Molly Weasly sighed as she put down the Daily Prophet. Another two disappearances, the Dark Mark was found over a home in London, the father dead at the scene and the two children were reported missing. All Molly could think about was that poor mother who had come home to such devastation. Looking up from her seat in the kitchen at her three sons placing the table she could not imagine the amount of grief that mother must be feeling. It was only a few months ago when her husband had come home with the news that Death Eaters had killed her two brothers. When would this desolation stop? There must be an end eventually, how on earth were they all expected to continue living like this. With news of more and more disappearances and murders each getting more brutal than the last. She had seven children to raise. How is one supposed to do that with a war raging around them?
The sound of crashing dishes jolted Molly out of her reverie. She jerked her head up to find her oldest son, present at least, backed up against the counter and her twins snickering behind their hands. She didn't need to ask.
"Fred and George Weasly! What did I tell you about bothering your brother!" She waved her wand at the mess on the floor and with a quick reparo the plates were safely on the kitchen table.
"Sorry Mom" They were quick to respond, although still holding back peals of laughter.
Molly let out another sigh, it seemed as if today wasn't going to get much better. "Percy go upstairs and bring Ron down for breakfast please, and the two of you will be denoming the garden after your finished with your breakfasts." Molly told her children as she walked over to pick her youngest, Ginny, out of her carrier while simultaneously swishing her wand to put all the food on the table.
The snickering stopped immediately. "But Mom-" two voices chorused.
"No buts now sit and eat!" Molly responded sharply
The twins slumped into their seats and with matching sighs started their meals.
She was just putting Ginny in her high chair when Percy came down with a one year old Ron in his arms. Once the entire family was finished eating she sent the twins out to the back and sent Ron and Percy to wash up. She carried Ginny to the rocking chair by the back window to keep an eye on Fred and George.
As she rocked her mind drifted once more towards the small family in London. She gazed down at her daughter and tried to imagine what she would do if she knew something so pure and beautiful as her child was in the hands of You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters. She knew that those children would never be seen alive again. Just like all the others that had gone missing. They would turn up in a few weeks, bodies mangled and tortured, with the Dark Mark hanging over. This sent her into a wave of silent tears as she clutched Ginny tighter to her chest.
As a reassurance, she glanced up at her clock, then let out a sigh of relief. This had become a habit as of late. Constantly checking to make sure her family was whole and safe. Bill and Charlie were at school, her youngest were all home with her, and her husband was still at work. At this she let out another small sigh. She hated when he worked the night shift. She hated waking up without him and most of all she hated not knowing if he would come home. Because of their status as "blood-traitors" Arthur was at a huge risk from You-Know-Who. So many people have gone missing lately; it was her greatest fear that one day he just wouldn't come home to her.
Just as the thought entered her mind she saw his hand on the clock move from work to home. Molly immediately jumped up and placed Ginny securely in her carrier. "Boys! Boys! Inside now no arguing" she called out to the twins.
Hearing their mothers tone of voice they dropped the gnomes without delay and ran to the house. "Whats up Mum?" Fred asked hurriedly.
"Yea you look like you just saw a boggart." George agreed.
"Watch your sister, your father is home and I need to go make sure nothing is wrong." Molly replied in a rush. She wasn't sure what had her husband home so early. He wasn't due for hours. The last time he came home in a rush like this, Molly lost both her brothers. She shivered at that thought wondering again what could possibly have happened. Hadn't they gone through enough?
She ran out to the front gate of the Burrow where her husband was rushing to her. Just as she was about to open her mouth to ask if everything was alright he wrapped her in his arms and spun her around.
"It's over ! It's over!" Arthur kept chanting. He set her down and after a deep kiss pulled her inside.
"Boys! Come quickly!" He shouted into the house.
"What is it Father?" Percy asked, holding Ron, while walking calmly behind Fred and George who had nearly knocked over the kitchen table in his rush.
Molly looked quizzically at her husband, there didn't seem to be an emergency, but she couldn't make sense of his ramblings, or what could have happened to make him so happy.
In response, Arthur threw down a copy of the Daily Prophet, but it wasn't the same one Molly had been reading. Molly gasped as she saw the front page.
You-Know-Who
Defeated!!
"Oh Arthur!" She flung herself at him crying while the children all cheered and clapped, even little Ron was clapping and giggling in his high chair, happy to see his family excited.
"Why don't you boys get changed, I think this calls for a celebration, maybe we can go to Diagon Alley." Arthur announced, this was meet by loud cheers and feet slamming up the stairs.
" How did this happen Arthur, It was beginning to seem as if he would never be defeated then one day all of a sudden he's just gone?" Molly asked tears still streaming down her face.
"A baby Molly! That's what did it just a baby!" Arthur was laughing now at the irony of this statement.
"What? What do you mean? You expect me to believe a baby caused this?" Disbelief was evident on her face.
"Yes actually." He chuckled again "Apparently You Know Who went to the Potters house last night." His face became serious all of a sudden. "James and Lily Potter, that was their names, they were a part of the Order, he killed them last night."
Molly sighed at the news that more lives had been lost to this wretched war.
"Well they had a son, Harry he's about Ronnie's age, I don't know why but after he was done with his parents, You Know Who decided to finish the job, but when he cast the killing curse it just…didn't work!" Arthur's high spirits were back.
"But that's impossible! The Killing Curse doesn't just, not work!" Molly exclaimed.
"Well that's what happened, I guess it rebounded or something because You Know Who is gone, Harry Potter is still alive and well, and their house is in shambles, I talked to Hagrid after he got back from picking Harry Potter up to live with some relatives of his. Muggle apparently."
This was a lot for Molly to take in, this poor little boy with no parents, he wasn't even old enough to remember them.
"Don't worry Molly, he still has family, I'm sure he'll be more than Ok living with his relatives. He's a hero the entire Wizarding World is currently toasting him, imagine that, a baby! Killing the most feared wizard in century's! Something not even Dumbledore could do. He must be very powerful, it will be interesting to see who he grows up to be." He looked pensive.
The boys were downstairs in a rush of red hair and pounced on their parents.
"Come on!!"
"Let's go!"
"Can I chose where we eat please!"
"Boys! Boys! Calm down! Ready Molly dear?"
Molly looked once more towards her clock, no longer would she need to check constantly in fear, she realized. She smiled as she grabbed Ginny and followed her husband to the fireplace. Finally, she had received some good news.