Categories > Books > Harry Potter > In Essence Divided
Chapter 1
Fred whistled as he made his way down Diagon Alley. This was his favorite part of the day. Unlike his brother, he was a morning person. He couldn't wait to see his brother again and tell him of the many ideas he had about products for their store. He had stayed the night with their mother who was up late worrying about Arthur. Voldemort was again on the loose and his father had a lot on his plate between the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry. But money was tight and his promotion was greatly needed.
Fred tried to think back to the last time he and his brother had spent the night apart. Even in Hogwarts, when one of their experiments had gone wrong, Madame Pomfrey had turned a blind eye to him crashing on a bed near his brother. They had every class together. They owned a store together. They dated together, Angelina and Katie both knew that they were inseparable and it was a good thing that the two girls were good friends.
Fred stopped in Madame Puddifoot's. He planned to grab two cups of her delicious coffee and wake George up early to get cracking on their new products. He had no doubt that his brother also had ideas of his own, probably overlapping his own. He greeted the witches and wizards that bade him good morning and waited his turn in the line.
The shop looked different at this time of the day. The morning crowd did not come here to whisper over mugs of cocoa, they came here to greet the morning, find out if anything had happened of importance the previous day. George had always been content to conjure a mug of morning tea to the breakfast table, but Fred preferred to come here and pick up a cup. Let George be lazy and stay in bed.
He saw Kingsley as he entered the shop. He gave a wave and Kingsley came to join him in the line.
"Running late you are?" Fred grinned, thinking that the wizard in front of him had also decided to get a few extra winks of sleep.
"That I am, I'm sure Arthur will be waiting for me when I arrive." Kingsley laughed.
"He left ages ago! Mum fair well kicked me out the door along with him. Ginny's birthday plans, she had to run errands and all that. I suppose I'll see her later today." Fred smiled as he remembered all the things that he and his brother had planned for their little sister's birthday.
"Coming up so soon! You lot are growing up so fast!" Kingsley shook his head in disbelief.
Fred didn't immediately answer. A sudden shiver had gone through him. The shop was kept very warm and cozy and no one had come through the door. He shivered again, a sudden ache starting to creep up the back of his skull.
"Is something wrong, Fred?" Kingsley looked a bit worried.
"No, it's nothing. I just felt out of sorts for a moment. I think I was just up too late last night." Fred dismissed the feeling he had and stepped forward in line.
A witch smiled at him and started to prepare his usual two coffees. She hummed as she did it, a slow melodic tune. Fred's insides told him to yell at her to hurry up. He wondered at his sudden impatience, but something in his gut had started twisting. Fred's breathing was now coming in rapid shallow breaths and he was getting dizzy. Adrenalin started pulsing in his veins, and his fight or flight senses were telling him to run. Panic reared its head and he gasped for air.
Abruptly as it had begun, the spell was broken when the witch turned around. With a cheerful smile, she rang him up and gave him his total.
Fred shook his head as if to clear it. What on earth was that all about? He paid the witch and threw a few extra sickles into the tip jar. The witch gave him a smile and started Kingsley's order. Fred gave Kingsley a weak smile and started out the door.
When the cool air of the street hit Fred's flushed face, all his senses heightened again. As if a wave had crashed over him, he knew that things were not right. Something was wrong and he pushed down the nausea that accompanied the fear he suddenly had for his twin. Nothing else on earth could make him feel this terrified.
He dropped the drinks and broke into a run. The joke shop was right around the block. He urged his feet to go faster and argued with his brain that was telling him that it was already too late. He felt as though he were running through a valley of mud. He passed Allivander's closed shop and his heart gave a lurch. No no no, he told himself. Just get there.
He rounded the corner and reached the store that stood out like a sore thumb. Nothing looked out of place, but that didn't seem to quell the fears that unfurled in his gut.
The door was unlocked. George never left the doors unlocked. Fred didn't care about the danger that could be lurking beyond that door; his only thought was his twin. He rushed to the stairs and started up, taking them two at a time. Fred knew he wasn't dying, but scenes from his life, their life, were rushing through his head like a freight train.
Always they had been like one person, split into two bodies. They thought the same, they talked the same, and they finished each other's sentences for each other. Many times they could work without even talking, they knew precisely what the other was thinking. They were so alike that even their mother had trouble telling them apart at times.
Fred gasped for breath as he reached the door to George's room. He knew that whatever lay on the other side was going to be more than he could handle and he hesitated as he turned the knob. George. He pushed his uneasiness aside and shoved the door open.
A sob escaped him as he saw the mess that greeted him. A fight had happened here, he could see broken objects scattered about and the dressers were toppled to the floor. He frantically searched for his brother. He found him curled in the corner, unmoving and barely breathing. He was a mess. Fred tried to wake him, but that seemed to only worsen his condition. Fred choked on ragged sobs as he hoisted his brother over to the fireplace. He had to get help, had to get his brother to a healer, there was so much that they had yet to do.
Fred knew that there was no way he could exist without his brother with him. He just couldn't. A part of him would die and the rest would collapse like a broken building. There was no way George could die. No way.
George remained limp in his arms, showing no sign of coming to. Fred yelled as he tried to get his brother into a better position to floo. Fred tried to convince himself that if he only got his brother to St. Mungo's, everything would be all right. He grabbed the can of floo powder and with a burst of strength that surprised even him; he heaved his brother to their full height and shouted "St. Mungo's!"
Fred whistled as he made his way down Diagon Alley. This was his favorite part of the day. Unlike his brother, he was a morning person. He couldn't wait to see his brother again and tell him of the many ideas he had about products for their store. He had stayed the night with their mother who was up late worrying about Arthur. Voldemort was again on the loose and his father had a lot on his plate between the Order of the Phoenix and the Ministry. But money was tight and his promotion was greatly needed.
Fred tried to think back to the last time he and his brother had spent the night apart. Even in Hogwarts, when one of their experiments had gone wrong, Madame Pomfrey had turned a blind eye to him crashing on a bed near his brother. They had every class together. They owned a store together. They dated together, Angelina and Katie both knew that they were inseparable and it was a good thing that the two girls were good friends.
Fred stopped in Madame Puddifoot's. He planned to grab two cups of her delicious coffee and wake George up early to get cracking on their new products. He had no doubt that his brother also had ideas of his own, probably overlapping his own. He greeted the witches and wizards that bade him good morning and waited his turn in the line.
The shop looked different at this time of the day. The morning crowd did not come here to whisper over mugs of cocoa, they came here to greet the morning, find out if anything had happened of importance the previous day. George had always been content to conjure a mug of morning tea to the breakfast table, but Fred preferred to come here and pick up a cup. Let George be lazy and stay in bed.
He saw Kingsley as he entered the shop. He gave a wave and Kingsley came to join him in the line.
"Running late you are?" Fred grinned, thinking that the wizard in front of him had also decided to get a few extra winks of sleep.
"That I am, I'm sure Arthur will be waiting for me when I arrive." Kingsley laughed.
"He left ages ago! Mum fair well kicked me out the door along with him. Ginny's birthday plans, she had to run errands and all that. I suppose I'll see her later today." Fred smiled as he remembered all the things that he and his brother had planned for their little sister's birthday.
"Coming up so soon! You lot are growing up so fast!" Kingsley shook his head in disbelief.
Fred didn't immediately answer. A sudden shiver had gone through him. The shop was kept very warm and cozy and no one had come through the door. He shivered again, a sudden ache starting to creep up the back of his skull.
"Is something wrong, Fred?" Kingsley looked a bit worried.
"No, it's nothing. I just felt out of sorts for a moment. I think I was just up too late last night." Fred dismissed the feeling he had and stepped forward in line.
A witch smiled at him and started to prepare his usual two coffees. She hummed as she did it, a slow melodic tune. Fred's insides told him to yell at her to hurry up. He wondered at his sudden impatience, but something in his gut had started twisting. Fred's breathing was now coming in rapid shallow breaths and he was getting dizzy. Adrenalin started pulsing in his veins, and his fight or flight senses were telling him to run. Panic reared its head and he gasped for air.
Abruptly as it had begun, the spell was broken when the witch turned around. With a cheerful smile, she rang him up and gave him his total.
Fred shook his head as if to clear it. What on earth was that all about? He paid the witch and threw a few extra sickles into the tip jar. The witch gave him a smile and started Kingsley's order. Fred gave Kingsley a weak smile and started out the door.
When the cool air of the street hit Fred's flushed face, all his senses heightened again. As if a wave had crashed over him, he knew that things were not right. Something was wrong and he pushed down the nausea that accompanied the fear he suddenly had for his twin. Nothing else on earth could make him feel this terrified.
He dropped the drinks and broke into a run. The joke shop was right around the block. He urged his feet to go faster and argued with his brain that was telling him that it was already too late. He felt as though he were running through a valley of mud. He passed Allivander's closed shop and his heart gave a lurch. No no no, he told himself. Just get there.
He rounded the corner and reached the store that stood out like a sore thumb. Nothing looked out of place, but that didn't seem to quell the fears that unfurled in his gut.
The door was unlocked. George never left the doors unlocked. Fred didn't care about the danger that could be lurking beyond that door; his only thought was his twin. He rushed to the stairs and started up, taking them two at a time. Fred knew he wasn't dying, but scenes from his life, their life, were rushing through his head like a freight train.
Always they had been like one person, split into two bodies. They thought the same, they talked the same, and they finished each other's sentences for each other. Many times they could work without even talking, they knew precisely what the other was thinking. They were so alike that even their mother had trouble telling them apart at times.
Fred gasped for breath as he reached the door to George's room. He knew that whatever lay on the other side was going to be more than he could handle and he hesitated as he turned the knob. George. He pushed his uneasiness aside and shoved the door open.
A sob escaped him as he saw the mess that greeted him. A fight had happened here, he could see broken objects scattered about and the dressers were toppled to the floor. He frantically searched for his brother. He found him curled in the corner, unmoving and barely breathing. He was a mess. Fred tried to wake him, but that seemed to only worsen his condition. Fred choked on ragged sobs as he hoisted his brother over to the fireplace. He had to get help, had to get his brother to a healer, there was so much that they had yet to do.
Fred knew that there was no way he could exist without his brother with him. He just couldn't. A part of him would die and the rest would collapse like a broken building. There was no way George could die. No way.
George remained limp in his arms, showing no sign of coming to. Fred yelled as he tried to get his brother into a better position to floo. Fred tried to convince himself that if he only got his brother to St. Mungo's, everything would be all right. He grabbed the can of floo powder and with a burst of strength that surprised even him; he heaved his brother to their full height and shouted "St. Mungo's!"
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