Disclaimer: They're not mine and they never will be :-(
Three cheers for Ms Rowling!!!
...................................................................
"He looks better. What've they given him?"
"Some sort of mind expansion potion. I didn't really understand it."
Bill glanced at Charlie in surprise. "Mind expansion? Do they know what happened to him?"
"No. I don't think they've ever seen a case like this before. That healer was really put out by it. The way he explained it, it was like Fred's memories just expanded and he couldn't handle it. Like someone performed a reverse memory charm or something."
"Geez. So it's something serious. I thought he might have been mucking around with one of those skiving snackboxes they were working on. They had one for nose bleeds you know."
"Yeah, George showed me last night."
"How's Mum taking it?"
"How'd'you think?"
"That bad huh?"
"She's off talking to the healer right now. How are the squirts?"
"They're with James and Sirius. I don't think Ron was too impressed with being left behind though."
"Did he chuck a mental?"
"Not this time. It was coming though. He might have been holding it back until George was out of there."
They both looked at George. He was seated across the other side of the healer's room, by Fred's bedside, just staring at his twin. His expression was somewhere between grief and confusion. As Bill and Charlie watched, George tentatively reached out to touch Fred's hand, but quickly flinched back before making contact. Fred's face was deathly white.
"I'll go," said Bill.
Charlie nodded and hung back as Bill approached George.
"You think he looks bad now you should have seen him before," said Bill conspiratorially.
George snorted, not taking his eyes from Fred. "What the hell'd he look like before?"
"Oh you know. Blood, guts, bones, fur, lipstick."
George snorted again.
"Seriously he does look better. Whatever the healers did it appears to be working."
"It better. Mum's gonna pop her lid if another one of us…." he broke off the sentence. Bill understood that George was unwilling to jinx the situation by actually mentioning Arthur's untimely end.
"I don't think it's as bad as it looks," he said reassuringly. "From what Charlie told me the healers have saved him from the worst of it. Something about mind expansion. Who knows, maybe he'll wake up and be intelligent."
"Yeah, he was lacking in that area."
"Mmm."
"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY SON!!! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?! HE'S BEEN PERFECTLY WELL UNTILL TONIGHT!!"
The three brothers turned to the direction their mother's voice was coming from.
"How far down the hall you reckon she is?" asked Bill.
"Oh I'd estimate a hundred and fifty meters." said George.
"Two hundred," said Charlie, "Her projection's improved over the last year."
"THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE HOUSE WHO COULD HAVE WANTED TO HURT HIM!! ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BEING A BAD MOTHER?!"
Bill glanced quickly at Charlie, who nodded slightly, then headed out to break up the escalating conflict in the hall.
"LET ME TELL YOU, YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT . . . ." Molly broke off as she spotted Bill strolling toward her. "Oh Bill! Bill! Did you bring George dear? Is he here?"
She quite suddenly looked very vulnerable and Bill's heart went out to her. He quickly reached her and put his arms around her. "I brought him, he's in with Fred."
"Good. Good. The healers say we should keep them together at a time like . . . a time like this." She promptly broke into tears against Bill's robes.
Bill motioned for the distressed healer she had been abusing to go about his way. The healer nodded gratefully and hurried off.
"Oh how is he Bill? George I mean."
"He's doing okay."
Molly broke apart from Bill and pulled herself together.
"Well I'd better go and see him."
"Yeah."
Molly wiped the tears from her face, raised her chin and began to stride down toward Fred's room.
Before she reached it however Charlie came hurtling out shouting "He's awake! Mum! Bill! Quick! He's woken up!"
Bill and Molly were at Fred's bedside within seconds.
George was grinning, "Welcome back to the living," he was saying.
"Good to be back," said Fred croakily, "How long was I out for?" He was trying to push himself up into a sitting position while shaking his head as if to clear it. George helped him to sit up.
"Only a few hours, you had us all worried."
Fred looked about blearily. "Where's Dad?"
Molly and Bill exchanged a worried look.
"He's gone Fred. You remember," said Charlie firmly.
Fred turned to stare at him. "Remember," he said softly. "Yeah. I do."
"Can we get you anything Fred dear? Water? A healer? Charlie go fetch that healer I was just speaking with will you. He should know Fred's woken up."
Charlie nodded, gave Fred a small smile and left the room.
"So what happened?" asked George eagerly. "What did you do to yourself?"
"I fell," said Fred.
"Well yeah, but why?"
They looked at Fred expectantly. He looked from one to the next, studying each one carefully.
"There is something you can get me," he said to Molly, "I need to talk with James and Sirius."
"First tell us what happened," said George, put out by this unexpected request.
"No I need to talk them. Now," said Fred firmly, sitting up straight in his bed.
The look on Fred's face was one that Bill didn't recognize. Looking from one twin to the other it struck him that Fred somehow looked older. He wondered what effect the mind expansion potion would have had on Fred's personality over the last few hours as he slept. It had been related to memory. What did Fred remember?
"I'll go fetch them." Bill said.
"Thanks," said Fred relaxing against the pillows again, looking drained.
Bill rose and apparated away.
……………………………………………………….
"The kid's got guts I'll give him that."
"How's your eye?"
"I don't think it's going to swell up or anything. It's nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing when his fist was greeting your face."
"Prongs I'm an Auror. I've handled worse than angry fifteen year olds."
"That one's a worry though. I think we need to watch him."
"His brother was just taken to St. Mungos and he was stuck here helpless. How would you feel? I seem to remember you putting your fist through a thick glass pane window when they wouldn't let you see Moony after all that business."
"That was different. Back again Bill?"
Bill had just entered the Grimmald Place sitting room to find James and Sirius sitting side by side by the fireplace, Sirius gingerly touching his eye.
"Yeah. "
"How is he?" asked James, concerned. "Do you want me get Ron and Percy?"
Bill shook his head. "He woke up a few minutes ago."
James was surprised. "Woke up? That's great. The way he looked I was sure he'd be out for weeks."
"Yeah. The healers gave him a potion. Some sort of mind expansion thing. It seemed to work. He was a bit weird when he woke though. He wanted to speak to you two. I'll stay with the squirts if you two get to St. Mungos. Find out what this is all about."
"Sure," said Sirius, looking slightly confused. James knew why. Fred had never been particularly close to Sirius or James. Not like Bill and Charlie, and with good reason.
James and Sirius had never forgotten Fred. Or Harry for that matter.
They knew the timelines had been changed. Knew that this Fred would most likely never travel back in time to become the Fred that they remembered. But he was still Fred, and they had never been entirely comfortable with him.
"Sure, we'll go right away if you think we can help."
They rose and headed to the fireplace, promptly disappearing one after the other.
……………………………………….
A minute later they were back in Fred's room.
It was filled with four Weasleys and an odd sort of energy that the two marauders had trouble identifying. An awkwardness. As if something had been said or done to make everybody slightly uncomfortable and no one was really sure of what it was they should say.
Charlie looked almost relieved to see them.
"Good you're here. C'mon Mum."
"He tried to lead Molly out of the room."
"I'm staying with him," she argued in a tone that seemed to brook no argument.
"No. Let's go, he wants to talk to them on their own," said George.
As the two brothers lead their mother from the room Molly gave Sirius and James a suspicious look.
James felt indignant. What had they done? They hadn't even spoken since entering the room.
He turned his attention to Fred.
"Well you look a sight better than earlier," he said.
"We thought we'd be mourning you at your funeral for sure," Sirius added.
"No such luck," said Fred with a small smile.
"So you wanted to talk to us mate," said Sirius, taking George's chair and leaning back in it.
"Yeah," said Fred, "I just wanted you know that I remember. I remember it all."
"Remember all what?" asked Sirius in confusion.
But James understood immediately.
His stomach hit the floor.
"You remember Harry," he said.
…………………………………………..
Okay, first, for everybody who was confused, I've been told that it helps to go back three of four chapters just to remind yourself of where everybody is at before reading chapter 23.
For those of you who are REALLY confused. It is real. The timelines have been changed. Fred is not having a nightmare. I refuse to write a fanfiction where someone wakes up and it was all a dream.
Kudos to everyone who got it first time round!
Erica - Thanx, it's nice to be compared to your fave writers.
KrondorsAngel - What was your question? It seemed more like a good insight to me. ??
Templa Otmena - Great cost. The moral of the story - never assume you understand why things happen the way they do. Stuff just happens, and you may never know why, deal with it. I love the MPP stuff too. They're some of the best fictional characters ever created, not just by JK, who barely delves into the dynamic at all in the books, but by a collective bunch of fans who have created monsters.
This parrot has ceased to be - Why does your name have to be so long? Never fear, quite a few chapters to go yet. Glad you liked 22. It's by far my favorite chapter to date. J
Roonblah - You knew I was evil.
Ness Lupin - Sorry I killed your boyfriend. I'll make it up to you I promise.
Crazylittlebumblebee - Thankyou. The episodes are going to air right now. It's kind of bizarre actually.
Duskrider O - I liked that line two.
Gaul1 - Er, Harry's gone, so his scar has gone with him.
Tapdancing Parakeet - Close on some points off on others. Remember it may not have been Harry or Fred who decided to change things, it could have been anyone who knew the truth about the future. Also, Lily never knew all the facts as James held quite a bit back from her and she was not present when Harry had his outburst. Hope that helps, I'm giving anything else away.
PrincessofBarzel - Lily and James will be explained soon as will the identities of those who altered the timelines. Dumbledore couldn't change what had been done to the timelines because it was changed to the extent that Harry and Fred never came back in time at all, so they couldn't drink the potion that was supposed to reverse any changes. Fred remembers because he was in the past when the future was changed. His other memories stayed in tact because he was outside of the changes in a way. As for warm weather, I live in Melbourne! Not the sunny Gold Coast! It's four seasons in a day here all year round! Feel sympathy for me!! J
Ceeti - Oh come on, you gotta love a good cliffie!
Angelwings - Yes. His brain was melting from all the thinking. Melting! Melting!
Katya - Hope yougot to work on time. J
Larka - I might go back and fix the typos later.
Riley - Harry changed the timeline with his outburst in the forest. It wasn't something he intended to do, but once it was done it was too much for the potion to reverse. As for memory charms, I don't think any of the marauders would have allowed themselves to go under them. Besides, they're illegal. Harry's birth kind of required a s exual act between James and Lily. One which didn't occur in this timeline because they hate each other. No it's not a dream.
Until next time,
Cheers,
Whiskey.
Three cheers for Ms Rowling!!!
...................................................................
"He looks better. What've they given him?"
"Some sort of mind expansion potion. I didn't really understand it."
Bill glanced at Charlie in surprise. "Mind expansion? Do they know what happened to him?"
"No. I don't think they've ever seen a case like this before. That healer was really put out by it. The way he explained it, it was like Fred's memories just expanded and he couldn't handle it. Like someone performed a reverse memory charm or something."
"Geez. So it's something serious. I thought he might have been mucking around with one of those skiving snackboxes they were working on. They had one for nose bleeds you know."
"Yeah, George showed me last night."
"How's Mum taking it?"
"How'd'you think?"
"That bad huh?"
"She's off talking to the healer right now. How are the squirts?"
"They're with James and Sirius. I don't think Ron was too impressed with being left behind though."
"Did he chuck a mental?"
"Not this time. It was coming though. He might have been holding it back until George was out of there."
They both looked at George. He was seated across the other side of the healer's room, by Fred's bedside, just staring at his twin. His expression was somewhere between grief and confusion. As Bill and Charlie watched, George tentatively reached out to touch Fred's hand, but quickly flinched back before making contact. Fred's face was deathly white.
"I'll go," said Bill.
Charlie nodded and hung back as Bill approached George.
"You think he looks bad now you should have seen him before," said Bill conspiratorially.
George snorted, not taking his eyes from Fred. "What the hell'd he look like before?"
"Oh you know. Blood, guts, bones, fur, lipstick."
George snorted again.
"Seriously he does look better. Whatever the healers did it appears to be working."
"It better. Mum's gonna pop her lid if another one of us…." he broke off the sentence. Bill understood that George was unwilling to jinx the situation by actually mentioning Arthur's untimely end.
"I don't think it's as bad as it looks," he said reassuringly. "From what Charlie told me the healers have saved him from the worst of it. Something about mind expansion. Who knows, maybe he'll wake up and be intelligent."
"Yeah, he was lacking in that area."
"Mmm."
"I DON'T CARE WHO YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!! I WANT TO KNOW WHAT IS WRONG WITH MY SON!!! HOW COULD THIS HAVE HAPPENED?! HE'S BEEN PERFECTLY WELL UNTILL TONIGHT!!"
The three brothers turned to the direction their mother's voice was coming from.
"How far down the hall you reckon she is?" asked Bill.
"Oh I'd estimate a hundred and fifty meters." said George.
"Two hundred," said Charlie, "Her projection's improved over the last year."
"THERE WAS NO ONE IN THE HOUSE WHO COULD HAVE WANTED TO HURT HIM!! ARE YOU ACCUSING ME OF BEING A BAD MOTHER?!"
Bill glanced quickly at Charlie, who nodded slightly, then headed out to break up the escalating conflict in the hall.
"LET ME TELL YOU, YOU HAVE NO IDEA ABOUT . . . ." Molly broke off as she spotted Bill strolling toward her. "Oh Bill! Bill! Did you bring George dear? Is he here?"
She quite suddenly looked very vulnerable and Bill's heart went out to her. He quickly reached her and put his arms around her. "I brought him, he's in with Fred."
"Good. Good. The healers say we should keep them together at a time like . . . a time like this." She promptly broke into tears against Bill's robes.
Bill motioned for the distressed healer she had been abusing to go about his way. The healer nodded gratefully and hurried off.
"Oh how is he Bill? George I mean."
"He's doing okay."
Molly broke apart from Bill and pulled herself together.
"Well I'd better go and see him."
"Yeah."
Molly wiped the tears from her face, raised her chin and began to stride down toward Fred's room.
Before she reached it however Charlie came hurtling out shouting "He's awake! Mum! Bill! Quick! He's woken up!"
Bill and Molly were at Fred's bedside within seconds.
George was grinning, "Welcome back to the living," he was saying.
"Good to be back," said Fred croakily, "How long was I out for?" He was trying to push himself up into a sitting position while shaking his head as if to clear it. George helped him to sit up.
"Only a few hours, you had us all worried."
Fred looked about blearily. "Where's Dad?"
Molly and Bill exchanged a worried look.
"He's gone Fred. You remember," said Charlie firmly.
Fred turned to stare at him. "Remember," he said softly. "Yeah. I do."
"Can we get you anything Fred dear? Water? A healer? Charlie go fetch that healer I was just speaking with will you. He should know Fred's woken up."
Charlie nodded, gave Fred a small smile and left the room.
"So what happened?" asked George eagerly. "What did you do to yourself?"
"I fell," said Fred.
"Well yeah, but why?"
They looked at Fred expectantly. He looked from one to the next, studying each one carefully.
"There is something you can get me," he said to Molly, "I need to talk with James and Sirius."
"First tell us what happened," said George, put out by this unexpected request.
"No I need to talk them. Now," said Fred firmly, sitting up straight in his bed.
The look on Fred's face was one that Bill didn't recognize. Looking from one twin to the other it struck him that Fred somehow looked older. He wondered what effect the mind expansion potion would have had on Fred's personality over the last few hours as he slept. It had been related to memory. What did Fred remember?
"I'll go fetch them." Bill said.
"Thanks," said Fred relaxing against the pillows again, looking drained.
Bill rose and apparated away.
……………………………………………………….
"The kid's got guts I'll give him that."
"How's your eye?"
"I don't think it's going to swell up or anything. It's nothing."
"Didn't look like nothing when his fist was greeting your face."
"Prongs I'm an Auror. I've handled worse than angry fifteen year olds."
"That one's a worry though. I think we need to watch him."
"His brother was just taken to St. Mungos and he was stuck here helpless. How would you feel? I seem to remember you putting your fist through a thick glass pane window when they wouldn't let you see Moony after all that business."
"That was different. Back again Bill?"
Bill had just entered the Grimmald Place sitting room to find James and Sirius sitting side by side by the fireplace, Sirius gingerly touching his eye.
"Yeah. "
"How is he?" asked James, concerned. "Do you want me get Ron and Percy?"
Bill shook his head. "He woke up a few minutes ago."
James was surprised. "Woke up? That's great. The way he looked I was sure he'd be out for weeks."
"Yeah. The healers gave him a potion. Some sort of mind expansion thing. It seemed to work. He was a bit weird when he woke though. He wanted to speak to you two. I'll stay with the squirts if you two get to St. Mungos. Find out what this is all about."
"Sure," said Sirius, looking slightly confused. James knew why. Fred had never been particularly close to Sirius or James. Not like Bill and Charlie, and with good reason.
James and Sirius had never forgotten Fred. Or Harry for that matter.
They knew the timelines had been changed. Knew that this Fred would most likely never travel back in time to become the Fred that they remembered. But he was still Fred, and they had never been entirely comfortable with him.
"Sure, we'll go right away if you think we can help."
They rose and headed to the fireplace, promptly disappearing one after the other.
……………………………………….
A minute later they were back in Fred's room.
It was filled with four Weasleys and an odd sort of energy that the two marauders had trouble identifying. An awkwardness. As if something had been said or done to make everybody slightly uncomfortable and no one was really sure of what it was they should say.
Charlie looked almost relieved to see them.
"Good you're here. C'mon Mum."
"He tried to lead Molly out of the room."
"I'm staying with him," she argued in a tone that seemed to brook no argument.
"No. Let's go, he wants to talk to them on their own," said George.
As the two brothers lead their mother from the room Molly gave Sirius and James a suspicious look.
James felt indignant. What had they done? They hadn't even spoken since entering the room.
He turned his attention to Fred.
"Well you look a sight better than earlier," he said.
"We thought we'd be mourning you at your funeral for sure," Sirius added.
"No such luck," said Fred with a small smile.
"So you wanted to talk to us mate," said Sirius, taking George's chair and leaning back in it.
"Yeah," said Fred, "I just wanted you know that I remember. I remember it all."
"Remember all what?" asked Sirius in confusion.
But James understood immediately.
His stomach hit the floor.
"You remember Harry," he said.
…………………………………………..
Okay, first, for everybody who was confused, I've been told that it helps to go back three of four chapters just to remind yourself of where everybody is at before reading chapter 23.
For those of you who are REALLY confused. It is real. The timelines have been changed. Fred is not having a nightmare. I refuse to write a fanfiction where someone wakes up and it was all a dream.
Kudos to everyone who got it first time round!
Erica - Thanx, it's nice to be compared to your fave writers.
KrondorsAngel - What was your question? It seemed more like a good insight to me. ??
Templa Otmena - Great cost. The moral of the story - never assume you understand why things happen the way they do. Stuff just happens, and you may never know why, deal with it. I love the MPP stuff too. They're some of the best fictional characters ever created, not just by JK, who barely delves into the dynamic at all in the books, but by a collective bunch of fans who have created monsters.
This parrot has ceased to be - Why does your name have to be so long? Never fear, quite a few chapters to go yet. Glad you liked 22. It's by far my favorite chapter to date. J
Roonblah - You knew I was evil.
Ness Lupin - Sorry I killed your boyfriend. I'll make it up to you I promise.
Crazylittlebumblebee - Thankyou. The episodes are going to air right now. It's kind of bizarre actually.
Duskrider O - I liked that line two.
Gaul1 - Er, Harry's gone, so his scar has gone with him.
Tapdancing Parakeet - Close on some points off on others. Remember it may not have been Harry or Fred who decided to change things, it could have been anyone who knew the truth about the future. Also, Lily never knew all the facts as James held quite a bit back from her and she was not present when Harry had his outburst. Hope that helps, I'm giving anything else away.
PrincessofBarzel - Lily and James will be explained soon as will the identities of those who altered the timelines. Dumbledore couldn't change what had been done to the timelines because it was changed to the extent that Harry and Fred never came back in time at all, so they couldn't drink the potion that was supposed to reverse any changes. Fred remembers because he was in the past when the future was changed. His other memories stayed in tact because he was outside of the changes in a way. As for warm weather, I live in Melbourne! Not the sunny Gold Coast! It's four seasons in a day here all year round! Feel sympathy for me!! J
Ceeti - Oh come on, you gotta love a good cliffie!
Angelwings - Yes. His brain was melting from all the thinking. Melting! Melting!
Katya - Hope yougot to work on time. J
Larka - I might go back and fix the typos later.
Riley - Harry changed the timeline with his outburst in the forest. It wasn't something he intended to do, but once it was done it was too much for the potion to reverse. As for memory charms, I don't think any of the marauders would have allowed themselves to go under them. Besides, they're illegal. Harry's birth kind of required a s exual act between James and Lily. One which didn't occur in this timeline because they hate each other. No it's not a dream.
Until next time,
Cheers,
Whiskey.
