Spring, 1990

George sighed with relief as they exited the dungeons. "Finally, finally, the last detention for the firework prank is over."

"That prank was a stupid one, anyway."

"Hey! Just because it was my idea-"

"I'm not saying that because it was your idea, I'm saying it because first of all, we got caught, second of all, the fireworks lasted about three minutes, and third of all, two people got hurt. If we ever pull off a fireworks prank again, we need to plan better."

George reluctantly admitted, "Okay, maybe you're right." A brief, speculative pause. "Wouldn't it be cool if we spelled them to multiply when the teachers try to vanish them?"

Fred grinned. "Brilliant. And obviously we'll have to spell them so that they won't hurt anyone."

"And as for not getting caught..." George smirked. "I suspect the Marauder's Map could help us with that."

"All those secret passageways," Fred agreed reverently. "Hey, do you have it with you now?"

"You bet." George yanked it out, touched his wand to it, and whispered, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

Fred watched the ink spread across the paper and said, "Who d'you suppose they were? Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot, and Prongs?"

"I dunno. Maybe we'll find out someday." George inspected the map and announced, "There's nobody anywhere near here. Which means..."

"...There's no one to tell us that it's almost curfew," Fred said, feeling a slow grin spread across his face. "And no one to enforce curfew, either. What do you say we go explore another secret passageway?"

"You read my mind."

"Where do you think this one goes?"

It was strange, Fred reflected, hearing George's voice when he couldn't see him.

"I have no idea. Do you think it leaves the castle? After all, we've been able to see where all the other passageways go."

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out when we get to the end of this stupid tunnel. It feels like it goes on forever!"

"And it's so dark. I wish I knew a spell to make light," Fred agreed. "And-"

"Ah!"

"George? Are you okay?"

"Just tripped over some stairs. Maybe we're almost out!"

"Maybe..." Fred muttered, a little more pessimistic. His pessimism was proved to be well founded, as there seemed to be hundreds of stairs. The fact that they were climbing them in the dark did not help.

"Have you thought about going back?" George asked from ahead of him, sounding horrified at the very thought.

Fred groaned. "Did you have to mention that?" The idea of the hundreds of steps and the hours of walking... he shuddered. "What if it's a dead end and we've come all this way for nothing?"

"Fred, did you have to mention- ow!"

"What happened?"

"Hit my head on the ceiling. I wonder..." A brief pause, and a scrabbling noise. "There! It's a trapdoor!"

Fred grinned. "Do you think..."

"...we're here? I hope so!"

"Wherever 'here' is."

"I think we are," George said, sounding farther away. "Come on up."

Fred managed to get through the trapdoor without too much trouble, although he was nursing a bruised elbow by the end. "So where are we?"

George considered that, looking around with his night-adjusted eyes. "Maybe... Hey, these are crates!"

"A basement?" Fred suggested.

"Maybe... but that would mean we're in someone's house, and that would be bad."

"Or we could be in Hogsmeade."

George shrugged. "Only one way to find out. Do you see stairs anywhere?"

Several minutes later, Fred's hands hit something. He called, "I think I found 'em!"

George said, "Let me see."

Both of their hands carefully explored it. "Definitely stairs. Do you want to go first, or should I?"

Fred swallowed. "I'll go first." He emerged into a room. Store, he identified immediately. We're in Hogsmeade, then. "All clear. C'mon."

George clambered out and looked around with curiosity. "Awesome."

Fred grinned. "Yeah. Looks like we found a secret passageway to Hogsmeade."

George grinned back. Or at least Fred thought he did. It was hard to tell in the dark. "Let's go explore!"

"Of course," Fred commented as they wandered the quiet streets, "The problem with this is that we're well-known enough by now that if we sneak out to Hogsmeade, someone will see us."

George sighed. "Yeah. We'll have to figure something out." A brief pause, then: "Hey, let's go check out the Shrieking Shack!"

Fred grinned back. "Let's! Now, which way is it?" he wondered, turning in a circle.

When he saw the shadowy figure, all thoughts of the Shrieking Shack vanished abruptly. "George," he breathed, "Who's that? Why are they awake? And what are they doing?"

George dragged him out of sight behind a store. "It took us so long to get here that even the bars are closed. He can't be up to anything good."

"Where's he going?"

"How should I know?"

Fred said impulsively, "Let's follow him."

They hadn't got so far as pranksters without poking their noses into everyone's businesses and wandering around the castle. This looked very interesting, and Fred wanted to know more.

"Are you crazy?" George hissed.

"Come on. We'll just stay hidden and watch. Aren't you curious?"

"Yeah, but not that curious!"

"Well, I'm going. You coming or not?"

"Fine. If we get killed or expelled for this, you're taking the blame."

"Don't be such a pessimist."

They followed the figure up a long road. Where are we going? The Shrieking Shack, after all? Surely there could be nothing else withing walking distance of Hogsmeade-

-besides Hogwarts, that is.

"I think he's heading to Hogwarts!" Fred whispered to George.

"Shut up! He'll hear!"

They walked on in silence, until Fred's prediction was proved correct. The walls surrounding Hogwarts loomed before them.

The figure stopped in front of the gates. Fred and George paused farther behind him.

"Is he a teacher?" George asked, so softly Fred could barely hear him.

"Must be," Fred breathed back. "Why else- what's he doing?"

Lights were coming from where the figure was standing.

"I dunno. Maybe trying to open the gates?"

"But if he's a teacher... he would be able to," Fred whispered. The idea that this figure might be dangerous had seemed ludicrous in Hogsmeade.

It didn't seem so ludicrous any more.

"Let's get out of here," George whispered.

"I want to see who it is," Fred whispered. "Then we'll know if we need to tell the teachers or not."

Ever so slowly, he inched forward. Just a little more...

A burst of light from the man's wand illuminated his face.

Fred froze. His steps backwards were slow and careful. He grabbed George's arm as he went, pulling him back with him.

He barely breathed until they had retreated out of sight of the man. Once he was sure they were out of earshot, he whispered, "Let's get out of here." He took off toward the village at a run.

He could hear George running behind him. He panted, "What- did- you- see?"

"Later!" Fred gasped, and didn't say anything else. They ran back to Hogsmeade, searched desperately until they found Honeydukes, and hurried through the passageway as fast as they could. Fred didn't speak until they had reached the Fat Lady's portrait, and he said the password.

The collapsed into chairs in the common room.

"My legs are on fire," George groaned. "Why did we have to run all that way?"

"George," Fred said quietly, "That was Nathan Collins. Merlin."