Call Me Vengeful

Ghostly Laugh

Chapter Thirty-Five: Ghostly Laugh

Less than ten minutes. That the amount of time between my seeing Tonks and finding myself in the middle of dueling a Death Eater in the middle of the corridors. Spells shot everywhere around us, whether they were stunning spells or the killing curse. I could vaguely remember my opponent from that night at the Department of Mysteries, but I didn't know his name. He was a stranger to me, a stranger that wanted to kill me, as if I were nothing.

As the dark cloaked man continued to attack me I found myself continually backing up, trying to keep a good distance between us. Soon enough though, I found myself rounding around a corner. Over my shoulder I could see multiple faces, all familiar, also dueling other Death Eaters as spells flew all around. In the mess there were two heads of bright red hair that stood out to me, Fred and Percy. They stood side by side as they both dueled a single Death Eater whose mask slipped, revealing his older face.

"Hello, Minister!" I could hear Percy yell as I turned my attention entirely on my own attacker, working on deflecting the spells he sent my way. Around me I could hear Fred's familiar laughter, causing me to smile. Of course it would be him that was laughing at a time like this.

"Stupefy!" I sent the stunning spell at my attacker, sending him flying backwards through the air. I didn't have the chance to feel proud of my accomplishment though before the air around me seemed to explode, sending me flying onto my back, hitting it hard against a pile of rubble.

Wincing, I forced myself upright again. My eyes scanned the destroyed corridor in search of my friends. I spotted Harry several feet away from me, half covered in a pile of rubble. Near him I spotted Hermione struggling to her feet. It was further down the corridor though, that I spotted a small group of red hair, gathered around a broken wall that must have been the source of the explosion. I hurried towards the group, but when I was just a few feet away a wail broke through the air.

"No-no-no!" I recognized Percy's voice as he screamed, sounding heartbroken. "No! Fred! No!"

With those words my blood seemed to turn to ice and I ran the rest of the distance. When I reached the small group I found Percy shaking Fred, who laid on the ground, while Ron was knelt besides them. My legs gave out beneath me as I fell to my best friend's side. His usually cheerful brown eyes now stared up at the ceiling, not seeing anything before him. His lips were pulled upwards, frozen in a laugh that he hadn't been able to release before all of this. Fred laid there dead, a look of amusement frozen within his features.

"No, no," my voice cracked as I looked at my friend. He couldn't be dead, it wasn't possible. This all had to be some sort of sick and twisted dream that Voldemort had forced upon me. This couldn't be reality.

"Get down!" I hardly heard Harry's words as I allowed myself to fall over Fred's body, shielding him with my own. I noticed Percy doing that same, tears continuing to fall down his face as he wept for his younger brother. Silently praying for him to wake up, to let this all be one of Fred's pranks. "Percy, Embry, come on! We have to move! You guys can't do anything for him! We're going to-"

Harry was cut off by a scream, Hermione, but I still did not budge, not willing to tear myself away from the body of my best friend.

"Let's move! NOW!" Harry instructed as more spells continued to fly about over our heads. I was surprised though when I saw Harry grabbing Fred under the arms. It only took a moment though, for me to snap out of it and I helped Harry and Percy carry Fred away from the rubble and down the corridor. We only stopped when we reached a safe place to tuck it away behind a suit of armor.

"ROOKWOOD!" Percy roared and I followed his gaze towards a tall man in dark robes, a Death Eater. Percy didn't hesitate in chasing after the man, a wild look of vengeance in his eyes. I went to chase after the stranger as well but found myself being held back by Harry while Hermione did the same with Ron.