Disclaimer: If I were JKR I would have a different set of genitals, Harry Potter would have a new enemy to fight, and he would be happily married to Hermione Granger.
The Life He Never Knew
Ch. 1 Two of a Kind Again-
It had ended hours ago, the final battle of Hogwarts had taken its toll on many wizarding families on both sides of the fight. Remus Lupin and his wife Nymphdora deaths left there son Teddy orphaned. The war was fairly kind to the Weasley clan, Fred Weasley was the lone casualty of the family, leaving his brothers, sister and parents to grieve, and while they were all shaken by the loss of Fred none took it quite as hard as his twin brother George.
"George I'm so sorry, I wish there was something I could do to change things.", Echoed Harry Potter's voice in the now empty great hall. While Harry was reeling from the loss of several friends he knew losing his other half would leave George forever changed.
"Please Harry, I appreciate it, really I do. But I think if you could bring back anyone, that Fred would be further down the list.", George replied, knowing that while Harry was fond of Fred Weasley that if given the chance to bring back some of the casualties of this war with Voldemort and his followers his parents, Sirius Black and the Lupins' would likely be the first few on his list, followed by former headmaster Albus Dumbledore. "Can you do me a favor Harry, if the family asks where I am, just tell them I went wandering around the castle. I want to think, and right now I'd prefer to be left alone. Sure you've had some moments like that."
He didn't wait for Harry to respond, he walked out the doors of the Great Hall and continued out of the school's entrance. When later asked why he went the way he did all he could say was he was just following where his feet led him, which for some reason was directly into the Forbidden Forest.
"Why Fred? It doesn't make any sense, we've always been a team. Fred and George, tormentors of Delores Umbridge, owners of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, the greatest pranksters in the history of Hogwarts. To think that now I've got to live out the rest of my life with out you? Can't really imagine going through even a week without my other half. Sure I can always try to get one of our brothers to help run the business, but it'll never be the same. I don't even know if I want to keep the shop open without you. I don't know if I'll ever have the desire to. Merlin help me I miss my brother so dearly. I'd do… What was that?" George had been wandering the forest thinking for about an hour when he had kicked up something that shone brightly. "Well what is this? A ring? Probably some Death Eaters, the scum probably dropped it when Voldemort led them out here to wait for Harry or when they were running away like cowards. The stone looks cracked, but it still may be worth something, maybe I'll take it to a pawn shop and donate what I get to an orphanage for the kids left without parents from this bloody war." George had picked up the ring and after inspecting it unconsciously slipped it onto his finger. To his annoyance, it was a few sizes to small for him and became stuck. "Damn ring won't come off, my fingers starting to turn purple." George was now growling in anger while violently shaking his hand to get the ring to drop off.
"Having some trouble there George?", laughed a voice he recognized a voice couldn't possibly be him ringing in his ear.
"Just great I lose my brother, get some ring stuck on my hand and now I'm hearing voices. Just what I need, way things are going I'll be sharing a room with Lockhart in St. Mungo's looney ward."
"Now I'll agree that your surely stuck with that ring there but to say that your hearing voices and are going to be sharing a room with that fraud Lockhart is going a tad far. Then again I'd say perhaps you need a visit to St. Mungo's to get your head checked, you're a wizard engorgio that ring." It was the same voice, this time George acknowledge it and slowly spun around. What he saw left him speechless, it was a slightly transparent version of himself. Except for this transparent form was floating and wasn't missing an ear, it wasn't him at all.
" See turn around and acknowledge a person when there talking to you and would wouldn't be thinking you were bonkers.", Fred Weasley said with a semi transparent grin. "I've been dead for 12 hours and you won't even bother to say hello. I may just go back to the afterlife. I was thoroughly enjoying peeking into the girls showers", spoke the ghostly form of Fred Weasley in a hurt tone.
"Fred its you, but you're a ghost. Why? You always said if you were gonna die that you would cross over.", George finally managed.
"Well its nice to see you too. Honestly I was waiting in limbo when all of a sudden I heard you complaining about missing me. I saw this ring floating in front of me and so I grabbed it and slipped it on. Next thing I know I'm watching you fight with the very ring I had put on.", Fred replied.
"Your back, Fred your back. Thank Merlin I was afraid thinking what I'd end up like without you around. Not that I'd have too much trouble finding a replacement, Percy is looking for a new job you know.", It was the first joke and first smile to come from George since his brothers death.
"Yes well hopefully you'll never replace me with Percy but I hate to point out the fact that I am still rather dead.", Fred's words removed the smile from his twins face.
"Too bad there isn't a way to bring you back to life." George whispered, a loan tear rolling down his cheek. "Wait I think I have it, touch me see if your corporeal, you know like a poltergeist or completely like a ghost totally transparent.", Ghostly Fred reached out and smacked his brother on the back of the head. "Ouch, that answers that question, but did you have to hit me so hard?"
"I did, we made a promise, no crying if one of us kicks it. Besides what does this have to do with bringing me back to life? Being corporeal doesn't mean I'm alive you know.", Fred asked, he was getting slightly annoyed.
George smiled, "Unicorns blood."
His pale face going even paler Fred replied stunned, "I can't drink unicorn blood, you know killing one of them and drinking there blood leaves you with a half life. I'm already dead why make it worse."
"Well dear brother take in your surroundings, I know for a fact that more then a few unicorn were trampled by some of the giants, so we don't have to kill them. As for living a half life lets think more of this ring. I put it on and you came back, and like you said you heard me mourning you and saw this ring appear and you put it on. It sounds something like the resurrecting stone from the story of the Deathly Hallows. I think they may be real, in fact the elder wand was used in the final battle. Not to mention Harry has a pretty nice invisibility cloak.", George told his brother.
"Fantastic we've got a way to make dead people ghosts, you still haven't said how I can come back to the living world. Unicorn blood only works for so long." Fred spoke again.
"Brother, you insult me. You know we were researching and almost successfully made our own philosopher's stone. I wouldn't be surprised if Dumbledore's brother inherited his research, perhaps we can pay Aberforth a visit and see if we couldn't purchase a few pages from him. Maybe find what we were missing. Have you caught on, or are you still as daft in your after life as you were when you were living?"
"George Weasley you evil genius, the Elixir of Life. You can bring me back."
"I can bring more then just you back if this works out right." George smiled.
******And that would be the end of the prologue of the story. I hope you enjoyed it and I'd appreciate some reviews. I know there is no Harry and Hermione but I needed this to set up the story it self.