Chapter 322 — Indoor Quidditch Equipment
"There's a spider!" George suddenly shouted, kicking over the chair beside him with a loud clatter.
"What a huge black widow, Ron! Look, she's right next to your ear! She's about to bite you!"
"What?"
Ron was suddenly startled awake. He opened his mouth instinctively and tried to sit up, only to find that something had apparently been stuffed into his mouth. Before he could react, he swallowed it.
Fred's throwing skills were excellent. He had thrown it with pinpoint accuracy—straight into Ron's mouth.
"How about trying our energy-boosting gum?" the twins said in unison.
Although it sounded like a question, the Weasley twins clearly had no intention of consulting their brother.
Ron's face flushed red with alarming speed, though not from embarrassment or anger.
It was purely a physiological reaction.
Hermione had already seen Ron spit out a spark or two from his mouth.
"Water. I need water," Ron said urgently.
Every breath brought a burning sensation, as though a sharp blade were scraping against his throat, the pain searing all the way down.
George and Fred exchanged a glance, then simultaneously broke into mischievous grins, as though their prank had been a complete success.
"Aguamenti!"
Hermione quickly grabbed the nearest cup and filled it with water using her wand. Ron immediately snatched it from her, and the overflowing water splashed onto the golden-red, fluffy carpet.
Ron gulped down the water. The cool liquid washed over his tongue and teeth, but it did nothing to alleviate the pain. He was even having trouble breathing.
His eyes were brimming with tears. He pounded his fists against the table in front of him, jumping up and down frantically and looking as though he might collapse onto the floor at any moment.
"You two are really…" Hermione pursed her lips and glared at George and Fred.
"New products always need someone to test them, right? Our dear brother is the perfect candidate." George raised an eyebrow and shrugged.
"Looks like using gargoyles as an energy booster is a bit too much. We'll have to find a substitute." Fred pursed his lips and shook his head in disappointment.
"The great cause of pranks requires sacrifices from certain people."
"We'll remember him, and future generations will remember him too."
The two spoke one after another, then nodded with exaggerated solemnity.
It was as though Ron had sacrificed himself for some glorious cause.
"All right, that's enough for now. I won't bother you anymore."
George felt slightly uncomfortable under Hermione's gaze, but he still pulled a white crystal from his pocket, lifted Ron's chin, and fed it to him.
The effect was immediate.
A genuine cooling sensation spread through Ron's mouth, and the pain quickly subsided.
Spiciness was essentially a form of pain.
Once he had recovered his strength, Ron immediately clenched his fists and charged at his two brothers, determined to teach them a lesson.
After all that commotion, he felt incredibly energetic.
"Little brother, don't be so quick to get angry. I think a Prefect should have some tolerance, shouldn't he? Besides, this can help temper your willpower."
"I'm not your brother," Ron said furiously.
"Why don't you take a look at our new invention? Maybe you'll change your mind."
Fred and George grinned smugly. They pulled a huge metal box out from beneath a large table and began setting up the various devices inside.
After passing their Ordinary Wizarding Levels, the Weasley twins were finally free to pursue what they wanted. Their grades had actually been quite good, which led their mother, Mrs. Weasley, to turn a blind eye to many of their pranks.
It was worth mentioning that their achievements were remarkably symmetrical.
They had used the money they won at Ludo Bagman's gambling den as their initial capital. Once they had the money, Bagman naturally wouldn't dare renege on his debts—after all, he needed to maintain his reputation if he wanted to keep making money.
Combined with the money they had received from Malfoy, the twins had accumulated their first fortune. It became the startup capital for their future joke shop.
Now, they were developing new products and planning their lives after graduation.
Human desires always drove human behavior.
Since the detestable Umbridge had not become Hogwarts' Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Professor McGonagall had no interest in products designed for skipping class. Such things were merely a demand among certain students and existed in a gray area of the school rules.
If Professor McGonagall discovered what they were doing, she would undoubtedly criticize them again and add a few more items to Filch's list of prohibited objects.
As a result, their development of quick-acting Skiving Snackboxes and Nosebleed Nougat had been postponed indefinitely.
They were looking for products with greater commercial potential.
Their goal was to satisfy people's urgent needs. If there was no demand, a product would not sell no matter how well it was developed.
Then an important announcement excited them, although it also had a considerable impact on them.
Quidditch training and matches were going to be discontinued.
That was certainly a bad thing.
But if it could be "solved," then it could become a good thing.
The twins had poured a great deal of effort into developing an indoor Quidditch system.
They quickly managed to reproduce miniature flying broomsticks, miniature Bludgers, miniature Quaffles, and even the most difficult object of all—the Golden Snitch.
As for the goals, those went without saying.
The method of controlling the miniature equipment relied entirely on the user's own magic.
The miniature figure riding the broomstick would form a special magical connection with its controller. Once connected, it could only be influenced by that person and would resist interference from others.
Most of its propulsion came from the wizard's own Levitation Charm.
It offered a unique kind of enjoyment. It lacked some of the intensity of experiencing a Quidditch match firsthand, but in exchange, it provided a greater sense of accomplishment through strategic planning.
Because the entire playing area was visible at a glance, issuing commands became even more important.
"That's so cool."
Harry adjusted his glasses and stared at the equipment in surprise. Ron's eyes widened as well, and he completely forgot about getting revenge on his brothers.
"Why don't you give it a try?" the twins invited.
Harry and Ron immediately became engrossed in the game. They moved all the tables and chairs aside to clear enough space.
"Can I join?"
A tall girl approached them.
It was Angelina Johnson, Gryffindor's Quidditch captain, who had also come over to join in.
Because of the cost, the twins had only managed to make a few miniature broomsticks, which limited the number of participants. But that did nothing to dampen their enthusiasm.
It became a wonderful alternative to real Quidditch.
The oddly shaped little figures straddled miniature broomsticks and flew through the air, chasing several small balls and trying to knock them through the goalposts.
Since everyone was a beginner, even those with Quidditch experience played terribly at first.
But that did nothing to diminish their enjoyment.