About ten minutes later, people from everywhere in the castle heard it. The scream, some called it, although only Gryffindors knew who did it. Fred Weasley, of course, but he even started crying and yelling and eventually fainting. So he was in the hospital wing at the moment.

Professor Elliott, after realizing that George had fallen, whether he be just out cold or actually dead, transformed back into a human. She then performed memory charms on George so he couldn't chew her out. She was never one for cover stories.

So, now George had a completely bogus story in his mind. Or he would, if he were to wake up. He thought he'd been out in the woods with Hagrid and Elliott. The deep gashes on his chest were from a duel with a student who has no face. But George believed it, as Elliott was the best memory modifier since Joanne Stanton, and that was three-hundred years ago. Anyway, as Elliott wanted George to keep being tortured like this until death, she had to make up the duel part as an excuse for giving him more detentions.

Once George's memory was settled, she needed to throw him somewhere besides her office. That would be way too suspicious. So she literally threw him in a stray broom closet. Elliott figured that perhaps he'd die there, as she didn't think it was ever used, and certainly couldn't be opened from the inside.

But she had only just reached a point where she wouldn't be suspicious when he was discovered. Apparently, Oliver Wood had mistaken that stray closet for the usual one where he kept a secret plan he was developing, which Slytherins couldn't find. He was quite startled, thinking at first that George was Martin Crusoe, a seventh-year Slytherin. But then he found the gashes, the shredded bits of shirt left on, and the fact that he was out cold.

Oliver ran to get Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey. By the time they were back, a small puddle had formed at George's chest. Made of blood. Madam Pomfrey gasped, and even Dumbledore went pale. Oliver, who thought he and Fred were perfect beaters in Quidditch, felt silent tears creeping down his face. Icy, wet, tears. They stung his cheeks.

But meanwhile, George was dyeing of blood loss, and Fred would be soon of shock. They rushed him to the hospital wing, unfortunately on the other side of the castle. Percy was there, visiting his friend, Malcolm Luther, who had broken his arm in Quidditch and needed to regrow bones. When he first saw the bright red hair, his first instinct was Ron. Even though he was obviously at the Burrow. Strange, he thought. But when he saw the boy's chest, he gave out a small yell. Luckily, the only patient, Malcolm L., was wide awake anyway, and had gasped himself.

While Madam Pomfrey took George to a bed and began her work, Dumbledore explained to Percy. "Ah, okay, but, um, which twin is this? I still can't tell them apart." Percy said, after listening in pure horror to George's story.

"I can't either, but I think it's George. Fred was definitely in the Gryffindor common room a couple minutes before Wood found him, and I know George had detention with Professor Elliott tonight, and was scheduled to get out about five minutes after we found him. Hmm." Percy wasn't sure if Dumbledore was aware he was there, he looked so lost in thought.

"Mr. Weasley?"

"Yes, Madam Pomfrey?" Percy replied.

"Why don't you just scurry along, tell the boy's twin what happened."

"Uh-okay. If he screams and dies, it's not my fault."

"I never knew you were a joker." Dumbledore was back in reality.

"Hah hah, I guess I am. Well, uh, see ya."

Percy was really dreading this, but he couldn't stand to bother Madam Pomfrey, especially if it threatened the twin's life.

"Rumblejumpkins." What a strange password.

Fred was alone in the common room, as it was already almost midnight, and Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's Quidditch match wasn't over yet. He was pacing.

"Percy?"

"H-hi, uh which twin are you?"

"Fred. Duh."

"Oh. Sorry. So it's George…"

"Where is he?" Fred demanded.

"It's a long story." Percy knew it wouldn't bother Fred if it had to do with his twin, but he couldn't force any other words out.

"So? I am going to hear it." He sure could get his way, Percy thought glumly, as he told the tale, ending with the gashes so as to avoid the commotion until later.

Fred screamed, and screamed, before Percy just stuffed a stray bag in Fred's mouth. No use. Fred started crying. It reminded Percy of when he was a baby. But then, as he just threw the bag aside, more screaming and yelling and crying. Not such a good combination. As he was about to go get McGonagall, Fred fainted.

Knowing you only stay fainted for about ten minutes usually, Percy waited. Exactly twelve minutes. Then, as Fred started shaking, and moaning, Percy brought him to the hospital wing.

"Percy?"

"George is the one with the gashes. Dumbledore was right. This is Fred. He screamed and cry-"

"We heard him." Madam Pomfrey interrupted.

"Then he fainted, so I left him for twelve minutes."

"Smart." Percy hadn't even noticed Dumbledore was there, as he was in the shadows.

"B-but then h-he started t-to shake a-and m-moan. I-it was really bad." He was on the verge of tears. Be strong, he told himself, you can do it.

Dumbledore was at a loss of words, and Madam Pomfrey looked as if she'd been kissed by a dementor. This made Percy start to cry, the silentness fading, and then sobbing. He couldn't help it. Deep down inside, Percy did have a heart. He loved Fred and George even more than Ginny, Bill, and Charlie. Ron was just a complete utter nuisance.

Percy was expecting to be comforted, or given the evil eye or something. He'd let his guard down, so when Dumbledore started crying, too, Percy stopped with shock. Madam Pomfrey really needed a bed of her own to be nursed in.

"Well, I'm gonna go check on Gred. And Forge." Percy nearly fainted. He hadn't even heard Gred and Forge, just hearing a teacher say gonna was unusual enough. This must be a dream.

"Well, Percy, I'm off to bed. You should be too."

"Yes, sir, Professor Dumbledore."

OoO

When Fred woke up from his nightmare/trance, it was a very sunny, bright, and cheerful day. Then he saw the hospital wing, and he started tremoring with fear. George just couldn't be covered in gashes. What had Elliott done to his twin? His other half? He then saw George, wrapped in so many bandages you could barely see the skin on his chest. Fred screamed, cried, and got the attention of Madam Pomfrey, but he was in a trance. Again. Hello nightmares, good-bye real world. Now I know what it must be like when Voldemort comes to hunt you.

OoO

"Were is me?" George couldn't think, see, hear, or feel properly. His chest still stung, but that reason seemed, well, fake. He knew there was no duel, his wand had been left in Elliott's office. He sat up. It hurt more, but he didn't care. Then he vaguely saw two flashes of red. Exactly like Weasley hair, maybe. And he heard crying. He'd heard Fred cry twice before, so who could it be? Percy never cried right? Thinking of Fred made his senses return to normal. He saw Percy crying!

"Percy?"

"GEORGE! YOU'RE ALIVE! FRED! FRED! WAKE UP! FRED! FRED! GEORGE IS AWAKE!"

"Perce, calm down. What happened?"

"You don't know?"

"No. I remember entering Elliott's office for detention, thinking of my promise to Fred. And none of your business, so don't ask. She had an evil grin on her face, and said something about something illegal." Percy's face paled at this. "So then ten minutes later I felt a searing pain in my chest, my wand fell, and I was out. Next thing I remember, I was here, saw you, and began telling you this story." George chuckled at his little joke.

"Your wand was found in the corridor. It's in my dorm for me to keep until you're released. But stay awake, please, George. I will be back in ten minutes, I promise."

"K, I'll try not to sleep."

"See ya."

OoO

"Hey, I'm back. Good, you're still up."

"Yep. What's with Fred?"

"He's in shock. You were half expected to die," and Percy told him everything they knew.

"Wow. Wood? He's okay after all, huh?"

"More than just ok. He's a hero. Gryffindor won a hundred points from him alone.""Sweet!"

"Yeah, so, anyway, I brought your wand."

"K, why?"

"So I can see the last two spells used. I've been in the library."

"Oh."

"Let's see," Percy mumbled a spell with George's wand.

"Hmm, Protego, and Stupefy." Percy was going pale again.

"I just remembered what happened," George piped up, and filled Percy in.

But before he could get to the Animagius part, his chest suddenly hurt so much, he was out.