The three continued chatting until something flew through the window, hitting Fred squarely on the head.
It was two garden gnomes tied together with vines
Gnomes, also known as garden gnomes, were magical creatures. They are one of the few magical beings that Muggles have seen, inspiring Muggles to create statues resembling little Christmas elves holding fishing rods. However, actual gnomes are far less appealing.
Standing about a foot tall, gnomes have brownish bodies and disproportionately large heads, resembling potatoes with legs.
Strictly speaking, gnomes are harmful magical creatures. They live in underground burrows called "gnome holes," constantly digging and eating plant roots, leaving mounds and pits across gardens.
Since moving into his house, William had discovered several waves of gnomes in his garden. Once, he caught them stealing some grapes.
To deal with them, he placed pest repellents made from Jarvey fur, as Jarveys are a natural predator of gnomes. The gnomes didn't dare return.
Fred, holding the two gnomes by their ankles, raised them high as they kicked at him with their hardened, calloused feet.
"Let us go!"
"You coward! Fight me one-on-one!"
The gnomes shouted, waving their arms in circles as if lassoing.
Annoyed from being hit on the head and bitten, Fred gave them a light toss, sending them back out the window.
The three boys leaned out to see what was happening outside. Hermione, Annie, and Ginny were in the garden, playing around. Annie was teaching Ginny to play golf.
Annie had somehow procured a fishing net attached to a stick and was using it to scoop up the gnomes.
The gnomes, not the brightest creatures, gathered outside their burrow to watch their captured kin being evicted, pointing and laughing.
Annie swung her stick, sending the gnome skidding across the grass and colliding with the others. The whole group tumbled into their hole.
"Perfect shot! Hole-in-one!" Annie exclaimed, raising her hand in celebration.
Ginny clung to her side, clearly having turned into Annie's little fan.
Hermione, however, was a tougher nut to crack. Annie treated her more like a rival to be defeated than a friend.
The three girls kept swinging sticks, quickly clearing the garden of gnomes.
Not long after, the gnomes returned, carrying tiny sticks and backpacks, marching away in a ragged line. They muttered curses under their breath as they left.
"They'll come back," Fred said.
"Dad's way too lenient with them. Last time, they ate all the potatoes in the field."
Just then, a second-floor window opened, and a face appeared—a spectacled Percy with an impatient expression.
"Hey, can you keep it down?" Percy grumbled. "Fred, George—"
Noticing it wasn't the twins causing the commotion, Percy clammed up, awkwardly greeting Ginny, Annie, and Hermione.
Fred turned and fumed. "Percy, can you stop blaming us for everything?"
"Hello, Percy," William greeted with a wave.
"Oh, hello, William," Percy replied awkwardly, ignoring Fred entirely.
"You know, I'm studying here," Percy added before slamming the window shut.
"What's up with Percy?" William asked. "Did he not do well on his O.W.L.s?"
"No, he got his results yesterday—twelve certificates. But he doesn't seem particularly happy," George said with a shrug.
The O.W.L.s, or Ordinary Wizarding Levels, are a major milestone in magical education. While Percy didn't get all O's, earning twelve certificates was still an incredible achievement.
Percy was likely to follow in Bill's footsteps and become the Weasley family's second male Head Boy.
William suspected he knew why Percy was upset.
During the last Quidditch match, Percy had bet all his pocket money—and more—on the outcome. Gryffindor lost to Ravenclaw, leaving Percy penniless and in debt.
No wonder he was in a foul mood.
…
Mr. Weasley returned shortly afterward, and everyone gathered in the kitchen for dinner.
Exhausted, Mr. Weasley collapsed into a kitchen chair, removed his glasses, and closed his eyes.
He wore a green robe that made him look travel-weary.
"Do you have to work late tonight?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she served the food.
"Yes, probably all night again," he mumbled, reaching for the teapot.
"We're raiding nine locations tonight. I've been keeping an eye on that old scoundrel Mundungus Fletcher…" Mr. Weasley took a long sip of tea and sighed.
"You're working too hard, Dad," George said with concern. "Ginny's books and supplies are on us—you don't have to worry."
"Yeah, we've got it covered," Fred added.
Ron, sitting nearby, scowled as he ate his sausage.
Why did Ginny get everything handed to her while he got nothing?
"Oh, you two are so thoughtful," Mrs. Weasley said, patting the twins on their heads. "Your hair's getting a bit long, isn't it? I'll give you a trim tonight."
The twins quickly shook their heads in protest.
"William," Mr. Weasley said in a hushed tone while Mrs. Weasley was busy with the soup. "Could you take a look at my car later? The invisibility spell isn't working quite right, and I can't figure out why."
"Car? Did I hear something about a car, Arthur, dear?" Mrs. Weasley's eyes blazed as she strode into the room. "What are you up to now?"
"I'm not driving it! I just want to take it apart and examine the inner workings," Mr. Weasley explained hastily, waving his hands defensively. "It's purely a hobby, Molly. You can't take that away from me!"
Mrs. Weasley shot him a glare but said nothing more.
…
After dinner, under Mrs. Weasley's watchful eye, Mr. Weasley hurried off to work again.
The twins led William to a shed where they kept the car.
It was a turquoise Ford Anglia 105E Deluxe, a model first released in 1959 and long since discontinued. No one knew where Mr. Weasley had found it.
The car had been completely modified with magic.
While the exterior looked like a regular car, the interior was astonishingly spacious.
"Mum doesn't know Dad used an Undetectable Extension Charm on it. She thinks it's just Muggle engineering," Fred said proudly.
"But don't you think this car is still too small?" Ron finally chimed in.
"I heard that good cars are judged by their space. If the space isn't big, it's just an average car," he said, nodding sagely.
William chuckled and patted Ron on the shoulder.
"Thanks, Ron, for your minivan mentality."
If Wuling Hongguang heard this, its logo would probably be grinning ear to ear.