Crossing Ways
"I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back's turned," growled Moody, as the ferret bounced
higher and higher, squealing in pain. "Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do..."
~ page 181, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Chapter 4: Concerning the Past and the Future
Bill left the Hospital Wing with his mind so full of everything that had just transpired between Professor Dumbledore and Cornelius Fudge and the implications, that he didn't see the girl rounding the corner and coming straight towards him, causing them to bump into each other.
"Sorry," said Bill, who automatically reached for the girl's arm to help her recover her balance and not fall down. When he finally looked down at her, Bill was surprised.
It was Fleur Delacour, and she looked completely distressed. Her eyes were wide, her hair was in disarray, and her cheeks were flushed red. She was breathing with difficulty, like she had just run a mile. In summary, completely different from the girl he had seen earlier that day, and certainly different from the pale looking and passed out girl that had been taken from the Maze.
" 'Arry... Is 'Arry all right?" she asked, her eyes searching Bill's but really not focusing on anything. She unconsciously rested her forearms on Bill's chest.
"Harry's fine. He had a hard time but he's resting now." Bill said, trying to sound as calm as possible under the circumstances.
"You don't understand - It was Professor Moody - I saw 'im before 'e Stunned me!"
Astonished, Bill didn't know what to think. He had known Professor Moody since he was a boy, when he still was a respected Auror. Even though Moody didn't exactly have his head on straight, he surely would never attack someone innocent, let alone a student. Besides, from all that had been said by Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore, not to mention Cornelius Fudge, Bill had gathered that the culprit responsible for the ordeal Harry had been put through that night was Barty Crouch Jr.
However, Bill still didn't understand why Moody was laying unconscious on one of the Hospital Wing's beds. He swallowed.
"Are you sure?" Perhaps she had been hurt more badly than they had thought.
Fleur nodded her head. "Yes."
"But..." Bill still couldn't believe it. "That's impossible. Professor Moody would never attack a student."
"You are both correct." Professor McGonagall's voice startled both of them. Bill spun around, without releasing his grip on Fleur. "Professor?"
Professor McGonagall had her lips pursued. She quickly checked if the classroom beside the Hospital Wing was empty, and ushered both Bill and Fleur inside.
Bill took Fleur to one of the chairs, only releasing her when she was seated. He didn't think she would be able to stand on her own; she was shaking pretty badly. Professor McGonagall looked both ways down the corridor before entering and closing the door.
She sat on the teacher's desk, sighed deeply, and looked from Bill to Fleur as if deciding what to say. Finally, she spoke.
"Yes, Miss Delacour, you did see Professor Moody attacking you. But it wasn't really him. It was a Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion to look like him. I'm sure you know how a Polyjuice Potion works?"
The girl nodded numbly. The last pieces missing on the puzzle that Bill had carefully put together fell into place.
McGonagall eyed Fleur for a moment. "Well, I need to be going. I'm sorry that I'm not able to inform you of anything else, but Professor Dumbledore will address everyone at Hogwarts when the time is right. And I trust you not to disclose this information to anyone. Both of you." With that McGonagall looked at Bill. "Would you please make sure that Miss Delacour calms down a bit and then take her to the Beauxbatons carriage, Mr. Weasley? If she doesn't calm down, take her to Madam Pomfrey, as Madame Maxime should have allowed when we took her unconscious from the Maze." McGonagall had a scarcely restrained disapproving look on her face. "I have to tend to Dumbledore's request now." And with a last lingering look to both, McGonagall left.
Fleur took a deep breath. Bill watched as she rubbed her temples with her fingers, her eyes closed. She appeared to be deep in thought.
"A Death Eater." She snapped her eyes open. "Does zat mean zat," she gulped, "Zat You-Know-'oo is back?"
"I'm afraid so, yes."
Fleur got a very serious and faraway look on her face, and after a few more minutes, stood up resolutely. "I'm feeling better already."
She went for the door, but Bill was faster. He opened up the door for her, allowed her to pass, and followed.
They left the castle in silence. When they approached the Beauxbatons carriage, Bill finally spoke up. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right."
"No, it won't." Fleur looked at Bill, her cool stare piercing through his eyes to his very soul. "But we won't go down without putting up a fight." She turned and entered the Beauxbatons carriage, leaving Bill to ponder her words while he crossed the Hogwarts gates and Apparated to find his father and accomplish Dumbledore's request.
***
Fleur felt she couldn't stand anymore. Thankfully, the young man she had bumped into just before Professor McGonagall arrived supported her. He even took her to a nearby chair inside the empty classroom the Professor pointed out to them. Fleur sat and fidgeted until Professor McGonagall finally spoke after a thoughtful while.
"Yes, Miss Delacour, you did see Professor Moody attacking you. But it wasn't really him. It was a Death Eater using a Polyjuice Potion to look like him. I'm sure you know how a Polyjuice Potion works?"
Fleur nodded numbly, almost reflexively acknowledging the fact that she knew the way a Polyjuice Potion is supposed to work. Her brain was too worried trying to process another bit of info Professor McGonagall had just provided her with. That name. The name that had haunted her dreams ever since she was a small child.
Death Eater.
She had been barely five years old when it had happened, but she remembered it quite clear. Fleur wished she didn't.
Tuning out Professor McGonagall's voice, Fleur remembered the morning she had woken up to find her mother crying desperately.
She had crept into her parents' bedroom, trying to find the source of the noise that had woken her up, and climbed onto the bed where her mother was rocking backwards and forwards, clutching a piece of damp parchment on her hands.
"Maman?"
It had taken her mother a few minutes to realise that her oldest daughter was next to her, but when she did, she hugged Fleur fiercely against her. Her tears soaked the small girl's hair, and her hold on Fleur had been so tight that the little girl had had trouble breathing.
But what had made her almost stop breathing had been the grieving news her mother had given her in a croaked voice. "Your father is dead. Killed by Death Eaters."
She had been a small child, but even the children had been aware of what being dead meant back then. Back when the Dark Lord ruled the wizarding world.
Her mother had never really accepted his death and many times, during her most grieving moments, she had cursed the day her husband had decided to become an Auror and fight the Dark Lord and his followers.
Fleur took a deep breath and started rubbing her temples in a vain attempt to stop her head from hurting.
"A Death Eater." She snapped her eyes open, realisation dawning on her. "Does zat mean zat," she gulped in fear, "Zat You-Know-'oo is back?"
"I'm afraid so, yes," came the subdued reply.
Fleur clenched her teeth together. You-Know-Who was back. War, death, and despair were coming upon them. She felt tears threatening to appear at the corner of her eyes, but concentrating on the image of her father, her brave father that had fought against it all, Fleur prevented that. She stood up resolutely. "I'm feeling better already," she said, trying to reassure herself of it.
Fleur went for the door, but the young man next to her was faster. He opened up the door for her, allowed her to pass, and followed.
They left the castle in silence. Fleur was so focused on her thoughts that she barely noticed the young man besides her. When they reached the carriage, he spoke up. "Don't worry. Everything will be all right."
"No, it won't." She looked at the redheaded young man, coolly. She felt like all her sorrow could be seen pouring through her eyes. She remembered her father once again. "But we won't go down without putting up a fight." She turned and entered the carriage, before she lost control and cried.
Once she had gotten inside the carriage, her mother chastised her for running away into the cold night, worried about her health after she had been Stunned. Fleur quickly eased her mother's worries, and crept into her bed.
Her mother didn't understand. Fleur had woken up to the whispers between her and Madame Maxime about Harry Potter's ordeal. As soon as the disorientation she had felt at first cleared, she remembered the person who had Stunned her, and she had to be sure that Harry was all right. Fleur knew she had to warn someone about the culprit and the possible danger he represented. She owed it to Harry, who had saved her little sister when she should have but couldn't.
Of course, when she had hastily gotten up, fenced her mother's and Madame Maxime's attempts to get her back into bed, and headed towards Hogwarts' castle, she didn't expect to find out that it had all been a Death Eater's fault.
Let alone discover that the Dark Lord had come back.
Fleur let the tears streak down her face freely now. She could no longer hold back the painful memories of her father's death or the fear she was feeling.
***
Bill never returned to Egypt. Before reaching his father, even before leaving Hogwarts, he knew that he wouldn't be able to leave his family at England, now that they were in danger. Now that all the wizarding community was in danger. Now that You-Know-Who had returned.
The morning following the day of the Triwizard Tournament, Bill woke up in his old bedroom at the Burrow, a headache threatening to split his brain into two. He had stayed up until very late the night before, telling his father and Percy all that had happened as many times as it took for them to fully believe and understand it. His father had questioned him about everything he thought might be of relevance, while Percy had mostly kept to himself, seated at the kitchen table and eyeing his older brother and father intently. Not at all up to his usually pompous and talkative self. Bill couldn't blame them, though. He still had trouble understanding and accepting it himself. No wonder he had a headache.
And even though the orange that covered all the walls of the room had nothing to do with the reason why he had such a headache, they did nothing to improve it. Actually, they made Bill feel worse, looking so bright under the sunlight shinning upon them from the partially opened window.
Bill moved slowly to his feet, and dragged his weary and unrest form down the staircase and into the kitchen, where he hoped to find a nice and strong coffee.
When he entered the kitchen, Bill found out a note from his father at the table.
Bill,
I've gone early to the Ministry. The faster we start preparing for whatever comes our way and the more people we can get to help us, the better.
Arthur
That only hardened Bill's decision. He took out a bit of parchment and a quill, and hastily scribbled a letter to Gringotts Bank, asking for a transfer to the London branch.
Looking at the owl's perch, Bill surveyed Errol only for a few moments before attaching his parchment to Hermes. Bill didn't think that Errol would survive the trip.
"What are you doing?" Percy's voice startled Bill.
"I thought you had gone to the Ministry with Dad."
"Clearly you did. You wouldn't be using my owl if you knew I was home, would you?"
Bill rolled his eyes. "Perce, I'm not Fred, George or Ron. I'm not afraid of you fussing about me using your owl. Besides, I'm sending a letter to Egypt, and Errol wouldn't be able to go there and back again." With that, Bill opened the small kitchen window, allowing Hermes to fly through it.
"Well," Percy stammered. "You could have at least asked me before you borrowed it."
"I'd have if I'd known that you were home. Why aren't you at the Ministry?" Bill frowned. "You'll be late for work if you don't hurry."
"I'm leaving in a few. But first I wanted a word with you." Percy sat on one of the chairs around the kitchen table. Bill sighed. Grabbing a cup and pouring some hot coffee for himself, he sat facing Percy.
"Well?" Bill asked, reaching for toasts and butter when Percy remained in silence. "What is it?"
"Are you really sure that You-Know-Who is back?"
Bill eyed his brother, prepared to find fear shinning in his eyes. But instead of fear, he found incredulity on them. "Yes. Harry saw him coming back to life. Besides, can you think any other explanation for Cedric Diggory's death?"
"Well... Didn't you find a lunatic Death Eater at Hogwarts?"
"Yes, we did, but he never left Hogwarts. How could he be responsible for Cedric's death?"
"Well, if Harry and Cedric never really left Hogwarts, he could have killed Cedric."
Bill stared at his brother. "And why would Harry tell a different story about Cedric's death?"
Percy looked down at his hands. After a while, he spoke up again. "Even if You-Know-Who is back, why alert all the wizarding community? It will only raise panic and fear. What good it will do? And I truly think that contacting the giants and removing the Dementors from Azkaban will only increase the panic and fear."
"Perce, think about what you're saying. Wouldn't it be better to be prepared for a possible attack from You-Know-Who then try and fight against him after he attack us by surprise?"
Percy continued to stare at his hands. Checking his watch, he muttered, "I have to go, or I will be late for work. Talk to you later," and Disapparated.
Bill stared at his brother's vacant spot for a while before quietly and thoughtfully finishing his breakfast. Was it possible that Percy...? No, he couldn't even think about it. He knew his brother was quite capable of seeing reason.
He was almost done cleaning up the mess he, Percy and Arthur had done in the kitchen when Mrs. Weasley Apparated next to him.
"Oh, hello, dear." She looked troubled. But who wouldn't in our situation? Bill thought. He looked at his mum and frowned. "I thought you'd stay at Hogwarts for a while longer."
Mrs. Weasley ruffed. "Well, there was not much I could do there, was there? Harry is already in the very good care of Madam Pomfrey, as Professor Dumbledore reminded me." Bill quirked an eyebrow up at Mrs. Weasley, but she either ignored that or didn't notice. Her features softened. "Besides, I couldn't let the Diggorys come back home alone in the awful state they are in. We travelled through Floo Powder to their house, and I only Disapparated after making tea and being sure they had a spot of it to calm down a bit." Mrs. Weasley sighed. "Poor Amos. He hasn't stopped crying ever since he saw Cedric's body, and his wife is beyond tears. Professor Dumbledore told me that he would arrange everything for Cedric's funeral."
Molly fidgeted a bit, as if wanting to say something else but not really sure about it. "Mum, is there something else?"
She eyed her eldest son with moistened eyes. "I asked Dumbledore if Harry could come straight here for the summer, but he can't. He has to go to the Dursleys first."
"I'm sure they can't be as bad as you and Dad think. They will probably be worried about what happened to Harry."
Molly snorted, but didn't voice her opinion about Harry's relatives. "You don't understand, Bill." She added in a whisper. "Harry blames himself for Cedric's death."
