Disclaimer:I do not own Harry Potter or any related materials. Thank you, JK Rowling for letting us play in your sandbox.

Summary: Fred had never felt such pain, had never heard such a scream. There was no time to contemplate what would be next for him so when he wakes up with George once again standing in front of him stirring an aging potion, confusion replaced the fear.

Explosion… Intense pain... Distant scream... numbness... nothing.

Falling darkness... Rush of air… Bright light…

"Are you okay Fred?" George was standing in front of him stirring a simmering gray potion. The abandon classroom that would later become WWW headquarters at Hogwarts was filled with a shimmering mist coming from the cauldron. A book lay open on the desk before Fred, the pages outlining an aging potion.

The memory came flooding back to Fred. The aging potion was to get past the age line for the Goblet of Fire. This was one of Fred's favorite memories; the moment Fred truly believed that George and he would one day have the joke shop they dreamed about. Back then he believed one of them would get into the Tri-wizard tournament and win, getting them the money they needed to start. Even as Fred shaved off the beard that was their penance for trying to get past the age line, that fire inside him was not abated.

"I'm fine." Fred smiled at George relishing in the moment. This was a good memory, the memory he used when producing a patronus.

Fred's smile faded. He remembered what happened moments before. He had never felt such pain, nor the numbness as his body failed him. It was quick, not enough time to think what would happen to him after. Fred was always so focused on life that he never contemplated death.

"Are you sure?" George looked concerned. He could feel Fred's confusion and discontent. Despite what most people believed, Fred and George could not read each others mind. Finishing sentences and knowing what the other was going to do just came from spending too much time together and having very similar personalities. They did however have a unique sense of what the other was feeling. Fred's feelings were traveling along that bond. "Did we mess something up in the potion?" George asked interpreting Fred's feelings incorrectly for the first time in... ever.

"No." Fred looked down at the potion instructions in question not really seeing them. "I just lost where we were." He hoped his twin wouldn't catch the quick lie. George sighed, coming over and taking the book from Fred.

"Maybe you should just stick to charms." George laughed as he skimmed the instructions trying to find where they were in the process. Fred chuckled trying to shake the feelings that upset George in the first place. Fred knew he was doing a poor job though. One does not die and is suddenly okay with it after a small jibe from his brother. If anything it just made it more confusing.

"Do you think you can finish the potion on your own George? I have something I've got to do." Fred started inching toward the door. Their bond only worked when in close proximity. He needed time to think about what was going on and not have to explain it to George for the time being.

Fred felt the confusion and concern coming from George. "Sure..." George consulted the book in front of him. "It shouldn't take me too long but this will have to simmer overnight. Meet you back in the common room?" Fred nodded before moving quickly out of the room.

With George out of range Fred let out a large sigh and let his emotions wonder. He fully expected for this memory to fade and be sent to the next. The whole 'your life flashes before your eyes' thing... but perhaps that isn't what was happening. Was this perhaps Heaven? Hogwarts was probably the best place in the world and the building of WWW was Fred's greatest accomplishment. It all started with that aging potion. Fred frowned, he loved WWW but the thought of having to rebuild it again from scratch was not what Fred would call Heaven.

Perhaps he had some sort of unfinished business. Fred huffed in annoyance. He was 20 years old. Of course he had unfinished business. Not only was there a battle to be apart of but the war wasn't over yet. He had family to protect. And once the war was over they had to reopen WWW once again. Fred had other dreams as well; Fall in love, have a family of his own, figure out all the charms the Maurauders used to make the map. Perhaps even become an Anamagi, though transfiguration was never the twins strong suit.

Fred's frustration and confusion mounted. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes. He was too young to die. George would have a hard time reopening and keeping up WWW on his own. Fred tried to think about what life would be like without George. A tear escaped, Fred quickly wiped it away. WWW would be no more, at least not the way they envisioned it to be.

But George was in the classroom Fred had just left. The memory wasn't fading. The world outside these walls wasn't at war and Fred was not dead. He didn't feel dead at least. Fred pinched himself. Yes, he was in fact alive, at least as far as he could perceive.

Fred's mind wondering, he did not notice where his feet were carrying him. When he saw the corridor outside the room of requirement his instincts were to run the other way. He even turned around but stopped before he could run. It was just a corridor and he was a Gryffindor. He turned back around and walked to the window that was blasted away in his memory. Looking to his right, his memory brought Percy battling Thickness to the forefront but no one was there. It was almost curfew and most students would no doubt be in there common rooms discussing who would put their names in the Goblet the next day.

Fred sat down on the ledge of the window looking out at the night sky. So this is where it ends. There were worst ways to die, Fred mused. At least it was quick and though he did not want to experience that pain again, the numbness that quickly followed was almost serene. The scream is what tortured Fred the most. He could not recall who it was, Percy perhaps. If so, it was a relief to know Percy did not befall the same fate but then the battle was not yet over. He preyed that Harry, Ron and Hermione were able to complete their task and finish this once and for all.

"Are you okay Fred?" Fred jumped at her voice. He was so caught up in his thoughts he didn't notice her approach. "Where is George?"

Fred was glad the corridor was dark. The last thing he wanted was for Granger to see his red eyes. "How do you know I'm not George?" Fred teased trying to sound like his usual self and failing miserably. Granger propped the books she was carrying, no doubt fresh from the library, on her hip.

"Because your trying to get me to think you are..." Granger was annoyed at the overused joke. "Either way the question is still the same? I have never seen either of you look so serious."

"Just thinking..." Fred couldn't keep up the facade. He looked back out the window.

"About?" Granger prompted taking another step closer.

"Death." Fred didn't see any reason to lie. Perhaps this was why he was here. To contemplate death before he succumbed to it. Granger was what his mind manifested to help him understand. She was pretty smart after all.

"Very uncharacteristic of you." Fred could hear the slight concern in her voice.

"Doesn't everyone contemplate life and death at some point?" Fred heard her approach the window and place the books next to him on the ledge.

"I suppose..." Granger sounded confused. "All that live must die, passing through nature to eternity."

"You do know that Shakespeare was a muggle hit by a very powerful confundus charm right?"

"Doesn't make his words any less beautiful." Granger said defensively.

"Which is why its one of the best pranks ever." Fred smirked at her. An awkward silence followed. Granger picked up her books deciding to let the twin contemplate death alone. "What do you think happens after you die Granger?"

Placing her books once more on the ledge, she studied the red head before her. "I've never been one for religion."

"So you don't believe in Heaven or Hell?" This surprised Fred, he thought all muggles believed in that nonsense… therefore all muggle-borns as well.

"I think the only judgment that is placed on you is here on earth. Which is why we must live our lives to the best of our abilities. And nobody's judgment is higher than your own."

"Is that why your so hard on yourself?" Fred studied the girl in front of him. "Constantly studying to better yourself and live your life to the best of your abilities." Granger bristled at the implications of her being a know-it-all.

"Sometimes." she replied honestly. The seriousness of the conversation seemed to demand it. "I like learning. Figuring out a puzzle that has alluded you for a long time is rewarding."

"Perhaps that is what death is..." Fred said looking back out the window. "A puzzle that keeps alluding us."

"That's rather too philosophical for you." Granger quirked her eyebrows up in amusement. "Are you channeling Dumbledore?" Fred was not amused. Granger looked more concerned.

"After death is nothing." Granger sat at the other end of the ledge Fred was on and continued back into her serious nature. "Once your brain is deprived of the oxygen it needs to function the thing that makes you... you cease to exist."

"That is a very logical way of putting it Granger." She shrugged. "That is what your brain tells you what death is. What does your heart tell you? Your soul?" Fred was beginning to wonder if Granger was his guide to death, perhaps he was hers. Granger looked hesitantly at Fred, chewing on her bottom lip. "I'm not going to make fun of you Hermione." Fred said using her first name intentionally.

"I have always liked the idea of reincarnation." Granger confessed. "The idea that your 'energy' is recycled back into something else or someone else fascinates me. To think that at one point you or a part of you could have been a great mind of the past or as exotic as a tall tree in the rainforest, cut down for consumerism." Granger's eyes lit up when she spoke. She clearly didn't just like the idea, she completely believed it. "It makes you really think about how you're connected to everything and everyone. Makes you want to make the world a better place so you may have a better next life, whatever that next life may be."

Fred was really starting to understand Granger a lot better. Her SPEW episode this year made so much more sense. Her indignation of being treated less then equal as a muggle-born witch was sure to spur those feeling even more.

"but even so..." Granger continued. "We have to live this life like it is our only and last. There are no take backs and you can't let yourself believe that you'll do better in the next life so this one doesn't matter. We don't truly know what is beyond." Granger stopped abruptly and blushed. "Sorry, I'm rambling."

"It must be comforting to know exactly what you believe in." Fred said not sure if what Granger believed was true but who was he to contradict especially given his circumstances.

"When it comes our mortality," Granger got up from the ledge and collected her books. "There is only one question you need to ask yourself Fred."

"Which is?"

"Do you think you're a good person?" Granger let him contemplate the question for a few moments. "Curfew is in a few minutes. We should really get back to the tower."

"You go ahead." Fred said getting up from his spot as well. "There is something I have to do." Granger looked disapproving.

"You're going to lose Gryffindor house points." She stood her ground, her always tense shoulders straightening.

"Does that make me a bad person?" Fred asked Granger studying her reaction. She looked angered at her words being spun back to her but her shoulders relaxed a little.

"Just don't do anything stupid..." Granger smirked before turning around to start walking down the hall. "And don't get caught."

Granger wasn't as straight laced and strict as she wanted everyone to believe she was. She knew what was important in life and what wasn't, Fred thought as he watched her turn the corner. The smile she had left on his lips faded as he turned to his next task.

What he was about to do was stupid and he had very little doubt that he would eventually be caught. But if this was some form of reincarnation then Granger was right and he had to live this life as if it was his last...even if it wasn't his first.

He didn't meet anyone in the hall. Fred wish someone had caught him, he still wasn't sure this was such a good idea. Fred was comfortable with traveling around the school at night with no one around (usually with George at his side) but when he entered the hall a shiver went up Fred's spine. The blue glow from the Goblet filled the hall, the shadows bouncing around from the flames.

Fred walked up to the age line Dumbledore had constructed earlier that day. After failing the first time, Fred had studied age lines and learned that there were many different kinds. A temporary aging potion can trick some of them but the more advanced lines (which Dumbledore was sure to use) was a mental age line. If the person believed themselves to be below the age line's requirements they would not be able to cross. Mental lines could be tricked as well but only by the most developed minds or master occlumens… not underage students.

Fred took a deep breath... He was 20 years old, at least he was yesterday. He may be back into is 16 year old body but he had still experienced 20 years of life, and what a life that had been.

Fred stepped over the line... nothing happened. He waited a few more second expecting some delayed reaction but nothing. Fred found himself keeping back tears once again for reasons he didn't quite understand yet. He really had experienced 20 years of life and that meant that he really did die an hour or so ago. That really meant that the next 4 years had happened and were more then likely going to happen again. The thing Fred didn't know was whether he could change it.

Taking out the two pieces of paper Fred and George had anticipated using in the Goblet, Fred wondered what this action would do to his future. One thing he did know was that Cedric, whom Fred and George had always liked and were friends with, would live to see himself graduate Hogwarts at least. Fred just hoped he wasn't signing his own death sentence... literally.

Fred put the slip of paper with George's name back into his pocket. He would never risk George's life no matter how mad George would be for doing this without him. Fred then stepped toward the Goblet, the blue flames tickling his hand as he took one more moment to contemplate his actions. The Goblet flared orange when the slip of paper fell from his hand. No turning back now.

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