That.s.a.bright.side,.is.it?..snapped.Harry,.while.Ron.stared.incredulously.at.Hermione...No.Quidditch.practice,.and.extra.Potions?..
Harry.slumped.down.into.a.chair,.dragged.his.Potions.essay.reluctantly.from.his.bag.and.set.to.work..It.was.very.hard.to.concentrate;.even.though.he.knew.Sirius.was.not.due.in.the.fire.until.much.later,.he.could.not.help.glancing.into.the.flames.every.few.minutes.just.in.case..There.was.also.an.incredible.amount.of.noise.in.the.room:.Fred.and.George.appeared.finally.to.have.perfected.one.type.of.Skiving.Snackbox,.which.they.were.taking.turns.to.demonstrate.to.a.cheering.and.whooping.crowd..
First,.Fred.would.take.a.bite.out.of.the.orange.end.of.a.chew,.at.which.he.would.vomit.spectacularly.into.a.bucket.they.had.placed.in.front.of.them..Then.he.would.force.down.the.purple.end.of.the.chew,.at.which.the.vomiting.would.immediately.cease..Lee.Jordan,.who.was.assisting.the.demonstration,.was.lazily.Vanishing.the.vomit.at.regular.intervals.with.the.same.Vanishing.Spell.Snape.kept.using.on.Harrys.potions..
What.with.the.regular.sounds.of.retching,.cheering.and.the.sound.of.Fred.and.George.taking.advance.orders.from.the.crowd,.Harry.was.finding.it.exceptionally.difficult.to.focus.on.the.correct.method.for.Strengthening.Solution.
.Hermione.was.not.helping.matters;.the.cheers.and.the.sound.of.vomit.hitting.the.bottom.of.Fred.and.George.s.bucket.were.punctuated.by.her.loud.and.disapproving.sniffs,.which.Harry.found,.if.anything,.more.distracting..
.Just.go.and.stop.them,.then!..he.said.irritably,.after.crossing.out.the.wrong.weight.of.powdered.griffin.claw.for.the.fourth.time..
.I.can.t,.they.re.not.technically.doing.anything.wrong,..said.Hermione.through.gritted.teeth..They.re.quite.within.their.rights.to.eat.the.foul.things.themselves.and.I.can.t.find.a.rule.that.says.the.other.idiots.aren.t.entitled.to.buy.them,.not.unless.they.re.proven.to.be.dangerous.in.some.way.and.it.doesn.t.look.as.though.they.are...
She,.Harry.and.Ron.watched.George.projectile鈥恦omit.into.the.bucket,.gulp.down.the.rest.of.the.chew.and.straighten.up,.beaming.with.his.arms.wide.to.protracted.applause..
.You.know,.I.don.t.get.why.Fred.and.George.only.got.three.OWLs.each,..said.Harry,.watching.as.Fred,.George.and.Lee.collected.gold.from.the.eager.crowd.
.They.really.know.their.stuff...
.Oh,.they.only.know.flashy.stuff.that.s.of.no.real.use.to.anyone,..said.Hermione.disparagingly..
.No.real.use?..said.Ron.in.a.strained.voice...Hermione,.they.ve.made.about.twenty鈥恠ix.Galleons.already...
It.was.a.long.while.before.the.crowd.around.the.Weasley.twins.dispersed,.then.Fred,.Lee.and.George.sat.up.counting.their.takings.even.longer,.so.it.was.well.past.midnight.when.Harry,.Ron.and.Hermione.finally.had.the.common.room.to.themselves..At.long.last,.Fred.had.closed.the.doorway.to.the.boys..dormitories.behind.him,.rattling.his.box.of.Galleons.ostentatiously.so.that.Hermione.scowled..Harry,.who.was.making.very.little.progress.with.his.Potions.essay,
.decided.to.give.it.up.for.the.night..As.he.put.his.books.away,.Ron,.who.was.dozing.lightly.in.an.armchair,.gave.a.muffled.grunt,.awoke,.and.looked.blearily.into.the.fire..