Shock. It coursed through my veins and shocked the very core of my being. It's all my fault, he's gone, and it's all my fault. I can't move. I stare down at my little brother, motionless, all my fault. I stood there, paralyzed like one of the hundreds of pillars that once held up the school, looking down at his frame. It was so perfectly still, never had he been this still. Even while sleeping, he was known for kicking and moving about, sometimes even calling out for George, as if even while unconscious they were having a private conversation only they could take part in. But now, now there was no kicking, no moving, and no sounds escaping from his blue tainted lips.
It's all my fault. His last words… He spoke his last words to me… I didn't deserve them. In a perfect world, his last words would have been to George, or mum, or anyone else, but because of me, that will never be.
I rapidly search for George and find him quickly, dueling against a Death Eater, Lee at his side. I find myself feeling a fleeting sensation of hatred against Lee. Fred should have been at George's side, like always, not Lee. Lee should be in Fred's place. I banish the thoughts. It isn't Lee's fault, nor does he deserve it. He was, after all, one of Fred's closest friends. I snap back into attention when I notice a change of dynamics in the duel. George is simply standing there, looking dazed, confused, and lost, as if something vital was missing.
He knows, I think to myself, he knows something is very, very wrong. I quickly debate against myself whether or not I should go over and tell him the devastating news, and finally deciding against it. He'll have to know eventually, and I'd rather he not hear it from me.
"George!" I hear Lee shout and see a stream of green light dashing towards my little brother. At the very last moment, Lee tackles George to the ground. George's eyes flash back into focus, snapping out of his trans like state.
"Sectumsempra!" George yells and the Death Eater falls down with an animal like howl of pain. Seeing the Death Eater on the ground, a wizard from the ministry runs by, sending a green streak at the death eater. Now he was as motionless as Fred.
With the immediate threat gone, George and Lee gave each other a quick hug, and then there was silence throughout the school. Nothing moved, no spell was said, no blow was dealt, nothing. Voldemort was everywhere, talking to all of us. Once he was done with his speech, the silence returned, then, all at once, all the Death Eaters disapparated with a bright flash of light.
I realized with a start that soon someone will soon find Fred. I took off on a run to the nearest corner and collapse, being mentally exhausted. I thought back to what could have only been less than three minutes at the most, but feels like an eternity. My little brother is now gone, forever, and it's all my fault. A sudden voice breaks me out of my thought.
"Fred? Fred, come on, stop playing around. Fred, this isn't funny. Fred? Fred!" George's voice penetrated my thoughts and reawakened the feeling of extreme guilt. "Fred! FRED! Where is he? Where the hell is he? He was supposed to be at his side! Backing him up! Where the hell did he go, the bloody coward!"
"George. George calm down. It's not his fault, just calm down." The voice belongs to someone distant, most likely Bill, trying to sooth George.
"Calm down? How could you possibly expect me to calm down!? You don't understand, you will never understand! Let me go!" There are sudden footsteps heading my way. I jumped to my feet and ran as fast as I could.
"Stupefy!"booms a voice from behind me and I felt myself suddenly fly to the side. I hit the wall with such force that everything went black for an instant.
When I regained my sight, a very furious George stood directly over me, a crazed look in his eyes.
"You! This is all your fault! How could you have let this happen!? You could have saved him!"
"George, listen. Georgie, I'm… I am so, so sorry…"
"Sorry!? Do you understand what you've done?! Sorry doesn't even begin to cover it!" I saw movement coming from my left. I shifted my focus from George's glare to a wider view. George now stood with his wand pointed directly at me. If looks could kill, I would have been dead before he said avada kedavra.
"Crucio!" He yelled. As soon as he said it I expected the worse pain I had ever felt, intensified by a thousand. I waited a few more seconds before looking back at his eyes.
"Crucio!" I waited, and again, nothing. I had a rapid flashback to a lesson in defense against the dark arts. The cruciartus curse only works when the caster truly desires torturer towards the person he aims it at, and George knew that.
"Crucio!" Nothing. In a moment of pure defeat he falls to his knees and stays like that for a few seconds. Then , as if truly giving up, he collapses completely to the floor, his body shacking with his cries.
I try to reach out to him, extending my arm out to him. "George-"
"Shut up! Don't George me! This is all your fault!" He slapped my hand away and scrambled to his feet. "I bet if he was one of your precious ministry members he would still be alive!" He picked up his wand that he had let fall earlier, "Rot in hell, Percy."