It was with renewed vigor that Fred and George approached the rest of the school year. Things with Angelina had settled down for Fred, although she was more exhausted and disheartened than ever trying to train her new Quidditch recruits. Katie and George seemed to be doing well too, although no one ever really them together romantically.

Christmas was fast approaching, and the castle's lack of cheer was rather distinct. Umbridge was a massive problem, and the twins were determined to do something about it. Her policies were getting out of hand, and it was quite obvious the power of being "High Inquisitor" was going to her head. Her inspections of the other teachers had not been unexpected, but watching dear old Minnie ignore and dismiss her to the best of her abilities was definitely a treat. After they'd heard about Hagrid's inspection though, their levity lessened as they considered his likely sacking.

After an evening of revision in the D.A. meeting, Fred and George returned to their dorm with Lee to take a product inventory and discuss possible future products and their marketability for owl order. They were truly on their way to opening a shop, and they planned to view some locations during the Christmas holiday. That night, they went to bed with dreams of success on their minds only to be roused by a serious looking Professor McGonagall.

~W-W~

Fred was dreaming of Angelina. He and Angie, his Angie, were flying past the Quidditch pitch, over the Forbidden Forest, and into the mountains. He was chasing her, getting closer and closer to her with each second. Her face was alight with laughter, although he couldn't hear it in the rushing of the wind. He was just close enough to reach out his hand and touch her when –

"Mr Weasley."

Fred frowned. That didn't sound like Angie.

"Mr Weasley, you must wake up."

Fred opened his eyes to find Professor McGonagall hovering over his bed. Any thought of having nightmares over this quickly fled at her next words.

"You both must come with me quickly, now. Your father had been injured."

Fred's heart leapt uncomfortably, and he fell out of bed and joined McGonagall down in the common room, George a silent shadow at his side. They were joined by a pale Ginny, whose freckles stood out against her milky skin like ink. Ginny looked at McGonagall questioningly and asked about Ron, only to be informed that he was already with the Headmaster, and that all would be explained when they arrived.

As they made their way to Dumbledore's office, Fred and George walked on either side of Ginny, trying to comfort her as best they could without knowing what had happened.

Portkeying off to Grimmauld Place, the first thing Fred heard was Kreacher's comment about their father dying, before Sirius' usual roar of 'OUT'. Learning from Harry that their Dad was in St Mungo's after he's been bitten by Voldermort's great dirty snake was… honestly more than Fred could handle. He immediately asked after his mum not because she kept things together in the family (although she did), but because in that moment he honestly wanted nothing more than comfort from her.

When he heard that she was at St Mungo's and that they wouldn't be able to join her, panic and anger overtook him. He and George shouted at Sirius, and Fred almost instantly regretted his last jab about Sirius not risking his neck for the Order. His regret faded quickly as thoughts of his dad dying intruded, and as he and George looked at each other for the first time since they'd received the terrible news, he knew his twin was also thinking of bashing Sirius over the head and making a run for the hospital.

They settled down on either side of Ginny, still seething, while Sirius made some really unappreciated attempts at levity. As Fred glared at the bottle of butterbeer that had been summoned for him, he tried to imagine life at The Burrow without his dad. No more of his dad tinkering out back in the shed, trying to make muggle appliances and other contraptions compatible with magic. His one success with the flying Ford Anglia proved it could be done, and their mum, although publicly disapproving, really was proud of her husband. What would Molly Weasley do, without Arthur there to speak softly and calm her, to make her smile? She would waste away, Fred thought, and then what of Ginny? What of all of us?

It was at that moment that a burst of fire in midair interrupted his thoughts, and Sirius thrust a piece of parchment from their mum. George read it, hands shaking. Fred was not reassured by it, nor apparently was anyone else. It made it sound like his dad was dying still, that even though he was at the hospital with healers and potions that he was still going to die.

He took the letter from George, not willing to believe that his mum would write something so disheartening. It was there, plain ink on parchment, his mum's usually lovely handwriting shaky. He stared at it for a moment before looking blankly at Harry and wondering what would have happened had he not seen the attack. Would his dad have lain alone in an unused corridor in the Ministry, bleeding to death, only to be found days later and labeled a criminal?

His thoughts went round and round in the same way for the rest of the long, sleepless night. He sometimes thought about how Percy would feel, the traitor, knowing that he had abandoned them only to never again see their dad while on good terms. He thought about Cho Chang still bursting into tears over Cedric Diggory's death, and wondered if Ginny would become like a sad imitation of a person like her. Fred thought of the end of Weasley family holidays, with their dad's hand on the clock forever blackened and pointing to 'Deceased'.

Eventually his thoughts turned to uneasy dreams as he dozed off against the table, only to rise as the kitchen door opened and his mum stepped in. Immediately awake, he rose from his chair as she told them that dad would be all right, and that they could go and see him later. He would be all right. Fred collapsed back into his chair, hiding his face in his hands as tears of relief escaped his eyes.

As Fred walked slowly upstairs to collapse into bed, that one thought kept repeating itself in his mind. He was going to be all right.