.
.Hestia.s.just.relieved.me,.so.she.s.got.Moody.s.Cloak.now,.thought.I.d.leave.a.report.for.Dumbledore…..
Feeling.Mrs.Weasley.s.eyes.on.the.back.of.his.head,.Harry.regretfully.closed.the.drawing‐room.door.and.rejoined.the.Doxy.party..
Mrs.Weasley.was.bending.over.to.check.the.page.on.Doxys.in.Gilderoy.Lockhart.s.Guide.to.Household.Pests,.which.was.lying.open.on.the.sofa..
.Right,.you.lot,.you.need.to.be.careful,.because.Doxys.bite.and.their.teeth.are.poisonous..I.ve.got.a.bottle.of.antidote.here,.but.I.d.rather.nobody.needed.it...
She.straightened.up,.positioned.herself.squarely.in.front.of.the.curtains.and.beckoned.them.all.forward..
.When.I.say.the.word,.start.spraying.immediately,..she.said..They.ll.come.Hying.out.at.us,.I.expect,.but.it.says.on.the.sprays.one.good.squirt.will.paralyse.them.
.When.they.re.immobilised,.just.throw.them.in.this.bucket...
She.stepped.carefully.out.of.their.line.of.fire,.and.raised.her.own.spray..
.All.right.‐.squirt!..
Harry.had.been.spraying.only.a.few.seconds.when.a.fully‐grown.Doxy.came.soaring.out.of.a.fold.in.the.material,.shiny.beetle‐like.wings.whirring,.tiny.needle‐sharp.teeth.bared,.its.fairy‐like.body.covered.with.thick.black.hair.and.its.four.tiny.lists.clenched.with.fury..Harry.caught.it.full.in.the.face.with.a.blast.of.
Doxycide..It.froze.in.midair.and.fell,.with.a.surprisingly.loud.thunk,.on.to.the.worn.carpet.below..Harry.picked.it.up.and.threw.it.in.the.bucket..
.Fred,.what.are.you.doing?..said.Mrs.Weasley.sharply...Spray.that.at.once.and.throw.it.away!..
Harry.looked.round..Fred.was.holding.a.struggling.Doxy.between.his.forefinger.and.thumb..
.Right‐o,..Fred.said.brightly,.spraying.the.Doxy.quickly.in.the.face.so.that.it.fainted,.but.the.moment.Mrs.Weasley.s.back.was.turned.he.pocketed.it.with.a.wink..
.We.want.to.experiment.with.Doxy.venom.for.our.Skiving.Snackboxes,..George.told.Harry.under.his.breath..
Deftly.spraying.two.Doxys.at.once.as.they.soared.straight.for.his.nose,.Harry.moved.closer.to.George.and.muttered.out.of.the.corner.of.his.mouth,..What.are.Skiving.Snackboxes?..
.Range.of.sweets.to.make.you.ill,..George.whispered,.keeping.a.wary.eye.on.Mrs.Weasley.s.back...Not.seriously.ill,.mind,.just.ill.enough.to.get.you.out.of.a.class.when.you.feel.like.it..Fred.and.I.have.been.developing.them.this.summer.
.They.re.double‐ended,.colour‐coded.chews..If.you.eat.the.orange.half.of.the.Puking.Pastilles,.you.throw.up..Moment.you.ve.been.rushed.out.of.the.lesson.for.the.hospital.wing,.you.swallow.the.purple.half.‐..
..‐.which.restores.you.to.full.fitness,.enabling.you.to.pursue.the.leisure.activity.of.your.own.choice.during.an.hour.that.would.otherwise.have.been.devoted.to.unproftable.boredom...That.s.what.we.re.putting.in.the.adverts,.anyway,.
.whispered.Fred,.who.had.edged.over.out.of.Mrs.Weasley.s.line.of.vision.and.was.now.sweeping.a.few.stray.Doxys.from.the.floor.and.adding.them.to.his.pocket...But.they.still.need.a.bit.of.work..At.the.moment.our.testers.are.having.a.bit.of.trouble.stopping.themselves.puking.long.enough.to.swallow.the.purple.end...