The Lost Witch | Fred Weasley

CHAPTER FIFTY-FIVE

I was walking along a corridor when I heard a loud crash. I turned my head and saw Harry had walked straight into a suit of armour. I eyed him curiously. His eyes were on the Marauder's Map in his hand.

He hurried off and went into the boy's bathroom. I had just about passed the door to the bathroom when I heard spells going off.

"No! No! Stop it!" a girls voice cried from the bathroom. I ran for the door; glad Harry had left it ajar. The floor was flooded with water and Moaning Myrtle was screaming.

Harry and Draco both had their wands raised, spells still going off. I ran around the other side, so I could approach Draco's side instead of head on.

I leaped forwards to stop both of them. Draco had raised his wand and was about to shoot some jinx at Harry. Mid-air I changed back, holding my wand to block their spells.

"SECTUMSEMPRA!" Harry cried. A second later it felt as if someone had forcibly ripped all the air out of my lungs. I coughed, only for my mouth to fill with liquid that tasted dangerously like blood.

"CASSIE!" I heard a scream. I looked at Draco, my eyes wide and probably filled with the fear I felt right now.

"NO! ALLIE!"

I felt utterly cold, and my shirt was wet and warm. I collapsed onto the wet tiles, staring up at the roof. This is it. This is the end.

This must be what dying feels like.

★

Fred's POV

I flung the doors to the Entrance Hall open, running down the corridor, George right behind me. She couldn't. Not here. Not like this.

She couldn't leave me. She couldn't die.

She couldn't.

That's what I'd been telling myself since Dumbledore's message had reached us. That's what I told myself as we Apparated into Hogsmeade. And that's what I kept telling myself as we came to a stop outside the Hospital Wing.

Ginny, Hermione and Ron were sat on the floor, Ron trying to comfort both of them. And in front of them was a very scared looking, very pale, pacing Malfoy. His clothes were soaked wet, and his white school shirt was stained in blood. A lot of blood.

Was that Allie's?

I shook the thought from my mind and focused on Malfoy again.

He was probably worried out of his mind. That was his sister after all. I approached him slowly, placing a hand on his shoulder. He spun around and looked at me in alarm. I raised my hands in surrender.

"Easy there, mate. Just me." I tried to give him an easy smile, but I think he saw how fake it was. He worried his bottom lip between his teeth, looking at a spot on the floor, a single tear leaving his eye.

"The curse was supposed to hit me..." he whispered. "She jumped in front of me but – but she didn't block it in time. So, it hit her instead."

More tears escaped his eyes and I felt for the kid. I didn't know who he had been duelling, but he seemed to be taking it hard.

Hesitantly, I wrapped an arm around his shoulders in a comforting gesture. He tensed up like a lead pipe for a second before deflating, letting out a breath as he brought his hands up to his face.

I rubbed his shoulder, trying to help him out. But I was seriously out of my comfort zone here. What would Allie say to him right about now? I had no optimism left in me to share. I was just as scared and wrecked as he was.