AN – Question:  Is it Pomfrey or Pompfrey?  In other news: Happy birthday to me, happy birthday to me, happy birthday dear meeee, happy birthday to me!  Yes ladies and germs, I officially turned 15 on Saturday, June 7!  Now, as a birthday present to me, you should all review!!!  And, the big moment has arrived!  No, Hermione's not in labor, we find out the status of Arthur!!!

Disclaimer:

I swear I don't own Harry Potter.

I pray a lawsuit isn't near.

Oliver Wood is hotter than Potter.

No, I don't drink beer.

Chapter 11

Scared

            "Oh my god," Hermione whispered in shock as she leapt to her feet with George. 

            "Dad!" George cried out.  As Sirius got closer, he looked around for someone to call for help.  His eyes brightened when he spotted Arabella walking away from Hagrid's hut.  "Arabella!  Get help, Sirius found my dad!  Get Dumbledore and tell him we need Madame Pomfrey!"  She looked startled at first, but nodded and ran to the castle.  George ran to meet Padfoot, who came to a screeching halt.  George carefully lifted Arthur on to ground so that Padfoot could return to being Sirius.  George began to check his father's vitals as Sirius transformed.

            He searched for a pulse, looking frantic when he couldn't find one.  Hermione linked, trying not to break down in tears.  "M-Maybe it's just hard to find.  If you put your wand where the pulse should be and say 'pulse', you'll get it."  George nodded hopefully and reached for his wand.  As he did what she had said, Hermione noticed that the Weasley family minus Charlie and Percy were racing across the ground followed by Dumbledore and Pompfrey.  George began to hold his fingers against Arthur's neck again, waiting to feel something. 

            "Move aside, man!" Madame Pompfrey cried, shoving George aside and feeling for a pulse.  She seemed to be in deep meditation for a moment before looking up at the expectant Weasleys.  "There is a pulse, but it is very faint.  We must get him to the hospital at once.  There's no telling what curses or potions have been used on him."  The Weasleys nearly collapsed with relief and began to hug and cry.  "Mobiluscorpus," the Mediwitch muttered, using her wand to direct the body of Arthur.

            They traveled through the halls quickly, avoiding all people.  Madame Pompfrey was the slowest.  She was concentrating very deeply on ensuring Arthur's safety as she magically directed his body to the infirmary, which hadn't been moved to the Great Hall yet.  When they arrived, Pomfrey set him down on a bed next to Charlie and closed the curtains around it, drawing in a cart of potions and tools while blocking out the entire family.

            They could see her shadow moving about the bed for hours, but they didn't know what she was doing.  Molly sat between Percy and Charlie, holding their hands and being rocked by Bill, whose wife was calming the children.  Molly's mind was racing, and she couldn't stop blinking for some reason.  When Madame Pompfrey stopped flittering about behind the curtain, her head only rolled to the side, her grief-stricken eyes staring at the shadow.  Finally, the Mediwitch emerged.  It had been three hours since she'd begun caring for Arthur.  Molly stood up, not even bothering to touch her disheveled hair or wipe her glistening eyes.

            The entire Weasley family began firing questions at her regarding the man's welfare and what had happened to him.  Madame Pompfrey looked at the young children.  Her shoulders sagged a bit, their innocence in this time of sadness depressing her a bit.  They shouldn't have to live in such a bad world.

            "Before I tell you anything about Arthur, perhaps the children should be taken to another room."  As if on cue, Hagrid entered the room.

            "Er, Madame Pompfrey, ma'am, Professor Dumbledore told me I should come and gather all the little Weasley tikes."  Madame Pompfrey nodded and looked at the Weasley family.  They all nodded and smiled emptily at Hagrid.  "All right, then.  All little tots hop on board and follow Uncle Hagrid for some fun with Fang!" he said enthusiastically.  They all cheered and chased after him as he ran in slow-motion out of the room.

            "Now, let me tell you what I discovered.  Arthur was the victim of the Cruciatus curse.  Several times, if my detector potion was correct.  He was also subjected to several painful hexes.  He apparently managed to Apparate to the point at which Mr. Black found him.  There was no other possible way for him to get that far, for he is in the worst shape I have seen since the days of Voldemort's first reign.  Oh, get used to the name.  Anyways, I managed to heal all the damage done by the hexes.  But there was something I could not heal.  You see, Arthur was poisoned.  And it is a new kind of potion I have no knowledge of.  If I can not find an antidote soon, it is nearly certain he will die.  The poison could simply mess up his body, but we can not risk that assumption.  Mr. Malfoy, do you know of any potions that are unknown to anyone outside Voldemort's followers?"

            "I do know a few that were mentioned when Death Eaters would convene at my house," Draco replied.  "There is the Cruciatus potion, which is a poison that makes one suffer as if you had been a victim of the curse.  However, it makes you suffer much longer than the curse and eventually results in death.  There is also the Rasibus potion, which slowly turns all your organs to dust.  The last I know of is the Sysae potion, which simply kills you slowly." 

            "Thank you.  Do they have antidotes?"  He nodded.  "Do you know them?"

            "I do know the antidotes for the Cruciatus and Rasibus potions.  But not the Sysae.  Also, when you use the detectors, their colors are black for Cruciatus, olive green for Rasibus, and cerulean blue for Sysae."  Pomfrey nodded and reentered the curtained-off area.  They all watched as the detectors began to make Arthur glow.  They watched as the light shining over the curtain turned black, then olive green, and then white.  Molly let out a soft cry, as if she were trying to scream without a voice.  They all froze as Pompfrey slowly emerged, her head bent in sorrow.

            "I'm sorry.  If Mr. Malfoy can help me to create the antidotes for the first two poisons, perhaps he can help me to create the third antidote.  We must try.  I know this is hard, but I am going to have to ask that you all stay here while I take Arthur into the private room.  Mr. Malfoy, I must ask that you immediately prepare the antidotes."  With that, Pompfrey began to wheel Arthur's bed into the private room.  Ginny leapt up and kissed her husband. 

            "Make me proud, save my daddy's life," she whispered, kissing him again.  He nodded, adding a third kiss.  "Draco, remember, even if you can't save him, I'll still love you."  He nodded.

            "I love you, Gin," he whispered, adding a final kiss.  He slipped around her and followed Pompfrey into the other room.  The Weasleys all sat, paced around, or held each other.  After an hour, Molly, Ginny, Angelina, Hermione, Lavender, Percy's wife Penny, Charlie's wife Raquel, Bill's wife Jessica, and Katie were all passed out from exhaustion on the extra beds.  All the men were either asleep or in a daze, sitting on the floor against the wall between beds.  Fred was on the end beside Angelina.  Bill was between Molly and Jessica, holding each of their hands.  Harry was between Katie and Raquel.  Ron was between Lavender and Penny.  George was between Hermione and Ginny.  Each woman had a hand being held, and all the men had a wall for a pillow.  They slept like that for hours as Poppy and Draco worked tirelessly on Arthur.

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            As Draco was conjuring a possible antidote for the Sysae potion, Poppy stepped out to check on the family.  She was about to return when she heard coughing.  She turned to find a waking Percy Weasley.  Everyone else began to wake and rush over instantly. 

            "Percy, are you feeling better than you were when you got here?" was the first thing the Mediwitch asked.  He nodded.  He looked over at Charlie.

            "Wake up, dumbass," he coughed, his voice hoarse from disuse.  They all smiled at his voice and Penny shoved everyone out of the way. 

            "Percy, oh Lord, you had me scared to death!" she cried, wrapping her arms around her husband and bursting into tears on his chest.

            "Penny, don't cry," he said croakily.  "I'm alright, please don't cry love.  Come here," he told her, motioning to the empty space he created as he slid to one half of his small bed.  Penny climbed onto the bed and wrapped her arms around him again, cuddling into his weak body.  He snuggled against his wife, cradling her warm body.  The Weasleys were all relieved.  Their attention turned to Charlie, who had yet to wake up.  Percy, in an attempt to lighten the mood, looked over at Charlie again.

            "I said wake up, dumbass," he coughed again, his hoarse voice making him sound like a seal.  The Weasleys chuckled.  As if on cue, Charlie began to move.  He coughed a bit, his eyes fluttering open.

            "Mum?" he asked, as Molly's face was the first thing he saw.  "Raquel!" he tried to exclaim, only it was really a gravelly whisper.  They both rushed to him, whispering soft assurances of their presence.  Madame Pompfrey seemed assured that the family was okay, and returned to the room with Draco in it.

            "Oh, boys, you've had us worried sick!" Molly cried, her voice hoarse from crying.  Charlie murmured an apology as Raquel climbed into bed to hold him.  "I'm so glad you're okay now.  But you two should both know that your father…" she trailed off, choking on the words.

            "Dad went through a hard ordeal.  Cruciatus curse, lots of hexes, three different Dark Magic poisons.  They're looking for an antidote right now.  He might not make it," Bill told them in a low voice as George led Molly away to a bed to lay her down.  Percy and Charlie tightened their holds on their wives, burying their tear-stricken eyes in their bodies.  Raquel and Penny followed suit, the two couples holding each other as they silently cried for Arthur.

            "Where's Draco?" Charlie asked, lifting his head slightly.

            "Helping Madame Pompfrey with Dad."  The response was nothing but a small 'oh'.  Several minutes passed slowly before they began to return to their beds.  This time, the husbands lay in their beds with their wives, and Ginny cuddled with her mother, so that they would not feel alone.

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            The sun shone brightly in the room, and the Weasley family slowly began to stir.  The first up were Molly and Ginny, who were concerned to find Pompfrey and Draco conversing silently in the back of the room.  They hurried over, startling the two conversing people. 

            "Oh, Poppy, Draco, is Arthur alright?  Is he alive?" Molly asked, her eyes brimming with tears.  Before Poppy could answer, the other inhabitants of the room began to wake up and join them.  Once everyone was awake, she spoke.

            "We managed to find an antidote in time.  Arthur is going to survive.  However, he must stay in bed for a long time before we can determine if we healed absolutely everything.  He is currently asleep courtesy of a Deep-Sleep Healing Potion.  It allows the healing magic to work faster and more efficiently.  He should be awake in a few hours.  I suggest you all go, learn of where you shall be residing, and change clothing.  Take showers, or sleep some more.  I think it would be best for you all to move around a bit, talk, get some peaceful sleep.  I know none of you got any actual rest last night."

            Everyone consented and began filing out of the room.  A few minutes later, Madame Pompfrey gave Charlie and Percy leave to go, seeing as though they were fully healed.  Bill went to Dumbledore's office to find out where they'd all be living.  Dumbledore gave Bill the passwords to a set of classrooms that had been made up for them.  The old Transfiguration classroom and four surrounding it were their homes.  George and Hermione shared a room with Fred and Angelina.  Bill and Jessica shared a room with Charlie and Raquel.  Percy and Penny shared a room with Ginny and Draco.  Ron and Lavender shared a room with Harry and Katie.  Molly and Arthur would have their own room, one that the children could all play in.  Each room that was shared by two couples had a partition set up so that the couples could have privacy when needed.  Everyone set to showering, settling in, and sleeping immediately, knowing their children were safe with Hagrid.

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            Those next few hours passed like turtles.  Turtles in slow motion.  Slow motion in slow motion.  They'd left the infirmary at eight a.m.  At eleven a.m., Madame Pompfrey sent an owl to their rooms alerting them that Arthur should wake in thirty minutes.  Fred and George ran to the kitchens for food, and everyone ate in Molly's room silently.  Hagrid still had the children.  They all slept on the floor of his hut on their little sleeping bags.

            At eleven-thirty, they were out of there.  They all rushed to the hospital wing, anxious to see their father/husband/adopted father/father-in-law/adopted father-in-law.  Molly, of course, was the first one there.  She entered the hospital wing.  She took small, nervous steps through the entryway, but upon hearing her husband's voice talking, she made a mad dash.

            "Arthur?" she cried.  She opened the door, looked at the bed, and froze.  Tears flew to her eyes like magic, no pun intended.  Finding her brain again, she managed to get from the door to the bed slowly.  She took her husband in her arms, squeezing him tightly as though she would never let him go.  After hugging him for an eternity, Molly finally released him.

            "Molly?  Don't cry, love, please, I'm alright!  Poppy fixed me up nice," Arthur whispered, hugging his now sobbing wife.  "Don't be sad!"

            "I'm not sad.  I was so scared.  I thought I had lost you, and then when we got you back, I was in so much danger of losing you still, and it was so scary that I couldn't be with you!"  Arthur hugged her tighter.

            "I know, love.  I was scared I was lost.  Don't cry.  Poppy said I can go with you now."  Molly pulled back, her eyes lighting up. 

            "Really?  That's wonderful.  We should tell the kids."  As if on cue, all their children began to file into the room.  "Your dad gets to come with us today," she told them.

            "Great!"

            "Awesome!"

            "Wonderful!"  These were just a few of the exclamations made by their children as they all surrounded their father to swamp him with hugs.

            "Okay, oxygen becoming an issue," Arthur managed to cough out.  They all released him and laughed, murmuring apologies.  Before anyone could say anything, Madame Pompfrey bustled in with a potion.

            "Okay, you can leave as soon as you take this potion, Arthur!" she said cheerily.  She handed him a vial of purplish liquid.  Downing it quickly, Arthur hopped up off the bed.

            "Well, that settles it.  I'd like to go now," he said.  Molly nodded.  She took her husband's arms and led him out, mouthing her thanks to Madame Pompfrey.  As they neared the room, she looked at him.  And it scared her.  There was an empty look in his eyes, as if he were dreading something.  Remembering something, even.  They reached their room and she let Arthur in.  She followed him in only after giving her children a look that warned them away. 

            "Arthur, dear, are you alright?  Something's troubling you, and I know you probably don't want to talk about it, but-"

            "Not at all dear," he cut her off rather quickly as she plopped down on the couch beside him.  She frowned.

            "Please, dear, I want to help you get past this, and I know it's hard, but I'm here for you."  He turned to look her in the eyes.  Reaching to take his shaking hand, she looked into his and saw an expression of pure torment.  She let out a little cry of sympathy and brought him to her bosom.  He lifted his feet onto the couch and leaned against the warmth of his wife and cried.  The sobs gently shook his body as he lay there crying on her, eventually crying himself to sleep.

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            Several days passed by, filled with Arthur's tears and getting used to this new life.  The children had returned from Hagrid's cabin and were now always playing in their grandparents' room.  The one thing that could dry up Arthur's tears was the way the little tikes would all pounce on him at once.  They would shout "Grampi!" and when he turned to them, they would all spring.  Like lions!  It was craziness, but it seemed to make him feel better.  This was why, when Hermione went into labor two months later, which was two months early, nobody cared about the child's destiny.  They just looked forward to another little squirt to jump on Grampi and drive away his tears.

AN – Yes, this is it.  Creati Liberta is finally coming into play again!  Please review!  Chapter 12 is on its way.  Summary of Chapter 12:  Hermione gives birth to the reason she and George were brought together through magic.  Can she bear to accept her child's destiny, or will she try to take on Fate itself?  Please tell me what you thought!  I know you all must hate my cliffhangers, but don't hate me!