A retelling of - BuckNC - classic tale …Dragon Heart …as redone by Billybob

Chapter # 53 of 70 - - - entitled: Percy explains

Edited and tweaked expertly - by Eckles71

Word count in this chapter; 9,023

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Billybob note: this chapter is admittedly an off-plot transit, and those of my readers who think I tend to lecture to much – by all means 'skip' this chapter. I'll post another chapter - whenever …my somewhat iffy health permits – Then you reconnect with this story then.

I've been told to drop this bit, but I stubbornly refuse. Me stubborn? …naw …no way - right? :-)…

This chapter concerns what I consider to be a major 'plot hole' in JK Rowling seven books, (yes I know it is blasphemy in even suggesting that) but it's true. This chapter concerns Percy Ignatius Weasley; age twenty-one … a character who was written out of the story at one point - without any 'real explanation' as to why he turned his back on his family- and then he 'reappeared' on the 'right-side' during the last battle. To me that is an untold backstory that needs to be told.

If you are uninterested in the misadventures of Percy - - just skip this chapter. I'll be terribly hurt - - but I'll understand …sob, :-("" …(you're not buying this blarney - are you?)

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Molly POV

The dress shop trip was very enlightening to Mrs. Weasley in several ways. One it showed to her rather forcefully just how much Ginerva had grown up physically in the last two years, a truly shocking revelation that no mother is ever really and truly happy about. After all, as a mother she always secretly cherished the innocence of her son's and daughter's childhood. To witness her … development into adulthood only helped emphasis that her 'innocence' was now possibly something that would forever be resigned to the past and her memories.

Secondly, the Matriarch couldn't help but note the drastic difference in the depth of feelings that her youngest son had for the Granger girl compared to what Harry obviously felt for her little girl. The difference was … striking. From her own experience with Arthur, Molly expected both boys to fidget in the dress shop, for no male is all that comfortable when they are dragged to play the role of 'porter' to carry about all the purchases a woman makes while clothing shopping. Harry …bless his heart, showed all-the classic signs of 'I rather be anywhere but here' – symptoms. The A-Typical demonstration of a reluctant male in a girly dress shop - Ronald, on the other hand, was behaving as if he had just won a grand prize in a contest; in the form of a front row seat to a sold out concert of the famous musical group the 'Weird Sisters'.

Where Harry was bored and acted put upon, Ronald was eager, sitting on the edge of his seat straining to get even a tiny glimpse of Hermione, - Molly's sometimes -'second-daughter'.

'Sweet Merlin on a bike' Molly said to herself 'I had no idea that Ronald had it *so bad* for the girl. I mean, I knew he fancied her, the signs where painfully obvious to all with eyes to see. But the way he has looked at her this morning makes it plain that he is hopelessly in love with her. And I truly do not know if that is a good-thing or a bad-thing for a boy his age. He is still far too young to deal with the weight of these types of feelings. They both are. And with a new War looming … the pursuit of Love isn't a sprint; it should be treated like a marathon.

Granted, they have both endured much to reach this point. And they knew each other far better than both my-self and Arthur did at their age and we married right out of Hogwarts. But we didn't have to endure the same … hazard's … as they have. Arthur and I grew together naturally, whereas Hermione and Ronald … well … their hearts have been more or less forced towards one another by both danger and circumstance since they were 11. Still, I cannot think of any other young people who better complement one another then they do. But if there is one thing I have learned from William's many … *many* … lady-friend's in the past, it's that a candle which burns twice as bright also burns half as long.'

Molly paused to look at her youngest son again as the poor boy stared with the concentration of a cobra at the dressing room curtain, behind which his *lady-love* was changing into her sixth ball gown. 'Yes – yes my little boy is in love, Ronald has all but drooled, each time Hermione has emerged from the changing room. From Harry all Ginny is getting is the classic "that looks nice" comment which really means "are we done yet?" Molly said to her-self in disappointed-defeat of her semi-adopted-son's behavior compared to that of her last physically-born son.

Ron had somehow worked-out that Hermione's choices of gowns were not so much for her, but rather to please him. So each time she emerged from behind the curtain, in a dress that accentuated her figure or highlighted her eyes, Ron knew that this most pleasing display was not to attract praise from other boys at the Leaver's ball. But rather was a concentrated effort on Hermione's part to please and arouse him alone. That she was deliberating trying to make her herself as desirable and as possible for his *sole benefit* and not for anyone else - gave Molly genuine hope for the first time since the disaster of the hot-gravy incident that her sons total Love for this girl was finally being returned.

Ginerva on the other hand, well, the two in Molly's eyes could not have been approaching this whole experience with more differing perspectives. Whereas, Hermione was dressing like a … Princess, her own flesh and blood daughter was going slightly more … *showy*. Ginny had wanted to try-on outfits that would have, in Molly's option, been too daring for even a street-walker to wear while prying her trade. Molly certainly had her work cut out for her that afternoon to try and *tone down* Ginny's exhibitionist tendencies while at the same time encouraging Hermione into ball-gowns that were a-little-bit more … brazen. And as much as she secretly approved of Hermione's first-choices, she thought 'You're only young once'. And she believed that after the whole Twin-situation ...a couple of hours before. That Ron would probably benefit from having a throng of other male-student's all wish that they were him, even if it was just for the night as he escorted Hermione around the Hall and had the sole pleasure of dancing with her and her with him.

Once the gown selection was over, it was time to acquire those lingerie accessories to be worn underneath. It was at this point, to Harry's disappointment and Ron's greatly embarrassed relief that Molly sent the two boys out of the shop to take up guard positions with Bill and Percy.

Her husband; Molly was delighted to know, - was at that moment expressing his great displeasure with his twin sons over their most recent commercial venture. His anger in the two-devil's towards being deceived was only secondary to his rage that for the past month both Fed and George had been placing every bit of profit from said-venture into their private accounts.

After years of neglecting his responsibilities as a father who handed out 'balanced-punishment' to all their children, it was now time for the Twin's to get their comeuppance. In truth, Molly, presently felt very sorry for those two-troublemakers. For the extent of their lives they had always had Arthur's Protection. They had never been fully exposed to his full-blown disappointment. Right at this moment she could imagine her husband going through every Business Ledger of the Twin's and demanding to know what every Knut was for.

The only way her husband could, and he knew this, to make right not only to the rest of his own family, his youngest son, but also to her as his wife, was to go to task with the pair and make them fully accountable. With the business-sense the Twin's possessed she would not be surprised if they had, over the past 4-weeks, already saved and put aside enough gold from the Dragonheart Graphic Novel to be able to *buy outright* a small cottage somewhere out in the country.

Regardless, she knew that Arthur would make right on their earlier promise to him, as well as the pair's earlier reassurances to Ron that they would 'fix-it'. How they would mend his reputation, she had no idea. But she knew from embarrassing experience that the Twin's were resourceful and when they put their minds to a Project that whatever it was it would get done.

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Percy explains

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Once out of the shop the two boys paired up with Bill and Percy, with Bill taking Harry down to where they could watch the back entrance into Madam Malkin's Robes for all Occasions and Ron and Percy taking up their post in front of the dress shop, out upon the now busy street.

After a very long period of uncomfortable silence; Percy, finally cleared his throat in preparation to speak his mind. "Ron, I asked Bill to take Harry off with him, so that you and I could have a word or two in private."

Ron stiffened; he was expecting something like this. The moment Percy began re-integrating back into his family's life, he knew that the elder brother would try and 'reason' with him. Granted, he was surprised it had taken the third-born of the Clan this long, but no less surprised at the ease in which Bill, Charlie, Fred and George, as well as Ginny had been too forgive-and-forget his earlier betrayal. Whatever angle Perce had used on them was obviously one that was compelling. But as compelling as it might have been, Ron had vowed he would never forgive the older brother. Never.

Reading his younger brother's silence correctly, Percy sighed. This was not going to be as easy as it had been with the others.

"I can tell that you're still mad at me for what I did to you in the past and my overall despicable treatment of the family and of course Harry. I'd like a chance to explain …as best as I can my actions and the reasons behind it. There is a lot you don't know, Ron."

"You don't have to explain anything to me Percival," Ron said in a sneer. "I don't know how you managed to sweet talk Mum into forgiving your betrayal, almost overnight - or - the rest of the family for that matter. I have no control over other people's forgiveness, - only mine. As for me personally, you are dead to me - I will try to avoid you in future at family gathering and I would greatly appreciate if you and the former Penelope Clearwater stay away from me and mine. You will never be welcomed in my home, when and if I finally get one - do I make myself CLEAR."

Percy gripped the metal railing of the street barrier and squeezed it so tightly his grip became chalk white. "You've always been a wanker, haven't you? But not once had I ever thought of you as an idiot."

Ron's mouth involuntarily opened. Did Percy just call him a … Percy never swore. Not in all his years. He used to say that name-calling was the sign of an inferior vocabulary. Sure, he might use words like Prat, Pillock, or Git. But… 'Wanker'?

"Do you honestly believe you have been Albus's only Chess Piece on the Board, Ron? Do you think you were the only Weasley he has *used* for the benefit of the Order? If you do, then you've got an over inflated opinion of yourself."

Percy's seething words caught the Goalkeeper so much by surprise that he couldn't help but now turn to face him. What he viewed was his brother looking back at him with more anger and pain then he had ever seen in his eyes before. For a moment he was almost expecting the elder to try to box his ears in. Instead, Percy's lips curled back into a snarl.

"You have no idea what I have done, what risks I have taken - all for the sake of our family. But more importantly Ron, all for the sake of you. Who was it that always protected you from the Twin's pranks before I had to head-off to Hogwarts? Who was it who kept turning a blind-eye to you and Harry gallivanting around the Castle *after curfew*? Let's be honest Ron, you and Harry weren't exactly master-thieves back then. Even with that blasted Cloak-of-Invisibility, you'd have to be deaf not to hear your lumbering feet coming down the corridor. Show me a little respect, Ron, and I'll show you the same."

Nervously, Ron nodded. Caught completely by surprise by the aggressive tone and …. Well … assertiveness of Percy Weasley. "Okay, Perce. You've got my full attention."

With this comment, the elder-brother's face softened, if only slightly. "That's all I want, Ron - - just a chance to plead my case, without any pre-conceptions on your part - towards my supposed-guilt."

"So is this the part where you apologize, I swat the back of your head - we hug and then go back to how things were before you moved out?"

Percy barked out a short laugh and shook his head in the negative at the audacity of his younger brother's semi-joking comment. "Who said anything about *me* apologizing? I've got nothing to apologize for. You on the other hand will probably be begging for my forgiveness by the end of the day. Just as the rest of my ungrateful siblings have done."

Ron was about to argue that last point, but then he noticed a small smile form on his brother's lips. Percy let go of the railing and took a relaxed posture. This surprised, Ron, yet again. Because he never thought Percy had a 'relaxed-posture'.

"Everyone knew I was aiming towards joining the Ministry upon Graduating Hogwarts. But did any of you lot ever wonder *why*? I mean it's not like I would end up rolling in dosh, is it? Head Boy. Top of Class in every subject I took. Nearly broke the School Record where it came to NEWT's and OWL Result's. Why go to work as a low-paying beauracat?"

Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Dunno. Thought it was up your ally. Everyone did. Rules, Order, Policies, Law. It was pretty much your thing."

"Hardly. When Harry began at Hogwarts, I was a Prefect. But after that first night, and when we all knew which House, Harry, was sorted into, Dumbledore approached me on the sly. Asking me to keep a special eye out for the Boy-Who-Lived for him - and to report his various movement's within the castle. Sounds simple, but believe me, it was the complete opposite. I still wonder sometimes if Harry ever wondered how the Headmaster always *seemed to know* what it was he was doing or where he was going. I'm dead certain I wasn't the only person asked to keep a 'special eye out' for him. I know of at least four Portraits and two ghost's that also reported directly to the Headmaster whenever they saw him … and *you* … behaving suspiciously".

"The following year, I became Head Boy, probably because … I greatly suspect … of my repeated co-operation with Albus's demands on me to snoop on Harry movements for the three solid years prior. Albus was as surprised that Harry latched onto to you as a *best mate* as I was. That you insisted that your friend Harry spend part of each summer-hol with us at the Burrow; played into Albus *chessboard scheming* perfectly. Between me and our Parents Harry was now being carefully watched almost year-round".

"So if you were Albus in-house spy on Harry within Gryffindor, why did you get the promotion to Head-boy? It would reduce your ability to keep-an-eye on Harry," Ron asked reasonably.

"Good question little brother", Percy replied, "The truth is - who does and doesn't get awarded the Head Badges has more to do with Dumbledore's manipulation of Hogwarts inner dynamics *politically* than educational merit. Next to the Professors only the *Heads* have any kind of real power over the other students. Albus, has over the years used the Head-badge to *manipulate* the overly ambitious-types. It tends to keep people like me in-check, otherwise how else can you explain a Malfoy getting one and not the more famous Harry?"

"We both know that Harry avoids the spotlight like the plague and you probably wouldn't have given a toss whether you Head Boy's or not. So why on earth did Albus put Granger and Draco together as heads? There have been in the past *Heads* who didn't get along, but even you must admit that putting Granger and Malfoy in charge of the dress-code has been a disaster so huge it nearly brought the four house close to open warfare in the hallways. It took your return to Hogwarts and becoming *Grande Prefect* to sort it all out."

"I didn't do all that much," Ron said looking down to his shoe's, contemplating his brother's words carefully.

"You've had a bigger positive effect on the student body and inner-house cooperation than I did as Head-Boy, but more on that later. I had a relatively quiet-year as Head-boy, in spite of the trios' usual - yearly *adventure*. As I approached the end of my last year Graduation, I was contemplating how best to use my NEWT marks on my resume. I had my sights on several private industry positions and that was when old Dumbledore asked me to consider doing both him and the Order a major service".

"There I was, Ron, all of 17, at the starting-point of perhaps a brilliantly successful business career - standing in Albus's private office with Fawkes pruning himself on the stand beside me and the great Albus Dumbledore asking *me* for help that only *I* could provide. It was one of happiest moments of my life, Ron, for I *admired* that old wizard as highly as you did at the beginning of this term, before he put your girl in the path of a evil charmer.

"He told me that he had concerns towards the current make-up of the Ministry and those presently in power. He said that a storm was brewing on the horizon and he needed my … *talents*. Apparently I had greatly impressed him with my … subversive talents and guile. I was flummoxed. Just of 'Age' and The Order of the Phoenix needed my expertise to do some 'Great Good'. He all but pleaded with me to be his 'Man-in-the-Ministry'. That my age, wit, and the fact that Dad was a Ministry Man himself from waaaayyyy back, provided me with the perfect cover to be the perfect mole for the Order."

"Mole?"

"Yeah, Ron, a Mole is another name for a spy." Percy chuckled as Ron's surprised expression. "Albus asked me to infiltrate the Ministry and identify Voldermort-Sympathizers and hidden Death Eater's who had not been successfully *culled* during the Purge 15-years ago. Why do you think I always 'coincidently' found myself in department's being run and managed by former DE's or their lackey's? Trust me, that wasn't a coincidence and it wasn't easy to arrange either. It took a lot of strategic maneuvering on my part, and then there was the whole issue of getting them to trust me. Fortunately, most politicians are a very vain lot. All it took was for me to be a sniveling boot-licker, answering to their every beck-and-call request, and then they would pretty much give me the keys-to-the-kingdom. On the outside I came across as some overly ambitious prick, but in truth every Intel I was able to gain was in-turn secretly making its way into Dumbledore's hands and that of the Order."

Again, Ron's mouth involuntarily opened. "I … I had no idea. You a ruddy spy – no-way? You are pulling my leg - it can't be true!"

"You've been a member of the Order for how long?"

"More than two-months, but not … y'know … official-like."

"In operational briefings you've attended, have you ever heard Anyone refer to an inside the Ministry informant called; 'the little Birdie'?"

"Well … yeah …"

Percy then extended his hand in an offering to shake Ron's, a broad smile upon his face. Confident that his Case had now just been met. "Hello, I was once the *Red-Robin*, nice to meet you."

Ron took his brother's hand and limply shook it. His eyes growing wider with *shock* at this discovery.

Percy, obviously getting a lot of joy at Ron's reaction offered him another hearty laugh. "You have no idea how long I have wanted to tell *you lot* this little secret, your face is almost as priceless as Fred and George's was."

"Do Mum and Dad know?"

"Of course Mum knows... now. Albus told Dad in advance and he tried to talk me out of it: naturally. Told me it was too dangerous. Mum wasn't told at the time because she would have forbidden me doing it. Like that would have actually have stopped me. No one else in the family knew - just Dad and Dumbledore - under the theory of the fewer who knew the safer I'd be. I am a Gryffindor after all, Ron. So doing *brave and stupid things* is what we do each-day before breakfast. Besides it was for Harry, the boy-who-lived and to keep him safe. And then, by extension, to keep you and everyone else safe as well."

"Why are you able to tell us now?" Ron asked.

"I had carefully worked my way up the ladder in the Ministry one corrupted department after another until in 1995 I became a-part of The Minister of Magic; Cornelius Fudges *personal staff*. Old Cornelius was deep in Lucius Malfoy's pocket – the scale of bribery was huge. I was in the perfect spot to pass-on loads of DE insider information, but then - last May you and Harry paid the Department of Mysteries an after-hours visit where He-who-cannot-be-named was seen by loads of people. Minister's Fudges *fall from grace* came fast after that. And when the New Minister Rufus Scrimgeour took office the first thing he did was replace Fudge's people with his own staff, and I found myself un-employed".

"So where are you working now?"

"I'm the Fourth undersecretary to the Director of the Diplomatic Office …*magical foreign Affairs*. My pay bucket is half what it used to be and yet - I handle all issues that involve our Wizarding UK consulates in New Zealand and Tasmania. I am as far-away from the inner workings of the Ministry as a bloke can get and still work for our government. So my days as an anti-DE spy abruptly ended".

"Who did you tell first," Ron asked

"Bill I told a month ago, he was the first - then came the Twin's. I'm not too keen in writing all this down and sending it to Charlie; I'd rather do it in person. As for Ginny? I'm holding off until she comes of 'Age' and can better appreciate everything I have to share with her. In the interim I'm praying that she takes her queue from everyone else, and by the looks of things she has."

"And Harry and Hermione?"

"No. They're both completely in the dark. Which is probably a good thing given that Harry apparently is susceptible to having his mind violated by the Dark Lord and all. And as for, Hermione … well … I'm still *on the fence* towards whether I should even trust her with all this - After what she has put you through over the last few months, by willingly dating a Malfoy, she became just the kind of pawn Albus needed to manipulate you into your Romanian training. She seems to fancy you today well-enough - but how do I reconcile that with her *lack of interest* in you over the course of the last couple of years".

"Just because I was 'out of the Family-Circle' didn't mean I was out of *the-know* when it came to my youngest little brother and his multi-year crush. It was one of the few concessions *I thought* that Albus had agreed too - that he would keep me *fully appraised* of what was happening with my family. What a bloody-joke that turned out to be - I should have known better than to expect Albus not to manipulate what family information he *passed on* to me".

"Honestly; Ron, It wasn't until just recently that I became aware that Albus had *perhaps* played matchmaker for Granger and Malfoy. He never bold-faced lied to me, but as you have learned *at some cost* he not always all that *forthcoming* with the *entire truth* about things going-on back home. Had I known before I signed-up that Albus was such a manipulative schemer I wouldn't have become his pawn."

Ron looked at his brother and tried to force down a growing sense of pride. If anyone, Weasley or otherwise, could have navigated the Chamber's of the Ministry. Percy as a spy within the Minister's personal staff, keeping his cool and not-getting nabbed – was the ultimate of stunners - all the while operating this clandestine Mission for the Order, with most of his own family none the wiser. Unlike the rest of the Weasley's, who allowed their emotions to govern their actions, Perce had been the exact opposite.

In the past, Ron had always complained that Percy was cold-blooded, now he realized just how wrong and yet at the same time how close he was to the truth. Percy wasn't cold-blooded; he was downright 'chilled'. A small smile tugged on Ron's lips. All these years. Two. Five. Ten. Fifteen. He thought he knew what made his brother tick. But Percy wasn't some … flop. If he had been doing what he said he had then he was a hard-core *Hero* showing more courage than Ron felt he had on his best day. He had proven himself to being tougher then Charlie, cooler under pressure then Bill and sneakier then Fred and George. It was a lot for him to accept and come to terms with, especially after years of cursing his name.

"Tell me, Perce. How did you do it? Three-years and not being caught-out?" Asked Ron, doing his best to conceal the growing awe in his voice.

"Not going to lie to you, Ron. I had more than my fair share of close calls. Operating without support or sanction … is not an easy thing. Especially if you're snooping right under Fudges nose as I was. I was nearly found three years ago. Right after I left the Department of International Cooperation I was caught going through the filing cabinets in the Ministry's Human Resources office. They bought me before a special committee of the Wizengamot headed by Delores Umbridge and ordered me to explain myself. Of course by this time I was starting to get a reputation around the Ministry as being a very *unlucky* person to have in your employ. As most of my former Department Heads, or members of their immediate families, tended to end up, having to *retire in disgrace*, take an extended *dirt-nap Gardening-Leave*, like both Crotch's did, *or* wind-up keeping *a cell warm* in Azkaban."

"So? What did you do?"

"I used my wits, Ron. The same wits, Dumbledore praised me for having. I told them I was discouraged, that for a bloke with my qualification's - I should have my pick of Departments; but no Department Head's wanted to 'give me a go' me after the - *Barty Crouch Sr. incident*. It wasn't my fault that my gaffer (boss) had been killed by his own son. Basically, I turned the tables on their little Inquisition and forced these Head-of-Department's to explain them-selves to the whole Wizengamot as to why I wasn't at the top of their 'Hiring-List'.

"It was brilliant gambit, even if I do say so. None of the Department Heads, of course, could come up with a reasonable explanation. So in turn they ended up helping support the reasoning behind my frustration. I closed off by saying that I was trying to find my permanent-file and seeing if there was any 'black marks' besides my name in my quarterly-appraisal. I knew there wasn't. So then I added that I also thought that my inability to 'climb-the-ladder' may be a result of some vendetta against Dad."

"WHAT!?"

Percy waved off Ron's sudden anger. "Ron, I was thinking on my feet. I knew there were at least several Death Eater's in the group standing in judgment of me besides Umbridge. I had to come across as an angry and annoyed brat. A person who placed his career above any family obligation or loyalty. I sold it with everything I had, because if I didn't … well … I don't have eyes-in-the-back-of-my-head, Ron. Unlike you and Harry and Hermione, the enemies I was making kill from the shadows and by complete surprise. They don't look you in the face and deliver a monologue on how dangerous they are and how they're going to piss on your grave. My enemies would just wait until I walked passed them and then … well … sometimes, Ron, it is necessary to look as though you are patting someone on the back in order to hide the fact you are about to stick a knife in it."

"I'm guessing the whole 'Dropping-Dad-In-It' worked though, given that you're still alive."

"It worked like a charm from a Leprechaun. But I was still about as popular in the Ministry as a Leper at a Single's Night. I needed to do something drastic, something that would have them not question my … overriding ambition. I knew … or at least suspected … after the Filing Cabinet Incident that my Owl's were being intercepted and my personal letter's were being read before being sent on".

"Albus knew this too and arranged for me to *adopt* the house-elf of a friend of his who had died the last of his bloodline. My new house-elf Tweaky thereafter hand-carried *all* my DE related information directly to Albus. With all other means of communication being watched or overheard I took a huge gamble. I wrote to everyone, telling you-all to all to distance yourselves from Harry. That he was bad-news for the entire family. That the Weasley's *association* with Potter was making things difficult for me at the Ministry. Dad was quick to figure out what I was doing, mainly because he was the only one who knew that I was Albus's spy at the Ministry. He also knew that I would not be writing what I had written unless there was a very genuine *threat* to my life, and that I needed to very-publicly 'redefine' my allegiances."

Ron nodded, painfully aware of their parent's reaction to Percy's estrangement from them, and only now fully understanding the full scope of it all. Why their mother had worried herself sick and why their father always had a sorrowed expression on his face whenever the topic of the Treasonous-Percy was raised at the dinner-table. "Dad once said that Mum cried herself to sleep every night for a year and that he felt absolutely hapless whenever he saw you walking the corridor's of the Ministry. I guess I now know why."

Percy nodded. "How do you think I felt? Especially after I received all-those Owl's back from you-lot? I was stunned that Ginny, even knew that kind of language. And as for the Twin's … them hexing the paper so that tuff's of red hair would grow from my palms … well … *that* certainly wasn't appreciated. It took a week for that spell to wear off. I was forced to wear gloves for eight-days. Bill and Charlie were slightly more civil, but certainly not short with regards to their collective disappointment in me. And as for your letter …"

"Don't. I … I don't need to be reminded of what I wrote to you … I'm sorry … I didn't know, Percy."

"That's why what you lot did was so … benefiting … to my cover. You lot are terrible actor's, and I needed your rage to be genuine."

Ron dug his hands into his jean-pockets. "So I imagine your situation changed when Fudge was sacked?"

"Not right-away, Albus was very reluctant to give-up his ever so clever *Ministry pawn*, and tried to pull stings to get me reassigned to a department where I could still be of some *value*. However as a member of Fudges staff I was untouchable by all the Heads trying to *suck-up* to the new Minister. I found a posting in the foreign office by mere chance and only because no one gets promoted *out-of* the diplomatic corps. I was now as far away from any DE corrupted department as a bloke could get. Any yet Albus still didn't want me to blow my cover. Meanwhile on the sidelines and away from the limelight my entire personal world changed," Percy said and with a smile reached into an inner pocket of his coat robes and pulled out a photograph. He handed it to an accepting Ron, who studied it a moment before looking back curiously.

"So who are the baby and the woman?"

"The woman … her name is Audrey. The baby? Well, that baby is your niece, Ron."

The youngest Weasley of the pair did a double-take on the picture. Studying every detail. Eventually he sputtered out. "But what about Penelope? I thought you two …"

"I didn't marry, Penelope, Ron," Percy admitted. "We broke up shortly after graduation, she was a bit high-maintenance and as a junior clerk at the Ministry, well, my pay packet couldn't keep up. Champagne Tastes, on a Beer Budget. She married a son of a rich business executive and now lives in Canada, or so I hear."

"Okay, I'll bite." Ron said genuinely curious. "Audrey-Who and how old is my niece?"

Percy looked at his watch and nodded to himself before he answered. "Audrey is the woman I married two months, ten days and five hours ago. While our daughter, Veronica Molly Weasley, turned four months old just yesterday. She has, as you can see been cursed with the distinctive dark red hair as all in our brood have. And the bluest and clearest eyes you will ever see …" Percy began only to be interrupted.

"Oi, hold on, either your math is a bit off there or you're a villain of the worse sort. Why did you wait until after this nipper was born to marry the mother of your child? Fluer's been in the pudding club for five months now, but Bill married her before he put a bun in her oven." Ron said becoming furious as the implications of what Percy had done hit home. "Weasley's are not bounders. We don't produce children out of wed-lock. Mum and Dad drummed that into us ever since we all realized that boys and girls are different. Why the *Hell* hasn't Mum killed you?"

With a smirk, Percy, pointed to the child in the photograph again. "Because little 'Ronnie' is adorable and Mum's now finally a Grandmother. So I got myself a free pass."

"R…R…Ronnie?!"

"Yeah, Ronnie is short for Veronica. Didn't you know that?"

The older-Ron looked again at the picture. "Oh you flippin' git. You turd with a face."

Percy's smile grew even larger as he held up his hands in surrender. "Hey, don't blame me. Audrey picked it out. Veronica was her Grandmother's first name. And I needed to do something to *get in good* with Mum and Dad, as I did as you said, had a nipper out of wed-lock. So I picked 'Molly' as her middle name.

"I, baby brother, am now set for life as far our Mum is concerned. First of her children to make her a Grand-mum, *plus* a girl at that *and* I've named it after her."

"Dad always said you were the *sharpest* Weasley in a dozen-generations. I guess this about proves it."

"Bet your arse it does. Still there is a downside, at the last Sunday Dinner we went to at the Burrow, Audrey and me had to *literally* pry Mum's finger's apart in order to have her let go of Ronnie so we could all floo home at the end of the night. Mum and dad absolutely adore her."

"Maybe … But she's a … she's a basta*"

"Oi! Say *that word* about my little-angel around me, Ron, and I swear I will finish what Voldemort and his minion's couldn't. Got me!"

"But you weren't married to her mother when she was born."

Percy shrugged. "True. But Audrey was married, just not to me. Divorce in Wizarding England is next to impossible; the Wizengamot has to approve it by majority vote. That takes loads of gold and considerable political muscle. Audrey's divorce ended-up taking a little bit longer to come through than we had expected. But as soon as it all became official, I had a priest available to hear us deliver our vows to one another. Audrey was a *free-woman* for all of five-minutes before she became my wife. The really hard part - of course – was filling out the paperwork to officially 'adopt' little Ronnie as mine, even with the *eager help* of her ex-husband Michael; there were roadblocks galore. But hey ….*"

"*YOU ADOPTED YOUR OWN CHILD, MY NIECE?"

"Yes I did, I had too, and keep you voice down, people are staring at us," Percy continued in a far more reasonable tone. "I couldn't legally claim Ronnie - because as Michael's legal wife at the time of birth - Ronnie was legitimately his child; not mine."

"So she was married? You had an affair with a married woman - got her pregnant, cuckolding her poor husband …or didn't he know that you were shagging his wife?" Ron asked in a fierce angry whisper.

"Oh he knew alright, in fact Michael was damn supportive during the whole thing. Once we were together as a couple - my only instruction from him was to keep her happy. Real nice bloke. You'd like him, Ron."

"N…nice. Are you kidding me?!"

"It was fine; Ron, really. He noticed at one political function that my eyes were lingering too often to be polite - on the form of his young …attractive wife, while she was *looking me over* like a lioness does her latest kill. No woman has ever before looked at me with such unashamed hunger. She watched my every move for the longest time, leaned into her husband asking something of him in a whisper - while pointing in my direction. Later on, before the Ball started to break up, Michael - - the husband, approached my table and asked if I was interested in getting to know his wife… y'know … up for it?"

"BUT*"

"Michael is unshakably *Gay*, Ron. He's not feminine in appearance or action by any means - but he's definitely batting for the other team. They had … y'know … a marriage of political convenience. She came from a dirt-poor Spanish family, like us Weasley's - while Michael's parent's had buckets of dosh. His ambition is to one-day become; the future Minister-of-Magic and he and his family knew that was never going to happen if his … sexual preferences … were discovered. So they organized a fake marriage and bought him a pretty wife. Sure they shared the same bed, but he never touched her Ron, in either the physical or romantic sense".

"I mean … yeah … the two of them grew to love each other, but it was more like brother and sister. Ron – you've known me most of my life – I'm not one to *indulge* in flights of romantic fancy. I've never been a believer in the nonsense of *love at first sight*. But there was something about Audrey that drew me in like a moth to a flame".

"After Michael did a discreet background check on me – and shared what he learned with Audrey - there followed a few weeks of – oh how can I best describe it - *chaperoned dating* – where we hung-out together as if close friends. Michael's social elite friends got used to seeing the three of us laughing at restaurants and wandering about Diagon Alley. During this time Audrey got to know me – and I her; for she is beyond clever, cultured, and elegant. The more we did things together; the more Michael became convinced I was the right choice".

"He confided in me once over dinner that he always felt *dead guilty* for depriving his wife of a physical relationship she craved so much. Once she finally had her husband's *blessing* to pursue me – our rather odd courtship began. One minute she would innocently flirt, the next she come on to me all seductive. Her banter was witty - her humor warm and the biggest surprise of was that - I – Percy of all men on earth - was the man she wanted and apparently she wasn't about to take no for an answer".

"She has the traditional hot Hispanic nature that gives a whole new meaning hot tempered seductive beauty. – She didn't come-off like a slag in any way and yet there were times I thought she was straining at the bit – like a horse at the gate before the race begins - in her eagerness to *get* me".

"You're a goner Percy, totally in love with your own wife," Ron said with a soft chuckle.

"Yeah I am – and ain't it GREAT! Percy said all but beaming with happiness. "Any-road - - I wanted her and she wanted me so when Michael wisely decided to step out of the way. Like a lioness in Africa she pounced on her prey …me – in minutes all the *Weasley arse-backward mating traditions* I use to think *silly* were fulfilled - it was Divine match-making at its finest. Michael only condition to the physical aspects of our affair was that we had to be discreet. And we were."

"Then what happened?"

"I guess I cocked-up an anti-conception-charm or something. And Audrey fell-pregnant. Her husband didn't have the heart to order Audi to have it terminated, like I said Ron, Michael really is a nice-bloke. So we made an elaborate scene where he discovered Audrey had been unfaithful with me. It was a full-on social scandal."

"How come I never heard about it in the Prophet?"

"Because like I said, Ron, his family came *fully-doshed up* - and he was on the top rung of the Ministry Ladder, the indispensable *right hand man* to Rufus Scrimgeour himself, our newest Minister of Magic. It served no-one to embarrass him. Divorce proceedings were only concluded due to Michael direct intervention. In exchange for Audrey not fighting the false-notion that little Ronnie was of his *begetting* she got her 'freedom' from a love-less marriage, plus a rather large pile of gold".

"Michael got himself the sympathy of some of the Department Heads who also had very-young-wives and just the *suggestion* that he had *sired* a child made his secret as a closeted-gay… fully-secured. Because after discovering his wife of four years had cheated on him with a low-level-pencil-pusher, how could he ever trust marrying another woman – ever again? He felt *honor bound* not to separate a new mother and child, and because I agreed to bring-up the baby - He ALLOWED me to adopt it. As for me? I got a woman I loved and a child I adore."

"And you're happy?"

"Madly so."

"Then I guess I'm happy for you as well … I suppose. I'm glad you're not doing all this spying-stuff anymore – not with a little one underfoot. It's too ruddy dangerous, Percy. You had to put an end to it. If not for Mum and Dad, then for your wife and child."

The older brother reached out his arm and extended to over his younger brother's shoulder. "That's exactly what Fudges *Fall from Grace* did for me, Ron. Eight-and-a-half-months ago, I showed up at Grimmauld Place during a Meetings of the OotP (Order of the Phoenix) and told everyone there that I had been sacked from the Minister's personal staff. That I had by *dumb-luck* found a posting in the Magical Foreign Office', otherwise I'd have been *banished* from government service and irreversibly unemployed".

"I also pointed my role in the Audrey social scandal which would also have prevented me from climbing the promotion ladder in the Ministry a second time. That I had acquired new responsibilities of wife and baby and my little girl's happiness took precedent over the *joys* of espionage."

"What did Albus do?"

"He tried to talk me out of Marrying Audrey or adopting my child of course. Went on about me being needed to do *undercover work* now more than ever. But the truth finally won out; Ron. All the rest of Fudge's staff left government service for good. I'm now a double *political pariah* due to the Adultery Scandal. I have been unofficially told several times now that I will 'never-get promoted ever again'. That my current posting in *Diplomacy* was a dead-end job for my career.

Michael even politely suggested that I leave government service – and try the private sector. He had too many High-Ranking-Supporters who didn't know the full truth about me and Audrey. My current place at the Ministry is … well, - there really wasn't any valuable information I can obtain where I am – not anymore. No more sitting in on High Level Briefing's. In Fudges fall from power I became overnight - *espionage impotent*."

"I'm guessing that Dumbledore probably didn't take this news all too well."

"Spot on. Albus likes to be in control, or at least be the one pulling the strings. The moment I took that away from him … well … he became a bit childish. Not quite a tantrum … more likes petulance. Disappointing is probably the best word to describe what I felt for him at the time. Don't get me wrong, I still respect him as a Wizard. He's probably one of the most powerful wizards in the world.

"But as a … Leader of men, commander of the Order - and human being? - He falls short. I remember being so impressed by him when I was a student. But now …. I told him as I was leaving the spy *game-board* and that if he wanted to defeat You-Know-Who then he would have to get himself another *Weasley-Stooge* because I had a family now to consider. Four days later I hear that you were on your way to Romania."

Ron again looked down to his shoes. Then his eyes once more grew wide at the realization. "Hang-on. Are you suggesting that's what Dumbledore did? Found himself another Weasley-Stooge - - in me?"

Percy shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. The timing is just … well, suspicious. But then again my years of operating in secret and undercover have perhaps made me a-bit paranoid. I didn't even know Hermione had been seeing Malfoy until Bill told me a few hours ago in the Pub. But it's something he would do. Putting a bloke with Draco's *lady-killer* reputation in the same Head Suite with Hermione, they would have either ended up killing each other- or -she would have eventually been *worn down* by his 'charms'."

"A good gambit - on Albus's part; if you think-about it. A grand bit of manipulation on both of you - she tries to reform the evil Malfoy and you become so broken hearted and vulnerable when you are *allowed* to learn of their tryst - as to be easy molded into whatever *chess-piece* he needed. Albus likes to plan ahead; Ron - very long-ahead. - I've begun to think that he's been cleverly manipulating his students love-lives for generations now. His plots are not played out in just one act. It's done in throughout the entire passion play. With those involved never knowing that they're being played. As far as they are concerned it's all *free-will*."

"No … no … I can't accept this."

"Look, I'm sorry. Perhaps this is just me sprouting pure nonsense out-loud. But I've been a spy long enough to suspect plots, within plots - - within plots. I just think that it's too much of a coincidence that you get sent to spend three-months holiday with Charlie, just days after I tell Albus to stick-it."

"But that would mean he would have been setting this whole thing up since the beginning of the year."

"Ron, Dumbledore started grooming me to be a spy at 16. Nothing would be beyond him. If he saw some *potential* in you he'd want to stack-the-deck in his favor. Of that much … I'm sure."

Ron opened his mouth ready to argue, but Percy headed him off. "Bill told me that you had discovered them in a Classroom together getting all touchy-feely, right? Why would they bother? They had adjoining bed rooms in the Head-Suites. I mean sure it's all kinky and stuff. But their School Head's, why *risk* being caught-out by a student? Let alone do it in a section of the Castle you were scheduled to Patrol? Tell me, Ron. Was that area one you usually do your Round's on?"

Ron had to think for a moment back to that dreadful night, he then shock his head. "No. I usually do the East Side and the Upper Level's. It … I was told it was changed because the Huffle-Puff Prefect had a stomach ache and was in the Infirmary. It was a last minute change."

"And who makes those changes, Ron?"

"The Head's. The House Master's. Or the- -"

"- -Or the Headmaster!"

Ron felt that he had just been kicked in the gut with a steel capped boot. He clenched his fists and a feral growl began to rise in his throat. "No … I can't believe this … I can't. That would mean- -"

"- -Tell me, Ron, when you were learning about Dragon's with Charlie did people show up *out of the blue* and try and teach you *other* things? People from the Order – *or* - personal friends of the Headmaster? That's what happened to me. Before I was to start at the Ministry, Dumbledore organized Mad-Eye Moody to pay me a visit. You lot all thought I was at a Day-Long Orientation Briefing by the Ministry. In reality I was at an Order's Safe house receiving a crash-coarse on Intelligence Gathering. Something like that would usually take weeks … or months … fortunately Alistair had himself a- - *"

"- -A ministry strength Time-Turner," Ron said completing his brother's sentence.

Percy nodded. "So it looks like we were both used. I was made a Spy while you were made into a Chosen-One's bodyguard."

"Assassin/professional soldier is probably a more fitting description of me now." Ron snarled out.

Percy chuckled once more, but this time there was no humor in it. "The Spy and the Assassin. Boy, us Weasley's really are a dark bunch aren't we?"

Ron looked at his older brother and nodded grimly. "Yeah, Perce – that we are - and may God help anybody that gets in our way."

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