Friendship on Fire | Fred & George Weasley

The end of an era.

I was still in shock that Harry had been the one to put Draco into the hospital. Harry was a rather calm being, and i had to wonder what Draco did that set him off but something was telling me it had to do with all the strange occurrences happening around Hogwarts. Katie Bell was cursed, Ron was poisoned and I had that feeling in my gut that Draco and Aimee had something to do with it all. I didn't want to believe it, I hated thinking they could be the ones to cause someone elses pain but it was really the only rational thing I could think of. 

Draco was getting better but was still coming in and out of consciousness so I haven't had the chance to talk to him. Aimee stayed by his side when she wasn't in classes, and even though we had this unspoken bond when we sat side by side by Draco, we still never spoke anything out loud. I could see what being a death eater was doing to her, both physical and mentally. Aimee used to have such a womanly figure to her, and now she was just skin and bones. Her once tanned skin has paled out and she had these deep bags under her eyes. Even with all of these things coming into play though, she was still as beautiful as ever.

It had been about a week since Draco was first brought into the hospital wing, and now I actually had a day off. I was in the common room working on some of my healing qualifications assignments while Ginny sat beside me working on her charms homework. There was an eery feeling to the air tonight, and I had that feeling in my stomach like i always got when something went wrong. It wasn't that late, but the dark clouds looming over the castle were casting dark shadow into the common room. "How do you do this spell Ronnie?" Ginny asked sliding her charms book over to me on the table. I leaned over and looked at one of the more complicated spells of fifth year. 

"Oh, it's a little tricky you just-" I started to say, but a loud bang that thundered throughout the castle cut me off. I thought maybe it was just thunder, that maybe a large storm was heading to us that night so I turned back to Ginny. But the loud banging just continued many more times. "What is that?" Ginny asked nervously as we both stood from our place in the corner of the room. "I'm not sure Gin" I said walking into the center of the common room. Several first years were looking scared on one of the couches, and Seamus and Dean joined my side from their game of exploding snap. "Maybe it's another  troll" Seamus said with a chuckle. 

"Everyone stay here, I'll be back" I told everyone and quickly made my way out of the common room. The portrait closed quietly behind me and the second I stepped foot onto the staircase I heard screaming from down below. I rushed down a flight and to the ledge to see several figures who were not supposed to step foot into this castle. Death eaters....

Bellatrix's cackling laugh stuck out more than anything, and her along with about a dozen other death eaters were wreaking havoc on the lower floors. "No" I whispered before turning around and running back to Gryffindor tower. Several students had followed me out and were looking around on the seventh floor landing. "Get back inside" I said frantically as I ushered the short students inside. "What is it Ronnie?" Neville asked as all of the students of Gryffindor were now gathered in the common room. "Anyone under a fifth year get up to the dorms now!" i shouted over the dozens of students who were standing around. 

Many first years didn't ask questions and ran quickly up the stairs, but many were too curious to follow orders. "NOW!" I bellowed even louder, probably frightening the young students even more than the situation at hand. After the first through fourth years had gone to their rooms I was left alone with all of my friends and some of the younger ones in Ginny's year. "Ronnie, what's wrong?" Ginny asked with frightened eyes. "Death Eaters" Was all I had to say before the common room broke out into chaos. 

"Everyone stay calm!" I called over everyone who was running around in a panic. The booms sounded outside the common room once more, only louder and closer this time. "I have to go, but any sixth and seventh years can come with me. Fifth years stay here and protect the younger ones" I told them all as I pulled my wand out of my jacket pocket and headed to the exit. "Ginny don't even think about it, your brother's would have my head" I said shaking my head to my friend who was coming to leave with me . She looked hesitant before nodding her head and going to join some of her friends by the couches. 

Several seventh year students followed me out into the castle, along with Neville and Seamus, Dean wanted to stay with Ginny which I understood. I heard shouts down a couple floors, and took off running  in hopes of finding any of them. After running around aimlessly I finally found all of them dueling in the great hall. A spell whizzed past my head and I ducked quickly to the left pulling Neville with me. Several Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff students had joined the fight, but none of them seemed to be doing very well against the mass amount of death eaters.

I quickly stunned one that was gaining on a small Hufflepuff boy who didn't even need to be in this fight.  And I ducked under tables and benches trying to help anyone I could. I knocked a long table to it's side and hid behind it for cover, several students following my lead and coming to duck down beside me. "Reducto!" I shouted at the ground beneath five death eaters that were standing across the room, my spell sent them flying in all different directions. 

That cackling laugh I heard at the front of the room and saw my aunt along with Greyback fighting Professor Flitwick and Madam Pomfrey. I rushed over to help them since knowing my aunt she was aiming to kill. "Little niecy, not so pleased to see you alive" she said laughing when she saw my appearance and dodged one of Madam Pomfrey's spells she shot at her. "Could say the say to you" I sneered, joining in and sending spells not only at Bellatrix but at Greyback as well. He growled at me and started walking towards me sending spell after spell at my head. 

Everyone in the great hall was occupied in a duel with someone else, but Greyback was quickly gaining on me. I tripped as I was walking backwards, and Greyback took that opportunity to send me flying backwards into a wall....hard. I groaned and started to get dizzy as I tried to stand back up. I couldn't risk sending a spell flying at him when I was really seeing duplicates. I could feel blood trickling down from my head, down my cheek and dripping onto my chest and I stumbled around trying to find somewhere safe. I could hear greyback even though I couldn't really see him, and i just continued stumbling away from him.

Something surprised me suddenly, three redheads soon appeared that looked awfully familiar in my blurred vision. I found my way to a wall and slunk down against it, hoping a small rest would clear my vision from the impact of the wall. I could still hear the chaos going on around me, but I heard that banging sound again and several crashes that sounded like glass this time. "Dumbledores dead!" I heard my aunt chanting as it sounded like she ran past me and out of the doors. Dumbledore dead? surely that was some mistake. 

I opened my eyes slowly to see that I could see a lot better than i could before, and I slowly peeled myself off the ground. The death eaters were gone, the only thins remaining were the various students who looked defeated and saddened by the news of our headmaster. I slowly walked through the rubble of the great hall, tables overturned, blood smeared onto the floor and the windows were all shattered and I saw glass had rained all over all of us. 

"Ronnie!" Someone shouted, and I winced at the volume of their voice before turning to see who it was. My eyes went wide as I saw it was George and Fred who were the ones to yell for me, What were they doing here?

"George!" I said with tired smile and walked slowly to him, only to be engulfed tightly in his arms. "Hi Freddie" i said softly as George let me go and I turned to his brother. "Your hurt" George said with worried eyes as he reached out to touch my bleeding head, I winced when his fingers touched my wound. "I'm ok" I said closing my eyes feeling weak all of a sudden. "We need to get her to the hospital wing" Fred said, and I felt myself being lifted into someones arms. 

"Don't worry love, you'll be ok" George said softly as I felt him slowly walk with me in his arms. My head rested on his shoulder and I wrapped my arms around his neck. I felt my body growing weak as the wound on my head must have been worse that I thought. But I doubt i would be ok, I doubt any of us would be ok if Dumbledore really was dead....