A/N: I keep telling Mossnose and Spidey that I'm right, but they won't believe me. So here is proof that he LIVES!
Disclaimer: See 'WHGL?' disclaimers. I don't own Harry Potter because; one, if I did it wouldn't exist; two, Fred and Sirius would still be alive; and three, the movies would follow the plots of the actual books!!
It had been a day since the wizarding world was freed from the fear of Voldemort. For the families who had lost loved ones, the pain hadn't started to decreased yet. If anything, it had increased with the realization that the dead were never coming back. But no one felt the pain that the boy of seventeen with black untidy hair and a sad past, felt.
Harry Potter looked out at the grounds of Hogwarts, once the only home he had ever had. What once were the school grounds where he and some of the Weasly boys had a snowball fight back in his fourth year was now the scene of a battle field after the battle.
He remembered that day well. Ron had tried and failed to get Hermione to tell him whom she was going with to the Yule ball. He also remembered that Ron got a snowball to the head from George because he chose a bad time to ask. Harry almost smiled at the memory, but then he remembered that Fred was with them during that moment, and now Fred was gone.
Harry looked over to the branches of the Whomping Willow where he and Ron had crashed a car in their second year. He recalled that the Whomping Willow covered a tunnel that led to the Shrieking Shack, and then he remembered the adventure he had in that shack. In his third year, Ron had been dragged down that tunnel by a big black dog while Harry and Hermione tried to follow closely. Harry also remembered meeting his godfather, Sirius Black, in that shack and learning a bit more about his dad's past. He learned how his father and Sirius were best friends, and how they also had a were-wolf named Remus Lupin for a friend as well. They also had another friend, but Harry didn't want to think about him, not after what he had done.
Harry shook his head in an attempt to stop his thoughts, but he couldn't help remembering how his father and mother had died when he was a year old. A second later, he remembered when Bellatrix killed Sirius when Harry was fifteen. His memory returned to the day before, and Harry felt like he had just walked through a ghost as a shiver ran down his spine. He remembered seeing the traitor die and, with another shiver, learning that Remus had died.
Slowly, Harry realized that someone had come and sat down beside him. He looked to see George. A guilty feeling ran through Harry as he noticed the hole where George's ear had been.
"Well, it's over," George said as he looked at Harry.
Harry just looked back at the ground. "But so many people died."
"Oh… so that's why you are sitting all by yourself. Look Harry, don't take this the wrong way but..." George seemed to change his train of thought as he paused. Instead of speaking again, the twinless twin pulled something out of his pocket. "Here," George said as he dropped something into Harry's hand.
"Thanks but what is it?" Harry said as he looked the object over. It appeared to be an innocent bit of candy but with Fred and George- now only George- you had to be careful.
"A lemon drop," George replied as he pulled out another candy for himself and eating it. Within seconds, Harry had burst out laughing because sitting beside him was a black and orange polka-dotted George.
George laughed as well and said to Harry, "Eat your's."
Harry did so, and he turned red and gold.
George grinned. "Very fitting."
Harry smiled for a moment longer before his mind returned to the memories of the battle.
George seemed to know what Harry was thinking and said seriously, "Listen Harry. Don't go blaming yourself for what happened. Everyone knew the risks, and we all took them."
"But…"
"No buts." George said walking away. "Come on. Dinner is going to start soon."
Harry nodded and followed George through the front doors of the school only to jump back in surprise. Standing just inside the door was George and another person who wasn't supposed to be there.
"Is that any way to greet an old friend, Harry?" the person asked.
"F-Fred!?" Harry stuttered.
"Hi," George's twin said as he waved.
"But... But how?!" Harry demanded to know as he stared at the twins.
Fred grinned widely. "It's a funny story really. You see, Percy lost his glasses during the battle and failed to notice that I was still breathing."
"But you got hit by Avada Kedavra," Harry said, non-pulsed.
George grinned as well as he pulled out a small glowing pin. "The Weasly Confuser, guaranteed to confuse your enemies into thinking you're three feet to the right of where you really are and more."
"But you were knocked out!" Harry said as he tried to understand what was happening.
Fred rubbed the back of his head. "When the wall collapsed I got knocked over the head. Since Percy wasn't wearing his glasses, he didn't see that I was still breathing."
"But-"
"Let me finish Harry. No one else noticed that I was still breathing because of the Weasly Confuser."
"And because it was still experimental, it put Fred into a coma," George added.
Fred laughed. "I didn't wake up until I was six feet under. Literally."
"How did you get out?" Harry asked as he tried to understand.
"Apparated," Fred said.
"After he panicked and tried to get out the muggle way," George added.
"George thought I was a ghost when I apparated right on top of his bed."
"On my knees," George pointed out. He paused for a second and then said, "I wonder if that graveyard keeper is still trying to dig you out."
Harry looked at the man in confusion. "What?"
Fred grinned sheepishly. "When I first woke up and found myself in a coffin I started freaking out. I started banging on the roof of the coffin, which caused the string that was attached to my foot to ring the bell that was attached to the string."
"Why was there a string tied to your foot?"
George grinned. "Don't you remember, Harry? We live right by a muggle town so the only place to bury Fred was in a muggle graveyard. And you know how muggles are. They're paranoid."
Fred nodded. "It's some sort of muggle tradition. Apparently there was sort of disease that made you appear dead when you weren't really. The result was people waking up in coffins and slowly dying that way. To prevent that, muggles take a string that is tied the foot of the dead person and tie it to a bell. When the bell rings it means that the person in the coffin is actually alive. The muggle grave keeper will probably think I'm a vampire now since I vanished from the coffin after freaking out."
"How long did it take you to realize you could apparate out?" Harry asked.
Fred gave Harry a proud grin. "It only took me five minutes to realize I was a wizard and then only one to apparate myself out of there and onto George."
"He nearly gave mum a heart attack when he came downstairs before I could tell everyone," George explained.
"So does everyone know about the mix up?" Harry asked. He had finally gotten over the fact that Fred was actually alive, and he wasn't dreaming.
"Yup, you were the last to know. So how about getting some dinner for the living dead?" Fred asked.
"Good idea. I'm starving," George said as the three walked to dinner.
"Just don't put anything in my food," Harry said with a small smile.
Fred looked at him in mock shock. "Would we ever do that?"
Harry nodded. "Yes, all the time."
The twins nodded and grinned. "I guess we'll just have to find an unsuspecting target then, right George?" Fred said.
"Quite right Fred. Maybe Percy will be willing to be our test subject," George replied.
Harry just shook his head as he followed the twins into the room where dinner was being served. A smile was still on his face as everyone started celebrating over the news of Fred's return and the complete defeat of Voldemort. Part way through dinner, Fred found his way back to Harry's side and asked, "Oh and Harry, the red and gold stripes are a nice touch. They really bring out your eyes."
Harry just nodded, knowing that more pranks were soon to come from the newly reunited twins.
-Fin
A/N: IN YOUR FACE J.K AND NON-BELIEVERS! I TOLD YOU! FRED LIVES! Anyways, thanks for reading and please review.
-WT
P.S I'll try to get some new chapters for 'WHGL?' uploaded soon.