Prologue
With a soft thud the body fell, the red, slit eyes staring at nothing. No more all-powerful, no longer the most feared wizard of all time. Instead just a man, He-Who-Should-Not-Be-Named, Voldemort, Tom Riddle, lay dead from his own spell. Harry's shoulders fell with relief. It was finally over.
The rushing sound of footsteps, snapped him around, and Harry drew his wand, prepared. Instead of enemies, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were rushing to him, toppling into him, in an embrace. After a few moments of happy tears and laughter from the relief of it, they all stood, Ginny holding onto Harry's arm. Ron's fingers hooked into Hermione's subtlety. For a few moments they were all quiet, basking in a sort of bliss.
"Harry," Hermione finally broke the moment, "I know you needed to die for the horcrux attached to your soul to die too, but how did you come back?"
"With this." Harry reach into his pocket and pulled out a small diamond stone, that gave off a dull green color. They all leaned in to look. As Hermione looked up from his hand to meet his eyes, he saw them widen for a moment. Clutching the stone, Harry took off in a full run to the Castle, leaving them standing.
"Where's he running off to?" Ron asked. Ginny and Hermione looked at one another and then it dawned on them. They took off trying to catch up with Harry who already had a good lead on them.
"Ron! Hurry up!" Ginny called behind her, while Ron looked concerned from his friends and sister.
Harry ran frantically, trying not to collide with anyone as he charged into the Great room. Some people tried to stop him to talk, while others just stared at him, too exhausted to do anything. Harry only hoped if he got there soon enough there could be a chance.
When he arrived, their bodies were covered, from the sheet their hands still touched. No one had the heart to move them just yet. Harry pulled the sheet off Tonks and Lupin. In Lupin's empty hand Harry placed the stone.
"Please, please," he whispered under his breath, eyes shut in concentration. He waited a few moments, still hoping that something would happened, some small miracle. He felt something, but when he looked at Lupin, he still looked the same.
"Harry, we can't come back." He turned, hearing Lupin's sad voice, but still couldn't see anything.
"But what about Teddy?"
"It won't be like you. Teddy has you, and Andromeda, he'll be alright. Our place is here, I'm sorry."
Harry let a sob escape, "So only I could be saved." More of a statement then a question.
"No, a few can still be saved with the stone, but only if you hurry." With that, he felt a warm embrace, mixes of chocolate and bright pinks filled him, then it was gone. Just as it happened, Ginny caught up to him, with Hermione trailing not far behind.
"Harry?" Ginny said looking at him sadly. He turned to look at her, eyes resting on her flaming red hair.
"Fred," he whispered, jumping to his feet, taking off again. This time he did not have far to run, before seeing George sitting next to his still twin. Harry slid, dropping to his knees, grabbed Fred's hand, and held the stone in it.
"Harry? What are you doing?" George asked.
"George! Call to him!" Harry said with great urgency.
"Harry, he's gone," George croaked, looking back down at Fred, tears now falling from his eyes.
"Help, George, it might work, trust me," Harry pleaded.
Potter has lost his mind George thought. Harry stared at George, pleading. George sighed, he couldn't get his hopes up, people don't just come back from the dead, but he knew Potter wouldn't leave him be.
"Hey Freddie, it's me, George. Potter here thinks that you could come back," he said sadly, "So, if there's any chance that could happen, I'd really like to have you back. Mum won't be able to mix us up if your gon—" His voice cracked. He held Fred's hand, nothing happened. George looked up at Harry.
Please Fred, if anyone has a reason to be here it's you, George thought, lowering his head to Fred's hand. Harry was losing hope. He dropped his head in defeat. Ginny and Hermione were standing just behind Harry, Ginny's hand covering her mouth, silent tears falling. Hermione bent down to lightly touch Harry's shoulder, and he jumped at the sudden contact. George was now crying fully, his body shaking, asking himself how he could be so stupid for having any anticipation that this would work. Hermione crouched with Harry, hugging him, whispering, "It's okay, Harry."
"I just thought…" Defeat in his voice.
A sudden gasp startled everyone. George lifted his head, looking down at Fred, whose chest moved slightly, eyes opening, beginning to focus. George stared at him in disbelief.
"Fred?" he sputtered. Fred looked over to his brother.
"Miss me Forge?" he croaked, a twinkle in his eye. George crashed into Fred, hugging him.
"I thought—" he broke off, crying tears of a different kind.
"I know, I'm sorry I left you there for a spell." Fred hugged him back. George pulled back looking at Fred, who turned to Harry. "Thanks, mate."
Harry dropped to hug him, Ginny following suit, wrapping their arms as best they could around him. Hermione stared down at the once alive again wizard.
"Glad you're back," Harry said, tears in his eyes as he pulled back, Fred's hand on his shoulder, his other arm around Ginny releasing her, as she pulled away to hug George. Fred's eyes trailed from Harry, to Ginny and George, before moving to Hermione.
"Come here, Granger," he said, snapping her out of her dazed staring at him. She bent the rest of the way down to hug him, his arm moving from Harry to her back, his hand resting on her neck, fingers softly touching her hair. Fresh tears rolling down her dirty checks, as she began to pull away, Fred looked into her eyes, before pulling her back down to him. His mouth gently pressing into hers, shock hitting her. This was so much different than her earlier kiss from Ron, which had been rather rushed and urgent. This was slow and longing. When he released her, she stared down at him, a look of shock not hidden in her face. As they broke apart, Fred stared up into her eyes, a smirk on his lips before moving his attention back to George. When a quiet, "Fred?" He turned his attention behind Hermione. Ron stood staring at him in amazement. Hermione turned toward the youngest Weasley, cheeks scarlet at what she could only assumed he'd seen. Ron had finally caught up to them. He looked at Fred, no longer lifeless, but moving around. He moved past Harry and Hermione dropping to his knees, staring at his older brother.
"Hey Ronniekins," Fred said. Ron engulfed him in a hug. Ginny jumped up to fetch the rest of the Weasley family.
The first to arrive was Mrs. Weasley, followed closely behind by Mr. Weasley. Molly scooped Fred into her arms, smothering him, crying hysterically.
"Calm down mum, you're acting like I've been dead," Fred said with a crocked smile. At this she sobbed more. Arthur's hand rubbing his wife's back. He turned his attention to Ron. "Ron, go see if you can get a healer." Ron nodded, not looking away from his mum and brother, before quickly turning to find a healer that would be free.
Harry and Hermione backed away as more family members joined to greet Fred and hug him. George stayed seated by his side, having taken hold of his hand again daring not to let go, after thinking he had lost him once, he could not do it again, he held Fred in place, where he belong with him. Here. Death could have them both or not yet, George thought bitterly.
"Harry, is this how?" Hermione looked at him. Harry smiled wide, before grabbing her hand. "Come on, let's see if we can save anyone else," he said, leading her through the rest of the great hall.
Over the next hour, they tried to resurrect as many people as possible. Some people it worked, like Colin Creevey. And with some it didn't, like Nigel Wolpert and Severus Snape. The healers were running around, shocked, trying to provide as much medical help as possible. Of the people that came back, it seemed that the injuries were mostly healed but they still required looking after.
Over the next few weeks, the wizard world healed as well. Fred spend a lot of time in St. Mungo's under both the healers' and his mother's watchful eyes. It seemed the wizarding world itself began to heal with the Dark Lord's death.
* Hello! There's our first chapter. Please be gentle to me this is my first fanfic. I plan to try and update this at least once a week. I hope you enjoy!
-C *
