AN: And here we are at chapter 20! I gotta say, this chapter was a fucking wild ride. I gotta warn you that this one is slightly longer than the previous chapters. It ended up being almost 9k words alone this time, lol. I swear, I keep losing track of these chapters lately.
Another warning: I take a turn I wasn't planning on taking in this story. If you like it you like it, if you don't you don't. I just write for my own enjoyment and for some reason, it makes some people happy. So if you're one the people who I make happy, I love y'all and I hope you enjoy this mess of a chapter.
I promise that I'm gonna try to get back on track with the next one. I do plan on wrapping this one up soon, but it's getting harder with the more I write, and the more loose ends I want to tie.(It doesn't help that all my previous chapters have been over 7k words each, lol. That's not something I usually do, but I fear I might turn into that. )
But we'll see. I am excited to finish this story so I can not only focus on my Barty/Harry one, but I am so ready to work on my next Tomarry story. I miss writing it, as you can probably tell. As much as I love Snarry, if I write Tom and Harry at all, I almost always make it filled with tension. (except in Hidden In Plain Sight.)
The last few months had been grueling for Ginevra Molly Prewett. Two simple letters had turned her life upside down. One moment, she's the little sister of six older brothers, the next, she's disowned and has a new last name. She can no longer enter the house she grew up in and see the brothers who have been there for her since the beginning of time.
Aside from her father, Fred and George had been the first to denounce her as their sister, telling her she needed to grow up. The rest followed shortly after, besides Percy, who had denounced himself as a Weasley.
The only person she had left from her immediate family was her mother, who had also lost everything. She lost her husband, her home, and all of her sons. Similar to her, the Weasley children had denounced Moly as their mother and claimed no relation to her. The two of them were Prewetts now and living with Tessie Prewett, who wasn't pleased to have them live with her.
The five stages of grief had kicked in, with delusional denial setting in first, then overwhelming anger.
At first, that anger had been directed at Harry Potter. Why couldn't he have been affected by the love potion? Her mum told her it would work, and that Harry would be eating out of the palms of her hand, and giving her all the attention she craved. He would love her and give her a nice family, with kids and a wonderful house. But it was all dashed when the amortentia did not affect him.
It didn't make sense! It was the strongest love potion in the world! It should have made him instantly realize how much he loved her, and how right they were for each other! Instead, he hadn't even spared her a second glance that night and merely left the table after a while. She was left at the table, crushed beyond all measure. She had felt betrayed and inconsolable for days, confused on why the damn potion hadn't worked.
"It's impossible for Amortentia to fail, darling! Remember, Amortentia simply increases feelings of attraction, sweetheart. Perhaps Harry has been in love with you this entire time, but he is unsure how to approach you. He might feel guilty for vanishing this summer and afraid to ask for forgiveness. Amortentia is a strong potion, Ginny. It's powerful and impossible to fail."
She had clung to her mother's words for days, heart leaping at the thought that Harry cared for her just as much. He would swoop her off her feet and defeat the dark lord so they could raise a happy family together. They would be the picture of a happy, noble family in the wizarding world. Everyone would look at their relationship and gawk, wishing they had something like that for themselves.
But when she received the letters days later, all of the hope she let herself cling to crumbled to dust.
Somehow, Harry had known that amortentia was in his food and drink. How else would her father have known that she had tried to dose someone with the potion? There was no possible way that her father would have known without being told.
And that was the start of her life-changing irrefutably. Her father had been disgusted with her actions and disowned her, telling her that he might one day reverse the disowning, but not anytime soon. Not until she learned to grow up.
As the weeks passed, she grew more desperate to learn why the potion hadn't worked. She had managed to sneak a small amount of her completed work in a separate vial, which had received an EE from Professor Snape. Instead of letting it go, she grabbed any book about amortentia and stayed in the library to research all she could.
What she found made her stop in her tracks, her mother's lies becoming known.
Contrary to popular belief, Amortentia fails to create the emotions of real love. Similar to any 'love' potion, Amortentia creates feelings of obsession and infatuation which are often confused for love. What causes Amortentia to stand out from the rest of the love potions is the strength behind it. It is the strongest love potion because the emotions it evokes are more powerful than other types.
Another misconception about the potion is the fact that it has been deemed impossible to fight against. This is not true. Powerful witches or wizards with strong magic or strong mental magic can easily fight off this potion. Occlumens have been known to resist the effects of this potion by controlling their emotions and shieling their minds.
Most importantly, there are people who believe that Amortentia merely heightens the emotions that are already there. This can't be further from the truth. Like any love potion, it is used to make the recipient desire the person who dosed them. Genuine emotions become forfeit with this attempt. In an experiment tested in Nineteen Thirteen, people who disliked each other were brought in and given amortentia to test the strength of the potion. Those who hated each other became obsessed with each other, despite their lack of feelings beforehand.
Amortentia is a dangerous potion if used chaotically and for the gain of someone else. It traps the recipient into believing they are in love with the person who dosed them. For those with weaker levels of magic, or no prior training in the mental magics, this potion thoroughly strips them away of their free will.
Witches and Wizards have been brought to Azkaban for attempted doses against Lords and Ladies of the Ancient and Noble Houses. There have been those who desired to claim the political seats, the vaults filled with gold, or, simply have the family title for themselves. The selling of this potion has been banned in every shop and simply distributing it is a punishable offense.
There is no denying that Amortentia is a dangerous potion for those who are unable to defend themselves from it. With strong magic, proper training, and protective enchantments, such as some Lordship and Ladyship rings, some of the population is protected.
-Rodrick Huddlesmith, 1985
Ginny wasn't aware she wasn't breathing as her wide eyes read over the passage, betrayal cutting into her very soul. She covered her mouth with her hands, starting to understand why her brothers and father kept telling her to grow up. Angry tears prickled her eyes as she thought of her mother and all the lies which were put into her head from a young age. It caused her to clench her eyes tightly in order to fight off the tears that wanted to spill out. She had been lied to about the intentions behind Amortentia, and it was her own fault. She was the one who hadn't read up on the potion in class, not bothering to read the truth for herself. She had always ignored those who condemned the potion in the classes.
Her entire life, she had been told that love potions only worked because it meant that the recipient felt the same feelings deep down, but they had trouble voicing them. Her mother had told her that love potions were safe and legal and that they ensured true love would be brought forth. What a fool she had been for believing the nonsense and not bothering to research on her own.
Before her first year at Hogwarts, her mother had told her stories about a brave young boy, who was a year older than her. She told her how the young boy defeated the Dark Lord when he was a baby and brought peace to their world. She told him of his courage and tenacity, his kindness and self-sacrificing nature. At her age, she had been obsessed with princes and princesses from her stories. To know that there was a literal Prince Charming, her nine-year-old self had been smitten.
Then, it only became worse. When her brother arrived home for summer break with stories of the boy she was obsessed with, her feelings grew. Ron told her how Harry fought the Dark Lord again and saved everyone once more. He told her about his courage in the face of danger, never backing down from the fight. She learned of his noble nature, and how when he fought against the Dark Lord, he had been alone in the fight, but so brave for not backing down.
The event that had cemented her feelings for the boy was in her first year. Harry had literally transformed into her Prince Charming when he rescued her from the Chamber of Secrets. He had nearly died himself, but at the end of the day, he had saved her life and everyone at the school. Her crush on him strengthened and she watched him from afar, daydreaming of a life they could make together.
Her mother was over the moon when she admitted to having a crush on Harry. She was quick to fill her head with more stories, about how Harry would be happy with her, how he would want to create a family that was ripped away from him when he was a baby. And Ginny, being the impressionable girl she was, took all of it in. She let her head be filled more with fantasies, never noticing what was going on around her. She was too busy fantasizing over the boy who lived that she didn't notice when Harry began to slip away and distance himself from certain people.
Ginny never noticed when Harry stopped hanging around Ron as much after his fourth year. During his fifth year, Harry had started spending more of his time with Hermione, Fred and George, and Neville. It wasn't until his sixth year that Ginny had started to notice the change in Harry.
"The poor boy just lost his Godfather a few months ago, Ginny. He's likely still grieving. You should go to him and console him. Let him know that you're there for him." But it was more than that. Harry wasn't just grieving. He was avoiding the Gryffindor common room more and more. And towards the middle of the term, he was outright avoiding Dumbledore and even arguing with him on more than one occasion. For some reason, it felt as if she was staring at Harry Potter for the first time back then.
"Oh, Ginny. It's just a rebellious streak. Don't you remember Fred and George's rebellious phase? Harry's a teenager like everyone else. He's got a lot on his shoulders, dear. He just needs his friends to stick by him and remind him who he is."
As hard as she tried to be there, it felt like Harry was unapproachable, more so than ever before. The way he carried himself was different. The way he smiled was different. It felt as if the Harry she had known had simply vanished into the wind, leaving behind an imposter in his place.
She had to watch from the side as he outright abandoned the Order, turning his back on everything he had once fought for. He refused to join the war and defeat Voldemort, no matter how much Dumbledore urged him to stay with the Order. The day before Harry officially left the Order and avoided all of them, she had witnessed a horrible argument between the two.
Harry outright told Dumbledore off and demanded him to leave him alone. He was done taking orders and refused to be a symbol for the light side, for a war he had never asked to be part of. She had seen the absolute look of disgust and fury on Harry's face, the loathing clear as day on his stormy face.
After Harry vanished during the summer, the Order was split. Remus Lupin withdrew from the meetings, as did Hermione, and some of her own family. Her mother and Ron had stayed and shown their immense support, as did a few others, like Alastor Moody.
During the summer, her mother filled more ideas into her head. How she needed to ensure Harry saw reason and rejoined the Order. She said he was lost and needed her guidance. She said that Harry was unhappy and needed to find happiness again.
However, within the first few weeks after returning to Hogwarts, she had yet to see unhappiness. If anything, Harry looked far happier than he had been in previous years. He was social, excelling in all of his classes, tutoring those who needed help, and there was an air of confidence around him that was very attractive.
Harry smiled and laughed more than he used to, his green eyes shining far brighter than she had seen before.
For the first month, it bothered her to no end. She had to watch as the boy she had come to admire vanished from existence. It was like he hadn't existed in the first place. The Harry she had known was nowhere to be seen and this version was in his place, acting as if nothing had changed.
It was as if it had been a ploy, in the end, all a façade that had been perfectly in place until it was deemed unimportant.
And the sad thing?
As more time passed, Ginny was starting to understand that the boy she fell for was merely a fabricated image. In the present time, she was starting to realize that the Harry Potter presented to them now was the realist version to date.
The notions of a knight in shining armor were devised by the one she had trusted the most in the world, the one who held her hand and comforted her when she had a nightmare as a child.
Angry tears filled her eyes as she slumped against the table in the library, her heart screaming in agony as betrayal cut deep.
In the solitude of her own mind and memories, Ginny wondered why her mother had told her about Harry from a young age, trying to cement the idea that he was a hero. Why had she tried to convince her that Harry felt the same about her? Why had she lied about love potions, but namely Amortentia? Why had she put the ideas in her head for years? What was her endgame?
Anger formed again, but it was all directed at her mother.
She needed to fix things as best as she could.
"Hermione?" Ginny hesitantly went to the other witch who was seated alone in the common room, going over her notes. The bushy-haired witch froze and slowly turned to look at her, a look of apprehension on her face.
They were never extremely close, but they had been close enough in the past. Seeing how strained things were really added perspective.
"Ginny," Hermione answered in a clipped-off tone, the indifference hitting her in the chest. "Is there something you need?" The dismissal stung, but after everything, Ginny knew it was warranted. She deserved their ire and dismissal, but it didn't mean it hurt any less.
"I need to speak to Harry," Ginny responded, biting her lips nervously. "I need to apologize to him." Hermione had gone still at the words, narrowing her eyes dangerously at the redhead.
"And what exactly do you plan on saying to him? What do you want to apologize for?" Hermione's glare made Ginny shrink back, but she held her ground.
"There's a lot I need to apologize for," Ginny responded, sincerity in her tone. "I want to apologize for my actions and never bothering to break free from the ideas that my mum planted in my head." At the look Hermione gave her, the youngest Weasley continued talking.
"Even though my mum filled my head with lies, I also never took the initiative to grow up and become my own person. I won't deny that I tried to dose Harry with Amortentia," This time, she didn't even flinch at the glare. "My mum has deliberately lied to me about love potions for as long as I can remember. I've grown up my entire life believing it was okay to use them because she told me it was." Hermione's glare lessened a fraction at the words, something passing over her features.
"My mum told me stories of Harry when I was a little girl. I was obsessed with the idea of Princes at the time. The way she talked about him…I was enamored before I even started Hogwarts. Then it grew over the years. When I told my mum about the crush I had on Harry, she suggested I use Amortentia, so that his true feelings for me would come to the surface. It wasn't until I read up on the potion myself did I realize her falsifications of the potion." Ginny sighed, taking a breath. "I need to apologize to Harry for trying to dose him with that potion, and for being stupid by not researching it myself all this time." Ginny seemed to deflate now, a deep sadness lingering in her eyes.
"I know where I made my mistakes," She continued. "But I am willing to grow from them. I don't expect to be forgiven for this, but I want Harry to know how sorry I am. Even if he wishes to never speak to me again, that's fine." Ginny swallowed hard. "I want him to know that had I know the truth about Amortentia, I never would have tried to dose him with it. I want to apologize and move on from this."
Hermione still seemed to hesitate, but there was a curious gleam in her eyes that Ginny couldn't quite decipher. The look almost held pity, but she was unsure why that look would have been in Hermione's eyes.
"He was in the library when I last saw him," Hermione waved her wand, sending her books and papers into her bag. "If we leave now, we'll be able to talk to him before he heads to his detention with Professor Snape." As Hermione gathered all of her things, she rose an eyebrow as Ginny seemed to gape at her. "What?"
"I was expecting you to glare at me more," Ginny admitted with an embarrassed flush. "I've done and said horrible stuff in the last few months. I wasn't expecting you to agree to help me." As she finished, Hermione sighed deeply, looking solemn.
"Ginny, you never heard about Ron, did you?" The younger witch frowned deeply as she shook her head.
"No. I tried to owl him, but…" Ginny trailed off, biting her lips hard. "What does this have to do with me?" She asked, more confused now than ever.
"I'll explain when we find Harry," Hermione replied, waiting on Ginny to stop gawking as they headed to the library. Despite wanting to press the older Gryffindor for more answers, Ginny counted her luck and followed behind, growing nervous when they were close to the library.
"Harry is more forgiving than you realize," Hermione cut in through the silence, sparing Ginny a chaste glance. "If you tell him what you told me, I think he can find it to forgive you, especially if…" Hermione shook her head, almost as if she was trying to dislodge her thoughts.
As they entered the library, they spotted Harry hunched over a table, writing away in a notebook. Gathering the rest of her courage, Ginny walked with Hermione until they came to a stop at the table.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice pulled Harry from his thoughts as he lifted his head, brows furrowing at the image he was greeted with. "Ginny wanted to talk to you." She mumbled and Harry swallowed, knowing the tone all too well. He turned to give the redhead all of his attention, apprehension settling in his stomach.
"These last few weeks have opened my eyes," Ginny spoke up, looking into Harry's emerald eyes. "I don't expect you to forgive me for what I've done, but I want you to know I am ashamed of what I planned." Ginny looked away, her eyes filling with tears. "I let my mom fill ideas into my head, and I never bothered to live for myself. I took everything she said and never questioned it or looked into it myself."
"What did she say, Ginny?" Harry's tone was soft and patient, the opposite of what she had been expecting. "What ideas did she give you?" The worry in her former friend's eyes made her heart seize with emotion, hot tears prickling her eyes rapidly.
"She would tell me stories about you all the time when I was younger and encouraged me to become friends with you. When I told her that I had a crush on you, she was excited and told me to pursue you. Eventually, she told me to slip you a love potion." The tears were freely falling now, hot against her cheeks. "My mum lied to me about Amortentia. She told me it was the strongest love potion because it brought forth the recipient's true emotions. I believed her." Harry saw the subtle wand movements from Hermione, eyes widening in realization at what she was doing. "Until I took the time to research it myself, I was fooled into believing her views on love potions."
"She wanted you to dose me with it? It was never your idea?" Harry asked eyebrows furrowed as his worry increased.
"No. It was never my idea." Ginny sniffed. "She was adamant about me using it and convinced me to do it this year." Harry looked at Hermione, paling when he saw the paper that was in her hand, and the grim look on her face.
"Merlin," Harry whispered, his own eyes closing at the gravity of the situation. Hermione handed him the paper and after glancing at it, he grimaced and shoved it in his robe pocket. "Ginny, do you trust me?" He asked, laying a hand on her shoulder gently. Blinking in confusion, Ginny looked at Harry, really looked at him.
She looked at the person who had saved her life in her first year, looked at the person who helped other students all the time, never requiring anything in return.
"Of course I trust you, Harry," Ginny responded, watching as he sighed deeply.
"Then you need to come with me to the dungeons. I…I want to tell you why Ron left." The proposal caught her off guard, but she nodded nonetheless, knowing something was going on. She might not be as smart as Harry or Hermione, but she was able to tell that something was up.
"It has something to do with me now, doesn't it?" Ginny cautiously questioned, starting to become horribly nervous again. "I have no idea what happened with Ron, but I'm getting the feeling that whatever it was, is happening to me now?" It was Hermione who spoke up now.
"Yes. Harry will explain everything once he takes you to Professor Snape." Hermione promised, squeezing her hand gently. "I need to head to arithmancy now. I'll see you after," She spoke to both Gryffindors, giving a small, yet sad smile as she walked away. Ginny missed the look of anguish on Hermione's face, but Harry knew his best friend well enough to sense it.
"Come on, Gin," At the use of her old nickname, Ginny almost broke down into tears. "I'll tell you what happened to Ron on our way to Professor Snape," Harry promised, waving his hand and making his items disappear. Before Ginny could openly gasp at the display of wandless magic, Harry was already leading the way to the dungeons.
"Did you ever notice how Ron started to pick more fights with me over the years?" Harry quietly asked. The question came suddenly, but when she gave it thought, Ginny frowned and nodded. "Well, apparently that wasn't his conscious choice." The sadness in Harry's voice made Ginny's heart ache for him. "He had been placed under compulsions." Ginny drew in a surprised breath, eyes wide.
"Compulsions?" She nearly blanched. Her father had told her about those nasty things and how he would occasionally get a muggle item that was spelled with a compulsion curse. "Who placed them on him?" A sudden chill went down her spine as her blood ran cold, face paling. "…do you think I'm under a compulsion?" The way Harry grimaced made her hands tremble in fear.
"That's why we're heading to see Professor Snape. He'll be able to check." The paper in his pocket felt heavy, but he couldn't show her the paper without Severus. Not when he had the potion to undo the effects.
He seriously needed to start on a spell to ensure the removal of compulsions. A finite wasn't good enough, not when there were other compulsion methods, such as potions and rituals. With a sigh, Harry added that to the list of spells he needed to invent with Severus.
"You never answered my question about Ron." Ginny pointed out after taking a moment to compose herself. "Who put the compulsions on him?" She pressed once they had finally made their way to the dungeons. This time, Harry didn't just grimace. Instead, he sighed deeply.
"Gin, I promise I'll tell you everything. I just need you to trust me, okay?" She hesitantly closed her mouth, looking at the pleading look in Harry's eyes.
"You promise?" It sounded slightly childish coming from her lips like that, but it made Harry give a small smile.
"I promise," He said, leading her to Professor Snape's office. Harry rose his hand and knocked, feeling a horrible sense of déjà vu.
"Enter," A voice called. Harry couldn't stop the small smile, the dark tone relaxing him as he opened the door, ushering Ginny in. When Severus rose his eyebrows, Harry fished out the paper and placed it on the desk, seeing the flicker of recognition in the onyx eyes.
"My assignment, sir," Harry lied, watching lips twitch in amusement. Severus took the paper and moved it aside, looking back to Ginny. "I also brought Ginny because I think we have another compulsion situation." They both knew it, but it would be easier to let Ginny believe that a professor had run the spell, instead of it being done behind her back.
"I see," He turned to the younger witch and hummed. "Do I have your permission to run a diagnostic spell, Miss Prewett?" Severus asked, ignoring the flinch at the new name.
"Yes sir." Ginny sighed, wanting to be done with it. If Harry and Hermione both were worried about her, then she didn't have a reason not to believe them, not when it was what sent her brother away in the end. "If I do have compulsions on me, is there a way to remove them?" That scared her the most. If she did, what if these were permanent?
"I have a potion to remove them," Professor Snape responded, raising his wand and flicking it fluently.
Harry watched the movements, eyes lingering on the way those long fingers wrapped around the wand. Fighting off a flush, he removed his gaze and focused back on the events in front of him. He would need to concentrate to help Ginny.
When the paper was produced, Severus sighed. "Mister Potter was correct. There are several compulsions placed on you, Miss Prewett." Severus handed the paper to Harry as he vanished to retrieve the needed potions.
"Merlin," Ginny covered her mouth, tears forming once more as the weight of it all was starting to hit her. "You were right. Oh, Merlin. You were right." Ginny was opening and closing her mouth, needing to convey her message, but not having the words. "Who-" She croaked.
"Sit down and drink this." Severus returned with a vial. Blinking away the tears, Ginny did as she was told and sat down, taking the potion in her trembling hands. Taking a breath, she brought the glass to her lips and drank it, eyes widening when a sense of clarity hit her after a moment.
"How do you feel?" Harry questioned, placing a hand on her shoulders as she seemed to shake herself out of the moment. It was like coming out of a thick fog and returning to the sunlight.
"Honestly? I don't know." Ginny confessed. "I feel this level of clarity that I've never felt before, and it's a lot to take in." She mumbled softly, starting to frown. "Who placed them on me?" Ginny turned to Harry, eyes widening when he handed her a slip of paper.
Admiration Compulsion: Age Nine and Eleven, placed by Molly Prewett
Attraction Compulsion: Age Thirteen and Fifteen, placed by Molly Prewett
Order of the Phoenix agreeance compulsion: Age Fourteen and Sixteen, placed by Molly Prewett
Love potion agreeance compulsion: Age Sixteen, placed by Molly Prewett.
"My mum placed all of these on me." There was no question now, her eyes staring at the paper with wide, disbelieving eyes. Now that her head was clear, it all made sense. All the comments, all the suggestions. It was to manipulate her. "Was she the one who placed the compulsions on Ron?"
"Sadly," Harry sighed, not wanting to bring up the fact that Ron had also been under compulsions from the headmaster. "Ginny, what do you want to do about this?" Harry finally asked after a moment.
"I don't know what to do." Her voice was suddenly small and frail. "I can't go back to my dad. He disowned me. I'll be stuck with my…with Molly." Ginny corrected, no longer seeing Molly Prewett as her mother.
"Ginny, from what I know, he can undo the disowning. He didn't completely disown you." Harry corrected, taking her hand and squeezing it. "You weren't acting on your own volition when you did this, Gin. Molly took your free will from you, and you can't be blamed for that. Arthur will understand if you tell him what happened."
"I'm scared, Harry. Why…why would she do this?" Ginny asked, covering her face with her hands. "Will you come with me to the burrow? I don't want to go alone." Harry felt his heartbreak at the question, and he nodded, pulling her in for a gentle hug.
"Of course, Gin. You've always been like a sister to me, you know? I'll make sure this doesn't happen again." He looked to Severus, giving a small smile to the other wizard. "Do you mind if we use your floo, Severus?" He asked, smiling in gratitude when the man nodded.
"I will be working in the lab if my presence is required," Severus moved past, heading into his personal lab.
"…Did you just call Professor Snape by his first name?" Ginny asked when the wizard was gone, looking at Harry inquisitively.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. You get on a first name basis when you have detention for over two months." Harry joked, moving to the floor. "I'm gonna firecall your dad first, that way I don't show up unannounced."
It only took a few minutes for the call to be picked up by Ron.
"Harry? What are you calling for, mate? Is something wrong?" Ron asked, looking worried. "Not that it isn't nice to see you! You don't normally firecall, though."
"Hey, Ron." Harry felt a tinge of happiness at seeing his first friend. "And yeah, something happened. Is your dad there?" Ron disappeared for a moment before Arthur took his place.
"Harry? Ronald told me something happened. Is everything alright?" Arthur asked, frowns of worry noticeable in the fire.
"It's about Ginny. She needs to come to the burrow, sir. Molly did it again." He watched as Arthur gasped, eyes widening. "I wanted to call before we showed up, Arthur. Ginny just took the anti-compulsion potion."
"Merlin's beard." Arthur choked out. "You're welcome to come at any time. I'll be waiting here for the two of you." Despite it being a fire, Harry could practically see the tears in Arthur's eyes.
Once the firecall ended. Ginny moved closer to Harry, ready to floo over to the burrow.
"Thank you, Harry. I really appreciate this," She mumbled, moving into the floo with him.
"I did the same for Ron," Harry smiled. "It's really no problem, Gin." He promised, flooing with her to the Burrow.
"Tell me everything," Arthur demanded the moment they stepped out of the fireplace, looking downright distraught. Instead of speaking, Harry pulled forth the sheet of paper from the diagnostic scan and handed it to Arthur. The eldest Weasley greedily took the paper and read it over, his eyes widening and face paling as he reached the end.
"For over six years, Molly's been doing this, and I was none the wiser." Arthur hissed out, the anger catching Harry off guard. He had never seen the man so incensed before, but it was about time. "The only reason I didn't press charges earlier was because Molly was the one watching over Ginny. I didn't want to leave her an orphan and to be raised by the elder Prewetts. They're too old to reasonably take care of a teenager." Arthur's hands were shaking as he read over the damning paper again.
"Oh Ginny," Arthur ripped his eyes away from the paper to find the eyes of his daughter, who still looked apprehensive. "I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should have paid attention more! Her doing this to Ron was bad enough…"
"You didn't know. None of us did until Harry noticed something was wrong." Ron spoke up as he moved closer to his friend. "Besides, you were under a different type of spell, dad. All the love potions Molly dosed you with could have made you miss certain details."
"Ron's right, Arthur." Harry supplied. "You shouldn't blame yourself for any of this. None of us knew about Molly's true nature." If anything, Harry felt like the one with the most blame. This family had gone through so much because of him. He couldn't help but wonder what their life would have been like if he had never existed.
But then again, Arthur would have still been under Amortentia, wouldn't he? Harry being the chosen one had nothing to do with that crime. The dosing came from Molly all on her own.
"I don't blame you, Dad," Ginny said softly, nervously chewing on her bottom lip. "Why should you have suspected our own mother? She was supposed to care for us and try to make sure we were happy. What she did behind your back is not your fault." With the anti-compulsion spell in her system, she felt like she was able to focus more. Her focus was now on the guilt and tears that were building in her dad's eyes, and it broke her heart.
"I'm so sorry, Ginny," Arthur whispered brokenly, moving closer to give his daughter a tight embrace. "I would never have disowned you if I knew none of this was your own doing." Arthur looked to Ron as well, feeling another wave of guilt hit just as strong. Molly had placed compulsions on both of them, and he had been none the wiser to her actions. If it hadn't been for Harry, his two youngest would still be under their control.
Harry, who had once again saved his family. Arthur was starting to lose track at this point.
"Harry, come here." Arthur gently ordered when he pulled away from the hug with Ginny, motioning for the other wizard to join him. Harry did as he was told, flushing a bit when he was pulled into a tight hug as well by the man he considered to be a father to him. "Thank you," Arthur whispered, voice thick with raw emotion. "Without your interference, I fear to imagine what would have happened. I am so sorry for all the trouble Molly has caused you." It hadn't escaped Arthur's notice that these compulsions were sadly tied to Harry, all in an effort to try and control him in any way possible. Just how far had his ex-wife been willing to go to ensure that Harry was under the Orders thumb?
"I should be the one apologizing," Harry mumbled, the weight of the situation pressing insistently onto his shoulders. "Molly and Dumbledore did all of this planning and scheming because of me. If I hadn't-"
"Don't you dare finish that sentence, young man?" Arthur was quick to scold him, tightening his grip around the younger. "You were but a toddler when those two created their heinous plans to control you. None of this is your fault either."
Harry felt the words settle into his chest, warmth flowing through him as he nodded, the thoughts from before vanishing.
"Now then," Arthur was giving his attention back to Ginny. "The disowning process will be undone, and your things will arrive here when Gringotts finalizes everything." Arthur paused. "Would you like to remain here, or do you feel safe in returning to Hogwarts?" Ginny was a little put off by the question and glanced to her brother when he cleared his throat.
"If it was only Molly who compelled me, I would have stayed in Hogwarts." Ron began to explain. "But it was her and the Headmaster who had both put the spells on me," He confessed, feeling protective of his little sister when he realized that Dumbledore could potentially try to add another compulsion.
"Wait," Ginny felt her jaw drop. "Headmaster Dumbledore was also placing compulsions on you?" She felt fear grip her throat and lodge into it at the news.
"Yeah," Ron sighed. "I didn't feel safe going back after I found out." Ron rubbed the back of his neck, glancing to the side. "Just, keep your distance from him, Gin. I know we used to worship the ground he walked on, but he doesn't deserve it."
"What can I do to ensure he won't compel me?" Ginny asked, her fist clenched tightly and her eyes blazing with fire. "How can I protect myself?"
"I'm going to start working on a spell soon…well, multiple spells," Harry said after a moment. "After all of this, I think we need an anti-compulsion protection spell. I want to make a spell that removes compulsions as well, but the protection spell holds my priority right now."
"You're gonna make another spell? My goodness, Harry. You already surprised me when you created the spell that detected if someone was dosed with love potions." Arthur shook his head in awe. "I have confidence in you, lad." Arthur gripped Harry's shoulder in thanks.
"What are you going to do about Molly?" Harry couldn't stop from asking, having a rising suspicion that the man was planning something soon. If the only reason he had stopped himself from pressing charges was because of Ginny, what was going to stop him now? At the question, Arthur felt a sigh escape him.
"Now that she will no longer be taking care of Ginny, I plan on charging her with anything I can," Arthur explained. "Illegal usage of Amortentia, illegal use of mind magic, and child negligence, to name a few."
Harry felt his lips twitch into a smirk, already having an idea on ways to ensure the charges went through smoothly.
"I have a few connections," Harry began, holding back another smirk. "To some well respected and credited lawyers, if you need them." Arthur blanched, unsure of how to respond.
"You've been kind enough, Harry…" Arthur shook his head. "You don't need to do anything else, lad."
"I know," Harry started. "But I want to help you with this all I can. You're all my family and I don't plan on letting her get away with this. Besides," Harry began. "The lawyers I know despise child endangerment. When they see what Molly was doing to Ron and Ginny, they will be ruthless with the charges."
Ron grinned suddenly. "C'mon, dad. There's no way we can let the opportunity slide. If Harry says these lawyers will be ruthless, I believe him,"
"What about Dumbledore?" Ginny asked. "If he also placed compulsions on Ron, Molly will likely either bring that up, or the lawyers will use the evidence that will condemn him in the trial."
"If they do find the evidence, Dumbledore will be getting those charges added to the others," Harry shrugged. "I'm sure you noticed the Board of Governors nearly two weeks ago?" When Ginny nodded, he continued. "They weren't pleased with Dumbledore. At the end of this term, he'll be gone." Ron couldn't contain his shout of excitement. "And he'll be getting a trial once he's removed as the Headmaster. Another compulsion charge won't do him any favors."
"Another?" Arthur frowned deeply, looking at Harry in concern. "Lad, what else did he do?" Harry sighed, shaking his head.
"I'd be here all night, Arthur. Long story short, he tried to use a compulsion on me and failed. I have a restraining order against him because of it."
"He tried to compel you too?" Ginny wanted to be surprised, but after everything that had come to light in the last hour, she was starting to become numb to all the revelations. "I can't say I'm surprised anymore. If he was willing to compel Ron, why wouldn't he try to do the same to you?" Ginny sighed, feeling drained all of the sudden. She felt like she could sleep for days at this point. Harry seemed to notice her tiredness and turned to Ron and Arthur, giving a small smile.
"I've been able to keep him off my back for a while. The restraining order has been useful, and if he tries to break it, the Board will arrive immediately to remove him. So, there's that area of protection as well." Harry said, feeling the need to pacify Arthur, who still looked worried for his sake. It honestly touched Harry. Knowing that he had a family with the Weasleys always made him feel all warm inside. They were part of the family he never had.
Still, he couldn't tell them everything. He couldn't tell them which side he was truly on, or the people he was fraternizing with these days. It would break Arthur's heart. The only Weasleys who knew were Fred and George, but he trusted them completely. As much as he loved the others, he couldn't tell them. Even if they weren't part of the Order anymore, they were still as light as they came.
"Alright then," Arthur looked conflicted as he saw the two head over to the floo. "Harry, if you ever feel unsafe as well, you know you're more than welcome to stay here." Harry smiled at the offer, nodding.
"Thank you. I'm mostly trying to make a point to Dumbledore these days." Harry felt safe admitting the detail. "All I've been wanting to do is finish my education in peace. Dumbledore has made it his mission to ensure I'm unable to do that, but I keep persevering through it. I'm not going to let him win." And truthfully, Harry only felt safe with a select few people. At the top of that list was Severus.
"We should be getting back now though. It's an hour before curfew and I'd hate for Filch to find us," Arthur, who had long since graduated, made a face at the mention.
"I understand. Please, be careful." He was speaking to both Gryffindors, his eyes practically begging.
"I will, dad." Ginny hugged her father one more time before returning to Harry's side as they entered the floo network. While they left, Harry was forming multiple plans in his head and deciding the next steps he needed to take.
Hopefully, Tom wouldn't mind an impromptu meeting tonight after he helped Ginny back and made sure she was safe.
And when she was safe, Harry apparated inside Tom's office, not the slightest bit surprised to see him at his desk.
"Why is it whenever I visit, you're always at your desk?" Harry asked, smirking when Tom leveled him with an unimpressed look.
"Because some of us have important work to do," Tom shot back, putting the papers down elegantly. He raised an eyebrow at Harry's next sentence.
"Sure, but even genius Dark Lords need a break," Harry grinned, moving to sit on a vacant chair. "I think my visits are good for you, and you've already confessed to liking my company." Harry smiled sweetly, making Tom force himself to look away for a moment.
"You were like a parasite. You attached yourself and refused to leave," Tom teased back, making Harry snort and give a mock sigh of hurt.
"Says the person who was desperate for me to join them," Harry winked. "Anyway," He began, leaning forward as he grinned. "How much do you love me, Tommy?" His voice was sickeningly sweet, but the words almost made an embarrassing flush stain Tom's cheeks.
"Merlin, I should have known you were here because you needed something," Tom huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "What do you need?" He asked, making Harry shrug.
"I'm not sure yet. I know you've got a couple of reputable Lawyers in your ranks," Harry watched as the dark lord's expression changed from slight annoyance to intrigue. "Arthur Weasley is going to press charges against Molly Prewett for several different things, one of which involves her using compulsion spells against two of her own kids, who happened to be underage at the time. I told him I would get him a ruthless lawyer if I could."
"Richard Greengrass is one of the most ruthless lawyers, as is Samantha Parkinson." Those two were in his ranks and had never lost a case. Tom immediately responded without a second of hesitation, hands steeped together. "They also don't take kindly to child abuse," And if Molly was going to be charged with using mind magic against her underage kids, that alone was at least ten years in Azkaban, per child.
Neither did he, for that matter.
"Either one of them will work," Harry smirked. "As long as they ensure she loses everything and ends up in Azkaban for a very long time." She deserved to suffer for all she had put her family through. "I mean, she put a compulsion on Ginny to make the girl fall in love with me. Then she even compelled her to use Amortentia on me," Harry grimaced, remembered the paper with all the compulsions Ginny had been under.
"She compelled her daughter to dose you with Amortentia?" The anger in Tom's eyes was like a blazing inferno. "She will be getting life in prison for that easily. And if not, I will ensure she is never free again."
Harry nearly sucked in a breath, fighting off a flush at the pure fury in Tom's eyes, and like last time, it was all on his behalf.
"She and Dumbledore not only made an illegal marriage contract, but Molly Prewett," Tom's voice was steadily colder and more dangerous. "-was willing to take away any freedom you might have had." Tom's eyes were dark red by now as his eyes narrowed into slits. :If she were here, I would decimate her:
:You can always do that to Dumbledore instead if you'd like." Harry tried to lighten the mood. :After he's humiliated completely and thrown into Azkaban afterward, you can hurt him for all the pain he's caused us.:
:Does that include the filthy muggles that dared to hurt you?: Harry couldn't help but smile a bit.
:Not Dudley, but my aunt and uncle are fair game.: Harry teased, feeling like sighing with relief when Tom seemed to calm down. "Thank you though. I know you have a weird way of showing how you care, but it does mean a lot." He blinked in surprise when he was pulled into a warm chest, strong arms wrapped around him. Harry immediately returned the embrace, smiling softly.
He was getting used to the way Tom showed his affection, slowly but surely.
"You know, there was another reason why I came tonight too, well, two of them," Harry smirked when the older wizard huffed.
"Should I be worried?"
"Unless you don't want to help me create a new spell, I don't think so?" Harry responded innocently enough. "You've had more experience with compulsion spells than I have. I want to make a compulsion protection spell, that way I can stop this from happening again."
Tom wouldn't dare miss this opportunity for anything. He was a scholar at heart, like Severus and Harry, so having the chance to make another spell was something he eagerly latched onto.
"And what was the other reason?" Harry smirked at the question.
"Your desperation might have paid off in the end. Now, don't expect me to follow any orders or come to any meetings, but" Harry wanted to laugh as Tom's eyes started to light up. "I do count myself on your side now, for what it's worth."
"I am pleased to hear that," Tom purred and if Harry wasn't so attracted to a different baritone voice, that sound would have made him shiver.
It was around midnight when Harry apparated back to Severus' brewing rooms, satisfied beyond measure. As he expected, the man was still standing over a cauldron. (From what he could gather, Severus didn't stop brewing until at least one in the morning)
"Sorry I was gone for so long. I had to tell Tom that Arthur is going to need one of his most ruthless lawyers." Severus glanced up from the potion at that, raising an eyebrow.
"Arthur has finally decided to charge Molly," Severus gathered, pleased to know the gentle man was ready to be harsh against his ex-wife.
"It's about time. He told me the reason he didn't beforehand was because he didn't want Ginny to be raised by the elderly Prewetts." Harry shrugged. "Now that he's reversed the disowning, he doesn't have any problems tearing her apart."
"I have never seen him angry before. I assume it was a sight." Harry smirked a bit, humming.
"Oh, you have no idea. It surprised me at first, but I'm happy to see him use that anger at Molly. Merlin knows she deserves it." Harry sighed. "Luckily, Tom helped me with that issue as well," When Severus gave him a look, he elaborated. "I don't have much experience with mental or mind magic. I've mastered occlumency, but that's it. I got him to help me create an anti-compulsion spell to protect people from someone like Dumbledore or Molly."
"I see. How did the spell hold?" Severus asked as he stirred his potion clockwise five times, before adding another ingredient and letting it simmer.
"It's fine against spells," Harry began, pulling out the notes he and Tom and scribbled. "But I wanted your help with the potions aspect." He admitted. "Tom is fine with potions, but we wanted an expert before we finalized the spell," Harry grinned a bit. "So, you wanna help with it too when you're free?" He teased, already knowing the answer.
Needless to say, Harry didn't sleep that night until he and Severus completed the spell.
And if he happened to fall asleep on the sofa, pressed against Severus' shoulder and chest, he might have slept better than he ever had in his life.
So, how did we feel about this chapter? Were you expecting the redemption with Ginny? R&R please