Pretty Kitty (completed)

Chapter 40

They ran into the Mininstry of Magic, all ready to do some serious fighting in order to win back Fred and George. Harry was going frantic with worry – the Thestral ride had seemed too long, even though, in reality, it was fairly short. His mark was still warm, although not as fiery as it had been before.

What did it mean? Were Fred and George still in trouble? Had they escaped?

Were they even still alive?

They arrived at the lowest floor of the Ministry, leading straight to the Department of Mysteries. Harry grimaced as he recognised the corridor from his trial, the cold, unwelcoming atmosphere still apparent. Then again, he doubted any of the Ministry would feel welcoming to him.

"That's the door," Harry exclaimed in relief. They were getting there, slowly. He wasn't sure what would happen past that door – were his dreams realistic?

"Harry!"

Harry stopped dead, and so did the others, Hermione actually running into his back due to the suddenness of his movement.

"Harry?" Hermione asked, wondering what had caused him to stop. "What's wrong?" Harry raised a hand to silence her, ears twitching and straining. Someone had called out his name. A very familiar someone had called out his name.

He spun around as he heard footsteps, and then two welcome figures sped around a corner, calling out in relief. Harry gaped as they came to a stop. The others turned, too, hearing the shouting.

There was a collective silence.

"Fred?" Harry finally choked out. "George?" They were... right there. Running towards him, from the direction of the elevator. Not even from the direction of the Department of Mysteries. "W-what?"

"Harry, thank Merlin!" George exclaimed, pushing past Ron and Hermione and enveloping him in a hug. Over George's shoulder Harry saw Fred elbow Ron out of the way and then join in the hug, arms tight around Harry's waist.

Harry stared dazedly at nothing, trying to process how they were here, unharmed, not even looking remotely tortured.

Finally, they pulled away, eyes narrowed. And here came the part where they got past the emotional reunion and realised Harry had been endangering his life. Again.

"You idiot," Fred muttered, pulling him against him again and kissing him warmly on the lips. Well, that was different. He was used to being met with Hermione's stern scoldings or Dumbledore's knowing, sad looks.

"If you do that again, I swear...," George trailed off, pulling Harry to him again.

"We'll just have to keep our eyes peeled, Georgie," Fred said pleasantly, but quite truthfully. George nodded, and then his gaze softened.

"I'm just glad we got to you in time," he murmured, and then Harry was once again squished in the middle of a twin-hug, still completely confused and more than a little out-of-it.

Hermione, it seemed, couldn't take the confusion. "What happened? What's going on?" she demanded, hands on her hips. Had she been a cat (or Harry) she'd be hissing and spitting. By the looks of it, they'd rushed off to face down Voldemort and who-knows-how-many Death Eaters, for nothing.

"Snape got to us," Fred said, nodding to the end of the corridor, where Snape was standing, looking both uncomfortable and wary. Harry thought wariness was a good idea right about now – who knows what might be lurking in the various shadows? "Told us about Harry's wild accusations of Voldemort kidnapping us, or something."

"Wild accusations?! I saw it!" Harry finally said, even as relief completely overwhelmed him as he realised that Fred and George were really there, and that, clearly, Voldemort had never had them in the first place. "In a vision. You remember what happened in my last vision."