A/N: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the affiliated characters except for those that I create myself. Italics mean either a thought or a flashback depending on the context of the scene. If I get enough interest in my story by the final chapter, somewhere around 20, then I'll start crafting a sequel. Thanks so much for everyone reviewing and keep them coming.
Once the four Weasley's were gathered around the kitchen table at the Burrow, each sipping their own mugs of tea and several bars of chocolate later, they were visibly better, but no more emotionally. It had taken some time for each of them to settle down and to relay what they have each been experiencing since the day after the will reading. It was odd to them all that they had started to experience these things all at the same time, but magic sometimes worked like that.
Arthur sat at the head of the table and sipped at his third or fourth mug of tea and slowly sat it down. The sun had risen not too long before and the people in the village were going to start moving around soon. Staring down at the table at his family he opened his mouth to speak, but his daughter beat him to the point.
"It's like we're being punished by some higher power." Ginny complained
"Is it possible that we were cursed at the will reading and this is the result?" Molly whined slightly.
"No, Molly, I'm afraid that I've been over all of us multiple times and we're clean." Arthur was thoughtful at this and drummed his fingers on the tabletop.
"It's all Potter's fault, I know it is somehow." Ron fumed as he stared at the center of the table. "He must have done something to us so that we can't sleep, haunted by these images."
"Oh don't be thick, Ron, he doesn't have this power." Ginny grumbled as she drummed her fingers on the surface of the table. "No, I think there is a more mundane explanation for this. I think that we did something and we're being told that we were wrong."
"Please, we haven't done anything wrong." Ron scoffed at the idea before he got smacked in the head with a biscuit thrown by his sister. "Well, we haven't. We've been trying to protect our family and friends."
"Children, please." Molly groaned a little rubbing at her temples. "In each of our dreams the people say basically the same thing, that if we hadn't turned our backs on our friends then it wouldn't have happened. Ron looses his magic, Ginny is poor and on the street, and we had to watch our family die." Each person around the room shudder a little as they sipped at the tea.
"Don't forget me having to see Potter married to a slut." Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and sighed a little. "He was so kind to me too, even after the letter."
"Well, we can't do anything about it now. Near lunch we'll head over to Headquarters and see if we can find Harry and you two can apologize to him." Arthur pointed hard at his children.
"I'm not apologizing for protecting my family." Ron ducked another flying biscuit from his sister, and glared at her for a minute. "We did the right thing, plus it's not like we'll have any chance at getting his fortune now." He crossed his arms and glared at all the others at the table.
"I will go to Harry's Aunt's house to apologize to him; if he isn't there then we'll head to Headquarters to apologize to the Order, as a family." Molly added the last part of it as her youngest son began to look mutinous.
It was several hours later when Mrs. Weasley returned from her trip looking very put out and starting to fume. It was said that Ottery St. Catchpole was infamous for the wailing hills around the village, but what most of the magical community didn't know was that those hills were nothing compared to a rant from the fiery matron of the Weasley family. Storming into the kitchen she sank into the chair and glared around her.
"He wasn't there, hasn't been for a week now. His aunt so sweetly told me that they hadn't seen the boy since his birthday and was glad to be rid of him." Her voice dripped sarcasm as she wrung out her robes and some liquid splashed onto the floor. "Woman decided I needed a bath of her soup."
This settled the argument for the rest of the family as they got ready to leave just before noon that same day. Using the floo network they were able to land in the kitchen at Grimmauld Place and received possibly the worst welcoming that they had ever expected.
Working over a cauldron in the kitchen was a furry Hermione and Professor Snape, they had been in a conversation about various properties of poisons when the flames in the fireplace flared green before depositing a stumbling Ron Weasley on the floor. Upon seeing her former friend, the girl hissed and bared her fangs before hiding behind the cauldron. The other two inhabitants of the kitchen were also surprised by the entrance of the Weasleys.
Andromeda Tonks, having contacted her husband earlier in the week, and Headmaster Dumbledore were deep in conversation around the kitchen table about what to do with the war effort when the Weasley's showed up. In a great show of patience and self restraint, the young married witch didn't leap at once to strange the entire family, but leaved it to Dumbledore to handle.
"This is indeed a surprise, Molly, Arthur, Ronald, Ginevra. What is it that you so hastily came here for?"
"Albus, we have learned that Harry isn't at his Aunt's house. We thought that the Order should know immediately." Molly dusted off her robes putting on the loving mother act like a professional.
"Oh, that's quite all right, young Harry is perfectly safe where he's at, I can assure you." Albus Dumbledore had been around for a long time and could easily tell when someone was lying; being a Master Legillimens wasn't a bad thing to use either.
"Well then, it would have been good to know that before I had the unfortunate pleasure of meeting his Aunt." She huffed a little and a small giggling could be heard behind the cauldron at the back. It was at this point that Ron noticed Hermione trying to look inconspicuous.
"Bloody Hell, Mione, what happened to you?" He stepped forward to try and talk to her, but she hissed a little and Dumbledore had a hard time to conceal his laugh.
"It was unfortunate that Ms. Granger reverted to when she had attempted a polyjuice potion. I believe, Ronald, that you encountered the original event." Dumbledore smiled as Molly glared at her son, whom was only saved by the kitchen door opening and Lupin coming in. "Ah, Remus, I was just telling Molly here that Harry is just fine even if he's not with his family."
"Yes, Molly, Harry has been staying here for a day or so and is perfectly safe." If the Weasley's could lie outright then so can anyone else. "Albus, would you like me to go get him?"
Unfortunately for Mooney, he didn't get a chance to get an answer as a cutting hex sliced through the top part of his robes. Dodging out of the way he looked up to find a wand pointed at him being held by a furious Mrs. Weasley. Quickly the other three redheads pulled their wands as well and started sending hexes all over the room. No one was really sure what set off the sudden barrage of spells, but they didn't stop to ask as they dove for cover.
Lupin made it out the door of the kitchen with a yellow beam slicing after him. Snape and Hermione ducked behind the large cauldron and upending one of the smaller tables for some more cover as they sent curses back towards the quartet at the fireplace. Andy and Dumbledore had both taken refuge under the large kitchen table as the Weasley's flung as many curses as they could think in all directions.
The door to the kitchen peeked open and a red stunner blew apart a little of the door frame as Lupin appeared with Harry in tow. Ducking down with Andy and Dumbledore, whom was smiling despite the carnage, Harry peeked around before groaning under his breath. He made the decision quickly and closed his eyes. Concentrating for a moment he put up a hand and waved it to get their attention.
"If you would stop destroying the kitchen, I could come out and surrender if that's what you like?" This caused a momentary lapse from the flying curses, but the four wands were still trained on the hand.
"Come out, Potter, and explain yourself." Ron shouted even though there were only a few feet separating them. Harry slowly stood up hoping that his plan was going to work.
"Ron, Ginny, I think that you are the one's that should explain yourselves. I mean, I could understand from your parents given I turned down the dowry, but you two have no real reason to see me again, not to mention trying to destroy this house." The two children turned their heads towards their parents whom blushed deeply, but didn't take their eyes from Harry.
"It was necessary, Harry dear, having a connection to a lovely pure blood family would help you in the war and plus, you've always loved her, you just don't know it yet." Molly simpered, trying to reason with everyone in the kitchen.
"Mum! You went behind my back and offered me to him, what did it cost?" Ginny seemed furious as she put her hands on her hips, her wand forgotten.
"It's ok, Ginny, I turned it down and returned the money. Consequently, the Black family owed your ancestors several thousand galleons so your vault just increased in size regardless of the dowry." Harry spoke slowly so as to convey the sincerity in his words.
"You turned down my sister? What, she's not good enough for you?" Ron's wand waver a little as it moved to his chest, but he didn't say anything just yet.
"Oh come on, you can't have it both ways, either you're over protective of her or you're happy that she's got someone in her life." Hermione perked up after giving a little more courage and standing up herself from behind the cauldron.
"And what are you doing with these two traitors? I thought you were better than that." Ron moved his wand to indicate Snape and Harry together. The two men looked at each other and then looked at Ron a little offended to be lumped together.
"What do you mean to lump me together with him?" Both of them said at the same time, getting a laugh from Andy and Dumbledore as the later slowly stood up as well.
"Come now, Molly, Arthur, put the wands down and we'll discuss Harry's situation like civilized adults." Dumbledore stood up brushing off his robes as he looked at the four that still had wands trained on the room.
"You've been seeing him behind my back, haven't you?" Ginny stepped forward with her wand trained on Hermione.
"First of all, you have no control over who I do or do not see, and second of all she came to me to apologize and get help for her condition." Harry ticked off the explanations on his fingers. Hermione looked at him in admiration and smiled as she remembered that he hadn't confirmed or denied that they were together.
"Well, I do care, because she's supposed to be mine, Potter." Ron rushed forward and held out his wand. "Reducto" He called, but as he did Harry waved his hand in the air and Ron saw the spell fizzle out at the end of his wand. Holding it a little higher he concentrated on it. "REDUCTO." He screamed, but the wand fizzled and he started to break down. "No, no, just like the nightmare. It's come true." Ron collapsed on the ground sucking on his thumb like a baby as he rocked back and forth.
"What have you done to my brother!?" Ginny screamed, but her wand too fizzled as she tried to curse everyone in the room. "No, please don't leave me, Harry." Falling to her knees she put her head in her hands and shook it back and forth muttering about being a squib and poor on the streets.
"Maybe they over did it just a little." Harry surveyed the scene and then looked at the others in the room. "What? I didn't do anything."
"Be that as it may, perhaps you two can explain what is going on here?" Dumbledore turned to face the elder Weasleys to see them shaking and putting their wands on the table. As they gathered up their children they sat down on the opposite side from the others in the kitchen.
"We've been manipulating everything from the beginning. He met Ron and Ginny on the platform and I was sure that I saw sparks there; from then on I wanted nothing more than to get my hands on the Potter fortune and have Ginny marry him. Since the devastation of the will reading we've all been having nightmares each pertaining to our worst fears. Ginny looses her magic and becomes poor on the street with nothing to call her own, while Ron looses his magic, has his memories erased of the magical world and sent to live as a muggle."
"Don't forget about the humiliation." Arthur spoke slowly. "Ron was also experiencing humiliating moments like Harry winning the World Cup while he was left naked on the pitch in the middle of the game." Snape sneered a little at this. "We were sure that if we found Harry maybe these would stop."
"Just because this happened around the same time doesn't mean that Harry is responsible, I mean, he doesn't have that much power. Do you?" Hermione looked down the table at her friend. For his part Harry looked up and shook his head.
"Nope, but I do have theories as to why you're having these. It would be my guess that you're feeling guilty about everything that has happened. The irony of it all is that I would have willingly given you the money if you had asked in the first place. I never wanted the fortune and I wanted to help you out, but because you went behind my back and tried to force me into a marriage with Ginny I had to decline it." Harry was showing exceptional maturity for someone his age and in his position that many of the adults had to admire him for it.
It was unfortunate that the squeaking of the kitchen door interrupted this perfect moment of insight for the four Weasley's. It was also unfortunate that the person on the other side of that slowly opening door was a former Death Eater that had at one point tried to kill both Ginny and Ron.
"Remus, you said you were bringing him right back." Bella stopped in her tracks as she now had four wands pointed at her. Ginny and Ron forgot for a moment that their wands hadn't worked, but at that point they didn't really care.
"What is she doing here, Albus?" Molly's voice dripped in venom, but still Bella didn't move to get her wand, holding up her hands defensively.
"She is here under the protection of the Black family, not to mention she is reformed. You saw what transpired with Narcissa at the will reading. It also transpired that Bellatrix was under the same curse." Dumbledore spoke slowly as if talking to a disobedient child. For her part, Bella removed the left sleeve of her robe to show the white tattoo that had replaced the black one.
"So she covered the Dark Mark, big deal? I think that she's got you all tricked into believing her, I'm sure that all the Death Eaters are on their way here right now." Ron spoke out of the side of his mouth, still shaking at the thought that he had lost his magic.
"The magic of the Dark Mark cannot be covered over by anything but clothing, and I myself have interrogated her under truth serum to ensure that she was remorseful for her actions." Snape spoke up from his position near the cauldron with Hermione.
"Incarcerous." Molly called, but a thin rope drooped out of her wand and coiled on the floor. Trying it again her wand fizzled a little and then died completely. Dumbledore smiled and sat back, stroking his long white beard.
"It would appear that we are in a field of null magic. I doubt someone could even cast the killing curse at this point." As if to prove his point he raised his wand and did just that with the tip pointed at his own chest. The wand fizzled and flared like a torch before dying completely. "Most interesting, Remus, could it be the house itself causing this?"
"I suppose if there was enough emotion behind it to harm the heir of Black the house could move to counter it; however it wouldn't explain why none of us could use magic. Plus there is the field where the Ministry can't detect the usage of magic here." Remus sat back in the chair and looked over at Harry almost expectantly; no one else seemed to share his look, but Harry got it none the less.
"What? You mean we could have been using magic this whole time? Think of all the homework I've missed out on because I didn't know I could do magic." Hermione whined putting her head down on the table.
"All right, enough fun for one day." Harry stood and put his hands on the table. He heard groans inside of his head, but mentally waved them off.
"Yes, I believe Harry is right. May we use magic again in here, Harry?" Bella smiled a little and got nasty looks from the four Weasley's, but snickers from the rest. Harry nodded and she turned and left them alone disappearing up towards her own rooms.
"Incidentally, if you wish to remain at Headquarters, I would suggest you get over your hatred of the Black sisters." Dumbledore explained slowly. Ron snorted while Ginny crossed her arms over her chest and grumbled. The replies from the Weasley parents were cut off though from a curious sound at the fireplace.
As the people in the kitchen turned towards the fireplace it flashed green for a bit and they thought they could hear a "Wheee!" emanating from the flames. After a few seconds the form of a blonde girl in tattered mismatched robes tumbled out of the fireplace to land upside down at the foot of the table. With her legs in the air she cocked her head to the side to look back towards the fireplace and giggled a little.
"That was fun indeed, may I do it again?" She asked no one in particular, but received several groans from those who knew her eccentric ways.