as promised, the revised version of chapter 3 is now here. enjoy :D
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He felt ........ strange. Fred blearily blinked his eyes open, staring about himself in confusion. Everything seemed to spinning, and he was beinning to feel slightly sick. He could barely make out his surroundings. but it was obvious that he was still outside. The last thing he remembered was jamming the needle into his arm none too gently, relishing the pain that it inflicted, and then ........ nothing. He couldn't remember a damn thing.
Rolling over onto his hands and knees, Fred suddenly groaned as he began retching on the ground beneath him, frantically tryin gto scramble away from his own vomit so that his robes didn't become sullied.
That was when he noticed the very telling fact that he wasn't wearing any robes. He'd been stripped of everything besides the muggle clothing he worth beneath his robes, actually. His wand was gone, pulled out of the back pocket of his jeans, his robes -- the most obvious part -- now gone and seemingly nowhere in sight, and the bulge of money in his left pants pocket was also missing.
He'd been robbed, in other words.
Groaning under his breath, Fred slowly pushed himself to his feet, sighing in relief when he didn't feel the need to empty the contents of his stomach yet again.
It took him a couple of minutes, but Fred was finially able to make it to the end of the small alleyway he was currently residing in, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that he was as far away from the Leaky Couldron as he ever had been. Nothing here was even remotely familiar, even from his ramblings last night. Although, he could certaintly have continued moving even after he'd taken that ........ substance. Herione, it was called. Interesting name, and an even mor einteresting feeling. One that he was kind of looking forward to experiencing again.
Sighing under his breath, Fred slowly walked out intot he dark night, keeping close to the line of buildings on his left side, hand on the cool stone to steady himself.
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Fred leaned against the railing, watching the people working on the dock below. He'd been walking blindly, not really watching wher ehe was going, and had somehow ended up here.
He was so tired. And scared. He didn't know where he was going to sleep tonight, or even how he was going to get anything to eat. Before, he'd had a little bit of money, atlest. Enough to get him atleast one solid meal a day for a coupleof days. Now ........ no money, no wand, no anything. Just the clothes he was wearing, and even those weren't the best on the block.
The sun had risen just a little while ago, and it had seemed so ........ beautiful, so calming. So innocent. it made him think of second chances. And that was one thing that he most definately did NOT want to think about.
Nobody would accept him back hom. He knew that. They could never see past the tattoo magically engraved upon his forearm. The sign of a Deatheater.
Pushing away from the railing, Fred turned to go, only to run headlone into a very large, very strong, very solid chest. Giving out a startled "oumph!" Fred stumbled backwards, ending up falling ungracefully on his rump.
"Kid, there a reason your here?" A gruff voice, laced with humour asked, and Fred quickly glanced up at the source, and found himself staring into smiling, warm brown eyes. The man was large, but not unhumanly so, and somehow Fred was reminded of Hagrid, even though this man could in no way compare to the half-giant in size.
"N-no sir. I was just ........ erm ........" Fred suddenly realised that he had no real reason for being around here. What was he supposed to say? That he'd been wandering aimlessly all night and had just ENDED UP HERE? It was so lame, the man would probably take him off to the authorities for tresspassing or some other such thing.
"You a runaway?" The question was so unexpected that Fred found that he couldn't formulate an actual reply. No, he most certaintly ........ Why, yes he was. the realization hit him like a sack of potatoes. That was most certaintly what he was, in a nutshell. He was a runaway.
"How old are you?" The other man had obviously taken his lack of a reply as confirmation that he was correct, and was now reaching down to help Fred to his feet. Fred accepted the help readily enough, before stepping away from the other man and brushing off hsi clothes, more for something to do than anything else.
"17, sir." He answered truthfully, not noticing how the other man's eyes narrowed at that. He was too busy trying to think of a way to get out of here without having the authorities called.
"Well, kid -- what's your name?"
"Fred"
"Well, Fred, if your telling the truth about your age ........ you looking to make some cash? I don't usually do this, mind you ........ but you don't seem the bad sort like most street kids I see 'round here. I got some jobs i wouldn't mind pushing off to some willing, younger hands ........ if your interested. I know the boys would love to have some more free time on their hands, and leave the work to you. More you work, more you get paid."
Fred stared at the man in surprise, before grinning full out. "Sure, I'd love it!" He exclaimed, before blushing hotly. "Uh, that is, I mean ........"
"Heh. Don't worry about it. You gotta be hungry, so come on. I've got a spare sandwich you can have, and then you'll get to work.
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He felt ........ strange. Fred blearily blinked his eyes open, staring about himself in confusion. Everything seemed to spinning, and he was beinning to feel slightly sick. He could barely make out his surroundings. but it was obvious that he was still outside. The last thing he remembered was jamming the needle into his arm none too gently, relishing the pain that it inflicted, and then ........ nothing. He couldn't remember a damn thing.
Rolling over onto his hands and knees, Fred suddenly groaned as he began retching on the ground beneath him, frantically tryin gto scramble away from his own vomit so that his robes didn't become sullied.
That was when he noticed the very telling fact that he wasn't wearing any robes. He'd been stripped of everything besides the muggle clothing he worth beneath his robes, actually. His wand was gone, pulled out of the back pocket of his jeans, his robes -- the most obvious part -- now gone and seemingly nowhere in sight, and the bulge of money in his left pants pocket was also missing.
He'd been robbed, in other words.
Groaning under his breath, Fred slowly pushed himself to his feet, sighing in relief when he didn't feel the need to empty the contents of his stomach yet again.
It took him a couple of minutes, but Fred was finially able to make it to the end of the small alleyway he was currently residing in, and he breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that he was as far away from the Leaky Couldron as he ever had been. Nothing here was even remotely familiar, even from his ramblings last night. Although, he could certaintly have continued moving even after he'd taken that ........ substance. Herione, it was called. Interesting name, and an even mor einteresting feeling. One that he was kind of looking forward to experiencing again.
Sighing under his breath, Fred slowly walked out intot he dark night, keeping close to the line of buildings on his left side, hand on the cool stone to steady himself.
--------------------------
Fred leaned against the railing, watching the people working on the dock below. He'd been walking blindly, not really watching wher ehe was going, and had somehow ended up here.
He was so tired. And scared. He didn't know where he was going to sleep tonight, or even how he was going to get anything to eat. Before, he'd had a little bit of money, atlest. Enough to get him atleast one solid meal a day for a coupleof days. Now ........ no money, no wand, no anything. Just the clothes he was wearing, and even those weren't the best on the block.
The sun had risen just a little while ago, and it had seemed so ........ beautiful, so calming. So innocent. it made him think of second chances. And that was one thing that he most definately did NOT want to think about.
Nobody would accept him back hom. He knew that. They could never see past the tattoo magically engraved upon his forearm. The sign of a Deatheater.
Pushing away from the railing, Fred turned to go, only to run headlone into a very large, very strong, very solid chest. Giving out a startled "oumph!" Fred stumbled backwards, ending up falling ungracefully on his rump.
"Kid, there a reason your here?" A gruff voice, laced with humour asked, and Fred quickly glanced up at the source, and found himself staring into smiling, warm brown eyes. The man was large, but not unhumanly so, and somehow Fred was reminded of Hagrid, even though this man could in no way compare to the half-giant in size.
"N-no sir. I was just ........ erm ........" Fred suddenly realised that he had no real reason for being around here. What was he supposed to say? That he'd been wandering aimlessly all night and had just ENDED UP HERE? It was so lame, the man would probably take him off to the authorities for tresspassing or some other such thing.
"You a runaway?" The question was so unexpected that Fred found that he couldn't formulate an actual reply. No, he most certaintly ........ Why, yes he was. the realization hit him like a sack of potatoes. That was most certaintly what he was, in a nutshell. He was a runaway.
"How old are you?" The other man had obviously taken his lack of a reply as confirmation that he was correct, and was now reaching down to help Fred to his feet. Fred accepted the help readily enough, before stepping away from the other man and brushing off hsi clothes, more for something to do than anything else.
"17, sir." He answered truthfully, not noticing how the other man's eyes narrowed at that. He was too busy trying to think of a way to get out of here without having the authorities called.
"Well, kid -- what's your name?"
"Fred"
"Well, Fred, if your telling the truth about your age ........ you looking to make some cash? I don't usually do this, mind you ........ but you don't seem the bad sort like most street kids I see 'round here. I got some jobs i wouldn't mind pushing off to some willing, younger hands ........ if your interested. I know the boys would love to have some more free time on their hands, and leave the work to you. More you work, more you get paid."
Fred stared at the man in surprise, before grinning full out. "Sure, I'd love it!" He exclaimed, before blushing hotly. "Uh, that is, I mean ........"
"Heh. Don't worry about it. You gotta be hungry, so come on. I've got a spare sandwich you can have, and then you'll get to work.
