As Ginny began to return to consciousness, she realised she wasn't in her bed. In her half-awake state, she at first thought it was the bed at Grimmauld Place, but the more alert she became the more she noticed that she was in a strange bed. The bed was harder than both her own and the one in Grimmauld Place, and there was a strange smell that seemed familiar, but that she couldn't quite place.
Blinking her eyes open, Ginny found the concerned face of her brother hovering over her. Spotting a second face also hovering over her, Ginny blinked several times to try and get rid of her double vision. But as her eyes focused properly she realised she wasn't seeing double, it was just the twins. Mentally rolling her eyes at how stupid she was, she tried to sit up.
"Take it easy," Fred urged as he and George helped Ginny sit up in what she could now clearly see was a hospital bed.
"What happened?" she muttered.
"We were hoping you might be able to tell us that," another voice said, and Ginny whipped her head to the other side, where Percy, Bill and Charlie were all sitting beside her bed.
Instantly Ginny knew that whatever had happened was serious if it had brought her three oldest brothers to her side. Even though Percy still lived in the country, he'd kept away from the family and maintained his neutral stance. And as for Bill and Charlie, they hadn't been home for a few years, not since the falling out over Hermione.
"How are you feeling?" Bill asked his little sister.
"My head hurts," Ginny replied just as a Medi-Witch approached and informed them that a healer would be with them shortly to check Ginny out.
"Maybe you could talk afterwards," the Medi-Witch suggested.
"That's a good idea," Charlie remarked as the brothers left Ginny to be checked over by the healer.
As the healer arrived and checked Ginny over, snippets of memories started to emerge. By the time her brothers came back, she knew she could tell them what had happened. But she also knew she had plenty of questions, and first among them was asking about the rest of the family.
"They're all still in the hospital," Bill said, although Ginny could tell he wasn't telling her everything.
"Why don't you tell us what happened," Charlie urged. "We only have snippets of the story so far."
"We were at headquarters when a message arrived from Dumbledore," Ginny began. "He said he was under attack, and urgently asked for help. Word was sent out to as many people as the Order could reach, and then they headed off to help themselves."
"You didn't go with them?" Percy asked with a frown. "Then how were you found with the others?"
"I asked to go, and as usual I was told no," Ginny huffed. "But Dad was obviously worried this was more serious, and he attached a spell to my wand so that I could follow if they never returned. He did caution me not to use it unless necessary, and that was what I did. I waited and waited, and no-one came home. I must have waited three or four hours before I activated Dad's spell and went after them."
"And what did you find?" Bill asked.
"A mess," Ginny answered with a shudder. "I landed in the countryside, possibly somewhere close to Hogwarts as the type of scenery was similar. But there was a house, or at least I think it used to be a house. When I arrived it was virtually collapsed. There was also people lying around all over the place. Some of them weren't moving, but some of them were. Before I had a chance to look for anyone, I heard Dad calling my name. I spotted him lying propped up beside some trees, but before I could get to him I spotted Harry and You-Know-Who. They were just standing there, and then they cast some sort of spell. The spell was like a wave of colour rushing towards me. I don't know what happened next as that's all I can remember."
"It seems to have been some sort of spell which knocked everyone out," Bill informed Ginny. "Everyone was unconscious when the Aurors arrived."
"Aurors?" Ginny gasped. "They came to investigate the attack?"
"No, they were there to see Dumbledore," Bill admitted. "The Ministry is re-looking into Hermione's kidnapping as a child."
"The new Minister is trying to rectify some of his predecessors bumbling incompetencies," Percy supplied haughtily.
"They'd come to arrest Dumbledore?" Ginny checked.
"They would have taken him in for questioning first," Percy said. "But an arrest would have likely followed. After all, we all know the claims are true and he merely manipulated Fudge into letting him get away with it."
"So what's going to happen to him?" Ginny asked. "And everyone else involved? What does this mean for Mum and Dad?"
"Firstly, nothing will happen to Dumbledore," Charlie said. "He's dead."
"Dead," Ginny repeated quietly. "He was killed in the attack?"
"We're not sure of the details, but he's dead," Bill said.
"As for Mum and Dad, they've already been charged with kidnapping," Fred supplied.
"I thought you said they were still in hospital," Ginny muttered with a frown.
"They are," George confirmed with a nod of his head. "Dad will be getting discharged today, and he'll be going straight into custody. As for Mum, she's still undergoing tests."
"What sort of tests?" Ginny asked.
"She's up in psychiatric," Bill whispered softly. "When she came round she was ranting about everything being her fault. She calmed down enough to admit everything to the Aurors, but when she was informed of the deaths, she lost it again and started claiming that it was all her, and that none of this would have happened if it wasn't for her."
"Deaths as in plural?" Ginny questioned. "Who else died aside from Dumbledore?"
"Hagrid, Sirius and Moody," Fred answered. "Tonks and her father are still in a bad way."
"And so is Ron," Percy said, earning himself a few nasty looks from his brothers. "What?" he cried, shrugging his shoulders. "She needed to know."
"Yes, I did," Ginny agreed. "What's wrong with Ron?"
"He's in a coma," Charlie answered. "It looks like he was badly tortured. At the minute, the healers aren't sure he'll pull through."
"I want to see him," Ginny insisted, pushing back the covers only for George to replace them again.
"Not now, Ginny," George said softly.
"I want to see everyone," Ginny continued. "I want to see Mum and Dad."
"Percy's sorted it so that the Aurors will bring Dad into see you before they take him to the Ministry," Charlie said. "None of us can see Mum until they know exactly what's wrong with her, and Ron isn't going anywhere. You can go and see him later if you're feeling better."
"What's going to happen to them?" Ginny whispered as she slumped back against the pillows on her bed. "Will they end up in Azkaban?"
"Since Mum confessed, Dad also told the truth about the kidnapping," Percy said. "A custodial sentence is very likely. But Mum has also admitted plotting to kill Hermione. So unless she's kept in hospital, she'll face additional charges."
"And what about Hermione and the others?" Ginny asked. "Will they be charged with the attack on Dumbledore? Will they be charged for all the lives they ruined?"
"There's an investigation taking place to find what happened," Bill said with a shrug. "But I think we all know what the outcome will be."
"Yeah, no doubt Hermione and her family will all have alibis for what happened," Charlie added. "I'd be surprised if there was any comeback."
"So what, they get away with murder?" Ginny hissed.
"Like the Order got away with multiple kidnappings?" George snorted. "It's not ideal Ginny, and in a perfect world none of this would have happened."
"And let's not forget that if Mum and Sirius hadn't plotted to kill Hermione, she and Harry would still be with the Order," Fred added.
"So that makes it alright that You-Know-Who and his Death Eaters have murdered half the Order?" Ginny spat. "You know that I disagree with what happened as much as anyone. But I can't condone what happened. I can't condone that bloodbath."
"We don't condone it either," Fred said quietly. "But we can see it for what it could be."
"And what's that?" Ginny snorted.
"The end of the war," Charlie said, letting Ginny know that all of her brothers were on the same page.
"If we leave things as they are, there will be no need for the dark to carry on the fight," Bill added. "We haven't opposed them so far, so it would be madness to do so now."
"So what, we just let it go?" Ginny whispered, even though part of her could understand the way her brothers were thinking.
"We let it go," Fred confirmed. "We're going to lose Mum and Dad anyway. Let's not lose any more by fighting a pointless war."
"Let it go, Ginny," George advised. "Fred and I trust Harry and Hermione, and we know they won't come after us. We know they'll allow us to live our lives in peace."
"Ron will never stand for it," Ginny predicted.
"I'm not sure Ron's going to get a chance to object," Percy remarked. "As we said, Gin, he's in a bad way. In all honesty, we don't think he'll pull through."
"You're right, if Ron was here he would tell you to keep fighting," Fred said. "But look where that got him. Don't be like Ron, Ginny. Let things go and live your own life. Don't let our parents mistakes drag you down."
With her brothers words of wisdom echoing in her head, Ginny settled down for some rest. And when Arthur was allowed in to see her later that day, he said the same as her brothers and he urged Ginny to move on with her life and not to carry on the pointless fight with the dark.
As Hermione strode through the Atrium of the Ministry of Magic, at Lucius's side, she was aware that almost everyone was casting glances in her direction. Holding her head high, Hermione followed Lucius to the gold elevators in the corner of the Atrium and stepped inside after him.
"You have certainly grabbed the attention this morning," he drawled as the doors slid closed behind them.
"They better get used to seeing me around," Hermione remarked with a shrug.
"So you're still set on coming to work here?" Lucius checked.
"I'm not just going to work here, Lucius, I'm going to run the place," Hermione said with a smirk.
"Not yet," Lucius cautioned with a chuckle. "Don't run before you can walk, Hope."
"Don't worry, the Minister's job is safe," Hermione assured Lucius as the elevator stopped and they alighted on the top floor, where the Minister's offices were located. "For now," she muttered under her breath, following Lucius towards the Minister's office.
While Lucius headed into the Minister's office for his arranged meeting, Hermione filled in some paperwork which would ensure her a job in the Minister's office. Although before taking over as Minister, she wanted experience in every department so she also filled in forms which would enable her to work in any department as needs called for it. As Lucius had said, she wasn't ready to take over yet, so until she was, she wanted to know how every part of the Ministry worked.
When Hermione had finished her forms, Lucius still hadn't emerged from the Minister's office, so she used the chance to chat to the Minister's assistant. Although since the young girl hadn't been working at the Ministry very long, she couldn't tell Hermione much about the Minister and his new regime. Although Hermione would soon find out things first hand when she started her own career as a lowly Ministry employee.
By the time Lucius emerged from the Minister's office, a smug smirk gracing his lips, Hermione had given up talking to the Minister's assistant and was sitting reading some literature about the Ministry.
"Good news?" she checked, sliding the leaflets she'd been reading into her bag so she could finish them at home.
"Very," Lucius replied as they headed for the lifts. "Arthur Weasley has been transferred to Azkaban, awaiting trial. His wife has also been declared fit to stand trial, and she'll be arriving at the Ministry for questioning later today."
"I thought I might have broken Molly," Hermione remarked with a slight sigh.
"She's fit to stand trial, but she won't be heading to Azkaban just yet," Lucius said. "She's still receiving psychiatric treatment. Her mind will likely never be the same again."
"And what about Ron? Any news on him?"
"Still in a coma as far as we know," Lucius said with a shrug as they stepped into the lift when it arrived. "But he's not expected to wake."
"And what are the Ministry saying about Dumbledore's death?" Hermione asked.
"Death by misadventure," Lucius chuckled. "As it turned out, he died from a crushing blow to the head. So no murder charge. As for the entire incident, the Ministry will brush it under the carpet as long as nothing like this happens again. I think the general feeling in the air is that the war is over. I think everyone knows your father is victorious, and I think people are hoping this is it."
"I don't think there's enough of the Order to fight," Hermione said. "Nor do I think that anyone left will be stupid enough to carry on a fight they can't win. I would say the war was over."
"I think that might be tomorrow's headline," Lucius chuckled. "Your father was planning on speaking to the press today. So how does it feel to be the daughter of the victor?"
"It feels good," Hermione admitted as they exited at the Atrium. "Although it will feel even better once I've got this place whipped into shape. I know I'm not ready yet, but I can't wait to become Minister of Magic."
Taking one last look around the place that one day would be her domain, Hermione headed home with Lucius, where they spent the rest of the day celebrating their victory with the rest of the family. They had won the war and had control of Wizarding Britain. Now while Hermione worked on solidifying their position in Britain, her father and Harry would spread their wings and extend their dark empire across the rest of the Wizarding World.