Chapter 32: Potterwatch
George POV
Fred cussed again under his breath as the product he was experimenting on burst into flames on the workstation that they had set up in their attic bedroom at the safe house they were staying in. George looked over and tossed him the burn paste, "Wish we were at the shop to work on this. Don't want to piss of Andromeda and Teddy."
"It's the attic, they won't smell the smoke." Fred muttered as he waved his wand and the smoke disappeared from the air. "It would be easier in the shop. Fucking death eaters aren't allowing that, though."
George rolled over onto his stomach from his spot on the cot that he called his bed. He looked down at the photo frame that he brought over from their flat of Hermione and him at the Burrow. He allowed his thoughts to wander and think about where she could possibly be. It had been months since Bill and Fleur's wedding. So much has changed. Was she even okay?
"Come on, mate. Let's go meet Lee. We got Potterwatch." His twin clamped his hand on his shoulder in a supporting manner. "She might hear it."
Those words were what kept him going. He always searched and scanned for news about her. They were very secretive, the Golden Trio. Ron had ditched them and came home in September but claimed he was going to find them again. Rubbish. He could've taken George with him so that he could make sure that Hermione was okay.
George shook his head, clearing the negative thoughts about his brother out of his head. He knew that this wasn't his role in the war. His role was keeping people thinking forward and laughing. Fred, Lee, and he were really good at keeping people optimistic and positive.
He put his dragon hide shoes on before following after his copper-haired brother as they went into the Tonks shed for the broadcast. Andromeda gave him a small smile and a pat on the back while he walked past her to their garden. "Goodluck, boys." She handed the two a gillywater and a third to bring out to Lee.
When they walked into the old shed, Lee was already setting up all of the magical equipment on the old, beaten, muggle card table that Ted Tonks kept in here. They had cleaned it out since the first Potterwatch but it was still pretty dingy in the shed. They did have warming charms now which helped since it was almost Christmas time and cold as hell.
"Shacklebolt's not here yet." Lee said as he took one of the gillywaters out of George's stretched out hand. "He'll be here soon. He sent a Patronus earlier."
Fred nodded and settled into one of the black folding chairs. "Should we begin without him?"
Lee nodded. "I wouldn't want viewers thinking that we got sacked. They need us."
"Agreed." George said as he sunk into the chair next to his twin. He began to man the equipment, allowing Fred to always be the one to joke and announce with Lee. He preferred to work the commands and magic that kept the broadcast system a secret. He also kept all the reports in orderly fashioned and handed them to his friends when it was time to announce them.
He held up his hands in a count down, going from 5 to 1 before he flipped the switch and allowed the wizards and witches who knew the password from the last broadcast, Sirius, into the program. He saw the numbers begin to spike as viewers piled in and he gave the two Gryffindors a thumbs up to begin.
"Hello everyone. River here with your latest Potterwatch news. Today we will have a special guest later on, Royal, to give us some encouraging words and advice. We will begin our program with some updates on missing witches and wizards…" Lee began to dwindle off the names of the missing people that their dad had gotten from the Ministry. When he was finished with the long list of names, he cleared his throat. "We will take a moment of silence to recognize deaths not reported by the Daily Prophet or Wizarding Wireless Network News."
George hung his head and said a silent prayer that Hermione wasn't one of those names. Nor Harry or Ron. It was so hard not knowing. Fred cleared his throat after a minute of silence and went on with updates on the wizarding order when Kinglsey came in and hung his royal blue traveling cloak on a nail in the wall before sitting down in the fourth chair around the card table.
Fred passed him the microphone to introduce him. "Thank you for that introduction, Rapier. Royal here reporting on some of the inspiring stories of wizard and witches risking their own safety to protect Muggle friends and neighbors. Often without the Muggle's knowledge. I'd like to appeal to all our listeners to emulate their example, perhaps by casting a protective charm over any Muggle dwellings in your street. Many lives could be saved if such simple measures are taken."
Lee leaned into the microphone near him again, "And what would you say, Royal, to those listeners who reply that in these dangerous times, it should be 'wizards first'?"
"I'd say that it's one short step from 'wizards first' to 'pure-bloods first', and then to 'Death Eaters'. We're all human, aren't we? Every human life is worth the same, and worth saving." Kinglsey said in his grave voice.
"Now, over to Rapier, for our popular feature, Pals of Potter, our usual update on the friends of Harry Potter." Lee said with a big smile before nodding to Fred.
Fred cleared his voice and leaned in close to the microphone. "We have heard within the last few hours, that Rubeus Hagrid, well known gamekeeper at Hogwarts School, has narrowly escaped arrestment in the grounds of Hogwarts, where he has rumored to have hosted a Support Harry Potter Party, in his house! However, Hagrid was not taken into custody, and is, we believe, on the run."
"I suppose having a 16-foot high half-brother helps when you're escaping Death Eaters!" Lee joked before taking a sip of Gillywater.
"It would give you an edge. But, while we here at Potterwatch applaud Hagrid's spirit, we would urge against following Hagrid's lead. Support Harry Potter parties are unwise in the present climate." Fred cautioned.
"Especially with all we've heard about the Ministry running these Snatcher squads." Lee added. "For all those who haven't heard, the Ministry has licensed so called "Snatchers" to hunt down and bring in anyone who is deemed to be "Undesirable"."
"Well, that wouldn't be us then, would it? I mean, we've both had loads of girlfriends." Fred said with a wink.
"It must be those cute little cheeks and whiskers, Rodent."
"That's right Tentacula!" Fred joked back.
"Tentacula?" Lee asked in an accusing voice.
"So, to all those who find themselves being unjustly labelled "Undesirable", we here at Potterwatch salute you! And to all those people who really are Undesirable." Fred motioned for Lee and George to say the next bit all together.
The three friends coughed twice before shouting. "Dolores Umbridge!" Another two coughs before shouting out "Malfoy!".
"Your time will come." Fred said with a single nod. "Reminder, if you end up anywhere remote, keep an eye out for useful potion ingredients. But beware of patrols of Snatchers. You aren't paranoid, they are looking for you. Stay safe, keep your eyes peeled—"
"And support Harry Potter!" The three chanted in unison before Lee went into a spiel about the next password being Wulfric.
As George was hanging up the microphones that were Kinglsey and Fred's he could only think about if Hermione was listening somewhere in the woods of Europe and if she missed him as much as he missed her.