CHAPTER 33 - Causing Some Trouble for the Older Brother

Tucking his notebook into a cloth bag, Robert pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it—nearly an hour had passed. 

As he stepped out of the archive, he didn't get far before spotting a pair of twins huddled together, studying a peculiar-looking spiked flying disc. 

"Hey, Robert! Come check this out!" Fred called out. "There's something off about this thing." 

Robert's heart skipped a beat. Don't tell me it's a cursed object? 

With that thought, he quickened his pace, rushing over. 

Crouching down, he finally got a better look at the disc. It was, indeed, strange. 

"This… how old is this thing?" Robert muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief. "It's like an ancient grandma who's lived for six hundred years but still insists on going clubbing." 

And it was true. The spiked flying disc before them was severely corroded, its outer shell chipped and peeling. The jagged, tooth-like blades that once spun erratically in all directions had long since fallen off. And yet—it could still fly. 

Though it hovered sluggishly at low altitude, occasionally emitting eerie, wolf-like howls, Robert didn't dare underestimate it. At the very least, its propulsion system was still incredibly resilient. Most likely, it was some extravagant toy brought in by a rich heir from a pure-blood family. 

After a brief moment of contemplation, Robert drew his wand and instructed the twins, "Let's step back a bit." 

The three of them took cover behind a bookshelf. With a flick of his wand, Robert sent a spell hurtling toward the old flying disc. 

The moment the spell struck, the disc let out a mournful wail and froze in midair. A loud crackling noise followed as its outer shell crumbled away, revealing a small, glowing disc at its core, which dropped to the ground. 

Taking no chances, Robert cast three layers of protective armor on himself before cautiously stepping out from behind the bookshelf. Approaching the fallen object, he picked it up and examined it closely—only to be taken aback. 

There were ancient symbols etched onto the surface. He didn't recognize them, as his knowledge of ancient magical scripts was limited. But one thing was certain—had his spell not damaged it, this thing might have been able to fly indefinitely. 

"Huh? These markings look like the patterns on my pet bird's belly," Fred mused, frowning. "Could this be ancient magical script? Maybe an artifact left behind by alchemists from long ago?" 

"Is that so?" Robert studied the engravings for a while, finding them somewhat similar to hieroglyphs. "Hmm… looks like I'll have to add another book to my reading list next year." 

"Hey, mate, you already read too much. Are you trying to turn yourself into a book?" Fred joked. "I don't want my friend turning into a total bookworm." 

"Yeah, yeah." Robert handed the disc to Fred. "But you have to admit, knowledge is power. Knowledge is wealth. At the very least, Slytherins wouldn't dare pick on a top student because they know they'd lose in a duel." 

Fred shrugged as he took the disc. "Alright, fair point. Hmm… this thing does look pretty interesting. George, what do you think?" 

George glanced at the disc, thought for a moment, then smirked. "Hmm… what if we sneak this into Ron's new robes? Imagine his face when he sees his clothes start flying—he'd probably cry in terror." 

"Brilliant idea!" Fred high-fived him. "Or we could hide it in Percy's trunk. Then, when he boards the train and realizes his luggage is floating away…" 

Robert twitched. Watching the twins enthusiastically brainstorm ways to prank their older and younger brothers, he couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt… 

And then—he joined in. 

"No, no, you're going about this all wrong. A Leg-Locker Curse? Come on, Fred, Percy's a third-year. How long do you think your spell will hold him? A second? Maybe two? If you ask me, just knock him out with a Stunning Spell. Hm? Worried he won't make it onto the train? We can carry him on! As for an excuse—just tell everyone he got too excited about finishing his exams and fainted from sheer joy. Not convincing enough? Fine—how about this? He saw his trunk fly away and passed out from the shock." 

And so, unbeknownst to Mrs. Weasley, her twin sons—under the influence of their new friend—began scheming a way to humiliate their older brother, Percy, in the most flawless way possible while ensuring no suspicion fell upon them. 

Robert suddenly realized something. 

Wait a minute—next week… their exams were starting?! 

"We'll have a whole week after exams to perfect our plan." Robert raised an eyebrow. "Just to be clear—we're only pranking him. Absolutely no harm can come to Percy. Otherwise, Mrs. Weasley will be devastated." 

The twins raised their hands in agreement. 

"He tells on us to Mum every single week! It's unbearable! Last week, she wrote us a letter demanding we get at least three 'Exceeds Expectations' on our exams—or she'll smack our butts uneven!" Fred grumbled. "We have to prank him to express our frustration!" 

"Exactly!" George nodded with a look of comical determination. 

"Alright, alright. This is a major operation—it's not something we can decide in just a day or two. For now, let's practice the Shield Charm." Robert clapped his hands together before explaining the spell's mechanics and having the twins give it a go. 

The spell was a bit tricky. Despite numerous attempts, the twins failed to conjure the invisible barrier. And this room wasn't exactly ideal for spell practice anyway. Robert hadn't expected them to master it in one night, so after half an hour, they called it quits. 

"Next time, I'll summon a special training room for spell practice. That'll help us learn the charm much faster," Robert said. Then, after a moment of hesitation, he asked, "By the way… have you two ever heard of the Spirit Realm?" 

"The Spirit Realm?" Fred blinked in confusion. He instinctively shook his head, then turned to George as if recalling something. "Actually… I think I have heard of it." 

"Yeah, a few years ago," George muttered, scratching his head, brows furrowing as he tried to remember. 

"No, I'm certain it was many years ago," Fred argued, his voice firm. 

"Huh?" George scoffed. "Many years ago? Then why don't I remember?" 

"I know it was a long time ago! Dad told us about it. He was gone for three days because of it, and Mum scolded him non-stop when he got back." Fred's voice was resolute. "He said a Spirit Realm suddenly appeared in Scotland. The wizards who stumbled upon it looted its contents, and the pure-blood families wanted to fight over the spoils! We eavesdropped on the conversation and got our butts smacked for it!" 

At the mention of that painful memory, George's eyes lit up with recognition. "Ah! Now that you mention it, I do remember." 

"Yeah. And apparently, some Muggle-born wizard managed to snatch a treasure from it—but he was murdered. They never found the culprit." Fred sighed. "If only we could find the treasure that killer left behind… we'd be rich! They say that Muggle had thousands of Galleons!" 

(End of Chapter)