CH66: Lion King Mask
"Is that alright?" Harry inquired, glancing at Fred and George.
He had long heard about the love-hate relationship between the Weasley twins and the castle administrator Mr. Filch. Although he didn't know precisely what tricks Fred and George had up their sleeves this time, it promised to be interesting to find out.
Perhaps this was a practical subject worth exploring, but he wasn't one to stay idle.
The Weasley twins exchanged glances, shrugged, and said, "If the captain says so."
"Then, by all means, give it a shot. Let's delve into it together. I'm Fred, Fred Weasley. You must know my brother, the other Weasley."
"I'm George."
Harry shook their hands and was about to introduce himself when he was interrupted.
"Of course, we're acquainted," Fred smiled.
Felix looked at the three of them. "Alright, tell me about the issues you've encountered."
"Oh, right." Fred ended his chatter and produced a mask from his pocket.
The mask was crafted from wood, white in color, with rough carving. It resembled a curved wooden board with holes for the eyes, mouth, and nose.
The cost of developing the magic potion was still too high for Fred and George. Inspired by Felix, they opted to use masks.
This particular mask was made from fir trees. Among the woods suitable for transfiguration, ebony and fir were particularly prominent, often used as wand bodies. Professor McGonagall's wand was made of fir.
Additionally, fir was more affordable, within Fred and George's budget.
"After your inspiration last time, we successfully produced the final product."
"What issue are you encountering now?" Felix asked curiously.
George grinned. "We'll demonstrate."
He turned to address the room. "Everyone, my apologies for the interruption. May I have a moment of your time?"
There were few rules in the reading room. Most people considered it a place to relax. The few studious individuals glanced up but didn't mind too much upon seeing Fred and George, known outside of Slytherin for their good-natured liveliness.
"George, what prank are you pulling this time?" someone asked, curious.
"Prepare yourselves!" George announced, gesturing to Fred. "Next, I present to you the advanced version of the animal mask - the Lion King Mask."
Harry glanced at Felix, intrigued, his eyes widening.
Felix smiled in return.
As George was speaking, he suddenly felt something heavy in his hands.
Fred placed the mask in his hands and swiftly stepped back. "Yes, George will now demonstrate!"
"No, Fred, I know you're fond of this thing. You do it," George chuckled.
Fred waved his hand. "Don't be shy, George. Everyone's eager to see."
The two bantered back and forth until George, with a resigned smile, finally nodded amidst the crowd's encouraging cheers.
Harry could swear he heard George mutter, "Damn, I should've brought Ron along."
Fred stifled a laugh and whispered, "Remember to keep it under control. We don't want to give everyone a bad first impression of our new invention."
"Don't worry, Fred, I'll try not to overdo it," George retorted, pulling the mask over his face decisively.
Harry whispered curiously, "Does this mask have any side effects?"
"Just a little discomfort, like tiny needles pricking your skin," Fred whispered back. "Nothing major."
Harry watched George intently as he donned the mask, which suddenly wriggled and enveloped his entire head, reminiscent of a scene from a horror movie.
Then, the hairs on the mask began to grow, and his face elongated forward.
As the young wizards watched in amazement, their faces filled with anticipation.
Simultaneously, Harry noticed George's body trembling continuously. Clearly, the supposed discomfort was more than a mere nuisance.
After a brief moment, George's head had transformed into that of a lion, complete with a thick mane cascading over his shoulders, giving him a commanding presence.
"By Merlin's beard!! George, can you still speak?" the wizard who had spoken earlier inquired softly.
"Of course!" George's voice emanated from the lion's head.
But Harry observed that the lion's mouth remained still, muffling George's voice.
"Is the issue we're facing now related to accurately capturing facial features?" Harry inquired. "Because the mask transforms, but not the actual head into a lion."
"Exactly," Fred affirmed, casting a somewhat surprised glance at Harry.
"Oh, George, can I give it a try?" A curious onlooker stepped forward.
"Sorry, the research isn't complete yet. But we're striving to have the finished product ready by Halloween," George quickly replied before removing the mask with haste, as if shedding skin. Once the mask fell from his face, it swiftly reverted to its wooden form, and he proceeded to rub his face carefully.
"This is our latest creation," Fred introduced.
"Can it be molded into other shapes? Like an eagle?" A Ravenclaw student inquired.
"Absolutely!"
"Could it take a form beyond human imagination?" Another wondered aloud.
"Anyone here with a feline companion?" The trio's gaze, along with that of a cat, shifted to a Hufflepuff girl who had spoken. Upon noticing the attention, her face flushed crimson.
"Um... no... sir!" She quickly clarified, feeling flustered.
"I believe that's a splendid suggestion, as long as Mrs. Norris doesn't object," Felix remarked with a smile.
Mrs. Norris, Filch's aging cat, was a scrawny and hairless creature with a particularly unpleasant meow, despised by many within the castle.
Upon hearing Felix's words, the girl understood that Mr. Peregrine didn't mind, and chuckled awkwardly.
After some discussion, Fred and George turned to Felix, presenting the mask and outlining the two current issues: asynchronous expressions and tingling sensations on the face.
Felix examined the mask. Following his previous guidance, the Weasley brothers had opted for seal carving to craft the mask. Their previous methods involved casting spells onto items or concocting special joke potions that transformed into candies.
The current seal carving technique was akin to alchemy, an unconventional approach. George and Fred had both exerted considerable effort to produce the final product.
After scrutinizing the mask, Felix handed it to Harry. "Take a look at the enchantments inside."
The Weasley brothers' seal carving skills were rudimentary, evident in the rough rune carvings adorning the mask.
Harry examined it, noting numerous circuits he couldn't fully comprehend, yet recognizing some.
"Hmm... I can see facial detection, flow wrapping, and solidification runes inside the mask. The exterior likely bears a directional deformation rune in the form of a lion."
The Weasley twins exchanged glances. "Seems like Mr. Potter is quite adept. Worthy of sharing the House Cup points with Miss Granger."
"Are you trying to change our minds about Slytherin?" Fred quipped.
Harry smiled awkwardly at the jest before addressing the issue at hand. "I suspect the tingling sensation on the face may stem from the seal carving technique. The wood's texture may interfere with the rune circuit, causing irregularities."
"There's little we can do. We've done our best. Our hands aren't the most cooperative," George shrugged.
"May I give it a try?" Harry proposed.