Fudge arrived.
Fudge left.
The Minister for Magic and Dumbledore took Dawn to the Department of Mysteries. Outside the Forbidden Forest, a small sparrow broke free from an owl's beak and Apparated after them.
At the same time—
Inside the Forbidden Forest, the practical lesson continued as if nothing had happened.
The students were still full of excitement.
Unfortunately, the Weasley twins stepped into a trap set by Snape.
A potion splashed over their heads, and their skin immediately began to itch unbearably.
They scratched and rubbed themselves against tree trunks like monkeys, faces twisted in discomfort. Then, through the tangled forest, they suddenly spotted a familiar figure.
"Hey, Fred! Look over there!" George whispered, the first to notice.
Fred craned his neck, then exchanged a glance with George. A mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Oh, it's Lee."
Without another word, the two of them stopped scratching and lowered their movements. In an instant, they reached a silent agreement.
It was time to teach their dear roommate a lesson.
After a quick discussion, they finalized their plan.
Fred would strike first, sneaking up from behind to gain the advantage. His goal was to turn Lee's beloved braids into a colorful explosion of hair.
Meanwhile, George would collect the itchy potion from the ground and splash it onto Lee while he was screaming, ensuring that the three of them shared both blessings and suffering equally.
The twins chuckled.
Their determination in the face of discomfort proved just how strong a person's will could be when doing something mischievous.
Enduring the itch, they moved forward in short hops between bushes and trees, gradually closing in.
Fred focused, ready to act.
But just as they reached a certain distance, Lee suddenly turned, crouched, and shouted: °Stupefy°
A red spell shot out.
It hit Fred squarely as he leapt from behind the tree.
George stared in disbelief as his brother let out a cry and collapsed onto the grass, unconscious.
"I surrender," George said immediately, raising his hands.
.....
At the Ministry of Magic, in the Department of Mysteries—
Under a sudden impulse from Fudge, Dawn had already been thrown through the Veil.
Dumbledore stood before the archway, looking at Dawn's body lying beyond the curtain.
He raised his wand, casting spells and using Transfiguration, attempting to pull him back.
But Dawn's body was like an illusion. Spells and objects passed straight through him without effect.
Seeing this, Dumbledore finally relaxed slightly.
After exchanging a few words with Fudge, he turned and left.
A beetle crawled out from a corner. It transformed back into a human, circled the archway a few times, and after some uncertain thought, left as well.
The curtain swayed gently in the silence.
In the dim room, it seemed as if only the archway had existed forever, standing there, waiting for its next visitor.
....
Beyond the Veil~
Dawn lay within a cold white mist.
Countless shadows drifted past him, whispers brushing against his ears.
After a long time, as if realizing that this person was not truly dead, the mist slowly receded, leaving Dawn alone in a completely white world.
He remained unconscious.
There was no sense of time in this place.
No past.
No future.
Then, gradually, a red-haired boy appeared, as if painted into existence stroke by stroke.
He looked around in confusion as the scenery of his home began to form around him.
Fred scratched his head.
Wait a second.
Where was this?
If he remembered correctly, he had been in the Forbidden Forest with George, preparing to ambush Lee Jordan.
So how had he ended up here?
"Ah, right!"
After thinking for a moment, Fred suddenly slapped his hand.
He remembered.
He had been knocked out by a Stunning Spell.
"So this is a dream?"
Fred stared at the Burrow, just a step away. He twisted his wrist sharply, wincing in pain.
"Wow. That feels way too real for a dream."
Rubbing his wrist, Fred showed no concern at all. Instead, his curiosity took over. He pushed open the front door and called out loudly.
"Anyone home?"
No response.
The house was silent.
Fred's eyes lit up.
He rarely experienced being alone at home, and the novelty excited him. He immediately began rummaging around.
Remembering how his owl had been taken during the holidays, he ran straight to Percy's room, grinning as he searched for letters between Percy and his romantic interest.
But after turning the room upside down, he only found books like [How to Use Authority], [What Ministry Employees Must Know[, and [The Rise of Power].
"What? This is my dream, isn't it? Why doesn't it match what I want?"
Fred groaned, tossing the books aside. He ran to his own room, grabbed his stash of dungbombs, and threw one onto Percy's bed.
"Brilliant!"
He raised his hands in triumph, imagining Percy's horrified reaction and laughing to himself.
Fred spent the next while indulging himself.
Flying around on a broom. Painting his room in bright colors. Doing everything he had once been forbidden from doing.
But soon— The excitement faded.
There was nothing here.
No voices. No family. No friends.
No one to prank.
Playing alone was not fun. Fred sighed and sat down by the front door, waiting to wake up.
Then—
He narrowed his eyes.
Following the shadows cast by the sunlight, he thought he saw something dark in the garden.
"What is that, a giant gnome?"
Fred leaned forward, but the thick grass blocked his view. He stood up and walked over, muttering to himself.
Stepping onto the damp soil, he bent down and pushed aside the plants.
His eyes widened instantly.
"Dawn Richter?!"
Seeing that familiar face, Fred froze for a moment, then shouted in shock.
"Blimey, there's a creature growing in the garden!"
The absurd thought flashed through his mind, and he took a few steps back. But when he saw that Dawn was not moving, he stopped.
Then he remembered. This was his dream.
His courage returned immediately.
Right.
Why should he be afraid?
Fred's eyes lit up again, but soon he frowned. "Wait... why am I dreaming about him?"
He fell into brief self-doubt, then looked back at Dawn.
"Hey! Wake up! The sun's out!"
Fred shouted a few times, but there was no response.
His eyes rolled, and a mischievous grin returned. He ran back inside and grabbed a bottle of ink.
He still remembered how this guy had taken the Marauder's Map.
Fred dipped his fingers into the ink and approached with excitement, ready to draw something spectacular on Dawn's face.
But—
"Huh?"
His finger passed straight through Dawn's head.
No resistance.
No mark.
Fred pulled his hand back, then tried again in a different spot.
Same result.
Nothing.
"What kind of rubbish dream is this?!"
His face fell.
He fiddled around for a long time, poking and prodding, but nothing worked.
Finally, he gave up, resting his hands on his knees as he stood up in frustration.
But suddenly, after crouching for too long, his legs gave out.
He stumbled forward, tripped over a patch of vegetables, and let out a shout as he fell headfirst.
And then, he crashed directly into Dawn's body.
In that instant—
Fred's vision went black.
___________
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