Chapter Eighty-Five

Therapists and Conspirators

Ron scowled as he was led to the Mind Healing department in St. Mungo's. He didn't want to be here. Didn't need to be here. He was fine. But his Uncle had insisted on it and he was not getting an option in the matter.

'Do I have to go?' Ron scowled.

'Yes, Ron, you do,' Uncle Cadmus said. 'You might not realise it, but you need help, and I can't have you in my house with my children unless you are willing to do this. Hello, Ronald Weasley has an appointment with Healer Galston at thirteen-thirty.'

'If you would take a seat,' the young man said.

Ron had barely taken a seat when he was called into Healer Galston's office. Healer Galston was a small, elderly woman with very dark eyes, olive-toned skin and bright white hair plaited down her right side. She was wearing a kind and patient smile as Ron threw himself down onto the faded blue sofa with brightly coloured cushions and plushies.

'How are you settling in with your uncle?' asked Hr. Galston.

'Fine,' scowled Ron.

'And how are you feeling towards your family's incarceration?'

'How do you think?' snapped Ron scowling. 'I'm never going to see them again …'

'What do you think you would say if you could see them?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron frowned he had never thought about that. He had thought about how he would save them? How to break into the Ministry of Magic, find his parents and get them out. Then they could do the same to Ginny. But Ron had no idea where to start. Hermione would know what to do but she like everyone else Ron had ever loved was gone.

'That I love them … and miss them … and I want to save them … and I'm sorry I can't … that I'm not good enough … that … that …' Ron couldn't go out and felt really embarrassed that his eyes were welling up with tears.

Healer Galston passed him a handkerchief. Ron scowled at him as he took it, just daring him to say something.

'There's nothing to be ashamed of,' Hr. Galston said. 'Your feelings are natural and expressing them is healthy.'

Ron scowled, 'shut up.'

'What do you think of what your family did?' asked Hr. Galston softly.

'What does that matter?' demanded Ron.

'It matters to you,' Hr. Galston said quietly.

'I … mum … the Dark side is evil they have to be stopped!' Ron said. 'They're evil! They hurt so many people, like Hermione! But … Uncle Cadmus said that what we were doing that it's like Death Eaters, that its evil … but we were only stopping evil!'

'By stopped you mean killed,' Hr. Galston said delicately.

'Do you want to kill them?'

Ron nodded, 'yes, to stop them from killing others!'

'Well, what if they said they had to kill you to stop you from killing them?' asked Hr. Galston. 'Would you agree with that?'

Ron wrinkled his nose, 'no, I would not.'

'Okay, so are you planning on killing them?' asked Hr. Galston.

'Like I could so much as land a hit on You Know Who,' snorted Ron. 'And I am sure He Who Must Not Be Named will have his son heavily protected now.'

'True, but if you did see him alone and unprotected would you kill him?' asked Hr. Galston.

'No,' Ron said.

Ron may be an idiot, but he wasn't that idiotic. He was not going to tell a Healer who had the power to hospitalise him that he wanted to kill someone. And he wasn't even sure if he wanted to anymore. What if killing him made him as bad him?

'Then what would you do?'

Ron frowned and imagined what he would do if he and Harry were alone together. Would he kill him? That's what Dumbledore would do? But Ron's first thought was of Hermione – what he wanted most of all was to find out what he had done.

'Punch him,' Ron said. 'Then hold him at wand point until he told me what happened to Hermione.'

'And if he refused to tell you, what would you do?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron slumped, 'I … I don't know.'

'Would you kill him?' asked Hr. Galston.

'He can't answer my questions if he's dead,' Ron replied.

'No, he can't,' agreed Hr. Galston.

'I just want to know what happened to Hermione …' Ron's voice broke. 'I want to know why he would do something so evil?'

Hr. Galston nodded, 'what if instead of focusing on what, you focus on why. If you were him how would you feel?'

Ron closed his eyes and tried to imagine Hadrian Slytherin. His first thought was of the unfeeling, monster that his mum had always told him about. But then he remembered Harry giving him sweets without thinking about it, giving him the omnioculars last year, the bright relieved smile he wore when Fred and George had decided to spring him from the Dursleys. The way he had practically cried when Mum had made him a lumpy handknitted jumper.

But it was all a lie. Wasn't it? Dumbledore had told him how charming You Know Who had been in school and that Harry was behaving exactly like him. Any kindness was faked because he wanted something off of Ron.

But what did Ron have that Harry wanted?

Well then it must be the potions Dumbledore had on him to keep him good and loyal to the right side. And it was true that as soon as Hadrian Slytherin had escaped Dumbledore's control everything had gone wrong. Hermione was dead and soon enough the rest of his family would be following.

Ron scowled, 'all I know is because of him everything went wrong! Hermione's dead … Mum, Dad and Ginny will soon be too! If he had just done what he was supposed to everything would be fine!'

Hr. Galston sighed sadly, 'did Hadrian Slytherin make your family commit line-theft?'

Ron scowled, 'no.'

'Why do you believe that Hadrian Slytherin killed your friend?' asked Hr. Galston.

'Because Dumbledore said so,' Ron said.

'And what makes that true?' asked Hr. Galston.

'Dumbledore said so,' Ron said.

'So, everything Dumbledore says is true?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron nodded, 'yes.'

'So, when he said that Harry Potter's only family were Muggles, was he telling the truth then?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron's heart almost stopped, 'it was for the greater good.'

'So, he can lie for the greater good?' asked Hr. Galston. 'Have you ever thought that maybe he was lying to for the greater good?'

Ron opened and closed his mouth several times, trying find a way to deny that. It felt like all of his basic truths had been torn from him. It was like suddenly being told that air was poisonous, that the sky was down, or that You Know Who was good.

'I think that's enough for today,' Hr. Galston said softly. 'Would you like a drink?'

Ron nodded and grasped his hand around the comfortingly warm mug of hot chocolate.

'Are you ready to talk about it?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron shook his head.

'Okay,' Hr. Galston said. 'But over the next week I want you to work on thinking about the things Dumbledore told you and why they might not be true. And think on the things that Hadrian Slytherin has done and why he might have done so. And the things you have done to him and how that might make him feel.'

Ron shrugged.

'Can I call your guardian in?' asked Hr. Galston.

Ron shrugged.

A couple minutes later and his uncle was there. He looked at Ron with concern.

'Are you okay, Ron?' asked Uncle Cadmus.

'Its … everything's wrong …' Ron said weakly.

Hr. Galston smiled, 'I know this is difficult, but you've made a lot of progress today, and I don't think you are a threat to public safety.'

Uncle Cadmus breathed a sigh of relief, 'so same time next week.'

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Ginny scowled when Master Heap arrived with a woman around ten years younger than her parents were. She had long dark red hair piled on top of her hair, pale skin and kind dark brown eyes. Ginny scowled at them both.

'This is Healer Trudi Malentus,' Heap said. 'I want you to talk to her.'

'Why?' Ginny demanded.

'Because it is she you is responsible for deciding if you are mentally fit to be considered responsible for your crimes,' Heap said sharply, 'which is central to your defence.'

'I'm not crazy,' scowled Ginny.

'I'll leave you to it,' Heap said.

The woman – Malentus sat down on her chair, 'how are you feeling?'

'How do you think?' spat Ginny. 'I'm locked in one room with babies I don't want! I want them gone! If it wasn't for that blasted elf! I would throw myself out of the window to get rid of them!'

Malentus blinked, 'you would kill yourself to get rid of the babies.'

'I'm going to die anyway,' Ginny replied shrugging.

'Did you not think about this before you committed line-theft?' asked Malentus.

Ginny frowned, 'no, Dumbledore needed it for the greater good.'

'The greater good?' asked Malentus.

'It was supposed to be Harry's,' Ginny muttered. 'We could have stopped the Dark side, controlled the evil … but they had to ruin it!'

'How would having Heir Slytherin's babies stopped the Dark side?' asked Malentus.

Ginny shrugged, 'because with those seats Dumbledore could control the Wizengamot and stop the Death Eaters from getting a foothold.'

'You keep mentioning Dumbledore,' Malentus said. 'When were you first introduced to him?'

Ginny shrugged, 'I don't know he's always been about.'

'When did he first start talking to you about the evils of the dark side?' asked Malentus.

'He didn't really,' Ginny said. 'It was always Mum.'

'Did she or Dumbledore ever talk about Harry Potter?' asked Malentus.

Ginny nodded excitedly, 'she always said we would end up married, that I would be Lady Potter.'

'When did she first mention being Lady Potter?' asked Malentus.

'I think I was about four,' Ginny said shrugging.

Malentus nodded, 'and when did you find out about Harry Potter's heritage?'

Ginny drew a breath feeling shaky and drew her legs up to her chest, 'I don't want to talk about it.'

'On your medical exam it said you were exposed to soul magic when you were eleven,' Malentus said gently.

'SHUT UP!' Ginny shouted lunging at the blasted healer, only to find herself once again bound to the bed.

'Did Dumbledore tell you about Harry Potter's heritage after being exposed to damaging soul magic?' asked Malentus gently.

Ginny didn't respond.

Malentus nodded, 'how did you feel when the insemination was performed on you.'

But Ginny had stopped listening just staring blankly up at the ceiling. She still remembered Tom Riddle; his kindness, his charm … his lies. She remembered waking up in strange places with blood or paint or mud on her robes. She remembered feeling weak and tired and not herself all the bloody time. She remembered being terrified that she was going crazy, that she was evil.

And then she woke up with Harry Potter, the boy her mother always told her she would marry, there with a smile on his face and kind green eyes telling her it was over. And Dumbledore telling her she was not to blame. The relief that had spread through her when she realised it was over was like nothing else.

But it wasn't over.

Every night that summer she had woken up screaming. He was gone but she still heard him in her head. There were days she just couldn't get out of bed and days she woke up convinced that he had made her do something terrible.

She thought it would never be over.

Then mum had asked Dumbledore to speak to her. He had taken one look at her and explained about Harry being Hadrian Slytherin and He Who Must Not Be Named's son. The boy who had saved her was the boy who still tormented her every waking and sleeping moment's son.

Ginny felt like breaking especially when Dumbledore went onto say that he had seen several worrying trends during his childhood. That Harry like Tom Riddle was a liar and manipulator, that to protect the Wizarding World Dumbledore had Harry on potions that kept him from becoming a monster like her father.

Dumbledore had asked that she alongside Ron and Hermione had to watch and control Harry Potter to make sure he remained under control. Ginny hadn't wanted anything to do with Harry at first, but Dumbledore convinced her that this was the only way to protect her and others like her. But it still made her uncomfortable to be so close to a monster.

Then Dumbledore had begun paying her.

It was nice to have nice things like all of her classmates for the first time in her life. And Ginny had clung to that, the need to be better. So, when Dumbledore suggested that she would have to marry Harry so that they could gain control of his vaults and seats she leaped on it especially as she knew that they wouldn't marry until He Who Must Not Be Named was dead and Harry Potter would follow leaving Ginny with everything.

Then everything had gone wrong. Slytherin had become wise to their manipulations and stopped them from getting any money. And Ginny was going to have to bear his heir so that they could regain what was rightfully theirs … what she had suffered through years of being close to a monster.

And now this stupid healer was trying to get her to talk about the worst time in her life. Trying to make it something different than what it was. Well, she could go screw herself Ginny wasn't saying anything more.

Caesar Heap was sitting in the small dressing room just below the attic as Trudi spoke to Ginevra Weasley. Caesar hoped that she would come to the conclusion that she wasn't mentally stable because otherwise he would have to tell Arthur that there was no chance of his daughter not getting the Kiss. She came out looking very professional as always.

'So?' asked Caesar.

'Well, I would be happy to testify that she has been indoctrinated by her mother and Dumbledore,' Trudi said grimly. 'I also think that Dumbledore used her natural trauma from her brush with soul magic to turn her against Heir Slytherin … although I'm not sure how much as when I began to ask her about the incident she completely shut down. I would suggest you get an expert in soul magic to have a look at her – I know that there is a link between soul and psyche but I am not expert so I don't know what affects the damage to her soul may have caused. It might help to explain her actions and beliefs.'

'Could you recommend someone?' asked Caesar.

Marcus Flint Junior arrived at his family manor. His father would be at the School Governors meeting which would hopefully leave the Weasley bint vulnerable. He could easily slip in and destroy the twins that were threatening his succession. He entered into the hall and immediately the familiar visage of Lord Malfoy walked out with a calm smile on his face.

'Hello, young Heir Flint, your father has told me you have been travelling,' smiled Lord Malfoy, eyes cold.

'What are you doing here?' muttered Marcus.

'Oh, your father is at the board of governors was concerned about leaving Miss Weasley alone,' Lord Malfoy smiled showing all his teeth. 'I am sure you understand Marcus' concerns given the circumstances.'

Marcus scowled glaring – had his father had predicted his actions? Marcus twirled on his foot and stormed out of the manor his plan having been thwarted.

But he needed to think of how to remove the twins and it was clear that his father wasn't going to leave them unguarded. Okay, so he needed to remove his father from the equation before they were born. But how?

The Dark Lord.

If he could somehow prove that Lord Slytherin was the Dark Lord and that his father was following him then his father would go to Azkaban. Then Marcus would become regent until his father's death which given his advanced age would likely not be long.

But for that he needed Albus Dumbledore.

But if the DMLE were unable to find him, then what hope did he have of finding him.

A few days later Marcus found himself in a small village in Cambridgeshire watching a gaggle of red heads. He recognised Ronald Weasley, Harry Potter's ex-best friend, who was the person he was here for. They were playing Quidditch with a pretend quaffle which Marcus summoned to himself hoping that it would be Ronald who went looking for it.

'Flint,' Weasley said. 'What are you doing here?'

'I'm sure you want to save your sister as much as I want her brats gone,' Marcus said.

Weasley was quiet frowning, 'what do you want?'

'To know where Dumbledore is,' Marcus said.

Weasley snorted, 'do you honestly think he told me anything?'

'So, you are useless,' Marcus said.

'But … I might know someone who might help you,' Weasley said.

Marcus snorted, 'all of Dumbledore's associates have been interviewed. If they knew anything the DMLE would know.'

'They probably overlooked the squib,' Weasley said.

Marcus Flint found himself in a small Muggle café sitting opposite the disgraced former headmaster. The squib (who had smelt of cat piss) had put them in contact a couple of days ago. Flint had hesitated then – was he really going to do this. Was he really going to throw is lot with the champion of Gryffindors and Mudbloods? Was he going to turn traitor on the Dark Lord? But then he thought of his inheritance in the hands of Weasleys and steeled himself.

'I can help you prove to the world that your father is a Death Eater,' Dumbledore said.

'How?' Flint asked desperately.

'For the moment I want you to go back to your father, pretend you are accepting of your younger siblings,' Dumbledore said.

Flint opened his mouth to protest.

But Dumbledore pressed on, 'ask about joining the Dark Lord. There you can gather evidence of that fact and who his followers are, and we can bring them down.'

Was Albus Dumbledore really asking him to spy on the Dark Lord?

Marcus shuddered … if he was caught he would end up begging for death before the end.