Fred didn't think it could get any worse as he clutched onto Delphi's body. But it did.
He felt it happen, as the warm body he held close got lighter, and lighter, until suddenly his arms were empty.
Not exactly at his most rational the only thing he really processed about the event was that now he didn't even have Delphi's body to cry over, and it made him even more distressed. He didn't even register as the noise of battle dissipated around him, his mind was beyond it all.

George however did, and with his eyes desperately seeking new enemies to inflict his anger upon, he was able to fully appreciate what happened.
Time slowed and stopped. Spells halting mid path and rubble sprays hovered in mid air above the fighters in the courtyard below. A giant's club stilled inches above a terrified Auror. The battle paused, the people frozen, all except George.
And Fred, whose wails echoed strangely in the simultaneously loud and empty moment in time.

"Mr Weasley."
Turning, George found himself face to face with a rather short stern looking woman in a grey muggle business suit. "Uh, ma'am?"
His voice croaked, raw from screaming spells, but his address seemed to amuse her. Since she clearly had caused time to stop, George certainly thought amusing such a powerful person was a good move.
"I am Fate." She introduced herself simply, pushing on before he could respond. "Delphi was one of my chosen, and due to her stepping in in exchange with one due to be claimed by Death - your brother - an interesting development has arisen."

Some part of the interaction seemed to have gotten through to Fred, who had gone silent, though his brother still didn't stand.
Fate glanced at his brother curiously, but continued to address George in her level voice. "Do you know the tale of the three brothers?"

Taking a fortifying breath, George nodded, "I do...Ma'am."
"No silly questions or interruptions, my chosen picks her lovers well." Fate seemed vaguely approving but George couldn't really process much right now. At this statement, Fred managed to stand, staring sharply at the apparent deity in front of them.
The being continued briskly. "Death has made an agreement with me, the first of this kind he has ever permitted. You see he...made an error in judgement, when he granted those three brothers their gifts...in allowing the gifts to remain here long after their owners' passing into his realm."
George was confused, but thankfully the deity didn't seemed to like interruptions so silent he remained. Fred thankfully had gathered himself enough to do the same.
"Death has brokered a deal with me to rectify this...oversight. If you two can gather all his hallows, he will allow my chosen's return to the land of the living."

George's brain gave up processing the rollercoaster of emotions he'd been on over the last few minutes leaving George numb to the news. "Do...do you mean returning to us alive and well in the way we think you do?"
Fate looked amused, "Death does like his tricks and plots, but he only plays like that with mortals. He knows I could give him hell if he tried to play me for a fool. After all it is Destiny and I who weave the greatest plots of all."
Fred spoke hoarsely, "you really mean it."
"I do. Though do not speak as if your task is an easy one."
"We have to track down the deathly hallows..." George thought hard, "what do we do once we have them?"
Fate tilted her head, "if you obtain them all, that question will answer itself, though I warn you, do not use the hallows yourselves. That will take you from my authority as Delphi's guardian deity, to Death's purview, and I cannot protect you then."
"Aren't you meant to speak more riddle-y?" Asked Fred.
Fate shook her head, "that's more destiny's thing, I am far too busy to trick like that. Speaking of, I must be getting on. Good luck, Mischief and Mayhem, Madness waits just beyond."
She smiled at their shocked faces before turning and vanishing.

It was only a second later, the battle began again.
George had to tackle Fred to the ground to dodge a spray of spells sent their way.
"What do we do?" Mumbled Fred as they crawled toward the edge of the courtyard for safety, "my head's not working."
George heaved himself up, using a wall to balance and pulled Fred into a corridor blessedly quiet. "For now brother mine, we survive and fight. Afterward we drink heavily. Then we think."
"Okay. We can get her back?"
George stared deep into his brother's eyes. "Yeah, think we can. Bloody better after she rescued your sorry arse."
Fred cracked a weak smile before drawing his wand.
It was at that moment Voldemort's amplified voice rang through the castle.

"You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I therefore command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity. Harry Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you, rather than face me yourself. There is no greater dishonour. Join me in the forbidden forest, and confront your fate. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman and child who tries to conceal you from me."

"Harry is not going to like that." Muttered George as they made their way towards the Hall, trying not to think about the blood painted corridors they were passing through.
Fred nodded silently, walking close to his brother so their arms brushed as they got closer.
"Wait." Fred halted. "What do we say? What do we tell them?"
"Shit, I can't think right now. What about Perce? He saw her die...he'll have told everyone."
"Problem for future us?"
"Yeah."

They stumbled inside and were almost instantly knocked over by their mother, who held them to her, trembling.
"My boys! I was so worried!"
Her voice was shrill in the echoing hall but neither twin could hold it against her, allowing the hug despite the poor relationship they were used to.
Molly lowered her voice after the initial yell, and caught them up on all the tragedy, as well as her own relief that all her children were safe. She led them over to the rest of the brood as she spoke, but along the way, Fred caught sight of Luna and halted.

George turned in confusion, ignoring his mother's enquiries, before he spied the blonde himself. Her eyes were reddened, and her hands shook as she curled up into Neville Longbottom's side.
"Go Fred." He muttered lowly, "I'll catch up the others and talk to Percy, talk to her."
He turned back to his mother and saw the realisation dawn as he ushered her away.

Fred saw them leave in his periphery, but from the moment he locked eyes with Luna, he couldn't turn away. Striding toward her across the hall, he felt his heart rate rise again, feeling the loss of Delphi sharply as he examined the face so like hers.
Once he reached her, he knelt and took Luna's trembling hands in his own.
"I'm sorry." He whispered softly.
Luna's face scrunched up, uncharacteristically expressive in her pain. "You were meant to die. Not Phi...You..."
"I know...I'm sorry..." he fought the urge to lower his head away from her scorching gaze. "But there is hope. I can't explain but there is..."
"But he's never granted anyone hope."
"He made a mistake many years ago, and has sent us to resolve it in his stead."
"How..hallowing." Whispered Luna, eyes suddenly wide. "Harry can help you. Go to Harry...but do not tell him why, he doesn't know them like we do. He is Dumbledore's after all."
Fred swallowed and nodded. "I'll bring her back."
Luna closed her eyes and nodded, before turning to burrow her head in Neville's shoulder. The boy to his credit did not appear too disturbed by their conversation, but Luna's actions sent pink flooding his cheeks.

When Fred left them to return to his family, Bill pulled him into his arms. Fred remained silent, and let himself be consoled. His heart still ached even as hope started to kindle, he let himself cry into his elder brother's shoulder, he was only eighteen after all.
They were all too young for this.

The shouts from the courtyard shouldn't have surprised any of them. No one had been paying enough attention to the golden boy to realise he'd slipped away. Fred was privately confident not all was as it seemed, he doubted the future Delphi fought to maintain was one where they lost, but still he managed to find more sorrow somewhere in himself for the boy who'd never really had a chance to live. He was the boy who survived for as long as Fred had known him and before.
The boy who survived Voldemort.
The boy who survived the Dursleys.
The boy who survived a basilisk bite.
The boy who survived the Triwizard tournament.
The boy who survived the judgment, the corruption and the laziness of the people he was expected to save.

But once again here, the boy who survived lived up to Fred's title for him. Fred couldn't help a grin as Harry had scrambled to his feet, sent a spell at the snake and ran like Molly Weasley wielding a set of frilly dress robes was on his heels.
He strode forward with George to incapacitate as many deatheaters as they could before they disapparated. He wanted to chase after the Malfoys as they sprinted back toward the forest, but Luna held him back with a hand, telling him solemnly, "their nargles have been blown away, Tomato one."
He'd let that go willingly enough and followed the sounds of battle back into the great hall.
Fred got Walden Macnair with a stunner just before he could cast at Angelina Johnson, and George managed to land a nasty cutting hex on Alecto Carrow.
It was only moments later than the fighting ceased as everyone watched the two battles shaping up in the hall's centre. The fight between Molly Weasley and Bellatrix Lestrange, and Harry Potter and Voldemort.

Fred thought dramatic show downs and speeches mid battle were a thing best left to romance novels and Arthur and Merlin, but as Harry talked like the protagonist he was, Fred was actually grateful. Because Harry James Potter was taunting Lord Voldemort over a wand that switches alliance...an elder wand. Fred did not need George's nudge to realise their first clue had landed on their laps far sooner than they had anticipated.

Once the actual wand was identified as the one Voldemort had, Fred developed tunnel vision, and couldn't let it out his sight. Thus he missed the monster's defeat, didn't hear the cheers of his classmates and comrades. He just watched Harry's hand.
He watched him get surrounded by happy people.
He watched him pull on the invisibility cloak to escape.
Then he found Ron and Hermione and watched them.
He followed them as they left shiftily, George at his heel.
The trio were lost in their own world as they strode down the main bridge passing dead giants and stepping over rubble. It was easy to follow them unnoticed.

It was a lot more difficult to watch Harry bloody Potter snap the thing their hopes were resting on and drop it down into the river far below.

"Fuck." Spat George.
Harry nearly fell off the bridge in surprise at the noise.

———

Yes this was a fusion of the book and movie endings. I took my favourite parts of both.