Chapter 24:

Katie:

Persistant much?! haha! x thanks for your 24 reviews, they were greatly appreciated though I'm not sure that's entirely what I meant... hahaha

This chapter I'm trying out something new with my writing involving notes from one character to another; it's literally to try it out and now seemed a good time... I want to know what you guys think about it, do you want more messages? are they annoying? do you prefer plain writing? I want to hear everyone's ideas cos then I can carry on doing what you guys want and I can't do that unless you tell me xx Happy reading

'George, what are we gonna do?' Fred whispered from under his covers, he had stayed there all morning only getting up to use the toilet. His brother in all but blood was gone, the boy he spent most of his time apart from his twin with, the boy who was his true partner in crime was dead. Kapeesh. Never coming back. Memories and thoughts ran through his head at breakneck speed; one, however, was particularly clear:

'Fred? I was looking through this book and I found something really cool-' Charlie turned to him, a wicked smile on his face. They had spent the past two hours designing and making pranks and various objects that they so desired such as a wand that actually was just a twig and when a spell was used with it, it set off a large bang and a cloud of smoke from the end (the genius was that there was an illusion to make it look like the person holding it's wand).

'What did you find?' Fred looked at Charlie from behind his cauldron of smoking stuff.

'A ritual- a ritual that makes the two participants brothers, blood brothers,' Fred's face lit up and he put down his stirrer, the possibilities!

'How?' Fred breathed as Charlie pulled out a leather bound book.

'Dark magic,' Fred grimaced with a shudder. Charlie was always looking into dark magic, he wasn't evil, it was just Mr. Lupin wasn't as strict with magic and 'sides' as his mum was. Mr. Lupin, if anything, didn't mind the dark arts that much, he even told Charlie what the dark arts were capable of. But at the same time, it was pretty clear that if push came to shove, he'd stay on the light side.

'Charlie, I don't-'

'It's a blood ritual! Blood adoptions are dark as well but the ministry still do them! It's simply because blood is used!' Charlie infused, why was Fred always so against anything vaguely illegal?

'Alright,' Fred sighed, he really should be used to it by now. Besides, at least it wasn't something bad! 'How old do we have to be?'

'Technically past your majority, but I think it's more to do with the thought of kids running around making bad decisions,' Charlie shrugged as he pulled out his wand to aid with the concoction they were making; it was a itching draught, it was supposed to cause the drinker to imagine they were really itchy but it was all in their head.

'Brothers?' Fred looked up to Charlie, his hand out. Charlie gave his trademark smirk and shook it.

'Brothers,'

'We can't do anything Freddie,' George said sombrely, 'we aren't even supposed to know about it, we should've gone today like McGonagall said,'

'Like McGonagall said- she wouldn't have sent us if he wasn't going to be alright!' Fred said with renewed hope, his mouth grew into the largest grin and he jumped out of bed. George just sent him a dark look and with a growl said.

'He's dead. Don't kid yourself Fred, he won't ever come back.'

Dumbledore sat in his chair behind his desk facing a distraught man, his face looked older than it had in years, creases and wrinkles looked so much more prominent than usual. He spoke softly to his company, 'Remus, my dear boy, you are not to blame,'.

Remus looked up sharply with red rimmed eyes, 'It's all my fault, I should have been a better parent-'

'No! Remus, you have done him a great service, he has lived one of the happiest childhoods available to him-'

'YOU LIE! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE CARED FOR HIM! I NEVER SHOULD HAVE HAD A SON! IF I HADN'T HE WOULD BE OKAY!' Remus screamed through his sobs.

'Charlie is-'

'Charlie WAS okay, he-' Remus stuttered but Dumbledore cut him off.

'Remus,' Dumbledore snapped, grabbing the attention of said person, before resuming his usual tone, 'You are not to blame for the bad things in Charlie's life, you are not to blame for his lycanthropy, you are not to blame for this,'

Remus snorted and looked away, his eyes drawn to the glares of multiple portraits, however one did not glare, the one that you would expect to be the one glaring:

Salazar Slytherin.

'It seemsss to me, that Charlie isss- happy in his ssituation, and he rather likesss having you asss a father-' he drawled from up above, Remus gave him a look of confusion before turning to Dumbledore questioningly.

'Salazar Slytherin,' Dumbledore said bitterly, 'He has a- network of portraits and actually teaches your son magic as you know, though I do believe his lessons are in a foreign language,'

'Parsletongue is no foreign language! It is an ancient tongue only through the Slytherin line!' Slytherin spat viciously, he had had this argument too many times- Parsletongue, yes it was dark and more powerful when used for dark purposes, but it really was just a language.

'Remus, you cannot do this, you didn't do anything this drastic after James died and you cannot do it now, hope is not lost,'

'Dumbledore- I- I need to be alone,' Remus stood up and started for the door.

'Your son is not dead Remus, you would do well to remember that!' Dumbledore called after him with a stern gaze.

'Yes- yes- he isn't,' Remus said in a daze as he left the room, without fully comprehending what he was doing he made his way to the hospital wing.

Fred slumped on his desk, his head resting on his arms as he tried to keep himself together whilst 'working'. George poked him and urged him to carry on working but he paid no attention, he couldn't bear to try and focus, he was too upset.

'Mr. Weasley, please get you head off the desk and transfigure that frog into a jewellery box. Chop chop!' McGonagall barked at Free who made a groaning sound and propped his head up on his hands. McGonagall's face changed into one of kindness and, if anything, confusion.

'Mr. Weasley, is something the matter?' Fred shrugged non-commitally, picked up his wand and prodded his frog who let out a mournful croak before collapsing on to the desk in a puddle of slime.

'Mr. Weasley, what is the matter?' Fred mumbled something barely distinguishable as 'Charlie' but McGonagall was just able to decipher it.

'Mr. Lupin is in the hospital wing, you can visit him in twenty minutes time,'

'But he's dead-' Fred muttered as he jabbed the frog again.

'I don't know where you heard that rumour, but Mr. Lupin is decidedly alive,' McGonagall said, her eyebrows in such a frown it was comparable to a black v drawn on by a permanent marker.

'But we saw him and-'

'Mr. Weasley, he is in a coma, we aren't sure when he'll wake. Why are we talking about this now? Transfigure that frog!' McGonagall smiled one of her rare smiles and walked off, leaving an ecstatic Fred behind her.

'George!' Fred squeaked whilst doing a sort of celebratory dance in his chair.

'Don't do that,' George snorted before picking up his quill, a small smile on his face.

'He's alive! Jamie's alive! I could scream!'

George raised one sceptical eyebrow before shaking his head in amusement, 'please don't,'was all he said.

History of Magic. Ergh. The bane of Fred's existence.

He wanted to talk to Charlie; he just needed a way to work out how. Suddenly it struck him: the MagicMessenger. It was a concept he had Charlie had made one rainy day last summer; the idea that you could send messages instantaneously without it being 'hacked' as Charlie put it. They had set to work that same day with a set of notepads with the necessary charms and so on (always using Charlie's wand - no tracker on it) until they had a fully functioning set of Messengers. They transferred the charms to a set of leather bound books with their names on the front - kind of like an email address that Charlie's 'Nightlight' reading neighbour used.

Pulling out his muggle-styled book with communication charms, Fred picked up his quill and started writing.

To: Charlie Lupin
From: Fred Weasley
Re: WHAT'S WRONG?!

Charlie! What's happened? Why are you ill? I'm visiting very soon, don't even think about getting out of bed! Do you need anything?

History of Magic is booorrriiinnnggg! Why do we even learn it?! It was so much more fun when you're dad used to give us lessons! Binns's droning on about some goblin war- no surprise there, eh? And George has fallen asleep in a puddle of his own dribble. :S

Please reply!

Freddie

To: Fred Weasley
From: Remus J Lupin
Re: Charlie

Fred Gideon Weasley! Why are you writing to Charlie at this time of day? In history of magic?! Can't say I blame you... Goblin wars aren't that interesting after a while... :( Charlie is currently- unconscious and I felt that really I should alert you as to why he won't respond.

Very impressed by the Charms on these books, did you make them yourself?

RJL

To: Charlie Lupin
From: Fred Weasley
Re: Oh, hi sir...

Erm- hello sir?

Truth be known, I wasn't actually expecting a message from you. How's DADA? Or are you in the hospital wing with Charlie?

I didn't actually make the books, it was Charlie but I did help with the actually practical side, but Charlie was the brains.

It's not that I dislike HoM, but it just goes on and on and on! I would prefer to be in potions if I'm honest!

Say hi to Charlie for me,

FGW

To: Fred Weasley
From: George Weasley
Re: This message

Fred, who are you talking to?

More importantly, why am I messaging you? We're sitting next to each other! By the way, you're looking good today, must be in your genes! ;)

Your slightly confused twin,

George.

To: Fred Weasley

From: Charlie Lupin

Re: Re: Charlie

Fred? Why is my pillow vibrating every now and again?

CJL

To: Charlie Lupin

From: Fred Weasley

Re:Re:Re: Charlie

YOU'RE AWAKE!

FGW

To: Fred Weasley
From: Remus J Lupin
Re:Re:Re:Re:Charlie

Nah, that was me... Sorry... I was bored...

RJL

To: Remus J Lupin
From: Fred Weasley
Re: •V•

That was mean.

FGW

To: George Weasley
From: Fred Weasley
Cc: Remus J Lupin
Re: Your dribble.

Wipe it up, it's started leaking off the table and onto the wet start firewor-

Never mind.

To: Fred Weasley
From: Remus J Lupin
Re: My dribble

I wasn't aware I was dribbling... And as for the wet start fireworks, perhaps Charlie's already told you, but spit adds potency to the firework and even more so if you soak it in soap first...

I mean- don't ever do that kids...

RJL

To: Remus J Lupin
From: Fred Weasley
Re: Dribble

Well... That was awkward...

It wasn't you dribbling, rather George and then I wrote your name down on the recipients list for some unknown reason... Sorry about that :S

And as for the fireworks, turns out ink also adds potency...

FGW

To: Fred Weasley
From: Remus J Lupin
Re: Charlie

Charlie's currently in a state of unrest and a mind healer is about to perform legilimency to see if they can wake him up... I doubt it though with Charlie's shields...

Don't know why I just told you that though? I'm just bored and lonely... There's only so much a snake can do for company... Especially one that hisses violently whenever you try and move it... Salazar thinks it very funny...

The twat.

RJL

To: George Weasley
From: Fred Weasley
Re: Charlie's dad

George, Charlie's dad is one of thee coolest people ever! I mean, I already knew that, I practically lived at their house for most of my life, but he's been messaging me from Charlie's book and, get this, he actually told me how to improve the wet start fireworks (awesome!)

Btw, a mind healer is currently visiting Charlie - I think something's really wrong...

Fred

To: Fred Weasley
From: George Weasley
Re: Re: Charlie's dad

Man, I don't know what to do... I mean, yeah I thought he was dead, but a mind healer? They're only for people with serious nutcase issues! And I love the fact that that was the after-thought...

George

To: George Weasley
From: Fred Weasley
Re: Charlie...

I'm bunking, I'll see you at lunch

Fred

Fred stuffed his pens into his bag with a bit of a clatter- not that Binns noticed, no Goblin Wars were the way forward for him- and slipped off his chair to crouch behind his desk.

'Fred, what ya doing?' Lee whispered from the desk behind as he watched Fred crawl out the room, a look of sheet admiration on his face.

'I'm visiting Charlie,' he whispered back loudly, turning back to the door he made a run for it: the door was two metres of open air away and Binns could see the door directly from his desk. Drat. With a silent silencing charm on his feet and the door, Fred sprinted to the door, heaved it open and span out.

'Stage One: complete! Stage Two: get to the hospital wing.' Fred said before shrinking his bag and sticking it in his trouser pocket. He never wore his robes, instead he chose to wear his trousers, or shorts in summer, a shirt and jumper with his sleeves rolled up; it was so much more comfy and amazing to wear than robes that both he and Charlie both wore their uniform like that, although Charlie's was much scruffier and a wand holster was often seen on his wrist.

Fred jogged along the breezy halls as he tried to reach Charlie, often tumbling through barely used passage ways to avoid teachers. As he got closer to the hospital wing he let out a sigh of relief as all the teachers but Remus and Pomphrey left to go elsewhere; Remus' head was poking out the door of the hospital wing, Fred, with a goofy smile on his face, stepped out of the shadows to wave at the confused professor who shook his head with amusement at Fred's antics and retreated back to the hospital wing, the door left open. Fred sprinted to the door, pulled on the cloak that he had forgotten he had left in his pocket and slipped in.

'Poppy, can you watch over Charlie whilst I get some food please?' Remus batted his eyelids in an attempt to try and persuade Poppy- something he'd become very good at doing over the years along with James and- him.

'Remus Lupin,' Poppy said with her hands on her hips, she wore a stern expression mixed with amusement, 'You need to stay with your son, you'll be the one he wants to see when he wakes up, I'll get you the food!' Remus mumbled a word of thanks before turning away and sniggering- his plan had worked! Poppy would be out for at least five minutes! Remus stood up and jogged to the door, poking his head out, he called for Fred who promptly dashed into the room, tufts of red hair sticking out from beneath the cloak.

'Mr. Lupin, what's the deal with Charlie?' Fred said as he pulled off the cloak, shrunk it and put it in his pocket.

'The mind healer- well- to put it lightly, had a shock...' Remus grimaced.

'Ah, Madame Pomphrey, Poopy, long time no see!' a tall man of thirty stepped out the floo, a glint in his eye; Pomphrey just looked away with a sad smile.

'Benjamin, Mr. Lupin has fallen into a coma and we don't know why,' she whispered as she lit the kettle for tea. She had large bags under her eyes and had an air of desperaty about her as she trudged about the hospital wing; Remus watched in horror as her eyes welled up and she turned away. Madame Pomphrey never cried, ever! The Benjamin man walked up to Charlie's bed and with a furrowed brow, read Charlie's notes. A look of disgust grew on his face after he read the first couple of lines, his eyes glinting madly, a loathing look plastered on his face.

'So, a half-breed eh?' he muttered but Remus caught it all and flashed a look of anger at the healer, his eyes glinting amber, 'And, it was after a full moon! One less in the world,' he said darkly.

'Mr. Lupin is actually a very nice boy,' Pomphrey said as she bustled over with the tea, a small smile on her face.

'He's a werewolf-' Benjamin shot at her, the disgusted look on his face again.

'Yes and I'll have you know he has a heart of gold! Benjamin, I know you have reasons to dislike werewolves, but they are not all like that!' Pomphrey stood sternly as he drew his wand to start the basic checks all healers had to do.

'Tell that to Emily-' he murmured before carrying on with his work. As he cast his spells, Charlie's notes changed and filled in, long lists of symptoms and attributes on a piece of parchment.

'Poppy, the- boy- is in a coma because he had locked himself away; he was in too much pain so his mind cut him off,' Benjamin growled before grasping his wand tightly and tapping it softly on the desk to work off his irritation, 'I'm going to heal him and- and enter his mind,' with a look of pure hatred and disgust he muttered legilimens fell was sucked into Charlie's mind scape.

'WOLF! Where are you?' he shouted into the grey most surrounding him. He wandered around large pillars of stone and wooden doors seemingly leading to nowhere, just standing alone.

A deep booming voice came from all around him, 'I am everywhere and don't step there! There's a- riiiiight. Too late. Sorry about that.' Benjamin screamed in fury as he feet through a tunnel and into a dark room, gunk and slime coated his new lab coat, his wand was covered in muck and grease.

'Where am I?' he growled.

'You're not very polite. And you are in my mind, well technically you're now stuck in it am I'm going to have to let you out. It will hurt. A lot,' Charlie said unsympathetically before bombarding him with memories. His first broom ride. Him and his dad. Fred, George playing in the garden. Until he saw one, a special one: Charlie speaking on his own.

'The common factor towards me will let you out. Only a person who knows this and feels it to me can, once you're out you'll get it,'

Happiness. Acceptance. He had to like the little bastard. Right. As if he could like a werewolf.

Three psychological days passed.

'FINE! YOU WIN! I LIKE YOU!' he shouted from the black hole, his wand shooting coloured sparks in fury.

'How- touching. You were boring anyway,' Charlie sneered before releasing him into reality, freeing him from what his mind was, no bothering to show him the true horrors in his mind. 'BY THE WAY, I'LL BE OUT SOON!'

Benjamin felt physically sick as he was hurled out of Charlie's mind, his mind whiring at the abilities of that- thing. Sitting down, he ran through the events of past few 'days'.

'Heal him fully and he'll be out in about two days, my work here is done.' Benjamin picked up his stuff, shoved his wand in his pocket and stormed over to the floo. After he had gone, Poppy turned bright red and smiled guiltily at Remus who looked stony faced at her.

'He was a bigoted, prejudiced, discriminative fool! Charlie's probably dead in his mind now!' he raqed, his face a picture of abject hatred; there was no point in the whole discriminative 'we hate non-humans' thing that wizards had going on, it wasn't like they went around biting kids... well Charlie didn't anyway.

'I highly doubt he is Remus, if anything I would say that he is most likely alive and well as can be -no school work and Charlie has told me many a time in the hospital wing after broom crashes, he hates school work, it's, to him and I quote, 'the bane of his existance'

'Yes well- I still don't like that guy!'

Fred stared at Remus before glancing at Charlie, 'he's going to be alright, right?' he asked as he bit his windchapped lips. Remus shrugged before shuffling over to Charlie, he slowly traced the lines in his hand, a soft smile on his face.

'I don't know, but I trust that Charlie will do whatever he can,'

'What can he do?! He's in a coma!' Fred stuttered before adding as an afterthought, 'Why is he in a coma?' Remus' face paled before shooting Charlie a glance; the moment he looked at his son, he swallowed and licked his lips.

'That's not my story to tell-' he whispered mournfully, his knuckles whitening as he closed his eyes and let out a short breath. Looking after himself was hard enough after the moon, looking after a fatally ill son was even harder.

'I think I know-' Remus' head shot up and he sent a wary glare at Fred before whispering harshly.

'You cannot tell anyone your suspicions for they very well may be wrong.'

'I wouldn't dream of it.'

A/N: WOAH! That was a chapter and a half to write! Sorry it took so long! This time 30 reviews and a post and you can only put up 5 reviews Miss. Katie *mock glare*

Oh yes, it would mean a lot to me if over the coming weeks you went on movellas. com and found me (same pen name) and read my story for a competition I'm entering for a publishing contract! Please do it! Review vote and EVERYTHING YOU CAN! I really want my book published!