Beyond the walls of Hogwarts, yet not so far as to cross the seas, wizards and witches had taken to gossip over the choice of the court just the few months prior. The common place rumors and tales of the savior going to Hogwarts for his first year had slid to the sidelines for a moment as far few had details of his life.
And such a large family reuniting with their stolen child? Even the most disinterested wizards kept their ears open for any information on the situation. Many witches and wizards rallied in the beliefs backing that the Weasleys should have their blood born son with them as was tradition. A few of the pure bloods believed that he should be integrated into the society by a patient family with fewer children to fully enrich the boy with his otherwise unknown heritage.
The muggleborn page though, a few of them didn't know what to think. Some were disowned by their families because of their "Satanic powers". Some were left in orphanages when they received their letter. Others were accepted by some of their loved ones and scorned by others. A few, far few, had been adopted by good people who cared for them despite their magical powers. They had found their way more often than not. But each had been behind closed doors to their now relief.
There were rumors. He knew some very important muggles. The ones who combated the dangerous Loki. The muggle born magical individuals had read and walked into nonmagical society to find out more that the magical society was willing to delve into. The event ended in America, and by the hands of muggles no less. The fact that it was over was good enough for many.
Although, it was still connected to the gossip of the youngest Weasley. Gossip that existed especially deep within the ministry. Even down to the international distribution of mail.
"The nerve of that fiend. Fighting to keep a child from his culture, no, his very birth right," an overly sweet and high pitched voice slipped from a toad faced woman.
"Too right," a man commented watching the Owls drop off the mail. He was a common wizard working a dead end job in the ministry. A son of two half bloods. And a fervent believer of family unity.
He was angry at the news of the Weasley Barton case. It agitated him that this man was able to single handed ly rip the family apart. He knew. He read in the papers the hints and accusations that the man had taken the child from a death eater. Oh he could believe that. Because obviously Bellatrix gave the child to some American Death Eater. There was no way someone as dangerously psychotic as that woman could have been felled by a mere muggle. Many witches and wizards had died by her hand, far more prepared than this man claimed to be.
There was no way this man wasn't involved with death eaters in the eyes.
"The child isn't even able to spend time at home. Forced to cross the seas when he is free of school during the summer," the woman commented with a sweet and slightly bitter tone. A smile twisted at the corner of her lips, unseen by the worker. She walked slowly past the bins of international letters bound for leaving Europe.
A small bin that held more letters from government officials rather than a common letter to say hello.
Pit was sent out about once every three days or so, given the amount of magic used to get the letters to the needed country and the small amount that was sent day to day. She arched a brow and lightly fingered through the letters, all but one of professional quality. She gently lifted the letter and gave it a once over. Her eyes followed the messy scrawl of someone who had never used a quill before. The writing of a child with an odd sticker thing in the corner.
"He even sends letters to the man," she spoke again getting the full attention of the worker. He watched the letter in her hand, as she gently placed it back in the front of the letters, slightly angled further separating it from the uniformity.
The worker's eyes darted from the letter to the walking woman once more as she walked to the bin with a few more letters from outside of Europe coming in, and slowly fingered through each one until she saw another letter with the odd sticker thing in the corner.
The writing was not from a quill, but held a clarity and neatness to the words of someone familiar with the tool of their choice.
"And he sends letters as well. It makes you wonder what he writes to the child, asking questions. About his magic? Perhaps. Does he write about school? Would he write asking about something so mundane?"
She placed the letter back in the bin clearly visible.
"But well... We'll never know. The law frowns upon those who read others mail," she stated ominously, "Anyway, I must be off."
She grabbed her few professional letters and walked out of the room. The man stared at the two bins.
Two letters.
One criminal. One victim.
But the child felt he needed the man. A man who brainwashed a young child. The words of the woman echoed in his mind.
The law frowns upon those who read others mail.
The word read echoed in his mind. His eyes sparked with a mad idea.
He could help. He could be active. He could help free the child from the dark clutches of the vulture who took him. The man quickly grabbed the two letters from the bins and walked over to a lit candle.
Slowly, he lowered the letters into the fire of the candle slowly. A small smile appeared on his face as the letters burned before his eyes. Afterall, who would remain close to someone who wouldn't talk to them?
Yes. This idea has been stewing for a while. However, other fanfictions demanded my attention. Some more, happy chapters and fics. But with our dog being brought into an animal hospital for rapidly rupturing fatty deposits (deposits we knew were fairly common among the breed...), finding out she had an aggressive skin cancer and a dangerous infection that seemed to have made it into her lungs...
We had to put her down yesterday. She was pretty well bleeding out from her chest, elbow and side.
Add the death of a bunny my sister owned and the death of about half a litter my other sister owned, this felt like a better chapter to be working on.
I know Ron and the others aren't in this chapter, but I'd figure this would be good to post as is.
Thank you for your time.