It was Christmas break at Hogwarts and all the students were either partying in their dorm rooms, going home, or at vacation. Many loved to travel and shop at magical stores especially those that they had to skip in their hurry to buy school supplies in the beginning of the year, so it was no surprise that Christmas break marked a giant leap in customers for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Kids filed in, like three year olds in Toys R' Us, and gawked at the fountains of candy spewing from sick statue's mouths. They watched as teenage girls giggled over the love potions, and as springy young teen boys suction cupped their feet to the walls. They all pointed out little details that were carefully in place, such as a hidden lightning bolt scar on one of the mannequins holding a candy that made one appear to speak parseltongue (when in reality, it just made them make awkward hissy noises). Though ever so observant the young witches and wizards were as they milled about in the noisy shop, the most astonishing sight was the mural painted on the ceiling which acted like a portrait from Hogwarts, where two twin brothers flew around on brooms, setting off fireworks and laughing. Those that did finally look up would point and the whole crowd would see the bright faced gingers pranks in Hogwarts replayed before their very eyes. They laughed as a little toad like lady in pink screamed in fear of a fiery dragon, and as the whole class piled outside to see the fireworks. Many fell over laughing as they saw Professor Flitwick's little dance of joy, that he thought he had hid well. The two pranksters were Hogwarts legends. However, during the show one or two kids sat silent as they averted their eyes from the show to see a lone figure standing on a balcony a floor above them. They wondered who that man was. As they wondered, a voice called from the front drew their attention from the mysterious figure.
"Hello, and welcome to Weasley's Wizard Wheezes! My name is Ron Weasley! You can get anything from puking pastilles to get you out of class, to love potions to distract yourself from your homework here! Gather around and I'll give you a tour!" Ron shouted and laughed as the kids charged. However, one kid stayed behind. His name was Leo. He was too curious about the man in the back to let it go. Silently, he slipped out of the crowd and up the staircase. He felt like he was from Charlie and the Chocolate factory, a muggle film he watched with his father, by going into a restricted area, but he saw no signs against it, and there were displays along the side, so he figured, why not?
As he reached the top, he dropped down on all fours, just so that his eyes were above the top step, and he could hardly suppress a gasp. For there, before his very own eyes, was definitely one of the two figures he saw racing around on the ceiling. It cannot be! Leo thought, one of the twins! He did not know which one, because legends as they were to the students of Hogwarts, many did not know, that one had in fact died during the great battle of Hogwarts. He couldn't just go up there, but he also did not think that the twins often showed up, they were celebrities, and let others take care of the business. Not even Ron was around that much anymore, he was there, how lucky could one get? He glanced behind him as students drooled over the ginger. They loved Ron, but everyone wanted to meet the twins, Ron was famous, but more for his bravery and loyalty, than his jokes and pranks. He….
Leo's train of thought was broken when he heard footsteps right beside him, he looked up to see the twin giving him a half smile.
"I saw you watching me during the show, I figured you either recognized me, or were bound to be curious. Come on up and take a seat."
Leo stammered, "Oh, I'm s-s-sorry! Are you sure, if you don't have time, sir, I understand, I-I-I just …" George laughed quietly and beckoned him over. Leo sat down on a plush red chair as George sat opposite them. In between them was a small round table with a crystal ball in the middle.
"Sometimes I like to pretend I'm psychic and can talk to the dead, that's what muggles think crystal balls are for anyway," George explained motioning to the clear glass, "It doesn't do a bloody thing."
"Why would you want to talk to the dead?" Leo asked, being one of the students ignorant to Fred's passing.
George sighed and spoke solemnly, "A lot of you kids come in wanting to meet me and Fred. Am I right?"
Leo nodded enthusiastically, not yet catching the change in George's tone.
"There was a battle, at Hogwarts, I'm sure you know where many passed away. I was out of my schooling years at that time, even had I not left during Umbridge's reign, I still would have graduated. Though, I went back, with my whole family and fought in the battle."
"You! You were one of the ones who fought?" Leo exclaimed, "I'm so sorry, that's why, you must know someone who died that night."
"I did, many died that I knew, or at least had been acquaintances of mine, but none so close as my twin brother, Fred." George paused as Leo's face went from intent staring, to pure shock, "Yes, that is why, we, the twins never show up here anymore, at least not together, for Fred died that night, and I wasn't even with him. I was fighting in another wing of the castle, I only found out when I went to the great hall after being forced out of the wing and I saw them floating the bodies in. I watched as through the doors my brother floated in as one of the dead. I almost gave up then and there, but I couldn't, I still don't know exactly how he died, by a spell, or by the wall falling on top of him, but I bet the death eaters that faced me that night knew that it didn't matter to me how he was finished, but that it was their fault my twin was gone."
"Oh, no! You really don't know…I'm so sorry, I should be going…" Leo stammered, mad at himself for forcing his hero to relive such a horrible time.
"If you wish, you may, but I would really like to get it out there once and for all," George sighed, but Leo stayed, "Leo, there isn't anything really else of worth to my story, other than Ron stepping in here to help me out, but there is one thing I want you to do. Appreciate your family and friends, and don't fight with them, because any moment could be your or their last, and even if it isn't, don't waste the little time you have with them in anger. I was given a gift, Fred and I, we hardly fought over anything, save that one time as we tried to place our names in the Goblet of fire…" he trailed off. Leo watched George, apparently deep in thought. "You know it was enchanted, the goblet, it made us grow beards and stuff as a punishment…it was the only time we ever saw each other old." He wiped a tear from his eye.
"Anyway, thing is, if you do lose someone, it isn't the end, they will always be with you looking over you. I know this for a fact, because I still stop midsentence, and wait for him to finish it. I still call out his name to ask him something or tell someone that I'll get Fred and do something. It's not just denial; it's that he's still here. A good friend of ours that also died, though a few years before the battle, Sirius Black, once told another good friend of ours, Harry Potter, who told me, that the ones who love us, never truly leave us, they're always right here….in your heart." George placed his hand over Leo's heart, just like Harry had shown him how Sirius had, laughed and then said, "Come on kid, let's go give those children down there the time of their lives!" Leo looked stunned and happy as George ran with him downstairs in a complete change of mood, and ran around talking to kids and pranking them and giving them the surprise of their lives, he was so energetic and ran so fast that he was across the room in seconds, without apparating, almost as if, some still say, it was almost as if he was in two places at once.