the man who laughed in the face of death

o10.

2011-12-18T00:21:41Z

[ video ]

[The post is coming from Fred's device, but when the video feed clicks on, George is standing there with a grin and.....flowers coming from the hole where his ear used to be. Several of them, bright as the glint in his eyes. Something is clearly Not Quite Right, but he looks right as rain.]

Know something, City? 's a bit annoying, waking up to your brother's face. Going from handsome as the Devil to, well...that. Tends to make a bloke feel a touch lopsided.

[His lips quirk, and maybe he's doing his best not to laugh when he hears someone else coming down the hall. He turns to look, flowers bouncing along with him, and then he's definitely doing his best not to laugh.

The twin who certainly looks much more like Fred comes into frame, wearing a rather bulky looking jumper and a knitted hat with a large bobble on the top. He gives his brother a sterm look.]

What did you just stick in my head?

S'pose that depends. Are you trying to make me look like a sack of potatoes?

[The conversation makes no sense, but the twins look right pleased with themselves. The feed ends with snorted laughter and George's(?) hand smacking the device.]

[ooc; Body Swap! Can't you guys just see the difference? Both twins will reply from curse journals, feorgeous and ingredible, and they are open to action around the City if you'd like to bump into them! Tags will be a little slow as well. Holiday season is upon us! ♥]

oo9.

2011-12-09T23:07:49Z

[ video || backdated to the morning of 12/08 ]

[For a moment, there's only the view of a closed door and the faint whispering of someone counting down. 'Three, two, one' - and the door is flung open to film one sleeping Ginny Weasley, but not for long. Immediately thereafter, fireworks start booming outside her window, brilliant lights and colors flashing across the room as George, Harry and Fred barge in, throwing confetti all about the room and cheering unintelligibly.

Ginny was fast asleep — in her own room, mind, not Harry's because she knows they would never have any peace and quiet otherwise - completely oblivious to the fact that Something Wicked This Way Comes. She isn't in a warzone, hasn't been in one for years; but when the room erupts in noise and light and maniacal laughter, she reacts...reflexively.

The youngest (not so youngest) Weasley bolts upright with her wand in hand before she's even entirely awake, firing off vicious hexes in the direction of the shadows moving in her bedroom. One of which being her signature Bat-Bogey Hex.]

EAT BOGIES, YOU BLOODY PIECE OF—

[Shouts and yelps as the highly deserving intruders attempt to evade her attacks. There's a shout - is that George? - to 'Retreat!' but the cameraman goes down, sending the device scattering off to the corner of the room to catch the tail end of Harry and George's escape as Fred rolls around on the floor, struggling with something on his face.]

... Fred? [This is what you get for surprising your sister. She makes an irritated noise and throws another hex his way for the trouble.] You arse!

[Fred barely manages the counter-spell in time to free his face from the bogeys and narrowly dodge the second attack, but he lays on the ground aching in pain anyway, laughing tiredly and dragging himself towards the device.]

Worth it. So bloody worth it.

[ /video ]

[ooc; threadjack away. \o/]

oo8.

2011-11-29T21:17:23Z

[ voice ]

We seem to be sans one four-eyed undesirable and up one horrendous looking gnome. Odd thing for Harry to keep in his room, but I'm hardly one to knock another bloke's fet--

[Lude comment cut short by what sounds like a chair scraping across the floor. Fred's quiet a moment.]

Hang on. Little bigger seems to have found its way to the kitchen. How'd you get down here, you ugly little--?

[Silence again, and then Fred laughs.]

I've taught you lot better pranks than this. 's just pathetic.

[He falls silent once again, but this time, there's only the scrape of his chair again and then nothing for a few minutes before the feed times out.]

[ /voice ]

[ooc; Harry is gone, but Fred is not! Yet, at least. 8)]

oo7.

2011-11-19T21:04:01Z

Harry Potter and the Inevitable Future

Always a specky little prat, a rare and fortuitous day had Harry Potter manning up and pulling the twig out of his arse to tie the knot with one Ginevra Weasley. It was horribly awkward, and the two of them popped out thirty-seven nippers and lived happily ever after.

The End.

Blimey. Whoever wrote this's a real tosspot.

[ooc; Y E P. He is not cursed. :D Also: I am still technically on hiatus but I'm trying to make AC for this month anyway so I will reply to these tags, but expect them to be a little slow. Sorry!]

oo6.

2011-11-02T18:23:05Z

[ accidental video ]

[An absolute silence hangs between the twins as they stare at a picture frame hanging on the wall. Some might recognize the photo within it, others still might recognize the Hall it's posted in. And even if they don't, Fred and George can hardly spare a moment to care, because that silence has a rather tight grasp on them, forcing them to recognize them both for what it is.

Ronald Weasley has left the City.

Fred looks over to George, a look of discontent (and perhaps even anger) clear on his face, before looking back over to the frame.]

So that's it, then? Gone without so much as a sound, just a photograph in some dreadful hallway?

You tell me. You've the one who's been here longer.

[George runs a hand over his face. Without even thinking about it, his hand reaches out and grips firmly onto Fred's shoulder.]

He'd barely even got here.

[Fred visibly tenses at the hand on his shoulder, much as it should be a comfort, and he looks up to the ceiling for a moment before shaking his head.]

Unbelievable tosspot.

[His voice does not sound strained there, thank you very much, and there is nothing even close to a deep, shaky exhale to follow before he shrugs George's hand from his shoulder and turns to leave.]

We ought to go muck up his room. Test out those new fireworks.

[George crosses his arms and fixes Fred with a hard stare.]

Don't be a prat, Fred. That's the last thing everyone needs right now.

The last thing everyone needs right now--!

[In the process of shouting, and Fred only stops to notice the device is recording them. A low string of swear words can be heard as he walks up to it and his hand covers the feed for the briefest of moments before everything starts spinning and the feed ends with a crash!]

oo5.

2011-10-01T18:33:01Z

[ video || open action ]

[Welcome to the City, newcomers and old attendees alike! It's not too bad a day outside: nice weather, an atmosphere filled with tearful reunions and loud rejoicing - what a perfect day to go wandering about. But be careful, friends, and keep a watchful eye on the sky. As per usual, the Weasley twins are up to no good. Quite literally, this time around!

You may hear distant shouts - is that elation or fear? You may hear the sound of falling objects followed by a distinct splat! - is that fruit or something hitting the ground? So many signs of oncoming terror, but it's really quite difficult to know what to expect when it comes to these two, and that's when it'll hit you.]

[A whoosh of wind, a flash of color and bam! - it hits you in the form of a nice, big ball of paint thrown by these mischievous gingers as they fly above your head on their brooms, satchels of the little horrors hanging from across their chests. They'll look back at their handiwork with a grin before turning to high five each other.]

Excellent work, Georgie! Think your aim's improved!

[George answers by nailing a unsuspecting citizen in the back of the head, before turning to grin smugly at his twin.]

You were saying?

[Fred only barks with laughter in response before returning to the game. Because it is, after all, nothing but a game for them. And you lot are the prey. As you watch them sailing off on their path of mayhem, you may feel overcome with a sense of anger and resentment and oh! - was this paint always red? Or maybe you'll feel blue in light of your ruined outfit and hey! - now that's blue too! That's right, dear visitors, you've been hit with mood reflecting paint. These scoundrels aim to paint the day with all sorts of lovely emotions.

But not to worry, there may be justice for you scarlet-with-rage victims! After all, they've got to land to refuel sometime...]

[ooc; 4th wall is upon us and the twins are ready to play ball! anything and everything is open, and we welcome retaliation for their douchebaggery. the city was devoid of color for the past week. they just had to return it! both fred and george will be responding, as always!]

oo4.

2011-09-17T20:31:51Z

[ video ]

[Welcome, citizens of the City, to yet another of the Weasley twins' home videos. Today's segment is brought to you by the color green, because at the moment, that's all that's really to be seen: fast moving expanses of green. It takes a moment to focus and clear, but eventually the green can be recognized as the leaves of trees, though what exactly has them moving by so quickly isn't entirely clear until the ground comes into view and Fred turns the camera to himself.]

Evening, mates. Georgie and I've a special treat for you lot today, though particularly for our dearly beloved baby sister. Pay close attention, now.

[There's really no need for close attention though, because as he starts filming his progression through the forest (this time by foot), a wide clearing comes into view. It wasn't made by natural means, and there are three long posts at either end that raise up quite a ways before ending in hoops. Fred gets a good faraway shot of it before turning the camera to his brother, who oddly enough, has a broom in hand, as well as a fair sized ball under the other arm.]

Thank you, Fred. Now I am aware that a great deal of you are woefully ignorant on the subject, so here we go. Say hello to Quiddich, City. The best bloody sport known to wizard kind. The main objective of the game is so get these, [He holds up one of the bright red balls.] through there. [He then points to the large lollipop-like hoops several hundred feet in the air. ] There are bludgers and snitches and other things to worry about, but that’s the main idea. Which is where the brooms come in handy.

[Chuckling a bit, Fred turns the view back to himself as he starts walking again.]

Not bad work for just under a month, eh? But we're not here to bore you with the details of construction and gameplay, brilliant though it may be. We're here to recruit, and before you can ask what for, we've decided to show you.

[A neat swish can be heard, and then the camera begins the move again, but rather than the jerky movements of Fred walking, it's moving smoothly - and filming Fred walking before it to join his brother's side, both with their own broom in hand. You can see him turn to him and grin, a quiet "Ready?" passing between them. They mount their brooms at the same time, and then they're off, zipping about the miniature pitch with Fred following close on George's tail. They make a show of spinning about the hoops and doing tricks across the field before Fred knocks into George and takes the ball - a Quaffle, as it were - and rushes off to the goalposts in an attempt to throw it through the highest of the three hoops. George intercepts and takes the ball back, heading to the other posts to throw it through lazily. It's enough of a demonstrations for them, and they fly past each other in the center of the field with a high five before making their way back to the device. Fred lands neatly and takes it back in hand to film George again.]

All there is to it! How many of you think you could handle that?

And allergic to sports or not, you'll not be getting out of this one, Hermione!

[Fred's grinning for it, but it sounds an awful lot like a subtle threat. Quidditch is very serious business, you know. There's laughter, another high five of victory and accomplishment, and then the feed shuts off.]

[ooc; The twins made a Quidditch pitch! They know Ginny's been itching for a game and they have everything else - brooms and enchanted balls (teehee) - so this was really all there was left to do. I know Gin's already been giving flying lessons, but anyone else that wants in is more than welcome. They need at least 14 people to play a proper game, but they can make do with what they get. Both George and Fred will be replying!]

oo3.

2011-09-06T17:16:08Z

[ accidental video ]

[Alright, so. Porn. Nothing too humiliating because, hello, Fred has no shame. So all you see is him sitting with his head resting in one of his hands as he digs through the lot of it, sniggering and shaking his head as he goes along.

UNTIL HE FINDS THIS.

WHY

DOES THIS

EXIST.

Fred's face immediately turns to horror and he almost throws the device, he backs away so fast.]

What? What is it?

[George's voice comes from across the room, but Fred can't spare him a glace. He keeps his eyes glued in absolute terror as though the images might attack him should he show his back, and slowly moves towards the bedroom door and rips it open.]

Ginny. Ginny!

[FUCK. HORROR. TERROR. He runs from the room, continuing to scream his sister's name because what in Merlin's name is going on here. Curious as to what has his twin so disturbed, George climbs from his bed to Fred's and peeks at the device. Cue the same instant horror.]

Oh, bloody--.

[He feigns retching noises and claps a hand over his mouth before turning to follow in his brother's footsteps from the room. The feed continues to proudly display these images until it times out and shuts off.]

[ooc; Congratulations on your first curse, Fred! :D Just so you know, they actually showed Tom Felton those first two manips on one of those talk show things. I have the reaction .gifs here and here just for fun. Digging around for that last one mentally scarred me so YOU GUYS BETTER APPRECIATE IT ]

oo2.

2011-08-25T21:51:19Z

[ video || open action ]

[At first, the loud crack! that comes from outside does not sound entirely unlike thunder; maybe a storm is brewing? But the first is quickly followed by another, and then dozens more. Strange behavior for thunder, but surely it's not completely unheard of?

Then starts the bright flashes of light, every color imaginable whirring about in sparklers and Catherine wheels, and there is absolutely no mistaking this for lightning.

That's right. A large display of fireworks has been set off in the center of the Square, and if the large, glittering W in the sky is any sort of hint, it's easy to understand this feat to be at the hands of a Weasley - specifically, one wolfishly grinning Fred Weasley, who is standing beneath the W with a vast spread of various objects before him.]

Welcome, ladies and gentlefolk, to the City's first ever Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes! Come on down and take a peek at our stock - we've got Trick Wands, Ton-Tongue Toffees, as well as various Skiving Snackboxes; not to mention the ever popular Wonder Witch Products, such as the Love Potions and Ten Second Pimple Removers. It's guaranteed a good laugh! Just follow the W!

[And just as he says the last word, another thunderous boom! lets loose two enormous dragons composed entirely of fireworks. They circle about the ever crackling W before spreading off and exploding into still more firecrackers that whizz off into the distance. Fred grins wildly, tips an invisible hat upon his head, and the feed shuts off.]

[ /video ]

[ooc; Fred set the sky on fire! :D Things to know about these fireworks, as they are they are not normal fireworks and have a few enchantments about them!

they do not dissipate quickly and will last for a few hours after this video
as they crash into each other, they will multiply and combine and any other various nonsense imaginable
any attempts to banish or destroy them will only serve to multiply them
more info can be found here!

That being said, they'll be hanging around for awhile so feel free to have your character watching them from the other side of the City or even being chased there by a rogue sparkler, whatever you please! Just pay mind that no property damage is to take place at any time. These are friendly fireworks, not the sort used to chase away Dolores Umbridge. Replies may be slow, but ither than that, go crazy. ♥]

oo1.

2011-08-11T14:12:23Z

[ video || open action ]

[The faces of the passerby's to the device's lens seem to be reflecting a range from distinct lack of interest to mild amusement to extreme confusion. They also appear to be shielding their heads from something, but from the device's position, it isn't quite clear what.

That is, until the throng clears enough for the device to get a good shot of the fountain - and what appears to be an aquatic apparition thrashing about in the center of it all. Wrapped in one of its many tendrils can be seen a man in slightly tattered clothes, though his most distinct feature is the flaming red hair that might be somewhat familiar to select residents of the City. He is also screaming and flailing against the monster theatrically.]

No! No! Somebody, stop this beast! This is no way for a man to go! No!

[As the creature lifts him to its mouth(?), he confines himself to his fate and shouts to whatever observers have stuck around to watch the events unfold.]

Tell my family - I love them!

[But it's too late for him. The monster slips him into its translucent mouth and he can be seen sliding through the watery entrails - and then sliding right back out through the stomach, depositing him just close enough to get a better view of him. His concentration broken, the monster collapses back to its original position in the fountain, thoroughly soaking the man and the other observers in the process. They look annoyed. He looks...disappointed.]

Bugger. Another flop. [He turns to the device with something of a smile, putting his abundant freckles and soft brown eyes into view.] The stomach's supposed to be more akin to jelly, see? The idea was suspension, not lubrication.

[He sighs and gets to his feet, brushing himself off despite his dripping wet state.]

All in due time. Let's go it again. Come on, Georgie.

[He addresses another, though he is quite noticeably alone, and it's only in this that his voice takes a slightly less chipper tone. All that can be seen is his back and the strange, ethereal movement of the water as he walks back over to the fountain and the device shuts off.]

[ /video ]

[ooc; Fred is officially in the City! :D He hasn't quite figured out the device yet, though he played with it for a good while beforehand because that was curious minds do! Feel free to say your character was an unfortunate observer or just happened to pass him by or whatever, really. As a side note, I'm going to be disappearing around 1pm-ish today, so tags may come slow after that, but backtagging is love and I will reply as quickly as possible! Go crazy, you silly kids! ♥]

[ ooc; application: polychromatic ]

2011-07-23T19:42:27Z

[nick / name]: Faith
[personal LJ name]: varooooom
[other characters currently played]: n/a ;;
[e-mail]: saucesome [at] yahoo [dot] com
[AIM]: xxsaucesomexx

[series]: Harry Potter
[character]: Fred Weasley
[character history / background]: Voila!
[character abilities]: Ta-da!
[character personality]: To explain a bit about Fred and his character, I'd like to take a particularly significant line from the book:

And Percy was shaking his brother, and Ron was kneeling beside them, and Fred's eyes stared without seeing, the ghost of his last laugh still etched upon his face.

Despite being narration rather than dialogue, this sentence says a lot about who Fred is as a person. Taking it in order, I'll start with the comment about Percy.

Now, the thing you ought to understand about the Weasley family is that they are more of a clan than a family. Fred's always said so, and there's a lot of pride to be had in belonging to a clan. Above all else in the world, Fred is loyal to his family, simply because that's how family is supposed to be. The sun and the moon, the sky and the earth; there isn't a thing that could ever get between him and his loved ones. They are everything and he would give everything for them. That being said, Percy being at his side during his death is one of the largest indicators of how much Fred values them all. Before the Battle at Hogwarts, Percy had forsaken his family in favor of his pride and reputation within the Ministry of Magic, an act that marked him as something of a black sheep. Excommunicated from the family, and Fred took no problem with besmirching his name in his absence. He was a prat, through and through, and there could be no greater injustice than abandoning the fam. Which is why, when Percy returned before the Battle to own up to his mistakes and make amends, Fred was the first to forgive him. Because blood is a bond that can never be broken, no matter how many harsh words and mashed turnips are thrown at it. He can excuse no small act against the Weasley family, but there is no small act against them he cannot forgive. If Percy had claimed himself a Death Eater, it may have been a different story, but as it was, Fred readily welcomed him back into his good graces once he acknowledged and apologized for his wrong doings. This incredible loyalty isn't exclusive to just his family, either: friends, work, the Order of the Phoenix; if he believes in it or holds it sacred, he'll fight for it tooth and nail. Many of the expected Gryffindor qualities can be found in Fred's attitude towards his loved ones.

Then there's Ron being at his side. Ickle Ronniekins. Fred is a bit of a jerk, all teasingly, of course. There aren't many he holds truly ill will towards, and the vast majority of those he does have a rather nasty rash on their arms and a distinct lack of soul or compassion. The type to kick puppies, even. And that's simply horrible. But no, little baby Ron is Fred's younger brother and therefore very near and dear to him. He messes with him in the loving fashion he does all people he cares about, and in spite of how cruel his jokes can be, Ron loves him just as much back. In fact, they all do. For as loyal and devoted Fred is to his family, they are just about as equally faithful in return. He may be a jokester in all aspects of his life, but he has an understanding and connection with them that goes beyond adoring words and friendly gestures. Fred shows his love and constant support through jokes and light heartedness in an attempt to make things easier to cope with. He draws people towards him with a sense of aloofness that never once says "I don't care about anything" but rather "I care enough to smile still."

Which brings me to the last half of the quote, the ghost of his last laugh. I cannot express in words how much this means about who Fred is. He died with a smile on his face. He died laughing. They were in the middle of a bloody war and he died with a smile. There was just no better ending for him to meet. Yes, his death is a friggin' crime against humanity, but he had a smile and there's something poetic and meaningful to be had in that. Fred is very very far from being a carefree person. He constantly worried about his siblings, worried about his friends, wondered if the world would live to see tomorrow; he is not a selfish, closed minded person (though it can be said that there are instances of both, not altogether withstanding). There are a lot of things that burden his mind, but he carries them all with a grin from ear to ear. The twins are most known for their clever antics, their jokes and their mischief. Fred pointedly keeps humor in the air. He wants to believe more than anything that despite how terrible things get, there is reason to smile. Grin and bear it, and keep trudging on, because you are still alive to do so. Their exit from Hogwarts their seventh year is another sign of this, because after the school had become essentially a prison, the twins decided to leave with a literal bang. It'd would've been just as easy to leave unnoticed, but by blowing up their exuberance in Umbridge's face (again, literally), they not only ~~looked freaking awesome~~ destroyed her sense of complete control but reminded the school that there was still life within the castle walls, so long as there was someone with the guts to live it. No matter how bad things get, there is always reason to smile.

On that note, we can move to character flaws, one of which is Fred's almost tunnel vision insensitivity. He's rude, sure, but usually it's on purpose. He likes to poke fun at people, it's part of who he is. But as a result of that, there are times when he really and truly just oversteps his boundaries. A joke is a joke, but things can sometimes go too far, and Fred isn't always aware of when he does it. He's not heartless and he's never intentionally cruel; he just has a hard time seeing that not all people use humor as a defense mechanism and it's not always appropriate to approach things as such. He can be a bit of a git. Not always, though. He can be a decent enough judge of time and place for these things, and he can have his serious moments of understanding and rationalization. He has his mature side. He'd just rather go about showing it in the playful way. He won't sugar coat the truth; instead, he'll coat it with explosive powder and say "duck!"

Fred also has something of a problem with anger. Not in the sense of being a raging lunatic, but in that it doesn't really take much to have him upset. A simple insult to his siblings or a threat to his friends and you'll be needing a few people to hold him back from throttling the offender. Literally. I've always found it a bit funny that in scenes where Malfoy was taunting Harry or Ron, there is nearly always note of how two or three people had to work together to restrain him. He can be very defensive to the point of turning to the offense - it's part of what made him an "unbeatable Beater." You come after him or his own? You can expect a world of hurt. The next point of order being the extent of that world of hurt. In some ways, Fred is almost the "evil" twin. They're both dastardly in their own ways, but Fred has a little more difficulty finding the moral line. When they're jipped out of their World Cup bet, Fred turns to suggesting blackmail, and George has to remind him of that offense and reign him in before he does something to get himself in trouble. Again, he is not cruel, but there is a darkness to him that the others sometimes have to calm before someone gets hurt.

For my final act, I want to expand on the relationship Fred has with that certain "someone:" George, his twin brother. I said that the Weasley family is Fred's everything; George means all that and more. There is a bond between the two that goes out of this universe and two a whole 'nother dimension. Nothing freaky, so don't get the wrong idea! They're just as close as two people can be. They do everything together, and always have from birth. Two heads are better than one; two bodies, one soul; all those corny cliches? They got 'em covered. There are a few notable differences between the two despite their closeness. It's already been said that Fred's a bit more harsh or cruel than George; he's also a bit more of a leader. He's oftentimes the instigator of trouble or the spark behind their ~~bad~~good ideas. But George is also his source of strength and courage and heart. When they returned from the Battle over Little Whinging and he heard that George was injured, Fred forsook every other person there and ran straight to his side. It was one of those rare moments where his concern and upset were not immediately masked with humor, because he needed to know his Georgie was okay before it would be alright to smile again. It might be his ideal to laugh in spite of everything, but that ideal is null and void if it doesn't include George being at his side. Which goes both ways, mostly, and makes Fred's death just that much more depressing.

[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: post-death in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows

[journal post]: [The faces of the passerby's to the device's lens seem to be reflecting a range from distinct lack of interest to mild amusement to extreme confusion. They also appear to be shielding their heads from something, but from the device's position, it isn't quite clear what.

That is, until the throng clears enough for the device to get a good shot of the fountain - and what appears to be an aquatic apparition thrashing about in the center of it all. Wrapped in one of its many tendrils can be seen a man in slightly tattered clothes, though his most distinct feature is the flaming red hair that might be somewhat familiar to select residents of the City. He is also screaming and flailing against the monster theatrically.]

No! No! Somebody, stop this beast! This is no way for a man to go! No!

[As the creature lifts him to its mouth(?), he confines himself to his fate and shouts to whatever observers have stuck around to watch the events unfold.]

Tell my family - I love them!

[But it's too late for him. The monster slips him into its translucent mouth and he can be seen sliding through the watery entrails - and then sliding right back out through the stomach, depositing him just close enough to get a better view of him. His concentration broken, the monster collapses back to its original position in the fountain, thoroughly soaking the man and the other observers in the process. They look annoyed. He looks...disappointed.]

Bugger. Another flop. [He turns to the device with something of a smile, putting his abundant freckles and soft brown eyes into view.] The stomach's supposed to be more akin to jelly, see? The idea was suspension, not lubrication.

[He sighs and gets to his feet, brushing himself off despite his dripping wet state.]

All in due time. Let's go it again. Come on, Georgie.

[He addresses another, though he is quite noticeably alone, and it's only in this that his voice takes a slightly less chipper tone. All that can be seen is his back and the strange, ethereal movement of the water as he walks back over to the fountain and the device shuts off.]

[third person / log sample]: Before the Battle at Hogwarts really began, Fred and George found a moment to separate from the others and watch the oncoming battle from afar. Standing atop one of the castle's many balconies, the twins watched innumerable protective spells shoot up into the sky, casting bright lights and colorful shadows across the grounds where other students and members of the Order stood in wait. It felt somewhat surreal, as though they were miles away from the war and merely watching an odd fireworks display that had more crackle than boom. Fred marveled at the sight, and he couldn't help but contemplate how exactly they'd gotten to this point. They, the Wonder Twins, the very embodiment of mischief and chaos - and they were preparing to fight in the largest and most significant event of the war. How did these two miscreants get here?

It was almost laughable, the idea that somewhere along the way, they had managed to "grow up." They ran a joke shop and pulled pranks for a living; a younger Fred was almost certain they'd die of old age before a vein of maturity ran through them. But as memories of making messes, wreaking havoc and competing for letters from school (never once the good kind) passed him by, a few in particular stood out above the rest. Like in their third year, when news reached them of little Won-Won intentionally putting himself in danger's way to help Harry, and they got a rather nasty taste of true fear as they rushed their way to the hospital wing. Or in their fourth year, when Ginny got herself in a particularly perilous spot of trouble and they were kicked by a lesson in humility for not watching their sister closely enough. In fact, it rather seemed that their years at Hogwarts did wonders for teaching them lessons Fred hadn't even realized he'd learned. None too academic, mind; there were lessons much more interesting - and valuable.

Fred recalled first meeting Harry Potter, naiveté and innocence about them all that was quickly cast aside in the events that followed. This boy, the hero of their time and barely even the same age as Ron, had changed their lives long before that day on the Hogwarts Express. Three years old and hardly aware of the significance, wrapped in the arms of their parents as they wept in celebration, Fred had his first experience with what he now understood to be "growing up." If there was anything Fred learned from Hogwarts, it was that there are some things worth fighting for, no matter the cost, and it was Harry who'd taught him.

"You all right, Freddie?" came George's voice over the thunderous spellwork and the unbearable silence. It was end game for them all, time to face the very thing that had grown to define them in recent years, and this moment alone with his twin only served to set it in stone. His brother, his partner in crime, the other half of his entire being - and they were going to face down this war together, the way they'd done everything since birth. If ever there was something Fred felt worth fighting for, it was George. It was Ickle Ronniekins, little Ginny, all eighty five of his siblings and family members. Harry, Hermione, Dumbledore and Sirius; the whole of the world that Fred sought to pull one over on. He'd grown up, and was more than ready to lay down everything for it all.

Fred smiled. "...Yeah."

And for the first time - and what happened to be the last time - everything was quite all right, indeed.