The Unknown of the Order (Harry Potter: Hogwarts Mystery

Cease Fire

Between them, they carried a body. A young man with flaming red hair and freckles, a smile stuck to his face even in death. 

Fred. 

Sarah choked out an unintelligible noise. She clutched at her heart, as if to make sure it hadn't abandoned her altogether. She couldn't speak, couldn't breathe. 

The Weasleys didn't notice her as they passed, too overwhelmed by their own grief as they marched their brother inside. 

How could this have happened? Fred couldn't be dead. Death happened to people in stories, to people you barely knew, not the people you sat at dinner with, the ones who made you laugh everyday and deserved nothing but long, happy lives. 

Once she was aware that she was Sarah again, that the world was still spinning, she grabbed Diego, his face blurred through her tears. 

"Have you seen Barnaby? Or Jacob?"

Diego shuffled his feet uncomfortably. 

"You haven't heard? Jacob's with Madam Pomfrey. He got hurt...rather badly."

Sarah left Diego at once and charged back through the Great Hall. She shattered like the castle windows had done under the giants' assault when she heard Mrs. Weasley's tortured scream--"NO! NOT FRED! PLEASE NO!"--but she managed to keep herself together enough to keep running. 

She'd nearly reached Madam Pomfrey when Talbott spotted her and pulled her back. 

"Hey hey hey, hold on," he said, trying to calm her. 

"Is that Jacob? Is he okay?"

"He's..." said Talbott slowly. "He's been attacked with a knife. Apparently, it was cursed. They're trying to figure out how to remove it without--without killing him."

"Let me help. I'm a Curse-Breaker!" She resumed her struggle from Talbott's arms. "Let me see him!" 

"This is a healer's job, not a Curse-Breaker's. Trust me, Sarah. It's better if you don't see--"

But she squirmed free of his grip and resumed her run toward her brother, only to stop in her tracks the next instant. 

There Jacob lay on a cot. Chiara administered potions while Madam Pomfrey leaned over him, muttering countless incantations. Their clothing was covered in blood. Sarah saw the knife. It stuck out of Jacob's skull, the red soaked blade embedded in his eye socket. 

Sarah turned around and vomited. 

Talbott took hold of her again, keeping her steady as she shook violently and shut her eyes tight against the image that was now permanently embedded in her brain. 

"Here," said a kind voice. 

Talbott stepped back to let Penny take over, and the two witches wept together. Sarah could have buried her head in Penny's shoulder forever, until Voldemort burst through the doors and cast the killing curse at her back. Penny held her until her breathing had somewhat returned to normal. 

"What--what can I do?" Sarah sniffed, raising her head to meet her friend's eyes. 

"Nothing right now," said Penny, wiping her own eyes with the sleeve of her robes. "That's the worst part about healing sometimes. But, I'm sure he'll be alright. He couldn't be in better hands."

Sarah hiccupped.

"It's my--"

"Hush," said Penny. "It's not your fault. This is all You-Know-Who's fault. But by the end of the night, he'll answer for it all."

Sarah wiped at her face. "Do you really still think that?"

"Of course. I actually saw Harry Potter himself a while ago. As long as he's on our side, we can't lose."