Chapter 113: Execution? I Really Thought I Was Listening to a Death Eater

"After all, Harry's legend is something almost everyone in the wizarding world knows about. He's even seen as a savior in the eyes of many kids," Dylan said with a smile.

Harry scratched his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

The Weasley twins turned their gaze to Dylan.

"The way you talk really reminds me of Dad," one of them said.

"Totally!" the other agreed.

Dylan shot a quick glance at the two troublemakers.

"Dylan, how come it feels like after just a month apart, you've gotten a lot taller?" one of the twins asked.

"Yeah, you're almost as tall as us now! If someone said you were a third- or fourth-year student, people might actually believe it!"

At that, Ron and Harry couldn't help but look over too.

At first, they hadn't noticed much, but now that it was pointed out, it did seem true!

"It feels like you're almost a whole head taller than me now!" Ron said, wide-eyed. "Did you take some kind of growth potion or something?"

Harry blinked a couple of times, comparing Dylan to himself. Next to Dylan, he felt like a dwarf.

"I wonder when I'll get taller," Harry muttered.

Dylan grinned. "First off, I eat three big meals a day and get plenty of nutrition, so growing taller is pretty normal for me."

"Plus, practicing spells regularly helps circulate magic, which can also boost your height."

"And finally…" Dylan's eyes landed on Harry. "If you don't want to go back to your aunt's place in the future, you're welcome to spend the summer at my house. My parents aren't always around anyway."

Dylan shrugged, then added, "I'll make sure the meals I prepare for you are just as good as what we get at school! Eat well, drink well, and you'll shoot up in no time."

Harry's eyes flickered with emotion. "Okay!"

Ron, sitting beside Harry, shook his head like a rattle. "No way, no way! What's the fun in just the two of you staying together? You should come to our place instead! We can hang out and—"

Ron glanced at his mom and quickly tacked on, "And since your grades are so good, you could help me catch up on my studies!"

Dylan didn't turn him down. "I'll definitely come by when I've got the time."

With that topic wrapped up, Ron went back to munching on his bread, muttering under his breath, "It's gotta be because I only eat this nutrition-less junk every morning. That's why I'm not getting any taller!"

Mrs. Weasley, who'd been about to head back to the kitchen to finish making breakfast for the others, stopped in her tracks. Her gaze shot toward Ron like a dagger.

The dining table was right next to the kitchen, after all—she only had to take a couple of steps to reach the cooking area.

"Oh, I'm so sorry about that," she said sharply. "But you all eat the same food at school, and everyone else manages to grow. How come you're the only one who doesn't?"

She heard that?

Ron quickly shut his mouth, not daring to respond. Instead, he turned to Harry and said, "Your aunt always gives you leftovers—or sometimes doesn't even let you eat at all. That's probably why you haven't grown much. You must be malnourished!"

"In my opinion, you shouldn't go back there anymore. Whether you stay with Dylan or come to our place, we'd all welcome you!"

The twins nodded enthusiastically. "Ron's right!"

Harry gave a shy smile. "Thanks, guys."

"Ha—" Ron let out a yawn after finishing his bread.

"Mom, I was thinking—"

"You want to go out to the garden and help me deal with those pesky gnomes? Wonderful!" Mrs. Weasley cut in.

Ron froze. "W-What?"

Her voice carried over. "Ron, I knew you were a thoughtful boy. Fred, George—you two go help Ron out as well. Those gnomes have made a mess of the garden again!"

The twins exchanged a look. "But Mom, we've been up all night!"

"Oh, poor things. But did I stop you from going to bed?"

The usually rowdy twins shrank under Mrs. Weasley's authority, meek as little quails.

"No."

"Perfect! Since you're back now, go help me out right away!"

"Yes, ma'am!" they replied in unison.

Harry watched the dejected Weasley twins and Ron, who was sporting slight dark circles under his eyes. He hesitated, then opened his mouth. "Mrs. Weasley, I'll join them—"

Before he could finish, Mrs. Weasley jumped in.

"Oh, dear Harry—and Dylan—after rushing over here, you must be a little tired. Why don't you rest on Ron's bed for a bit?"

Ron's eyes went wide. "Hey! Mom! That's not fair!"

Mrs. Weasley let out an "Oh."

"Then explain to me what's unfair about it. Do you want your friends who are visiting our home to do your chores for you? Are you trying to turn into a rude little lunatic?"

Ron's face stiffened, and he slumped down, looking just as defeated as the twins.

Dylan stifled a laugh and stepped in to smooth things over for Ron. "Mrs. Weasley, I came here fully rested, so I don't feel like sleeping. Plus, we don't have gnomes at my place. Let me join Ron and the others to clear them out."

"Oh, sweetheart, you're such a good kid. If you'd like to, of course you can! Go have fun with Ron and the others—but leave the dirty, tiring work to them."

Ron: "(∧)!"

Harry tagged along behind Dylan, quickly adding, "I'll go too!"

"Alright, but don't overdo it, okay?" Mrs. Weasley's warm voice replied.

Dylan glanced at Ron and the others. They still seemed energetic, but there was a hint of exhaustion in their eyes. If they let their guard down even for a moment, fatigue might overwhelm them. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"Mrs. Weasley, would you mind if I used a spell on Ron and the others?"

"Of course not! If they give you any trouble, feel free to use a spell to teach them a lesson."

Ron's vision went dark.

Mom! Do you even know what kind of spells he's learned? If you let him 'teach' me, he might end up killing your son—don't you realize that?!

Dylan grinned. "Serenitas Lux (Fatigue Be Gone)!"

Dylan's wand gave a slight twirl, and a burst of magic surged forth, gently enveloping Harry, Ron, and the others.

The four little troublemakers, who'd been up all night, immediately felt the sluggish exhaustion that had been weighing them down ease considerably under the spell's influence.

"Ha—!" 

They all yawned in unison—not out of sleepiness, but more like the kind of yawn you let out right after waking up.

"Yah!"

The twins stretched lazily, letting out a loud exclamation.

"Wow! This spell can actually make you feel energized? How come we never learned this?" they marveled.

Ron, who'd already witnessed the spell's wonders before, smirked at his brothers' fussing. His lips curved slightly, his gaze cool as he shot them a sidelong glance. "Never seen it before, huh? This is a special spell Dylan picked up from a professor! Harry and I have already learned it!"

Dylan raised an eyebrow. "You sure about that?"

Ron's smug expression nearly faltered. He quickly shot Dylan a pleading look before saying, "Harry's totally mastered it!"

The twins caught on and zeroed in on Ron. "And you?"

Ron coughed awkwardly. "I've… almost got it down!"

"Quit bragging, Ron!" The twins stuck their tongues out at him.

Dylan twirled his wand again. "Scourgify (Scourge and Clean)!"

A wave of magic swept over the table, instantly cleaning all the dishes and utensils.

"Wingardium Leviosa (Levitate)!"

The levitation charm wrapped around the dishes, stacking them neatly in the air. With a flick of Dylan's wand, they floated off toward the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley's voice rang out in praise. "Very impressive spellwork!"

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," Dylan replied.

He stood up from his seat, casually cleaning the teacup Harry had used and returning it to its place.

The group then dashed out to the garden.

The sunlight had broken through the clouds by now, spilling down like a thin veil, illuminating the chaotic yet lively garden.

As Dylan approached, he noticed that aside from the vegetable patch, even the narrow walking paths were overrun with wild, sprawling weeds.

In the flowerbeds, the weeds tangled with marigolds, while rose vines climbed haphazardly over the surrounding shrubs.

The Weasley twins dove headfirst into the bushes.

In the blink of an eye, they yanked out two wriggling gnomes.

"These are the culprits—always sneaking into our garden and causing trouble!" one of them said.

Dylan peered over, studying the gnomes closely.

The creatures were only about 10 to 12 inches tall and utterly hideous. Their skin was wrinkled and covered in bumpy patches, resembling shriveled, dehydrated radishes.

Their bodies were small, but their heads were disproportionately large and round.

Their big, pointed ears stuck out like two jagged pieces of fungus, jutting ungracefully from either side of their heads.

Once caught by the twins, their bulging orange-yellow eyes seemed ready to pop out at any moment.

"Oh, they're really ugly," Harry said, blinking.

Ron grimaced in agreement. "Uglier than mandrake roots, right?"

Harry nodded. "It's a close call."

"Ha ha ha ha ha!" The twins burst into laughter.

George and Fred grabbed the gnomes by their skinny legs.

With a circular swing of their arms—like wielding a meteor hammer—

"Whoosh!"

They let go, hurling the two gnomes over the hedge.

Dylan tilted his head. "That's… it?"

"Yep, that's it!" The twins nodded.

Dylan glanced around and spotted a gnome poking its head out of a hole in the dirt near his feet, eyeing him warily.

He raised an eyebrow. "Petrificus Totalus (Full Body-Bind)!"

"Biu~"

A flash of magic struck the gnome. Sensing danger, it tried to duck back into the ground, but its body stiffened mid-motion, frozen solid.

Dylan used a levitation charm to lift it up for a closer look.

—No way was he touching something that ugly with his hands.

—Even cockroaches looked better than these things.

"If you just toss them outside the house like that, isn't it the same as not throwing them out at all? They'll just dig their way back in," Dylan remarked.

Ron was busy over by the flowerbed, locked in a frantic chase with an especially nimble gnome.

"You little pest! It's you again—stop running!"

He lunged forward but tripped over a stray tool, nearly face-planting into the dirt.

"Ah! Darn it!"

Just then, Fred appeared in front of the gnome Ron had been chasing. As it leaped into the air, he snatched it mid-jump.

Hearing Dylan's comment, George, who'd just caught another gnome, was about to look up and explain when Dylan continued—

"Why not just use magic to get rid of them for good?"

The gnomes in George and Fred's hands were flailing their stubby legs, desperately trying to break free from the two humans.

But at Dylan's words, both gnomes shuddered in unison. Even the hands that had been clawing at the twins switched to clinging tightly to their fingers, as if terrified the twins might hand them over to this frightening human.

Fred glanced down at the trembling gnome in his grip, then back at Dylan.

"Get… rid of them?" 

He let out an awkward laugh. "Where'd you pick up a phrase like that? I thought I was hearing a Death Eater talk for a second."

He quickly shook his arm to dislodge the gnome's grip, then swung it around and flung the creature away.

George tossed his gnome as well.

"These gnomes are annoying, sure, but they don't stop us from growing vegetables. You know—we've got magic," he explained.

"Yeah, and Dad says these gnomes churn up the soil every day, which actually helps the vegetables grow better," one of the twins said.

"He also says they're kind of fun," the other added.

"Exactly! With them around, when we've got nothing to do, we can catch them for entertainment."

Dylan nodded thoughtfully.

Swish.

With a light flick of his wand, the gnome he'd been controlling with the levitation charm sailed over the hedge.

Wizards have magic—stating the obvious, but it's true.

Gnomes aren't picky eaters.

—In fact, if they're starving, they'll even munch on weeds.

They don't necessarily gobble up the crops in the garden.

And even if they do eat some, wizards don't tend to care too much.

As long as you've got seeds, a growth charm can make them ripen in no time.

It's only Muggles who'd harbor a deep grudge against so-called pests.

But when you've got the ability to completely shrug off pest problems, those pests might actually start to seem "interesting."

Turning pest-catching into a game does fit the Weasley family vibe pretty well.

The twins exchanged a glance, about to call Harry over to join the gnome-grabbing fun.

But suddenly, the grass and bushes around them began to rustle and shake.

Gnomes that had been hiding deep in the undergrowth—or even burrowed in the soil—started popping out one by one, as if hit with a freezing charm.

The moment they emerged, they scampered with their stubby little legs as fast as they could, lining up obediently at the feet of the nearest person.

Harry and the others froze, stunned.

They stared at the long line of gnomes forming by their feet, then glanced at Dylan, where not a single gnome dared to approach.

Harry opened his mouth. "This…"

The twins couldn't hold it in and burst out laughing. "Looks like Dylan's words earlier scared the daylights out of them!"

Ron gaped, dumbfounded. "But I've threatened them before too! Why aren't they scared of me?"

"Maybe because you don't look scary at all?" one twin suggested.

"And kind of ridiculous," the other chimed in.

Ron's face fell instantly.

He huffed in frustration, bent down, and grabbed the first gnome in line by its ankle. Raising his arm high, he pulled back and then flung it with all his might.

Whoosh! The gnome shot through the air, eyes squeezed shut, vanishing somewhere beyond the garden.

"There! I'm getting sleepy anyway—now I don't feel like playing this gnome-catching game!" Ron grumbled nonstop.

Harry looked down at the gnome by his feet, which was growing impatient, practically hopping in place waiting for him to grab it.

Finally, he bent down, gripped its raised foot, and spun his arm in circles, mimicking the twins' technique. He launched the gnome, watching it arc through the sky, and a thrill sparked in him.

"It's actually kind of fun!"

Harry, Ron, and the twins got to work—bending down, grabbing gnomes, tossing them.

Bend, grab, toss…

Leaving Dylan standing there with nothing to do.

"These gnomes are smarter than I thought," Dylan said, squinting slightly.

He'd been a bit puzzled earlier—why didn't the Weasleys just get rid of the gnomes for good?

After all, they breed like crazy. Simply tossing them out wouldn't stop them from coming back—and with more little ones in tow.

But since the Weasleys didn't seem intent on really dealing with them, Dylan figured there was no need for him to step in.

Besides, there's a limit to how many gnomes an area can sustain.

If their numbers exceed that, they naturally thin out without any outside interference.

So if the gnomes overbreed, the extras would wander off on their own to find new places to live.

With the gnomes voluntarily lining up, practically begging to be thrown out, Mrs. Weasley's task of clearing them out turned out to be quick and easy.

"Dylan, do you want to get some sleep?" the twins asked, walking over.

Fred continued, "Up on the third floor, first room on the left—it's the biggest one you'll see. That's ours. There are two beds, so if you and Harry are tired, feel free to crash there."

"You guys aren't resting?" Dylan raised an eyebrow.

"Nope! We want to ride Harry's broom!" the twins shook their heads firmly.

Dylan smiled and pulled his own Nimbus 2000 out of his suitcase.

"I've got one too. If you want to ride, you can each take one—just be careful. I mean for your safety, not the brooms."

The twins' eyes lit up at the sight of Dylan's broom.

George eagerly grabbed it.

Fred threw his arms around Dylan in a bear hug. "Whoa! Now we don't have to argue over who goes first—we can even race!"

George clutched Dylan's Nimbus 2000, grinning ear to ear.

Suddenly, he remembered something and added to Dylan and Harry, "Oh, one more thing!"

"It's not that I don't want you guys messing around in me and Fred's room, but we've got some explosive stuff we've been working on in there. So, uh, try not to move around too much."

Fred nodded. "Yeah, or it might blow up."

"Huh?"

Dylan's mouth twitched.

It might explode?

What, do they think they're Seamus or something?

Dylan smacked his lips. "Suddenly, I'm not so keen on resting anymore. I wasn't tired to begin with."

(End of Chapter)