The battle of Hogwarts raged on, a cacophony of spells, screams, and explosions echoing through the air. Fred Weasley had never felt such a rush of adrenaline. The fate of the entire wizarding world hung in the balance, and every spell he cast carried the weight of that responsibility.
But in the midst of the chaos, Fred’s focus was entirely on Harry. His boyfriend, his best friend, was dueling Voldemort. Fred’s heart pounded as he watched the green flash of the killing curse narrowly miss Harry. Everything was a blur after that.
Fred didn’t think, he just reacted as a deadly slicing spell, not from Voldemort, hurtled towards Harry’s blindside, and without a second thought, he leaped in front of the spell. The impact was instant, blinding pain shooting through his arm as the curse cut through flesh and bone. The world spun, his vision going dark at the edges, and he felt his body slam to the ground.
His arm was gone. He couldn’t even scream, the shock too intense, the blood pouring too fast. The battle continued around him, but Fred’s world shrank to a dim haze. He felt his life slipping away with every heartbeat.
And then nothing.
When Fred opened his eyes, he was no longer on the blood-soaked grounds of Hogwarts. Instead, he stood in a quiet, sunlit meadow. The air was warm, a stark contrast to the cold battle he had just left behind. Confused, Fred looked down at his body, both arms intact, no pain, no blood.
“Where am I?” he muttered.
“You’re in between, love.”
Fred whirled around, his heart skipping a beat. Standing before him, with soft smiles and kind eyes, were two people he’d only seen in old photographs: Lily and James Potter.
“Bloody hell,” Fred gasped, his hand going to his chest as if to steady his heartbeat. “You’re… you’re Harry’s parents.”
Lily stepped forward, her eyes filled with warmth. “And you’re Fred Weasley. We’ve heard so much about you.”
James crossed his arms, a teasing grin appeared on his face, one that Fred was very familiar with. “So, you’re the one who managed to steal our boy’s heart, huh? A prankster, no less. I should’ve guessed.”
Fred chuckled nervously, running a hand through his hair. “Erm, yeah…didn’t really plan it. Kind of just happened, you know?”
Lily smiled softly, her gaze gently. “Tell me, Fred… what would you do to protect Harry?”
Fred’s face grew serious. “I jumped in front of a curse for him. That’s how I got hurt. I didn’t even think about it, I just…. I had to protect him.”
Lily’s eyes shone with pride, and she exchanged a look with James. “You love him, don’t you?” she asked quietly.
Fred swallowed, feeling the weight of the question. He never got the chance to tell Harry he loved him. “More than anything.”
James stepped closer, his tone now more serious. “Good. Because Harry’s been through enough, and I’ll be damned if he gets hurt again. If you’re going back, when you get the chance, you better make sure you’re there for him, Weasley. Or I’ll come for you, even in death.”
Fred blinked, taken aback by the sudden protectiveness in James’s voice. “I will. I solemnly swear.”
Lily placed a hand on Fred’s arm. “Death owes us a debt. We gave up our lives to protect Harry, we were too young and not supposed to die the way we did. Death gave us a vow and we are taking up his favor. And because of that, you can go back.”
Fred’s breath caught in his throat. “What? I can go back?”
Lily smiled softly. “Yes. Go back to Harry, Fred. Be there for him, love him. Protect him as we would have.”
Fred’s head spun. He was dead, wasn’t he? But here were Harry’s parents, offering him a second chance, offering him life again.
James gave him a light punch on the shoulder, a grin spreading across his face. “You’re not so bad, Fred. You’ve got our blessing. But if you hurt him, you’ll have me to answer to. That’s a promise.”
Fred let out a shaky laugh. “Got it. No pressure then.”
Lily stepped back, her expression softening. “Go to him, Fred.”
And just like that, the meadow began to fade. The warm light turned to darkness, and Fred felt a strange tugging sensation as if he were being pulled backward through space.
When Fred woke up, the first thing he felt was the ground beneath him, cold, hard, real. He was lying in the middle of the battlefield, surrounded by the remnants of chaos, the sounds of fighting still echoing in the distance. He could feel the phantom pains of his missing arm and knew that if he could move his head to the side he would be able to see the missing appendage. But even through the pain that wasn’t what got his whole attention, it was Harry that did.
Harry was there, kneeling beside him, tears streaming down his face. His eye’s were clenched shut as he cried. “No. Fred. Please, no. You can’t, don’t leave me. Please.”
Fred’s heart broke at the sight of Harry’s anguish, but then his voice cracked, and he managed to whisper, “Harry.”
Harry’s head jerked up, his eyes wide with disbelief. “F-Fred?”
Fred grinned weakly. “Hey. Miss me?”
Harry let out a choked sob, pulling Fred into a fierce hug, holding onto him like he never wanted to let go. “You’re alive. I thought I lost you.”
Fred winced in pain, “Not that easy to get rid of me.”
Harry buried his face in Fred’s neck, his tears soaking into Fred’s bloodied shirt. “I love you, Fred, I love you. I can’t lose you.”
Fred held him close, his mind replaying his meeting with Lily and James. “You won’t. I’m not going anywhere. I promise. I love you too, Harry James Potter.”
As they held each other in the aftermath of the battle, Fred knew, without a doubt, that no matter what came next, he would be by Harry’s side. Missing arm and all. Forever.