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When everyone got back to the Burrow from the Ministry, Molly and Ginny met them at the door and waited to find out what happened. Fred, George, and Arthur all sat down at the table. They looked at Molly who waited with anticipation for someone to begin talking.
"Well, what happened then?"
George spoke first. "They interrogated us. Thought I did something to bring him back, but when I said the same thing after taking veritaserum they had to let me go." He looked at Fred who was staring at his hands.
"Freddie, dear?" Molly reached her hand to his, but he flinched back a little.
Fred kept his eyes down. "They wanted to know exactly how, but I just couldn't. They want to do occlumency on me to see what happened. Said they were going to do some other things as well, but didn't say what."
Molly saw the look on her husband's face. "What are they planning to do?"
Arthur cleared his throat. "They want to see what's buried in the cemetery. Suppose they just want answers."
"What? They don't need to do that!" George huffed.
"It's alright George, the Ministry's not the only one that wants to know what's there." Fred met his brother's eyes.
"Well they don't need to be doing occlumency on you, why can't they just accept that you are back?"
"They're scared, but they don't care that I am too."
"Oh, sweetie. It'll be alright." Molly came over and hugged Fred who this time accepted her touch.
Fred wanted nothing more to with the Ministry, but he knew they would not leave him alone until they were satisfied as to how he came back.
"When are they coming?" Ginny looked at her father.
"This evening, you know the Ministry, always wanting to get things done immediately."
That evening everyone was back at the house, and got filled in on what had happened at the Ministry. They all waited on edge for the Aurors to arrive. Fred was nervous most of all, because he had no idea what they would find in his grave. Whether something was in there or not; he was not sure if either were ideal. He figured that by the end of the night he was going to be led out of his home in restraints. Everyone was almost relieved when the Ministry finally arrived. They just wanted to know the outcome, good or bad. The anticipation was becoming too much.
Kingsley came inside while the other two Aurors remained outdoors. He shook Arthur's hand.
"Arthur."
Arthur shook his hand in return. "Right then, let's get this done." He looked at the large number of Weasleys in the living room, silently asking if anyone wanted to come.
George looked at Fred, who thought for a moment. "I think I'd like to stay here actually."
George gave a sigh of relief, he wanted nothing to do with this.
Bill stood up from where he was sitting. "I'd actually like to go." He gave his younger brothers a small smile before following his father and Kingsley out the door.
Fred and George waited in the living room with the rest of the family, while the others went to investigate more into Fred's possible double whereabouts. George patted his brother's knee.
"It'll be alright."
Fred nodded, hoping that were true.
Arthur and Bill led the way to the family cemetery. Arthur was nervous about going, but knew it needed to be done. He looked at his eldest son.
"What are you hoping to find out there?"
Bill stayed silent for a moment. "Answers. Everything screams that Fred is back, but I just can't trust it still. George hates me for that, but I'm just trying to protect everyone."
"He doesn't hate you Bill, he's just scared. If this turns out wrong then it could destroy everyone worse than the first time."
"I know, that's why I have to see for myself."
When they got to the cemetery, they walked to Fred's grave. Arthur looked at it in sorrow.
"Seems odd now doesn't it, to have this here when he's sitting at home"
One of the Aurors stepped forward. "Well that is what we are here to find out."
He bore his wand and with the help of the others, they got to digging up the mound of dirt before them. Before all the dirt was gone, everyone began hearing a strange hissing sound. They soon realized the noise was coming from inside Fred's coffin. Once all the dirt was off they noticed the box shake a little. They all looked at each other, knowing that was not a good sign. Kingsley nodded to the others before opening the lid of the coffin. Everyone expected something to happen, but they did not expect the burst of wind causing them all to look away, except for Bill who squinted his eyes, but kept a watch.
What happened next was so quick, Bill thought he would have missed it by blinking. In the rush of wind a misty dark object flew from the coffin and out of sight. Just as the mysterious object escaped Fred, sitting back at the Burrow gave a sudden intake of breath and tensed up. George looked at him noticing the sudden change.
Fred swallowed. "Well that can't be good."
Back at the cemetery Bill's thoughts of if anyone had seen what he had were confirmed when one of the Aurors looked at everyone around him.
"Did anyone see anything?"
Bill waited for everyone else to answer before him, but when the man's eyes finally landed on him, he shook his head no. His eyes went back to the task at hand, he stepped forward towards Fred's grave and craned his head enough to see into the hole.
"It's empty."
Everyone else made their way closer to investigate. While the coffin was empty, there was a layer of black dust inside, as well as tears and scratches along the lining. Kingsley looked at Arthur with wide eyes, telling him things could get worse now.
Bill cleared his throat still staring at the empty coffin below him. "Those two, always making a joke of everything."
Arthur looked up confused. "What?"
Bill nodded at the mess in the coffin. "Always making inventions and pranks. George buried a few things with Fred and I think it all just got set off when we disturbed it."
"You're saying all that was just some kind of prank left behind?" One of the Aurors was not sure if he could believe that.
"You've seen what those two are capable of, are you really that surprised?"
The Auror looked at him dumbfounded, but that seemed quite logical in the end. Kingsley clapped his hands, satisfied.
"Well that's settled then." He looked at Arthur. "What do you want us to do with this?" He motioned to the mess that had just made.
"Oh, umm, well I guess it's not needed now, but I suppose we'll just put it back how it was for the time being."
Kingsley nodded and reburied the coffin. After that they all headed back to the Burrow to share what they had discovered with the rest of the Weasleys.
When everyone got back to the Burrow, Fred and George stood up not sure what to expect. George put himself protectively in front of Fred, ready to apparate them out of there if the Ministry wanted to arrest them for any reason. Kingsley was the first to speak, his eyes on George.
"George, did you bury some type of prank with Fred?"
George gave him an odd look. "What?"
"It's alright George." Bill gave him a look. "You aren't in trouble, we just need to know."
George caught the look his brother was giving him. It was one the Weasley children often used when they needed to lie to their parents. "Oh, yeah I did, why? What happened?"
The Aurors seemed disgruntled, but less tense.
Arthur spoke next. "Just set off what you put in there, but beyond that, it was empty." He looked at Kingsley. "So that means?"
"That means we are done here, but we will still require an Occlumencer to take a look at you Fred. I also think you should go see a Healer, make sure everything is alright."
Fred remained quiet, but Molly came forward to show the men out.
"Yes, yes very good we'll make sure he does that. Thank you all, have a good evening."
Bill came over to Fred and George. "I need to speak to you."
He was talking to Fred, but knew George would come regardless, so the three of them went upstairs to Fred and George's room. Bill made sure he shut the door behind them before speaking. Before he said anything he noticed the boys' beds were pushed together. It reminded him of when they were little and they would run into his room in the middle of the night if they were scared. Usually he had not minded, but being that he was a teenager, he sometimes did not want his little brothers in his bed. On these nights Bill would take the boys back to their room and get them to pick one bed to share. He would tuck them in and tell them that as long as they had each other they would be safe. From then on their visits to his room became less and less. Bill could see that even now, the boys had taken that advice to heart.
George met his brother's eyes, bringing him back to the moment. "Why'd you lie?"
Bill took a few steps closer. "Contrary to what you believe, George, I'm not out to destroy Fred, just want to be cautious."
Fred gave him a worried look. "What happened?"
"You tell me."
Fred shook his head. "I don't know, just felt something is all."
"Just tell us Bill." George did not want Bill pushing Fred.
"When they dug up your…coffin, it sounded like something was in there, so we opened it and a huge gust of wind followed. Everyone covered their faces but me, and in an instant there was this dark misty thing that flew out and disappeared. The inside of the box looked like something had been trying to get out for a while, but there was no evidence of you. I told them it must have been a prank, because I knew if they saw what I did they would be hauling you to the Ministry right now."
Fred sat down on his bed.
George gave an apologetic look to his older brother. "Thanks for that."
Bill nodded and sat across from Fred. "What do you think it means?"
Fred shook his head. "Not sure, but maybe something came back with me."
Bill and George looked at each other worried at what that could mean for all of them.
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AN: Thanks for reading!
