MISCHIEF MANAGED// FRED WEASLEY X READER

011. When You Almost Get Stupified

Fred's Disclaimer: The author of this book does not own Harry Potter but she does know that I am clearly a hero in this chapter. Obviously. 

I watched Ginny pace anxiously around the tree stump for approximately ten minutes before I opened my mouth to speak. 

"We should try and find Harry, Ron and Hermione," I stood up, trying to see over the tents into the empty clearing. It was nearly pitch black outside, but the screams had died down considerably. Most of the fires were out; trails of smoke continued to drift into the cold air. There was barely anyone left in the area, no Ministry Officials and no sign of Mr. Weasley. 

George swallowed. "And Dad." 

Ginny nodded in agreement. 

Fred did nothing. 

We walked hesitantly across the lines of tents, passing the charred remains of various souvenirs and merchandise. It was eerily silent as we neared the bigger clearing. 

A figure was standing close to the edge of the treeline. He had a wand in his hand and was staring intently at the sky. He wore a long black cloak, barely outlined by the moonlight. 

"Who's that?" Ginny whispered, trying to get a better look. 

The man raised the wand slowly, just as Fred stepped on a stray branch. It cracked loudly, causing the man to turn in our direction. 

"Morsmorde!" He bellowed pointing the wand in the air. A bright stream of green light illuminated the dark sky, and when we turned back to look for the strange figure, he was gone.

The sky was suddenly filled with a dark green smoke, smoke that took the form of a giant skull with a snake circling it. George's face was a mask of horror, perfectly matching Ginny's expression.  

"We need to get back to the tent," Fred muttered, grabbing my arm. "C'mon Y/N, it's not safe." 

"Wait, what the hell is that thing?" 

I didn't have time to question it any further. 

There was a flurry of movement and four Ministry Officials stepped out, pointing their wands at us. 

"Look out!" A bright stream of red light was shot at me, but before I could react, Fred had pushed me out of the way, absorbing the spell. 

"STOP! STOP!" Mr. Weasley's voice was yelling. "THAT'S MY SON!" 

"Fred?" I knelt down beside him. He'd gone completely limp, eyes closed. Fortunately, he seemed to be breathing. "FRED?" 

"Is he okay?" George leaned down, shaking his brother. "Fred? Fred, get up!" 

"Get away from there!" One of the men, Amos Diggory, I think, strode over to us. "Who cast the spell? Which one of you did that?" 

Fred still didn't move. 

"Fred, please wake up," I urged, staring down at him. Just as I thought for sure he was dead forever, and it would by my fault, his eyelashes fluttered. 

"Miss me, Love?" He grinned weakly. "Damn, I thought I'd died for a second. I hope you were terrbily worried about me." 

"Easy, now," Mr. Weasley said, gesturing for the men to step back. "They're just children." 

"They might've done it," Amos said, wagging a finger in the air. "They might've." 

"Did you see anything?" Mr. Weasley asked, helping Fred to his feet. "Are you okay, son?" 

"Oh, yeah, I'm just peachy," Fred said, glaring at the wizard who'd spelled him. "Perfect." He brushed dirt off his sweater, stepping away from his father. "Mind telling us what's going on?" 

"You're much to young," Amos said dissmissively, waving a hand as if the idea was completely foolish. "He might've escaped through there, Arthur," He pointed through the thicket. "Must be long gone by now. Disapparated, I expect." 

"We saw someone," Ginny told Mr. Weasley. "The one who cast the spell." 

"Oh, did you now, young lady," another wizard whom I recognized as Barty Crouch said. His tone was quite condescending. 

Ginny brushed this off, continuing. "He said something like, some spell or whatever, and then he left." 

"You seem to know very well how the Dark Mark is cast," Crouch accused, pointing an angry finger in the sky at the disappearing skull-snake-thing. "How do we know it wasn't you?" 

"She's only fourteen," Mr. Weasley said airily, giving Crouch a wary glance. "You really think one of these children could've cast a spell like that." 

"I'm just saying," Crouch gave us a dark look. "You can never be too careful these days." 

"We're too late," said the witch in the woolen dressing gown, shaking her head."They'll have Disapparated." 

"I don't think so," said Amos. "Our Stunners went right through those trees. . . . There'sa good chance we got them. . ." 

"You mean the one that didn't hit me," Fred muttered darkly. 

"You didn't have to jump in front of it," I blinked. Fred's eyebrows shot up and he glanced at me. 

 "Amos, be careful!" said a few of the wizards warningly as Mr. Diggory squared his shoulders, raised his wand, marched across the clearing, and disappeared intothe darkness. 

A few seconds later, they heard Mr. Diggory shout. "Yes! We got them! There's someone here! Unconscious! It's - but - blimey. ." 

"You've got someone?" shouted Mr. Crouch, sounding highly disbelieving. "Who?Who is it?" I heard snapping twigs, the rustling of leaves, and then crunching footsteps as Mr. Diggory reemerged from behind the trees. He was carrying a tiny, limp figurein his arms. 

It was a house elf, seemingly the one that Harry spoke to during the World Cup. 

Mr. Crouch did not move or speak as Mr. Diggory deposited his elf on the ground at his feet. The other Ministry wizards were all staring at Mr. Crouch. For a few seconds Crouch remained transfixed, his eyes blazing in his white face as he stareddown at Winky. Then he appeared to come to life again. 

"This - cannot - be," he said jerkily. "No -"He moved quickly around Mr. Diggory and strode off toward the place where he had found Winky. 

"No point, Mr. Crouch," Mr. Diggory called after him. "There's no one else there."But Mr. Crouch did not seem prepared to take his word for it. We could hear him moving around and the rustling of leaves as he pushed the bushes aside, searching. 

"Bit embarrassing," Mr. Diggory said grimly, looking down at Winky'sunconscious form. "Barty Crouch's house-elf. . . I mean to say..." 

"Come off it, Amos," said Mr. Weasley quietly, "you don't seriously think it was the elf? The Dark Mark's a wizard's sign. It requires a wand." 

"Yeah," said Mr. Diggory, "and she had a wand."