Harry Potter One-Shots

Grindylows

TWs: death, gore, blood, and almost drowning
Book: before book one
Ship(s): none
Note: based off a dream I had. I'm aware that this isn't necessarily how grindylows work, it's just how it was in my dream. So I apologize if that bothers you
Word Count:

The two eleven year old boys ran around the school grounds, laughing. There wasn't a care in the world for these two. And despite it being a chilly spring day, neither had bundled up. The sun was peaking out from behind some clouds. Birds sang, and the grass danced. Really, there was nothing that could go wrong.

That was, until, the two were near the docks and stopped running. A group of four boys, three of them looking to be sixth or seventh year. The older three were dragging along someone that almost looked familiar. The younger, the one being dragged along, was knocked out and unresponsive. The set of twins shared a look and started running towards the group.

Two of the older dropped the knocked out boy into the lake and laughed. The three walked away, seeming like they had just accomplished the stupidest prank in the world. It wasn't even a question on what the two twins would do.

Fred stripped down to his underwear and jumped into the water, telling George to stay there so he could help Fred get the boy out when it came time. He swam as fast as he could, reaching his hand out. The closer he got, the more he could see the person's face. The person, his older brother named Rex, was a twelve year old Gryffindor. He didn't interact with many people, so it was confusing to Fred why people had gone out of their way to knock him out and dump him into the Black Lake.

Rex was looking around, dazed and confused. Pale, green creatures started to swarm around Rex, some even coming higher up and swarming around Fred. The bigger swarm around Rex bit down on him and used their spindly fingers to pull him down. Much to Fred's horror, the deeper these creatures got with Rex, the more aggressive they seemed to get. 

They started to rip Rex apart. The twelve year old's blood created a dense, red cloud in the water. Any stray piece of his flesh was quickly eaten by these creatures. Fred stopped swimming down, being tugged down by a handful of the creatures. He floated there for a bit before starting to try to swim to the surface. The animals bit his body, much like they had done to Rex, and tried to push him down. Fred was more alert, and already a better swimmer, than Rex had been. That only bought him a little bit of time.

He reached his hand up. It was like he was at a standstill. Too deep for George to come down and get him, but not deep enough that these animals decided to start tearing him apart. His lungs felt like they were on fire as he stubbornly tried not to breathe in any water. The water stung his eyes and clogged his ears. Fred has never, and that means never, been so scared in his short little life.

This was how it was going to end. This is how Fred Weasley was going to go out. Drowned and ripped apart, just like his older brother had been. It had been so brave of him to try and save him, but the first year didn't know what he was getting into by jumping in. His mouth opened then took in a sharp, water filled breath.

There was a splash as someone new entered the lake, but Fred barely registered in. But then, a pair old, but strong arms wrapped around Fred and started to pull him up. The boy tried to blink and get his brain to function enough to see who it was, but it didn't want to cooperate. He was put onto the dock and given CPR to help get any and all water that entered his lungs out.

After, a warm and thick blanket was wrapped around him then he was picked up. Fred could vaguely hear George's yells and sobs. He found himself unable to keep his eyes open for much longer, so he leaned against the person who was carrying him's torso.

When he woke up, he was in the hospital wing. Bandages were wrapped around the bites, and it didn't feel like any water was left in his lungs. At first, he couldn't remember what had happened. It was way past curfew, so George wasn't there. In his scared and foggy state, Fred started crying. He was terrified that George had been the one he couldn't save, only getting bits and pieces of the events.

"Ah," an old and familiar voice spoke. "I see that you're awake, Mr. Weasley."

Fred turned his head to look at the Headmaster, tears silently rolling down his cheeks. He tried to speak, but all that would come out was a squeak or a loud breath. Dumbledore waited patiently as Fred struggled to find the right words. Eventually, Fred settled on, "what happened?"

"You and George had noticed a young boy had been dumped into the Black Lake. You jumped in, but couldn't get there in time." Dumbledore gave him a warm, comforting smile that held an air of sadness to it. 

"Is George okay?"

"Yes, he's in your dorm room. He wanted to stay here with you, but alas. We could not let him stay. You are indeed lucky that I happened to be passing by and saw young George freaking out. Otherwise, I fear, you would've succumb to the same fate as Rex had."

He stared at Dumbledore, more memories returning to him. "You were the one who saved me?"

Dumbledore nodded. "I was. I understand why neither of you came and got a teacher. It was a high stress and immediate situation. I awarded your brother one hundred points, and I shall award you one hundred now."

"But I didn't save him," Fred told Dumbledore. "He's gone because I wasn't able to save him."

"That was never your fault. George has informed me which boys had been involved, and all three have been expelled and will be going on trail. You tried, which is more than I could've asked. You could not have known about the grindylows that take residence down below." He patted Fred's shoulder. "I am proud of you, young man. You might have failed, but you are still a hero. Being a hero doesn't always mean success, but it will always equate to effort. Heroes are not made from laziness."

Fred took a few moments to think. Despite his failure, the greatest wizard of all time thought he was a hero. Fred actually liked that thought a lot. He liked the idea of being someone that people look up to, someone that helps people. Not someone who hurts, which is why he decided not to tell anyone about how Rex actually had died. "I understand, sir. Have you told anyone of the ripping?"

"Not yet."

"I don't want to freak anyone out." Fred looked at his lap. "Especially George. Can we keep that part of his death to ourselves?"

"Of course. Now, you need some rest. I believe your brother will be visiting you tomorrow. Sleep well." Dumbledore handed him a steaming mug of tea that he hadn't noticed that was there. "This will help with any dreams you may have."