It's weird how you can go from having a huge adrenaline rush to feeling nothing at all. One minute, you're laughing with your brothers. The next, you don't know where you are or how you got there. And worst of all, there's no time to say goodbye.
We got separated when the battle started. If I had known that I would never see him again, I would have said something more than "Nice one, George!" as we fought. But at the time I didn't know that those were the last words he'd ever hear me say. The two Death Eaters advanced on us, one forcing me down the corridor to the right, the other forcing my twin down the corridor to the left. I ran on without even a backwards glance at my brother, figuring we'd joke about this later once the battle was done.
Pius Thicknesse and I threw spell after spell at each other as we advanced down the corridor. We made it to an opening, where Percy was dueling a hooded Death Eater.
"Hey, Perce!" I shouted. "Long time no see!"
Percy laughed as he cast a Capringo curse on the Death Eater. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Harry, my brother Ron, and Hermione run in to help us fight. The five of us shot multiple curses at the pair of Death Eaters. As Hermione's Oppugno curse flew by the Death Eater Percy was fighting, his hood slipped off his head.
"Minister!" Percy said cheerfully as he threw another curse at the Death Eater's exposed face, causing him to turn into what looked like a sea urchin. "Did I tell you I'm resigning?"
"You're joking, Perce!" I laughed. "I haven't heard you joke since you were-"
But I never finished my last sentence. Pius had shot some kind of curse that made the air around us explode. My friends and family flew away from me, and the air was so thick with debris that I didn't see where they went. All I could feel was myself flying through the air. I hit the wall I had been standing near with an extremely painful force. I fell to the ground, unable to move my broken left leg. Somehow, I was able to move myself to a sitting position, cradling my arm, which was bent at an impossible angle. I opened my eyes for a second, only to see Pius standing over me in the middle of the debris. I looked around for my wand, though I knew it was futile. The last thing I saw was him pointing his wand at me, and the last two words I heard were "avada kedavra".
. . .
I didn't know what was happening. I didn't realize it until I was looking down. Well, not exactly looking, but I was somehow able to see my brothers around my body. I was also able to hear them, too.
"No! Fred, No!" Percy cried.
I didn't know where I was or how I got there. It was like falling asleep. You don't realize you've fallen asleep until you've waken up, and it's almost impossible to pinpoint the exact time you drift away into sleep.
I couldn't move my eyes from the spot where my body was, no matter how hard I tried. I couldn't move any other part of me, either. All I could do was hear and see. I watched as Percy got up, tears flying from his eyes as he ran after Pius, yelling "You'll pay! You'll pay for what you did to my brother!"
My eyes were locked on my body as Harry and Ron moved it to safety with Colin Creevey's body. Even after the trio ran off to fight, my eyes were still fixed on my lifeless body. Students and Death Eaters would pass through the opening unaware of my body's presence. I wondered if this was how everyone who dies spends their days, just watching their bodies rot away in the ground.
After a while, I saw myself run through the opening. I didn't know how this was possible, unless...
George.
I didn't know I still had emotions until I saw him. I felt devastated. He kept looking around.
"Fred? Where are you Freddie? It's all over! Harry did it, Voldemort's gone! Come on, Freddie, where are you?"
I felt awful. I never got to say goodbye. I watched as he ran off, still looking for me.
"Don't worry. You'll get your chance."
I had no idea where the voice came from until none other than Albus Dumbledore appeared in front of me. His blue eyes twinkled and he smiled. I managed to speak, though I couldn't feel my mouth moving. My eyes were still locked on the place where my body was hidden.
"Where am I? Is this where everyone who dies goes?"
Dumbledore chuckled. "No, not everyone. Only those who have something they have to finish before they leave this world for good."
From behind Dumbledore, I could see Ron and my father take my body. Dumbledore moved aside, allowing my eyes to follow as they carried it into the Great Hall and set it down with everyone else who lost their lived fighting. Colin Creevey, Lavender Brown, even Tonks and Lupin. I watched as my mother bawled her eyes out, and as all but one of my brothers surrounded my body. Ginny was crying into Harry's shoulder, and Hermione into Ron's. Even Fleur was there, tightly hugging Bill. I managed to find my voice again.
"What do you mean?" I asked Dumbledore.
"He motioned towards the door of the Great Hall and moved aside again so I could see. My twin appeared in the doorway, still looking around for me. My mother wiped her tears away as she ran over to him.
"Mum, have you seen Fred anywhere? I haven't seen him since before the battle ended. I've got a hilarious story to tell him!" he said with a grin.
My mother furiously blinked back her tears as she slowly escorted my mirror image down the aisle. She held him between her arms to comfort him.
"Now Georgie, dear, I know this is going to be hard but..."
George ripped away from her grasp in the middle of her sentence. He ran down to where the rest of my family was.
"NO!" he yelled as he tore a space between Ron and Percy.
"Fred... no... wake up, Freddie..."
I helplessly watched as my identical brother hugged my limp body for over five minutes. The rest of my family moved away to give George time alone with me. Well, what used to be me.
He was interrupted by my father, telling him that there was nothing he could do, and that it was all over. He helped George up and supported him as they left the Great Hall. I wanted to follow him. I wanted to tell him not to worry. I wanted to tell him that I love him.
My vision was focused on my body as it was carefully lifted onto a stretcher and carried into the Hospital Wing by Madame Pomfrey and Professor McGonagall. Much to my surprise, McGonagall even shed a tear over my body. After seven years of scolding us, giving us detentions, and deducting house points, she actually cried over my passing. I wished there was some way I could say something to her, though I knew it impossible.
Dumbledore appeared in my view again.
"I don't understand." I said. "You said I can't move on because there's something here I have to finish."
Dumbledore merely nodded, his silver beard flowing like a river with every motion.
"But what do I have to finish?"
Dumbledore smiled. "You'll find that answer soon enough." He started fading away.
"No, wait! What are you talking about? How long will that take?" It was useless, Dumbledore was already gone. Suddenly, I felt something. It was weird. For the first time since I still had a body, I felt... warm. I felt whole. My vision started swirling, and I began to regain feeling in a body. It wasn't exactly my body, it was almost ghost-like. I looked up and found myself filled with his presence. I saw him, squeezing the Resurrection Stone with his eyes clenched shut. Suddenly I realized what Dumbledore meant. I couldn't leave this world without bidding my twin farewell. I was so happy that a huge grin crept onto my face before I could stop it. I didn't want to waste any time.
"Hey, I'm already here!" I was half joking, half serious. I didn't know how much time I had with George, but I knew it was strictly limited.
"F-Fred!" he cried, hugging my so hard that I couldn't move my arms. I tried cracking a joke. George always loved my jokes.
"Whoa, you're acting like I'm about to die or something. Oh wait, I already have!" I forced mayself to laugh, though as soon as I spoke the words I realized just how true they were. George didn't find my joke funny, either. Instead, it caused tears to pour from his eyes like rain. He released me from his grasp and stood in front of me. I wanted to reach out to him, to make sure that this wasn't just a mirror showing my own reflection. He turned his head slightly and I saw the gruesome hole in the side of his head, proving to me that he was the real deal.
He asked me what death was like, and if I knew I was dying. I cracked another futile joke before explaining, but stopped forcing laughter when I saw the pain written across his face. I felt awful. Here he was, trying to make sure that I hadn't been in any pain, while I was causing him more pain than the Cruciatus curse. I told him that it was like falling asleep, and it seemed to ease some of his pain.
I felt myself growing colder and more distant as I saw George shiver. I wasn't the only one who realized that we didn't have much time.
"Is there anything you want me to tell the others?" he asked.
"Sure. Tell Ron he smells, tell Percy that quitting his job was the first thing he's ever done right, and make kissy faces at Ginny every time she's with Harry."
George smiled, even though I was serious. I knew once I was gone for good that it would be hard for George, and I wanted him to keep cracking jokes to keep him in high spirits. But I was glad to see him smile. I knew it eased some of his pain, which eased my pain.
I felt myself becoming as cold as ice as George embraced me. I wrapped my arms around him and felt his body warmth. It made me warmer, slightly extending the time I had left. He was crying even harder now into my shoulder. I kept my head turned away from him so he wouldn't see how pain-stricken my face was. If I could still cry, I would've been bawling. He moved his mouth as if to talk, but no sound came out. His face was still pressed into my shoulder, and I could tell just from the way that his mouth moved what he had said. "I'll miss you."
I made one last attempt at humor. The last joke my twin would ever hear me say.
"Don't miss me for too long. You've got a joke shop to run!"
George sobbed even harder as I felt myself becoming more and more distant.
"I love you, Georgie." I chocked out, but it was too late. George was gone, and so was I.
I drifted away peacefully, knowing that George was alright. Knowing that he would live the rest of his life happily. Knowing that he had received my last goodbye.