DISCLAIMER: Harry Potter Belongs To J.K. Rowling and not to me. I make no profit off this story, so don't sue. Really, don't sue, it'll be a waste of your time anyway seeing as I'm broke.

CHAPTER 3

'I got to say, Fate, I'm still not completely sold on this prank idea of yours.' Fred said two days later. Madam Pomfrey had finally released him this morning, and he was currently heading down to breakfast and to start working on what Fate insisted would be the first stage of their master plan to change history. 'Really, I much rather like my idea of switching the flop's cologne with an animal aphrodisiac and sneaking some of Hagrid's pets into his office.'

'You can do that too in a couple of days.' Fate answered. 'Seriously, add all the extra pranks on you want, but you need to make sure to use my plan first. We pull this off this morning, and the consequences will help with every other stage of our plan for years to come. If we don't, you know Dumbledore will never take you as seriously and attempt to thwart you at every turn.'

'Yeah, yeah.' Fred groaned. 'Seriously though, can't you just hit me with lightning again or something? It's sure to be less painful than...'

'No, and stop asking.' Fate cut Fred off, already knowing what he was going to say after two days of listening to the same complaint over and over. 'You agreed to be my Avatar on earth, I brought you back to life and sent you back in time, so suck it up and do what your Deity tells you.'

"I should have just stayed dead, would have been a lot less painful." Fred muttered under his breath as he finally reached the doors to the Great Hall.

Despite his grumbling, Fred was truly happy to be back. Honestly, even with the knowledge that he'd died and the fact that he had an actual Deity talking in his head, it still didn't quite sink into Fred that this was all actually happening until about an hour after his parents had left, when the hospital wing was invaded by his friends and siblings. Apparently they had found out he was awake, and refused to let Madam Pomfrey kick them out until they were good and satisfied that he was okay. Not, that Madam Pomfrey seemed to be putting up much of a fight for once. Seemed she felt that being struck by lightning was one justifiable reason to let her patients have visitors for more than a few minutes, because she didn't try to get rid of them. Of course, that didn't stop her from sending dark looks at Wood several times, and muttering not so quietly about dangerous sports, and the sheer stupidly of scheduling training in the rain for hours where one was sure to get sick if nothing else.

All his siblings were there, as well as the Quidditch team, Lee and Hermione. At the sight of them, looking so young and innocent - if not more than a little worried about him - hit Fred hard.

Angelina was there, the same Angelina who had fled England with her family when Voldemort's ministry targeted her half blood father for daring to dirty his line more and marrying her muggle mother.

Wood, who had worked so hard in the underground movements trying to protect muggleborns, only to disappear without a trace several months ago (from Fred's point of view anyway) in a raid gone wrong.

Lee, who had been forced to constantly keep moving for months, never staying in one place more than a few days, while he struggled to keep the public informed with his Potterwatch.

His sweet little sister Ginny, who had been so bravely defying the Carrows for months to protect the younger students at Hogwarts despite how badly she was punished for it.

Percy, his brother who had seen the light at last, just in time to fight by his side in the final battle.

Ron and Hermione, who he had not seen in months as the struggled to complete the task Dumbledore at intrusted them with.

Harry, poor little Harry, who may very well be the one who had suffered most of all. Who had unfairly been singled out as both a savour and a destroyer by the unforgiving and in many ways undeserving public.

And George. There was George, his beloved twin, standing there with both ears and a smile on his face that was trying to hide how scared he'd been and how relieved to see that Fred was really awake and alright. The George that Fred had nearly left behind.

Fortunately everyone was so busy telling Fred how glad they were that he was okay in the first few minutes that they didn't notice that he couldn't quite bring himself to talk around the lump in his throat. And if anyone noticed the way he was trembling, they just put it down to the after effects of the lightning strike.

By the time the group had finally left, Fred had recovered enough to fake his way through the get together, pretending to be every bit as carefree as ever. But underneath the facade, all the while Fred was making a promise to himself, that he would do everything in his power to protect the people in front of his and others he cared about from the future he knew was coming. Now that he knew what was at stake, he would do anything for them. Anything. Even if it meant...

Fred allowed himself one last shutter at what he knew was coming, before he opened the door and enter the Great Hall.

As Pomfrey had, as expected, insisted on giving Fred one last check up before releasing the boy from her domain he was somewhat late to breakfast and the Great Hall was already mostly full. Not only with students, but staff as well Fred realised after a quick glance at the Head Table. Every single staff member save Pomfrey (who Fred knew was still in the infirmary) and Finch (who no one cared about anyway) was there. Including the one member of the staff Fred had been hoping wouldn't be there. Damn. Looks like there wouldn't be any putting this off for one more day.

Sighing to himself, and resigning himself to the inevitable, Fred started towards the Gryffindor table where he could see his twin sitting across from the Golden Trio and just slightly down where their sister was talking to a girl in her year.

Percy, Fred noticed with some amusement, was at the Ravenclaw table talking to Penelope Clearwater and trying to pretend there wasn't anything between them than casual friends and fellow Prefects. Fred remembered how in his 'old future' (as he had decided to call it), Percy had broken up with Penny not too long after he started working at the Ministry, as Percy had been becoming more and more of a ministry stooge, something that Penny had hated every bit as much as Fred and their family had. Maybe this time round Fred might be able to stop that from happening. How, he wasn't sure yet, but he had a few yet years to figure it out anyway.

"Fred!" George called out happily when he was almost at the table. "Finally escaped did you?"

"After one last round of torture this morning, yes." Fred said with a grin as he sat down and started pilling food onto his plate.

Across from Fred, Hermione shock her head in disbelief at him. "I'm glad you're okay Fred. I can't believe you're up and about after only two days! If a muggle had been hit by lightning like that, they'd be dead for sure!"

"I'm glad I'm okay too, 'Mione, but can we please not say the 'D' word right now." Fred said, noticing the way George's face paled at the reminder of how close he'd come to loosing his brother. Fred suspected George was far more upset about him being hurt than he was. Granted, George was also missing the whole 'travelling back in time and becoming Fate's Avatar' story. But still, remembering how scared Fred had been to hear about George's injury over Little Whinging, Fred knew all to well how George must fell after almost loosing his twin like that. Reminding George how close Fred had come to death (if Fate wasn't involved anyway) could not be doing the boy any good.

Hermione eyes flickered over to George, and seeing what Fred was seeing quickly changed the subject to schoolwork. Fred, naturally, zoned out after a few seconds of this and stayed that way until he heard another voice speak up over his shoulder. One he would have recognised anywhere, despite the man the voice belonged to dieing several years ago as Fred reckoned time.

"Ah, Mr. Weasley, I'm so glad you're able to join the rest of the school again. You had us quite worried young man."

"Had me quite worried too, Headmaster, don't think I'll be doing that again if I can help it." Fred said as he turned around to find himself looking directly at a long white, almost fluffy thing. He had to tilt his head up quite a bit to look into Dumbledore's twinkling blue eyes. Damn it all, he knew he was sitting down and all, but come on, just how short was he at fourteen? He better hit his growth spurt soon.

Dumbledore just chuckled. "No, I don't imagine you will be Mr. Weasley. But speaking on this topic, I would just like to say that if you notice anything different in your magic in the next few days, to please go to Madam Pomfrey, Professor McGonagall or even myself immediately."

"Different in what way, Headmaster?" George spoke up before Fred could. "I thought Madam Pomfrey said he was okay?"

"And I'm sure he is, Mr. Weasley." Dumbledore quickly and soothingly said to the boy who had been steadily growing more frantic. "Our Medi-witch is very through after all. I simply meant that sometimes wizards and witches who experience such, shall we say, extreme circumstances occasionally see an increase in their magical powers. Not always, of course, but sometimes. If Frederick here finds that there is, a few extra lessons to help keep his newfound powers in control should be all that is needed. Naturally, it is far more likely that your brother will find his magic just the same as it always was, but I felt he should be prepared just in case something is different."

"Oh." George said, quickly calming down once again. Fred felt a flash of guilt that his beloved twin was this upset by everything, but quickly pushed it okay as best he could. Long run, the worry George must have felt seeing Fred be hit by lightning, while traumatising, would have to be better than loosing Fred completely to Death Eaters in a couple of years.

"Well, Misters Weasley, I suppose I best let you get back to your breakfast now. I would just like to say one last time, Mr. Fred Wealsey that I am very glad you are okay. Very few wizards have ever been struck by lightning like you have. It was such a very rare occurrence, and one I am ever so happy that you were able to walk away from so unscathed."

"Quite right Headmaster." Another, much more annoying voice said, as the Great Pounce himself started walking up the aisle between the Gryffindor and Hufflepuff tables. "A wizard being hit by lightning has statically as much chance of surviving as one hit by the Transylvanian Tromignacation Curse. I've never been hit by lightning, but I have been hit by the Tromignacation Curse, right painful business that was. I was very lucky to survive that time, though of course luck was helped along greatly by..."

Lockhart kept on talking, but Fred wasn't paying any attention. Not that he would have been paying attention in normal circumstances anyway, but right now he really wasn't paying attention because something else was taking up all his focus. Namely, the weird, tingling feeling that seemed to be taking over his whole body. It was almost like pins and needles, only not, and for some strange reason seemed to be strongest in his mouth. Whatever it was, Fred didn't like it.

'Stop fighting me, I'll only be a minute.'

'Fate?'

'Who else? Stage two of our, well my master plan is a go. Just sit back and enjoy the ride?'

Before Fred had a chance to say anything else, he felt his body lunge forward without any prompting from him. He hand reached out to grab Dumbledore's arm, his eyes locked directly on Lockhart. Then, before Fred really had any time to even properly think about what the hell was happening, he felt his mouth open and words came spilling out of his mouth in a voice that he could barely recognise as his own.

"The Heart of Lies stands near. Thief of Triumphs, Thief of Glory, Thief of Lives. Soon shall his False Fame come to an end. Before the snow melts Truth will be revealed, and the Heart of Lies will face Justice for his crimes. The Heart of Lies stands near, but not for long."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fred quickly found himself back in control of his body just as quickly as he had lost it. The Great Hall had fallen scarily silent. Quickly looking around, Fred noticed far too many eyes looking at him in shock, though in the case of Lockhart, that shock seemed to be fighting with a slowing but steadily growing fear.

"What, what just happened?" Fred demanded hoarsely, his throat feeling way too dry and sore, like he was just getting over a very bad head cold. He had pretty good idea what had just happened, of course, but he was hoping he was wrong. Because if he wasn't, then nothing could save him from...

And then the scariest thing Fred had ever encountered, including the entirety of the war in his 'old future' happened.

Trelawney squealed like a little girl and came flying down the aisle to hug him. Actually hug him!

"A Seer! A real Seer! Oh, this is marvellous! When Headmaster Dumbledore mentioned at the last staff meeting that your accident might unlock some new powers in you, I never even dared hope for this!"

"Sybill please calm down." McGonagall spoke up then from the Head Table, sounded like she was still a little shook up. "There is no way of knowing that that was a real prophecy. It's possible, dare I say even likely, that it was just another of Mr. Weasley's ideas for a prank."

"Oh, pish posh, Minerva." Trelawney snapped back. "I'm sure even you could have felt the energy running through Mr. Weasley here when he made that prophecy. That was no prank; that was the word of Fate itself, I'm sure of it! Our dear boy here might very well be one of the strongest seers in decades if not longer, if his first very prophecy was anything to go by. That was your first prophecy, wasn't it my dear?"

"Err, yes?" Fred said uncertainly, praying to every deity out there that she would let go of him soon. Well, every deity except Fate anyway. She was the one who had got him into this mess in the first place, and he suspected she was currently sitting back and laughing at him right now.

"Well, we will have to get you started in Divination right away!" Trelawney said happily, leaning back slightly but to Fred everlasting dismay not letting him go completely. "You are a forth year, correct? You can come to my next class after lunch... but no, you would have so much to catch up on and with such a strong gift you would already need more attention that the rest of my students as it is. It simply wouldn't be fair to them. Well, there's nothing else to do, I'll just have to give you some private lessons in my own time. I'll have to talk with your other teachers to compare both our schedules and see where the best times for us to get together would be. Don't you worry, my dear, I'll get you trained up in no time! Even if i have to give up my weekends for the foreseeable future to do it!"

"Weekends?" Fred yelped. Fate never said anything about giving up weekends when they discussed this plan!

"Oh, this will be so much fun!" Trelawney giggled, apparently still blissfully blind to Fred distress. "At last, I have a True Seer to teach! This is wonderful!" With that, Fred once again found himself trapped in her embrace with no chance to escape, and very little to even breathe.

This time he was sure he heard Fate laughing at him.