...
After an hour of hard work, George and Fred, with the help of Dyroth Grindelwald, finally completed their homework. The twins threw their arms around Dyroth's neck, grinning widely.
"Mate, from today, you're our honorary brother!" Fred declared, his voice full of enthusiasm.
"And I'm sure you'll be a perfect Ravenclaw!" George added.
Hermione, who had been helping as well, resisted the urge to roll her eyes. If not for Dyroth's assistance, she would have left the carriage ages ago.
"I think I'm more likely to be sorted into Slytherin than Ravenclaw," Dyroth replied, trying to free himself from the twins' tight embrace.
Fred and George exchanged a glance. Unlike most Gryffindors, they didn't hold an inherent dislike for Slytherins. In fact, they saw them as future customers—Slytherins were a big part of their joke shop business. Besides, the Weasley family, though not wealthy, was still one of the twenty-eight sacred pure-blood families.
"Fred Weasley, and this is my brother George," Fred introduced them both, flashing a grin.
"The famous Weasley twins," Dyroth responded, shaking their hands. "I'm Dyroth Grindelwald, and this is Miss Hermione Granger."
"Listen to that, George! Our reputation precedes us," Fred said dramatically, making Hermione stifle a giggle.
Just as the group began to relax, a commotion outside the carriage grew too loud to ignore.
"What's going on out there?" Hermione asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
Dyroth, not one to get involved in petty squabbles, was about to dismiss it. But the distinct accents outside caught his attention.
Before he could react, Fred and George pulled him up.
"Come on, mate! Let's see what's going on. It beats sitting around," Fred urged with a mischievous grin.
...
As they stepped out, Dyroth immediately spotted Draco Malfoy's signature platinum blond hair gleaming in the crowd. Behind Draco stood a group of pure-blood students, all looking irate. On the opposite side stood Ron Weasley, red-faced, with Harry Potter trying to keep things from escalating further.
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"Dyroth's here!" a pure-blood student called out. The crowd parted to let him through.
Fred's cheerful expression faltered when he noticed that his younger brother Ron was at the center of the argument.
Ron's voice rang out, his anger unmistakable. "It had to be you! The Malfoy family is full of rotten Death Eaters! Neville's Trevor is missing, and you were the only one seen around here! Who else could it have been?"
"What's going on?" Dyroth asked quietly, stepping up.
Pansy Parkinson, standing nearby, quickly filled him in. "Draco, Goyle, and Crabbe were looking for you in the carriage. They bumped into Potter, Weasley, and Longbottom, who were searching for Neville's pet. The moment Ron saw Draco, he accused him of taking Trevor."
Dyroth frowned. Trevor? Ah yes, Neville's toad, the one that always seemed to vanish.
"Weasley!" Draco snarled, his face flushed with rage. "I was searching for someone, not stealing toads. Not everyone is as idle as the Weasleys!"
Ron, undeterred, snapped back. "Prove it! Who's going to vouch for you?"
"Crabbe and Goyle were with me," Draco retorted, his temper flaring.
"Oh, sure," Ron scoffed. "Because your goons always tell the truth!"
Sensing that the situation was on the verge of spiraling out of control, Dyroth placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Draco, calm down."
Draco whipped around, ready to snap, but his gaze softened when he met Dyroth's calm, steady eyes. "Dyroth, you've got to believe me—I didn't do it."
"I believe you," Dyroth replied firmly, giving Draco a reassuring nod.
Turning to the crowd, Dyroth spoke with calm authority. "I apologize for the disturbance. Please return to your carriages and give some space. This isn't helping."
His polite, controlled tone had an immediate effect, and many students began to disperse. However, to Ron, it seemed like Dyroth was siding with Draco. Feeling a surge of self-righteousness, Ron declared loudly, "No one's leaving until Trevor is found!"
Foolish, Dyroth thought. With no evidence, Ron had escalated the situation. The Weasley twins were frantically signaling for Ron to back down, but he was too caught up in his fantasy of being the hero.
Dyroth sighed and turned to Neville. "Mr. Longbottom, could you describe Trevor for me?"
Neville, clearly uncomfortable with all the attention, stepped forward nervously. "Uh… Trevor's a toad… golden-backed, with thirteen bumps on his back."
Dyroth nodded, then took out his wand. Focusing on the toad's description, he cast a Summoning Charm. "Accio Trevor!"
A few moments later, a plump toad sailed through the air and landed softly in Dyroth's outstretched hand. The crowd gasped in amazement.
"A Summoning Charm! Brilliant!" Fred exclaimed. "I thought you could only use that on objects, not living creatures!"
"It's trickier with living things," Dyroth explained, handing Trevor back to Neville. "If you're not careful, you can hurt them."
Neville's face lit up as he held the toad close. "Yes! This is Trevor!" he exclaimed with relief.
Dyroth turned to him with a nod. "Mr. Longbottom, I believe you owe Draco an apology."
"I... I'm sorry, Draco," Neville stammered, clearly sincere in his regret.
Draco, though still somewhat irritated, accepted the apology with a stiff nod. Ron, on the other hand, stood awkwardly, his earlier bravado gone. He looked like he wished he could disappear.
As Ron tried to quietly slip away, Dyroth's voice cut through the silence. "Mr. Weasley, don't you think you owe Draco an apology as well—for the baseless accusations?"
.
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