The only family I have Left.

A Realization

The world was dark and cold, the lingering smell of ash in the air. Fred Weasley's first breath felt sharp, almost painful, as if the air itself was foreign to his lungs. He blinked, his vision blurred, taking in the unfamiliar yet strangely recognizable surroundings. The battle, the chaos, the final moments—it all came rushing back to him, a whirlwind of confusion and memory. He remembered the laughter, then the flash of light, and then... nothing.

But now, here he was.

Fred lay still for a moment, his hand brushing the cold stone floor of the crumbling Hogwarts corridor. The noise of distant footsteps echoed faintly through the empty hall, pulling him from the haze of his thoughts. Pushing himself up to his feet, Fred staggered, his body weak and trembling as though it hadn't moved in years. Every inch of him screamed for answers, but he had none.

"Bloody hell," he whispered to himself, his voice raspy and raw.

He glanced around, trying to piece together how or why he was standing there, in the very spot where his life had ended. He could still feel the fading echoes of the explosion, the last thing he had ever heard.

Before he could fully grasp the reality of his situation, someone turned the corner, walking quickly, head down as if lost in thought.

Gracie didn't see him at first. She was preoccupied, her mind racing through the events of the past few hours. Professor McGonagall's words still hung heavy in the air: the warning about temporal magic, the risks, the possible consequences. But Gracie couldn't stop thinking about Fred. Could it really work? Could they bring him back?

As she rounded the corner, her eyes finally landed on the figure standing in the hallway. Her heart skipped a beat. George?

"George?" Gracie's voice wavered with uncertainty, her steps faltering as she approached him. "What are you doing here? You shouldn't be—"

Fred turned slowly to face her, his expression dazed and bewildered. "I—"

But Gracie didn't let him finish. She rushed forward, grabbing his arm, her brow furrowed with concern. "George, you shouldn't be alone right now. We're so close to figuring this out, and—"

Fred's mind scrambled to keep up with what she was saying. "George?" he repeated, the name foreign to his lips. "I think you've got the wrong Weasley, love."

Gracie froze, her hand still clutching his arm. The air around them seemed to still as her brain caught up with what he had just said. The wrong Weasley. Her heart hammered in her chest as she slowly pulled her hand back, her eyes widening with disbelief.

No. It couldn't be.

"Fred?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Fred stared at her, his confusion deepening as the name echoed in the quiet corridor. He swallowed hard, searching her face for answers, but all he saw was the same shock that he felt deep within himself. "Yeah," he finally muttered, almost like a question.

Gracie's knees nearly gave way beneath her. This wasn't possible. Fred Weasley was dead—he had died in this very spot during the Battle of Hogwarts. She had seen George live with that loss every single day since. And yet, here he was. Standing right in front of her, alive, breathing, talking.

But then, Gracie's mind raced back to the conversations they'd been having about temporal magic. The spells, the warnings, the risks. It didn't add up. She looked at Fred again, scanning his face, his very presence in the world defying everything they'd been told.

"This... this isn't temporal magic," she whispered, more to herself than to him. "It can't be."

Fred frowned. "What do you mean?"

Gracie shook her head. "Professor McGonagall was talking about trying to bring you back using powerful magic that could have serious consequences, but..." She trailed off, realization dawning on her. "You didn't come back through any spell."

Fred blinked, looking down at his hands, flexing his fingers as if testing their reality. "Then how?"

"I don't know," Gracie admitted, a sense of awe creeping into her voice. "But it means... it means you're really here. Somehow, without magic, without any interference—you just woke up."

Fred's eyes darkened as memories of the battle flickered back to him, but no clear answer presented itself. "You mean I came back on my own?"

Gracie nodded, her mind spinning with the implications. There was no magic at play here, no dangerous spell that had been cast to bring him back. He had simply returned, alive, as if he had never left.

"It's a miracle," she breathed, the words hanging in the air between them.

Fred chuckled softly, a flicker of his old humor returning. "Well, I've always been a bit of a miracle worker, haven't I?"

Gracie laughed despite herself, but her joy was laced with uncertainty. This was incredible—beyond anything they had expected. But without magic explaining his return, how long would this last? Was Fred really back for good? Or was this just temporary?

As they hurried through the castle halls, the weight of Fred's miraculous return pressed down on both of them. No spells, no manipulation of time—just the impossible made real.

Suddenly, as they turned a corner, they nearly collided with James and Lily Potter, who stood there as if they belonged. Gracie's heart raced at the sight of them. She remembered their earlier return; she had never truly comprehended what it meant until now.

"Fred?" James exclaimed, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Is it really you?"

"Last I checked," Fred replied, a grin spreading across his face. "What's going on here? Did you lot decide to throw a reunion?"

Lily laughed, her joy lighting up the corridor. "You're not the only one with surprising news, it seems. We all woke up here, just like you. It feels like a dream."

"But how?" Gracie asked, still processing the sight of all four of them standing there. "None of this makes sense."

"Maybe it doesn't have to," James said with a smile. "We're back, and that's what matters."

Lily nodded, her gaze filled with warmth. "We don't need temporal magic to explain this. There's something more at play here. Something we've yet to understand."

Fred looked between them, a mix of wonder and confusion. "So we're all... alive? Here?"

"Looks that way," Lily said, taking a step forward to embrace Fred, who wrapped his arms around her tightly. "We'll figure this out together. All of us."

As they shared that moment, Gracie felt a wave of hope wash over her. This wasn't just a miracle; it was a chance for them all to be a family again. Together, they could uncover the truth behind their return, whatever that might be.

"Let's go find George," Fred suggested, breaking the hug with a newfound determination. "He needs to see this."

As they moved together through the castle, Gracie felt the warmth of unity surrounding them, a spark of hope igniting in her chest. With Fred, James, and Lily by her side, she knew they could face whatever came next.

And together, they would seek the answers they needed.