Taylor had a mission. Well, she and Professor Potter had a mission. The two of them were sent to scour the school for Jacob Weasley, but Dumbledore had not told them why.

Although, Taylor believed that Professor Potter had a better idea why than she did, not that she didn't have an idea. She believed that Jacob had something to do with Anthony's pain. But…she refused to think that her boyfriend's twin was in pain because of Richard. The blonde had no idea what she would do with herself if another person she cared about were hurt because of him.

Anthony's torture in their first year had caused Taylor to not trust anyone but the twins and their relatives. It wasn't a hard task, since they had so many, and the blonde was relatively happy with her the friendships she had formed. Relatively.

What would she do when she graduated Hogwarts? There was no way her mother would approve of her moving in with Anthony…her mother had barely acknowledged his existence the last time they had seen each other. She still saw him as an insignificant Weasley. But…she'd been with him for the past seven years of her life, how was she suddenly supposed to adjust to a life without him?

A clanging of metal knocked Taylor out of her deep thought. She found herself in the Gryffindor hall; standing near the window Stephen had pushed Anthony into those many years ago.

The solitary knight armor that stood in the hall shook slightly, which wasn't unusual; sometimes spirits possessed the suits of armor to scare the little first years. She was sure that if there were a spirit inside of it, it wouldn't be able to see her from where she was standing.

Taylor gasped as the suit of armor fell to the ground, and pieces of it began to skid down the hall. Realizing that the spirit inside was not a good one, she lifted her self onto the window's large ledge, and kept herself against the inside of it. Hopefully the spirit would not bother her. Maybe it was just Peeves.

"Tell me the password!" A deep voice growled. Taylor quickly stiffened, as the voice continued. "You know what? I don't need you anymore, anyway!"

Taylor peeked around the edge, but still did not see anyone down in the hallway. Muffled screams could be heard, and the blonde squinted her eyes to try and see at least some outlines of the spirits. Then, a voice shouted out,

"You'll never get away with this!" Taylor's heart stopped as she realized that the voice belonged to Soledad. Another growl was heard, and seemingly from nowhere, Soledad flew out towards the wall, slamming into it. She slumped to the ground, eyes closed.

Oh God. Taylor thought. He's under an Invisibility Cloak. She pushed herself against the ledge's wall and listened for Richard's footsteps. They headed towards portrait of the Fat Lady, and Taylor heard her yelling at him.

"Open the God damn door, you stupid ugly…" He said some words that she will not repeat.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that, whoever's there!" Taylor heard her scream.

This is my chance. Taylor thought. She couldn't risk exposing her self, because she had no idea where he was; her accio charm was never very strong. Plus the fact that Dumbledore had stated he had stolen some very dangerous Muggle items. So, she decided to be sneaky.

Kneeling on the ledge, Taylor positioned herself so that she was leaning over into the hallway, her one hand gripping the ledge with all its might. Her wand was pointed straight towards the portrait of the Fat Lady, who was still screaming in a shrilly voice.

"Stup—umph."

She slipped. Bloody hell she thought in the split second it happened. Taylor had actually landed on her back, one of her legs still clinging to the ledge; she unconsciously pushed down her skirt. The fall had caused her head to bang her head on the ground, and Taylor's eyes fluttered for a few moments as she tried to regain some sense of focus.

The sound of footsteps racing towards her helped her regain control and she pulled her leg down and somehow jumped up in a single motion. The footsteps stopped rather close to her, and Taylor felt Richard's eyes on her.

It was then that she realized she had dropped her wand during the fall. Her eyes frantically searched the ground, but it was nowhere to be seen. Oh God…she thought. He had her wand.

Taylor tensed and backed up against the wall. What could she do? If she ran, he'd probably stun her, and if she just stood there…he'd probably stun her too. For a brief second she wondered if he was powerful enough to perform the killing curse.

"Come out from under the cloak, you coward." She hissed, having no idea where the comment came from. There was silence for a few moments, and then, the cloak fell to the floor.

He looked just how she remembered him, short and stocky, his facial features sharp and jagged. Only…his eyes didn't have the same spark they used to, when he thought he was one of the rulers of Hogwarts. Taylor lurched her shoulders back, and she found it hard to keep her stomach down.

Richard looked at her, with eyes the exact color of Taylor's.

"You've grown." He whispered. There was something in his voice that sent chills down her spine, and she clenched her fists.

"Nice of you to notice." Taylor said, in an equally cold voice. Richard eyed her carefully, as if he was lost for words.

"I was wrong, what I said to the boy." He mumbled, rubbing his eyes. Taylor had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. "I told him she was prettier than you, I was wrong."

A lump formed in Taylor's throat. Jacob. He had talked to Jacob. But…Soledad was here…

"Where is he?" She was able to croak. Richard smirked,

"Dying back there, I suppose."

Taylor couldn't stop her knees from buckling beneath her, and she sat abruptly on the edge, staring into Richard's stern eyes. Words escaped her, and her head began to spin. Her throat closed, and she couldn't stop the tears that had sprung to her eyes. She closed them, and began to think of the twins, she loved them both dearly, and look what she had done to them…

"Anyway," Richard continued, as if nothing important had been said. "I've found what I want, and now, I get to finish the task my brother and I never even had a chance to attempt…"

Before Taylor could react, his large hands had grabbed her neck, lifting her up, squeezing tightly.

She hadn't expected to be attacked physically, she was sure that with her wand, he would have hexed and cursed her until she was rotting away.

He was strong. Taylor eyes remained tightly shut as his fingers dug deeper into her neck. Her small hands gripped his wrists, trying to stop the strain of her weight on her neck. Taylor's thin legs, still shaking from before, hung limply a few inches off the ground. She was in shock, complete and utter shock.

Taylor didn't dare open her eyes; she didn't want Richard to be the last image her eyes saw. She continued to think of the twins, of her friends, of her mother…

Her mother's pug face appeared, but the smile that shone at her brought warmth to the girl. Pansy Parkinson often told her daughter that she was the only thing that could make her truly smile…She began to see Jacob and Soledad happily laughing on their brooms as they hovered a few feet over the ground, trying to knock each other off…She saw Brian and James, towering over Lilly and Cassie, driving them to hysterical fits of giggles with their jokes…And Anthony…all she saw was his eyes; his eyes that stared down at her with all the love in the world…God she loved his eyes…

Anthony's eyes faded away into the darkness that engulfed Taylor's mind.

Anthony stared at the Sleeping Potion that sat on the night table next to the bed he was in. It wasn't his bed; it was one of the white Hospital Wing beds, those hard, uncomfortable beds. He hated these beds.

Unknown to his parents, Anthony had slept in this very bed many times throughout his years at Hogwarts. When his night terrors would become uncontrollable, Jacob and Brian would sneak him down to the Hospital Wing using The Marauders Map. Madame Pomfrey, after the fifth time, she had set this bed up for him every night, Sleeping Potion ready.

He didn't want to take it though. He hated the taste of it, though he thought that it was his mind telling him he hated it. It tasted like strawberries. And Anthony liked strawberries…but he hated the Sleeping Potion.

Anthony listened for the footsteps of his mother and Madame Pomfrey to disappear. He knew that they wouldn't go far, but they were far enough for him to escape.

Without making the bed creak, Anthony slid off, and tiptoed towards the curtain. Slowly, he pulled it away, and peeked out. His assumptions were correct; his mother and Madame Pomfrey were on the other side of the Hospital Wing, talking into the fireplace.

"How's he doing?" Anthony heard his father ask.

"He just took a sleeping potion, he was a bit shaken up." Hermione answered, although her voice was still just as shaky as Anthony had been.

Without listening to another word, Anthony flipped out his wand, pointed it to his chest and muttered his favorite charm,

"Invisocorpus." His body shook and he was now invisible for seventeen seconds. He crept towards the door of the Hospital Wing, which was barely open.

Slinking into the hall way was much easier than Anthony had anticipated. It was eerily empty, and he assumed that the entire student body was getting in their seats for the Quidditch match. He wasn't about to go and join them.

Anthony knew the second Dumbledore had asked Taylor about Jacob, that the wise wizard knew something was wrong with him. The red head shuddered at the thought of his brother being hurt, and he was determined to find him before it was too late.

Jacob had told Anthony that he was heading out to Hogsmeade with Soledad. He also told him that he was going to ask her to be his girlfriend, which Anthony thought was pretty brave, considering Jacob had never done that before. Maybe the two had gotten caught up in each other, and had lost track of time. Maybe.

His twin's favorite entrance to Hogsmeade was one Jacob and Ronny had discovered, one night after a Gryffindor Quidditch party. It was actually right in the hallway of the Gryffindors, hidden behind a suit of armor; it must have been too obvious for past students to find.

So, that's where he was going. If Jacob wasn't back, if Jacob was missing, it must be because of something that had happened in Hogsmeade. There were very few things on this planet that could have stopped his brother from missing this game.

Anthony began to quicken his pace as he rushed by the Great Hall. Peeves was wearing a knight's helmet as he hovered ten feet in the air. The red head stopped, but he wasn't sure what had caused him to. The Poltergeist spotted him immediately,

"Oh hello there, your majesty, your great, your royal Head Boy!" He giggled madly, the helmet swiveling around on his head. Anthony sighed softly and rubbed his shoulder.

"Hello Peeves, what do you have there?"

Peeves spun around and pulled the helmet off of his head, holding it in his grubby little hands.

"Just some armor I found lying around, skidded out from the Gryffindor hallway, it did."

Anthony's eyes left the helmet to stare at the Poltergeist.

"R-really?" He asked softly. Peeves nodded, not noticing the anxious look on the Head Boy's face.

"Oh yes, bounced madly on top of Mrs. Norris, and I snatched it before that wretched Filch could get it. Chased me for a good ten minutes! Here, take a look!" And he tossed the helmet to Anthony, who barely caught it.

"Thanks…Peeves…" He said, staring at the helmet. As if snapping back into reality, Anthony began to race down the hallway, helmet under his arm.

"Hey! Bring that back!" Peeves screamed, but as he began to chase Anthony, a pair of first years walked out of the Great Hall, and the Poltergeist found them much more interesting ("Oooh! Ickle Firsties!").

As he raced past the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, a huge quaver of pain shot down his left side, and his momentum threw him down, the helmet clanging on the ground. Anthony was able to keep his head from bouncing off the floor by putting his hands out, but his knees weren't so lucky. Now, his legs shook in pain and his shoulder continued to throb.

For a few moments, Anthony didn't think he had the strength to lift himself up. He had never felt so weak before…it was almost as if his energy was slowly fading away…

I have to find Jacob. He thought, gritting his teeth. With all his might, despite his throbbing shoulder and knees, Anthony pushed himself up and started towards the Gryffindor hallway.

Before he got up, however, he noticed something sparkling near the helmet. He bent down to examine it closer, and was surprised to see a golden ring stuck on one of the hinges. Anthony picked up the helmet and unhooked the ring.

It was really beautiful ring, a golden band with what seemed to be an ivy vine circling it. He wondered how it had gotten in there, and twirled it in his fingers. Deciding that no one had seen it in many, many, years, Anthony slipped it in his pocket, not sure what he was going to do with it, and continued on his trek.

As he got closer to the hallway, he noticed more pieces of knight's armor lying around, and Anthony pulled out his wand. The red head reached the corner that turned down to Gryffindor Tower, and a chill slipped through his body; he felt someone's presence.

Slowly, he peered around the corner, and his heart literally stopped.

Taylor was in the grasp of Richard Malfoy, dangling in his hands about a quarter meter off the ground. The speed of the blood rushing to Anthony's face was slow compared to his trek towards Malfoy.

Of course, Malfoy saw him, and he dropped Taylor to the ground, though still holding her neck. Anthony's wand was pointed straight at the man, and Malfoy quickly pulled the girl in front of him, his arm around her neck.

"Come to finish me off, Weasel?"

"Get. Off. Of. Her." Anthony said, his voice deeper and darker than it had ever been. Taylor opened her eyes at his words, staring at him as if she didn't believe he was real. The boy's gaze did not soften at hers.

He had expected to be terrified confronting Richard, but an enormous batch of Gryffindor courage was swelling in his chest, and Anthony knew he was not going to back down.

Richard pulled on Taylor tighter, and she grimaced again, still prying at his wrists. Anthony wondered where her wand was as he took a few steps towards them.

"I wouldn't do that, Weasel." Richard growled, shoving his free hand into his pocket. Anthony paused, realizing that Malfoy might have Taylor's wand.

He never expected what he pulled out.

"A gun?" Anthony choked out, hardly believing what he was seeing. Richard snarled and put the gun to Taylor's temple. She gasped at his touch, shutting her eyes.

"It's very useful, and I'm very good at using it." He prodded the side of Taylor's head with it again, smirking victoriously at the red head.

Anthony lowered his arm, leaving his wand at his side. He stared at Richard in disbelief, and then he did something that sent shivers through Malfoy's body.

He laughed.

It was only a small chuckle, but the smile---no---smirk that Anthony now had on his face made Richard very uneasy. Taylor peeked her eyes open to stare at her boyfriend, and she looked on at him with great confusion.

"What are you laughing at?!" Richard demanded, tightening his arm around Taylor's neck and poking her with the gun again. This caused Anthony's laughter to increase, and he crossed his arms to try to contain himself. "WHAT?!"

The red haired boy shook his head softly, using one had to push up his glasses. He clicked his tongue at Richard, and tilted his head slightly.

"Muggle devices don't work in Hogwarts, you fool." Anthony spat, grinning widely. Richard shook his head and pointed the gun at the red head.

"You're lying! I just used it!"

It was then that Anthony noticed the heap red and gold behind them. He saw the brown curls of Soledad, and his stomach flipped a little. No. He thought. Anthony knew that he was right, the gun wouldn't work; it couldn't. He must've shot her…in Hogsmeade? Then…then where's Jacob?

"It works!" Malfoy screamed again, and Anthony heard the click of the trigger.

Nothing happened. Richard stared at the gun in amazement, and he began to shake it, then trying to fire it again. The bullets remained inside.

Anthony raised his wand to eye level as he started to approach Richard and Taylor.

"Tsk tsk Malfoy, didn't you ever read Hogwarts, A History?" Anthony said, and his chest filled with pride. He had to hug his mother later for introducing him to that book those many years ago.

Richard, whose face had gone scarlet, backed up, with Taylor still in his grasp. From what Anthony could tell, the girl looked very weak, and her eyes had been closed since the sound of the first trigger.

"Just let her go, and we'll take you back to St. Mungo's, you'll be better off there."

"NO!" Richard screamed, thrashing the arm with the gun about. "I can't go back there! I don't belong there, I'M NOT MAD!"

"Then I will just have to stun you." Anthony said, in his calmest voice.

Richard shook his head, shutting his eyes.

"I dare you to risk it, with me holding your precious little girlfriend."

Anthony growled and took a few more steps towards Richard, but noticed that the Malfoy didn't budge. He had a smug look on his face, which made Anthony's burn even more.

"Let her GO." He yelled, causing red and gold sparks to fly out of his wand. Richard stepped back slightly, dragging Taylor's feet along the ground.

"Make me." Richard hissed softly, and in a split second, he had smashed the gun to the side of Taylor's head.

"NO!" Anthony screamed, reaching for Taylor, who had slumped in Richard's grasp. His face was scarlet, but he knew that he could not risk hitting Taylor with a curse.

"Your aim not good enough to try and hit me?" He taunted. "Mr. 'I-Survived-The-Cruciatus-Curse-At-Only-Eleven' is not up to par? Come on, hit me with your best--"

He didn't finish his sentence, because a shrilly voice from behind him screamed,

"STUPEFY!" Two rays of yellow light shot out towards Malfoy.

Richard slumped to the ground, and Anthony dived to catch the falling Taylor. He caught her, oddly. With a bit of a baseball slide, he was able to catch his unconscious girlfriend, and then he fell to the ground on his back, Taylor lying on top of him.

"Oh..." He moaned, sitting up and carefully holding Taylor in his arms.

Soledad was standing up, shaking terribly. In her hands she had both her wand and Taylor's. She looked at Anthony and smiled weakly, tossing him Taylor's wand.

Her lip was bleeding, but she didn't notice, and her right eye was squinting as it swelled. The ponytail that held her brown curls was now very loose, letting her hair stand up in frizzy ringlets.

"Soledad…" He whispered, and as fast as he could, Anthony swept Taylor up into his arms, and started towards his friend. Soledad put a hand up, shaking her head. "Wha…what?"

He watched as tears formed in her eyes, and she sobbed slightly. Anthony wanted to throw up as tears slipped down her cheeks.

"Anthony…" She started, wiping her eyes with her free hand. Anthony noticed that she had dry blood all over her hands.

"Where's Jacob?" He choked out, pulling Taylor closer to him. He held her under her legs and behind her back; her head lolling onto his shoulder.

At his words, Soledad's sobs became more rapid, and she dropped her wand.

"Soledad, you have to tell me where Jacob is!" He shouted, his voice straining to remain strong.

"He's…ay Dios mio, Anthony!" She fell to her knees and began to cry uncontrollably.

Anthony's legs trembled and all he could do was think of not dropping Taylor to keep him standing.

"Please tell me…" He whispered, staring down at her, eyes brimming with tears. "Soledad, please."

"What's going on—OH!" Footsteps scrambled towards them, and soon, Hermione Weasley, Professor Potter, and Professor Snape joined them.

Snape immediately bound Malfoy in many different types of ropes and knots, and lifted him off the ground, by muttering, "Mobilicorpus."

Hermione raced to Soledad's side, helping the girl stand up, and Professor Potter stopped near Anthony.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked quietly, pushing some hair away from his face, revealing his lightning bolt scar.

"I…I don't know…she…she was unconscious, then she woke up and knocked out Richard…then she just started crying…" He sputtered, still in a bit of shock.

Professor Potter frowned and looked back towards the two women. Hermione had managed to stand Soledad up, but it didn't seem like she could get the girl to speak.

"Miss. Diego," Professor Potter said, taking a few steps towards her, "Why are you so upset, is it about Jacob?"

At Jacob's name, Soledad began to cry harder, and she nodded, turning into Hermione and burying her head into the woman's shoulder. Hermione seemed to be at the brink of tears as well, and she listened closely to the mumbled voice of Soledad.

Professor Snape stood by as well, listening carefully and not noticing that Richard was floating upside down. He bent down slowly, and picked up the gun, examining it.

A small gasp escaped Hermione's lips, and she immediately laid her eyes on Anthony, and he knew, he absolutely knew what was wrong.

"Where is he?" He whispered, backing away slightly. Professor Potter seemed to have understood too, and he unconsciously gripped his wand.

Hermione shut her eyes and then opened them, letting her tears fall freely.

"He…he's in the Shrieking Shack."

Jacob Weasley was tired. He sighed as one of his legs slid off of the couch he was lying on. He was far too tall to lie on it properly.

The Shrieking Shack creaked in the wind of Hogsmeade, and Jacob thought of it as a very lonely place.

I wonder what it was like for James' dad. He thought. James. James likes Lilly. Heh. That's funny. That's like her grandparents. How weird.

Another wave of pain shot through his body, and Jacob shuddered violently. He had told Soledad that it didn't hurt, that he just needed to rest. He did need to rest, for a very long time, so, that wasn't a lie. But, alas, it did hurt.

At first, it had just been his shoulder area that was throbbing with pain. Before Soledad left, she placed a few healing charms on him, to stop the bleeding, but they must not have been strong enough because the stain on his jersey and the couch was getting bigger every time Jacob checked.

His head hummed in agony, and the ache had now spread to his chest. It almost felt as if someone was squeezing his lungs together, and his mouth was painfully dry.

Oy. He thought. What was that thing? I bet Anthony would know…he knows everything.

Jacob opened his eyes, and the sunlight that flowed into them burned. He trembled again, this time, moaning.

How much blood can you lose before you die? I hope it's a lot, I don't really want to die. But I guess…I guess if I do, I've had a pretty good life. I mean, I never graduated, and I never got to play in my last Quidditch match…hmm.

What else haven't I done?

There's opening a Quidditch shop with Brian, I know he's going to be disappointed by that. Maybe James will help him, although I doubt he knows as much about Quidditch as I do.

Oh! That reminds me! I never saw Gaudio play, he retired right before Soledad invited me to a game. He was going to make a comeback this summer, playing in an All-Star game…damn.

I won't be Anthony's best man, and he won't be mine. I'll never get to see how nervous he is while watching Taylor coming down the aisle…because of course they're getting married! If they didn't, I would've had to kill him…

And Emily, oy, I won't see Emily graduate, or get married…and Delaney, she's can barely talk to me, but I love her so much.

Mum is going to be really upset, she's very emotional, crying at every single sappy moment. I've never seen her truly upset, except that time in first year…with Anthony. I never want to see her like that again. Dad'll probably be strong, I mean, if he cries, then Mum will completely lose it. I hope neither of them find me, I don't want them to see me like this…

I never went to New York, I told my parents I was going to live there, to start a whole new Weasley clan. With…with Soledad. Oy…I never told her I loved her, I do, I do love her. I just didn't think the Shrieking Shack was a very romantic place, not that I think it's a very good place to die…

Voices interrupted his train of thought. Had he really heard that? Were there…were there really voices somewhere near him? Maybe…maybe he can call them…for help…

"Help." He tried to call, but it came out as a very strained gasp. Jacob couldn't believe how much that hurt, and he held in a sob.

Bloody hell, I'm going to die. Good Godric, I'm really going to die. By some stupid Muggle device, God damn it!

He tried to throw himself up, to at least sit up, but, it was no use, it was as if his body had given up. He started to shake, and it suddenly became very cold, the freezing air blowing on his cheeks and his eyelids brightened with the light that entered the room.

Jacob opened his mouth to gasp, but he couldn't even do that. He cringed, and shook his head softly, back and forth…back and forth…

I don't want to die…

His eyes began to roll around and his head swirled so much that he swore he could actually feel the swirling. He saw his family and friends waving at him, and oddly enough, he saw his mother's old cat, Crookshanks. He hadn't seen that cat since he was five, when it died.

The ginger cat purred and nodded his head towards a bright white door. Everyone else disappeared, leaving just Jacob and the cat.

"Crookshanks?" He called. He looked down at his body, and Jacob gasped softly. He was in full Quidditch attire, standing up in a grassy field. The wind was blowing the blades of grass slowly in the direction of the white door.

Crookshanks seemed to roll his eyes, and he started to walk towards the white door.

"Come on Jacob, you used to chase me all the time!" The ginger cat said jumping up into a little dance. Jacob didn't even wonder how it could speak.

"I was five." He answered. "I'm sorry I chased you, I know you didn't like that."

Crookshanks looked back at him, and smiled widely,

"Ah, it got annoying, but since you're Hermione's, I couldn't do anything about that. Now your father…not biting him was harder to control."

The two shared a laugh, and…Jacob began to follow him. Crookshanks smiled his crooked smile and trotted off, seemingly walking through the door.

Jacob reached the door, and put his hand out for the handle. He…didn't grip it though, he felt like he shouldn't.

"Jacob…" He heard Crookshanks voice call. Jacob looked straight ahead, and now, he could see through the door. He saw Hogwarts, and he saw the Quidditch field, and the stands were full of people. The game had started…who had replaced him?

"Jacob…" Crookshanks called again, but it seemed closer, deeper, and much louder.

He had to decide whether to open the door or not. He didn't want to see someone else playing Keeper in his last game. Finally, he decided not to open the door, he didn't want to have to witness the game if he wasn't in it.


Jacob backed away from the door, and he tripped on something, falling back…

But he didn't hit the ground, he continued to fall, he felt his body being pulled further and further away from the white door, and suddenly, it all stopped.