Double Dog Dare! -- Episode 1
Catherine, 7 December 2001

Fred and George Weasley, budding joke shop entrepreneurs and connoissieurs of the absurdly funny, were strolling along the streets of Ottery St. Catchpole one fine summer day when they chanced to overhear an interesting conversation between two teenage boys who were standing around in front of the Muggle chemist's shop.

The boys in question looked to be Muggles, what with their fashionably-ripped-and-bleached jeans and (on one of them, at least) their oddly-dyed hair. Not only that, but their weirdly nasal accents showed them to be American Muggles, apparently on holiday from American Muggle school.

"This is so boring, Jason," said the taller of the two, whose naturally-dark curly hair was for some reason bleached into an obviously-fake and highly unbecoming pale blonde color.

"Yeah," agreed his cohort, a freckled boy with hair naturally nearly the same red shade as Fred and George's own. "Mom and Dad really screwed up when they got this stupid package tour."

"Yeah," rejoined the fake blonde sullenly; he seemed to have sullenness down to a science. "They should have figured out that this tour was so cheap because nobody in their right mind would go to a place so freaking boring." He kicked a rock into the street, watching it skitter across the pavement.

"Heyyyy...", said Jason, his blue eyes glimmering. "Wanna do something about that, Jeremy?"

"Like what?"

Jason's face screwed up in what passed for thought, or possibly indigestion. "How about... we try climbing to the top of that bell tower over there?"

"That big tall one?"

"Well, duuuuh -- it's the only one in this town." Jason smiled evilly.

"Dare ya."

"Dog dare ya," Jeremy replied enthusiastically.

"Double dog dare ya!", they shouted together. "Okay, let's do it!"

And they ran off in the direction of the bell tower.

Fred and George stood silently for some moments.

"'Double dog dare?'" Fred said aloud. "Must be some weird American Muggle thing."

"Whatever it is, we'd better go watch them," said George grimly, setting off after the Muggle boys. "I don't think these two have enough sense to come in from the rain."

"And if we have to rescue them, that means we get to use magic to do it without upsetting the Ministry, right?", asked a suddenly smiling Fred, matching his twin stride for stride.

"Absolutely," replied George, grinning from ear to ear.