A/N: the story may get a little jumpy here, but our Poor Polly is petrified. So I'm just giving you some moments of what's going on while she's out like a light. :)
George was still absolutely stunned by Justin's blow up in the hallway. He sauntered back into the duelling club, and saw that everyone was around in groups talking. Harry, Hermione and Ron were gone, probably out the other door as George didn't see them leave. Everyone was talking about the same thing; what had just happened with the snake. Quickly, George told Fred that he was going to see Polly, and invited him along – but he was going up to the library with Angelina and Katie to get their homework done. George nodded and left.
When he got to the hospital wing, he nodded at Ms. Pomfrey as he normally did, and took his seat next to Polly. He told her all about what nonsense had just happened. At that she needed to wake up, because Justin was in need of a comforting talk and no one was better at that than Polly. Especially to Justin. George thought that maybe Justin was just having some kind of mental breakdown.
"They're fearing the wrong person, Polly. And I'm scared for them. Tell me how to help them, tell me how you would help them. Please."
Bu of course, Polly didn't answer. She couldn't.
The next day, George was in his first period class. Retreating back into himself slowly. It was almost as if he would get these bursts of energy and happiness, and then something would remind him of his darling Polly, and he would just breakdown. He ran out of excuses for fake happiness, and showed his true colours. Fred was worried. So much so that he asked Lee to turn him into a badger, in hopes that it would make George laugh.
It did not make George laugh.
And Lee got into trouble.
But anything was worth a shot at this point. George had always been a beacon of fun and imagination, but without Polly he just wasn't himself. McGonagall changed Fred back, and while she was smart enough to probably understand why they did it, she still gave Lee detention. But she didn't take away any points, and that was a nice change of pace. George sat up straighter, and took a breath. Seemingly motivating himself to get through the rest of class.
Until there was a great cry from the hallway. "Attack! Attack! Another attack! No mortal or ghost is safe! Run for your lives! Attaaaack!"
George rushed out of his seat, following close behind McGonagall out the door. It was like stepping into a nightmare. Harry Potter, standing beside a petrified Justin and Nearly Headless Nick. Peeves had been the one doing all the shouting. Once George laid eyes on Justin, he rushed over, ready to help.
"Back to the classroom," McGonagall said. "Tell the others that the rest of the class is cancelled and they may go. No homework. Then come back here to me please."
George nodded, unsure of why she would need him to come back. Fred and George gave their books to Katie and Angelina, who dropped them off at the common room for them. McGonagall was holding a fan, and she asked the twins to waft Nick to the hospital wing. George snickered.
"It's not funny, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said.
"It's really not, I know. But, it kind of is." George grinned. "What if I get him stuck in the middle of the staircase?"
"Do I need to get someone else?"
"No, no, we'll go," George said, taking the fan. He directed Nick to the hospital wing. Fred was staring at George. "I know that it's not funny, but he's already dead. So he can't possibly die, again. So he'll be fine. So that makes it just a little bit funny."
Thinking about it, Fred had to admit the idea of it was a little bit funny. It was just the fact that George was getting black humour out of really worrisome events. Fred didn't know how to feel about that at all. But anything that will make George smile would do.
"Poor Justin," George said. "Harry really cornered himself on this one. He should've just stayed put in the common room, where a bunch of people would've seen him sitting all day."
"Are you alright?" Fred asked. "You seemed happy until this morning."
"I wouldn't say happy, but, I'm okay. It's just nearing Polly's birthday is all." George shrugged. "But she'll be okay, so I'm okay. I just miss her is all." Fred hadn't remembered. It was nearing December, and Polly's birthday was the twenty-first. Fred got a little sad thinking about his friend petrified over her birthday, and then he felt even worse that he forgot. They were at the hospital wing before they knew it. And there she was, laying in the same spot. Missing months of her life to just lying in a hospital bed. A great injustice.
When Christmas rolled around, George went up the hospital wing after opening presents with Fred. His brother would join him soon, but George just wanted a moment. He carried a small pink present under his arm. And put it on her nightstand right beside the purple one he'd left on her birthday. George couldn't be jolly today. Not on Polly's favourite day of the year. But he tried his best to at least be content. He kissed Polly on the forehead before taking a seat next to her. He had gotten used to the cold feeling of the back of her hand on his palm. But it still didn't feel like her.
In twenty minutes time, Fred came walking through the door. A small container of every flavour beans in his hand. George's present was better. He got her a pretty leather journal, so she make notes on the creatures she's been studying. George could've sworn that she would've done a better job than Newt Scamander himself, but then again, he would just assume that she would beat anyone at anything with no question. He put her on a pedestal.
"So what's the plan for today?" Fred asked, after an hour of sitting and chatting.
"We can go see the others in the common room," George said, standing up. He kissed her on the forehead again. "Happy Christmas, Polly."
Valentine's day had no meaning without Polly. So, another little present, and a card were left on her bedside table.
The only good thing that came out of the day was the song that Fred and George had laughed about for such a long time.
His eyes are as green as a fresh pickled toad,
His hair is as dark as a blackboard.
I wish he was mine, he's really divine,
The hero who conquered the Dark Lord.
Absolutely brilliant. George had to wonder if the valentine had been from his kid sister, which of course only made the joke even funnier. When asked about it, her face lit up pink as the flowers coating the walls. Another silly feat that Polly probably would've adored.
George stood in the common room in agony. The quidditch match had been cancelled, and there had yet to be an explanation. Everybody's instinct was saying there was another attack. And because McGonagall had taken Harry with her as she left, George could only assume the worst. Hermione Granger was not in standing around the common room with everyone else, which means she was not in the stands. And Hermione rarely missed a match. One of her best friends was playing after all. It was all so worrisome. Even Fred had nothing clever to say. He just sat by Katie and Oliver, and was hoping for the best. They needed to hear that nobody was dead.
McGonagall walked into the common room with Ron and Harry trailing behind. The fact that weren't crying was a very good sign. George felt a little relieved. When his brother joined by his side and whispered that Hermione was petrified, George reminded him that being comatose was a hell of a lot better than being dead.
"All students will return to their House common rooms by six o'clock in the evening. No student is to leave the dormitories after that time. You will be escorted to each lesson by a teacher. All further Quidditch training and matches are to be postponed. There will be no more evening activities." She rolled up the parchment in her hand. "I need hardly add that I have been so distressed. It is likely that the school will be closed unless the culprit behind these attacks is caught. I would urge anyone who thinks they might know anything about them to come forward." She left.
"That's two Gryffindors down, not counting one Gryffindor ghost, one Ravenclaw, and one Hufflepuff," Lee said. "Haven't any of the teachers noticed that the Slytherins are all safe? Isn't it obvious all this stuff's coming from Slytherin? The Heir of Slytherin, the monster of Slytherin – why don't they just chuck all the Slytherins out?"
"Percy's even in shock," George said, pointing him out to Harry, sitting in a chair; pale as a ghost. "That Ravenclaw girl – Penelope Clearwater – she's a prefect. I don't think he thought the monster would dare attack a prefect." George tried to find his own statement funny. But it wasn't. Another person attacked. Two more, actually.
When will it end?
It seemed that all hope was lost at Hogwarts. If there was another attack then the school was sure to close. And George just couldn't bare the thought. Polly waking up, and thinking that he'd abandoned her. Realistically, she'd realize that it wasn't safe for the students and that the school had to be closed. But George was irrational when it came to Polly. It got worse, the sinking feeling in George's stomach, when Dumbledore and Hagrid were asked to leave the school.
Well, one was asked to leave. The other sent to Azkaban. A place he surely didn't belong. Some people believed the nonsense that Hagrid was to blame for all the attacks. Ridiculous. He loved everyone. He loved everything. If anything, he would only be guilty of trying to tame the beast in the chamber, a feat that would surely see him deceased, not all powerful. Hagrid didn't do this. The thought alone was irrational.
A few day later, McGonagall announced that Dumbledore would be returning to the school. And that the mandrakes were ready for harvesting. Something that made George absolutely beam with excitement. It was like Christmas – only better. Everyone was happy to hear this news. Except Oliver – he was more focused on the fact that Quidditch had been reinstated. The entire Gryffindor table was beside themselves with joy: for whatever reason, George didn't care. He and Fred both were just excited to have their friend back.
It wasn't until midday that news worse than anything had sprung. Ginny Weasley, youngest of the Weasley clan, had been taken hostage by the monster. The only clue as to what would happen next was 'her skeleton will lie in the chamber forever.'
No one could take it. No one could take anymore of this. The next morning they were scheduled to be going home. George just had no fight left. What else could possibly go wrong this year? Would he lose an eye? How about a broken arm? He's already got a broken heart and a seemingly broken family. He sat in the Gryffindor common room with Harry, Ron and Fred – the idea of moving for the next few hours a stupid one. It wasn't until dinner time that George and Fred decided to just go to bed, because sitting around any longer was going to drive George straight mad. Fred tried to say something when George laid down, but he had nothing to say. Nothing to say to his own twin brother. He never thought he'd see the day.
So George just went to bed. There was no use doing anything else. No use at all.
He woke up to his brother shaking him with fervour. Get up, he kept repeating. Get up. George was half asleep. After hours of lying awake his brother had the audacity to wake him up. He didn't want to wake up. Because the real world is where they kept the real nightmares.
"C'mon, get up! Harry and Ron saved Ginny! C'mon! Everyone's in the Great Hall. Get. Up!"
George was disoriented to say the least. It was around midnight, and everyone was gone from the room. It looked completely deserted, save for the two Weasley twins, of course. George quickly got up and stumbled his way to the Great Hall behind his brother. They were still dressed in their pyjamas, no need for any fancy dress tonight.
The Great Hall was absolutely booming with excitement. George hadn't sat down for more than ten minutes – beside his sister with an arm placed securely around her – that he was told the whole story. Ginny apologized nearly one hundred times before George could even accept. Which he did: it wasn't her fault after all. It was a little odd, that his parents were joining the rest of the Weasleys at the feast, but they had been to Hogwarts themselves, and they had just as much right to celebrate as everyone else. The Weasleys sat all together for the first time in a long time, taking up a large chunk of the Gryffindor table. In the buzz of the moment, George forgot something terribly important. A light tap on his shoulder brought his attention to the small girl behind him.
"Haven't forgot about me now, have you?" Polly asked, cheeky smirk lighting up her face in a way that George could've sworn would kill him one day.
He didn't say anything right away, he just lept up and pulled Polly into a bone crushing hug. She hugged him back, smiling into his chest. It felt like home. "I'm so glad you're okay," he said, words tickling the top of her head.
"I'm fine, honestly it felt like no time had passed, as far as my memory is concerned, I was visiting Harry in the hospital wing just last night."
The words made Ginny spring back into tears. Polly had been such a dear friend, and Ginny had caused this. But Polly wasn't mad at all. In fact, she was just relieved that Ginny was okay. Ginny stood up, ready to apologize to Polly, but Polly had other ideas. She let go of George's hug, and swung her arms around Ginny. She pulled away and smiled at the young girl.
"Don't dwell on it for even a second," Polly said, smiling. "Because everything's alright."
"Why don't you join us, Polly?" Mrs. Weasley said.
"Yes, please," George said. "Sit by me."
"I don't think anyone was going to fight you otherwise," Fred joked, laughing even harder when his mother elbowed him. "Oh c'mon, you have to agree. It's funny."
"I'm so happy you're back," George said, ignoring his brother. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too."