Darkness cloaked the halls of Hogwarts.
At opposite ends of a quiet corridor, under the glow of the moonlight streaming through the tall windows, Cedric and Filch lay in wait.
It was so calm and peaceful one could almost forget the looming threat that once was Voldemort. If not for that snake-faced madman, perhaps Cedric could've been asleep in the Hufflepuff dorms, living a normal school life. But no, because of that man, he was here, driven to grow stronger.
"It's all that smelly snake's fault," Cedric muttered to himself bitterly. One day, he vowed, he'd give Voldemort a taste of his own medicine.
Suddenly, a flicker of light glinted on the right side of the corridor.
Cedric stiffened. "They're here."
He pressed himself against the wall, tall frame melting into shadow. The light vanished quickly, replaced by the soft shuffle of robes and murmured whispers. Someone was complaining—then silence.
A grinding noise echoed softly. The sound of a stone statue shifting. The entrance to a secret passageway.
From the far end of the corridor, Filch emerged, his yellow oil lamp casting a long, eerie glow.
"No, it's Filch!"
"Run! That old man can't catch us!"
Fred and George Weasley's voices rang out. Their footsteps clattered as they spun and fled.
But Cedric stepped out of the shadows.
"Pity we had to meet under these circumstances," he said with a half-smile, drawing his wand.
"Locomotor Mortis!"
Twin bolts of blue light struck the Weasleys, locking their legs in place. They toppled forward with twin yelps, scattering a cascade of joke items across the floor—foul-smelling eggs, trick wands, and colorful candies that hissed and popped.
Filch stormed forward, eyes blazing. "Rotten eggs, stink bombs, trick sweets... I knew someone was behind the recent stench!"
Seeing Filch's rage building, Cedric quickly stepped in. He picked up the Weasleys' wands and helped turn them upright.
He knew exactly what they were doing. The twins were always experimenting—developing prank candies and magical toys. But research and development cost money. Lots of it. Their usual method? Sell untested goods or sneak them around the castle, hoping an unlucky student would serve as a test subject.
Once Filch gathered the mess, Cedric turned to him. "Let me handle this, Mr. Filch. If they don't cooperate, you'll have full reign next time."
Filch gave a begrudging grunt. "Fine. For your sake."
With a final glare at the twins, he stomped away.
Fred groaned. "You should've let him take us!"
"Yeah!" George huffed. "Detention would've been better than this!"
Cedric raised an eyebrow. "Really? I can still call him back. One word and—"
"NO!" the twins shouted together.
But they glared at Cedric as if he'd betrayed them.
"It's your fault!" Fred accused. "Filch didn't know that passage existed!"
"He's never patrolled there before," George added.
Cedric leaned casually against the wall. "How I knew isn't important. What I want to know is: why are you doing all this?"
Fred crossed his arms. "None of your business."
"Yeah. You won't get anything from us," George echoed.
Cedric smiled, unfazed. "Then I'll just guess."
He sat down across from them. "You're not doing this for fun, and it's not about getting rich. No big school expenses to cover. So why risk breaking school rules?"
The twins shifted uneasily.
"Guess again," Fred muttered.
"You guess it, you win," George added, grinning.
"You're developing your own prank products," Cedric said smoothly. "Not just for fun. You're planning something bigger—like your own joke shop."
The twins froze.
"No way," Fred said slowly.
"You read our minds!" George accused.
They stared at him in disbelief. Cedric chuckled. "You haven't told anyone yet. But it's obvious. No parents around to stop you. Hogwarts gives you the freedom to explore, and pranks are your passion."
He leaned in. "I want to invest."
That silenced them.
Fred blinked. "What?"
"You heard me. I'll fund your joke shop."
George narrowed his eyes. "What's your angle? You want to own our dream?"
Cedric raised a hand. "Three reasons. First: I believe in your vision. With proper funding, you could create something truly special. Second: Filch has made real progress recently. I don't want his spirit broken again. Third: I want insight into your development process. It might help me in my own research on magical theory and potions."
He looked at them sincerely. "That's all."
The twins exchanged glances.
"Damn," Fred muttered. "I'm... almost convinced."
"I hate how reasonable you sound," George added.
Just as Cedric thought they might agree, the two shook their heads and shouted:
"We regard you as our enemy, but you want to be our boss?!"
"No way!"
Cedric sighed.
He stood, brushing off his robes and pointing his wand at them. "Then I guess we settle this the hard way."
Fred and George flinched.
"Wait, what are you going to do?" Fred asked.
"You wouldn't hex us, would you?" George added.
Cedric just grinned.
"Let's make a deal. One last time. We duel. If you win, you walk. If I win, you listen."
Fred looked at George.
George nodded.
"Deal."
With a flick of his wand, Cedric lifted the leg-locking jinx.
The Weasleys stood and dusted themselves off. Fred cracked his knuckles. George stretched.
"You're on, boss boy. But don't expect us to go easy."
Cedric smiled.
"I wouldn't dream of it."
The corridor once again fell into s
ilence, the moonlight casting long shadows. At the heart of Hogwarts, a quiet duel between potential partners—or rivals—was about to begin.
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