
"So long as someone stands at the door to eavesdrop, the little frog will come in and report to us," Fred explained.
"Shh..." Duncan cocked an ear.
The footsteps were coming nearer.
He lowered his voice. "How do you plan to mess with him?"
"We must give him a lesson he won't forget," George said. "Otherwise he'll skulk around like a little thief and keep eavesdropping."
Fred nodded in agreement and asked Duncan, "Got anything useful on you?"
"Mm..." Duncan thought for a moment, then took out a transparent glass bottle with a grey liquid inside that rolled like water.
"What's this?" George took it and examined it in the moonlight, curiosity piqued.
"A little something extracted from several plants," Duncan replied. "It's extremely attractive to spiders."
Fred's eyes lit up at once with a burning look, and he snatched it from George. "You've got something this good—why didn't you take it out earlier?"
"Let me say this first: its effect is a bit strong.
Are you sure you want to use it?" Duncan reminded him.
"It's fine, it's fine, Ron isn't that fragile." Fred sniggered. "How do you use this?"
"Wherever you want the spiders to go, just drip the liquid there.
One drop is enough—don't use more," Duncan said.
Fred roughly judged the spot, opened the cap, and dripped two drops onto the floor a step away from them.
As he drew back, he seemed afraid it wasn't enough and tipped two more drops down.
"All right, that's enough—too much!" Duncan hurried to stop Fred's dreadful move.
"Heh-heh, Ron's here."
Fred caught a glimpse of the little frog squeezing back in under the door and hopping to his feet.
He deliberately raised his voice and said, "Duncan, come over here.
We'll show you something good!"
"What is it?" Duncan cooperated, as they were always in perfect tacit accord with this sort of thing.
"A new little thing we've just made," George said. "Its power is tremendous and it'll be plenty of fun!"
Duncan paused for two seconds, then said, "It looks a bit dangerous.
You're not thinking of taking this to school, are you?"
"Of course!" Fred answered. "It'd be such a waste if a brilliant prank gadget like this had no audience."
"Then you'd better be careful." Duncan said, "If Mrs Weasley finds out, you're done for!"
"Relax, we've got a thorough plan.
I guarantee that even Dumbledore won't be able to catch us out, and Mum won't have any excuse to give us a hard time," George said with confidence.
"What plan?
Can you tell me?" Duncan asked.
"Of course.
Come closer, and I'll whisper it to you," Fred said.
The three of them fell silent at the same time.
The room instantly sank into stillness, as if they truly were brewing a terrifying prank plan.
"Ready now?" Duncan pointed at the door and asked in a voice only the three of them could hear.
George nodded, flicked his wand toward the door, then swiftly put it away.
The corners of his mouth lifted as he awaited what would happen next.
The door, newly released, let out a creaking groan that echoed in the silent room and sounded especially clear.
The eavesdropper outside seemed to realise this too.
He wanted to leave, but instead pressed even more force on the wooden door.
Bang, bang.
The time-worn door slammed hard into the wall, and a figure sprawled in all directions fell right in front of them.
The room's atmosphere seemed to freeze, leaving only the person on the floor stifling a scream.
"Oh, my poor little Ronnie, why are you here?
Did you hurt yourself?"
Fred bent over Ron and spoke in a sing-song, affected tone, using the term of endearment that only Mrs Weasley would use when moved.
"I... I was just passing by..." Ron blurted out quickly, unwilling to admit he had been eavesdropping at the door.
He planted both hands firmly on the floor, wanting to leave at once for fear Fred and George would seize the chance to give him trouble.
But just as Ron lifted his upper body with effort, he suddenly felt a tingling, itchy sensation on the backs of his hands.
It was as if some furry creature were crawling over them, and the sensation felt horribly familiar...
Unpleasant memories churned up in Ron's mind.
His scalp prickled, his hairs stood on end, and he shakily lowered his head to look down—
Countless black spiders the size of soya beans packed the backs of his hands, as if they had woven him a pair of spider gloves.
And an army was still pouring out from the dark corners beneath the bed, climbing over the bodies of those ahead and continuing to swarm towards Ron.
"Mum!" Ron screamed, the volume so great it nearly blew the roof off.
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