"Arthur, what are you doing?" Molly asked, seeing her husband filling out some sort of entry form at the kitchen table.
"Entering the Daily Prophet Grand Prize Galleon Draw, dearest."
"Why? Every year you enter that silly contest and every year, we don't win."
"So?"
"So, every time you don't win, I have to listen to you complain for six weeks."
"I do not complain."
"You do too. About how the people that run the Prophet are big gits, that they always give the prize to someone who doesn't need it…"
"Okay, I get it. I complain but my complaints are true."
"Well, I'm sick of hearing about it. Isn't that Percy's owl?" She asked, pointing out the window.
"Yes it is. I wonder what he has to say." Hermes landed in front of Arthur, and he took the letter out of the owl's beak and read it aloud.
Dear Mother and Father,
First off, are you well? I heard about the fine that Father had to pay for the car. I hope you've been able to manage, I know that was a lot of money that we don't have. I don't know if Professor McGonagall has owled you yet, but there's talk about closing Hogwarts. The school governors have suspended Dumbledore as Headmaster and there have been several attacks on the students. Professor McGonagall told us that Ginny was taken into the Chamber of Secrets earlier today, and we are supposed to be leaving on the Hogwarts Express tomorrow.
Love,
Percy
As soon as Arthur had put Percy's letter aside, another owl swooped through the window and landed in front of him. He took the letter, and recognized the handwriting at once. He once again read the letter aloud.
Dear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley,
I am writing to inform you that your daughter, Miss Ginevra Weasley, has been taken into the Chamber of Secrets. Our Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, Gilderoy Lockhart, has arranged a rescue attempt this afternoon. However, she may already be dead. If at all possible, I would like you to come to the school, so I can give you a full account of events that have happened this year. I advise you to come as quickly as possible.
Sincerely,
Professor M. McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"Arthur," Molly buried her face in her hands, and sobs began wracking her body.
"Molly, it'll be all right. Come on, we better get going."
"But Arthur, she's my baby. My baby. We tried for ten years to get a little girl, and now she's gone."
"I know, my darling, I know. Do you want to Apparate or floo?" He asked, pulling her into a gentle embrace and kissing her forehead.
"Arthur, you can't Apparate to Hogwarts. How many times have I told you over the years?"
"I know. We can Apparate to Hogsmeade and walk to the castle. Which do you prefer?"
"Let's Apparate. I don't want to be covered in soot."
"Okay then." He made them Disapparate, and they reappeared at the end of the street leading from Hogsmeade to the school.
"Arthur, why? She's our baby, why?"
"I don't know. All we can hope for is the best." He replied slipping his arm around her, rubbing
her back in calming circles. Professor McGonagall was waiting for them in the Entrance Hall.
"Thanks for coming Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. Come with me to my office and I'll explain the circumstances."
They followed Professor McGonagall to her office, and Arthur eased his wife into an armchair, and wiped her tears away.
"Would you like some tea?"
"No thanks, Professor and please, call me Arthur. As many owls as we've had from you about Fred and George, feel free to call us by our first names. Can you just tell us about our daughter?"
"Yes. I believe she is the first girl to be born in your family for quite some time, Arthur, is that correct?"
Arthur nodded solemnly, laying a reassuring hand on Molly's shoulder.
"This must be very hard on the both of you, then, your youngest and only daughter."
"Yes, she's my baby. Arthur and I tried for ten years to have her, and I've gone through a lot, including two miscarriages."
"I understand. Earlier this year, our caretaker's cat, Mrs. Norris, was found hanging from a torch bracket, Petrified. On the wall, a message was written: 'The Chamber of Secrets has been opened, enemies of the heir, beware.'"
"Have you found the culprit?"
"Sadly, no. A few months later, a first year was found Petrified. After the holidays, we were certain the attacks had stopped, but the next attack was double one, Nearly Headless Nick and a Hufflepuff second year. We tightened security around the school, but the attacks continued. The most recent one was a Ravenclaw prefect and a Gryffindor second year."
"Not Ronald?"
"No, your son Ron is fine. We would have owled you if he had been attacked."
"But Ginny? What's happened to her?"
"This afternoon another message appeared on the wall where the first attack took place. 'Her skeleton will lie in the Chamber forever.'"
"So our Gin is dead?"
"As I explained in my owl, Professor Lockhart is conducting a rescue mission. We hope she's still alive, but we won't know until Lockhart gets back. Make yourselves comfortable, I know this is hard on the both of you, but all we can do is wait." Arthur gestured for Molly to get out of the chair, and once he had settled in it, he pulled Molly into his lap. He wrapped his arms tightly around her, allowing her to bury her head in his shoulder and cry. He rubbed her back and kissed the top of her head as he tried to comfort her, feeling his own tears sting the back of his eyes. They sat for quite some time, and when the door to Professor McGonagall's office opened revealing Professor Dumbledore, Molly jumped, startled.
"P-Professor, what are you doing here? Percy said you were—"
"Suspended from my position as Headmaster of this school? When the school governors heard that your daughter had been killed, they immediately called me back. Several of them had seemed to have the idea that Lucius Malfoy threatened to curse their families if they hadn't agreed to suspend me in the first place."
Arthur grew red in the face at the mention of Malfoy's name, and he held his wife a little tighter.
"S-So she is dead, then?" Molly asked.
"I'm afraid so, Molly. I'm sorry." Fresh tears welled up in her eyes, and Arthur shifted so she was in the chair, and he got up to begin pacing. After a few laps around the room, he sank into the chair next to his wife's. Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore stood watching by the mantle. To everyone's surprise, a few minutes later, the door to McGonagall's office opened once again, revealing Fawkes, Harry, Ron, Professor Lockhart and Ginny. Molly and Arthur immediately flung themselves onto their daughter, grateful that she was alive. They quietly listened as Harry explained that he and Ron had found the entrance to the Chamber, fought the basilisk and rescued Ginny. They were shocked when Dumbledore announced that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had enchanted their Gin, and that it was Ginny who had opened the Chamber, and listened as Ginny explained about the diary.
"Ginny!" Arthur started, flabbergasted. "Haven't I taught you anything? What have I always told you? Never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain? Why didn't you show the diary to me, or your mother? A suspicious object like that was clearly full of Dark Magic—" Ginny broke in, explaining that she had found the diary in one of the books Molly had gotten her for school, and how she thought that someone had left it there and forgotten about it. Dumbledore than advised that they take her to the hospital wing, that no lasting damage had been done. Arthur solemnly followed his wife and daughter, and was somewhat surprised at how well he and Molly still knew their way around the castle.
"Mum, Dad, you're mad at me aren't you?" Ginny asked, after Madam Pomfrey had given her a mug of hot chocolate and a bed.
"No, Gin, we're not mad at you. We love you more than anything." Molly answered, brushing a stray hair away from her daughter's face.
"But I—"
"Gin, I said this when I first held you. It doesn't matter what you do or how old you get, you'll always be our baby girl. We know you're not to blame. You-Know-Who has enchanted older and wiser witches and wizards than you."
"But Dad—"
"Ginny, get some rest. You've been through a terrible ordeal. We'll stay until you go to sleep, and we'll meet you when you get off the train in a few days, all right?"
"All right." Ginny finished the last of her hot chocolate, and Molly leaned over to tuck her in.
"Good night, Ginny. Sweet dreams."
"Good night, Mum. Good night Dad."
When their daughter's breathing had slowed to a steady rhythm, Arthur gently guided Molly out of the hospital wing.
"Arthur, Molly, may I have a word?" Dumbledore asked, he was waiting outside of the hospital wing for them.
"Yes."
"Arthur, Molly, Ginny has been through a terrible ordeal. She'll have to learn to trust again, and it will take a great deal of time and tears. Right now she needs the support and love of her family."
"You don't have to worry about that Professor, our house is bursting at the seams with love."
"I know. There's only one way you two could have had seven children in the time span of ten years."
Molly blushed, and the tips of Arthur's ears began turning red.
"Don't be embarrassed, you two are obviously very in love with each other, and it's something you should be thankful for. How long have you been married?"
"Twenty- four years, this July."
"Congratulations."
"Thank you Professor. Well, we better get going, if we're Apparating home as we have to walk to Hogsmeade." Professor Dumbledore bid them good-bye, and once he had disappeared, Arthur drew Molly close.
"Molly-girl, I love you."
"I love you too, Arthur. How about we pay a visit to the Fat Lady for old time's sake?"
"Nah. She'll go berserk if we wake her up at this hour."
"Good point. I'll never forget that time she told me off for coming back at four in the morning." He chuckled before answering.
"Come on, let's go." Arthur slipped his arm around her waist, and together they headed home.
