The Lost Witch | Fred Weasley

CHAPTER THIRTY

The holidays came to an end, and we all headed back to Hogwarts for our second term. We had a proper girl's night in the dorm the first night back, reviling in the peace of not having classes for one last day. We gathered snacks from the kitchen and put together a little Christmas celebration of our own in our dorm as we opened the presents we had gotten each other.

I had gotten Amelia some new paints and a new sketch pad. Turns out she had filled out the one she got in the summer already, so she needed a new one. By the rate she was going, she needed four new ones.

I also got Angelina some new gloves for Quidditch, Lucy a box of the Weasley's Skiving Snack Boxes and a framed picture of us from when we had been studying by the Black Lake while the weather was still warm out. I had bribed Colin Creevey to give me the photo and he helped me make five copies, one for each of us.

My favourite gift was for Alicia. I got her a charmed miniature lion to represent the Gryffindors. Tap his head with your wand and he comes to life. Tap it again and he's just a figurine.

I received candies, prank items, a painted and decorated jean jacket, earrings and a never-ending water bottle.

I told them all how I had spent my holidays with the Weasley's, and Lucy pointed out my ring. I confessed that Fred and I had become official on Christmas Day. They all laughed at me at that. Apparently, we had been official since day 1, I was just the only one who hadn't caught on.

On Tuesday morning I headed to breakfast with Ginny, Fred and George, not quite ready for the workload the teachers had hit us with yesterday. We spotted Harry, Hermione and Ron as they had already started breakfast and beelined for them.

They were having a whispered conversation as a copy of the Daily Prophet lay in the middle of the table between them. As we reached them, I leaned over Ron's head and checked out the front page.

MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN
MINISTRY FEARS 'BLACK' IS 'RALLYING POINT' FOR OLD DEATH EATERS

"Black as in –?" Fred muttered to Harry beside me, but I didn't hear another word spoken. Because I had cast a glance at the picture and my knees buckled, causing me to catch myself on Ron's shoulders from behind. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

I was staring right into her eyes.

I felt all the warmth and happiness drain out of my body as I struggled to stay up right, not getting enough air into my lungs. It felt like I was hyperventilating. "Allie?" I heard a distant voice call.

Someone grabbed onto my arm and supported me, before the same warm arm wrapped around my middle, turning me away from Bellatrix Lestrange's face.

Someone stepped up to my other side and grabbed my elbow to help support me. I didn't even see anything in front of me as my feet moved automatically to walk with the two people guiding me.

We exited the Great Hall and went along a corridor. I felt like I was going to be sick. Suddenly we went through a smaller doorway, and I looked up to see where we were, but all I saw was her face.

I quickly released myself from the people supporting me and rushed to a corner in the room, retching up the contents I had left in my stomach. I started crying while I was doing so.

Someone came and pulled my hair out of my face, and I felt a hand run up and down my back in a comforting manner.

As I finished throwing up someone pulled us away from the mess and pulled me with them as they sat down, pulling me onto their lap.

I recognized the smell of cologne and lemons, and the feel of Fred and clung to his shirt, crying into his shoulder while he stroked my hair.

"She can't – it can't – no – it's not –" I couldn't even finish my sentences. My thoughts weren't strung together either. This can't be real. My breathing was uncontrollable. I felt like my lungs were going to give out. It was like I forgot how to breathe.