Lily Potter (Harry Potter's Twin)

Chapter 74

"So, all in all, not one of Ron's better birthdays?" Fred said.

It was evening; the hospital wing was quiet, the windows curtained, the lamps lit. Ron's was the only occupied bed. Harry, Hermione, Ginny and I were sitting around him; we had spent all day waiting outside the double doors, trying to see inside whenever somebody went in or out. Madam Pomfrey had only let us enter at eight o'clock. Fred and George had arrived at ten past.

"This isn't how we imagined handing over our present," George said grimly, putting down a large wrapped gift on Ron's bedside cabinet and sitting beside Ginny.

"Yeah, when we pictured the scene, he was conscious," said Fred.

"There we were in Hogsmeade, Tonk's was going to get us in--" said George.

"You were in Hogsmeade?" asked Ginny, looking up.

"We were thinking of buying Zonko's," said Fred gloomily. "A Hogsmeade branch, you know, but a fat lot of good it'll do us if you lot aren't out at weekends to buy our stuff anymore... But never mind that now."

He drew up a seat behind Harry and I and looked at his brother's pale face.

"How exactly did it happen, Harry?"

Harry retold the story he had already recounted to Dumbledore, to McGonagall, to Madam Pomfrey, to Hermione and I, and to Ginny.

"... and then I got the bezaor down his throat and his breathing eased up a bit, Slughorn ran for help, McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey turned up, and they brought on up here. The reckon he'll be all right. Madam Pomfrey says he'll have to stay here a week or so... keep taking Essence of Rue..."

"Blimey, it was lucky you thought of a bezaor," said George in a low voice.

"Lucky there was one in the room," said Harry.

I looked to Hermione as she gave a little sniff. She had been exceptionally quiet since she heard, but then again, so have I. I've said probably a sentence, unable to feel about the situation. I was so bipolar with this, I felt like I should like have gone something to make it easier on Harry. The look on his face would haunt my dreams, the looks on all of their faces would forever be engraved into my memory, along with the memory of Mr. Weasley dying in front of me.

Fred put his hand on my shoulder, I turned to look at him. When he saw my face, he seemed to understand what I was feeling. Fred moved to grab my hand comfortingly.

"Does mum know?" Fred asked Ginny.

"She's already seen him, they arrived an hour ago-- she's in Dumbledore's office now, but they'll be back soon..."

There was a pause, while we all watched Ron mumble a little in his sleep.

"So, the poison was in the drink?" asked Fred quietly.

"Yes," said Harry at once. "Slughorn poured it out---"

"Would he have been able to slip something into Ron's glass without you seeing?" asked George.

"Probably?" said Harry. "But, why would Slughorn want to poison Ron?"

"No idea," said George, frowning. "You don't think he could have mixed up the glasses by mistake, planing to get you?"

"Why would Slughorn want to poison Harry?" asked Ginny.

"There must be loads of people who'd like to poison Harry, mustn't there?" Fred asked. " 'The Chosen One' and all that?"

"So you think Slughorn is a Death Eater?" asked Ginny.

"Anything is possible," said George darkly.