"Fred! Wake up!" A shrill voice sounded in my ear and I sighed before rolling over.
"I'm George." I mumbled into my pillow, nestling into it.
"George, get the hell up, it's dad." That was Fred. The tone of his voice woke me up, making me feel as though something was very, very wrong.
"Dad?" I questioned, climbing off the bed and pulling on my night robe. McGonagall was standing beside my twin, and Lee, all three of them were extremely pale. I felt a rush of panic and fear from Fred, making my stomach turn.
"He's been attacked." McGonagall said shortly as I got up.
"She just came in." Lee explained as Fred grew even paler. McGonagall gave a curt nod when I was dressed before turning around and heading outside the dorm. Fred and I shot each other one glance and then ran after her, both our hearts pounding.
"McGonagall!" I called, taking the steps two at a time. We reached the common room and my heart sunk even more as I saw Ginny standing there. We stepped up next to her and wrapped our arms around her protectively.
"Follow me. Mr. Lee, I'm afraid you'll have to wait here." McGonagall snapped before stepping forward and heading outside of the common room. I turned to Lee, talking as quickly as I could.
"We'll Owl you when we figure out what's happened." I said, and then ran after her, all of us racing to keep up with her. She led us to Dumbledore's office quickly, and called the password out before we even reached the statue.
We ran up the steps, and threw the study door open, stepping up next to her and scanning the room quickly. Ron and Harry were already here, and both looked about to faint.
"Harry - what's going on?" Ginny asked, regaining her voice first. "Professor McGonagall says you saw Dad get hurt – "
"Your father has been injured in the course of his work for the Order of the Phoenix" Dumbledore said quickly. "He has been taken to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries. I am sending you back to Sirius's house, which is much more convenient for the hospital than The Burrow. You will meet your mother there."
"How're we going?" Fred asked, he looked ready to faint. "Floo powder?"
"No, Floo powder is not safe at the moment, the Network is being watched. You will be taking a Portkey." He indicated an old kettle lying on his desk. "We are just waiting for Phineas Nigellus to report back . . . I want to be sure that the coast is clear before sending you – "
There was a flash of flame in the very middle of the office, leaving behind a single golden feather that floated gently to the floor. It silenced everyone in the room, and I felt like it was a heavy omen.
"It is Fawkes's warning," Dumbledore said, catching the feather as it fell. "Professor Umbridge must know you're out of your beds . . . Minerva, go and head her off - tell her any story – "
McGonagall gave her head a stiff nod and walked away.
"He says he'll be delighted, My great-great-grandson has always had an odd taste in house-guests."
"Come here, then," Dumbledore said, beckoning us forward. "And quickly, before anyone else joins us."
"You have all used a Portkey before?" Dumbledore asked, and we nodded, each reaching out to touch some part of the blackened kettle. "Good. On the count of three, then . . . one . . . two . . .Three"
I felt a powerful jerk behind my navel, the ground vanished from beneath my feet, my hand were glued to the kettle; I was banging into the others as we all sped forwards in a swirl of colors and a rush of wind, the kettle pulling me onwards . . . until I hit the ground so hard that my knees buckled, the kettle clattered to the ground, and somewhere close at hand a voice said:
"Back again, the blood-traitor brats. Is it true their father's dying?"
"OUT!" roared a second voice before we could say anything. I stayed on the floor, the room rushing around me as my blood pounded in my head. I clenched my fist and forced myself to take a breath past the panic that was trying to rise within me. Fred and I were the oldest ones here-we had to be strong for Ron, Harry, and Ginny. We had to keep it together. All I wanted to do was cry my eyes out and find mum, but I'd keep it together.
"What's going on?" Sirius asked, holding his hand out to Ginny. "Phineas Nigellus said Arthur's been badly injured – "
"Ask Harry," Fred said in accusing tone. I looked up with my still pounding head and focused on Harry who looked worse than I had ever seen him.
"Yeah, I'd like to hear what happened." I said, pushing myself up.
"It was –" Harry began, "I had a - a kind of- vision . . ."
Harry told us what he had seen, and how he had gone to Voldemort. We listened the entire time, never questioning or interrupting him.
"Is Mum here?" Fred asked once he finished, turning to Sirius. He was still trying to decide how to take what Harry had said.
"She probably doesn't even know what's happened yet, the important thing was to get you away before Umbridge could interfere. I expect Dumbledore's letting Molly know now."
"We've got to go to St Mungos", said Ginny urgently, "Sirius, can you lend us cloaks or anything?"
"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St Mungo's!' said Sirius. My eyes shot up and a fierce frown claimed my lips. That was my dad, let him try and stop me.
"Course we can go to St Mungo's if we want," Fred said, voicing my thoughts. "He's our dad!"
"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"
I hate when people use logic on me. "What does it matter?" I asked hotly, feeling angry and worried. I was taking it out on Sirius, but I couldn't stop myself.
"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" Sirius snapped. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"
Who the bloody hell cared what the ministry made of anything? "Somebody else could have told us . . . we could have heard it somewhere other than Harry." Ginny said hopefully, tears streaming down her brown eyes. That made me even more upset.
"Like who?" Sirius questioned impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's – "
"We don't care about the dumb Order!" Fred shouted, finally snapping. I was with him. How could Sirius even think of mentioning the Order when our dad could be dying?
"It's our dad dying we care about!"
"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order! This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order - you don't understand - there are things worth dying for!"
"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!"
The little color remaining in Sirius's face drained from it. I thought he was going to hit Fred for a moment. I agreed, Fred had taken it a little far, but Sirius didn't seem to understand that we were dying for some information.
"I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right?"
Ginny took a few steps over to the nearest chair and sank into it. Harry looked at Ron, who made a funny movement somewhere between a nod and a shrug, and they sat down too. Fred and I gave Sirius one last hard look and then sat down on either side of Ginny.
"That's right," Sirius said in an annoyingly encouraging voice, "come on, lets all . . . let's all have a drink while we're waiting. Accio Butterbeer!"
He raised his wand as he spoke and half a dozen bottles came flying towards us out of the pantry, skidded along the table, scattering the debris of Sirius's meal, and stopped neatly in front of us. We all drank, and for a while the only sounds were those of the crackling of the kitchen fire and the soft thud of their bottles on the table.
I was only drinking so I didn't yell more at Sirius. My stomach was tied up in a terrible knot, my eyes were burning from my held back tears, and I wanted to hit something desperately bad.
My dad was in the hospital after having been attacked by a giant snake that Harry somehow had a vision of. I was unbelievably grateful to Harry for finding him, but I couldn't show that right now with all the anger, fear, and worry coursing through me.
Clutching that butterbeer I found myself desperately missing Hermione's comforting presences. She wouldn't be coming, I'd have to wait till Hogwarts to see her again. She had to go skiing with her own mum and dad. Godric's ghost though, I really needed a hug from her.
A burst of fire in midair illuminated the dirty plates in front of us, as we gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud on to the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.
"Fawkes!" Sirius exclaimed, snatching up the parchment. 'That's not Dumbledore s writing - it must be a message from your mother - here – "
He thrust the letter into my hands. I ripped it open quickly and read aloud with a only slightly shaky voice. "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. Stay where you are. I will send news as soon as I can. Mum."
I looked up from the table and stared at my siblings, including Harry, with a bit of shock. "Still alive..." I said slowly, "But that makes it sound . . ." I couldn't finish the sentence, it sounded like dad was barely with us.
Fred took the letter as I pulled Ginny to my side in a comforting hug. She hated breaking down in front of people, and usually would only cry if her face was hidden in someone's shirt.
That was the longest night of my life. We all sat around that table together, no one speaking save to ask for the time. I held onto Ginny, giving her what little comfort I could.
At ten past five in the morning by Ron's watch, the kitchen door swung open and mum entered the kitchen. She was extremely pale, but when we stood to give her a hug, she gave a wan smile.
"He's going to be all right," she said, her voice weak with tiredness. "He's sleeping. We can all go and see him later. Bill's sitting with him now; he's going to take the morning off work."
Fred fell back into his chair with his hands over his face. Ginny and I stood, and walked to her before giving her a firm, slightly desperate, hug.
"Breakfast!" Sirius said loudly and joyfully, jumping to his feet. "Where's that accursed house-elf? Kreacher! KREACHER!"
"Oh, forget it, then," muttered Sirius, counting the people in front of him. "So, it's breakfast for - let's see - seven . . . bacon and eggs, I think, and some tea, and toast – "
He was okay, he was going to make it.
-o-O-o-
There were only three patients in dads room. We walked into it as one big group, Fred, Ginny, and Ron were deliriously happy, but I was still feeling like I was in shock. I wasn't going to be better until I saw dad with my own eyes.
We walked into the room and I instantly saw him. He was occupying the bed at the far end of the ward beside the tiny window. My heart started hammering in my chest as I scanned him hurriedly. He looked alright, a few scratches on his face, and a heavily bandaged arm, but I couldn't see anything that looked life threatening. He smiled when he saw us, and I could feel tears building in my eyes again. I pushed them away roughly and stepped towards the bed with the others.
"Hello!" Dad called, tossing his Prophet aside. "Bill just left, Molly, had to get back to work, but he says he'll drop in on you later."
"How are you, Arthur?" Mum asked, stepping nearer him and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "You're still looking a bit peaky."
"I feel absolutely fine, if they could only take the bandages off, I'd be fit to go home."
"Why can't they take them off, Dad?" Fred asked quickly, sitting in a chair next to him. I stepped behind him and placed my hands on the back of it. I needed to feel something solid beneath my hands-I was still feeling shaky.
"Well, I start bleeding like mad every time they try. It seems there was some rather unusual kind of poison in that snakes fangs that keeps wounds open. They're sure they'll find an antidote, though; they say they've had much worse cases than mine, and in the meantime I just have to keep taking a Blood-Replenishing Potion every hour. But that fellow over there," he said, dropping his voice and nodding towards the bed opposite in which a man lay looking green and sickly and staring at the ceiling. "Bitten by a werewolf, poor chap. No cure at all."
"A werewolf?' mum whispered, looking alarmed. "Is he safe in a public ward? Shouldn't he be in a private room?"
"It's two weeks till full moon," dad reminded her quietly. "They've been talking to him this morning, the Healers, you know, trying to persuade him he'll be able to lead an almost normal life. I said to him - didn't mention names, of course - but I said I knew a werewolf personally, very nice man, who finds the condition quite easy to manage."
"What did he say?" I asked, giving the man a sympathetic glance. I couldn't imagine having to live with that. I'd have probably told dad to bugger off.
"Said he'd give me another bite if I didn't shut up, and that woman over there," he indicated the only other occupied bed, which was right beside the door, 'won't tell the Healers what bit her, which makes us all think it must have been something she was handling illegally. Whatever it was took a real chunk out of her leg, very nasty smell when they take off the dressings." That made me think of Hagrid. He'd probably have something like that happen to him.
"So, you going to tell us what happened, Dad?"
"Well, you already know, don't you?" dad said, with a significant smile at Harry. "It's very simple - I'd had a very long day, dozed off, got sneaked up on and bitten."
"Is it in the Prophet, you being attacked?" Fred asked, pointing to the paper.
"No, of course not, the Ministry wouldn't want everyone to know a dirty great serpent got – "
"Arthur!" Mum snapped, stopping him short.
" Got-er-me." He finished lamely.
"So where were you when it happened, Dad?" I asked quietly. He never could lie very well, I was hoping he'd just slip up.
"That's my business. I was just reading about Willy Widdershins's arrest when you arrived. You know Willy turned out to be behind those regurgitating toilets back in the summer? One of his jinxes backfired, the toilet exploded and they found him lying unconscious in the wreckage covered from head to foot in – "
"When you say you were "on duty" Fred interrupted, not even slightly deterred. "what were you doing?"
"You heard your father," whispered Mum fiercely. "we are not discussing this here! Go on about Willy Widdershins, Arthur."
"Well, don't ask me how, but he actually got off the toilet charge, I can only suppose gold changed hands – "
"You were guarding it, weren't you?" I said quietly, holding his eyes with mine. We had a right to know what happened. It almost cost our dad his life. "The weapon? The thing You-Know-Who's after?"
"George, be quiet!" Mum snapped. Of course she'd know who I was now.
"Anyway, this time Willys been caught selling biting doorknobs to Muggles and I don't think he'll be able to worm his way out of it because, according to this article, two Muggles have lost fingers and are now in St Mungo's for emergency bone re-growth and memory modification. Just think of it, Muggles in St Mungo's! I wonder which ward they're in?"
"Didn't you say You-Know-Who's got a snake, Harry?" Fred questioned. "A massive one? You saw it the night he returned, didn't you?"
"That's enough," Mum snapped crossly. "Mad-Eye and Tonks are outside, Arthur, they want to come and see you. And you lot can wait outside," she added to us with a frown. "You can come and say goodbye afterwards. Go on."
We left the room and Moody and Tonks went inside, casting up a ward as they left.
"Fine," Fred said coolly, rummaging in his pockets. I grinned and reached into my own."be like that. Don't tell us anything."
"Looking for these?" I asked, holding up the extendable ears.
"You read my mind," Fred said with a big grin. "Let's see if St Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"
I handed out five ears, one for each of us, and then stepped towards the door. I stuck the tip in my ear, and let the other end snake under the door
". . . they searched the whole area taut couldn't find the snake anywhere. It just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur . . . but You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"
"I reckon he sent it as a lookout, cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had a lot more time to look around. So, Potter says he saw it all happen?"
"Yes, You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this."
"Yeah, well, there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."
"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning,"
"Course he's worried, The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously, Potter doesn't realise what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him – "
We all turned around to see Harry pulling the ear out of his own ear. His eyes were wide and he looked about ready to faint. He took a small step back, looking scared to be near us.
What was going on? No way Harry was really possessed, Ginny would have recognized the signs…
Why had he seen Dad attacked though?
-o-O-o-
"Is he still hiding upstairs?" Fred asked, stepping into the room with a heavy sigh. I nodded my head, sighing as well. Ron and Ginny didn't look up, seeming to sink deeper into the couch instead.
"This is rubbish. He can't avoid us the entire time."
"No, but he's good at wallowing." Ron muttered, glancing at the stairs resentfully. I nodded my head again, still feeling numb. I wasn't as worried about dad now, but I was still worried for him. they didn't have a cure for the venom yet, and no one would tell us what he had been doing when he was attacked in the first place. Fred and I were part of the bloody order-we shouldn't be having this problem!
I heard a door bang open and looked up. In rushed a pink cheeked, frenzied, bushy haired girl. I stood up instantly, recognizing the hair of my girl friend. I barely caught a glimpse of her face before she had her arms around me.
"Are you alright? I came as quickly as I could! Is Mr. Weasley going to be okay?" She questioned, holding me tight to her. I gripped her back, unable to answer her past the lump that had just formed in my throat. All the emotions I'd been trying to block since McGonagall woke me last night were coming rushing back. Tears filled my eyes and I fought to keep them from falling as I buried my nose in her hair, taking a deep breath and filling my nostrils with the comforting scent of apples and cinnamon-her shampoo-and a sweet, floral smell that was simply her.
"He's okay, still in Mungo's though." Ginny said, answering when it was clear I wasn't. Hermione nodded her head against my chest. She squeezed me a little tighter and then leaned back slightly so she could see me.
"Where's Harry?" She asked softly, her eyes holding mine. Her hand was drawing soothing circle's in my lower back and helping me calm down as I kept my eyes on her brown, tender ones.
"He's upstairs." I somehow managed to say. My voice was slightly thick, but she graciously overlooked it.
Her eyes shot upstairs before they came back to me. "Why?"
"He thinks he's being possessed by You-Know-Who. Won't come down or let us come in to tell him otherwise either." I answered, knowing she was about to leave me and feeling an intense wave of jealousy towards Harry.
"He's what?" Hermione asked, in surprise, dropping her arms from me. I let go of her as well, fighting a sigh.
"He's in Buckbeaks room and won't come back. Done convinced himself that he's been possessed." Her mouth dropped open and she took a step towards the stairs before stopping and turning towards Ron and Ginny.
"Come on you two, I'll meet you with Harry in his room." She ordered, and then raced upstairs.
And that is why I'm jealous of Harry James Potter, because he will always have Hermione's loyalty first. She'll always choose him.