Chapter 12
Fred woke up to a sore, well, everything.
“Hnngh.” He said, slowly opening his eyes. The first thing he noticed was how dark it was, and the second was that he was at St. Mungos.
“Shit.” He said. He shuffled, trying to get out of bed.
“Oh! No, dear, please stay there.” A healer came around the corner, walking past the lit hallway.
“I need to go.” Fred insisted. “My siblings-”
“Yes, they’re all fine.” The healer said. “Ron, Ginny, and George all came in for a checkup, and your parents and all three of your older brothers have been in. They’re sleeping now, but if the last two weeks have been any indication they’ll be here when visiting hours start again.”
“Two weeks?” Fred yelped.
The healer nodded. “Oh, yes, you were in a coma.” He glanced up at Fred. “Oh, I’m sorry, didn’t you know?”
“I’ve been out for two weeks?”
“They should’ve told you this last time you woke up.” The healer frowned and looked at his sheet. “Oh! Oh, I need to get my boss.” The healer hurried out, leaving Fred behind. A moment later he reappeared.
“Fred!” The older woman said. “I’m very happy to see you awake.”
“He said I’ve been out for two weeks.”
“Yes, in a magical coma. Our best guess is that the latent dark magic from the blood quill and the cruciatus weakened your defense system, and so your brother hitting you with a stunning spell was the last straw. Ordinarily you’d have been fine, but well,” She shrugged. “It’s been an interesting experiment, really, seeing the effects of a stunning spell on a weakened magical system.”
“Experiment?” Fred demanded.
“Perhaps not the right phrasing.” The healer agreed. “Best you can do is go back to sleep now, it’s 3am. Your family will be here at 9am.”
“No.” Fred said. “I’ve slept enough, I want to see them now.”
“I’m afraid they’re not here-”
“We are.” Fred and the healer both turned to the doorway, where Audrey stood with Percy and George. “Or some of us are.” She smiled. “I’m sorry, the receptionist told us that extenuating circumstances meant we could visit.”
“Well, if you’ve come all the way out here…” The healer looked torn, but finally sighed. “Oh, alright. But just this once.” She stepped out of the room, pulling the younger healer with her. The door closed, and George lunged for Fred.
“I hate you.” He sobbed.
“George!” Fred wrapped his arms around his brother. “They said I was out for three weeks!”
“I thought you were going to die,” George whispered, burying his face in Fred’s shoulder. Fred swallowed and looked up at Percy and Audrey.
“I’m so sorry.” Percy said. It was the first time Fred had ever seen his brother look so helpless. “I’m so sorry. I had no idea-”
“It’s not your fault.” Fred said. “Really, Perce. I think I’d be actually dead if not for you.”
“You would be.” Audrey sat down at the end of Fred’s bed, pulling her husband with her. “You didn’t see it from our angle, it was…” She breathed out. “I thought Dolohov’s spell got you first, honestly. Finding out you were only stunned was a blessing, even with the complications from it.”
“They said my magical system-”
“Practically gone. It was recuperating, but it was so weak they thought the stunning spell was the last straw.” Percy said softly. “They, well, they told us to say our goodbyes. They didn’t think you would make it.”
“Oh.”
“Yeah, oh.” George pulled back, and now he looked mad. “Fred-” He cut himself off and looked away, swiping furiously at his eyes. “What were you thinking?”
“You were the one who wanted to go!”
“I wouldn’t have if I knew you were so weak!” George shouted. Audrey quickly cast a privacy charm, which was good because George kept yelling. “Merlin, Fred, you could’ve died! And it would’ve been all my fault.”
“It would not have been.” Fred said hotly. “I agreed to go! I was the one who let Umbridge do all that to me, it would’ve been my fault!”
“I’m your twin, I should’ve noticed!” George yelled. Fred glared at him, and George glared back with glassy eyes. “I’m your twin, Freddie, and I wasn’t there when you needed me.”
“It’s okay.” Fred whispered. “I don’t blame you.”
George sniffed, and then pulled Fred into a hug, smushing Fred’s face against his shoulder.
“That’s it?” Fred heard Audrey demand. “I thought we were going to have to break up a fistfight.”
“No,” Percy sounded amused. “They’ve always been like that. They don’t fight, but if they do it’s bad, and usually short.”
“Except for when we stopped speaking for three weeks this semester.” Fred said, his voice muffled.
“Yeah, that was new.” Percy agreed. He glanced down. “It’s nearly 3:45, I imagine Mum will be here soon.”
“At four in the morning?”
“She’s had trouble sleeping.” Audrey said. “She’s been doing nightly checks, thinks none of us notice. Percy left a note before we left, I imagine she’ll be here as soon as she finds it.”
“How did you know to come?” Fred asked, pushing George away.
“I had a dream,” George muttered. “Only, I thought we were coming because you’d died.”
“He woke everyone up with his screaming.” Audrey said. “I got everyone back to bed and by the time I turned around Percy and George were halfway in the floo. Pulled them back just in time to talk about it and for Perce to write his note.”
“I would’ve come right back,” Percy muttered sullenly.
“Yes, well.” Audrey smiled at him. He shook his head and kissed her cheek.
“Hey, when did you get in town?” Fred asked suddenly.
“Two weeks ago.” Percy said promptly. “Also, you missed your graduation. Join the club.” He raised his hand for a high five, which Fred gave him cheerfully.
“I tried to boycott but Mum wouldn’t let me.” George said. “So I walked twice and got your diploma for you.”
“Hey, thanks Georgie.” Fred grinned. “But back to Percy and Audrey still being here.”
“I took an extended break,” Percy said. “You know, because we thought my brother was dying.”
Fred winced. “I’m never going to hear the end of that, am I?”
“No.” George said.
Percy sighed. “It’ll end when someone else nearly dies.” He said. “My money is on Ron next.”
“Smart money is on Ron next.” George said.
Audrey hummed. “Bill bet Charlie.”
“Bill’s an idiot.” Percy declared. “And clearly does not know the trouble Harry Potter gets into.”
“Does Mum know you’re betting on this?”
“No. And we’re keeping it that way.” Percy said firmly. Fred laughed. “Anyway, Fred, tell me about your year.”
Fred did, with George jumping in on the parts he’d been there for. Percy and Audrey were good listeners, and when their Mum burst into thirty minutes later, they were even better at peeling her off of Fred. It was, all and all, a good end to a very terrible year.