Be Strong, a harry potter fanfic

Be Strong

By. SadieAnnabethMellark

Summary: Fred and George give some comfort and advice to 2nd year Nigel during their 7th year of school. Set during the Order of the Phoenix. One-shot.

Disclaimer: Sadly, I am not J.K. Rowling. If I was I would own Harry Potter.

There are two main reasons why I hate Cho Chang. First, she made Ginny upset, because Harry liked Cho and Cho liked him back. Don't get confused here, I may play the oblivious older brother card in public, but George and I knew that Cho Chang sent our baby sister over the edge with jealousy (which in turn made Gin go into unseen fits of tears or rage every once in a while).

The second reason was because she was caught coming to a D.A. meeting and blabbed all of our secrets to Umbridge. As soon as the pink toad found out, all hell broke loose. We got caught, rounded up by the Inquisitorial Squad, and then sent to the Great Hall where we were now in detention...all for trying to learn how to defend ourselves. For trying to learn how to survive.

We had already been here for half an hour and my right hand was throbbing in pain. I glanced up and over at George who Umbridge made sit across the room from me. He was wincing as he wrote out the same sentence I was countless times.

I will not break the rules.

I continued to write all six words trying to not show my discomfort, though on the inside I was screaming. It felt like white hot daggers were cutting into my flesh, going deeper and deeper and deeper. I didn't know how much more of this I could take.

I glanced up again as I wrote trying to take my mind off of my on going pain. Ron sat up front, I couldn't see his reaction. Ginny was a few seat across from me and I could tell she was trying to give the stiff upper lip like we (all the Weasley brothers) had taught her too and not do anything more than wince in pain. I now had another big reason as to why I hated Cho Chang. She got my siblings hurt. She got my twin, and my Ronnie, and my Gin-Gin hurt while she didn't have to endure the same pain they did.

No, all she was doing right now was probably trying to come up with some way to find some sort of excuse as to why she had spilled all of our secrets.

I continued to write, trying not to explode in a fiery ball of fury. 'It's almost over.', I kept reminding myself, though I didn't know if that really was the truth.

I will not break the rules.

It seemed to go on forever. The only sound was of the scratching of quills and the hisses of pain. And it continued on that way for another ten minutes. That's when the crying had started.

Wails had erupted from the front row, from a boy who couldn't have been any older than a 3rd year at most. He held his hand to his chest as he sobbed uncontrolably.

"Is there a problem, Mr. Wolpert?" Umbridge asked in her sickly sweet voice as she came to stand in front of him.

"My hand hurts, ma'am." he wailed.

"Maybe you should've followed the rules then, Mr. Wolpert. Continue on with your lines." Umbridge started to turn away.

"I won't."

Umbridge turned back to Wolpert and smiled wider.

"Another hour, Mr. Wolpert." Then she turned to the rest of the room, "You may all go." The boy let out another high pitched sob. Most of the other students in here had already fleed out the doors as soon as they could. Only a few people remained, including George, who looked like he was about ready to protest.

"Professor, you can't-" I started, before my twin could speak.

"Do you have a question Mr. Weasley?" Umbridge turned her creepy toad-like smile on me.

I was quiet for just a moment as Wolpert looked back at me with wide eyes, "I'll take his place." George was walking towards me briskly now.

"I'm afraid, Mr. Weasley that you have already been punished. You may go."

"You can't do this to him. He didn't do-"

"Detention once again, Mr. Weasley, for talking back. You may go for tonight."

"Come on, Fred." George mumbled as he grabbed my arm and started pulling me out of the Great Hall. I flexed my aching hand as George made me go. I looked back at the only lid left in the great hall now. His eyes red with tears and his body shaking with sobs.

My mood did not improve once the doors to the hall shut behind us for two reasons. One, because I knew that poor Wolpert was still having to endure the agony of the blood quill. Two, because just outside of the great hall, stood Cho Chang. Her back was to us, but I didn't need to see her face to know it was her.

I was practically seeing red and I couldn't help it, "I hope your happy."

She spun around to look at us, her eyes puffy like she had been crying, "I'm so sorry. Umbridge-"

"No. You told. You ratted us out! You're just as bad as she is! Because of you, that poor Wolpert bloke has a whole nother hour of detention!" I was shouting at her.

She only looked at me with pity, "I'm sorry."

"No, you're not. Now go. Just go." I waved her away as I sank onto a nearby bench and waited for Wolpert to come out of his torture session. I, at least, wanted to make sure he was alright.

Cho didn't move, "Umbridge forced me. She used ver-"

"Go, Chang. I don't know what Cedric ever saw in you. You obviously were more worried about saving yourself than the rest of the D.A. At least Cedric did what was right at the end of the day." I spat out.

That got her to leave, her eyes welled up with tears and a brief sob escaped her throat before she ran up the corridor and out of sight. I knew it was a low blow, but I didn't feel bad about it. She deserved it. The traitor deserved to hear the truth. And really, I don't quite understand what Diggory saw in her.

George settled himself down next to me.

"You okay? How's your hand?" he asked me.

"Hurts like hell, but I'll live." I reported, "How's yours?"

"Same. And did you really think that you could take another hours doing that?"

"No, but I couldn't just stand back an watch as she picked on the younger ones, now could I?" I told him as I pictured a 2nd year Ginny in my mind, being subjected to that sort of punishment as she cried out in agony. I didn't dwell on it too long, mostly because it was a painful thought.

"It would've been better logically."

"Yeah," I teased, "but when have we ever been logical?"

George smiled slightly, "Good point."

The hour passed by slowly. George kept me company, but most of the time we were silent. Overtime, the white hot stinging sensation in my hand started to lessen, but I think that was because my hand was starting to go numb. Mostly, all I thought about was what was happening to the second or third year Wolpert. I felt bad for the poor kid, really I did. I just wish I would have taken his place.

The only other thing I thought about was why I cared so much. Why would I subject myself to a whole nother hour of medieval torture for a kid I barely knew? Why did it matter to me so much?

I couldn't find a reason except for the fact that if I was him, I would want another person to step up for me too. Maybe that really was the only reason, but that reason seemed far to small. There seemed to be more to it, but I didn't know what.

I nearly jumped ten feet in the air when the doors to the great hall creaked open. I turned to watch as the small, now looking at him I could've sworn he was a firstie, boy came out of the hall. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he sobbed quietly and held his right hand to his chest as if he were shielding it from the world.

"Don't forget about your detention tomorrow night Mr. Wolpert." Umbridge's sickly sweet voice ran from inside of the Great Hall.

"Yes, ma'am." he responded weakly as he walked out.

George and I both stood and started walking next to him as we all headed back towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Hey, little mate, you alright?" I asked softly as I draped an arm around his shoulders in a friendly and comforting manner.

He nodded slightly as he continued to quietly sob, "It hurts."

"I know mate, but I promise, the pain'll go away in a little while." George told him in the same soft tone I was using.

"But, then I have to go back tomorrow." Wolpert whined.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"Nigel."

"I'm sorry about that, Nigel, but I promise it'll get better."

He looked up at me with wide watery eyes and in the moment, he reminded me of Ron...the only difference was that he had blonde hair and no freckles. I felt my stomach knot.

"I don't think it will, George." he told me.

"I'm George, he's Fred." my twin clarified.

"Sorry." Nigel looked back down again.

"It's not a problem. Our Mum still gets us mixed up all of the time. Anyways," I told, "you're a Gryiffindor. You were really brave taking your punishment like that."

"No I wasn't."

"Yes, you were. You're what a first-"

"Second year." Nigel said haughtily. Apparently, he had been mistaken for a firstie before.

"In second year, I wouldn't have been able to take that. And George sure as hell wouldn't have been able to."

"What's that suppose to mean?" George asked with a faux offended look on his face.

"You were obviously the weaker twin." I teased.

George just rolled his eyes and drawled, "That may be, but I was and am still the better looking twin."

Nigel laughed weakly, "Thanks for standing up to Umbridge for me Fred."

"The old bat deserves it. Your welcome."

"What am I going to do about tomorrow though?" Nigel mumbled.

"Your gonna stick it to her. Just go in there with your head held high and show her where you stand." George told him.

"Go in there and be strong." I added.

THE END

A/N:( What do you guys think? I wrote most of this piece almost two or three weeks ago and I never finished it until today. I think it turned out okay...but is nowhere near my best piece. I always liked the scene in 'Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix' (the movie) where Fred and George are comforting second year Nigel, and so I wanted to write something sort of like it, since I haven't found something quite like it yet. And, if ya'll couldn't tell, I am not a big fan of Cho Chang. Sorry, but I just never cared for her in the books or in the movies, I always preferred Ginny. So, tell me what you all think and favorite the story if you like it. Also, don't be shy to check out my profile. I have some other awesome stories involving the twins and so other really cool ones. Over an out. S.A.M.)

P.S. Hufflepuff Pride Day was yesterday, and let me just say... "I AM PROUD TO BELONG TO THE BADGER HOUSE! GO HUFFLEPUFF!"