Fred clapped his hand over his mouth. All the colour drained from Draco's face and he let out a low whimper. George glared at him, still shaking from his first sight of Voldemort.

'Did you know he was here?' He hissed furiously, kicking off Pansy's stilettoes and shoving on his own shoes once more.

Malfoy shook his head dumbly. It was evident from his horrified expression that he was telling the truth. 'Although', he murmured, 'it does explain why Father has been so tetchy and tense lately.'

'You mean more than usual?' Sniped Fred angrily, 'what are we going to do?

'Nothing you can do', whispered Malfoy, 'she's beyond help now. I'll make sure you get out safely again, and I won't say anything about it to Father, or anyone.'

George gave Malfoy a clout across the head, scowling. 'We are not leaving here without Tonks', he said adamantly. He looked across at Fred. 'Can one of us go for reinforcements?'

'You can't disapparate from this house, and if you just sneak out, she'd be dead by the time you get back, most likely', Malfoy said, rubbing his head and eyeing George with intense dislike.

'The little git's right', Fred replied, 'we can't go for help. We'll have to go in ourselves.'

'So you're going to commit suicide, basically?' Malfoy asked sarcastically. 'Oh, what a loss you'll be to the human race.'

Fred pointed down at his stilettoes and then looked grimly back at Malfoy. 'Unless you want one of them stuck somewhere rather unpleasant, I suggest you shut up', he said coldly, 'now buzz off, go over there, I need to talk to George. But don't try anything funny!'

Malfoy sighed impatiently, and wandered over to the corner. Fred and George put their heads together, and both saw the fear in his brother's eyes.

'Even if...' George swallowed before finishing his sentence, 'even if we can't get her out alive, we have to stop him getting information from her.'

'Do you know how to do the Unforgiveables?' Fred breathed.

'I've never actually done any of them, but I know how they're done', George whispered back, 'you?'

'Ah, dear innocent brother', Fred responded with a grim smile, 'yes, I've done crucio once or twice before.'

'When?' George was amazed.

'Remember that time last year when Crabbe and Goyle cursed you on the way to quidditch training, and you ended up in the hospital wing for a few days, and you were pretty bad?Well, I took some revenge for you. They didn't know it was me though.'

George looked impressed. 'Well okay then, we'll go for that-you do the curse, and I'll try and grab Tonks. We'll be out of there in ten seconds flat.'

They looked at each other, and although they both knew this plan was utterly ridiculous, that one didn't simply curse Voldemort and get away without trouble, they knew they had no choice.

'If anything happens...' George said hesitantly.

'It won't', Fred interrupted firmly, 'but, purely hypothetically, if it did....'

'Hey Malfoy', George hissed, 'get over here!'

Draco traipsed back over to them, still looking very pale, but defiant.

'Look', Fred said roughly, 'if something happens to us, we want you tell our family that we had to do it.'

'And we're leaving the shop to Ron.' George added.

'And all our money to Mum and Dad.'

'And our wands and equipment to the Order.'

'Just tell Mum, she'll sort it all out. And if we're not too badly...messed up...can you make sure our bodies get given back to our family?'

Draco looked from one to the other in total amazement. 'You think your Mum and and Dad will want to hear your last will and testament from me?' He said with a smirk, 'you're mad. Both of you!'

'Go upstairs Draco', George said abruptly, 'we don't want you involved in this, all right?You had nothing to do with this, if anyone asks. You really thought we were Pansy and Montague, right?'

Malfoy's mouth hung open, and after several seconds, Fred shouted 'go! Now!'

Malfoy turned on his heel, and ran into the darkness.

Fred turned to George. 'Ready?' He said, grinning.

'Lee'll be so mad he missed this', George replied, grinning back and pointing his wand at the door. 'Alohomora!'

If they had spent anymore time considering what to do, they both knew they would never have had the courage to do it.

The door burst open, and Fred and George threw themselves into the room. Fred bellowed 'Crucio!', and aimed his wand at Lord Voldemort, who stood over a bleeding Tonks on the far side of the room.

Taken completely by surprise, the curse hit the Dark Lord square in the chest, and he collapsed, shrieking. George sprinted across to Tonks and began to lift her up.

But an invisible hand stopped him.

'Come on George!' Fred roared, and he started across the room to help his brother. But a terrible sight stopped him in his tracks.

Someone was pulling off an Invisibility Cloak. Someone small and portly, dressed in a sharp suit and pinstriped cloak. He was clutching George tightly by the arm.

'Come off it', Fred whispered, 'what's going on?'

Cornelius Fudge smiled unpleasantly. 'You Weasleys have been causing me trouble for years', he said loftily, twisting George's arm until he cried out, 'I should have guessed it would be one of you who would find out eventually. One of you lot, or that meddling Potter boy.'

Fred looked from the still-writhing Voldemort to the Minister for Magic. 'Let go of George', he said, as calmly as he could manage, 'and then we can talk.'

'Oh no, my dear boy', Fudge said, grinning, 'you won't be making the rules this evening. I will.'

But he let go of George nonetheless, giving him a kick in the back so that he fell forwards onto the cold stone floor, groaning. Fred clenched his fists, but did nothing. He didn't want to draw attention to his wand, until he had to.

'They said Dumbledore and Voldemort were the strongest wizards in the world', Fudge said harshly, 'but what about me? They all underestimated me! They thought I was incompitent, a fool. But all along, I was biding my time. Waiting until I had a chance to gain control of one or the other. Did they really think the Dementors would desert me, when I promised them the souls of all prisoners, whether they were innocent or guilty?'

'You what?' Fred cried. His head was spinning, and he was still trying to get to grips with the fact that he had knocked Voldemort out, and Cornelius Fudge had popped up out of nowhere.

Fudge pointed his wand at the door, and it shut with an ominous clang. He clicked his fingers, and chains sprang up from the nowhere to wrap themselves around Fred's legs and arms. The same chains restrained George, but Tonks remained unchained, as she posed no threat.

'Now, Frederick, I believe?' Fudge said, raising an eyebrow. Fred nodded, gritting his teeth.

'I thought it was you', he said, 'you always had a worse attitude than the other one. That's how I remember you. Now Frederick, I am going to tell you the truth about Cornelius Fudge. Then, I will have to kill you.'