Fred and George and the Toilers of Trouble (Year 1) ✔

Chapter 26:1

VINDICTUS

The Pensieve rested silently at the center of the Great Hall, casting its gossamer glow onto the walls and banners. Albus Dumbledore had just vanished after dipping his face into the basin. Fred and George could hear the faintest harmony in the wind that gusted through the shattered windows, as if a choir was singing from within the depths of the Pensieve. As a group, they approached the basin with fixed interest. Hagrid was cowering behind the twins, fearful of his own memories, while Mr. Filch was more excited than all of them to be in the presence of such radiant magic.

Caressing his cat, the caretaker inched toward the basin skittishly. He gazed down at the swirling eddy of smoky silver light, and was about to back away when Mrs. Norris dove out of his arms and directly into the Pensieve. She vanished with a POOF!

"My sweet!"

Filch leaned forward and gawked at the water, taking deep, nervous breaths. He muttered encouragingly to himself to follow after her.

"We don't have time for this," rumbled Professor Kettleburn, as he stomped forward and thrust Filch's ratty head into the Pensive, where he was swallowed silently by its shimmering contents.

The five of them surrounded the stone basin, their faces looking haunted above the swirling light. Hagrid glanced over his shoulder at Aruzula Darc.

"Is she...?" he stammered.

"She can't escape," said Professor Kettleburn.

Fred and George stood on their tiptoes to look down at the silvery glow that was neither water or gas. It calmed, and soon resembled a clear plane of ice. They could sense a riot of activity below. There was so much movement, in fact, it was impossible to even guess at what they were seeing.

George faced Professor Mulligan with a concerned expression. "What about Lee and Angelina?"

"Mister Jordan is at the bottom of the stairwell," said Kettleburn, raising a scorched eyebrow. "He's safe."

"And Miss Johnson is..." Parsimonae began, sounding guilty.

"Frozen in time," said Fred bluntly, finishing the thought.

"Not completely. She just needs a push."

"Perhaps someone should go down there and rescue them," Fred persisted, looking directly at the investigator.

"We will — but not yet."

Parsimonae leaned forward and dipped his head into the Pensieve. He was gone half a second later to the sound of lapping waves. The twins faced Professor Mulligan, who looked too eager not to follow him inside.

"You must understand," she defended. "Some of us have been waiting fifty years for this."

With far more care than those who went before her, Professor Mulligan gathered her graying auburn hair with one hand, closed her eyes, pinched her nose between two fingers, and gradually lowered her face into the glassy substance. Professor Kettleburn was next, his mechanical frame crumpling painlessly to fit him inside. And suddenly the twins were standing with Hagrid and Dandy, who had agreed to stay behind and guard Aruzula Darc.

"I changed me mind," Hagrid fretted, rubbing his hands together apprehensively. "Go on without me."

"Hagrid," said George. "If we can do it..."

"Yeah, c'mon," Fred encouraged.

Hagrid shook his great head forcefully. "They're all gonna hate me fer what I done. I can' face it all. Not again. Not with Professor Dumbledore watchin'."

Fred sent his brother a quick suggestion, and they both took one of his hands in their own. "We'll do it together, all right?"

"The three of us," George asserted.

"And if we come out all Splinched, we can be triplets," said Fred lightheartedly.

Hagrid grimaced before sniffing loudly and approaching the basin. Just before sticking his head into the shimmering liquid and vanishing from the Great Hall along with the twins, he dared to glance back at Aruzula. She was no longer fighting against the chains. When their eyes met, they connected with a transparency that spoke of a deep, unknown history. Years of lost conversation seemed to pass between them — and then he was gone.