VIII. Fall Out

Three days after the bombshell that Bill had decided to drop on his family, things were returning to some semblance of normality in the Burrow. That is, they would be if the Burrow had been normal to begin with. Though Mr Weasley had been initially impressed at the beauty of Bill's fiancé, he had quickly gotten over it, and could now act normally around Fleur. The same could not be said about the rest of the male Weasleys. Fred, George, and Ron were like three shadows that just seemed to follow Fleur everywhere she went. They were in a state of constant daze, and their tongues often hung out of their mouths, similar to how a dog would look after being offered a particularly juicy bone. Fred and George had almost skipped work two days in a row, and had it not been for Mrs Weasley, they would have succeeded. At some point, Ron had had his nose fixed. The only time in which his state of trance seemed to break was whenever he saw Hermione, Hedwig, Harry, or any combination of the above. He glared at them darkly, but then quickly resumed what had now become his favourite pastime: Fleur Watching. This, of course, greatly annoyed Bill and Fleur, but they had decided to ignore it, since it was an unfortunate side-effect of being with a Veela.

Hermione and Harry were really hurt by Ron's attitude towards them. The fact that Fleur was there was actually a welcome distraction for them; since it ensured that they did not have any direct confrontations with Ron. Harry, being immune to the Veela charm, treated Fleur like she was any other girl. A particularly pretty girl, but a girl none the less. Hermione was happy by this, since it meant that their lessons in Arithmancy and Ancient Runes had progressed quickly, and she felt confident that Harry would be ready in time to take the exams at the start of the year. Of course, given the combined efforts of Hermione and Hedwig, it would have taken quite a bit for Harry to not be caught up with the classes. Granted, Harry's study schedule meant that there was very little sleep involved, but he was actually glad about this. Although he had finally mourned the things that he lost, his childhood was dark enough that he was guaranteed to have a seemingly endless supply of nightmares. As a result, he slept very little anyways, and this way he was occupied doing something productive. The lessons with Harry also had the added benefit that it gave them the opportunity to be alone, which in turn helped Hermione sort out her feelings. Or at least, gather enough courage to ask him about it.

On the second day, Hermione had finally asked Harry what he felt for her after they had finished their studies. Hedwig was also in the room and, taking the unspoken cue, flew out the window.

"Harry, I need to talk to you about something", said Hermione.

"Sure. What's up?" he asked.

"Do you fancy me Harry?" she asked hesitantly. Harry was floored. His mind seemed to simply decide to stop functioning, and so he was left there, without any hope of coming up with a coherent response and with his mouth hanging open.

"C-Come a-again?" stammered Harry.

"Do you fancy me? Do you want to be in a relationship with me that goes beyond friendship?" she asked.

"I'm… I mean I… Do you?" asked Harry.

"I don't know Harry. Yes, I do find you quite attractive, in more ways than just the physical aspect. You are an incredibly nice and warm person. You are extremely loyal, fiercely protective, and actually quite smart", she said. Harry blushed at the praise. "You are brave, and have an amazing sense of humour. You make me feel safe and loved."

"But?" he asked.

"I just don't know if I actually love you like that Harry. I honestly don't have any experience on the area, and before you ask, I went with Viktor to the dance as friends. Do you love me Harry?" she asked.

Harry let his shoulders sag and his head hang. Did he love her? Did he even know what that was? What it felt like to love someone? He knew that he cared for her deeply, but was that enough?

"I don't know Hermione. I don't know what I feel. I care a great deal for you, and I could never bear to see you hurt. But I don't know…"

"You don't know what love is, do you?" she asked sadly. He shook his head. His shoulders started to shake gently as hot tears rolled from his eyes. Hermione felt her heart break at her best friend's words. Deciding to drop the subject, she moved closer and enveloped Harry in the most comforting hug that she could muster.

"What kind of person doesn't know what love is? Maybe the Dursleys were right. Maybe I am a freak", said Harry between sobs. Hermione immediately raised his head and stared fiercely into his eyes.

"You listen to me now Harry Potter. You are not a freak! Don't you even dare think that you are. They are the freaks Harry. Not you. You are worth far more than they are. Any girl would be lucky to have you", she said. Harry searched in her eyes for any sign that she was lying to make him feel better. What he found made his heart swell. She truly believed that he was not a freak. That in spite of all the things that were not normal about him, he was worth her while. Forgetting the issue that had brought them to this in the first place, Harry just basked in the incredible feeling that there were two people in his life that accepted him for who he was. Even with all of his flaws, they still accepted and cared for him.

Hermione lay awake on her bed that night. Unable to fall into sleep's loving embrace, she decided to leave quietly and go for a walk in the cool summer night. She was so immersed in her thoughts that she did not notice a snowy owl land nearby and morph into a human.

"A penny for your thoughts?" asked Hedwig. Hermione jumped and nearly shrieked, but quickly calmed down when she recognized the speaker.

"I'm just so confused Hedwig", she answered.

"You want to know if you really love him and if he loves you back", replied Hedwig.

"I just never considered that he would not even know what it felt like. I was so wrapped up in my own emotions that I never stopped to consider the full effect of the rotten childhood he had."

"You had no way of knowing the extent of the damage Hermione. Sure, Harry has shared the most with you, but you haven't seen his memories. The reality is a lot... worse."

"How can I help him then? Should I be with him? Be his girlfriend?" Hedwig gave her a small smile.

"As much as I appreciate what you are doing Hermione, I know that Harry would say no. The fact that you are in doubt as to whether you love him or not means that you aren't truly in love with him. At least not in the romantic sense. That you care enough to even contemplate pushing your own feelings aside is something that family would do. Not a romantic interest."

"So you are saying that he is like a brother that I never had?"

"It certainly explains your overall attitude towards him. You have never demonstrated romantic feelings towards him, Hermione. And to attempt to have them would be unfair to you and to Harry."

"Then what can I do?"

"What you are doing now. Be there for him. Listen to what he has to say when he says it. We both know that Harry rarely, if ever, shows what he truly feels, which makes the times when he actually shows it all the more precious. Be the sister that he never had, like I will try to be the mother that was taken from him", said Hedwig. Hermione nodded.

"I can do that. But what about the love thing?" asked Hermione.

"My guess is that he will eventually find it. I don't believe that Harry is destined to be alone. As much as he may not say it, he believes that he will die trying to defeat Voldemort, but I don't think that will be the case. In the animal world, we believe in Balance. For all the pain that he has suffered, the only thing that will balance that is to find a mate that will love him as he will love her. We just have to give it time", said Hedwig.

"I guess it could also help if he met more girls."

"It's a possibility. But we have to be very careful with that. If we push too hard, Harry will close up and that will be counterproductive", said Hedwig. Hermione yawned a bit. "Go back to bed Hermione. It's late."

"Thanks Hedwig. We'll pick this up later ok?" she said. Hedwig nodded. Hermione gave her a hug and retreated to heed the calling of her warm bed, leaving Hedwig to stare into the Heavens, wishing that Harry would find someone who would complete him.

On the morning of the third day, Ginny entered the living room were Harry and Hermione were having their daily study session. Her face was bright red, and her eyes sparkled in annoyance. "I've had it with dear Phlegm!" she exclaimed. Harry tried his best not to laugh at Fleur's nickname. Having been annoyed so quickly by her presence, she had been the first to give her a new name. Fleur had been christened "Phlegm" within hours of arriving to the Burrow, something that would have made Fred and George proud, had their minds not been void of any other thought that was not Fleur. Fortunately, none outside of the three teens in the living room were aware of it, otherwise the top of the Burrow might have ceased to exist, thanks to the combined rage of Fleur's admirers.

"I thought that she was leaving today", commented Harry.

"She is, but she seems to be taking her own sweet time in doing so!" snapped Ginny.

"Ginny, why don't you calm down?" asked Hermione as soothingly as he could muster.

"Calm down?!" she shrieked. "I will not calm down! I am fed up with my lummox of a brother walking around like a dog all day! I am tired of Fred and George neglecting everything that does not have to do with Fleur! And I am really tired of Miss Goody-Two Shoes trying to please everyone!" she yelled.

Harry just sat there calmly as Ginny blew her top. He had never been annoyed at Fleur, but he could understand how the rest of the Weasleys could become irritated by her presence. Since her arrival, Fleur had sought nothing else but to be as charming as possible in order to win the affection of her in-laws. Which as a general principle was not a bad thing, but the problem was in the effect that was created. The matter was only worsened by the fact that Bill had decided to bring her in unannounced.

"Look Ginny. There is nothing we can really do about it. Besides, you have already survived two full days! What are a couple more minutes? Fleur is leaving today, so all that we have to do is wait for a bit until she leaves", said Harry. Ginny glared at him.

"He is right Ginny, besides—"

"How can you be so okay about all of this?! How can you disregard the way that Ron completely ignores you in favour of Miss Veela here?" she snapped. Hermione eyed her with cold indifference.

"As far as I am concerned, Ronald can do whatever he damn well pleases. He had his chance and he bolloxed it up. I am not going to keep waiting for him to remove his head from wherever he has it and realize what a great prat he's been", she said. Her voice was so cold, Ginny shivered visibly.

"I-I thought you guys were together…"

"Exactly Ginny. Were. Past tense. Technically we were never together to begin with. It was more a hallucination of Ronald's more than anything else", said Hermione.

"Oh look! She's leaving", said Harry, hoping to diffuse the tension in the room. He rose quickly from his place as soon as he noticed that Fleur and Bill were standing at the door.

Fleur was as charming as always. She was the dream model of every single designer in the world. It seemed impossible for her to look bad in something. In fact, Harry was pretty sure that she could find a way of making a sack of potatoes look attractive. Bill, on the other hand, seemed relieved that they were going. Ever since he decided to bring Fleur in, he had been mercilessly grilled by her mother and three brothers. His mother had been completely disgusted and hurt that Bill had neglected to notify her of such an important thing. This was quickly replaced by the anger at the effect that Fleur had on her sons. This was also mixed with anger and disappointment at Bill's siblings, but that was another matter entirely. His sister had not helped either, having caught her several times plotting pranks against her. Some of them were beyond the deviousness that characterized Fred and George. The only three people that had behaved in a civilized manner were Harry, Hermione, and his dad. After he recovered from the shock of seeing Fleur, Mr Weasley had returned to his warm and charming self, which Bill was grateful for.

"Eet has been a very pleasant visit Mrs Weeasley", said Fleur as she hugged the Weasley matriarch. Her face was one of absolute joy, as Fleur was finally leaving the house. Bill said goodbye to his mom and dad, and proceeded to leave with his fiancé, much to the dismay of Fred, George, and Ron, who groaned audibly. A mere second after they had Dissapparated, Mrs Weasley turned around, face bulging with enough fury to make a volcano seem tame.

"RONALD BILIUS WEASLEY! HOW DARE YOU OGLE AT YOUR BROTHER'S FIANCÉ?! YOU AND YOUR BROTHERS HAVE BEHAVED LIKE A BUNCH OF PUPPIES!" Had anyone been within a ten mile radius of the Burrow, they would have been able to listen to these words perfectly. Ron snapped from his three-day daze and his face instantly paled. Fred and George snickered behind him, having recovered their world famous humour. "AND YOU TWO BETTER NOT BE LAUGHING! I EXPECTED MORE FROM YOU! BEHAVING LIKE A BUNCH OF TEN YEAR OLDS! WHAT WERE YOU TWO THINKING?!" Any trace of smiles were quickly wiped from the twins faces. The only ones that were not overly concerned by the yelling, other than the fear that it naturally induced, were Harry, Hermione, and Ginny. "NOW YOU THREE GO STRAIGHT BACK TO YOUR ROOMS! YOU ARE GROUNDED UNTIL FURHTER NOTICE!" finished Mrs Weasley. Fleeing with their tails on fire, the three male Weasleys retreated to the safety of their rooms, leaving the rest to enjoy a sudden cooking spree from the Weasley matriarch, who needed to alleviate some of the tension that she had accumulated for the past three days. She continued to mutter darkly at the food she was preparing, but her mood did lighten up considerably.

After they devoured their meal, Harry and Hermione retreated back to the living room to continue their studies. They went well into the evening, and soon the sun was slowly sinking behind the horizon. Harry stretched his neck in an attempt to alleviate the tension from craning it all day. He gazed at Hermione, trying to figure out the best way to resume the conversation from the previous night.

"Hermione, about last night…"

"Harry, I believe I owe you an apology", said Hermione. Harry blinked curiously.

"Why? You did nothing wrong", said Harry.

"I did. I was selfish and instead of thinking about the way you must've felt about things, I just went ahead and put you on the spot, just so I could sate my own feelings. And for that I'm really sorry Harry." Harry reached out and hugged her. Hermione gasped. He has never hugged me before, she thought.

"There's nothing to forgive Hermione. You needed to know, and I was the one that could not give you an answer. I should be the one apologizing to you", he said softly. Extricating herself from his embrace, Hermione gazed into his eyes.

"Why don't we just say that there's nothing to forgive then? Agreed?" she asked with a smile.

"Agreed", said Harry as he gave her a lopsided grin.

"I realized last night that I do love you. But not as a boyfriend. More as the brother that I never had", said Hermione softly. Harry stared at her, joy clearly pouring from his eyes.

As much as Harry knew deep down that he wanted to be loved in a different way, he also was very much aware that he just wasn't ready for it. His past experience with Cho had left him a bitter aftertaste, and his life overall was not in a place where he could really think of such things. What he truly wanted, no; what he truly needed was a family that would support him over the dark days that loomed in the horizon.

"T-Thank you. T-That m-means a lot to me", said Harry, his voice overcome with emotion. Hermione smiled at him and hugged him tightly, feeling that sense of peace and acceptance that had been so lacking in her life wash over her. Harry smiled as he felt tears begin to brim from his eyes. I have a family now, he thought.

Soon after he had recovered consciousness, Voldemort walked around Riddle Manor and was shocked when he discovered that his men were asleep and completely healed. Now, Voldemort may be stubborn, but he is not an idiot. He quickly realized last night that his attempt to rebel was absolutely idiotic, and that continuing to challenge someone with as much power as Bedrager was a mistake. After spending the rest of the morning and early afternoon locked in his room, Voldemort summoned his Inner Circle for a meeting.

Voldemort sat in his usual throne-like seat, with his must trusted Death Eaters circling him. The Inner Circle consisted of Rodolphus, Rabastan, Bellatrix, Severus, Avery, Mulciber, and Pettigrew. Though the latter was there because he knew far too much about Voldemort, he was still a member of the Circle.

Voldemort eyed them carefully, and he had never seen them so scared. Though he would never admit it out loud, this was a sentiment that was shared by him as well.

"As you are all well aware, our visitor has… succeeded in besting us once more", said Voldemort. His most loyal Death Eaters paled at his comment. Bellatrix's eyes flashed with worry, as she saw something that she had never seen before in her Master's eyes: fear. Snape's face was an unreadable mask, but he too was worried. Though he had not been there that night, he had heard the reports of the attack, and he was extremely concerned at the fury and power that Bedrager had displayed. He refrained from commenting anything, preferring to wait for Voldemort to continue.

"As a result I have need of your assistance", spat Voldemort. He was angry and scared. Angry because he had lost so blatantly, and scared because for the first time since he had returned to life, he was threatened. Bedrager's power far surpassed his own or even Dumbledore's, and this frightened him. "Each one of you has been given an assignment by me at some point. I want a complete description of your assignment in a roll of parchment. Failure to deliver or if I discover that something has been omitted will result in a severe consequence. Am I clear?" said Voldemort.

The Death Eaters nodded and quickly retreated to fulfil their Master's wishes. As soon as he was alone, Voldemort rose from his throne-like chair. "Wendy!" he barked. Immediately, a small house-elf popped into existence. Her body was covered in scars from her brutal treatment, and the rag that she wore was as filthy as ever.

"Yous be calling Wendy?" she said, bowing her head.

"Yes. In three days' time, we are going to have a visitor. I want the best tea and biscuits that you can make ready for that time, do you understand, elf?" he said menacingly. Wendy bobbed her head quickly and vanished with a soft pop. Voldemort then retreated to his private study to draw out the last plans that he had slowly been creating, but had not yet revealed to the rest of his Death Eaters.

Three days later, Voldemort had a small stack of neatly rolled parchment, containing every plan that he had. As night approached, he disabled his wards, and entered the dining room. Wendy had already delivered a kettle with freshly brewed tea, along with two cups of the finest china and a platter with mouth-watering biscuits. Outside, a welcoming committee comprised of Snape, Rodolphus, and Rabastan, waited for the arrival of Bedrager. Each one of them rubbed their wands nervously, but was careful not to draw them from within their robes. The hooded figure of Bedrager materialized into view ahead of them, and slowly approached the front gate.

His hood could not conceal the smile of triumph that was etched on his face. Bedrager walked forward, expecting to find the resistance of the wards, but was surprised when he found none. Before him, cowering behind the gate was a group of three Death Eaters. Bedrager summoned his staff and prepared for another fight, when he noticed that they were not armed. Or at least, they had not drawn their wands. Bedrager vanished his staff, and approached the gate. Snape moved forward and opened it.

"Welcome Bedrager. The Dark Lord is expecting you", he said in a silky voice. "I am Severus Snape. This is Rodolphus and Rabastan Lestrange. We will be your escort for this evening. If you would be so kind, we will take you to the Dark Lord now", he said. Bedrager bowed his head at the three Death Eaters.

"Let us not keep the host waiting then", he said.

Snape lead the way, with Rodolphus and Rabastan flanking Bedrager. They lead him to the dining room, and Snape knocked on the door. Bellatrix opened the doors and welcomed Bedrager inside. She offered to take his cloak, and Bedrager agreed. As soon as he removed his cloak, Bellatrix gasped at the sight before her. Standing there, clad in the most beautiful robes that she could imagine, stood the single most handsome man that she had ever met. His eyes sparkled, and his dark hair cascaded down to his shoulders. His pale skin glowed in the dark, and his body seemed to emit a palpable aura of power. Voldemort rose from his chair and bowed.

"Welcome Bedrager. Could I interest you in some tea or biscuits?" he asked. Bedrager raised an eyebrow at Voldemort, but quickly returned the bow and nodded. After dismissing his Death Eaters, Voldemort motioned Bedrager to take a seat and continued to ceremoniously pour him a cup of tea.

"I must say that I am impressed Voldemort", said Bedrager. "I had not expected such courtesy to come from your house. I was half expecting you to repeat your last attempt, though I am glad you did not. It proves that you may not be the idiot I took you for." Voldemort's face blushed at the comment, and his red eyes sparkled in anger. But, having learned from the past two experiences, he wisely held his tongue. Bedrager smiled as he sipped the tea that he had been offered. 'This is very good tea. By far the best that I have tried in this island", commented Bedrager. "But now that we have passed the pleasantries, I believe that we do have some business to discuss. Do you have something for me?" he asked. Voldemort quickly snapped his bony fingers, and Snape walked in with the stack of parchment. He handed it to Bedrager and retreated quickly.

"Very well. Let us see what you have planned", said Bedrager.

The next hour was probably the longest in Voldemort's long life. Bedrager slowly read each parchment, carefully analysing every word that was written. He sampled the biscuits, congratulating Voldemort on their taste and texture. He would occasionally nod or shake his head, which worried Voldemort even more. As soon as he had placed the last piece of parchment on the table, Bedrager closed his eyes in concentration, sorting all the information and deciding what was useful and what wasn't. Voldemort was gripping the edge of his seat in nervousness, awaiting Bedrager's reaction. Finally, Bedrager opened his eyes and stared at Voldemort intently.

"Most… interesting, Voldemort", he said. Voldemort relaxed a bit.

"Your plans are quite ambitious, though they are somewhat misguided. So what say we go through some of them carefully?" asked Bedrager. Voldemort nodded, and Bedrager took a page from the middle of the stack.

"Your takeover of the Ministry is most interesting. You have the general layout: dominating key members of the Wizengamot, replacing others with your own, and finally placing your own Minister for Magic. The plan is reasonably well thought, but it is somewhat… lacking", he said.

"Lacking how?" asked Voldemort.

"Well, for one, your method of choice for subduing people is not ideal. Granted, given your current knowledge it is the only method available, so I am not surprised."

"Meaning?" asked Voldemort.

"Well, Imperio can only take you so far. Besides, that is the exact same tactic that you used last time, and as a result the Ministry is now in the lookout for it. To complicate things further, there are people who can break free from it, resist it, or are immune. Overall, it is just a very taxing and inelegant process. There is, however, a better alternative", said Bedrager evenly.

"An alternative to Imperio? I have researched through every available source and—"

"Exactly. Every available source. My knowledge is not readily available Voldemort. Returning to the matter at hand, the charm I suggest is Dominare. The spell is surprisingly simple and it requires only to be cast by a wizard of greater power to have complete dominion. This", he said as he withdrew a piece of parchment from his robes, "contains instructions of how to use the spell."

He handed the parchment to Voldemort, who eyed it greedily.

"What are the limitations?" asked Voldemort.

"For all practical purposes there are none. Only extremely powerful beings can break free, and that is fortunately, not the case for the majority Wizarding population. This should take care of every member that cannot be otherwise persuaded in the Ministry. Who do you have in mind for Minister?"

"I haven't considered anyone yet. But there is someone who could be easily subdued in the Department of Magical Enforcement", replied Voldemort.

"And that would be…?" asked Bedrager.

"His name is Pius Thicknesse", said Voldemort. Bedrager laughed at the suggestion.

"Thicknesse?! Are you mad, Voldemort? He is about as useful as a broken wand" asked Bedrager between fits of laughter.

"I am guessing that you have a better suggestion?" spat Voldemort.

"What about Lucius Malfoy?" asked Bedrager. Voldemort's eyes bulged in rage.

"That miserable excuse for a wizard?! He is weak! He is a failure! He does not deserve this privilege!" snapped Voldemort.

"Wrong on all counts, Voldemort. He did fail, but that was not his doing. It was yours", said Bedrager.

"How dare you suggest that it was my doing?!" growled Voldemort as he rose from his seat.

"Now, now Voldemort. There is no need to get angry. If you will just sit down, I will explain why it is that I blame you for the failures of Lucius", said Bedrager, his eyes sparkling menacingly. Voldemort quickly sat down.

"Your failure lies in your inability to see what Lucius truly is. He is not a warrior or a spy. He is a politician. As such, his actions were spurred by his need to defend his status and political power. Power that he lost after he was sent to Azkaban", explained Bedrager.

"He is not a politician. He is a failure", said Voldemort dangerously.

"No. As a politician he is highly successful. He managed to maintain his leverage on Fudge, which proved very useful throughout the last year. He had also gained favour with several members of the Ministry, which is far more effective than any charm to dominate people. What you fail to see here, Voldemort, is that if we rescue Lucius and restore his power, there is no need for another person to be Minister. The pieces are already there, we just have to play them carefully. With the help of the new charm, Lucius will have the entirety of the Ministry in his pocket, and his ascension to Minister will not be met with any opposition", said Bedrager. Voldemort glared. He knew that what Bedrager said was correct, he just did not like it.

"So, we shall use your plan to storm Azkaban, and release him, along with the other imprisoned Death Eaters and the Dementors. I will help you coordinate it, but overall it is very well thought out." Voldemort nodded at the praise.

"The other thing that really needs work is your dealings with the light. That we will do later, since it is by far more delicate, but there is a way of making them less of a problem for you", said Bedrager. Voldemort eyed him curiously, but said nothing.

"The last thing I would like to touch on is your plan regarding young Draco Malfoy", he said as he eyed the parchment that contained the plan's layout.

"It was meant as a punishment for Lucius", said Voldemort.

"Right. But since we already agreed that Lucius is not really at fault here, there is no need for such punishment. The plan itself is bold though. I like it", he smiled as he spoke, sending chills down Voldemort's spine.

"Then it can proceed as planned?" asked Voldemort cautiously.

"I do not see why not. There is really little risk here and the gains could prove to be… substantial. There are some minor points that we may adjust as we go along, but other than that, it can proceed. The way your last instructions to Draco are to be delivered will be explained once we rescue Lucius", said Bedrager.

"Well, will you look at the time! It is quite late", commented Bedrager. Voldemort nodded, and he grabbed his wand. Raising his sleeve, he pressed the tip against the mark on his forearm. Immediately Bellatrix and Snape came into the room. Bedrager smiled at the courtesy and rose from his chair. Bellatrix summoned his cape and handed it to him. "Why, thank you darling. I am terribly sorry, but I do not believe that we have been introduced. You are…?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange", she replied.

"A pleasure. Might I say that your dress is absolutely stunning", commented Bedrager. Bellatrix flushed at the compliment, and smiled. Had her current state been more normal, this would have been an action that could have been considered cute. However, since this is not the case, it merely seemed disturbing. Bedrager smiled warmly at her and then turned to Snape. "Severus Snape, am I correct?" he asked. Snape nodded curtly. "Tell me, what exactly is your role here?" asked Bedrager.

"He is my Potion's Master, and my most trusted spy", said Voldemort, as he rose from his chair to join Bedrager.

"Is that right? Well, I must say that I am impressed, Severus. A Potion's Master is a rare thing indeed. I believe that your talents will prove to be most useful", said Bedrager. Snape remained expressionless at the comment.

"Very well then, I shall return by the first of August. Have a group of ten Death Eaters selected so I can deliver final instructions on the raid to Azkaban. We will take the next six days to prepare everything", said Bedrager. Voldemort nodded. "Right then. Shall we?" asked Bedrager as he motioned towards the door. Re-joined by his escort, Bedrager strolled to the edge of Riddle Manor. He then bowed at the Death Eaters and disappeared into the night.

The Weasley household was having a particularly slow morning. Harry and Hermione had slept in for the first time in a long time, relishing the new found peace that came with their new relationship. The twins and Ron were bored out of their wits from being in their rooms all day, and Mrs Weasley was just starting to recover from the stress of having Fleur in the house. The twins quickly departed for the safety of their shop, which they had been neglecting over the last couple of days. Ginny was the only one that was mildly awake, but then again, she is a teenager. As the teens slowly ate their breakfast, three owls flew in to the room. A more accurate description of the event would be that two owls flew in and one stumbled about. Hedwig and Pigwidgeon landed gracefully on the table, extending their paws to show the letters they carried. Errol stumbled about, and landed back first, also showing the letters he was carrying. Having left at some point in the left evening while Harry and Hermione talked, Hedwig had managed to make it all the way to Hogwarts and back in record time. Something that she was particularly proud of. Hermione squealed with delight as she lunged towards the owls. Their Hogwarts letters had finally arrived.

Harry smiled at Hermione's happiness and proceeded to pluck his letter from Hedwig's leg. He quickly eyed the book list, and smiled when he saw that the letter that he and Hermione had sent a week ago had been met with success. Gone were the titles that he needed for Care of Magical Creatures and Divination, replaced with Arithmancy and Ancient Runes. Of course, there was a lovely letter saying that he had to pass the examinations that would occur at the start of term, but thanks to the combined efforts of Hermione and Hedwig, Harry felt confident that he would pass them without much trouble. This, however, was not the only content in Harry's and Hermione's letters. A shiny badge emblazoned with the Gryffindor Lion and a shiny P slid out of her envelope. Hermione smiled brightly at getting the badge again, but was brought out of her musings by the frozen statue that was Harry, along with the imminent danger that was Ron's anger, if the furious red on his face was any indication.

"I… I'm…" stuttered Harry.

"Harry? What's wrong?" asked Hermione, electing to ignore Ron's anger. She leaned in and discovered the source of Harry's shock. A badge identical to her own was sitting on his hand. Comprehension dawned as she realized what Ron was now steaming about. Harry had been named the second Prefect of Gryffindor, which meant that Ron had lost his badge from last year. Ignoring Ron again, she hugged Harry, barely able to contain her excitement.

"You are a prefect Harry! That's wonderful! You'll get to see all the things that you missed last year", she said with a mischievous smile.

"Like what?" asked Harry with a smirk.

"Yeah Hermione. What things are you going to show him? Perhaps the inside of one of the broom cupboards?" sneered Ron. The effect that his words had was immediate. Hermione's glare was so cold it could have frozen fire. Harry on the other hand, was literally radiating magic. His eyes sparkled with emerald fire.

"Take. That. Back", growled Harry. The room began to darken once more, and miniscule arches of lightning began to sprout from his fingertips.

"RON! Stop this right now!" shrieked Mrs Weasley.

"Or what Potter? Going to break my nose again? Why don't you break my ribs while you're at it? It's not like you've already taken everything that I ever wanted now is it?" spat Ron, venom evident in his voice. Harry winced visibly at this, and Hermione's glare softened as she noticed her best friend's reaction.

"Ron, I never…"

"Never what Potter? Never planned for this to happen? But of course, how could you not see this coming. Famous Harry Potter always gets what he wants. Just because you have that damned scar on your head doesn't give you the right to take what you wish from others. You are nothing more than a first-class freak" growled Ron. Smack! Ron stumbled backwards as he rubbed his cheek. Hermione was beyond furious, completely ignoring the stinging sensation of her hand.

"You are no better than Malfoy Ron. How could you do this to him! He trusted you, and you stabbed him in the back. Maybe the Sorting Hat made a mistake. You are no Gryffindor. You are nothing more than a big filthy snake!" snarled Hermione.

"Why you little—"

"RONALD BILLIUS WEASLEY! THAT IS ENOUGH", roared Mr Weasley. The entire house descended into a state of shock. All except Harry, who was curled in a corner. "You will apologize right this second young man, or so help me you will not enjoy what's coming", said Mr Weasley. Now Arthur Weasley was usually a very calm and reserved man. However, there were few things that could get his blood boiling, and one of them was betraying a friend's trust. The reaction that Harry and Hermione had to Ron's comment was more than enough to send him into a rage so great that even Mrs Weasley cowered behind him.

"He deserved—" Smack! Ron was literally thrown to against the nearest wall thanks to the slap that came from Ginny Weasley. Her anger almost matched that of his father. The twins had also decided to intervene, and they slowly grabbed Harry and carried him upstairs, leaving the rest of their enraged family to deal with him. That is, until they got their hands on Ron. The rest of the Weasleys could have whatever was left of him after they were done. They reached the room that Harry was sharing and deposited him gently on his bed. Harry was in some form of a catatonic state, completely irresponsive to the rest of the world. Years of abuse by the Dursleys had taught Harry that the best way to protect himself was not to show emotion to the outside world. To become nothing more than a statue. Hedwig had flown quickly into the room and transformed, quickly reaching over to embrace Harry. The twins recognized their cue to leave and the need for silence, and so they quietly slipped away.

"You know Fred, I think Harry and Hermione's stay at the Burrow has reached its end."

"George, I was thinking exactly the same", replied Fred. They headed quickly to the fireplace, bypassing all screaming match that was taking place between their parents and Ginny to see who could berate Ron the most. Grabbing a handful of Floo, George tossed it into the fire and yelled "Grimmauld Place!" Immediately the face of Remus Lupin appeared in the fireplace.

"George! What's going on? What can I do for you?" asked Lupin.

"It's Harry", said Fred curtly.

"What's wrong?" asked Lupin, his face becoming serious immediately.

"Ron's been an idiot tonight and somehow managed to get Harry into…" started George.

"We don't really know how to describe it. It's like he's dead to the world. Hermione is trying to comfort him upstairs, but we really need to get him out of the Burrow", finished Fred.

"Move aside, I'm coming through", ordered Lupin. A flash later and Remus was standing in front of the twins, flanked by Tonks. "Where is he?" he asked. The twins quickly lead them upstairs. As soon as they entered the room, Lupin froze and Tonks felt her heart break at the sight that was before them: Harry was curled in the smallest ball that he could manage, and was sobbing violently into the arms of a beautiful woman. Hermione was rubbing his back and slowly scratching his unruly hair, whispering words of comfort.

"Who is the woman?" asked Lupin.

"Hedwig" said Fred.

"True Familiar", said George. Lupin nodded and approached them.

"We need to get Harry out of here. Do you think you can hang on to him so we can take him to Grimmauld?" asked Lupin. Both Hermione and Hedwig nodded. Tonks immediately began waving her wand, collecting all of Harry's belongings. As soon as everything was packed, Remus withdrew a broken watch from his pocket, and muttered "Portus" as he tapped it with his wand. The watch gave a blue glow which faded immediately. "Thank you", he said to the twins.

"You don't have to thank us Remus", said Fred.

"He is more of a brother to us than Ron is", replied George.

Lupin nodded and then motioned to Hermione and Hedwig to touch the Portkey. Making sure that Harry was securely held between them, they touched the watch, and with the familiar yank on their navels, the Burrow disappeared from their sight, only to be replaced by the dreary surroundings of Grimmauld place.

"This was supposed to be a birthday present for him, but he really needs it right now", said Remus. He motioned the trio of girls to follow him as he levitated Harry in front of them. He opened a door and revealed an exact replica of the Gryffindor dorms. It had a large four poster bed, a huge wardrobe, and a beautiful desk. He lay Harry on the bed, and he was immediately embraced by Hedwig and Hermione.

"In case you need to, the loo is over there", he said as he motioned towards the door in the bedroom. "Hermione, you can sleep on the room directly below this one if you'd like" offered Tonks.

"I think I need to stay with him tonight, if that's alright with you two. I've never seen him like this before", said Hermione.

"Sure. Let us know if anything happens", said Remus. He lead Tonks by the arm and softly closed the door behind them.

"What the bloody hell happened?" asked Tonks.

"I don't know, but that's exactly what we're going to find out. Come on", said Lupin as he motioned to the room where the fireplace was. With a flash, they were both gone.

Remus entered the Burrow barely able to contain the anger of the wolf that seemed to want to wreak havoc in the Weasley household. Tonk's favourite shade of pink had been replaced with a fiery shade of red that would put the redheads in the house to shame. What they found did little to calm their current emotional turmoil. Mr Weasley was leaning on a chair, panting heavily. Mrs Weasley was sobbing uncontrollably next to him. The twins looked positively murderous, and Ginny's glare seemed to have been brought back from hell itself.

"What happened here?" growled Lupin.

"You can ask that to the bloody coward I call a brother that is currently cowering in his bedroom" spat Ginny.

"Ginny…" started Mrs Weasley.

"No mum! You saw what how Harry reacted to what Ron said. You have mothered him all this time, excusing his attitude over lack of maturity. But I think that we all know that this goes a bit beyond that! He hurt Harry!" screamed Ginny in frustration.

"While that is true, it won't do any of us good to continue stewing like this. I will personally talk to Ron later, as soon as I've calmed down sufficiently to not do something that I know for sure I'm going to regret", said Mr Weasley.

"Could somebody please tell me why my best friend's son looks like he just got from Azkaban?!" yelled Remus in exasperation.

"We don't really know for how long they've been having rows", said George.

"All that we know is that the day that Fleur arrived, Ron appeared with a broken nose and was glaring at Harry, Hermione, and Hedwig", finished Fred.

"I fixed his nose, but I didn't think much of it. I was so wrapped in Bill bringing Fleur unannounced that I did not recognize it as the sign of a fight", sobbed Mrs Weasley.

"The next thing that we know is that Ron lost his Prefect badge to Harry", said Fred.

"About time, if you ask me. Whatever possessed Dumbledore that told him that making Ron a prefect was a good idea?" spat Ginny.

"As much as we may agree with our dear sister, we are digressing", said George.

"Right. So Ron saw that he had lost the badge and went ballistic", said Fred.

"He started accusing Harry of stealing everything from him, and insinuated that Hermione was some form of..."

"Slag?" offered Ginny.

"GINEVRA! I will not tolerate that language in this house!" screeched Molly.

"Oh! So now you step up to the role of mother do you?! What about when your darling son was saying that to Hermione? Or when he was insulting Harry? You know, the two that you always said were like family to you?!" yelled Ginny.

"ENOUGH!" roared Mr Weasley. "Ginevra Molly Weasley! If you are incapable of holding your tongue and acting like an adult, then you will leave this room at once! I've had more than enough of this for a very long time and I am not about to tolerate any more of it!" His glare was so intense that even Ginny balked down.

"Anyways, he then proceeded to call Harry a freak", continued Fred.

"It all went downhill from there", finished George.

Throughout all this, colour seemed to be rushing into the faces of both Tonks and Remus. These last to phrases made them seem like two furnaces on the verge of melting.

"How dare he?!" spat Tonks when she had finally mustered enough of a mind to speak coherently. She did not know Harry all that well, but she had been part of the committee that was sent to talk to the Dursleys into leaving Harry alone. As such, she was familiar with the term that they used to describe Harry. The fact that Ron had called Harry that was a low blow. A coward's blow. Remus said nothing, barely keeping his anger in check. He was so close to the edge that if Ron had decided to appear at that moment, he would not be held accountable for his actions. To put it mildly, there would be very little left by the time that he was done with him.

"I do not want him anywhere near Harry. At least until they get to Hogwarts", growled Remus.

"On that we agree Remus. They shall not be seeing each other until they return to school. Even then, I shall put Ron under the strongest of terms to stay away from them until he is ready to apologize", said Arthur.

"Provided Hermione doesn't hex him to bits first", said George with a shudder.

"I would be more worried about Harry personally. Did you see the way that lightning was literally sprouting from his fingers? I would not like to be caught on the receiving end of any spell that had that much power behind it", said Fred.

"Right. We shall be leaving now", said Remus. He took Tonk's hand and lead her to the fireplace.

"Please let us know when he is better", said Fred. Remus nodded and with a green flash he was gone.

Hermione was at a complete loss of what to do. She had never seen Harry like this. He seemed so small and vulnerable as he lay in Hedwig's lap, curled into the tightest ball he could manage. His eyes darted nervously from one side to the other, and what caused Hermione's blood to freeze was the look behind them. Terror. Never had she seen that look in Harry's face. She had seen pain, anger, fear, but never terror. She glanced over to Hedwig who just continued to hold Harry close to her.

"I've never seen him like this", said Hermione.

"I have. Well, not directly. He used to turn like this when he was little whenever his relatives called him that in anger. Did you know that until the age when he went to school he thought his name was either 'boy' or 'freak'?" said Hedwig sadly. Hermione shook her head, as tears begun forming in her eyes.

"I knew it was bad, but this... I never thought it would be quite this bad", she said.

"At least we can comfort him now. He's not alone anymore", said Hedwig.

"Is he going to be alright?" asked Hermione.

"I doubt that he will ever fully get over this. This kind of wound runs very deep in his psyche and is very difficult to heal. What I hope happens is that he at least improves sufficiently to not break down like this at the mention of the word", said Hedwig.

"The fact that it was somebody that he trusted only makes it worse."

"It does. I would very much like to take Ron and drop him from the top of the Owlery. That would make me feel better."

"I think that a trip to the Acromantula colony they told me about would be better", said Hermione coldly. Their dark thoughts were interrupted when Harry gave another shudder and started crying again. They quickly resumed their ministrations, hoping that Harry would eventually get better.