Dead Twin Walking

Chapter 4: Back to the Beginning

"But as our team is torn apart,
I wish we could go,
back to the beginning..."
-"The Time Has Come" (Pokémon Soundtrack)

When Fred came to, he felt something heavy lying across his back as he lay facedown on the cobblestone street. The last thing he remembered were Mr. Feralis' voice yelling the Killing Curse, then a blur of red and black as he (Fred) was knocked down and out. These clues plus the relative size of the heavy thing gave Fred a good idea of what, or rather who, he was underneath. "George? George gerroff!"

No response. No movement at all...

"...George?" Fred was getting scared now. He managed to free himself and got into a kneeling position. The sight he beheld made his heart lurch.

For there was George, lying face-up beside him; dead but with a look of determination frozen upon his face. He had selflessly sacrificed his life for his newfound identical brother...

"No..." Fred's voice was shaky as he fought back tears. They had barely met, but the loss of the twin he'd just begun to know hit deep. He felt as if half of his heart had been torn away, leaving a gaping hole in his chest. "NOOOOOOO!!!!"

The only other noises in the immediate area were that of the astonished crowd that had gathered; the other mourning Weasleys; and Mrs. Feralis, who was berating her husband for mindlessly killing off their "heir." Trembling with anger and despair, Fred slowly rose to his feet. Without looking back, he took off running, shoving crowd members out of his way.

The Ministry would undoubtedly toss Mr. Feralis in Azkaban for life, but that wouldn't bring back George. Fred wasn't abandoning his family, he just felt that he had to do something about all this on his own. The only thing was, what could he do?

In his distress, Fred failed to pay attention to where he was going. Thus, he didn't see the elderly wizard he was unintentionally headed for until it was too late and crashed into him. "S-sorry..." he apologized, helping his "victim" to his feet.

"That's quite all right, young man. It appears that you are in a lot of anguish over something. Were you involved in that tragic incident that just occurred?" The man gestured toward the scene of George's death, where Aurors had just arrived.

"Yes... my brother... murdered... trying to save me..." As Fred caught his breath, he got a better look at the man, who had the longest beard he'd ever seen and wore halfmoon spectacles and elegant purple robes. He recognized him immediately. "You.. you're Professor Dumbledore, headmaster at Hogwarts! I recognize you from my Folio Magi!"

Dumbledore nodded. "Indeed I am. And you are?"

"Fred Weasley, my dad works for the Department for Misuse of Muggle Artifacts."

"Ah yes, I know your father well." The boy's vague scraps of story stirred an eleven-year-old memory in the back of Dumbledore's mind. "Perhaps we can discuss this further somewhere more, private?" Fred nodded and allowed himself to be led into the Leaky Cauldron.

They sat down in a back corner booth, and Fred slowly explained everything that had happened that day since he'd headed for Quality Quidditch Supplies earlier. The unexpected reunion with George, Mrs. Feralis' baby-snatching sister, all the way up to Fred's run-in with Dumbledore.

The older wizard now knew that his suspicions had been correct. Trelawney's strange prediction in his office just before Fred's birth was no coincidence, for he and George were the ill-fated halves she had spoken of. At first she had only appeared to be partially accurate, but now it was apparent that the prophecy was fully true and had come to pass.

"...I just wish there was something I could do, Headmaster... I knew George for less than two hours but I feel half-dead... If only I could go back in time and stop that blasted Carroway woman from nicking him... Then none of this would happen..."

Dumbledore nodded sympathetically, then thought for a moment. "Perhaps there is a way..." From his robes, he produced a small, sparkling hourglass dangling from a very long, very fine gold chain. On the bottom were several numbered wheels arranged to display a date and time. "This, Fred, is a Time-Turner, which can send the wearer back to any given point in history."

Fred was amazed as he peered at the device. "And with it I can save George?"

"Precisely. I will pay your fare for a ride on the Knight Bus to St. Mungo's, and from there you can travel back eleven years into the past and prevent your twin's abduction. But I must advise that once you have arrived, you make sure that you are seen by as few people as possible." Dumbledore reached into his robes and pulled out a long, silvery piece of cloth. "This invisibility cloak was left in my care by an old friend. It will aid you in keeping yourself inconspicuous."

Fred placed the cloak in his rucksack and tucked the Time-Turner beneath his shirt. "But... how will I find you to return these when I'm done?" The endless mischief he could make with the cloak alone was the furthest thing from his mind at the moment.

"I think that you will not find that a problem."

"All right..." They shook hands. "Thank you Headmaster... Thank you..."

"You're very welcome," Dumbledore replied, a twinkle in his eyes.

With that they headed outside, and Dumbledore flagged the Knight Bus, which arrived in a few seconds with a deafening BANG. The doors opened, and Stan Shunpike stepped out into the street. "Where to, Professor?"

Dumbledore smiled and shook his head. "Fred here needs a ride to St. Mungo's Hospital."

"Got to visit a sick cousin, haven't seen him in a while," Fred lied, unable to think of a better excuse.

"Right then, hop aboard," Stan replied as he was paid. He climbed back onboard, followed shortly by Fred, who waved. Dumbledore waved back and mouthed "Good luck."

As he sat in his armchair onboard the Knight Bus, Fred attempted to get a little rest but had trouble doing so. Part of it was Ernie Prang's not-so-perfect driving skills, the rest was due to the whirlwind of events that had occurred within such a short period of time. He soon gave up and started formulating a plan. "I'm coming, George..." he whispered softly, gazing out a window.

* * * * * *

(Outside of St. Mungo's)

Fred waved to Ernie and Stan as he walked away from the bus then covered his ears as it disappeared with another BANG. Once it was gone he accessed his surroundings, feeling more than a bit confused. He had been dropped off in front of an old Muggle department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd. that looked like it hadn't been used in over a decade. This couldn't be the place... or could it? Large magical places had to be well-hidden from Muggles, after all. But how to get inside?

He walked over to one of the uglier window displays, half-expecting it to provide a view to what was really inside. "Got to be a way in somewhere..."

"First time to the hospital, dearie?" Fred whirled around to face the older woman who had spoken, startled. She was dressed like an ordinary Muggle, but no Muggle in their right mind would mistake Purge and Dowse for a hospital.

"You're one of ours, then?" He discreetly slid his wand a few inches out of his jacket pocket before letting go, and the witch nodded. Dumbledore had told him to try to remain unseen, but perhaps she could help him out. "Yes, I got dropped off but no one bothered to tell me how to get in."

The witch shook her head and tsked. "Parents can be so irresponsible these days." Fred scowled at that; it wasn't the elder Weasleys' fault at all since they had no idea where he had gone or what he was up to. "It's simple, really. You quietly tell the dummy in front of you who you wish to visit, wait for the reaction, then walk through the glass."

"All right, thanks." He approached the dummy and whispered, "I'm here to see my mother." A few moments later, the dummy gave a tiny nod and beckoned its jointed finger. Fred took that as his cue to enter, and casually stepped through the cool glass into a rather crowded reception room.

It took him a few minutes to locate the information desk, and he was grateful for the floor guide posted on the wall beside it. The maternity ward was on the second floor, so he headed through a pair of double doors and down a narrow corridor. Now that he was inside and knew where to go, he needed somewhere to hide so that he could use the Time Turner. A broom closet was on the left, perfect. He slipped inside, shut the door, and pulled the little device out from beneath his shirt.

"Better set it for a bit beforehand so I can get to the ward in time..." he muttered to himself. Carefully turning the little wheels, he set it for the mid-afternoon of his birthdate eleven years prior.

The world around him dissolved, and he felt as if he were flying backwards very fast. A blur of colors raced passed him and his ears pounded. Just when Fred thought he couldn't take it anymore, he felt solid ground beneath his feet, and everything came into focus.

* * * * * *

(April 1, 1978)

"Phew..." Fred pulled out the invisibility cloak, donned it, and stepped out of the closet. Unsure of how much time he had, he raced up two flights of stairs and entered the maternity ward, careful not to crash into anyone. That was the last thing he needed when his brother's life was at stake.

Now there was the matter of finding the right door, but he soon found that it wouldn't be an issue as a familiar wail rang out. "That's me just born... " he whispered, recognizing the pitch from his dream/memory. He moved to the front of a passage near the door in question so that he could see which way Teresa Carroway would turn once she discovered that George was in fact alive.

A few minutes later, bawling and wailing came from the ward. "Almost time... Come on..."

Wand at the ready, Fred watched as the Healer and Mediwitch came out and split off in different directions. "Such a shame really... Poor thing..." muttered the latter. A few feet away from Fred's hiding place, she abruptly stopped as coughing and sputtering came from the tiny bundle in her arms. Teresa looked at the bundle, then back at the door from which she'd just come. "Why should they have all the luck when my sister's completely barren?! They've still got the other boy plus their first three. For all they know this one's dead, so they won't mind if I give him away."

She started to head off again when Fred stepped into her path, cloak gone and wand out. "Actually, I believe they WOULD mind!"

Teresa was startled by his sudden appearance. "Who..? What..?"

Grinning madly, Fred pointed his wand at the infant version of his twin and cried the waking spell he'd seen his mother use before. "Enervate!" Before Teresa could react further, a piercing wail errupted from the bundle. Fred tossed the invisibility cloak back on and ducked behind a corner to watch the fun.

"My other baby's alive?! Arthur, stop her!" he heard his mother yell from inside the maternity ward.

Mr. Weasley dashed into the hall looking murderous. "Just where do you think you're going with my son?!" He snatched George-the-infant away with one hand and pinned Teresa to the wall with the other.

"I don't understand... there was a boy... how..?" Teresa babbled, completely confused.

"SECURITY!"

With all the confusion that followed, it was all Fred could do to keep from laughing his head off and giving himself away. "Complete and utter chaos, mayhem, and my brother restored. My work is done here..." he mused to himself, hardly noticing as he slowly faded into the timestream.