Hogwarts: The Greatest Wizard

Chapter 86 — The Twins' Room

Molly looked at George and Fred with a smile and said,

"Alright then, since Phineas helped you with your chores, you can go off and play today."

George and Fred leapt up in delight and called to Phineas,

"Come on! Let's show you our room and our latest invention!"

At that moment, Mrs. Weasley called after them sharply,

"You two! Don't make a mess with your nonsense in the room!"

"We know, Mum!" the twins said in unison, then whispered to Phineas,

"Mum thinks all our inventions are trouble. She wants us to work at the Ministry of Magic after we graduate."

"Only Percy would enjoy that," Fred added. "He's the one destined to be Minister for Magic someday."

Phineas followed them through the living room and to the stairs. Before going up, he noticed the second magical clock in the house, distinct from the one in the kitchen.

This one had a single pointer with photos of each Weasley family member attached. Instead of numbers, the face was marked with locations: "Home," "School," "Prison," "Missing," "Quidditch," and, ominously, at the twelve o'clock position, "Mortal Peril."

"That's been in our family since Granddad's time," George explained when he saw Phineas eyeing the clock.

"Every time a Weasley's born, a new hand appears," Fred added. "And if one dies… their hand disappears."

Phineas nodded thoughtfully. It reminded him of the Black family tapestry—magical, connected by blood. When a new member was born, their name appeared. When they died, it turned grey and faded. The Weasley clock tracked safety; the tapestry recorded legacy.

The staircase in the Burrow was anything but ordinary—uneven, winding, and as chaotic as the Gryffindor Tower's at Hogwarts. Platforms, or partial landings, appeared randomly, each with rooms at staggered heights, no two aligned.

On the third platform, they passed an open door revealing a little girl's room. The decorations made that plain.

George smiled awkwardly.

"That's Ginny's room. She's not exactly shy about messes."

Phineas shrugged.

"You lot have a great sibling bond."

Fred laughed.

"Especially when it comes to teasing Ron."

Phineas rolled his eyes.

"Poor Ron. It must be tough having you two as brothers."

George grinned.

"Oh, he loves our pranks. Deep down."

Phineas chuckled. If they were happy, who was he to judge?

They ascended to a new landing with two doors. One bore a plaque labeled Percy's Room, the other Fred and George. Fred pushed open their door.

The room was large—by Burrow standards—clearly designed for two. Everything inside was decked in Gryffindor red and gold. Twin beds stood opposite each other. A shared desk, a wardrobe, a bedside table with a magical lamp, and a window with a vase of flowers completed the scene.

Boxes stacked in the corner, tightly sealed, gave off a faint smell of gunpowder. Phineas wrinkled his nose.

"I swear, are you two brewing explosives in here?"

Fred looked innocent, but George scratched his head guiltily.

"We were testing fireworks last night. Might've overdone it."

Phineas eyed them both.

"Fireworks? Got anything worth showing?"

Fred shook his head.

"Not really. There's definitely some magic residue on the gunpowder—it controls the color and pattern of the bursts."

George added,

"But we still don't know how it ignites even when wet. There's no magic signature, and it's not traditional alchemy either. At least nothing we've seen in standard alchemical texts."

Phineas crossed his arms.

"Never say something's impossible. Otherwise, how do joke shops thrive? If magic's no help, maybe try the Muggle way."

George blinked. Fred perked up.

"Wait—Muggle science?"

"Exactly," Phineas nodded. "There are materials like alkali metals and metal hydrides. Calcium carbide, sodium dithionite—they ignite with water."

The twins stared, completely lost.

"Come again?" Fred said after a pause.

Phineas laughed.

"Right, sorry. Basically, they're simple compounds that Muggles use. Not exactly alchemy—more like… their version of it."

George and Fred exchanged wide-eyed glances.

"We have got to study Muggle alchemy" George said.

"Who knew they had magic without magic?" Fred added.

Phineas grinned.

"Well, not magic—but definitely useful."