𝐑𝐄𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒-ℍ𝕒𝕣𝕣𝕪 ℙ𝕠𝕥𝕥𝕖𝕣❥

𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐏 𝟐𝟖

The story of Ethan, Fred and George's flight to freedom was retold so often over the next few days that Emily could tell it would soon become the stuff of Hogwarts legend.

Within a week, even those who had been eyewitnesses were half convinced that they had seen Ethan and the twins dive bomb Umbridge on their brooms, pelting her with Dungbombs before zooming out of the doors.

lIn the immediate aftermath of their departure there was a great wave of talk about copying them, so that Emily frequently heard students saying things like, "Honestly, some days I just feel like jumping on my broom and leaving this place,"

Ethan, Fred and George had made sure that nobody was likely to forget them very soon.

For one thing, they had not left instructions on how to remove the swamp that now filled the corridor on the fifth floor of the east wing.

Umbridge and Filch had been observed trying different means of removing it but without success. Eventually the area was roped off and Filch, gnashing his teeth furiously, was given the task of punting students across it to their classrooms.

Emily was certain that teachers like McGonagall or Flitwick could have removed the swamp in an instant, but just as in the case of Ethan, Fred and George's Wildfire Whiz Bangs, they seemed to prefer to watch Umbridge struggle.

Then there were the three large broom shaped holes in Umbridge's office door, through which Ethan, Fred and George's Cleansweeps had smashed to rejoin their masters.

Filch fitted a new door and removed Emily and Harry's Firebolts to the dungeons where, it was rumored, Umbridge had set an armed security troll to guard it.

However, her troubles were far from over.

Inspired by Ethan, Fred and George's example, a great number of students were now vying for the newly vacant positions of Troublemakers in Chief.

In spite of the new door, somebody managed to slip a hairy snouted niffler into Umbridge's office, which promptly tore the place apart in its search for shiny objects, leapt on Umbridge on her reentrance, and tried to gnaw the rings off her stubby fingers.

Dungbombs and Stinkpellets were dropped so frequently in the corridors that it became the new fashion for students to perform Bubble Head Charms on themselves before leaving lessons, which ensured them a supply of fresh clean air, even though it gave them all the peculiar appearance of wearing upside down goldfish bowls on their heads.

Filch prowled the corridors with a horsewhip ready in his hands, desperate to catch miscreants, but the problem was that there were now so many of them that he did not know which way to turn.

The Inquisitorial Squad were attempting to help him, but odd things kept happening to its members.

Warrington of the Slytherin Quidditch team reported to the hospital wing with a horrible skin complaint that made him look as though he had been coated in cornflakes.

Pansy Parkinson, to Hermione's delight, missed all her lessons the following day, as she had sprouted antlers.

Meanwhile it became clear just how many Skiving Snackboxes Ethan, Fred and George had managed to sell before leaving Hogwarts. Umbridge only had to enter her classroom for the students assembled there to faint, vomit, develop dangerous fevers, or else spout blood from both nostrils.

Shrieking with rage and frustration she attempted to trace the mysterious symptoms to their source, but the students told her stubbornly they were suffering "Umbridge-itis." After putting four successive classes in detention and failing to discover their secret she was forced to give up and allow the bleeding, swooning, sweating, and vomiting students to leave her classes in droves.