Wish Granted
By. SadieAnnabethMellark
Summary: He knew it was reckless, but if it made his dad truly happy again he'd do it. For his Dad, he would grant the one wish that he knew his Dad made every year when he blew out the birthday candles. He was going to bring back Fred...permanently.
Disclaimer: Sadly, I am not J.K. Rowling. If I was I would own Harry Potter.
Chapter One
And Not A Sound Was Made
I knew it was reckless and stupid. And I knew that it would be hard. But, I couldn't stop myself from doing it. If it made Dad happy...then I do anything, even if it was some stupid crazy reckless idea that I know would probably result in my death.
I traced the name carved into the stone for probably the millionth time in my life. It was odd to see your name on a headstone when you were still living. I wasn't doing this just for Dad either. I was doing this for the Uncle I never knew. My namesake, the one who I was almost always unintentionally compared to by everyone, the hero of all the old bedtime stories that my Dad had told me and Roxy. This was a gift to the Weasley twins, my Dad and my Uncle Fred for their 39th birthday from me.
You may be asking, "Well, what are you going to do?". Well, I'm going to do the impossible. I'm going to bring my Uncle Fred back to life...or well, actually, I'm going to keep him from dying in the first place. Crazy and reckless, even I admit it, but well...you don't quite understand how much this would mean to my Dad.
Ever year since my Uncle Fred had died, it was Dad's wish every year to have him back. It didn't help matters when I was born and Mum named me after his twin. Ever since I was little, my Dad always looked at me like I was two different people; like I was both his son Fred and his twin Fred. I knew, even when I was little, that he always wished I was the later. Ever time he looked at me, I always saw that glimmer of hope that his brother, his twin had come back, and then the flame of hope would vanish and sadness (and every once in anger) would come and replace it once more.
And the look haunted me. When I was young, I didn't quite understand it, but when I turned six, I understood loud and clear what was going on. My Dad, simply and plainly, wanted his brother more than he wanted me. Please, don't start in on me, saying "No, your Dad loves you." or "He just misses your Uncle.". I know those statements are both true, but I also know that if it was between me or Uncle Fred, Uncle Fred would beat me in the end every single time.
The breeze ruffled my Weasley red hair. It was a semi-warm day. Dad's birthday was in tomorrow, on April 1st so I only had minimum time to execute my plan. I was sitting out by Uncle Fred's grave under this big old peach tree in the backyard of the Burrow with many pieces of parchment laid out in front of me. I knew nobody (especially my Dad or any of the adults in general)would come out here, simply because they didn't want to have to look at the headstone and remember that there was somebody was truly gone in the family. And any of the cousins could be blackmailed into being quiet if they discovered what I was doing out here.
They didn't want to see almost an exact replica of the person they missed so dearly tracing his name (or rather his namesake's name) on a headstone. Mum cried the first time she saw me out here, when I was five years old, tracing the simple letters of my name. Dad couldn't look at me for two days after that without the look of sheer grief on his face.
I looked back down at the multiple sheets of parchment and started reading over it once more. Normally, I hated studying. I seemed to be just naturally smart enough to pass my classes and really never needed to study, so I never really did, but with this...I needed to study all of the notes I had been making over the past year and a half.
That's right, I had been planning this whole thing for a year and a half and tonight I would finally be executing it. I just had to do some last minute studying for it first.
I reread over the notes of the memories I had nicked from Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, and Uncle Percy of the night when Uncle Fred died. Since all three of them were not trained in the art of Leginmens it was easy to sort through their memories in the dead of night while they slept at family reunions or when I stayed the night over at one of their houses. I would've tried sorting through Uncle Harry's memories to find the memory of that night too, but being a trained Leginimens I was worried he would catch on and stop me before I could even jump back in time.
The worst time was when I had to go through my Dad's memories of that night, so I knew how to best avoid him while I worked out my plan. That was one thing I knew, I couldn't be seen by both twins at the same time, otherwise I would've been screwed. My goal was to make it look like my Dad had pushed Fred out of the danger of the blast zone and then got out himself before he was crushed to death.
If I succeeded, then my Uncle would believe that Dad saved him and would be none the wiser. If I didn't succeed, well, then at least my Dad would have Uncle Fred back.
I read the memory from my notes. Every single detail was recorded. Every thing that happened, at what time and in what place. I had to watch this same memory about 26 times just to get it all right and Merlin, it was awful. After about the 7th time I didn't even flinch when the walk crushed Fred to death. It was like watching the same nightmare over and over and over again, except your mute and you were invisible. You couldn't change anything no matter how hard you tried.
And then, I read over my notes on the theories of time travel that I had researched while I was at school and over Christmas holiday in the Potter's (use to be Black's) library in the dead of night. I had tried to find a way that would risk my life the less, but it was always a fifty or lower percent chance that I would come out surviving this.
According to all of the time travel theories that I had studied, which was a lot, like every-book-that-mentioned-time-travel-in-Hogwarts a lot, said that I could be killed/injured from any of the factors in the time period that I traveled to, plus any of the side affects from time travel. For instance, if I didn't move away far enough before the wall fell, then I would die. Or if a stray killing curse hit me, then I would die. Or, if I gained one of the many deadly symptoms of time travel, internal bleeding (most common in the stomach or brain), I could die. And also, let's just say I got back to my own time and survived the actual trip, I could die from the overload of memories coming into my brain. Dad and Mum and Roxy would all be fine, because to them, Fred would never have died, but to me I would suddenly get a rush of memories into my head about Uncle Fred that I wouldn't have had before saving him. I mean, the are so many factors as to whether or not I would survive this outcome, that in all honesty I wasn't to hopeful about returning/or staying unscathed.
I just kept reminding myself who I was doing this for, Dad and Uncle Fred. That thought was what kept me from chickening out.
My notes continued, going over my plan in depth and the different spells that could, if I survived this encounter, would anchor me to the present so that way I wouldn't be lost to the currents of time when I tried to jump back. I went over everything, from the mind altering spells in case somebody in the present caught me and the all the symptoms that I could possibly gain from the time travel to the type of clothes I had found in some of my Uncle Fred's old trunk from the 90s. I was prepared for the worst, which I was expecting would happen.
"Fred!" I looked up to find the source of the voice, to see my baby sister, Roxy, jogging towards me.
"Hey, Rox." I told her as she collapsed next to me on the ground with a grin on her face.
"Figured I'd find you here."
"Yeah, going over my notes before I...head out?" it came out as more of a question. Roxanne's face slowly started into one of sadness. She was my only accomplice. And really, I couldn't even call her that. She was the only one who knew, not even my best friend, partner in crime, and cousin James knew what I was pulling. He would've defiantly stopped me by now. Even though James was beyond reckless and sometimes stupid, he never would've done something this out of the box. If he knew, he would tell Uncle Harry, and Uncle Harry would have defiantly stopped me.
"Fred," she started, "You know its not to late-"
"Don't even go there Rox. We've been over this. I'm doing this. I have to do this." I told her firmly. We'd had many rows over this over the past year, and every time we'd fought (her trying to convince me to back out and me trying to convince her how much I really needed to do this), she still hadn't swayed my decision. She, of course, was not pleased at the least about that.
I glanced over at her, she looked at me like she was practically seeing a ghost. She had the same look that my Dad had every time he looked at me on her face. I tried to hide my scowl. I didn't want my sister to be upset on possibly the last day I would ever see her. She must have sensed this because she turned her head away from me slightly and looked towards the ground instead, trying to keep herself in check.
"How's it going?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.
"Fine. I've read these notes so many times, I probably have them almost completely memorized verbatim." She nodded her head slightly.
"That's good." She spoke with a small voice. She knew the risks and she wasn't quite as willing to let me go as I was to go . She, in all honesty, thought this was a very bad idea, but she also couldn't help but want to get our uncle back so that our Dad would have his twin.
I put my arms around her shoulders, and I said in quite a cheerful voice for somebody who knew he was about to die in less than 32 hours, "Hey, look on the bright side. We finally get to meet our Uncle Fred."
She nodded, "True. But, really Freddie. I don't think that you-"
"Roxy, I'm going."
"But, what happens if you don't come back? What happens if you die? What are Mum and Dad gonna do then, eh? What am I gonna do then? I won't even know how you truly died. I'll think that...it...really happened." That was when the dam broke and my sister, who was normally tougher than nails, began to sob. I pulled her closer to me and hugged her tightly, burying my face into her mess of chocolate brown curls.
"You'll go on living, that's what you'll do, because you're strong. And Mum and Dad will eventually get over it, because their strong. We're a family of Gryffindors after all."
"I wont be able to go on, Fred, I know I won't."
I squeezed her tighter for just a minute, "Yes, you will. I know you will. And I know I'm right since I'm older than you."
"Doesn't mean you smarter though."
Dinner that night was like every other night. Mum made us Roxy and I's favorite meal, Homemade beef stew, mashed potatoes, and dinner rolls. And boy, was it good. Throughout dinner, Dad told me about a new product he was working on, wallets that bit whoever tried to steal them. Roxy told Mum all about school. I told Mum and Dad about my (unlikely, in my mind) "upcoming" quidditch match against Ravenclaw.
This would, probably, be the last dinner we had all together. Dad had sensed my solemness apparently, because halfway through dinner he asked, "What's with you?"
I looked up from where I was staring deeply into my bowl of stew, "What?"
"What's up?" he asked, "What's so interesting about your dinner that your making googly eyes at it?"
"Well, it is really good." I told him as I spooned some of the warm thick broth into my mouth. Dad just raised an eyebrow at me. I smiled and then said quietly, "Just worried about taking my N.E.W.T.s next week."
He and Mum apparently bought that since they kept trying to give me some counsel and comfort on the subject for the rest of dinner. Roxy on the other hand was looking at me like I was a dead man. She knew that I would most likely never ever take my N.E.W.T.s . She knew I was lying right through my teeth. And she was worried, I could see it in her eyes.
I just smiled at her softly, trying to reassure her. She gave me just the slightest of nods even though her eyes filled up with unshed tears.
"Excuse me?" She breathed after a few minutes of trying to hold herself together. She hurried out of the room furiously wiping her eyes as she did.
"What's wrong?" Dad had asked my mum.
"Don't know."
"We had a fight." I said suddenly.
"Huh?"
"We had a fight. I told her that there was no she was gonna pass her O.W.L.S. this year. She's really upset about it." I spoke this more to my empty bowl than to my parents. I knew if I looked my dad in the eye that he wouldn't believe me.
"Why would you tell her that?" Dad was angry. After all, Roxy wax his favorite child between the two of us. I think. Besides the fact that she was his little princess, that I was a little to painful for him. I, after all, reminded him of Uncle Fred.
"I don't know." I mumbled quietly.
"Your sister is going to pass her exams with flying colors. She'll probably do better than you did, especially in Charms." He was still upset about that 'D' I got on my O.W.L.s in Charms. Funny, in about five hours I would be doing auror level Charms work.
"Fredrick, really, your just as bad as your Uncle Ron." Mum scolded.
"Exactly, no sensitivity what so ever." Dad told me. I nodded, trying to get through this fire without getting to badly burned.
After I was able to escape Mum and Dad's scoldings and got up to my room, I was starting to feel nervous about tonight's events...well actually it wouldn't be tonight; it would be about 23 years ago ruffly. As I sat on my bed, I just kept reminding myself that I was doing this for Dad. It was all for Dad and Uncle Fred. It was all going to be okay, for everybody else. It was going to be okay, for everybody except for me...most likely.
I stared up at the quidditch posters of Mark Overton and Gertie Swinings, the two beaters for England's' National Mens Quidditch team, that hung up on my ceiling as they waved and flew around in the picture, beating away bludgers' as they came into the frame. My dream job as one of England's new beaters was out the window now, but strangely, that seemed okay...for now.
I turned me head to look at the pictures I had tacked up on the wall. One was of Dad and I when I was five, the two of us standing in the joke shop. Though Dad was smiling, his eyes where bottomless pits of sadness. Another was of Mum, Roxanne, and I when we went to watch Aunt Ginny play a reunion game with her ex- team mates from the Holly Head Harpies. All of us were decked out in Harpy Green, and all of us where waving and smiling in the picture at Dad, who had been the photographer of this picture. Another was of all the cousins together. Another of the whole family. One of James, Louis, and I as first years at school.
But, the one that really caught my attention was the one of a brown eyed brunette girl. Jenna Dewsnup. We had been going steady for two years now. How would she react when she read the note. The one saying I had...
I didn't want to think about it. All that thought had brought up was an image of her crying in my mind. I hated it when she cried; she was to pretty, to special to cry. She was to amazing to ever have to feel sad about anything. I would be the one hurting her this time.
But not even that thought, as painful as it was, didn't make me back out. Even though, the thought of her crying over me, because of me broke my heart, it didn't even make me think twice about aborting my mission. I had to do this. I couldn't give up. I wouldn't give up. I needed to do this.
Minutes turned into hours and eventually it was one o'clock in the morning. It was time for me to say my final goodbyes to my family and head out...back to 1997. I had grabbed the picture of Jenna and tucked it into my pocket. If I was going to die, then I wanted her, well her picture, to be close to me.
I then went to my dresser and pulled out the small brown box that held the small time turner that I had nicked from Teddy. That was the hardest thing I have ever stolen. Ted had kept the thing in a locked box that had all sorts of curses placed on it to keep people like James and me out. He and Harry didn't want us to accidentally get lost somewhere in time. Thankfully, I knew all of the counter curses and was able to pick the lock on the box. I stole the time turner, and then placed all of the curses back on the box. Ted had known nothing of the fact that I had stole something, the most dangerous something that he owns actually, right from under his nose.
With the time turner in hand, I had then headed stealthily up to the attic to change into some of Uncle Fred's old clothes that Dad had kept. I had practiced getting dressed up there without making to much noise, so as I slipped into the 23 year old jeans and one the old Weasley jumpers I hadn't made a sound. At least nothing that would alert my parents as to my wear abouts.
After I was all dressed and ready to go, I opened the box and pulled the time turner out. I fastened it around my neck, before I made my way down the attic stairs and paused outside my parents bedroom door. I could hear my Dad's soft snores from in the hall. As quietly as I could, I turned the door knob and peeked inside the room. Dad was out cold on the left side of the bed. Mum was curled into a ball on the right side, sound asleep just like any other night in our house.
Declaring it was safe, I as quietly as I could slunk into my parents room and over to Mum's side of the bed...just like I had when I was little and had bad dreams. I leaned down and softly kissed her cheek.
"Love you, Mum." I whispered though I knew she didn't hear me. She didn't even stir.
I then moved over to my Dad's side, just like I had when I was little and was sick. My Dad, with his mouth wide open, slept peacefully tonight. I looked at him for a minute and smiled slightly.
"Happy birthday, Dad. Have fun with Uncle Fred. I love you." I whispered to him. He just continued to snore as if I wasn't even there.
And then I backed out slowly and quietly, away from my parents.
This was for Dad. This was for Uncle Fred. Everybody would be better off this way, I reminded myself.
Next, I slipped into Roxy's room. I had a sneaking suspicion that she would be up waiting for me. And sadly I was right. Roxy, dressed in a pair of plaid pajama shorts and a tank top, was sitting on the window bench, looking out into the night-time sky. She heard the slight squeak of the door and turned to face me. Tears were streaming down her cheeks and her dark curly hair was a mess.
"Fred." she cried as she rushed to meet me. I slid into her room and shut the door quietly behind me. I turned around just in time for her to come running into my arms, hugging the life out of me as she cried.
"Shh, Rox. You'll wake Mum and Dad." I told her quietly.
"Don't go Freddie. Please, don't. You don't have to do this. Stay home." she sobbed. I held her tightly against me and rubbed her back gently.
"No Rox. I have to do this."
"No you don't."
"Yes, Roxy, I do. It's all gonna be okay though." I told her soothingly. Roxy continued to sob as she held onto me.
We held onto each other for about five minutes. Most of the time, Roxy tried to convince me not to do it. I had held fast to my stubbornness though. I was going and she couldn't stop me.
"Please Freddie." She pleaded looking me right in my eyes this time.
"Rox, please don't make this any harder than it is." We continued to fight in our eyes. Blue to Brown.
We were silent for a minute, both of us practically staring the other down.
"Just come back in one piece okay." she whispered and then she kissed my cheek.
I gave her a small smile, "I'll try to."
She glared at me playfully, "There's no trying about it. You will come back in one piece or I'll kill you."
"You better get in line. I think Mum's the first in line."
"Followed by Dad. And Grandmum. And Jenna."
I sighed and nodded, "Do you still have the letters?" Roxy nodded softly.
"Yeah. I have them. There in my side table."
"Good. Make sure everybody gets theirs tomorrow at the Burrow." She nodded once more.
"Love you, Rox."
"Love you too, Freddie." she whispered to me as she gave me one final hug, "Come back home as soon as you can."
"I will." I told her as I gave her a light kiss on the forehead goodbye.
I then stepped back a few feet from her and took out the time turner from where it hung around my neck under the jumper. I fingered the dials and put in the correct date. Looking at Roxy one last time, I gave her a small smile. She returned it with a water one of her own. She waved and called out, "See ya later."
And then I was consumed by swirling sand.
A/N: (This is my first actual Harry Potter fanfic with more than one chapter, and I am so excited to write it. I don't know how long it'll be, but I have a basic idea of where it'll be going. I'll try to update it often so follow and favorite it. Tell me what you guys think in the review box. Also check out my profile and other stories. Thanks. S.A.M.)