Bonded

Thirty

Fred sat bolt upright in bed as a sudden jolt of fear shot through him. It took him a second to realize that it was Calliope's fear that flooded through him.

He knew that he had to find her, but she was on the other side of the castle in the Hufflepuff dorms where Fred couldn't reach her.

Fred threw his covers off of himself and got to his feet, with the aim of breaking into the Hufflepuff dorms in mind, thanks to the Marauders Map he knew where it was and he would do whatever it took to get in.

He started down the stairs, but his progress was very quickly bought to a stop as out of the fifth year dorm emerged a worried-looking Professor McGonagall accompanied by Ron and an ill-looking Harry.

"Mr Weasley," McGonagall didn't seem the slightest bit surprised to see Fred awake, "I think it will be best if you come with us."

"But Professor, Callie is-"

"I am sure that Miss Doge will meet us at Professor Dumbledore's office," said McGonagall curtly.

Fred and Ron exchanged confused looks as the group hurried off on their way towards Dumbledore's office.

"Fizzing Whizzbee," McGonagall said to the gargoyle guarding Dumbledore's office, which sprang aside, revealing the moving stone staircase.

"Fred!" Calliope rounded the corner and ran to join the group, worry and fear was written all across her face and Fred could feel both of these emotions radiating off of her, "Fred your dad! He's hurt!"

"Upstairs Miss Doge," McGonagall almost pushed Harry and Ron onto the moving stairs, "quickly!" Fred grabbed Calliope's arm and followed Harry, Ron and McGonagall up the stairs.

McGonagall rapped three times on the door, which opened by itself, allowing McGonagall to stride inside, followed closely by Harry, Ron, Fred and Calliope.

"Oh, it's you, Professor McGonagall... and... ah," Dumbledore's eyes rested on Harry and then his eyes flitted to Calliope, then he fixed his eyes upon McGonagall. Calliope moved so that she was holding Fred's hand tightly in her's.

"Professor Dumbledore, Potter has had a... well a nightmare," said McGonagall. 

"It wasn't a nightmare!" Harry protested.

"Based on Miss Doge's presence I would be inclined to believe Harry," Dumbledore looked at Calliope, clearly avoiding looking at Harry for reasons that Fred could not begin to fathom.

"Very well then, Potter you explain," said McGonagall.

"I was- well I was asleep," Harry spurted out the moment he was prompted, "but it wasn't an ordinary dream... it was real... it happened...I saw it happen," Harry took a deep breath, "Ron's dad- Mr Weasley- has been attacked by a giant snake."

Dumbledore looked to Calliope for confirmation, she simply let out a little squeak in way of speaking. Fred's eyes widened, and he felt his heart beating faster, was his father dead? If Calliope could feel it then did that mean he was dead, could she only feel it when people were dead? It felt like his mind was whirring at a million miles per hour, making up the worst possible scenarios.

"How did you see this?" Dumbledore asked Harry quietly, still avoiding looking at him.

"I don't know, inside my head I suppose-"

"You misunderstand me, I mean, can you remember where you were positioned  as you watched this?" asked Dumbledore, "were you perhaps standing beside the victim or looking down upon the scene?"

"I was the snake," Harry said slowly, "I saw it all from the snake's point of view."

No one spoke, taking in this chilling news. Dumbledore directed his next question at Calliope, "is Arthur seriously injured?"

"Yes!" cried Harry, growing frustrated with the situation.

"Professor he's going to die if we don't do something now," Calliope said quietly, her hand tightening in Fred's as she spoke, knowing that what she was saying was going to cause him great distress. She was right.

"Everard?" Dumbledore said sharply, "And you too Dilys." Dumbledore began to address several of the portraits on the wall, sending them off to various tasks. He sent Fawkes off to act as a lookout in case Umbridge should make her way towards the office. Both Everard and Dilys returned, bearing the news that Arthur had been taken to St. Mungo's, and that he didn't look good.

Neither Fred nor Calliope registered any of this. Fred was still running through all of the possible outcomes of their current situation, and Calliope was struggling not to be overwhelmed by the whispers, which were almost screaming in her ears about imminent death. 

McGonagall was sent off to rouse both Ginny and George. Dumbledore hurried around his desk and opened a cupboard, pulling an old kettle from within it, and bewitching it so that it could be used as a portkey. Dumbledore then roused a portrait that held a haughty-looking man sat in front of the Slytherin crest. Phineas Nigellus, however unwillingly, moved out of his portrait to his portrait in Grimmauld Place in order to notify Sirius of the upcoming arrival of the Weasleys, Harry and Calliope.

Ginny and George were ushered into the office by McGonagall, and Dumbledore quickly gathered them all around the portkey, and before Calliope could even register that Fred had pressed her hand against the kettle, she was being whisked away from Hogwarts through the abyss.