The Lost Witch | Fred Weasley

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

"Allison!"

Someone shook me awake from my deep sleep. I shot up, pulling my wand out from its concealed place under my pillow, ready for a fight. I halted when I saw my attacker was Professor McGonagall.

"Professor? What –" "No time Miss White. Something's happened. Arthur Weasley has been injured on duty. Come with me quickly. I'll go and get Miss Weasley. You get the twins."

I jumped out of bed and threw on the jumper that lay at the foot of my bed, suddenly wide awake. I left our dormitories and ran up the stairs to the boys. I searched for the door with Fred and George's name on it and burst in without knocking.

Lee shot up in his bed and looked at me with wide eyes. I spotted Dylan in the bed next to Lee, rubbing his eyes and looking for the source of the noise. "Fred! George!" I shouted as I ran over to their beds and shook each of them.

They both woke with a start and looked at me. "What? Allie? What are you doing here?" "No time! Come on, get up! We have to go. It's your dad."

They both jumped up at that and I turned around and headed out the door, the two of them hot on my heels. As we reached the common room McGonagall and Ginny were just reaching the portrait hole.

I grabbed onto Ginny's hand to try and calm her down as we hurried after McGonagall towards Dumbledore's office. "Fizzing Whizzbee," she called out and the marble staircase appeared.

We went through the door and saw Harry, Ron and Dumbledore there. already "Harry, what's going on? McGonagall said you saw Dad get hurt –" Ginny started questioning but Dumbledore cut her off.

"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix. He has been taken to St. Mungo's Hospital. I am sending you to Sirius' house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than The Burrow. You will meet your mother there."

He turned directly to me. "Miss White, you are now the sole protector of this group. You are in charge."

I gave him a firm nod. "How're we going? Floo powder?" Fred asked, looking rather pale and shaken.

"Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey. We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back... I want to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you –"

"He'll be delighted," came a bored voice from Dumbledore's wall. We all looked up as a man entered an empty picture frame. My great-great-grandson has always had an odd taste – YOU!" he cut himself off glaring at me.

"Hello, Phineas," I retorted flatly. He shot me a look. "You burned my great-granddaughters portrait," he accused.

"Come here, then," Dumbledore interrupted. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us."

In a flash the Portkey transported us to the basement of 12 Grimmauld Place. "Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father is dying?" I jerked my head around to find Kreacher.

"OUT!" I heard a voice yell, making me turn towards the stairs. Sirius came running down the steps screaming at the elf, and Kreacher hobbled back to his cupboard.

"What happened? Phineas said Arthur had been injured –" Sirius had just helped Ginny to her feet when Fred cut him off.

"Ask Harry."

"Yeah, I want to hear this myself," George said in a rather aggressive tone.

Harry looked around at all the eyes on him. "It was – I had a – a kind of... vision." He explained his vision to us, about the snake and the attack. I rubbed a comforting hand up and down his back.