This resides in the same universe as my story Thawing Out, though it is easily read without reading that one first.
Percy Weasley
He still feels a bit out of place, and he knows that he and his family are going to need to talk after this, but right now, he's just mad. He's not sure he's ever been this mad in his life, nor has he ever been so convinced that life isn't fair. He finally stuffed his pride down far enough to apologize. He finally made things right with his family.
And now Fred's gone. Fred's gone, and it's all Percy's fault. Fred is gone because Percy came back.
He tried to do something right. He tried to do the right thing, because he's been doing the wrong thing for so very, very long.
But when he finally does the right thing, everything goes oh-so-wrong.
He's a walking disaster. Everything he touches crumbles to ash. And normally, that'd upset him, but right now, he's just really, really pissed off.
A Death Eater crashes to the ground under his wand. Then another. And another.
A pissed off Percy Weasley is a frightening thing.
And then he catches sight of Rookwood, who slipped away from him in the chaos, and everything sharpens. Everything in his direct line of vision gets clearer, crisper, and everything in the periphery blurs. The world seems to speed up.
Percy weaves deftly through the crowd, grateful, for once, for his exceptional height. He can keep Rookwood in sight easily. Rookwood is backed against a wall, which is smart, because it means he can't be attacked from behind, but also not, because he has nowhere to go. Percy smirks.
He sidles up from the side so that the man doesn't notice him until it's too late. Percy petrifies him.
The rage inside him is cold and dark – Percy's not quite sure there's a limit on what he'd do right now. He's full of ice.
"Hello, Augustus," Percy purrs. Rookwood's eyes widen in terror, but that's the only movement he can manage. "I did mention I'd find you, did I not?"
Rookwood can't respond. Percy grins darkly. "This is for my brother."
But before Percy can even cast a spell, a rough, calloused hand catches his wrist. Percy turns defensively, ready to slip out of the loose hold, but is surprised by who it's attached to.
"Oliver?"
"Finally come back, Percy?" Oliver asks mildly, as though there aren't fatal spells flying all around them. As though he didn't just stop Percy from murdering a man in cold blood.
Percy nods. He and Oliver having been talking every once in a while since Christmas, when Percy finally came to the realization that he was being a complete idiot.
"Apologized?" Oliver asks.
Percy nods again.
"And, what exactly, did Rookwood do to you?" Oliver asks, still with the same mild tone, still ignoring the battle raging around them. A one-track mind, Percy remembers. Oliver has always had a one track mind. And then it catches up to him what Oliver just asked, and Percy crumples.
"Fred," he chokes out. "Fred's dead, because of him."
Oliver's eyes widen, then narrow. "Son of a…" he mutters.
Percy utters a sound that's halfway between a sob and a bitter laugh, but Oliver has known Percy long enough that he knows it means he agrees.
Percy can see Oliver reigning in anger – he spent four years on the same Quidditch team as Fred and George; they were good friends.
"Percy," Oliver says finally. "He may deserve it, but you can't. You can't."
The flame in Percy's eyes tapers out. "He deserves it," Percy rasps.
"I know, Perce. I know."
And at the soft tone of Oliver's voice, Percy finally droops. The adrenaline stops flooding his system, though it's by no means gone, because he'd be unable to stand if it were.
It's at that moment – which is rather convenient for them, really, because neither of them is really paying attention to the battle anymore – that Voldemort's voice echos through the Great Hall.
"You have fought valiantly. Lord Voldemort knows how to value bravery."
And Percy shudders, but Oliver releases the spell on Rookwood, who tries to scamper, but Oliver stuns him, stating, "The Aurors can have him, when this is over." And when Voldemort is done speaking, Oliver murmurs just one phrase.
"You're not a killer, Percy."
And Percy says in return, "Thank you."
