A Sign from Beyond The Grave

Can also be read here

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It had been more than six weeks since Lord Voldemort had been defeated at The Battle of Hogwarts and people were celebrating like never before.

The Dementors were driven from Britain and the days became long and warm again and everyone was taking advantage of the warm weather. But George Weasley didn’t feel like celebrating.

The loss of his twin brother was fresh and it felt as if George had lost a part of him. His entire family had grieved the loss of Fred and they were trying to move on, but George couldn’t.

How could he move on?

Four-year-old James Sirius Potter to his cousins.

Funerals

This has been in my drafts for over a year.

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Before Dumbledore’s, Harry hadn’t been to a funeral. But by June, he had been to over fifty as the fallen at the Battle of Hogwarts were finally buried. Harry didn’t know many of the dead that well. He recognised a name here or there.

But their families were very happy that he attended and he often found himself having his hand wrung by grateful relatives, thanking him for defeating Voldemort and being told how brave their loved ones were having sacrificed themselves so that future generations could live in peace.

Towards the end, it got a bit too much for Harry and he wasn’t sure if he were able to attend those funerals if it wasn’t for the constant comfort of Ginny who once again, proved to be his greatest source of happiness.

If it weren’t for Ginny, Harry wasn’t sure he would’ve kept himself together even during the funerals of Remus and Tonks where Harry couldn’t stop thinking of how Teddy, like Harry, would grow up not knowing his parents.

But he remembered Remus’s words at the edge of the Forbidden Forest and he vowed that Teddy would grow up, knowing that his parents were heroes.

The hardest funeral that Harry had to endure was Fred’s.

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It was Fred’s Funeral and a miserable atmosphere had descended on the Burrow. Harry had spent the entire time at Ginny’s side with his arm around her. She had been very close to Fred and the day was very hard for her.

It was also very hard on Harry. He had been told time and again by Ron, Hermione, Bill, Charlie and Percy that it wasn’t his fault that Fred had died but Harry kept blaming himself.

There was a nice touch when a group of wizards unveiled a bench dedicated to Fred. Mrs Weasley burst into tears and Harry saw Ron wipe his eyes.

There were calls for a photo and someone suggested that it should only be the family. Harry hung back with Hermione, but Ginny held her arm out.

“Where are you going?” She asked. “You’re with us.”

“But I’m not part of the family,” Harry said.

“You are now,” Ginny said, her eyes blazing fiercely.

“Come on Harry, dear,” Mrs Weasley called. “Family photo.”

“See what I mean?” Ginny said, smirking as Harry felt a hand on his shoulder.

Harry turned to see George standing behind him.

“C’mon, Harry,” he said. “Fred would want you to be with us. Hermione too.”

George beckoned Hermione and Ron put an arm around her shoulders and walked to the bench with her.

“George,” Harry said seriously, wanting to get this off his chest. “I’m-”

“It’s not your fault, Harry,” George said. “Don’t you go blaming yourself for what happened to Fred. We were both prepared to die in order to stop old snake-face and Fred wouldn’t want you moping about on his behalf.”

“I’m still sorry though,” Harry said, feeling taken aback at George’s seriousness. “I’m sorry that so many people had to die for me before I could stop Voldemort.”

“They died for a better future, Harry,” Ginny said. “That’s what Lupin and Tonks did for Teddy. He won’t have to grow up in a world full of war and hate.”

“Well said, Gin,” George said, nodding at Ginny approvingly. “We don’t blame you at all for Fred’s death, Harry. It’s better coming from us than Mum.”

Harry didn’t need to imagine the fuss that Mrs Weasley would cause if she were to overhear them. But he felt a lot better knowing that the Weasley’s didn’t blame him.

He joined George and Ginny by the bench with Hermione and the other Weasleys and as the camera flashed, Harry stood with his new family ready to get on with life.

200 words: Fred and Roxanne

I’ve been getting used to 100 word drabbles and I’ve decided to try my hand at 200 word ones.

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“Mum, Dad! We’re off!” Roxanne called from the kitchen and George looked up from his cup of tea to see the twins enter the kitchen.

“And by off, Roxanne means that she’s going to cause havoc,” Fred said dryly.

“Havoc? Me?!” Roxanne exclaimed with mock outrage. “Never!”

“Have you got everything?” Angelina asked before Fred could retort.

“Gold, sweets, tickets, autograph book and Dungbombs all here,” Roxanne said confidently.

“Dungbombs?” Fred asked, raising an eyebrow.

“I meant Decoy Detonators” Roxanne said hastily.

George had to suppress a laugh at his daughter’s guilty look.

“Best use the Dungbombs as a last resort,” George said and Fred and Roxanne grinned broadly.

“Well, stay out of trouble, you two,” Angelina said.

“I’ll do my best, Mum,” Fred said. “But as for Roxanne, I can’t make any promises.”

“Shut up!” Roxanne snapped. “I’ll be as good as gold. I can’t believe I’m going to a Weird Sisters concert!”

Roxanne jumped up and down excitedly before hugging her parents.

“Take care, Roxy,” George said before letting her go.

As George and Angelina watched their children leave, Angelina caught her husband’s eye.

“You know, every day I can see Fred in those two,” George said sadly.

George Weasley

The Weasleys

Arthur is the one who provides for their home,

Molly is the heart that keeps on giving,

Bill is the one who keeps them together,

Charlie cares for the animals,

Percy has the ambition to get them ahead,

Fred is mischief, jokes and pranks,

George adds in kindness to the mix,

Ron is the strategist and the best at chess,

Ginny is the one who is underestimated the most.

Fred and George once turned Ginny’s hair pink when Molly said that she should be more ladylike.

Suffice to say that Ginny didn’t take too fondly to that and via accidental magic, caused Fred and George’s brooms to shrink. Bill took pity on her and wore pink for the day.

As for the Twins, for Christmas they received two pink Weasley jumpers.

George jokes about the incident to Ginny to this day. But any suggestion of turning her hair pink is met with a fierce glare and George backing down. Ginny’s reputation of being a proficient caster of the Bat Bogey Hex is well known and George is not a fool.

Every time George Weasley looks at his children, he sees Fred grinning back at him through the eyes of George’s twins. His brother may be gone from this world, but he lives through Fred and Roxanne.

During the Carrows Reign of Terror, I see Peeves the Poltergeist playing more of a protective role to Hogwarts students instead of an antagonistic one.

I can imagine him aiding Ginny, Neville and Luna in their fight against Snape and the Carrows.

He’d distract the Carrows by smashing vases on their heads, springing students out of detention and help Ginny, Neville and Luna by graffitiing the walls with Dumbledore’s Army recruitment messages along with many rude messages insulting the Carrows and Snape.

To make matters worse for the Carrows, Snape turns a blind eye to it all by telling them to ignore Peeves.

By the time Ginny is forced to go into hiding, Luna is kidnapped and Neville is forced into the Room of Requirement, Peeves continues his one Poltergeist army against the Carrows and many students are willing to blame Peeves in order to  avoid being subjugated to the Crutiatus Curse.

After the Battle of Hogwarts which Peeves’ long term Mischief making partner Fred Weasley was killed, Peeves was given the honour of guarding the coffin and he played an important role in the funeral when he swept his bell covered hat off and stood to attention as it was lowered into the ground.

George Weasley also presented Peeves with one of Fred’s jumpers which Peeves wore with pride. He continued to be his usual mayhem making self, but many students were aware of his role in protecting them during the reigns of Umbridge and the Carrows.

A New Dawn

There was a damp chill lingering in Ottery St Catchpole that evening and the villagers noticed many strange and mysterious things happening during the day.

Owls were flying in broad daylight and many strange people were walking about dressed in funny cloaks and gathering on street corners, speaking to each other in hushed voices.

Some of the locals passed these people off as tourists dressed in Halloween costumes, but there was an incident in the village square where a strange man dressed in a black cloak vanished into thin air.

The local landlord suggested that too many pints may have been consumed, but witnesses were adamant that they had seen the man vanish right before their eyes and arguments raged over whether the witnesses were sober or not.

Yet across the village, none of that seemed to matter. Over a clump of trees stood a very odd building that none of the villagers had seen in a long time. What once was a stone Pigsty, now stood a very tall, very odd, very rickety house.