AN: Okay, first off - OH MY WORD!! I have over 50 reviews! Thanks so much to everyone who shared their opinion. It really means so much and helps tremendously. :)
Secondly, I fear that my head is about to fall off. Though it may not seem so, I really have been working on getting out new chapters for this and my other story, but yesterday my bloody computer for some reason deleted half of the stuff I had worked on, and I have only recently finished piecing it back together. So, here is this at least. I hope that it all makes sense. This has been the hardest chapter to write so far.
Fred sat on the floor of his dorm, rubbing a thumb over his swollen lip. He had spent the last half hour, emotions battling mind over what to do about his twin. He had no idea what he was even trying to accomplish, but it was his duty as George's brother and friend to get this entire mess fixed. He had tried talking to George over and again, and things had only gotten worse. But he couldn't just give up without a fight!
Oh wait! There had already been a fight. Hence the blacked eye and aching ribs. Fred shook his head - he would just have to face the truth. There was nothing else he could do. George would have to take care of himself.
But could he? If George had attacked anyone else, he would be in serious trouble now. And he had proved that he was capable of that with Wood. It wasn't fair for Fred to leave him like this when he obviously wasn't himself. Honestly, quitting the team? Something horrible had changed George and he either didn't know or wouldn't tell what it was.
If he was left to himself he would be expelled before anyone could find out. Fred couldn't let his brother be expelled in fifth year. He had to do something - but being punched to a pulp in the meantime was not a very appealing idea.
The important thing was talking to George and finding out exactly what his problem was. And obviously just asking wouldn't work. Fred had to get him someplace where they wouldn't be interrupted and George couldn't hurt anyone. Not again.
All the events of the past four days had led to this - Fred had to get his brother from the school for a bit.
He stood hurriedly and scrambled to his trunk. Everything was falling into order in his mind. More than it had been before at least.
Fred laughed at himself and the insanity of the plan that was forming in his mind. Yeah, just about as insane as the way that his life had been recently. He reached into his trunk to where he and George had concealed an old piece of parchment. The Marauder's Map.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good," Fred said forcefully, pressing his wand tip against the thin paper. This was most likely the first time that those words weren't completely true. Lines webbed their way across the map and Fred searched the familiar pages intently.
Where would be a good place? Fred had to make sure that by the time that the rest of the school realized that they were gone, they couldn't be found. He wouldn't stay out for more than two days - by then either everything would be fixed and they would explain to everyone why they had left, or Fred would be forced to return and to tell McGonagall - even Dumbledore - about George. They would have Madame Pomfrey take a look at him, and of course George wouldn't like that. So, he would throw a tantrum like he had at Quidditch practice and things would only get worse from there. Fred liked his plan better.
His eyes moved to a place on the Marauder's map where a secret stairway from the third to the fifth floor was marked. Maybe if they went halfway up the passage and stayed there? Then Fred remembered - during a fast escape after Filch seeing them sprinkling some sticking powder on a second floor landing, George had unfortunately dropped their bag of the stuff right outside the entrance to the stairway. The result had been them being caught - and, of course, sentenced to detention - and Filch discovering yet another of their getaway routes. But in the end, the stories of over a dozen Gryffindors and Slytherins being stuck on that landing together for over an hour after exiting class were probably worth the detention.
Fred smirked, then winced as his bruised face reminded him why he had the map out in the start. He looked back to the parchment at his remaining option, since the tunnel behind the mirror on the fourth floor corridor had caved in. The passage behind the statue of the old witch, that led into Honeydukes. That was it.
Fred swore and angrily smaked the map. His last option wouldn't work, as it wasn't really a secret anymore. He and George had shown Lee into the passage one time when he had been required to stay back from Hogsmeade for detention. Of course, now that would be the first place that Lee would look for them. Leaving school grounds was completely out of the question, meaning Fred was out of choices.
So now he would be forced to just sit back and wait to see what his twin did next. Fred started to roughly fold the parchment he was holding when he saw something interesting. He had forgotten one tunnel. One tunnel that he and George had never attempted entering.
They had noticed when they first aquired the map that there was a long passage directly under the Whomping Willow, and decided that it was time they take a look at the tree they had been warned of since their first day at school. With one glance from a good hundred feet away the two of them had decided that they didn't want to see it closer. But now, a closer look seemed to be just the thing for Fred.
Fred stood at the top of the hill behind Hagrid's hut, staring down at the Whomping Willow. Something inside of him told him that this was a bloody stupid thing to do. But something even more persistant urged him forward.
Slow, uneven stpes led Fred toward the tree, which was menacing even in appearance. His eyes scanned the branches and base of the trunk for a sign of how to enter a tunnel under the ground, while his feet mechanically continued.
He was using the method that he and George had employed for years: Don't think - just get it done. But that worked so much easier when you had your best friend there to be an absolute idiot right along with you.
Fred attempted to banish his queasiness as he steadily approached the looming tree. It was a pointless action as he continued to feel more ill with every step. But still, a strange certainty pushed him firmly onward until he didn't remember why he was there at all - only that he needed to find that passageway.
Fred came to a stop a mere ten feet from the Whomping Willow and stared at it with his heart pounding at an unnatural rate. Wasn't something supposed to have happened by now? The Willow gave a small shudder, sending a dozen brown leaves into the air. The fact that there had been no wind did not escape Fred's attention.
He kept his eyes fixed on the motionless branches far above his head as he took another carefully planned step forward. With a loud snap, thin cords flung out from all sides of the tree, causing Fred to stare in frozen fear.
Before his mind could trigger to turn and run, two whip like branches wrapped around his chst and yanked him to the ground.
As he was pulled backwards toward the flailing tree, Fred uselessly tried to force his fingers under the thick cords holding him while his feet dragged through the dirt. Any and all progress he made was lost as he was jerked sharply upward.
Dread was replaced with pain and nausea as he was pulled helplessly through the air, though that quickly ended with a sudden drop, and he hit the ground in a crumpled heap.
Lifting his head painfully, Fred cracked his eyes open and peered through the hair thrown wildly across his face.
At the sight of more branches shooting towards him he scrambled to his feet with renewed terror and ran the only direction he could - toward the tree itself - pressing himself against the trunk.
One of the dozens of roped turned mid swing and snaked around the base of the tree to his left. Fred instinctively yelled out as he felt it wrap multiple times around his wrist. He jerked his arm back to his side and spun around, ignoring the sharp pain of the Willow's coiled grip cutting into his skin.
Fred stood with his bvack now against the tree, steeling himself to be pulled into the air once more. With his free hand he grabbed a large knot on the side of the tree, hoping to put up as much fight as he could. Instead of being a firm hold, the knot semed to shrink under his grip.
Fred didn't take the time to wonder why that was, but instead grabbed for another and closed his eyes tightly. He flinched as he heard the branches above him give a large shake, then - go still?
Fred pulled his eyes open when he realized that he could hear his own shaky breathing easily over the sudden silence. The tree had settled itself back to it's original position, now seemigly ordinary and peaceful. Fred glanced down to his sore wrist. The tree had unwrapped itself, leaving only a thin burn mark. He rubbed it distractedly, marveling at the fact that he was still alive.
A small breeze blew through the still branches of the Whomping Willow, making a whistling and scraping noise above Fred's head. He jumped away from the tree as fast as he could, expecting a renewed attack. When there was none, Fred slumped to the ground out of exhaustion and relief. He had figured out the Whomping Willow – and his arms and legs were sill intact.
Fred rested his head on his knees and swayed shakily, waiting for his overworked nerves to allow him to relax. Breathing slowly became easier, and he took a chance on using his legs. Once on his feet, Fred allowed himself a full two minutes of standing alert to confirm that the large tree he still stood beneath was through trying to kill him.
Cautious steps forward led him once again to the thick trunk. He rubbed his hand over the place in the bark that was now flat, where he had pushed the knot in. And now that he wasn't in mortal peril, he noticed something else - an opening in the roots of the tree, revealing a small set of steps. Fred let out a choked laugh and held a palm up to his forehead in an attempt to calm the pounding headache he had developed.
He felt none of the thrill that usually accompanied a new discovery, only a quiet relief that he had accomplished his goal. Fred pulled out his wand and descended the stairs, to a view if a long tunnel stretching in front of him. After a quick glance at his dull surroundings, he started down the passage.
He wasn't sure how long he walked, only that it seemed a good distance. He reached the end of the tunnel by approaching another set of stairs, this time leading up. Fred ascended them and entered the door at the top, finding himself inside of a small and old looking room, which held only a tall, bending staircase.
Fred continued up, aware of the way that the steps and floorboards creaked dangerously under his weight. He used the time necessary to reach the top to contemplate bringing George across the grounds and through the Whomping Willow. It shouldn't be too hard; he just needed to find a way to actually get George down to the tree. But he could worry about that later.
Once again, Fred discovered a small door at the top of the steps, and entered. The large room inside had had obviously been previously used, though it seemed that no one had been in there for at least a decade, if the amounts of grey dust on every surface were any sign. The few items of furniture were overturned or in pieces, giving the place an unsettled and ominous feeling.
But still, wasn't that exactly what he had wanted? How much of a chance was there that anyone would come looking for them in a shack like this?
With that thought, an exciting idea came to Fred. He briefly considered the distance he had walked through the underground tunnel, and the direction it had led him. The realization he made left him hurrying to the nearest of the heavily boarded windows. After finding a crack between two of the large pieces of old wood wide enough to look through, Fred clearly made out the path to the small village of Hogsmeade.
So he was right – he had not only learned the secret of the Whomping Willow, but also a way into the Shrieking Shack. Fred couldn't even attempt to keep off his triumphant troublemaker's smile. The one thing that kept him from enjoying this moment was George not being there to share it. It was time to officially put his plan into action.
Do-do-dododooo... I promise the next chapter will be a bit more smooth and probably make more sense. And will be up relatively soon.
Want to know something scary (though I'm sure most of you have already realized). Tom Riddle's birthday is gasp tomorrow!! I'm scared, that's for sure. Please clicky the little review button - make my week:) (get me to update sooner...)