The weeks had passed quickly for Molly, too quick really, because now she had two days left to finish all the homework she had been putting off. It had never seemed like a lot, and could always be postponed to the next weekend… until now. September first was this Friday, and it was already Wednesday. Molly had no excuse for not doing the work, but now she only had two days and they headed back to school.

Molly's room was covered in books, parchment, scales, and herbs. To anyone else this was chaos, but for Molly, every single spot was a different project or roll of parchment. She had just about finished McGonagall's essay on the need and rules of transfiguration verses animagus.

Molly had been excited to find out all the rules about becoming an animagus, had even thought she would choose the form of a squirrel. But know that she had all but completed her two rolls of parchment, and knew all the laws and how hard the magic was, she had decided transforming was better anyway.

The major drawback to simply transforming oneself into any animal they choose was that once transformed you lost all ability to think as a human, or perform the needed wand motion to reverse the spell. Molly had made a note to ask Professor McGonagall if any wizards had made that mistake, and how would a wizard know if an animal was a former wizard. Molly had another thought and quickly grabbed her notebook to write the question down before she forgot it.

What if you transformed into a chimp, since they are so smart, and have thumbs… they could do the wand wave, and you could possibly retain your thoughts.

Molly laid the pad down and looked to the opposite corner, there was the dreaded assignment, Herbology…. A full roll on the known uses of muggle herbs. Molly rolled her eyes, she was a pure blood, how would she even know what the muggle herbs were? She flipped open Goshawk's Guide to Herbology, and always with herbology, she was soon fast asleep.

"Molly!"

Her mother's urgent call startled Molly awake, she jumped and shoved the pages of the book, that had stuck to her face. "I'm here Mom! Be right down!"

Molly glanced to the clock and saw she had slept the afternoon away. Molly groaned, she was now down to one evening, and part of Thursday. Again Molly groaned, she hadn't even packed yet.

"Molly?!"

"Coming!" Molly called as she ran for the door.

Molly was hit with the smell of homemade chicken pot pie, causing her stomach to growl loudly. Lusrica Prewett smiled at Molly, "One day I will teach you how to cook this for your own children."

Molly slide into her seat as her mother sat a bowl of steaming pot pie in front of her. Lusrica sat down as she slid a glass of pumpkin juice over to Molly, "So are you nervous for school to start?"

With little more than a shrug, "Not really, it is going to come the same time whether I am nervous or not," Molly stated with a calm she didn't possess.

"You sound like your father…."

"Are you talking about me again?"

"DADDY!" Molly screamed as the lept from the table to hug her father. "When did you get back?"

Ignatius Prewett motioned for Molly to sit back down as he sat in the chair opposite her. Just as Lusrica sat a bowl for Ignatius he answered Molly's question, "About thirty minutes ago, and had you came down when your mother first called, you would have seen me," he glanced down as if looking at a wrist watch, oh about twenty five minutes ago."

"Sorry, "Molly said, turning beet red, "I was trying to finish some last minute herbology…"

"Enough said!" Ignatius laughed, "That is one subject that I always got a 'T' in."

"Ignatius Prewett!" Lusrica scolded. "Do not encourage our daughter to fail, I for one, did very well in Herbology!"

Ignatius wrapped an arm around his wife's waist, looking up at her from his seated position, "I know you did, but I overlooked it due to your beauty."

Molly loved that her parents still showed how much they loved one another. She had heard friends say that it was gross, but how love could ever be gross was a mystery to her.

"So are you home till I leave for school?" Molly asked.

Ignatius spooned a large bite into his mouth and nodded. After a bit, he swallowed and looked to the door, "'Risa, didn't you say the boys were on their way?"

Lusrica looked from Ignatius to the door and back, "They said they would be here, but you know our boys, there is no telling when they will turn up."

It was very strange to see annoyance filter across her dad's face, and even rarer to have him upset, but tonight she was about to see both. Ignatius sat in silence for ten minutes, glancing repeatedly at the wall clock. Finally the twins walked through the door, "DAD!" They called in unison.

Ignatius slammed a hand on the table, "You were supposed to be home half an hour ago," his voice laced with a calm anger.

Fabian and Gideon both looked to their mother, Gideon took a tentative step to the table, "Sorry Dad, didn't know it was important."

Molly began to wonder it the comment about her being late was serious too. She notice that both her parents were solemn faced. Ignatius motioned for the boys to join them at the table. Lusrica set each of their bowls down and then sat beside Ignatius.

Ignatius cleared his throat, "First, let me start with an apology, I am just on edge." He gave both his sons a look and did not continue until each gave him forgiveness.

"You all know I work for the Daily Prophet as a reporter, and because of that I know many in the Ministry. I know that Author began working there a few weeks ago, and he did very well. He works, or I should say, worked for Zephania Figg."

Molly face paled, had Arthur gotten fired, or quit? She would give that pratt a piece of her mind the next time she saw him. Mr. and Mrs. Figg had been to supper once or twice, and Molly didn't consider them close family friends, but they had been very nice.

Before Molly could ask, Ignatius continued, "Zephania was killed last night."

Both Molly and Lusrica gasped, Fabian leaned forward, "What happened?"

"They say it was accidental, that the frame of the ocean in his office malfunctioned causing a flood. Zephania never learned to swim," Ignatius said sadly.

Gideon looked to everyone, and landed on his father, "You said killed, but if it was an acci…"

"It was no accident," Ignatius cut in, "How many office doors do you know that are sealed well enough to prevent water escaping? And tell me this, if you did not know how to swim and you saw an area flooding, what would you do?"

Molly answered in a very quiet voice, "Leave."

Ignatius nodded, "Leave… why didn't Zephania if he could?"

The room filled with silence, no one knew those answers. Molly couldn't believe the Ministry would just accept accidental if it weren't true. Plus, her father could find a story in a box of oats being left open.

Lusrica quickly began refilling glasses and cleaning away full bowls. This was something she did only when very nervous. Gideon tried to hold on to his untouched dinner but there was no stopping Lusrica once she was going.

"Ignatius, do you really think it is wise to fill the children's heads with this just before school? That is very sad news but should you use the work kill with them?" Lusrica asked her stone faced husband.

"I am doing more than using the word, 'risa, I am explaining why I used it."

"No you are not," Lusrica hissed, "I forbid you from including our children in this mess."

A bark of laughter silenced Lusrica, "you forbid me from talking to our children? You treat me as if I would do anything to harm them?" Ignatius asked in a chilled tone.

Lusrica flushed, "You lot get upstairs, your father and I need to speak… alone."

Molly jumped to obey, dashing for the stairs. She was sitting on her bed with tears falling down her face be the time Fabian and Gideon joined her.

Gideon sat beside her, pulling her into a sideways hug, "Don't cry sis, they are just having a fight, nothing to shed those sad tears over."

Fabian leaned on the dresser, crossing his arms, "What you need, my sweet little sister, is a distraction," Fabian announced and waved his wand.

Suddenly her entire chest, fully packed, minus a couple of text books… turned into a baby black bear. Molly squealed in delight. "I forget how good you are at transfiguration!" Molly called as she plopped on the floor to play with the bear.

The bear kept licking Molly's toes, causing her to burst into laughter. Once she securely tucked her feet under herself, she looked to her brothers, "Mum and Dad never argue, ever… What do you think is going on?"

Fabian waved his wand again and the bear was once more just a packed chest. "Not sure, but if Dad is willing to tell us, it's something to do with Hogwarts," Fabian stated as if this was very obvious.

"Nope, that isn't entirely true my handsome twin," Gideon said with a grin, "While it is true that it must have something to do with Hogwarts, I am not so sure it only to do with Hogwarts. After all, Mr. Figg works at the ministry, and has no tie to the school that I have ever heard of."

Molly climbed from the floor, already missing the bear, but joined Gideon back on the bed. "But Arthur worked for Mr. Figg, maybe the Weasley's are doing something bad and that is why we have to be told."

Fabian started laughing, "Come on Sis, don't you think I might know if my best mate is doing something." Fabian got a serious look and turned to look at Gideon, "Little git better not be having fun without me."

"Not a chance Fab, he would recruit you in minutes if he thought it was fun. I don't think the Weasels have a mean bone in their cumulative bodies. So we can rule that idea out. I was thinking that maybe Dad found out something, you know, as a reporter and wants to warn us."

Fabian walked over to the bed and grabbed Gideon's hand, lifting high over his brother's head, "And we have a champion of stating the obvious."

Dropping the arm Fabian gave a small golf clap, "Please do give a speech and explain your findings" Fabian suddenly looked lost, "Oh but if it was obvious, I guess no speech is necessary."

Gideon smirked as he shoved his brother away, "What I mean is, that maybe Dad uncovered a major conspiracy, or maybe he found out that the school is closing, or…."

Fabian shook his head, "there are so many 'ors' that we will never know, unless Mum and Dad agree and call us back down.

Frowning, Gideon rubbed his stomach, "And I am still starving."

Molly stood to look out the window, "I don't think Dad just found out anything," she said in a whisper.

Fabian looked to Gideon who shrugged, Gideon went to Molly, "And why is that?"

Molly looked up to her brother, his bright green eyes so full of inquisitiveness, "Because, Mum already knew… Dad started to tell us, but she stopped him. So whatever it is, it has been going on for some time."

All three jumped when the bedroom door opened, Ignatius gave them a questioning look, "Come on down, we will have our talk now."

-Thank you for reading...

Life on Privet Drive may be perfectly ordinary but my life is not LOL I am trying to make sure both my Harry Potter fanfiction stories keep going so please have patience with me. In this chapter you get to see the very first signs of the dark magic beginning to take hold. You also get to see into the fear and bravery of both Molly's parents.

As always, thank you to all those following me, and my stories