𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗱, fred weasley

˗ˋ 67

CHAPTER SIXTY SEVEN
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-: sixth year :-

── IN WHICH IT ENDS

. . .

Dumbledore left the tent through the way they had came through, having sat with the girl and listened to her recount of what had happened with Krum. Elodie seemed to have been right, Dumbledore confirmed her thoughts that Krum was under the Imperius Curse, although he had no idea who would have had cast it.

The girl pushed herself off of the bed, arms shaking slightly, covered in balms and salve underneath the bandages that covered almost every inch, the top brushing against her t-shirt sleeve.

The entire time she had been talking with Dumbledore, a mixture of terror and confusion had washed over her. The adrenaline that had come from facing Krum had come down from it's high, and the overwhelming pain in her arms was gone, replaced with this odd itching feeling and only a slight sting if she moved them in the wrong way. 

It left her feeling oddly empty, the pounding of her heart that had echoed in her ears becoming less and less audible, replaced with the racing thoughts. She was shaken-up as the realisation set in, and legs swaying slightly, she moved away from the bed, taking her hand away from the mattress which she had been using for balance.

And she promptly fell to the floor, seemingly shaking so much and in utter shock from the events and the maze. "Oh." She exclaimed, looking around at the floor around her, realising that she had fallen.

"Ellie?" The voice of Fred appeared, and the Beaumont girl looked up from the floor, looking towards the tent flaps and seeing tufts of red hair. "Can we come in? Dumbledore left and Madam Pomfrey hurried off a while ago - so nobody really told us if we can."

"Um.." Elodie cut herself off, voice shaking and trying to pull herself back up onto the bed. But the amount of blood she had lost prevented her from being able to lift her body back up. Her fingers grasped at the fabric of the sheets covering the mattress, but that was as much as she could lift her arms, and the girl had no choice but to accept there was no way she could get up. "Yes!" She finally said with a sigh.

Moments later, Fred's head had fully emerged from behind the flaps, eyes darting across the room, finally landing on the top of Elodie's head. "What in the name of Merlin's most baggy Y-fronts are you doing there, love?"

"Isn't that the one Ron is known for using?" Elodie looked up as Fred moved further into the tent, crouching in front of her.

"Are you accusing me of stealing sayings?" The Weasley boy's head tilted, looking curiously down at the girl. "Why aren't you on the bed, I'm sure Dumbledore didn't leave you sat here."

"Well you see I wanted to go see everyone - I could hear you all talking when I was speaking with Dumbledore. Then I tried to get up and I was standing and then.." She trailed off, voice lowering to a barely audible murmur. "And then I fell. And I can't get up."

"What's that El? Can't seem to hear you." Fred teased, smirking at the look on Elodie's face before standing up, bending to place an arm under her bag and her shaking legs, picking her up. "You lost a lot of blood El - that's why this vial is filled with blood replenishing solution." 

Bending his knees slightly, Fred picked up the potion that Madam Pomfrey had left on the table beside the hospital bed, turning the dark glass to show a clear label of such. "Can you hold it? You need to take this."

Elodie tried to lift an arm, but it fell limply back down on her lap, a pout forming on her lips. It was like she had no body control at all. "Well, that won't do." Fred said brightly, the girl staring up at him in wonder.

He had seemed so horrified when her and McGonagall had come into sight, the teacher practically dragging her as blood covered her arms, staining her powder blue uniform and the grass below them. And now, he had a smile on his face, lowering Elodie down onto the hospital bed again.

"This reminds me of when Gilderoy Lockhart accidentally turned Harry's arm to jelly." Fred mused as he un-stoppered the bottle, sniffing it and making a face. "Me and George had to drink this one after a particularly harsh Quidditch game. Bit bitter but you feel more alive after drinking it."

"You make it sound miraculous." Elodie could barely hold herself up, and Fred had an arm around her waist to do it for her, in his other hand he was raising the bottle to her lips, the glass cold against her lips. 

"All in one, it won't do anything otherwise." He instructed, and tipped upwards, Elodie swallowing mechanically as the potion moved down her throat, leaving that promised bitter taste. "All better?" Elodie couldn't feel much of a change, but nodded with a smile. "Good. Now, I think George is having a hard time keeping everyone at bay outside. I don't think your mum will be very happy to see you walking, so you'll have to shuffle."

Elodie seemed to have gone into a shocked silence, only able to nod as Fred pulled her off the bed. "Woah-" He say her knees buckle under her, quickly holding her tightly too him. "Put all your weight on me. I'm a strong guy." A glimmer of a smile appeared on Elodie's lips, a look of relief appearing on the Weasley boy's own.

It took a moment, but with Elodie's arm around Fred's neck and leaning on him, they managed to get to the tent flaps, Fred using his spare arm to open them. They stepped out into the night, and a shriek could be heard, Elodie jumping out of her skin. 

George looked relieved as Madame Maxime and Mrs Beaumont let out similar sounds, rushing over to Elodie and taking it in turns to squeeze her in hugs. Fred cleared his throat, the two women glaring at him.

"She's lost a lot of blood." He said, voice calm, but the concern was clear in his eyes. "Hey - Georgie, you mind helping?"

George shook his head, rushing over and looping Elodie's other arm around his shoulder. "How you doing?" He asked, looking just as concerned as his twin.

But all of a sudden, a crack could be heard and the attention was pulled away from Elodie, everyone gathered around her and the girl herself looking over to where two people wearing red and yellow had appeared on the ground, a trophy beside them.

It was Harry and Cedric. The third task of the Triwizard Tournament was over.

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