Dead Twin Walking

Chapter 3: Blood is Thicker Than Water

"You - you look just like me!" Fred and George cried in unison, pointing at each other.

For a minute or two they just stared at each other in shock and confusion. Neither boy dared make a move, unsure of what to make of this sudden revelation.

Then Mr. Ollivander's curious revelation came to mind again. 'The buyer was a boy about your age; resembled you a lot too. Do you have a twin brother?' "It's like we're twin brothers, but it can't be... can it?"

At the same time, Fred was suddenly reminded of his parents' strange actions on his birthdays and of the last part of his reoccuring dream/memory. That baby... his devastated parents... and now the boy before him... There HAD to be a connection. "It could... I've always felt like there was something missing in my life..."

"Me too! And I've always felt out of place at home, like I don't belong. Plus I don't look a thing like either of my 'parents.'"

Fred nodded even though he had yet to meet the rest of the Feralis clan. The Weasleys were notorious for their flaming red hair and freckles, and George had plenty of both, resemblance to Fred aside. "There's something fishy going on here if we're twins but never knew each other."

"Definitely dodgy. I'm George by the way." He refrained from giving a last name, as he now knew that it wasn't his real one.

"And I'm Fred. Fred Weasley." They shook on it given the awkwardness of the situation.

They were about to contemplate how and why they'd been separated when someone yelled, "Frederick Weasley what have you done now?! Just got your wand and already you're wrecking havoc with it!"

Both twins turned around and saw a redheaded boy with glasses who was two years their senior. Fred looked indignant; trouble was his middle name, but he wasn't about to get blamed for something he didn't do. "I am not, Percy, whatever gave you that idea?!"

"I don't know HOW I don't know WHY but you've somehow managed to turn that boy into a copy of yourself!" Percy pointed at George, and the twins cracked up. Even they knew that short of resorting to Polyjuice Potion, what he was suggesting was virtually impossible for an untrained First Year.

"You stupid prat, isn't it obvious?! George here is my long-lost twin brother!" Fred clapped a hand on George's shoulder.

Percy blinked, then gaped, looking as if he'd seen a ghost. "No. Way..." He vaguely remembered their mother being pregnant with twins eleven years ago but only coming home with Fred. According to her and their father, the other baby had been born dead. And yet there he was standing right in front of him!

Determined not to make a fool of himself, Percy regained his composure, turned his head to the side, and yelled, "Mother! Father! Come quickly! You're not going to believe this!"

At that, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley came running, Charlie, Ron, and Ginny at their heels. Mrs. Weasley was about to ask what was wrong when she spotted the twins. She looked at George, then at Fred, then back at George. The resemblance was undeniable. "It can't be but it is! George...?"

Now it was George's turn to be surprised. "How did you know my name?"

"And for that matter why didn't you ever tell me I had a twin brother?!" Fred demanded.

Mrs. Weasley sighed and addressed Fred's question first. "Your father and I thought it best that you never found out because... because for all we knew George was stillborn..."

"WHAT?!?!" Fred and George both exlaimed.

"That's what the Healer had said. Apparently he was wrong.."

"And my name?" George querried.

"We'd already picked out names for the two of you beforehand. In our dispair over your 'death' it was mentioned before the mediwitch took you away... But what puzzles me now is why you weren't returned to us if you were still alive," Mr. Weasley explained.

"But, that doesn't matter anymore. What matters now is that you've come back to us, son!" Mrs. Weasley threw her arms around George, and he returned her embrace, grinning widely. For the first time in his life, he felt whole, like he belonged.

His mother was crying with happiness, and he was trying hard not to cry as well as a small Weasley family reunion broke out then and there in the middle of Diagon Alley. Never mind that people were staring at them; all rational thought was shoved aside in the swirl of introductions, cheering, and general happiness. Only Percy was attempting to maintain his usual dignified manner, and failing miserably.

"Unhand my son immediately!!" an older man's voice bellowed, bringing the reunion to a hault.

'No... not now!' George thought, snapping to attention as Mr. and Mrs. Feralis marched over to the group.

"YOUR son?!" Mrs. Weasley snapped. "George is clearly ours!"

George nodded in agreement, only to be yanked forward by his stepmother. "How dare you defy us when you know damn well where you belong?!"

George wrenched his shirt free from her grasp and backed away. "You're right, I do know where I belong, and it's with my own flesh and blood!" George gestured to the newfound family that surrounded him. "It seems you never told me I was ADOPTED!!!"

"We had no reason to! You were given to us by your Aunt Teresa because I was barren and she said you were an unwanted baby!"

"UNWANTED?! He was anything BUT unwanted!" cried Mr. Weasley.

"Teresa? As in Mediwitch Teresa Carroway of St. Mungo's Hospital?!" his wife asked, getting more angry by the second as everything fell into place. It all made sense now: Teresa had discovered that George was still alive and consequently gave him to this nasty couple because they could have no children of their own.

"The same, she's my sister!" Mrs. Feralis replied. "Why should you have all the luck?!" She motioned to the other five Weasley children.

"Luck had nothing to do with it! With your attitude you don't deserve any children!"

By this time Fred and George were attempting to make a break for it amid the confusion and anger, but Mr. Feralis spotted them. "Oh no you don't!" He whipped out his wand and quickly took aim at the fleeing pair, not caring if he hit one twin or both. He'd had enough of all this. "Avada Kedavra!"

Both twins heard the booming words and turned in midrun in time to see the deadly jet of green light headed straight for them. The rest of the Weasley Family could only watch in horror as one twin - they couldn't tell which - shoved the other out of the way and took the full impact of the curse...

To Be Concluded...

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Author's Notes: Having recently finished TDH, I wish I had taken less time to revise and post it. Of all the bad timing... Those who've read it fully will understand why; I don't dare spoil it for those who haven't. But as I said at the end of Chapter 1, this fic was originally written before even OoP was released, so how was I to know? Stay with me for two more chapters, and I promise you that there will be no need for flaming.