WARNING: Ron thinks things about abuse victims which the author does not agree with. Abuse is never the fault of the victim! If this triggers you don't read the paragraph starting "Ron had done nothing".
Chapter Seventy-Two
The Final Nail
Ron and Ginny had been released into the care of the witch from Department of Magical Children. Ron hoped this meant that they could go home soon. It wasn't fair that they were being treated as criminals for trying to save the world.
'Where's Mum?' asked Ron.
'Your parents are currently being held by the DMLE, pending further questioning in the morning,' McLaggen said crisply.
'What's going to happen to us?' asked Ginny.
'That remains to be seen,' McLaggen said. 'Before anything I want to talk to you separately about your upbringing.'
'Why?' asked Ron frowning.
'We're not being abused!' Ginny said hotly.
Ron blinked, 'of course, we're not. You don't think that …'
Ron had done nothing to warrant being hurt by his own family! It wasn't like he was like Slytherin who was an evil, dark, bastard in-training, who deserved every hurt that the Dursleys visited on him. Ron would have gladly helped them had that not been his role.
McLaggen stopped looking at them sadly, 'sometimes abuse is obvious and other times it is subtle. Your parents are currently being held for several serious crimes and your former older brothers have recently disowned themselves. This brings several concerns about the way you were raised. If indeed it is all circumstantial you will be released into the care of an appropriate family member until such a time that your parents are released … or permanently as the case may be.'
Ginny and Ron looked at each other with disgust and anger in their eyes. They were led into a nice room with comfy sofas, a low round wooden table, books, toys, comics and games were present. Ginny and Ron sat opposite the McLaggen woman.
'Are you hungry or thirsty?' asked McLaggen.
'I'm okay,' Ginny replied sounding tense.
'Can I have pumpkin juice and pasties,' Ron said eagerly.
McLaggen waved a wand and a flagon of pumpkin juice, two cups, and a tray of pumpkin pasties appeared on the table. Ron eagerly took one and began to eat. Ginny gave him a disgusted look, wrinkling her nose.
'Don't we get legal counsel?' asked Ginny.
McLaggen shook her head, 'this is not a criminal interview – nothing you say here can be held against you.'
'Only our parents,' muttered Ron.
'Okay, let's start with the basics, did your parents ever hit you?' asked McLaggen.
'No,' Ginny said.
'My mum spanked me a few times when I was a kid,' shrugged Ron.
'Did she ever draw blood?' asked McLaggen.
Ron shook his head, 'no.'
'Or bruise you enough that it left you in pain?' asked McLaggen.
'No,' Ron said.
McLaggen nodded, 'I don't approve on the practice of use of spanking as a punishment for children – it teaches children that violence is an appropriate solution, but it is not illegal.'
'Mum didn't use it very often,' Ginny was quick to say.
'Okay, moving on, did your parents ever touch you in a way that made you comfortable?' asked McLaggen.
'No,' Ron said disgusted.
Ginny, however, was looking at her knees as she mumbled a quick, 'no.'
'Miss Weasley,' McLaggen said ever so gently. 'Did either of your parents ever touch your private parts.'
'No,' Ginny's voice was stronger, but she still refused to look up.
'Miss Weasley, would you like to speak without your brother here?' asked McLaggen.
'No, I'm fine,' Ginny said glaring at McLaggen through her fringe.
'If something did happen, it was not your fault and you can speak about it without fear here,' McLaggen said gently. 'Or you show us what happened on a doll.'
'Nothing happened, I'm fine,' snapped Ginny.
'Let's be candid, Miss Weasley, were you ever sexually abused?' asked McLaggen.
'No,' snapped Ginny.
Ron was looking between the two of them utterly nonplussed. Mum and Dad would never have touched Ginny in anyway that could possibly be construed as abusive. Both of them thought the world of her. But Ginny's reaction was … strange.
McLaggen frowned but moved on, 'did you always have enough food, clean clothes and bedding?'
Ginny nodded, 'of course.'
'If we were hungry there was food,' Ron said.
Ginny nodded, 'and mum always made sure I had new clothes.'
'Lucky you,' muttered Ron. 'All I got is hand-me-downs.'
'Ron,' hissed Ginny.
McLaggen waved it a way, 'perfectly normal in a large, low-income family. And how did you feel growing up?'
'What do you mean?' asked Ginny frowning.
'Well did you feel like you were a burden to your family, did you feel that there was something wrong with you, or did you feel loved and cared for?' asked McLaggen.
'Loved and cared for, of course,' Ron said.
Ginny nodded, 'yeah, Mum and Dad always made me feel special and important.'
'Special and important, could you clarify?' asked McLaggen.
'Well, I was the first female Weasley in four generations,' shrugged Ginny. 'Mum always said that I would save the Weasley dynasty.'
'A quite normal feeling amongst old families,' McLaggen said. 'So, do you have a marriage contract?'
Ginny shook her head, 'Dad doesn't approve of marriage contracts.'
McLaggen nodded, 'okay, so let me ask you what you think about right and wrong? What did people teach you about right and wrong?'
'Hurting people is bad and helping people is good,' said Ginny.
'A simple explanation, but not wrong,' agreed McLaggen. 'And what do you think about murder?'
'It's wrong,' Ron said.
'And what about Heir Slytherin?' asked McLaggen.
'That's different,' Ron said sharply.
'Ron,' hissed Ginny.
'Different?' asked McLaggen.
'Well, he's evil,' shrugged Ron. 'It's not murder … it's like killing doxies so they don't destroy your home.'
'So, you think Heir Slytherin is a pest that needs destroyed?' asked McLaggen calmly.
'All evils in the world can be attributed to the Slytherin clan – the sooner they are extinct the better it will be,' Ron said.
'And this is what your parents taught you?' asked McLaggen.
Ron realised what he had said was not gaining traction so stopped and looked away.
'And what about stealing?' asked McLaggen. 'Is that wrong?'
'Yes, of course it is,' Ron said.
'And what about the embezzlement from Heir Slytherin's account, would that be wrong?' asked McLaggen.
'He didn't need the money,' Ron muttered. 'It's like taxes – you take from the wealthy and redistribute it out amongst the needy.'
'That's not exactly how taxation works,' McLaggen said. 'But what Dumbledore and your family were doing was not what you have described. The stolen money was not redistributed amongst the needy, but your own accounts.'
'We needed it,' Ron argued.
'And your friendship with Heir Slytherin, what was that about?' asked McLaggen. 'If he was so evil, why would you be friends with him?'
Ginny shrugged, 'we wanted to check if he really was as evil as his father.'
'And what do you think of Dumbledore?' asked McLaggen.
'He's Dumbledore,' Ginny said simply.
'What does that mean?' asked McLaggen.
'He's saved us from two Dark Lords,' Ron said.
McLaggen raised her eyebrows, 'and you follow him?'
'Of course,' agreed Ron.
'Even though he has hurt people for his own gain?' asked McLaggen. 'Which you have already said is wrong.'
'Yes,' Ron said.
Ginny hesitated, 'he might have gone too far on occasion, but he is doing what is necessary to protect the Wizarding World.'
'Thank you, that will be all,' McLaggen said. 'I'm going to have a Healer take a look at you to see if there are any evidence of abuse.'
Ginny startled, 'is that really necessary?'
'It is just procedure,' assured McLaggen. 'If your parents are all you think they are, then you have nothing to fear,' McLaggen said leaving.
'You shouldn't have been so honest,' Ginny said sharply.
'What about you?' demanded Ron. 'She's now going to think that Dad was raping you?'
Ginny looked irritated but afraid, 'do you think there's any chance we'll escape being looked at by healers?'
'Is this because of the baby?' asked Ron quietly. 'Hopefully, we'll find out which of your lovers is the father. But really Ginny you shouldn't be-'
'Ron,' hissed Ginny.
A young dark-skinned man with kind dark eyes and a neutral look on his face.
'Hello, I am Healer Mohinder Khanna,' the Healer said. 'Who would like to be checked first?'
'We don't need to be checked,' Ginny muttered.
'This is all a matter of procedure, Miss McLaggen does not believe you are being physically abused,' Khanna said. 'Okay, Mr Weasley, as the eldest you will go first.'
ooo
Ernestine McLaggen was standing outside of Room Four whilst Mohinder did his work. After the interview with Ronald Weasley Ernestine had gone to her boss and requested overtime to handle to two Weasleys case. After she had repeated what she had heard it was allowed and Mohinder the emergency healer was brought in.
After talking with Mr Weasley again, and Miss Weasley, Ernestine was even more convinced that there was something very wrong with that family. It was very clear to her that they had been indoctrinated from an early age and now had a very skewed idea of right and wrong. It would be a challenge to prove it as all parents imparted their own sets of beliefs onto children. However, the fact that these children had been used to commit crimes and genuinely believed on of their peers deserved to die simply because he was born was concerning. Of course, Ernestine was sure there were children of Death Eaters who believed the same but anti-Muggleborn sentiments were far more … accepted than the murder of an heir.
But what concerned her more was Miss Weasley's reaction to being asked if she had been touched sexually. She had denied it, but that was not uncommon in these kinds of cases. No what concerned her more was the fact that she refused to meet her eyes for the first few questions and then became angry when pressed. Hopefully, Mohinder would clarify, although, depending what kind of molestation it was it might not show up on the scan.
Mohinder came out fifteen minutes later with two scrolls. They weren't terribly long, like you would expect from an abuse victim. Ernestine expected Mr Weasley's chart first – the first half a page of entries were nothing unexpected. A few cuts, scrapes and bruises – the kind you would expect most children to get from tumbles and falls a normal children to have. Evidence of being vaccinated against Dragon Pox, Spattergotti and the normal Muggle illnesses. It was only when he started Hogwarts did things became a little concerning.
Dragon (Norwegian Ridgeback) Bite, contains giftdrage poison – 6th May 1992
Treated with antivenom – 7th May 1992
'Where the hell did Weasley come into contact with a dragon at Hogwarts?' demanded Ernestine.
Dragon bites were no laughing matter. The poison could kill you within hours of being infected. Her older brother was a dragonologist and had been barely scratched by a nesting mother even under the care of experienced healers he had died within hours. It was a surprise that Weasley who had waited twenty-four hours to be treated had lasted as long as he had.
'He could have been killed!' Ernestine said.
'Probably a hatchling,' Mohinder said. 'Dragons venom becomes the more potent the older they are. You should hand that over to the DMLE for them to investigate possible negligence.'
'You are right, of course,' Ernestine said returning to reading and trying hard not to think of her kid cousins coming into contact with a dragon as young children.
Blow to the Head, rendered unconscious, concussion – 5th June 1992
Healed – 6th June 1992
'Could have been a Quidditch accident, prank or mispronounced spell,' shrugged Mohinder. 'Worse things than that have happened, and it seems to have been treated right away.'
More cuts, bruises and other injuries occurred over the next two years. Nothing serious, and nothing requiring healing. Until it came to the summer of 1994 where he was bitten by a dog and broke his leg on the same day. Again, nothing that couldn't have been an accident or a child getting too close to the Forbidden Forest as part of a dare. After that there was nothing of note to worry about until earlier this day.
Obliviate Charm – 6th August 1995
Now she took Miss Weasley's scroll that was the one that Ernestine expected to have a greater chance of abuse being shown. Again, the first decade there was nothing of note to report. Less minor injuries than her brother and those she did get were usually treated with magic which was the sign of being overprotective of their daughter. But then when she was eleven things became more worrisome.
Soul damage, class XXXXX soul magic (unknown) – August 1992 to June 1993
Ernestine hissed when she realised that an thirteen-year-old child had been harmed by such dark magic, and exotic enough that the healing examination couldn't tell what it was so just classified it. Worse there was no evidence of a purification ritual done afterwards to allow her soul to heal. They would have to see a specialist Soul Healer to see if any permanent damage was done and Soul Healers were not common in Britain as those who specialised in it were almost always Dark witches and wizards. The next three years were again nothing of note.
Fertility Potion – Administered 23rd June 1995
Artificial Insemination – 23rd June 1995
Currently six weeks and two days pregnant (male, male) – sired by Marcus Flint
Ernestine hissed – artificial insemination, fertility potion and having a pregnancy sired by a member of a titled family could only mean one thing. Line theft! The ultimate crime that a witch or wizard could commit! That would explain why Madam Bones was so interested in the Weasley's medical report because she must have suspected this to have happened but without concrete evidence could not move on Weasley. It meant that Ginevra Weasley was damned even if it was likely her parents and Dumbledore who were at fault.
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Ginny found herself back in the interview room feeling nervous because this time she had been arrested on the charge of line theft. Ginny knew that the gig was up – McLaggen knew that she had committed line theft. Ginny knew there was nothing she could say that would protect her, not now, which was why she hadn't even bothered to ask for a lawyer, because they could not protect her from the law. The only thing she could hope was that Dumbledore would come and save her.
Amelia Bones, an older male Auror whose once blonde hair was more grey than blonde, and McLaggen. Ginny scowled at the three of them who had been responsible for everything that went wrong. They should be helping them, but instead they were helping the Dark side winning.
'Formal interview of Ginevra Molly Weasley, charged with line theft,' Bones said clearly. 'Conducted by Head of the DMLE Amelia Susan Bones and Senior Auror Jamieson Theseus Tuckett. Interview started on sixth of August at 21:41. Miss Ernestine McLaggen is acting as Miss Weasley's responsible adult. Miss Weasley has turned down the offer of a lawyer.'
'Do you know a Marcus Flint?' asked Tuckett.
'He was the Slytherin captain in my first and second year,' shrugged Ginny frowning wondering where this was going. 'Why?'
'Because you have been impregnated by him,' Tuckett said sharply.
Ginny paled, 'no, that's impossible it's supposed to be Slyth-'
'You thought that Heir Slytherin was the father,' Bones said, 'but there was a mix-up with the semen sample stolen? So, who did you get the semen sample from?'
Ginny scowled, if she was going to go down for this then she was going to bring everyone else down with her too. But maybe she could barter for her freedom, or at least not to get her soul sucked. Surely Azkaban had to be better than that?
'I'll tell you, if you take the Kiss off the table,' Ginny said.
'No, can do,' Bones said. 'Either you can tell us, or after you give birth you will be questioned under veritserum.'
'But you can't do that, I will still be a minor,' Ginny said desperately.
'Miss Weasley,' McLaggen said. 'An exception to that law is made for the crime of line theft.'
'So, who supplied you with the semen?' asked Tuckett.
'Severus Snape,' Ginny said. 'He was supposed to have gotten Slytherin's – he failed us. Probably, did it on purpose.'
'And why would he do that?' asked Bones raising an eyebrow.
'And who performed the procedure?' asked Tuckett.
'Nobody,' Ginny said sharply.
'Your mother was a healer, was she not?' Bones said crisply. 'Did she perform the procedure?'
'No, my family don't know anything,' Ginny lied.
'Did Dumbledore put you up to it?' asked Bones.
'No,' Ginny lied again.
'We have several statements to the contrary saying that it was Dumbledore's plan,' Bones said.
'Then they lied,' Ginny said sharply. 'It was all me … and Snape.'
'If that's the truth why did you do it?' asked Tuckett. 'More to the point why did Severus Snape help you do so.'
Ginny had no answer to that so didn't give on, 'I don't know.'
Severus Snape was sitting having a late dinner after being unable to leave his potions unattended. As he ate, he read the Evening Prophet where Dumbledore's arrest was displayed on every page. Severus wondered how long it would be before Weasley's pregnancy was discovered and how long before he himself was connected to it.
Just as he thought that he felt a knock on his wards and went to the door. It was probably a follow up interview by the Aurors. As soon as he went to the door, he felt his hands bound by anti-mag cuffs. There were four Aurors at the door all with their wands drawn – his reputation had clearly preceded him.
'Severus Tobias Snape you are under arrest for line theft,' an older male Auror said. 'You will be provided with legal counsel, if you so desire, and you do not need to say anything, but anything you say to us now may be used in legal proceedings.'
Severus didn't say anything as he was lead away from his childhood home. But the Dark Lord and he had a plan for this when it inevitably happened. He would only have to hope that the Dark Lord kept up with his end of the plan.
