Serpentine ; Fred Weasley

Ninety-seven

My ears were ringing.

I woke up on my back, all the air sucked from my lungs. I stared at the broken ceiling, seeing some of the stars.

The air was dusty and apart from the ringing, I could hear yelling and shouting somewhere in the distance, but it sounded way too far away.

"Freddie..." I whimpered, turning my head to see if he was there, but all I saw was pieces of wall spread across the floor.

My eyes landed on my arm which was bleeding a whole lot more and then I felt something hot and wet on my face.

I moved my hand up and winced at the pain as I touched my cheek.

I heard someone cry out and when I turned my head the other side towards the sound, I saw Percy hunched over a lifeless body.

Someone with red hair... someone—

Fred.

"Freddie..." I whispered, trying to reach my hand out towards him.

My eyelids were heavy and as I stared at Fred, I saw Percy get up and run after whoever did the explosion.

Fred wasn't moving.

"Freddie..." I tried to speak again but it just came out as a whisper. "...get up. Please."

I was in pain but I forced myself onto my stomach and I dragged myself over to his body.

"Freddie." I whispered, clutching onto his shirt as I pulled myself up in a sitting position.

His eyes were closed and he still wasn't moving.

"Wake up." My voice was hoarse and I tried to shake him awake, my hands grasping at his shirt, at his neck — his face. "Freddie!"

I was starting to really panic. He wasn't moving. He wasn't responding.

I teared up.

"This isn't funny..." My voice cracked. "Freddie, please. Wake up."

I slammed my fists into his chest, crying out into the corridor.

"Look at me!" I screamed. "Look at me!"

I kept punching his chest until I realised I knew how to do CPR.

I forced myself up on my knees and placed my hands on top of each other over his chest, my fingers between each other.

Then I used all of my body weight to push down, again and again while crying and screaming.

"Please wake up." I whispered, crying out. "Don't leave. Don't do that to me!"

I heard the crunch of one of his ribs cracking and I hated it, hated that I was hurting his body, but I also knew I had to keep going.

"Kai?" I heard Carter and I looked up to see him enter the corridor. "Is that..."

"He can't die!" I cried. "I can't do it without him... I need him!"

"How long have you—"

"Fuck!" I screamed. I had no more energy. I could physically not keep going and I ended up clinging to his body, my head on his chest.

My cries filled the corridor and Carter tried to pull me away but I wasn't budging.

"No!" I cried out, trying to push Carter away with one hand while my other hand clutched onto Fred.

"Kai, we have to go. It's too dangerous to stay here."

"No!" I screamed at him and Carter let go of me, letting me lay on Fred.

I laid there and I cried, eventually closing my eyes at how tired I was. I just laid on him, not letting go of him, and then I heard him gasp for air.

I sat up, looking at him to see him stare at the ceiling. He gasped for air but his hand found mine that rested on his chest, and he turned his head to look at me.

"Fred." I cried, cupping his face with my free hand.

"M-My lungs." He breathed, having a hard time getting air. "I can't... breathe."

"Where's my wand?" I asked myself and looked around before I crawled around the floor, trying to look for it.

When I finally found it, I crawled back over to Fred.

"I have to feel your ribs." I told him and when I pressed against his ribs, he cried out in pain which broken my heart.

"I'm sorry." I cried. "I just have to find it. I can help."

He squeezed his eyes shut, crying out as I kept pressing against his ribs.

Finally, I found the few ones who were cracked, and I pointed the wand to them.

"Brackium Emendo." I whispered and the crack of his ribs caused Fred to cry out again, but he was still struggling to breath.

"Lungs." He whispered and I realised that the ribs could've punctured one of them.

I was panicking again.

"I don't know what to do." I cried. "I don't know how to fix it. I'm so sorry. I can't— I—"

"Kai!" Carter shouted as he returned to the corridor.

I hadn't noticed he was gone. I looked up and saw him approach quickly with Mrs Larch who worked as a healer at St. Mungo's.

"Oh dear Kai." She gasped when she saw me.

"Please help him." I cried. "I think it's his lungs. It's his lungs. He can't breathe and he can't die!"

Carter wrapped his arms around me to pull me back and let Felix' mother help. I cried in my brother's arms, my eyes focused on Fred.

I watched as Dorothy Larch placed her hand against Fred's chest, and almost immediately, I could see the relief on his face.

He let out a heavy breath and I saw his chest rise then fall before his eyes shut, but he was still breathing.

"He's asleep." Dorothy told me and then everything suddenly stopped and I felt that pressure to my temples again.

"You have fought valiantly... but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Treat your injured."

I looked at Fred before crawling out of Carter's arms and across the floor. I laid down, my head on Fred's shoulder and my hand clutching his chest.

"Harry Potter, I speak now directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonour. Join me in the forbidden forest and confront your fate. Should you do so, I give my word that no other life will be lost on this night. You have one hour. If, at the end of that time, you have not given yourself up, then I shall punish every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."

The voice stopped and Dorothy brushed her hand over my upper arm.

"Listen, darling... we need to get Fred to the Great Hall and then I'll have a look at you."