The rest of the family finally caught on and since then things have livened up considerably. In a family as frugal as theirs, the twins have started accepting the best practical joke as their present, allowing the "giver" freedom from retaliation. Of course, since everyone tries harder, the payback gets grander and more extreme. No one seems to have figured that out yet, and the twins aren't about to let anyone in on the secret.

Everything changes at midnight and the plotting, revenge and new product development begins again, but before the clock strikes, Fred and George lie in their separate beds and grin at one another for a moment before they close their eyes and make their birthday wish. This is something else that has always gone unspoken, and they've never even told each other what they wish for.

But they know just the same.