Muggle Magic – Chapter 15

A/N – Thanks for the reviews guys. I'm sorry to those who thought Ally was dead. I was really going to make it seem like she was. But I am too nice to Fred.

Just in case it wasn't obvious, I don't own anyone or anything other than Ally.

Chapter 15 – Ally

It felt like she was drowning. She couldn't breathe. She was in deep, dark water and sinking fast. Her chest was tight. She couldn't think.

This wasn't happening.

Her father couldn't be dead. She had seen him just hours before. Darkness was growing around her – maybe she was the one who was dead?

Then, someone was saving her. An arm was around her, holding her tight against the only thing that felt real any more. A warm, solid chest. A hand was in her hair, lips against her ear, murmuring words that she couldn't make sense of.

"Dad?" Her voice cracked.

"I'm so sorry, Ally. I'm so sorry." Fred was gasping, as though he couldn't breathe either. "It's all my fault. I'm so sorry."

She could hear other people around them. Voices calling out. The distant sound of sirens.

"We need to get her out of here."

She recognised that voice. Arthur Weasley. He was close by.

"Fred, we need to move her now. The muggles will be here soon. She's in no fit state to lie, and the only other choice is to wipe her memories…"

"Don't you dare…" Fred's voice was suddenly vicious.

"Then move…"

Ally felt Fred's arms tighten around her, but nothing made any sense. Why would she have to lie? She felt the sudden constricting darkness that meant that Fred was moving her by magic, but it didn't feel all that different to the crushing weight that sat on her chest. Her father was dead.

A cool breeze washed across them as they came out of the darkness and suddenly Fred was gripping her face in his hands – a little more tightly than was necessary. He tipped her face up, forcing her to look into his eyes. They were filled with fear, and pain, and regret.

"Ally? Can you hear me? I need you to listen to me…"

She blinked and nodded. Everything felt hazy and surreal, except for the fierce, desperate expression on Fred's face. She blinked again and in all the grief and confusion she realised that they were stood on an unfamiliar hilltop.

"Where are we?" She glanced around, anything to take her thoughts away from her father. Across the valley from them stood a castle on its own hilltop. It was a mouldering ruin, but there was something odd about it, as thought it were blurred at the edges.

"The safest place I could think of," Fred said, stepping back from her slightly, but keeping a tight grip on one of her hands. "This is as close as I could get though – muggles aren't allowed near Hogwarts."

"Hogwarts?" Her voice sounded disinterested even to her own ears. An hour ago – even five minutes ago – the news that the ruined castle was Fred's old school would have fascinated her, but her father's death over shadowed everything.

Fred drew her attention back to him. "Ally…I am so sorry. This is all my fault…"

She shook her head blankly. "How is it your fault? My father had a weak heart…the doctors always told me that it was likely he would have another heart attack." She tried to say it calmly, but her voice broke in the middle.

"Ally. You have to listen to me. Your father…he didn't die of a heart attack…"

She shook her head again. Of course he died of a heart attack, what else could it be? But then, finally things started to penetrate her grief, what had Fred been doing there? Why had Bill and Arthur been there?

Fred took a deep shaky breath. "There are things you need to know. Things I should have told you straight away. And this might not be the right time, but you need to know. You need to understand."

Ally frowned, "What? What's going on? Why have you brought me here? What could you possibly have to do with Dad?"

"My world must seem so perfect and fantastical to you, but it's not all good. Not all wizards are good. Some are bad – worse than that – some are evil. There's one wizard. His name's…" he swallowed hard. "Voldemort. He's obsessed with blood purity – he thinks that wizards are superior…"

Ally tried to focus. She tried to understand what Fred was telling her. She listened as he explained how this Voldemort had come to power years before, how a mere baby had all but destroyed him, and how he had come back to power, and was slowly trying to take over the wizarding world.

"We're practically in a state of war," Fred said in a quiet voice. "Everyday he and his Death Eaters commit more and more atrocities against muggles. That bridge that collapsed – that was them. That tornado – that was them. They hate muggles, they hate anyone who isn't of pure magical blood." He had been looking away as he spoke, but then he turned back to Ally, and she saw a sudden determination in his eyes.

"There are some though, who are fighting against him. Dumbledore will fight him to the very end – and so will I. But it makes us a target. Me and my family – we're known as blood-traitors – pure blooded, but fighting for the muggles."

Ally closed her eyes painfully. "So…my father…"

"Was killed by a Death Eater. They were almost certainly there looking for you. They have been watching my family – and…"

"They planned to get to you through me?" Ally wasn't sure how she was staying so calm. A part of her wanted to scream and rage. She wanted to hate Fred for what he had done. Because of him her father was dead and she was in danger. But she couldn't hate him. How could she hate him for doing what was right? For fighting against those who wanted to hurt and kill people?

"I'm so sorry…"

She shook her head, cupping his face in her hands. She kissed him softly, then fiercely as tears began to stream down her face. As the floodgates broke they both sunk to the wet grass. He cradled her against him as she sobbed.

"Ally!"

Fred was pushed to one side the second that they stepped through the back door of the Burrow and Ally found herself being swept into Molly's gentle arms.

"Oh, you poor girl."

Molly steered her towards the table and soon she was sat with a steaming mug of tea in front of her and the Weasley family gathered around. Arthur quietly poured a shot of something into her tea.

"I think you could probably do with something stronger."

Ally smiled weakly, but to the side of her a different conversation was going on.

"Does she know everything now?" Bill was asking Fred in a low urgent voice.

"I've told her what's happening. About You-Know-Who, and everything."

"And?" Bill asked. "Fred, we need to know that she's alright with this. The Ministry aren't happy about you taking her away the way you did. She's a muggle after all…"

"The Ministry can go…"

Arthur cut Fred off. "The Ministry are only doing what they think is right. Ally is a muggle. She shouldn't be a part of our world. Perhaps…for now…"

"No!"

Ally was shocked by the sudden fierceness of Fred's voice and she looked up from her tea. She frowned slightly when she saw that Fred's wand was in his hand and he had half risen from his chair.

"It might be best," Arthur said quietly. "It doesn't have to be forever. Just until this is all over."

Ally didn't know what they were talking about. She couldn't understand why Fred was looking so angry and frightened at the same time.

"It could be years until this is all over! I won't let you or anyone else do that to her. How could you even…?" He shook his head in disgust. "You'd have to take away everything. Every memory she has of me. She'd have to completely forget I ever existed. You…you can't do that to her…to me."

Forget him? Ally shook her head in a sudden panic as she realised what they were talking about. Arthur had told her once about how they sometimes had to wipe the memories of muggles who had seen magic – to keep the existence of magic secret.

"No!" She turned to the only person she thought would listen to her. Molly. "You can't." She couldn't bare it. Couldn't stand the thought of it. Her whole life was ruined. She had nothing and no one left – except Fred. She wouldn't let anyone take that away from her.

"You wouldn't miss him. You'd never even know there was anything to miss," Bill said calmly, coldly almost.

"No." It was Molly who spoke then. She had been staring at Ally carefully. "No. Ally is part of this family now. We're all she has left. You can tell the Ministry that we will take care of her. She is part of our world now – completely."

Fred turned to look down at her. "Is that okay, Ally? Is that what you want? You can't go back home – you're not safe there. You will have to leave the muggle world behind…"

She twisted her fingers into his. "It's what I want. As long as you're with me."

"I'll always be with you. No matter what…"

A/N – ooooh now is that what they call foreshadowing? Lol. Wow, this was a kind of intense chapter. I hope I got it all across right. Reviews welcome!