Exodus 1

Even though Fred had fully recovered from his injuries, he remained lying catatonically on his hospital bed, staring at the sky. In any case, the mediwizards seemed to have more trouble finding body bags than available beds. And even so, they had far too much work to take care of him. Indeed, despite his state of shock, Fred had noticed the inexplicable frenzy that seemed to have taken over the camp for the past few hours.

Anyway, he didn't care. In fact, since waking up, he didn't care about anything. Not even his hunger, he thought, glancing at the still untouched bowl of porridge that a nurse had quickly placed in front of his bed that morning. Yet, he jumped for joy when the curtain that had been set up to give him some privacy was pulled back. But his enthusiasm immediately faded. For a few seconds, he had the impression that the redhead who had just entered was George, but it was only Percy. He should have known. His twin would never have worn such a serious expression.

Fred, are you doing well?

He forced himself to smile and replied with a wink:

More cancerous than me, tumor.

Fred! How can you be so... Rah! Mom and dad are dead and you...

Percy's face was so red with anger that his red hair seemed quite dull in comparison. As every time he did something foolish in his presence, Percy wasted his time stammering a moralizing sermon that Fred made a point of ignoring (it's nice to see that some things would never change). Instead, he examined Percy's face ravaged by dark circles. It seemed he hadn't slept much last night.

Fred, are you listening to me?Percy suddenly demanded, which had the merit of bringing Fred out of his thoughts.

You need to get rid of the bad habit of always wanting to be listened to, replied Fred.

Obviously, you don't listen to anything. You never listen to anything. You know what? It serves you right for what happened to you. It's all your fault. If you had done what you were told, Ginny would never have been in danger, and the parents would never have gotten involved in this stupid order. Just once in your life, couldn't you follow the rules? But no, for you, it's all a game and you always have to do only what you like. But it's not a problem, since Mom or that pushover Percy is there to fix the mess. Well, Percy is fed up!

For the first time after a reproach from Percy, Fred remained silent. He was torn between wanting to punch him in the face and wanting to hang his head in shame. Even though he was convinced that Percy's reproaches were odious, they still reactivated his guilt. Fred had spent part of last night replaying their last day together in his head, wondering what had gotten into them. Fred knew they had messed up and all of Percy's reproaches couldn't make him feel any more guilty.

Defeated, he decided to collapse against his ears with a sigh:

What do you want?

That you behave like an adult. At least until I manage to get you and Ginny out of the country. After that, it won't be my problem anymore, but Bill's.

And you?

I'm staying. Umbridge appointed me as Undersecretary of State in her place and she counts on me to ...

So I will stay too. I can fight too. We must avenge Mom and Dad and ...

No way. You're not even of age.

What's the difference of one year? If you think I'm going to hide in your robes while You-Know-Who ... ?

But think a little before acting like an idiot! What do you think you can do against a Death Eater? You weren't even able to get your OWL in Defense Against the Dark Arts. All you're going to accomplish is getting yourself killed.

Unlike you, I am not a coward.

And Ginny, have you thought about it? Who's going to take care of her when you're not there anymore? Me, maybe? Don't you think you're the coward for abandoning her to go off on an adventure? Seeing that this last argument had finally reached his stubborn little brother, Percy continued more gently:

Listen, we don't have time for this anymore. It's only a matter of time before Potter manages to repair the magical transportation control service. I need to take you and Ginny to Hogwarts before he takes control of the Floo Network.

With an imposing air he had learned to perfect during the years he had tried to impose his authority as head prefect on the other students (despite the humiliating pranks the twins regularly subjected him to), Percy helped Fred up and dragged him in hospital pajamas to the nearest fireplace in front of which dozens of stretchers of patients were obviously waiting for transfer like them.

Percy approached one of the guards and showed him his papers. With an annoyed gesture, the guard told him to move forward. Without any shame, Percy passed in front of the long line of patients in more or less good condition and their relatives (turned into nurses for the occasion), who did not hesitate to give him dark looks. Some even dared a few insults. Percy paid no attention, as his shell forged by years of living with the twins was thick (it was a miracle that Penelope had managed to break it). However, for the last representative of the very popular prankster twins gang and star Gryffindor beater, it was an extremely unpleasant novelty.

What are all these people doing here?

The same thing as us. He is trying to evacuate before the place turns into a battlefield. But that will not be the case. Umbridge has ordered the abandonment of the place to Potter and to focus on the defense of Hogwarts and its surroundings. She hopes to thus force him to negotiate.

YOU WANT TO NEGOTIATE WITH... Fred protested indignantly.

Shh, be quiet! It doesn't thrill me any more than it does you, but it's the choice of the Minister of Magic, Percy explained.

Dumbledore is going …

With an annoyed look at his brother's ignorance, Percy interrupted him:

Dumbledore is dead then …

WHAT!?

Speak more quietly. Do you want to cause a panic or what?

Fred let himself be led, completely demoralized. How could they face this monster without Dumbledore?

He barely noticed that they had arrived at the burrow where Aunt Muriel greeted them by asking what had taken them so long. After some insincere polite exchanges, Percy took a strangely obedient Ginny and led them to Hogwarts. However, once at Hogwarts, nothing went as Percy had hoped. And it started from the moment he arrived.

Sir, stop! Called out an official who was guarding the entrance to the wing of Hogwarts that had been reserved for Umbridge's accommodation and her closest collaborators.

What is it? Do you know who I am? Percy replied with an authoritative tone that brooked no argument.

Of course, Mr. Secretary of State. Besides, I haven't congratulated you yet on your lightning-fast promotion. I hope you will deny the rumors that you got the position only because you were the only one who stayed working at your desk rather than listening to the match on the radio or trying to get news of your loved ones. I'm sure you owe it to your skills and not to a mix of luck and other less honorable things. The official replied haughtily, bowing before continuing in a honeyed voice:

But you know the rules as well as I do and despite the move, they remain in effect. At least until I receive an exemption decree B36. Pointing at Fred and Ginny, he continued in a dull voice:

As a result, I regret to inform you that no visitor can enter the minister's department without the A28 form completed with the 12 signatures of ...

Yes, I am aware, Jensen. Percy interrupted, taking out of his jacket an orange form covered with so many official stamps that the text underneath had become illegible. Here it is. As you can see, everything is in ord... Why are you crying, Jensen?

It's nothing, sir, sniff. I... It's the first time I've seen one. It's so beautiful. Would you please give it to me? They replied with an emotional voice between tears.

Oh, yes naturally.

Oh! Thank you, sir. I will have it framed and I will show it to my grandchildren when I am old. Replied the official visibly moved by so much generosity.

For the first time in his life, Percy wondered if the ministry wasn't a bit too bureaucratic. In any case, from that day on and for the first time in his life, most of the people he met showed him genuine respect. The difference from the false politeness mixed with jealousy and resentment that he was usually addressed with struck him, and from that day, he began to critically examine his memories of adolescence. Especially those following the arrival of the twins at Hogwarts.

However, despite his new authority and his most cunning attempts, he fails to procure international portkeys. Early in the morning, Potter had cast a spell blocking any exit from the country except with international portkeys created before the incantation of his barrier. Upon learning this, Umbridge had personally requisitioned the last ones they had left, and none of her flattery managed to soften his icy heart. And he was not foolish (or desperate) enough to think that giving in to her advances would help him. He would do anything not to have to share with Fred the tinyquarters that had been assigned to him next to Umbridge's office. When handing him the keys to his new quarters, Umbridge had made it clear that he could visit her at any hour of the night without fear of being noticed... Percy didn't want to think about that moment and preferred to believe that he had imagined the innuendos of the new Minister of Magic.

In short, anything but that. He had no choice but to hope that without George, Fred would be more bearable. Percy spent every free moment he could find trying to get Fred a job. As he had said himself, in the current situation what did it matter that he was a year away from being of age and having the right to work? And above all, Percy didn't want him to get used to doing nothing and living off him. Since he had started working and earning a good living, it had become a pressing concern for him, as the twins seemed destined to remain social misfits. And if he wanted to have any hope of finding his belongings in one piece in the evening, it was better for Fred to have something to do during the day.

As for Ginny, he trusted her not to do anything foolish. At least not anything too serious. He loved his little sister and despite the circumstances, he hoped she would make a few mistakes before growing up too quickly. She had been the only one to sympathize with him about the bad jokes the twins played on him.

Ron too to a certain extent, but Ron... In any case, as he grew up, Ron had distanced himself somewhat from this too serious older brother whom the parents entrusted with watching his younger siblings when they had to be away. His parents couldn't afford to pay a nanny and his other older brothers had fled abroad, so very early on, he had to lend a hand to his mother who was completely overwhelmed by the twins to take care of Ron and Ginny, Percy recalled bitterly.

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Author's note: This is probably not a very popular opinion, but even if they don't reach the level of cruelty of the Marauders towards Snape, I find that the jokes the twins play on Percy (without their parents being able to intervene) are unfair and not funny. Nothing extraordinary between brothers, and it is largely implied that Percy has his faults, but precisely, it is only implied. We never see Percy do anything wrong before the 4th year when he shows himself to be a bit too much of a sycophant towards his boss (who in return can't even remember his name). On the other hand, we see the twins steal his things and humiliate him in public (very slightly). In return, Percy does nothing wrong to the twins. He doesn't even try to abuse his prefect power to get back at them. He continues to treat them fairly (as far as we can see).

For me, Percy is a more positive character than the twins. At least he acknowledges his mistakes and tries to make amends.

Author's note 2: At first, I wanted Fred to say: "If you've never seen a form A38, how can you know it's one?" with the sole purpose of mocking the official and preventing Percy from getting too full of himself and acting like a big shot with him. But I would have had trouble continuing the story after that, and Fred isn't supposed to be stupid enough to say that kind of thing in this type of context.

Proofreader's note: To be honest, and it's quite sad, the twins take out on Percy what their parents did to them. Throughout the books, we can see that they are not allowed to invite friends, whereas their brothersElders and younger siblings, yes. We can see that neither Molly nor Arthur is capable of recognizing them separately, and a glaring example, in the Order of the Phoenix, is when Molly congratulates Ron on being a prefect, like all his brothers before him. Fred's reply is, "And what are we, next-door neighbors?" Basically, they take revenge and humiliate Percy, or even Ron, because their parents have shown that the twins disappointed them compared to the others. It's childish but it comes from higher up, because they were never good enough to be Weasleys. Harry is almost more appreciated by the Weasley parents throughout the books, and the only time we really see the parents' love for the twins is at Fred's death...