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Chapter 11: A Fragment

"What's in London?" Katherine asked. "Ron said something about a store?"

Charlie laughed. "Oh, George will have a field day showing it to you. He and Fred started it when they were still in school, but they got the building after they dropped out.

Katherine had a lot of questions about the store, but she figured she'd see tomorrow.

"Are there a lot of wizards in London?" she said instead.

"There are wizards everywhere," Charlie answered, "but London has some things you can't get anywhere else. But I won't give anything else away—you just have to see it for yourself."

They walked quietly for a while. It was dark, but Charlie pulled out his wand and the tip lit up.

"How much of our conversation did you hear?" he said. "When you came back with your bag?"

"Not much," Katherine lied.

"Can't blame you," he chuckled. "You come by it genetically. I swear Fred and George heard every word in that house."

"I wasn't trying to be rude," Katherine said, sure her face was red again. "I'm just trying to wrap my head around this whole thing still."

"Fred and George always had secrets," Charlie started, putting his hands in his pockets. "You could hardly go in their room for fear of something blowing up. They had all these pranks and jokes, and they were wicked smart about it. Couldn't hardly be mad you were so impressed, even when it landed you with a nasty black eye. But . . . this feels very different. I mean, I don't know quite how he told them last night. I just got an owl from mum with the basics and asking me to come if I could."

Charlie stopped walking, and Katherine turned to look at him. "But, when Fred died, it took a long time for George to get back to normal. He would barely celebrate their birthday. Angelina helped, of course—she had known them both in school. And with the kids, he's always loved them fiercely. There are moments when he gets that light back in his eyes and you look around waiting for the fireworks to go off. We all just want to make sure it doesn't leave again."

Katherine looked at him. "And you're worried I'll . . . die?"

She was a bit surprised at the edge of venom in her own voice.

"No," Charlie said calmly. "But there are other ways you could hurt him. I mean, you've just shown up out of the blue—who's to say you won't disappear just as quickly?"

Katherine felt the ring getting hot on her finger but could barely give it a thought. Ron had been acting like a child who was suspicious of a new pet. But this wasn't just suspicious, this was accusatory. 

"Look, I am not the one who created this situation. Fred and George are the ones who knew about me and didn't say anything to you all. Fred and George are the ones who decided I didn't get to be a part of this family or this world. George is the one who didn't even tell my mom Fred had died. George is the one who decided I wasn't worth looking for. So, I will not stand here and be made the villain of a story I was thrust into less than 12 hours ago."

"That's just it," Charlie said, still surprisingly even tempered. "George would have done anything to bring Fred back. Won't even let anyone empty out Fred's closet. There has to be a reason, something he isn't telling us—why else would he have just let a part of Fred go?"

Katherine was actually angry now. How dare he say that so cavalierly, as if it weren't the worst piece of doubt that had been sitting in her heart all day. She had been able to push it down, burying it under each sweet smile, declaration of excitement, and offering of love and food. But now it was coming back up her throat, burning in her sinuses. "I guess you don't have to worry then," she said. "If he let me go before, he'll easily do it again."