Focus: Percy

Percy couldn't believe what his older brother said. Out of all his siblings he was definitely closest to Charlie (closely followed by Bill, he didn't really get on well with any of his younger siblings.) He had of course heard Charlie speak of his friend Phineas before. Tales of playing in their uncles' garden with a quiet child who seemed intent on reading and drawing rather than actually playing. It was always clear to Percy that Charlie missed Phineas more than anything, it seemed odd that his brother would have just stood there and let his friend disappear into the night. Maybe Charlie was just so shocked by his long missing friend's appearance that following him hadn't even occurred to him until it was too late.

He looked to his mother who seemed to be outraged by Charlie's assertions about the small man who had returned Harry's wand. It was always difficult for Percy growing up when Charlie fought with their mother (which seemed near daily from age 15 until he'd moved to Romania). He was so close to both of them that it hurt him to feel like he needed to chose sides.

In this particular incident he disagreed with both of them. His mother seemed to be blinded by prejudice and hysteria. His brother seemed to be blinded by love and a happy past. Unsure what to do he decided to follow Bill's lead. His eldest brother was neither blinded by prejudice nor overly attached to the idea of Phineas returning and being the person that they remembered.

His mother took a deep breath, no doubt ramping up to tell Charlie he couldn't have a clue what he's talking about, when a woman's voice broke the tension of the tent.

"Hey, Auror Tonks, here to check in with you," Bill and Charlie both grinned to see their old friend (who graduated from the academy 2 years ago).

"Tonks," Bill greeted, "What can you tell us about all of this?" he asked sweeping his arms out as if gesturing to the whole World Cup grounds.

"Not much I'm afraid," The metamorphmagus said her hair turning blue, "We verified that an unregistered wand found near that convict was used to cast the mark but we have more questions than answers at this point. Right now we are just trying to figure out what happened exactly."

"Well ask your questions," Author said inviting her into the tent. Percy believed, in that instant, that his father was quite relieved for a distraction from what was sure to have been a spectacular shouting match between mother and son.

"What did you see? Anything overly suspicious?" Tonks asked as she came in and sat down, pulling out a quill and notebook.

"Yes, we did see something very evil!" Molly quickly responded.

"Nothing you want to write down though," Charlie was quick to advise his friend, "It's to do with your cousin."

Tonks fair turned bright purple in her surprise, "Sirius or Phineas?"

"You can't know that Charlie!" Molly admonished her son.

"I can Mom," Charlie asserted. Bill nodded and came to stand shoulder to shoulder with Charlie. If Bill and Charlie both believed in the stranger they had met than Percy would too.

"Mom," Percy decided to cut in, hoping she would listen to him, "I think that maybe Charlie is right about who he is, and if he'd wanted to hurt us he had the chance."

"There were just too many of us. He was probably hoping to get Harry alone." Molly responded.

Arthur shook his head, "Well, we can fight about it all night long, but unless we give him veritaserum or find him an use legilimency than we will never know what we was really thinking. The fact is a short man dressing in strange clothes returned Harry's wand after he'd dropped it and then walked away."

Tonks looked at Charlie, "You think he was Phineas?"

"I know," Charlie said, sounding quite sad, "In my heart, I know it was him."

She nodded and closed her notebook without writing anything down, "Thanks for telling me, if you think of anything related to Barty Crouch...who I guess escaped Azkaban long before Sirius, with help...then please call the office. Call me for tea if you hear anything more from Phin."

With that she left to visit the next tent. Molly turned and looked ready to continue where she left off with Charlie when Arthur cut her off, "Let's just go to sleep. There is nothing more to discuss and Harry's not going to wander off looking for that man, are you Harry?"

"No, sir," Harry responded, though he seemed to be thinking of something else entirely, "I try not to go looking for trouble."

"Good lad, Harry," Arthur said before escorting his wife to their section of the tent, "You all go to bed too!"

The kids (Bill, Percy, and Charlie included) just looked at each other for a moment before doing as told. No amount of talking would make all that happened that night any clearer, best to just try to sleep and go on with life tomorrow.

Just before falling asleep Percy heard Charlie whisper quietly to Bill, "He's alive!"