Malfoy waited for the gasping of the members of the town to stop before he continued on.

"It was recently brought to my attention that I have had a witch on my staff. I have reason to believe that she has been controlling my family since she began working for us two summers ago" Malfoy replied.

"How do you know she is a witch?" The minister asked "How do you know it is all not pretence, she may just be sporting"

"Do you call me a liar, father John?" Malfoy asked. John recoiled from the anger in Malfoy's voice.

"No Lucius, no one calls you a Liar." John replied softly.

"She has been under my gaze for two year now, two year and I was not to see her evil side till yesterday. She killed my dear wife, and now I fear… I fear she has my son under her spell" Malfoy said sadly.

There were cries of outrage from the others in the town hall. In the back, one of the women, who usually did not speak in the meetings, let out a sob, and began praying.

"Young Draco consorts with the devil?" John asked, standing and moving tot eh front of the congregation.

"Not with the devil himself, but he do consort with the devils daughter. The devil spawn that I welcomed into my home. I took her off of the streets when she had no one. She had nothing, her family would surely starve if I had not employed her and her brothers, and yet, she could not rest till she destroyed my family" Malfoy told them "She spoke of power, and making the villagers pay"

One of the men, Miles, stood "Well, tell us man, who is this devil child"

"Virginia Weasley"

Once again, the people of the town began whispering. The women hid behind their hands as they spread their gossip, but the men spoke out loud.

"She spoke of corrupting my marriage, she even went as far as forcing herself onto me, the little whore. I refused, her, of course I refused her, I would never have done that to my wife. Virginia knew my wife was sickly, and she drank a charm to take her life" Malfoy told them, everyone in the room went quite, and listened as Malfoy told his story.
"When my wife died…I heard her laughter throughout my house. Then she left with my son. I fear she corrupted him, lured him to the devil"

"But why would Draco trust her, did he not see her evil side"

"She had already contaminated him. He only gave in to what he thought he felt for her. Virginia had already planted the seed of lust in him."

There were more gasps from the people in the court.

"My son was blinded. And she took him. My only hope was that when he kissed her, she did not steal his soul"

"Draco kissed her. He kissed a girl that he was not wed to?" John asked, outraged,

"The devil possessed him!" Malfoy replied, defending Draco "The devil child has possessed my son."

"What did you do Malfoy?"

"I tried to break the spell, what else would I do. I told him the truth of her evil ways, and she threw her to the streets… but he was still stuck. He went to her. A apologised to her. I believe he made her a promise of some sort."

"If this be truth, and Virginia Weasley Be a witch, then we have no choice but to dispose of her. To rid our town of the devil child." Miles announced.

"But the apple does not fall far from the tree. If Virginia is a witch, then surely, her mother, her father…her brothers." John replied. The crown arose into whispers again.

"Do we have means to suspect the rest of them?" Mile asked.

A man stood "I caught those Weasley Twins in my field a month ago, the next day, five of my pigs died"

"William and Charles approached my daughters in the town square" another man yelled. The was numerous outraged cries.

"Ronald was sick, yet he recovered in a matter of days, with out any medical aide" the local doctor called.

"Percival learnt how to read in a matter of weeks" One woman, who was recognised as Penelope's mother, called out to the crowds.

"So did Virginia" Malfoy replied "For Draco was teaching her. I did not stand in and stop it, for I believed that if she could read, then she would read the scriptures, she would learn the teachings of god."

"And does no one else think that it is odd, that all of Margaret Weasley's children have survived this long in life, all seven she carried have life to see their first summer. Where as Malfoy, your wife, may she rest in piece, carried 8 children, and only one lived."

"Weasley was my midwife, and my child did not last the day" one woman called.

"Nor mine"

"My Babies were born dead." Another woman called.

"Witches, All of them!" John exclaimed, looking around the room "They must be run out of our town.

"That would do naught but to spread the problem. They would scatter, and soon the devil would be all over. Even if we sent them to Boston, a town were the devil lives in their street walkers, even then she would corrupt them. We must do something, some thing to save every one."

"Their judgement day will come, and he will have to admit to god himself that they embraced Lucifer while here in our town. They must be removed. I suggest a hanging, like the one in Boston, two year ago" Lucius told them, and there was a general cheer from all in the room.

"Prepare the ropes" some one called. "Hang the Devil children, banish them from our town. Save young Draco from the hands of evil"

"But wait!" One man stood. "Would it not be wise to investigate this matter further. What if they are all not Devil children? What if it only be one or two of them. My daughter has known the boys for a while. She swares them highly religious, they would never turn from god."

Father John looked at the man "Your daughter consorts with the Weasley Boys, Granger?"

"Completely innocent, of course. We share a property line. Ronald only be a summer older than My Hermione, and Hermione only be a summer older than young Virginia."

"She be friends with these boys?" John asked.

"Closest to Ronald, she is, but yes. William fixed our roof last winter, and Charles be the only on who can harness the wild beasts that come onto our farm" Granger replied.

"Then how do you know that they have not corrupted your daughter!" Some one asked.

"Hermione be not corrupted." Granger exclaimed.

"That is what I believed of my Draco also, that he not be corrupted. But then this happens. None of our children are safe." Malfoy exclaimed. "None of them. Any one who have had contact with them are now suspects."

There was outrage around the courts as people began to realise that all of their children had had contact with the Weasley's at one point or another.

"They must be exiled. They have put our town in danger." Some one exclaimed.

"I agree." Exclaimed father John. "May it become common knowledge, all those associating with the devil will pay the price, they will pay with their life."

~*~

Hermione sat on her doorstep, waiting for her father to come home, just as she always did everyday that he went to town.

When she saw her fathers horse coming down the lane, Hermione stood.

"How was business at the courts today father?" Hermione asked. She loved to hear storied of the town meetings, and she waited the days until she was old enough to attend, to sit at the back with the other women and watch as the men argued.

"Terrible." Granger told her, jumping down and tying the horse to the front fence. "the town is speaking of witchcraft. People stand accused to die. People are crying for life to be taken"

"that is awful, who stands accused?" Hermione asked her father. He turned to her and placed his hand on her shoulder. He knew that it would be hard for Hermione to hear what he was about to tell them, especially since she was so close to them.

"The Weasley's" Granger replied softly.

"All of them?" Hermione asked, outraged.

"Yes, all of them. They are to be put to death, and there is nothing that I can do, nothing anyone can do… You were mentioned in the courts to"

"I was? But why was I mentioned?" Hermione asked.

"For you are friends with them. You have been labelled suspicious" granger informed her, moving into the house.

"That is absurd, if I was to be suspected, then almost every person in town is to be suspected?" Hermione replied. "We have all spoken with them…Penelope, the Potter's son Harry, the Malfoy boy"

"It was Malfoy senior who pointed the finger of accusation." Granger replied. "he says Virginia has Draco in her spell"

"Do the Weasley's know that they stand accused?" Hermione asked. Granger did not reply, so Hermione turned, and made move to leave the house.

"Hermione, you can not go to them. You will be accused"

"But they do not know. And they be not witches" Hermione replied, leaving her house and running as fast as she could to the back fence of her property. She jumped it quickly, and began running to the Weasley home.

Virginia was sitting on the front step, and stood when she saw Hermione approaching.

"Are your brothers here?" Hermione asked, short of breath. Virginia shook her head.

"They are expected back any minute now. Why, what be the emergency" Virginia asked. But Hermione was just staring at their gate.

The boys were walking down the gravel path to where the girls were standing.

"Hermione, to what do we owe the pleasure?" Ronald asked.

"You were all mentioned in the courts today, you all stand accused…" Hermione began, every single face in the group fell.

"We stand accused of what?" Percival asked.

"Witchcraft…they wish to see you all dead" Hermione told them.

"Who would accuse us?" William asked.

"Lucius Malfoy" Virginia replied sadly. "He would be the only one. "