Peeves Tattled

An hour soon passed.

Harry and Ron picked up their notebooks again and began writing from memory.

George and Fred exchanged a smile.

Then they took their notebooks over to Douglas again.

"Professor, we've finished writing out today's material from memory."

"Professor, could we read for a while?"

After lifting the See No Evil, Hear No Evil Charm, Douglas looked at their notebooks and sneered:

"Heh, you two certainly know how to cheat, don't you?

You even kept your error rate at twenty percent."

His words utterly shocked the twins, and they exchanged a glance.

They couldn't understand it. Throughout the process, they had been watching Douglas in the reflection on the ink bottle.

They hadn't thought he had noticed them cheating.

They had even shown their work to Douglas midway through, precisely because they were worried that if they were caught, they could at least have less to memorize.

They turned to look at Ron and Harry, who were enjoying the show.

Harry and Ron, who were holding back their laughter, hurriedly shook their heads when they saw the twins looking over.

With a smack, Douglas tossed the notebooks down in front of them.

Then he waved a hand, and the office door opened.

He told them coldly:

"You two, take your notebooks and stand outside my office to memorize the material. Once you've learned it,

write it out from memory right there outside..."

George and Fred were dumbfounded. This wasn't how it had gone last time.

But then they felt relieved that it was nighttime and there was hardly anyone in the corridor.

Otherwise, it would have been far too embarrassing.

So the two trudged toward the door with their heads hanging.

Douglas slapped the desk. "Leave your cheat sheets here! What, were you planning to keep cheating?"

George and Fred could only obediently detach the Cheat-Sheet Sleeve Cuffs from their cuffs and set them before Douglas.

Once outside, they both stood on the left.

George whispered:

"Fred, did you get caught copying?"

Fred gave his brother a surprised look.

"How could I? I was so careful. You were the one who got caught!"

Just then, Douglas's roar came from inside the office:

"What are you two talking about?

Stand on opposite sides!

Cheat again, and I'll make you stand at the school gates so the people of Hogsmeade can admire you!

Harry, Ron, what are you two laughing at? You think that doesn't go for you too?"

Bang!

With the slam of the door, the corridor instantly fell quiet.

George and Fred pulled faces at the office door, then obediently took their places on either side of it.

By the light of the corridor torches, they began reading aloud.

Just then, a figure suddenly appeared in midair directly opposite them.

He looked like a male dwarf, with black hair beneath a top hat.

He stared at the Weasley Twins with wicked eyes.

Then his mouth suddenly split into a wide grin, and he cackled.

Then he said quietly:

"Tsk, tsk, Peeves heard that. Cheating! What excellent students!

Brave warriors who challenge the devil have earned Peeves's respect! Ha ha!"

With that, Peeves took off his hat and bowed to them.

George and Fred exchanged a glance.

"The devil?"

"Peeves, are you calling Professor Holmes the devil?"

The name greatly surprised the Weasley Twins. They had never heard Peeves call anyone that before.

After all, he was nothing but a bully and a coward. Though he often addressed powerful professors respectfully to their faces,

behind their backs, he only called them crude nicknames.

Just then, Douglas's voice came through the office door again:

"Have you two not eaten?

Do you memorize things without making a sound?"

Whoosh!

On hearing his voice, Peeves actually vanished straight from their sight.

The two had no time to worry about anything else. They hurriedly picked up their notebooks and began reading loudly.

Multiple echoes rang through the utterly silent corridor.

They found it very entertaining, so they began competing, one raising his voice a notch and the other raising his two.

It made some students in other corridors strain their eyes, trying to see who was over there.

Mrs. Norris, who was on patrol, swiftly ran toward the Seventh Floor.

She was clearly going to notify Mr. Filch.

The Weasley Twins had plainly noticed Mrs. Norris too, but they read even louder.

This time, they were reading aloud in the corridor under orders. They weren't afraid of Filch charging them with making a racket at night.

But before Filch arrived, they saw the door to Professor McGonagall's office suddenly open not far away.

"Mr. Weasley, what are you doing? Points from Gryffindor-"

Before Professor McGonagall could finish, George and Fred answered excitedly:

"Professor, we're memorizing our lessons!"

"Yes, Professor! Professor Holmes told us to!"

Professor McGonagall frowned and said:

"Then keep your voices down. Being louder won't help you remember!"

After saying this, Professor McGonagall thought that she absolutely had to have a proper talk with Douglas tomorrow. How could he make students memorize their lessons out in the corridor so late at night?

The September weather in the Scottish Highlands was far from kind, especially at night.

After Professor McGonagall spoke, the Weasley Twins voluntarily lowered their voices a little.

Of course, it wasn't entirely because of Professor McGonagall. The main reason was that their wild competition in high notes had rather strained their throats.

But just as Professor McGonagall was about to turn away,

Peeves suddenly appeared again, grinning wickedly at the Weasley Twins.

Then, with a touch of respect, he said to Professor McGonagall:

"Oh, esteemed Deputy Headmistress, you've been fooled by those two nasty little brats.

I heard everything! They're being punished for cheating..."

Before Peeves could finish, Professor McGonagall spoke, her voice full of disbelief:

"Cheating!

Mr. Weasley, is what Peeves said true?"

This time, it was George and Fred's turn to stare blankly. They couldn't understand why Peeves would tell on them.

After all, they thought they had been on fairly good terms with Peeves.

They had even worked together a few times against Mr. Filch.

Their relationship had been fairly good.

Soon, something occurred to both of them, and they exchanged a rueful smile.

"Dungbombs!"

Last term, they had promised to give Peeves a few Dungbombs when school started.

But that day, their venture had failed before it even began, and all their Dungbombs had been confiscated.

So they had forgotten all about it.

Professor McGonagall saw that the Weasley Twins weren't answering.

Once the Moving Staircase connecting the second and third floors moved into place, Professor McGonagall headed straight toward Douglas's office door.

Behind Professor McGonagall, Peeves pulled faces at them.

Inside the Defense Against Dark Magic office.

Ron cautiously walked up to Douglas and waved a hand in front of his eyes.

Douglas lifted the charm around his ears.

"What is it?"

Ron said cautiously:

"Professor, didn't you tell us to let you know if it went quiet outside?"

Only then did Douglas notice that George and Fred were slacking off again.

He waved a hand, telling Ron to go back to writing from memory.

Then he decided to go out and give those two a proper lesson.

He would tell them how to become outstanding students.

Harry whispered to Ron, "Ron, you really told on them? They're your brothers!"

Ron glanced at Douglas, who was getting to his feet, and whispered:

"I think I heard Professor McGonagall shouting just now. If we don't tell Professor Holmes now,

we'll both be done for when Professor McGonagall storms in.

If she finds out George and Fred cheated, and we knew but didn't say anything, just think of the consequences..."

At the thought that he might be punished along with them, Harry immediately gave Ron a thumbs-up.

"Ron, you're brilliant! You even thought of that in advance!"

Ron gave a proud snort.

If you'd been dragged into it and punished by your own mum several times for knowing and not telling, you'd have thought of it too.