recruiting
by Pares
There were two of them, all right. Mrs. Sturgeon was smiling at them and affixing name tags on their robes.
"George and Fred," Boots reported from the window, setting down his binoculars.
Bruno had steepled his fingers, dark eyes glittering with calculation.
"Transfer students. In the middle of the term. Are you sure they're twins?"
Boots obliged him with another scan of the binoculars.
"Identical in every way, except the nametags."
"We can have a Halloween carnival-- with a freakshow! We stuff them into the same sweater and claim they're joined at the hip! That should bring enough for round trip tickets for everybody in our year--"
"Why do you want to go on this trip so badly, anyway?" Boots watched Mrs. Sturgeon wave goodbye to the new students.
"Are you kidding? I can't live another year in this world without having had real, Italian pasta! Besides, think of it, a whole term abroad, excellent food, and The Fish back here at the Hall--"
There was a loud crack as two red-haired boys appeared in the middle of the dorm room.
"Just as Dumbledore described," said the one whose nametag designated him as Fred.
Boots shook his binoculars and then set them down to rub his eyes.
Bruno vaulted from his chair.
"You've got to teach me how to do that," he demanded.
"Easy, mate," said George, placatingly. "You're Bruno Walton, right?"
Boots noticed they had English accents. He could practically hear Bruno mentally raising ticket prices.
"He must be O'Neal, then." Fred tipped his head to study Boots, who was still standing my the window.
"Call him Boots," said Bruno expansively. "So, Fred and George. Welcome to MacDonald Hall. I've got huge plans for you."
Fred and George shared a look and grinned at him.
"What luck! We've got huge plans for you as well."
"Dumbledore does, anyway," added Fred.
"We've heard loads about you." George clapped his hands together and flopped back onto Bruno's empty bunk. "I reckon it's time you've heard a bit about us."END
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