Chapter 04
“Where shall we go next?” Fred asked George as the two looked around in wonder. There was so much to take in; from the mechanical rides, to the twinkling lights and the neon signs, as well as the myriad of scents wafting from the row of stalls selling food, but nothing was more fun to watch then the Muggles themselves.
Fred and George had been around Muggles a few times, mostly for business, but this was likely the most the two had ever spent in a single place for a length of time near non-wizarding folks.
“Look at that bloke!” George pointed to a man in a bright orange and green Hawaiian-style shirt, brown shorts, and black socks--with sandals on his feet. “The git must be colorblind!”
“Oh, how about that lady?” Fred nudged his twin and the two turned to see a pale, older woman who had what appeared to be a shower cap over her curler-filled hair, walking a large, white, wiry-haired dog that neither Fred nor George had ever before seen. As she passed, Fred snickered and commented that the owner and canine seemed to resemble one another.
They continued to watch the strangely dressed Muggles as the two browsed the plethora of eateries. George couldn’t resist the treat called ‘Frozen Custard’ and Fred decided to sample the ‘Candy Floss’.
As each munched happily on their food, they spied their parents strolling along the lane. The two parties waved at one another, but didn’t stop to talk; it seemed Mrs. Weasley was curious about something named ‘Funnel Cake’, and Mr. Weasley wanted to speak to the Muggle in charge of the booth about it’s primary function.
Turning towards the area designated for the mechanical rides, the lanky redheads, each dressed in a matching green jumper, tried to decide where to spend their Muggle money next.
The blinking lights on the Ferris Wheel had caught George’s eye. “Hmm.” his brow furrowed in concentration. “I wanted to try that wheel-thingy--and that other spinning contraption with the dangling seats looks all right, but both go in only one direction, which seems a bit boring.”
“I agree,” Fred supplied. “How can the Muggles stand it--going in circles like that? It’s no wonder they haven’t made any progress in ages!”
For a moment, the two looked at one another, a grin passing their features. At last, they spoke in unison: “Let’s take a gander at the Muggle magic tricks!”
The twins didn’t have to look far; in the vary last lane, far from the vendors and rides, lay ‘Magician’s Row’; it was dark, quiet, and not as crowded as the other areas.
“Magician Alley?” snickered George. “How bloody original. Perhaps we shall give these primitive Muggles a run for their money?”
Fred snorted, rubbing his hands together gleefully--an evil grin spreading across his face. “Oh, yes--let’s.”
The tent they visited belonged to ‘Hamlin the Great’, a man who claimed to know the type of card one chose from a deck--all while Hamlin was blindfolded. If one could outwit Hamlin, the money in a shiny gold pot would be theirs.
Hamlin was a large, beefy man who dressed much like a genie--complete with a shiny silver turban and cape. He had a mustache that curled in at the tips and black eyes that shrewdly scanned the crowd. His assistant--a slender, dark-haired girl of about the twins’ age, stood next to Hamlin dressed in a flowing, loose white shirt and colorful skirt. She smiled sweetly at the young men when they entered the tent.
After watching several Muggles lay down money to take their chance at winning, Fred and George realized the poor blokes were being scammed.
Hamlin’s lovely assistant, who wasn’t blindfolded, had one slim hand resting on Hamlin’s shoulder at all times. Fred noticed that the brunette would ever-so-lightly tap out some sort of code on her employer when someone held up their card for all to see before placing it face-down on the table.
There was a collective groan when Hamlin called out the correct card for the sixth time in a row and his assistant collected the money that lay on the table and transferred it to the golden pot.
“Ah, how clever,” Fred murmured to his brother, “but let’s see if we can give these nice folks a wee bit of entertainment.” George nodded and the two moved to the front of the crowd.
“I’d like a chance,” Fred called out, waving two Muggle bills in the air. Hamlin, who had taken his blindfold off to wipe his face and take a sip of water, inclined his head.
Fred lay the bills down on the table, but did not remove his hand. In a loud voice he announced, “I’m going to double the wager, for I will stump Hamlin in the first try.”
A round of laughter greeted the twins. “Are ye loony?” “Look at the wee boys trying to be big men.” “Don’t go crying to yer Mum when you’ve lost all yer pocket change.” Fred and George took in all the taunts, but their grins never faltered.
Hamlin himself chuckled, but agreed to the wager, for no one had ever been able to outwit him.
However, Fred wasn’t finished. “I think it’s only fair that since I am wagering such a large sum of money, that I be allowed to make one request.”
Again, laughter filled the tent. After a moment, Hamlin held up his hand for silence. “I should say no,” he boomed, “but I find you vastly amusing, boy, So I will agree to your terms; name them.”
Fred winked at his brother before answering. “Your lovely assistant must be the one to choose my card.”
Hamlin and his assistant froze, their smiles faltering a bit. The girl looked at the seated man, desperation in her features, but Hamlin--who quickly recovered--nodded encouragingly. She moved tentatively down the steps of the stage to stand next to Fred.
Several Muggles in the crowd placed wagers of their own with George. If Fred lost, they would be owing quite a bit of money to many people.
Fred chose to ignore the taunts being shouted at him by the Muggles; his attention now focused on the girl standing next to him. She’s nervous, Fred thought to himself, as he looked down at the pretty brunette. Her almond-shaped eyes were slightly rounded in fear and she was panting slightly. Glancing quickly at George, Fred knew his brother was thinking the same thing.
Fred removed his hand from the Muggle money he’d lain on the silver-skirted table. Hamlin replaced his blindfold and settled back into his chair.
Fred then nodded to the assistant; she reached out and placed her hand on the deck, attempting to draw the card at the top of the deck. Fred’s own hand shot out and grabbed her wrist before she could turn it over. When she looked up at him questioningly, he shook his head and murmured, “That’s not the one I want.”
It took quite an effort to keep still as her skin prickled from the warmth of his breath upon her ear. She averted her eyes, but knew he was studying her...
So the girl returned the card to the bottom of the pile and chose the next card. She showed it Fred, then held it high for all to see: the two of hearts. Quickly, she placed the card face down next to the deck amid snickers from the onlookers.
“Make your guess, Great Hamlin,” she called out. For several long minutes all was silent as Hamlin made thinking noises and rubbed at his temples in a great display--trying to decide which card was chosen.
It seemed the entire room had held its breath--all but Fred and George, that is. Finally, Hamlin cleared his throat and called out confidently, “You’ve chosen... the seven of spades!”
Chaos then ensued; many were demanding a recount, or that Fred had cheated somehow. Hamlin, his face becoming purple with each passing second, had ripped off his blindfold and stomped down the steps to examine the card his assistant had chosen. He held it up to the light and turned it this way and that, huffing in anger at having been duped. He scowled at his assistant, who shrugged in bewilderment.
Reluctantly, the golden pot was handed over to Fred, as well as the other winnings from the side bets. Fred and George grinned like maniacs as a few in the crowd wished them well and clapped them on the shoulders.
Each boy knew they had to get out of there--and fast, before something terrible happened to them or they lost their winnings. So the twins bowed gracefully, thanked Hamlin and his lovely assistant, then ducked out of the tent, Disapparating as soon as the flap dropped.
The assistant, who was the niece of The Great Hamlin, was the only person who saw the two boys exit the tent amidst the shouting and outraged onlookers. She watched the tent flap drop, but it hooked on a pole and did not fall completely closed. The girl gasped as the twins were there one moment then gone the next--as if by magic.
Stunned, she pushed her way through to the opening and looked out, craning her head this way and that to catch some glimpse of the twins, but they were no where to be found. She went back through the angry throng--who still hadn’t noticed the twins departure--to examine the deck of cards.
The brunette took up the deck and flipped it over in her hand. There, at the bottom of the pile--the card she almost chose--lay the seven of spades.