Fred & George - Evil?

[meltowne]

No: HPFGUIDX 132729

--- In HPforGrownups at yahoogroups.com, "finwitch" <finwitch at y...> 
wrote:
> > britt:
> > 
> > But that still doesn't explain why, even in such a short amount 
of 
> time,
> > why they picked out what must have appeared as a blank 
parchment.  
> Even
> > if they thought it odd that bare parchment would be considered
> > "dangerous," there's no explanation as to how they worked out how 
> to use
> > it ("I solemnly swear...")  

Meltowne:

There probably weren't that many things in the cabinet they took it 
from - and given where it was, it obviously wasn't just a blank 
parchment, or Filch wouldn't have locked it away with other items he 
confiscated.  It may have simply been one of the easiest items to 
sneak out.
 
> Finwitch:
> 
> The twins may have figured that either it IS a parchment in which 
> case they can use it as such (the family is not rich, you know) and 
> if it DOES hold some secret, ever better. I just doubt they 
actually 
> *chose* anything - just crabbed what they could, that's all.
> As to how they figured it out - well, maybe the map assisted them..
> They needed to identify themselves before getting any response, 
once 
> they did, perhaps the map then gave instructions instead of insults.

How they figured out how to use it is probably easy.  It is obviously 
imbued with a certain level of "intelligence."  When Snape tried to 
get it to reveal itself, it insulted him in a pretty personal way.  
It probably revealed itself to them because it know they would be up 
to trouble.  Who's to say the phrase they use to reveal it and cloak 
it is the only one that works?  Since they told Harry how to use it, 
he didn't need to experiment, like they would have.