𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐢𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 | 𝐟. 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐥𝐞𝐲 𝐱 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫

{ 92 }

── ⲇ ──

Everyone was scared and worried. Fred held onto Y/n's hand tightly as he helped her into her feet. He didn't care about putting on a brave face. He was fearing for his father's life.

"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?"
"OUT!" roared a second voice.

The only sources of light were the fire and one guttering candle, which illuminated the remains of a solitary supper. Kreacher was disappearing through the door to the hall, looking back at them malevolently as he hitched up his loincloth; Sirius was hurrying towards them all, looking anxious. He was unshaven and still in his day clothes; there was also a slightly Mundungus-like whiff of stale drink about him.

"What's going on?" he said, stretching out a hand to help Ginny up.

"Thineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured —"

"Ask Harry," said Fred.
"Yeah, I want to hear this for myself," said George. The twins and Ginny were staring at him. Kreacher's footsteps had stopped on the stairs outside.

"It was -" Harry began; this was even worse than telling McGonagall and
Dumbledore. "I had a - a kind of - vision..."

And he told them all that he had seen. He told them how he saw from the sidelines as the snake attacked Arthur.

Ron, who was still very white, gave him a fleeting look, but did not speak. When Harry had finished, Fred, George and Ginny continued to stare at him for a moment. Harry did not know whether he was imagining it or not, but he fancied there was something accusatory in their looks.

He looked to his sister who had a very pale face. All the color had been drained from her as she replayed his words of the attack.

"Is Mum here?" said Fred, turning to Sirius.

"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet," said Sirius. "The important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."

"We've got to go to St Mungo's," said Ginny urgently. She looked around at her brothers; they were of course still in their pyjamas.

"Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything?"

"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St Mungo's!" said Sirius.

"Course we can go to St Mungo's if we want," said Fred, with a mulish expression. "He's our dad!"

"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"

"What does that matter?" said George hotly.

"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"

"Who gives a damn what the Ministry thinks." Y/n scoffed.

Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still ashen-faced and silent.

Ginny said, "Somebody else could have told us... we could have heard it somewhere other than Harry."

"Like who?" said Sirius impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's -"

"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred. "It's our dad dying we're talking about!" yelled George.

"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" said Sirius, equally angry. "This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order - you don't understand - there are things worth dying for!"

"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!"

Sirius paled. He was furious, and quite almost hit Fred. But with a forced calm voice, he said,

"I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?"

Fred and George still looked mutinous. Ginny, however, took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and a shrug, and they sat down too. The twins glared at Sirius for another minute, then took seats either side of Ginny. Y/n took a seat beside Fred, holding his hand in between both of hers as her shoulders slumped.

"That's right," Sirius spoke encouragingly. "How about we all have a drink, Accio Butterbeer!" He waved his wand and nearly a dozen bottles came flying towards them from the pantry.

They all drank, and for a while the only sounds were those of the crackling of the kitchen fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table.

Y/n simply kept one hand over Fred's as they both drank in silence. Her mind wandered to the possibilities of the outcomes.

What if Mister Weasley doesn't survive?
What if he's badly injured and can never recover from it?
What if everything is never the same again?

What ifs...

Then a burst of fire in midair illuminated the dirty plates in front of them and, as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud on to the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.

"Fawkes!" said Sirius at once, snatching up the parchment. "That's not Dumbledore's writing - it must be a message from your mother - here -"

He thrust the letter into George's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud: "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."

George looked around the table. "Still alive..." he said slowly. "But that makes it sound..."

Y/n paled at the thought. Makes it sound like he's clinging between life or death...