Bringing Back Fred

'He couldn't be dead'

Mum, dad, everybody – they were just sitting around Fred's body and weeping. They wanted me too to cry over my brother's loss. But all the tears inside me had dried. The fire of anger had dried them up.

'How could he leave me alone?'

We were a pair, born and brought up like that. We were supposed to be like that – Fred and George. Fred AND George.

I got up from there and started running towards……I didn't know where. I was just running – dodging the numerous spells thrown on me, jumping over the scattered furniture and statues and crests, pushing away the crowd – I was running away.

I entered the nearest empty room. It was the headmaster's office. Snape had built a backdoor entry to the room for accessing the west part of the building without having to go through the north part. The room was in a mess and so was I. A lot of junk materials and magical stuff lay scattered around. I was standing near the cupboard that held the sorting hat. I picked up the black, ragged hat. It had sorted us both into Gryffindor. I threw it away with all the might I had. Then I picked up another thing and threw that too away. Very soon, I was throwing everything that was accessible - The bunch of quills on the table, the black robe of Snape, the time turner……………….

…………………..the time turner.

I had heard about it from Ron and Hermione had shown it to me while we were in Grimmauld Place, back before the beginning of the seventh year. She had used it for managing time for her endless classes.

'But she had also saved Sirius' life.'

I dived inside the junk where I had thrown it. I hoped, sincerely, that I hadn't destroyed it. Amongst the pile of old wands and worn off badges, I spotted it – the time turner. I took it out and stared at it. I had an honest chance of bringing Fred back. For nearly a minute, I stood gazing at the God-sent device.

I didn't know how to use it. During our stay at Grimmauld Place, Hermione had refused to demonstrate how to use it stating some reasons that were now seeming ridiculous. All I could do now was to guess. I did just that. From its name, I knew it had to turn. But what? Probably the knob. There was a piece of metal attached to the top of the time-turner. A ring was also attached to it from which a chain hung.

I turned the knob once.

Nothing happened.

I turned the knob twice.

Nothing happened.

It wasn't working. Had I destroyed it, did it work selectively – I didn't know. The frustration inside me was growing. I clenched it in my fists and squatted on the ground when my eyes fell on the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

He could help. He would help. He would have to help.

I got up and stumbled my way to his portrait. He was smiling.

"I knew you'd come. He wasn't supposed to go," Dumbledore said in a calm voice.

"I don't know how to use it," I stammered.

"Put the chain around your neck and turn the knob,"

Then he vanished. I knew I was right. I knew he wasn't supposed to go.

I put the chain round my neck and turned the knob once. Things around me didn't change much, only the things that I had thrown, reached their original places.

I knew I needed to rush.

I did.

Almost immediately I was at the sight of the duel of Fred and Rookwood. Nobody, except me, had enough time to notice both, me and the George dueling near the tapestry. I thanked God for it.

Rookwood was about to throw that spell.

Now………

Now…………………

I noticed him muttering a non-verbal chant and I understood that I had to work instantly

"incantatem reverto"

I spoke and turned my wrist towards Rookwood. The spell he had thrown, hit him square in his chest and he fell down, his face muffled by his dirty brown robes.

"Thanks bro," Fred winked.

"Welcome back," I winked back.

I turned the time turner once again and reached the headmaster's office. I took it out and pit it back on the table and rushed back to where my brother was.

The war was over. Voldemort had been killed.

Fred came up to me running and chanted, " Where were you? You missed the duel of Harry and the dark lord"

I didn't know what to say. For once in my life, my tongue was sewn. I just hugged him, with all the love that I had. I had gotten my brother, my twin, my half back. I couldn't be more thankful.

'He couldn't be dead.'