Chapter 21

Fred, George and I spent all our time running the joke shop in Diagon Alley. We had made more than we had ever thought we would and it was great fun. I hadn't seen Charlie since he was home for Christmas but we weren't fighting and had exchanged a few letters. Late one night Molly apparated into the apartment we shared above the shop, yelling for us to wake up, telling us that Hogwarts was under attack from death eaters. Fred, George and I threw on some clothes and apparated to Hogwarts. The scene that greeted us was horrific. People were fighting everywhere and there were bodies on the floor,

Some dead, others cursed.

"Charlie!" Fred yelled, seeing his older brother nearby.

Charlie turned and came towards us, surveying the surroundings. "Let's go in pairs, we'll stand more of a chance. Don't leave your partner."

Fred and George nodded and went in one direction, while Charlie and I went in the other.

"Be careful." He said, squeezing my hand before we joined the fight.

An order member fell and the death eater they had been duelling turned to me. He sent a curse at me which I blocked and tried to stun him. I missed and he advanced towards me grinning, the killing curse narrowly missed me and I successfully stunned him. I turned, looking for Charlie and couldn't see him anywhere. There were more death eaters approaching I concentrated on stunning the death eaters and pushed thoughts of Charlie to the back of my mind. After what seemed like forever, the remaining death eaters fled the castle. Fred and George soon found me and told me that Dumbledore had been killed.

"Where's Charlie?" George asked.

"I don't know. I lost sight of him. What if something happened to him? It'd be all my fault…" I clung to George sobbing.

"It'll be alright Lex, we'll find him." George said quietly.

"I don't think we have to look too hard." Fred said.

George turned me around and I saw Charlie coming towards us. I ran towards him and threw my arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Oh Charlie, I thought they'd got you. I thought that you were dead. I was so worried."

"I'm fine Lex, are you okay?"

"I am now that I found you."

"Okay, come on, we'd better find the others." George said, "We should try the hospital wing they'll probably be helping out in there."

We headed towards the hospital wing and sure enough, the Weasley's, Harry and Hermione were there. They all looked a little battered but otherwise okay.

"Oh there you are, I was worried about you four!" Molly exclaimed, hugging us all.

It was then that I noticed Bill. He was lying on the bed, covered in deep gouges.

"Greyback." He said, "I won't be full werewolf but I will be a bit different." He said.

"We're twins." I said, pointing to the scars on my face.

Bill smiled, "I guess we are. You guys should go; I'm sure there are things to be done elsewhere, I'm not going too far."

Molly nodded, "Yes go and help, but stay in pairs."

Fred, George, Harry, Hermione, Ron, Ginny and I all stood, heading towards the door.

"Charlie, you should go too, there's an odd number and Alexis would be left alone." Bill suggested, giving me the slightest wink as Charlie turned his back.

Charlie agreed and followed me out the door.

"Lex."

I stopped, turning to face Charlie. He pulled me into a hug and kissed the top of my head.

"Hi."

I laughed, despite the evidence of the bloodshed that surrounded us. "Hi Charlie."

"I just didn't get to say hello to you before so I figured I should." He shrugged.

"That's fair enough. How has work been?" I asked as we set to restoring the castle.

"It's been great; we have five two week old Welsh Greens."

I smiled as I waved my wand, fixing various broken furniture in the room. "They'd be adorable."

"Yes, they are." He agreed, "How's the shop?"

"It's brilliant! You have to come and see it. Fred and George really are amazing."

"Amazing is not a word I would have thought anyone would use to describe Fred and George." A voice said from behind us.

Charlie and I turned, wands ready.

"McG don't sneak up on us like that!"

"Sorry Miss Fuller. Would you prefer that I clear my throat loudly next time?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"Well yes, it would mean less chance of us accidentally hexing you." I pointed out.

"Thanks for the tip. But I do agree that those boys are rather amazing, though you would never know if you looked at their records. Some of their products have me baffled, especially the day dream potions. They are a flawless piece of magic that I wouldn't have the slightest idea how to create."

"Fred and George wouldn't either." I snickered.

"You made them?"

"Yep."

"You didn't tell me you invented something for the shop." Charlie said.

"I didn't think it was that exciting. That would have been a pretty boring letter 'Hi Char, I made a potion.'"

McGonagall laughed, "Alexis that is an advanced, unique potion that you created, you should be proud. Did you ever consider coming back here as a professor?"

I laughed, "No way. I'd go insane and murder half the students, especially if they were half as bad as Fred, George and I."

"You should consider it as a career option; you are intelligent, could relate to the students and would be more than welcome."

"Thanks McGonagall, I'll keep it in mind."

"I'm sure there would be a spot for you. Maybe even something like Care of Magical Creatures."

Charlie laughed, "You would end up with dragons roaming the school."

"You say that like it's a bad thing Charlie."

"Lex, with you it is."

We moved into the next room, silently restoring what we could.

"Have you considered Romania?" McGonagall asked.

"Yeah I have but someone doesn't want me to work there and would probably block any application from me and say horrible nasty things about me."

"If I had to I would. You would get yourself killed. You've been hurt enough in Romania. You should teach care of magical Creatures, you can teach everyone about flobberworms."

"That would be a waste of such potential Charlie. Alexis if that's what you want to do, do it."

"Don't encourage her." Charlie sighed.

"Charlie I am quite capable of looking after myself. I don't know why you insist on trying to stop me."

"Charlie I do recall you being equally as stubborn when you chose to work in Romania." McGonagall pointed out.

I stuck my tongue out at him and moved to the other side of the room, repairing the portraits that hung lopsidedly on the walls.

"That's different. She'll do something stupid and reckless and get herself killed. She isn't cut out for working with dragons. She is childish and immature and would need constant supervision."

McGonagall glanced at me and I pretended I hadn't heard, despite the tears welling in my eyes.