Caught Off Guard

"This brilliant match will be talked about for a long time," Ludo Bagman said hoarsely. "Ah, right... right, how much... do I owe you?"

"Four hundred and fifty Galleons, Mr. Bagman." Fred and George grinned and held out their palms to Bagman.

"Right, four hundred and fifty Galleons." Ludo Bagman took a deep breath, reached into his pocket for a money bag, and reluctantly handed it to Fred and George.

"Just a moment."

Fred and George took several gold coins from the bag and examined them closely beneath the light of their wands. They narrowed their eyes at the anxious-looking man before them. "Mr. Bagman, I think you may have made a mistake. These are Leprechaun Gold."

As he spoke, Fred passed the money bag to George, who also took several coins from it. They were all Leprechaun Gold.

Albert had been right. Bagman really had intended to fob them off with Leprechaun Gold.

That was not a good sign.

"Ah, Leprechaun Gold? Sorry, I must have made a mistake." Ludo Bagman forced a look of surprise onto his face. He took back the money bag George handed him and theatrically pulled out several coins, inspecting them carefully beneath the light as though trying to determine whether they were really Galleons.

"I remember putting them here. Ah, here they are."

Ludo Bagman rummaged through his pockets again and finally took out another identical money bag, handing it to Fred. He forced a smile at the Twins. "It should be this bag. Check it again. And take this too, as an apology for picking up the wrong bag earlier."

Bagman handed George a poster signed by every player on the Irish Team and gave the Twins an apologetic look.

The Weasley Twins were not distracted by the poster. Instead, they fished