"It's early enough in the morning, but it's the perfect time of day for a wedding," Arthur spoke in a calm voice as he stood in front of Percy and LeighAnn with his wand drawn. He was wearing dress robes while Percy was wearing his red suit and glasses and LeighAnn was wearing a light pink, floor length gown with a crown of roses over her curled hair that was in an elegant updo. "Is there anyone against this union?"

Mrs. Weasley silently looked at Charlie, who was sitting beside her in a badly patched suit with his leg resting on an ottoman while a cloak was wrapped around his shoulders, but Charlie shook his head.

Next to them, Molly and Lucy giggled while making faces at Michael, who was dressed in a small suit and huddled in Ginny's arms. Behind them, Amythest, Kaysar, and Adeleina sat next to James, Albus, Lily, Fred, and Roxanne while Bill, Fleur, Louis, and Dominique sat behind them. Teddy and Victoire were absent because they were helping with the Auror patrol at Platform 9 ¾ later that morning. Severus had been invited, as had Kingsley and a few others, but none had come to keep attention away from it. Harry was lingering at the back of the crowd with Ron and Hermione, who had Hugo and Rose with them.

"Now, who giveth this woman away in marriage?" Arthur asked in a reverent voice, gazing outward.

There was suddenly a bang and Severus came down the aisle with a small package in one hand and a silver cane in the other, which he used to walk, "I, her father, giveth this woman in marriage but she will never stop being my daughter," he spoke in a calm voice as he extended the package to LeighAnn.

LeighAnn silently took the package and opened it, revealing a lovely bouquet of roses, "One cannot get married without flowers," Severus spoke in a toneless voice. "Arthur, you may continue the ceremony."

LeighAnn took the flowers and smiled at her father before taking Percy's hand with her free hand and turning towards Arthur, "Marriage is a sacred, yet happy step that two people very much in love take to in order that their love lasts forever," Arthur spoke, smiling at Percy and LeighAnn before looking out at the crowd. "Percival and LeighAnn have chosen to take this important step to seal their love for life."

"If I may say something," Percy spoke up in a quiet voice. "I haven't much to offer you, LeighAnn, but the love I carry inside of me and I hope it's enough. You helped me to be able to truly love again…"

LeighAnn smiled, "It is if mine is enough for you," she replied softly. "You've awakened my heart."

"Percy and LeighAnn, here are your rings," Arthur said as he opened his palm and revealed two small silver rings that he had just made that morning. "They can be resized to fit over your left wrists…"

Realizing that his father was trying to accommodate the fact that he no longer had a left hand where a wedding ring could be, Percy silently waved his wand and smiled as the rings turned into bracelets. He put his wand on his belt and silently picked up a bracelet with his good hand. He held it out.

"With this item, I thee wed," Percy spoke, gently sliding the bracelet over LeighAnn's left wrist.

LeighAnn smiled and picked up the other bracelet, "With this item, I thee wed," she said in a hope filled voice, tears of joy brimming in her eyes as she gently slid the bracelet over Percy's left wrist.

"Percival Ignatius and LeighAnn…," Arthur spoke, suddenly frowning. "What's your middle name?"

LeighAnn's smile grew, "Abagail," she replied softly, seeing her father smirk at that revelation. "It means 'father rejoices' and from what I've been told, my father rejoiced when I was miraculously born."

"Percival Ignatius and LeighAnn Abagail, you are now bonded for life," Arthur spoke in a cheerful voice as he raised his wand and shot gold sparks over the couple who stood there. "You may now kiss."

LeighAnn stepped closer to Percy and as they kissed, the flowers suddenly erupted and shot out green sparks that showered down on then and the wedding party, "A gift of protection for you and yours," Severus spoke calmly. "It is an ancient spell that I learned and will pass on to those I care about."

Applause filled the Burrow garden as Percy and LeighAnn walked over to their families, "Now, I think it's high time to get the children off to the train," Percy spoke in a fatherly tone. "Molly, are you packed?"

"Yes, but James and Albus aren't," Molly spoke up softly. "James went to bed early last night and…"

Albus smiled, "I packed James's things for him," he spoke up softly. "Adeleina, are you packed?"

"Mum and Dad helped," Adeleina replied, grinning at Albus. "How are we getting to the train?"

The shrill whistle of the Hogwarts Express was music to Neville's ears as he and Hannah led Alison, Scorpius, and Frank on to the platform. Alison was dragging her trunk and pointedly ignoring the fact that Scorpius and Frank were both struggling to move Scorpius's trunk along in a timely manner.

"…Hang on, Frank," Neville heard Scorpius say in a tired voice. "I can't keep a hold of this…"

A loud boom caused Neville and Hannah to turn and see Scorpius's trunk on the platform, "It got too heavy for Scorpius and I," Frank explained in an apologetic voice as Scorpius dropped to his knees."

"Here, I'll take it," Neville said gently as he bent over and picked up the trunk with one hand. "There."

Frank nodded and carefully helped Scorpius up, "Alison's already on the train," Hannah commented in a gentle voice as she turned her attention to the two boys. "Scorpius, love, do you have everything?"

Scorpius nodded silently and looked at the platform, "…Scorpius, how are you?" a soft voice asked.

Scorpius looked up and was surprised to see Adeleina standing there with Kaysar, who was standing close by holding a Hogwarts trunk in one hand and a suitcase in the other, "Amythest will meet us at the castle since she's still helping clean up from the wedding," Kaysar explained in a cheerful voice.

"Wedding?" Neville asked in a confused voice. "I didn't know that anyone was getting married today."

Kaysar smiled, "Percy and LeighAnn did, actually," he replied in an amused voice. "It was awesome."

"Wow," Neville replied in an amused voice, grinning at Hannah. "I'm really happy for them."

Scorpius didn't say anything, "Come on, Scorpius," Adeleina said gently, offering her hand. "Let's get a good compartment on the train and save seats for Al, Molly, James, Fred, and Rose, okay?"

"Okay," Scorpius replied, nervously taking her hand and gasping as Adeleina led him towards the train.

Hannah smiled and quickly followed after them with Frank at her heels, "Neville, I know you probably read about the Phoenix Center in the Daily Prophet, but that doesn't mean I'm going to stop helping people both as a Healer and a Hogwarts professor," Kaysar said in a low voice. "Now, I've heard from Adeleina that Scorpius hasn't had a great summer and as a professional, I'd like to offer some help."

Neville nodded and looked at Kaysar expectantly, "I'd like to recommend that Scorpius have a bit of Dreamless Sleep potion every night before he goes to bed," Kaysar explained softly. "I've shared my concerns with a colleague who thinks it will help Scorpius be able to get through the days a bit easier."

"If Scorpius agrees to it, I'll give my permission," Neville whispered. "I'll be getting on the train now."

Kaysar nodded and silently watched as Neville walked over to the train before gazing around silently.

"…Michael, you delightful child," Charlie heard Percy say in a tired voice. "I'm glad to be your father."

Charlie opened his eyes and from his position on the couch, he could see Percy sitting on a stool, still in his wedding suit, next to a highchair in the kitchen and slowly feeding Michael with his right hand, "Hey," Charlie grunted in a tired voice. "I thought you'd be taking Molly to the train with your wife."

"Mum and Dad didn't think it was a good idea because I was feeling a bit shaky this morning, but don't tell LeighAnn that," Percy replied as he continued feeding Michael. "We decided to get married before Molly went back to Hogwarts and if LeighAnn knew I wasn't feeling ripe, she'd have cancelled it."

Charlie frowned as Percy set the spoon down in the bowl and sighed tiredly, "Truth be told, I think I got up a little too early this morning, but I don't regret it," Percy spoke softly. "LeighAnn's so beautiful to me and she wanted some time to bond with Mum and Dad and also with Molly and Lucy on her own."

"I can feed my new nephew if you want to go back to bed for a while, Perce," Charlie offered as he hauled himself off the couch and leaned on the furniture for support. "I'm feeling a lot better."

Percy nodded, but didn't move from the chair, "I'll go if you can help me up," he whispered softly.

Before Charlie could reply, Percy closed his eyes and his body went rigid, "Perce?" Charlie asked in a concerned voice, not noticing that Ron had come inside to check on them per his mother's orders.

Percy moaned, toppled on to the floor, and began to convulse violently, "Stand back," Ron said in an anxious voice as he grabbed pillows off of the couch and hurried forward, quickly throwing the pillows around Percy's form before moving Michael and the highchair to another, a safer part of the kitchen.

"Snape warned us this might happen," Ron said in an anxious voice as he knelt down next to Percy.

Charlie frowned as Percy suddenly stopped convulsing, "Snape?" Charlie asked in a confused voice.

Ron nodded and let out a sigh of relief when Percy suddenly started breathing, "Help me make Percy comfortable," he said in a gentle voice. "Have to wait until Mum and Dad get back to move him."

"How often does this happen, Ron?" Charlie asked, fishing the afghan off the back of the couch and gently tossing it over Percy's sleeping form. "You're acting like you've prepared some sort of plan…"

Ron sighed as he stood up and walked over to the fireplace, "This hasn't happened since before the Phoenix Center was destroyed by Gilderoy Lockhart," he explained softly, picking some Floo Powder out of the jar and tossing it into the active flames. "Professor Snape! It's Ron Weasley; I need to talk to you!"

There was silence and Severus suddenly appeared in the fireplace with a shoulder bag over his black robes, "I'm surprised it didn't happen sooner," he said curtly. "How long was the seizure for?"

"About a minute," Ron replied in a concerned voice. "I hadn't planned on moving him."

Severus nodded, silently waved his wand, and caused a small cot to appear underneath Percy's unconscious form, "That was a wise decision," he replied calmly as he reached into his bag and pulled out a small vial filled with a peach colored potion. "Mister Weasley, try and get his mouth open."

Ron carefully pried Percy's mouth open and Severus uncorked the vial and carefully poured the peach colored potion down Percy's throat, immediately causing Percy to swallow and cough. Charlie cringed and his eyes widened when Percy's eyes suddenly fluttered open, but Percy didn't say anything.

"It's all right, Perce," Ron said in a calming voice. "I called Professor Snape and he came to help…"

Percy blinked and his eyelids sunk a little, "Thanks," he said groggily as he drifted off back to sleep.

"I recommend that you allow Percy to rest as much as possible today," Severus spoke softly as he put the empty vial back in his shoulder bag. "I will remain here until your parents and his wife return."

Ron nodded, "Why is Percy having seizures?" Charlie asked in a confused voice. "Is that normal?"

"Be grateful he's not worse off," Severus replied coldly. "A heavy amount of Dark Magic causes them."

Charlie nodded, "Come on, Professor," Ron said in a calming voice. "Would you like a drink?"

"Come on, Molly," LeighAnn said in a pleasant voice as she, Molly, Lucy, Mrs. Weasley, and Mr. Weasley entered Platform 9 ¾ with Molly's trunk in tow. "Are you excited to be going back to school?"

Molly nodded but suddenly frowned at seeing her Aunt Ginny standing outside one of the small loos that were on the platform with James's trunk in hand while Albus lingered nearby with his trunk and James's owl in his hands, "Aunt Ginny, what's wrong?" Molly asked worriedly. "Where's James?"

"In the loo," Ginny replied softly as LeighAnn and Lucy approached. "Harry's talking to him."

LeighAnn frowned, but nodded, "Molly, Lucy, would you go with your Grandma and Grandpa Weasley for a few minutes, please?" she asked, sensing that James was scared of going back to Hogwarts.

"Hi Aunt LeighAnn, Auntie Ginny," Fred's quiet voice suddenly spoke in a tired tone. "How are you?"

Molly immediately hugged Fred, as did Lucy, "George is taking care of the shop this morning, so I brought Fred and Roxanne from the Burrow," Angelina explained as she approached the group.

"Where's James?" Fred asked in a concerned voice. "Is he gonna come back to school this year?"

There was an uneasy silence and then the loo door opened and James came out with Harry right behind him, "Of course I'm coming back to school, Freddie," James replied softly. "We get to go to Hogsmeade."

Fred offered a small grin, "Dad might try to spend some weekends out at the joke shop there and says we can visit him," he replied in an amused voice, frowning at seeing James's pallor. "You okay, mate?"

"Fred, let's get you and Roxanne on the train, all right?" Angelina spoke up softly. "Time's wasting…"

Harry smiled, "I want to speak with Neville for a moment, so I'll take James and Al," he spoke up in a cheerful voice that almost sounded forced. "Lily, come out from behind Grandpa and say goodbye."

Lily looked out from behind Arthur and waved to her big brothers, "Next year, you'll get to come with us and so will Hugo and Frank," Albus said in a calming voice as he hugged Lily before running to the train.

James sunk against his mother and Ginny gently put her arms around him, "James, honey, you'll have Albus and all your friends with you at school," she whispered in a gentle voice. "Be brave, my James."

"Love you, Mom," James whispered before he pulled away and took his birdcage and trunk from Albus.

Ginny watched for a moment as Harry and Angelina led James, Al, Fred, and Roxanne off towards the train with their things and chuckled as Molly hurried after them with her things, "Mum, do you mind if I come over with Lily for a while after the train leaves?" Ginny asked in a quiet voice. "Lily's restless."

"It'll give Percy an excuse to rest," LeighAnn replied softly. "I think the wedding wore him out a bit."

Mrs. Weasley chuckled as various parents and children suddenly flooded on to the platform, "My Percy is about as stubborn as any of the Weasley men, dear," she replied softly. "He enjoyed today, though."

"Right, parents should not be within three inches of the train," Stacey barked in a brisk voice as she walked up and down the platform with her wand out, smiling at students as they boarded the train.

Harry smiled, "How are you liking England, Parker?" he asked as he walked alongside her.

"It's slowly growing on me, sir," Stacey replied calmly. "How many have you got going this year?"

Harry chuckled as Albus waved from the compartment he was sitting in with Molly, James, Fred, Rose, Adeleina, and Scorpius, "I recognize those two," Stacey said in a low voice, immediately recognizing James and Fred from the 'Missing' posters she had seen long ago. "They were captured, weren't…"

"Yes," Harry replied softly, giving James a reassuring smile as he turned away. "One of them is my son."

Stacey's eyes widened in shock and she swallowed hard, "I-I'm sorry, Auror Potter, I didn't know and I apologize if I sounded too nosey," she said in an apologetic voice. "I've been on the job too long…"

"It's all right," Harry replied in a reassuring voice as Teddy walked down the platform to the front of the train with his wand out to keep overzealous parents back. "Auror Parker, this is my wife, Ginny…"

Stacey smiled as Ginny came forward with LeighAnn, "My parents took Lily and Lucy to the loo," Ginny explained in a quiet voice, smiling at Stacey. "This is LeighAnn; she and Percy just got married today."

"You remarried, did you?" Stacey asked in a quiet voice. "I can't thank you enough; you and Garrett…"

Harry and Ginny looked confused, but LeighAnn nodded, "We were already protecting Muggleborns," she replied in a quiet voice. "It wasn't a problem for Garrett to be training Aurors in our home."

"Auror Parker, I'm finished," Teddy called out, distracting Stacey from LeighAnn. "What do I do now?"

LeighAnn sighed, "Don't you usually train Victoire?" she asked in a confused voice. "Why are you…?"

"Dennis Creevey and Victoire are patrolling at the Ministry today," Stacey replied as she walked off.

LeighAnn nodded and avoided looking at Ginny and Harry, "Not a word of this to Percy," she whispered in an anxious voice as the train suddenly pulled away from the platform. "Let the past stay there."

"Mummy, can we go now?" Lucy asked in a quiet voice as she came out of the loo and walked over to LeighAnn, Harry, and Ginny with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. "Can we please go visit Diagon Alley?"

LeighAnn smiled as Lucy embraced her, "Of course we can, my Lucy," she replied in a loving voice.

"Tell Mum and Dad I went out for a bit," Charlie said in a gruff voice as he put a cloak on over his patched suit and slowly walked towards the kitchen door, grabbing a walking stick on his way.

Ron frowned as he handed Severus a large mug of cocoa, "What do you mean you're going out?" he asked in a snappish voice. "Mum said you've got to rest your leg until your next appointment…"

"I've got to do this," Charlie replied in a cold voice as he limped outside. "See you in a while."

Severus sighed as Ron scoffed, "Ron?" a faint, yet very familiar voice called out. "Is that you?"

Ron turned and was shocked to see Percy awake and trying to sit up, "Don't move," Ron said in an anxious voice, seeing that Percy was very weak and slightly disoriented from the seizure. "Okay?"

"What happened?" Percy asked in a faint voice, fighting to stay awake. "I had another…"

Ron nodded and knelt down beside the cot, "Yes, but you're all right," he replied in a calm voice, grabbing hold of Percy's right hand so that he couldn't get up. "I called Professor Snape…"

"Oh, Ron, I'm really tired," Percy replied in a faint voice as he blinked. "Tell him thank you."

Giving Percy's hand a gentle squeeze, Ron nodded, "Just get some rest, all right?" he replied gently.

"Can I go somewhere a bit more comfortable and private than this?" Percy asked softly. "Please."

Ron nodded and cringed when Percy slowly sat up, "Is that spare bedroom still up?" Percy asked in a faint voice, gasping as Ron helped him up off of the cot and held him tight. "I can't do stairs…"

"It's still up," Ron replied, frowning as Percy shuddered at being up. "Maybe a rest will help you…"

Images of Lucy and LeighAnn becoming upset when they came home and saw him in bed yet again shook Percy to the core, "No," he replied in a soft voice. "Ron, where's Michael at? Did I…?"

A gentle coo suddenly interrupted him and Percy pulled away from Ron and slowly walked over to Michael, who was still in his highchair, "I'm sorry I scared you, Michael," he whispered softly.

Michael silently looked up at Percy and extended his hands up. Swallowing hard, Percy carefully picked the infant up with his good hand and supported him with the stub. Michael reached up and, cooing, he gently touched Percy's face; more specifically, he touched tears that were falling down Percy's face.

"Can someone pass me a blanket?" James asked in a quiet voice. "I'm feeling a little tired."

Albus shook his head and handed James a wrapped sandwich, "Dad said to eat something if you start to feel tired," he replied, giving his big brother a smile as James took the sandwich and unwrapped it.

"Is that a side effect of what happened to you and Fred?" Adeleina asked softly as James began to eat.

James nodded and silently made short work of the sandwich, "How come you don't get tired so quickly like James does, Fred?" Rose asked in a quiet voice. "I promise not to tell Roxanne when she comes…"

"I don't know," Fred lied, grateful that Roxanne was off with her friends. "Can I have a sandwich?"

Molly sighed as Adeleina silently opened a book and practiced waving her wand, causing a few butterflies to shoot out and fly around the compartment, "Can you bring me some treats from Hogsmeade if I behave in class this year, James?" Albus asked in a quiet voice. "I'll try hard…"

Scorpius, meanwhile, sat huddled in the corner, "Hey Scorp, are you all right?" Molly asked softly.

"Hey Scorpius, did you know that my Uncle Percy got remarried today?" Fred spoke up excitedly.

Scorpius looked at Molly slightly wide-eyed, "Congratulations," he replied softly. "You have a mum..."

Molly paled as Scorpius suddenly got up and left the compartment with his head down, "Scorp!" Al called after him in an anxious voice before he looked at Fred. "Fred, what did you say that for?"

"I don't know," Fred spoke in an apologetic voice. "I guess I should go find him, hey James?"

James nodded and stood up, "We should go find him," he replied softly. "We'll spread out…"

"Spread out where, exactly?" Kaysar asked, overhearing the words as he suddenly appeared.

Adeleina frowned, "Daddy, Scorpius got sad and ran off out of the compartment after Fred told him about the wedding today," she reported softly. "I think Scorpius is still sad over his parents…"

"Stay here, all of you," Kaysar replied sternly, gazing at Fred and James. "Do you understand me?"

Adeleina, James, Fred, Albus, Molly, and Rose nodded and all sighed when Kaysar left, "Professor Longbottom's gonna be mad just cause I said something dumb," Fred said in a somber voice.

"It wasn't dumb," Molly spoke up softly. "It was a fun wedding, but Scorpius's parents are…"

James sighed, "His mum's dead, but nobody knows where his dad is yet," he interrupted.

"Let's talk about something else," Rose spoke up uncomfortably. "Who's going out for the team?"

James nodded, "Dad said he'd send my broom," he replied, silently hoping that Scorpius was okay.

"There you are, Alison," Adrian said in a charming voice as he stepped out of the compartment that his father had Portkeyed him to just moments before. "I spent my holiday with Professor Slughorn; how…?"

Alison cringed in disgust, "I didn't lie in my letters, you know," she replied coldly. "Scorpius spent the entire summer doing Muggle work, crying about his dead mother, and just being an attention seeker."

"Ah, so he's acting all humble like that Tom Riddle fellow did when he was a boy, huh?" Adrian asked in a slightly amused voice as he grinned at her. "I read some more about him and he was an orphan just like Scorpius pretty much is; because nobody loves him, he's gonna grow up and become a Death Eater."

Alison's eyes widened slightly, "I thought Death Eaters were pretend," she replied in a shocked voice.

"No way," Adrian replied in an amused voice. "Death Eaters killed Scorpius's mum and aunt."

Alison nodded, "I wish Scorpius would just join the Death Eaters so that my parents would start seeing all the good stuff I've been doing," she scoffed. "Scorpius is a big coward, but I bet he'd join if we sent an owl to the Death Eaters and asked them if they would take Scorpius. Do you think we could do that?"

"Death Eaters don't take 12 year olds," Scorpius spoke as he passed by them on the way to the loo.

Alison's eyes widened and she and Adrian moved out into the corridor, "Where are you off to in such a hurry, Scorpius?" Alison called out in a cruel voice. "Don't you wanna hang out with Adrian and I?"

Before Scorpius could reply, several older Slytherin students came out of a nearby compartment with their wands drawn, "Oh, look, it's the Mudblood orphan," one of the boys said in an amused voice.

Terror filled Scorpius and he slowly raised his wand to defend himself, causing peals of laughter to fill the corridor as the older students raised their wands and began flicking spells at him. It wasn't long before Scorpius was on the floor, shaking with fear and cut up from the many spells cast at him.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!" Kaysar's angry voice suddenly filled the corridor as he approached.

The crowd turned and saw Kaysar standing there in his suit and travelling cloak with a scowl on his face as he regarded the students, "Attacking another student?!" he snapped, immediately spotting Scorpius on the floor sporting spell-related injuries. "I assure you that Headmistress McGonagall WILL hear of this incident when we get to the school, but all of you are to go sit in your compartment for now."

"I-I'm all right," Scorpius stuttered as the crowd, including Alison and Adrian, walked away. "Please…"

Kaysar sighed as blood began to stream from Scorpius's swelling nose, "Who started it?" he asked softly.

Scorpius quickly looked at the floor and Kaysar marched over to the compartment, "Longbottom, Carrow, come out here this instant!" Kaysar snapped, wrenching the compartment door open.

"We didn't do anything!" Alison whined. "We've been sitting in here the whole time!"

Kaysar scowled, "I'll see you all in detentions throughout the month, including Longbottom and Carrow," he replied in an angry voice. "Each of you look for my owl with the time and date of your own."

"You can't do that, old man!" one of the older students snipped. "I'll write my father and he'll…"

Kaysar smirked in a very Snape-like fashion, but said nothing as he walked away from the compartment and back over to Scorpius. He was shocked to see that James and Fred were already with Scorpius.

"Boys, I do remember telling you to stay in your compartment," Kaysar commented in a gentle voice.

James sighed as he and Fred helped Scorpius stand up, "Where's Professor Longbottom?" Fred asked in a concerned voice as he pressed his shirt sleeve against Scorpius's nose. "Scorpius needs some help."

"Did someone say my name?" Neville asked as another compartment door opened. "What happened?"

James frowned, "Some older Slytherins were casting spells at Scorpius," he replied somberly.

Silently swearing under his breath, Neville silently walked over to Scorpius and gently put a protective arm around the trembling child, "Come on, Scorpius, you can come rest for a bit while I work on my lesson plans," Neville said in a calming voice. "James Potter, I'd like to talk to you about something."

"Me, sir?" James asked in a confused voice. "Professor Linnis, can you take Fred back to the others?"

Kaysar nodded, "Come along, Fred," he said in a calming voice. "Let's see if we can catch the trolley."

As Kaysar and Fred walked off, Neville helped James walk Scorpius into the compartment and take a seat near the window, "My trunk's back in the other compartment, Professor," Scorpius spoke softly.

"I'll send Mister Potter to get it when we get closer to the school," Neville replied reassuringly as he closed the door so that he wouldn't be overheard by anyone. "Now, I want to talk to both of you."

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic," the cool voice spoke into Charlie's ear. "Purpose of visit?"

Charlie sighed as he gripped the receiver, "I'm Charlie Weasley and I'm here to meet with Minister Shacklebolt and a couple of Aurors about my recent hostage experience," he replied in a soft voice.

To Charlie's surprise, the phone booth immediately lowered into the ground and opened in the Ministry Atrium, revealing an official looking Victoire standing there, "'Ello Mister Weasley," Victoire said in a professional voice as Charlie stepped out of the phone booth. "Minister Shacklebolt is waiting for you."

"Thank you," Charlie replied quietly, suddenly feeling slightly overwhelmed as he followed Victoire.

Several witches and wizards stared silently at Charlie as he followed Victoire across the Atrium, but he paid no mind to any of them. Thankfully, nobody was in the lift and the ride to Level Two was quiet.

"Department of Mysteries and Ministerial Offices," the cool voice spoke as the lift slid open.

Victoire silently led Charlie out of the lift and down the hall to a door that read 'Minister For Magic', "Minister Shacklebolt, Auror Trainee Weasley here with Charlie Weasley," she announced boldly.

The door opened, "Come in, both of you," Kingsley's voice filtered out into the quiet hallway.

Charlie and Victoire silently entered the office and saw two chairs and an ottoman in front of the desk where Kingsley was sitting. To the right of the desk, Dennis was sitting in a chair with his arms crossed.

"Have a seat, Mister Weasley," Kingsley said in a welcoming voice. "How are you feeling these days?"

Charlie sat and sighed, "Better than I was," he replied softly. "I got your owl a few days ago, but…"

"I thought this a more comfortable place to conduct an interview," Kingsley replied softly. "Now…"

Swallowing hard, Charlie slouched in his chair, "With all due respect, Minister, I think I'd rather get this over and done with," he replied in a tired voice. "I don't expect I'll be able to forget any of it."

"Nobody expects you to," Kingsley replied calmly. "Are you sure you don't want your family here?"

Charlie shook his head, "My family's very busy today," he stated quietly. "Do I take Veritaserum?"

There was an awkward silence and Charlie sighed, "I'd much rather do that than put my memories in a Pensieve," he explained in a somber voice. "However, if I have to put my memories in a Pensieve…"

"Truth be told, I'm worried about giving you Veritaserum because of what you've been through," Kingsley replied calmly. "I was wondering if the Aurors could do some Legimency on you instead."

Charlie nodded, "Go ahead," he replied in a concerned voice. "I'll try and relax my mind."

Kingsley nodded and got up, "I've got some business to attend to, but I'll come back in a bit," he said in a cheerful voice as he walked around the desk. "Don't be afraid to rest after it's over if you need to."

Before Charlie could reply, Kingsley silently left the room intending to contact Arthur about Charlie.

"Ron, what are you and Severus doing here?" Mrs. Weasley asked as she, Ginny, LeighAnn, Lily, and Lucy came through the kitchen door of the Burrow and saw Ron and Severus sitting at the kitchen table.

Ron sighed, "Percy had a small seizure this morning, but he's all right," he replied softly. "I called Professor Snape just to be safe and Percy's resting in the living room while Michael plays on the…"

Mrs. Weasley and LeighAnn both moved into the living room and were surprised to see Percy laying on the couch awake, smiling at Michael as the infant played with spelling blocks on the carpeted floor.

"Percy, are you all right?" LeighAnn asked in a concerned voice. "Ron said you had a seizure…"

Percy nodded and sighed tiredly, "I'm a bit tired, but apparently Professor Snape gave me a potion after I had the seizure, so I'm all right," he replied in a tired voice. "Did everything go all right at King's Cross?"

"Everything went fine, darling," LeighAnn replied as she walked over to the couch and sat on the edge.

Lucy walked over to the couch and held out a small box, "Daddy, I bought you something in Diagon Alley," she said in quiet voice. "Grandpa and Grandma took us there after the train left."

Percy looked at the box curiously and opened it with his right hand, revealing a small gold shield on a chain, "Oh, Lucy, it's lovely," he replied softly, recognizing it as a special Protection Charm.

"Perce, why don't you take a nap and I can keep Lucy and Michael occupied for a while?" LeighAnn suggested in a loving voice, seeing that Percy looked very tired. "I'll wake you in time for dinner."

Mrs. Weasley frowned, "Ron, is Charlie resting upstairs?" she asked in a concerned voice.

"Charlie got an owl from Kingsley about his interview," Ron called out. "He'll be back later."

Mrs. Weasley nodded, "Your father's probably gone to fetch him, then," she replied calmly. "I daresay I could use some time in the garden to see if any gnomes are eating my plants. Who wants to join me?"

"Me!" Lucy and Lily spoke up in an excited voice. "I like throwing the gnomes over the hedge."

Percy smiled sleepily and closed his eyes as the two young girls followed Mrs. Weasley from the room, passing Severus, "I think I'll take my leave," Severus spoke in a quiet voice. "Everything is calm now."

Michael looked up at Severus expectantly and held his hands up, "Dear child, what sort of comfort am I to you?" Severus asked softly, sighing as he bent over and scooped Michael into his arms. "There."

"Michael loves his grandfather dearly, it seems," LeighAnn replied in a gentle voice as Michael smiled. "Would you…?"

Severus smirked, "Go on and have a rest or perhaps chat with Ginny over tea," he replied softly.

Before LeighAnn could argue, Ginny grabbed her hand and hustled her upstairs so they could talk.

Severus silently carried Michael over to a chair near the fireplace and sat to enjoy the fire's warmth.

"Kingsley, what do you mean he fainted?"

"Arthur, they were just finishing up and he just fainted. Probably from exhaustion."

A warm hand gently touched Charlie's forehead and his eyes popped open in terror, "Charlie, easy," Charlie heard his father's voice say. "Kingsley told me you had come for an interview today."

Swallowing hard, Charlie slowly sat up and saw that Victoire and Dennis were gone, but his father and Kingsley were there, "Yeah, I knew that the Ministry needed the information and I didn't want to disrupt Percy's day," he replied in a tired voice. "Kingsley, I also wanted to talk to you about Auror training…"

"I'm not sure if you're physically up for field work right now, but I can find you Auror-related tasks to do around the Ministry for the time being if you would like," Kingsley replied calmly. "This isn't the first time I've had to give one of you this talk, Charlie; Percy wanted to be an Auror, but he was too…"

Arthur's eyes widened, "Percy had a seizure today after everyone left for King's Cross," Charlie admitted in a somber voice. "I know he's not able to fight and I think he hates himself for it. I'm able to fight, though, and I think I should be allowed to help protect my family once I'm strong enough to do so."

"I'll think about it," Kingsley replied in a firm tone. "For now, I think you should take it easy today."

Charlie nodded, "Dad, can we go for a walk in Diagon Alley?" he asked softly. "I've got a headache."

"We can stop at the Leaky Cauldron for a cuppa if you want," Arthur replied calmly. "Come on."

Slowly getting to his feet, Charlie silently followed his father out of the office and over to the lift. He was scared out of his wits when the lift suddenly opened and Stacey came out into the corridor.

"Oh, excuse me!" Stacey exclaimed in a surprised voice. "I was just coming back from King's Cross and…"

Kingsley stepped out of the office, "Where's Auror Trainee Lupin?" he asked, gazing at Stacey.

"I assigned him to the train and he'll Floo back from the school in the morning," Stacey replied calmly.

Kingsley scowled, "Did you clear it with Auror Potter?" he asked sharply. "Where IS Auror Potter?"

"He's gone up to the school to make sure everything goes well tonight," Stacey replied curtly.

Kingsley's scowl softened, "That's certainly understandable," he replied, thinking of young James. "Oh, Arthur, Charlie, this is Stacey Parker, an Auror from the American Auror Division that I recruited to work under Harry after Audrey Weasley was murdered. Stacey, this is Arthur and Charlie Weasley…"

"Pleased to meet you," Stacey replied formally, not paying much attention to either of them. "Minister, might I be allowed to go off duty for a little while? I've got some important things to do before bed."

Kingsley nodded, "I wish you'd get someone to go with you, honestly," he replied in a concerned voice as he gave her a worried look, only to get a scowl back. "All right, Parker, go on and be careful."

Stacey nodded and silently Apprated away, "I need a drink," Charlie muttered. "A strong drink."

"I think some hot chocolate will help us both," Arthur spoke firmly. "Firewhisky only numbs pain."

Charlie nodded, although he looked uneasy, "Oh, there's something else you should see," he said in a nervous voice as he silently rolled up his sleeve, revealing a jagged cut that read blood traitor. "I don't want it mentioned to Mum or to anyone else, but Lucius gave this to me when I was a prisoner…"

"Right, let's all have a drink in my office, shall we?" Kingsley spoke up, suddenly worried for Charlie.

"It looks bigger somehow," James commented softly, gazing around the Entrance Hall as he followed the rest of the older students towards the Great Hall. "Maybe I've just lost some weight since last year…"

Adeleina frowned as James stopped at the stairs, "Al, you and the others go on without me," James said in a somber voice, suddenly feeling like he didn't want to go charging into the Great Hall cheerfully.

"James, are you okay?" Albus asked in a quiet voice as he and Scorpius stopped beside James.

James sighed, "I just need a moment," he replied, sitting on the steps. "Please, go and get some food."

Most of the students coming in either paid no mind to James or gave him curious looks as they ascended the stairs to the Great Hall. Albus, however, stayed where he was and so did Adeleina, Molly, Scorpius, Rose, and Fred, "Shouldn't you be in the Great Hall?" a familiar voice suddenly asked in a kind tone.

Scorpius looked both shocked and worried when Harry and Neville came into view from a side corridor where they had been talking about James, "Come on, you lot," Neville said in a cheerful voice as he walked over to Scorpius and put a protective arm around him. "Let's go into the Great Hall for supper."

"I'm not very hungry, sir," Scorpius said as he was led up the stairs by Neville and followed by Molly, Rose, Fred, and Adeleina while Albus stayed where he was, desperate to see if his brother was okay.

Harry sighed, "Dad, what are you doing at Hogwarts?" Albus asked in a quiet voice, gazing at his father.

"I came to see if both of you are going to be okay tonight," Harry replied gently. "Are you going to be?"

There was silence and then noise filled the Great Hall as the first years came into the castle, most of them cold from the boat ride over. Most of them stared at James, Harry, and Albus and gasped.

James cringed and immediately turned away from the small throng, "Albus Potter, go up and join your classmates in the Great Hall," Kaysar said in a firm voice as he came down the stairs in his suit and emerald green robes. "First years, please come up the stairs and gather in a circle near the door."

Albus nodded and quickly ran up the stairs, barely avoiding the crowd of first years that filed up the stairs and gathered in a circle just outside of the Great Hall doors, "James, if you think that the Feast is going to be too overwhelming for you, Headmistress McGonagall told me to tell you that she can have something sent up to Gryffindor Tower for you," Kaysar said in a low voice. "And your dad can stay with you tonight if you wish; every staff member in this school understands what you're going through…"

"Who's going to look after Albus and everyone?" James asked in a shaky voice. "I can't abandon them…"

Harry's eyes softened and he gently put a hand on James's shoulder, "I think it's best if you sit this Feast out and just relax tonight," he said in a gentle voice. "We can sit here or go back to Gryffindor Tower…"

Kaysar sighed and silently made his way up the stairs as James turned and huddled against his father, tears streaming from his tired eyes. Harry gently wrapped his arms around James and held him close.

"Right, first years, it's time to go into the Great Hall and be Sorted into your Houses," Kaysar said in an official voice as he gazed at the group of first years gathered around him. "While you're here, your House will be your family and points will be either given or taken depending on behavior and other accomplishments. The Houses are Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin…"

James pulled away as Kaysar disappeared into the Great Hall with the first years, "I think I want to go back to Gryffindor Tower now, Dad," James said in a quiet voice. "I just want a quiet evening."

Harry nodded and stood up before helping James to his feet, "I thought you might say that, so I got the password from Professor Longbottom," he said in a calming voice. "There'll be food waiting for us."

The Hog's Head was the perfect place to hunker down and wait for his next command from Kadir, Dermott silently thought as he nursed a Firewhisky underneath the heavy cloak he wore for both a disguise and for warmth. His knuckles still hurt from the cane rapping Kadir had given him for his weaknesses, but the pain was easy enough to ignore after a few drinks. At least he was alive.

"I'm about to close up, mister," Aberforth grunted in a grizzled voice. "Best to clear out for the night."

Dermott sighed and released his cup before standing and slowly moving towards the door, "Thank you," he said in a toneless voice right before moving outside into the darkness. "Have a good night."

Aberforth grunted as Dermott pulled the door closed, "Old fool didn't have a clue who I was," Dermott hissed as he limped down the cobblestone path back towards the small hovel where he had hunkered down ever since Lucius had turned him loose to bide time. "Blimey, it's cold out here tonight."

"Stop whining, you insatiable idiot," a deep voice hissed from the shadows. "Be GRATEFUL!"

Dermott froze and cringed when Lucius stepped out of the shadows shrouded in a dark cloak with dirt-encrusted fur around the collar, "Kadir's planning to make a move to get Umbridge and the others out of Azkaban very soon and he needs to know that you're with us," he hissed in a threatening tone.

"How can you even risk yourself, Lucius?" Dermott hissed as they retreated into the shadows.

Lucius grinned, "Adrian is doing his part and he is safe at Hogwarts," he replied coldly, pinning Dermott against the wall with his wand. "I will do what I must to bring Kadir to power so long as Adrian is safe."

"I'm with Kadir, of course," Dermott replied anxiously. "I will do whatever he commands me to do."

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