Leaving the classroom, Viktor made his way down the corridor toward his office.
Just as he rounded a corner, he bumped right into two sneaky, red-haired figures. They were plastered against a suit of armor, peering down the other end of the hall. It looked like they were either hiding from someone or hunting for something.
With that unmistakable identical red hair and the palpable aura of impending mischief—even from behind—who else could it be but Fred and George?
The twins clearly heard his footsteps and whipped around simultaneously. When they saw it was Viktor, their eyes lit up. Brilliant, almost sycophantic smiles instantly bloomed across their faces. It was like they had just spotted a giant bag of Galleons—no, better: the ultimate guide to their next great adventure.
Abandoning the armor, they darted over like two Nifflers spotting shiny gold, instantly flanking Viktor on his left and right.
"Good afternoon, Professor Scamander!" George chirped, his tone pitching upward.
"Lovely weather we're having. Perfect day to learn something new, right, Professor?" Fred followed up seamlessly, batting his eyes.
Speaking in perfect unison, they asked with eager anticipation, "About last night... when you promised to teach us some 'new things'... when can we start? We're absolutely dying to know!"
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### The Perfect Lab Assistants
Looking at those two faces practically glowing with anticipation, curiosity, and a reckless drive to experiment, a thought flashed through Viktor's mind. He remembered the alchemical nexus he'd theorized in his mind palace that morning—a project that required a massive amount of practical testing and grunt work to perfect.
These two pranksters—whose endless supply of joke products proved they had incredible hands-on skills, a solid foundation in alchemy, agile minds, zero fear of failure, and an active love for explosions and challenges... Weren't they the perfect, readymade, highly enthusiastic "free labor" and lab assistants?
Besides, guiding them, watching them grow, and channeling their raw talent into something constructive would be highly rewarding in its own right.
A plan rapidly took shape in Viktor's mind. A warmer, yet distinctly knowing smile touched his lips as his gaze swept over the twins.
"It seems you two are genuinely interested, Misters Weasley," Viktor drawled slowly.
"Of course!" "Absolutely!" The twins nodded furiously.
"Excellent. In that case, I will give you two options." Viktor held up a single finger.
"Option One: I can set aside two hours every weekend to tutor you both privately. We can cover whatever you want—advanced applications of the Patronus Charm, highly nuanced Transfiguration techniques, or other practical magic you won't necessarily find in a textbook."
The twins exchanged a look. Option One sounded fantastic! Two hours of private tutoring every week! But they didn't nod right away. The Professor had said there were two options.
Viktor held up a second finger, his smile deepening. "Option Two: I can have a chat with Professor McGonagall and have your evening detentions transferred to me. No more scrubbing the Trophy Room or polishing chamber pots."
"If you serve your 'detentions' with me, you'll be helping me with some... alchemical experiments. This means processing materials, engraving basic runes, and assembling and testing components. It might get tedious, and it might be slightly dangerous—though I'll ensure your basic safety, of course."
"As compensation and instruction, I will systematically teach you a wide array of alchemical knowledge throughout the process. From foundational principles to advanced techniques, from common formulas to... let's just say, more obscure, unorthodox applications."
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### Dropping the Bait
The moment they heard the word "alchemy," the twins' eyes lit up like miniature suns! They subconsciously held their breath.
Viktor noticed their gazes flick simultaneously—swiftly and covertly—toward the unassuming suitcase he always carried. They had obviously been drooling over the magical space inside that case for quite some time.
Chuckling inwardly, Viktor continued, his tone dripping with temptation. "Furthermore, if you work hard enough, show genuine talent, and complete your experimental tasks well..."
He paused deliberately, watching the twins hang on his every word.
"...I might consider teaching you the foundational principles of crafting expanded spaces. For instance, how to stabilize an Undetectable Extension Charm, how to set up internal environmental magic, or even... how to weave camouflage spells over a pocket dimension's entrance."
The twins' jaws went slack. Their faces screamed, Merlin's saggy left sock! Did we just hear that right?! in a mix of absolute shock and ecstasy.
But he wasn't done yet. Viktor casually tossed out an even heavier piece of bait.
"Beyond that, I've dabbled in magical disciplines from all over the world. Eastern talisman crafting and paper-figure binding, African voodoo doll construction and curse-breaking, Far Eastern ice puppetry, and obscure ancient runic variations from across Europe... As long as you maintain an interest and finish the core alchemical tasks, we can always find time to explore them."
"Oh, right," Viktor added, dropping the most earth-shattering revelation in the most offhanded tone imaginable. "When I was younger, I had the incredible fortune of studying under Master Nicolas Flamel for a time. I only scratched the surface, but I did memorize some of his unique, personal techniques and insights regarding alchemy. If you perform well enough, I wouldn't mind sharing a few of them."
"NICOLAS FLAMEL!!!"
The twins completely lost it, screaming his name. Their eyes were bulging, and they grabbed each other's arms, physically shaking from extreme excitement.
The legendary alchemist! The creator of the Sorcerer's Stone! A mythic figure who had lived for centuries! His personal techniques!
To any young wizard interested in alchemy—especially creative, thrill-seeking mavericks like Fred and George—this level of temptation was downright nuclear!
They didn't hesitate. They didn't even need to make eye contact. Fred and George Weasley yelled in perfect unison, using every ounce of breath in their lungs:
"OPTION TWO! PROFESSOR! WE CHOOSE OPTION TWO! DETENTION! ALCHEMY! WE WANT TO LEARN FROM YOU!"
They shouted so loudly that a few Hufflepuffs passing by the other end of the corridor turned and stared in curiosity.
Viktor wasn't surprised in the slightest. After all, any wizard with an ounce of ambition and basic common sense would find it absolutely impossible to turn down the phrase "guidance from Nicolas Flamel."
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