Jets of green light were ricocheting off the wall behind him, perilously close, but it was all George could do to duck and stagger as the Death Eater drew closer and closer.
What's happening to me, he thought franticly, trying to tighten his feeble grasp on his wand. His legs were buckling ... he felt they were going numb. Something was missing; something had been ripped off from his very heart. What? He tried to push his greatest fears to the back of his mind ... the man in the hood was chuckling ... now he gave a menacing laugh... George's wand fell from his hand.
'Avada Ked—'
'STUPEFY!'
George rolled over.
The Death Eater collapsed in a heap where George had been seconds ago.
It was over; someone had saved him. He looked around to see who, but all he saw was a blinding haze of bright light. Shielding his eyes with his arms, he staggered up and stood panting against the wall, trying to collect his thought.
But in vain; he couldn't think straight. His heart was fluttering; his hands were shaking as he groped for his wand. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. He didn't want to think about it, but then he had to know what had happened.
His sweaty palms found his wand. He stood no more; he broke into a run. Tears were streaming down his cheeks ... he didn't yet know why ... becoming one with the blood and sweat on his face that were cruel proof of what was going on. His head was spinning; his already blurry vision was further being clouded by his tears.
He ran past the silent bodies of all those who had fallen; a part of him just wanted to lie down amidst them. But he knew what he had to do to set his fears at rest. He had to find his family, he had to make sure everything was okay; he had to find his brother ... his twin ... his partner in crime.
On George ran, through the destruction that was being wrecked upon his school, temporarily heedless of the chaos around him ... he was thinking now only of one person. His worst fears filled his mind, but he ignored them. He ran on. His breathing grew more laboured, his steps fumbled more.
There! He saw his father. In the Great Hall. But where were the others?
He opened his mouth, but no sound came ... not then, at least.
He stood motionless. Bodies were beginning to be brought in. Colin ... REMUS! ... TONKS! He was aghast. He saw his mother come running towards his father from the other end of the Hall in a few minutes. He started walking towards them. He needed to be reassured, to be comforted.
Two others too were moving towards them ... and they were carrying a body. They reached Molly and Arthur at the same time George did, but all three pairs of eyes were on the boy who was now being laid down.
George recognised his twin, and as Molly collapsed into Arthur's arms, his legs finally gave away ... he fell down to the cold, hard earth beside Fred ... his brother ... his twin ... his partner in crime. A scream of anguish left his thirsty, parched lips. As he hit the ground, immune to all the noise around him, with a deafening, cold silence in his mind ... in his heart ... in his soul, he realised what was wrong; what was missing. A part of him had been taken away by this bloody, barbaric, brutal war. A part of him had been taken away...never to be returned.