A/N: This is the last chapter, though there will be an epilogue. I hope this helps to explain just why the Trio has been acting the way that they have.

Chapter 26

More than just a lie or two (The Truth by Nonpoint)

While the Welcome Feast had been fairly uneventful after the reporter was sent off, none of them had truly expected for classes to go as smoothly as they had. Clearly all those months locked away in the inter-house groups had shown the students that getting along and not causing rows was wise. Or perhaps they were simply tired of war, of fighting, of being on guard all the time.

In fact, they seemed to throw themselves into the new rules and regulations with a fair amount of glee. With only a handful of sixth and seventh years, those classes were actually peaceful as all had fought together. He had heard mutterings from some of the students about how attractive most of the professors were, but he had wisely stayed out of it. There was no way he was going to get hexed by mentioning it to any of them. Or listen to hours of preening about how gorgeous they were either.

It was almost time for the winter holiday and Charlie had taken the day to visit the twins. He was happy with the progress he was making with Gin. She actually spoke to him now even if it was as simple as 'good morning' or 'I do like that idea' during a staff meeting. A couple of times he even thought she had smiled in his general direction.

Pushing open the door, he sighed heavily. "What the hells are you three doing here?"

"We are trying to help Ginny!" Ron snapped, crossing his arms over his chest. "Surely you, Fred, and George have come to your senses by now!"

"We did, which is why we are asking you to leave and never return."

Charlie looked up to see Fred looking over the banister from the second story.

"Oh, you simply cannot mean that!" Hermione exclaimed, wide-eyed and scandalised.

"Oh but we do," George said coldly, stepping out of the offices. "How did you three get past our wards? We don't open for an hour yet."

"I am the brightest witch of my age."

Charlie gaped at the little bint. Breaking through the wards was okay in her eyes? If they were this adamant still, Severus would need to know. It simply would not be a good thing if they showed up at Hogwarts. In fact, it would likely mean all three of them ending up in pieces. At this point he actually might join in on the maiming.

Fred rushed down the stairs, angrier than Charlie could ever remember seeing him. "So you think it is perfectly alright to break in to our store?"

"Well, yes. We needed to speak with you," Harry said reasonably. "We learnt over the years that sometimes going about things the roundabout way was best. We did not want to be overheard."

"Overheard?" George asked flatly.

"Well, yes. We must get Ginny help. None of this makes sense. She and those Slytherins must have done something to poor Dumbledore. Mum would be horrified to see the shame she continues to bring to the family."

"You three are utterly insane," Charlie whispered as he took a big step back. "How did you manage to get out of the closed ward?"

"We are not!" Hermione screeched, pulling her wand and pointing it in his face. "It should have been me teaching at Hogwarts! I should be on the Wizengamot! That insane little bint did nothing but terrify the school her first year and bide her time to join her lord and master!"

Two loud 'POP's signalled the arrival of Tonks and Albus. Charlie wondered if either of them could talk sense into these three morons. In fact, he was rather hoping Tonks would arrest them and toss them in a cell until they came to their senses. That was why the twins had keyed her into the wards after all. He realised that she must have gone for Albus before arriving- it would explain why she hadn't shown up immediately.

"I am going to have to arrest you," Tonks warned.

"For WHAT?" Ron screeched.

"It is that crazy bint you need to arrest. She and her Death Eater friends did something to Professor Dumbledore!"

"Ahh, Miss Granger, I fear you are worried about nothing. I have not been coerced in any way. Now, why don't we all have a seat and discuss this?"

Charlie cleared his throat. "I think I finally figured it out, Albus. At least Hermione's part."

Everyone simply stared at him. Sighing, he leaned against the counter and absently rubbed his sore leg. "She is jealous. So, Hermione, when did you figure out my baby sister was far brighter than anyone gave her credit for?"

Hermione glared, crossing her arms over her chest. With a loud huff, she all but spat, "It was Riddle! She still had his knowledge! That is the only way she could be that advanced!"

"Hermione?"

Charlie rolled his eyes at the woebegone expression Harry was levelling on Hermione. It served the little brat right to have his bint of a friend show her true colours. "Tell them. You fell behind, didn't you? Too busy running after these two weren't you. But, how did you figure it out?"

Ron was glaring at him and Harry seemed to find imitating a fish appropriate.

"Neville started to do better in class our third year and I was curious," she muttered. "He is an idiot, so I knew he needed help."

Now everyone, Ron included, was staring disbelievingly at her.

"So I followed him and found her in the library waiting. I stayed back, wondering if by some strange chance that he was helping her, but I dismissed it because even she couldn't be that stupid."

Charlie reached out to stop George from thrashing her. He too wanted to smack the cow, but he would wait. There were others that deserved the right to defend her. Mainly Gin herself, but he knew of a couple of men who would gleefully ruin Hermione's chances of ever working in their world. Oh, he was so sharing this conversation with them.

"She was helping him! I nearly fell over. It simply wasn't possible. If that moron needed help, he should have come to me! Ron had told us all about how silly and annoying she was. I knew it had to be part of her possession, some residual effect. I knew at that point that she would have to be watched closely. There was just no way she wouldn't go bad if she was still under Riddle's control."

He noted idly that Albus looked quite scary when he was this angry. Why, it was perfectly clear why he had defeated Grindelwald and why he was the only person Voldemort had feared. He shared a look of vicious glee with Fred before they slowly moved behind the counter, just in case they needed a place to hide. George was backing slowly up the stairs to the landing as well.

"Miss Granger, that is more than enough!" Albus positively roared. "Ginevra is a brilliant young woman who has been under my tutelage since her second year. That was when she began visiting me, at first to thank me for getting her out of that hell over the summer and then simply because she has a thirst for knowledge. She was reading More and Dumas and asking me questions that I actually had to think on before replying and she was twelve years old! I have always believed that anyone can do great things if only the opportunity is there. That is why you three became friends; I knew Harry would need two such as yourselves. Ginevra was given the chance to stretch her mind and told that she could do anything she set her mind to. For you to attempt to dismiss her as some errant child in need of mental help is the most disgusting thing I have heard in a very long time."

"You cannot be serious," Ron whispered.

"Oh he is." Tonks looked very much like her Aunt at the moment with the smirk and the white blonde hair. There was also a light of malicious glee in her eyes. "They all received their positions both at Hogwarts and the Wizengamot because they damn well earned them! Just yesterday my mum was telling me about a conversation she overheard after Gin's History of Magic class. She assigned the Iliad, stating that they were to read it and compare it to what history we know of the Ancient Wizarding World...with bonus points for all whom could read it in Latin."

"Latin?" Harry asked, looking perplexed.

"Mum refused to teach her Latin," Charlie pointed out, just to dig the knife a bit deeper. "She said that Gin was a girl and that it would be her lot to grow up, get married, and have babies. Did you teach her, Albus?"

"I did indeed. Though, I have a feeling it may become a class if she has her way."

Charlie grinned. "Oh, it has been discussed. Most of the purebloods know it from childhood, so it would be wonderful to have everyone on the same level."

"This is ludicrous!" Ron literally stomped his foot. "I knew leaving on our mission before she was locked up was a bad idea, Harry! See I told you!"

"Do you really think I would have allowed it?" Albus asked, his tone low and still quite angry.

Charlie winced. Ron looked to be about three wrong words from facing Albus' wrath. It was clear, at least to him, that Albus was only allowing a small sliver of his temper to show.

"Mum said-"

"Mum was mad as a hatter," George snapped angrily. "We have accepted it. Dad even sent along apologizes to her. Why can't you?"

"It was me who was Harry's best mate!" Ron raged. "Ginny was just a silly little girl who let Voldemort into her head in a mad attempt for attention. Mum understood completely, I just can't wrap my mind around why none of you do!"

"You always did look at her as if she was something gross," Charlie interjected. "Was it that she was so close in age or that she was the only girl?"

"I have always wondered that as well," George added. "You used to push her down and run when Mum called us in so you could get there first."

Ron gaped, his face bright red.

"Or when you broke something and blamed her," Fred ground out, looking all too ready to hex all three of them.

"Why should she have been treated any different than us?" Ron finally said, his voice rising with every word.

"Because girls are to be treated with the utmost care, they are princesses. Dad sat us all down and reminded us of that when Gin was born." Charlie shook his head. "It never did sink in with you, did it?"

"Why should it have?"

"I agree with Draco on this one," Tonks said disgustedly. "He really should not be capable of walking upright."

"Malfoy?" Harry sputtered. "What does he have to do with this?"

Tonks laughed long and hard. "You mean you don't know? Ohh, priceless! I suppose you think her name in that article was an error too?"

"What?" Harry just looked utterly confused.

Charlie laughed. "You should leave that for later. I know quite a few who wish to witness that particular meltdown."

"No worries, I will say it slowly so they can follow along."

George winked at Tonks. "Oh this may require flashcards and diagrams."

Charlie covered his eyes. "I do not want to see those sorts of diagrams, Nymphadora."

"Enough," Albus said firmly. "Harry, Ron, and Hermione need to realise that harassing Ginevra will not be tolerated."

"But, but-" Harry stuttered. "I am so confused! What is this about her last name and just what does Malfoy have to do with this? I mean, he kept us away from her last year but..."

Ahh, there was the wide-eyed horror that Charlie had been expecting. He couldn't resist informing Harry of how it really was. Surely they could find a Pensieve to share this with Draco and Blaise, right? "Oh, I think you need to know that it isn't just Draco, but Blaise as well. Her name may be Snape now, but I would guess that soon it will be Malfoy-Zabini or Zabini-Malfoy. I don't know that they have decided."

"No, no they haven't," Tonks said cheerily. "At least, if they have they haven't told Auntie Cissa or Mum yet."

"But-but, she is for me," Harry said sadly. "Molly always said that once she was healed, that Ginny and I would be together. I would be a Weasley in a way and her son."

"THAT IS DISGUSTING!"

"Umm, Granger," Fred pointed out wickedly. "It is one of the many acceptable relationships in our world. Surely you knew?"

"She is mad! See, this just proves it!"

"I do believe that you three are beginning to see how wrong your assumptions were," Albus said calmly.

"All this proves, Miss Granger, is that you are a bigoted little madam who for all your 'reading' has no idea of the realities of the world in which you would make your life," Charlie said disgustedly.

"Why would she do this? Has she not tainted the family enough?"" Ron asked shaking his head.

Tonks, it seemed, had had more than enough. "I want you three to understand a few things. One, I am very much arresting you. Two, my aunt and cousin will sue you and Blaise will ruin you should you slander any of them even once more. Three, no one and I mean no one wants to revert to the pre-war bigotry and hatred that you three seem to thrive on. Four, you are insulting members of the Wizengamot who have been working to make our world a better place. And finally, no one gives a fuck if you three killed Voldemort, not when you refuse to see the damage your actions have done."

"As much as it pains me to say this, if you three cannot stop this, you will likely be blackballed and would be better served living outside the British Wizarding world." Albus sighed, shaking his head sadly. "I once held so much hope for you three. What went wrong?"

"Mum was insane?" George offered. "Whatever the reason, Albus, it was not your fault."

"I- I think we should go," Hermione said, pulling Ron and Harry with her as they edged towards the door.

"Oh I think not! You three are under arrest and will come with me to the Ministry. I've lost count of the number of laws you've just broken, but rest assured, I will sit down and make sure all of them are filed against you."

Charlie barely held his laughter in until they were out the door, but he gave in when Tonks called out, "Don't you dare tell them until I get there!" just before she Apparated the four of them away.

Fred laid a hand on Albus' arm. "I know this is weighing heavily on you, but it should not. No one could know that Molly Weasley was totally insane or that those three would soak up her mad ravings like they did. I know that the three of us are eternally grateful that you were able to give Gin the chance at a happy life."

"If you must see those three as a failure, think of the staff at Hogwarts. Nine of them you saved. Nine that you gave a family to. Nine that are helping to re-build the world into something wonderful," George said with a smile.

"You also gave the three of us the chance to make up to our baby sister for our mistakes we made in not helping her more. They would be very upset to know that you were hurt by what those three said. I am off, though I will not be sharing details until Tonks arrives."

He walked out slowly, smiling when he heard Fred offer to show Albus one of their new pranks and Albus' delighted laughter. They would set Albus to rights before letting him leave.

He Apparated to the gates and took a moment to appreciate the re-building efforts in Hogsmeade before climbing into the carriage he knew that Severus sent for him and would refuse a thank you for. It was one of the little things that told him that deep down Severus was a very good man.

-dbg-

Gin wasn't sure what to think when Charlie and Tonks searched her out, but they were smiling so it had to be a good thing. She was sitting in the stands, having gotten her fill of flying a bit ago. Theo, Pansy, Padma, Draco, and Blaise were all still tossing a Quaffle around, so she was relaxing with Asteria and Susan.

"We bring good news," Tonks assured her, grinning wickedly. "The first being that I arrested those three idiots for breaking and entering, amongst many other things…they are awaiting trial."

"Oh well..." Asteria whispered, before she gave in and giggled wildly.

"There is more?" Susan grinned and raised her voice to carry. "Oi! You five should get over here! It is good news!"

Everyone waited until they were all settled in to say even one more word.

"Rest assured, Severus will be allowing use of the Pensieve should any of you wish to see the actual memories," Tonks said with a snicker.

"I walked in to the twins shop only to find those three there. They had broken in. Tonks and Albus arrived moments later. We had a nice discussion about how Draco and Blaise would sue and ruin them should they step out of line."

Gin grinned up at Charlie. "Seriously? What else was there?"

"Granger was jealous of you being so smart. Potter seemed to think that once you were healed that you would marry him and make him a Weasley. Ronald was jealous of how everyone treated you like a princess," Charlie listed off.

"Now, the best part was when we clued them into the fact that Gin is truly a Snape...for now," Tonks added. "Really, you must see the memories for the full effect of the gaping."

"Albus yelling at them," Charlie reminded her.

Gin simply leaned into Draco and Blaise and laughed until breathing became a major issue. It felt so good to know that they would truly stay away. If not, it was clear that Tonks would toss them into a cell or that her boyfriends and her true family would ruin the idiots until they figured out that messing up her life was simply no longer an option.

It was in that moment that she realised that while Ginny Weasley may have died that night in September, Gin Snape had replaced her. She couldn't be happier with the realization. Tipping her head back, she let them see how much she adored them. "Well, we should see those memories and then discuss once and for all if it will be Malfoy-Zabini or Zabini-Malfoy, eh?"

They grinned down at her, not needing to actually reply for her to see just how much she meant to them and just how quickly they would set about making her magically and legally theirs and in turn making them hers in the same way.

Pansy's, "It is amazing what happens when you dig through the lies and deceptions and see the truth, isn't it," summed up the situation perfectly for Gin.