CHAPTER 4.

BILL WEASLEY

It was impossible for Harry not to know who Bill Weasley was, for Bill Weasley was not one that you forgot very often. With his black leather clothes and his long red hair tied at the nape of his neck, and his earring, you could hardly forget him anytime soon, for he looked so unlike his brothers. Actually, Harry realized, it wasn't so hard to believe that he was related to Fred or George, but to know that he was related to Percy? Impossible. Harry dropped to his knees beside Ron as Mrs. Weasley held her son's hand. Bill's eyes were closed tightly shut and his face was a ghastly color. For once smiles were wiped clean from the twins' faces as they eyed their brother, while Fred checked Bill's pulse.

"It's alright, Mum. A little fast, but alright." He said quietly, letting go of his brother's hand. Mrs. Weasley nodded determinedly.

"Step back, boys." She said quietly, drawing her wand from the place on the floor where she had dropped it. She took one more sad look at her son's face then waved it boldly through the air as she shouted, "EXCITO!"

At first nothing happened. The room was silent as its occupants stared at the boy.

"How did he get here, Mum? I thought he was still in Egypt." Ron said quietly.

"He was. He just apparated right in here and fainted dead away on the floor. You think he looks bad now, he looked worse a few moments ago." Mrs. Weasley choked. Ron quickly put his arm around his mother.

"Look, Mum!" Fred cried out.

"I think his eye moved." George said, peering closely at Bill's face. And it was true, his eyes did flutter slightly, then they opened slightly, and then wider till they could see the hazel color of his eyes.

"Mum?" He croaked. A sob arose in Mrs. Weasley's throat as she threw herself on her son. Bill smiled as she hugged him and held his head in her lap, winking at Ron and Harry as she did so. "Mum, I'm alright. Honest I am. Just a little, well," Bill didn't finish his sentence, but instead let it hang.

"I don't care, Bill! What happened to you? Why did you come and faint? Are you ill? Did you catch some bug in Egypt? All those strange people and animals over there. My poor baby." Mrs. Weasley murmured. Bill rolled his eyes weakly and tried to sit up.

" I'm okay, Mum. Heya, Freds, George. How's it goin'?" Bill asked. Harry watched the eldest Weasley boy as he sat up. He was obviously trying to prove to his mother that he was just fine. But he was not just fine. His face was pale and there was a look in his eyes that betrayed his reassuring words. After Fred and George said their 'hullos', Bill turned to Ron and rumpled his hair.

"How ya doing, kid? How's my kid brother?" He asked, a teasing air in his voice. Ron groaned and thrust his hand off.

"Alright. What are you hiding?" Ron leaned over and whispered the last part, but Harry was still able to hear. Bill pulled back from Ron and shook his head meaning, 'Not now.' Ginny threw herself on Bill and Bill rolled his eyes as he patted her back reassuringly.

"It's alright, Gin! See, no bones broken." He said, pulling her away so he could see her face. "Honestly, you girls cry more than the worst rainstorm in England." Mrs. Weasley and Ginny managed to smile at that, but as Ginny climbed off Bill's lap she gave him an extra squeeze.

"Why don't you children go outside? I want to talk with Bill a bit." Mrs. Weasley said, helping Bill to his feet.

"Aw, Mum! Can't we stay?" The twins chorused.

"Out!" Mrs. Weasley said firmly, pointing a long, slender finger towards the door. Everyone slowly marched out the door, the twins closing the door behind them.

"Well, that just stinks. We have a right to know what's going on just like Mum does!" Fred complained, crossing his lanky arms across his chest.

"Yeah, but obviously she doesn't want us to know." Harry said.

"Neither does Bill." Ron murmured.

"Well I'm not standin' for that." George said firmly, pulling out his wand.

"Oh no you don't!" The boys turned in the direction of the shrill cry. Hermione stood straight like a general commanding her troops, her brown eyes steely and her hands on her hips. "We're not going to eavesdrop! That's wrong! They told us we don't have to know, so we don't have to know! Don't get mixed up in something you shouldn't!" She exclaimed.

"Oh come off it, Hermione! We're gonna do it!" Ron said, waving his hand towards her. Hermione stamped her foot.

"If you do this, I'll, I'll, I'll tell your father!" Hermione yelled.

"Oh yeah? Well he'd probably commend us then. Say we were doing the right thing because we're family and we've got a right to know!" Ron and Hermione were now almost nose to nose, both pairs of eyes blazing holes in each other's faces.

"Fine! Do what you want! But Ginny and I are going to obey and are going to leave!" Hermione yelled.

"Fine! Good riddance!" Ron yelled back.

Hermione sniffed and put her arm protectively around Ginny, whose face was now looking almost as pale as Bill's, and they both walked away. Ron snorted with disgust as he turned back to the boys.

"Tell my father, HA! Whatever! I'd like to see her tell, WHAT?" Ron turned back only to be met by leering grins from both his brothers. They looked at each other before George said,

"Ahhh, true love!" Ron's face grew terribly red as he stared at them.

"OH SHUT UP!" he yelled.

"Now, now, no need to yell. We're gonna miss everything." Fred said, putting an arm between the two brothers. He and George brought up their wands, waved them slowly and murmured,

"Ausculto!"

Almost immediately there was sound. They could hear that it was coming from inside the kitchen. Granted, they couldn't see anything, but that wasn't important.

It's almost like listening to a radio, Harry mused.

"How'd you learn this?" Ron whispered wonderingly. Fred and George grinned.

"Well, we saw Rita Skeeter do it one time. You know, before Hermione figured out she was a beetle? It was really wicked! She was on the other side of the Dining Hall, and she just said the spell and me and Fred both heard everyone in the Dining Hall talking." George whispered, motioning for quiet. All four of them stood stock still as they listened to the conversation that they had just come into.

"It almost had me, Mum. That's all. I mean, it wasn't like it was human. That was what was strange. It knew exactly what I wanted and it was willing to give it to me." Bill said, his voice strained. They heard the sound of coffee cups as they were settled on the table, then as liquid was poured in them.

"Bill, this is dangerous. It's not just child's play. You and I both know that it is involved with You-Know-Who," Mrs. Weasley said, only to be cut off by Bill. "Wrong, it is a right-hand servant of You-Know-Who. That's why its so dangerous. Granted, when you see it, it doesn't seem so bad, but it is. It's the most dangerous thing of all, besides You-Know-Who of course." Bill said. They heard a coffee mug rattle as it was settled on the.

"Do you think it'll be safe to send the children to Hogwarts? I mean, with that little boy dead," Mrs. Weasley said worriedly. Four pairs of eyes outside the house stared at each other in alarm, each one filled with the same thought, Someone was killed by this thing?

"He wasn't that young. He was sixteen years old and a regular at Hogwarts. But what was strange is that Martin Wothes was a Slytherin, but he still resisted it." Ron gasped loudly. Fred and George shushed him, but he wouldn't be quiet. "Martin Wothes was the kid who you gave the exploding candy wrapper to! Remember! In Diagon Alley!" Realization echoed over the twins' faces as they stared at Ron, then turned to each other. A cold shiver ran through Harry.

Then this has just happened. We were probably the last people to see Martin before, that, that thing killed him. Harry thought.

"Still. Sixteen years old is still young. Ron is only fifteen, a year younger!" Mrs. Weasley said anxiously.

"He isn't the only one it's killed, Mum." Bill said quietly. The boys heard a gasp coming from Mrs. Weasley as she continued.

"You don't mean, this thing has killed before?" She asked.

"I'm saying just that. Only top secret forces of the Ministry know exactly how many. They wanted to keep things quiet, didn't want to upset anybody." Bill said, anger tingeing his voice.

"Was anyone we know killed, Bill?" Mrs. Weasley asked fearfully. They heard a slight thump as Bill let his hand fall to the table.

"Yeah. Melinda Montgomery." He said quietly. Mrs. Weasley let out a cry. "No! Not her! Oh poor Melinda! And after what happened to Lucy and Monty, oh goodness." Mrs. Weasley said with sadness.

"No way." Harry looked to Ron as he whispered this phrase. His red head was dropped as he listened, his face screwed up in confusion.

"Who's Melinda Montgomery?" Harry whispered. Ron slowly turned towards him.

"One of Bill's friends from school. Graduated in his first year. Her parents were killed by Death Eaters only a few months ago." Ron whispered, his eyes wide and filled with both sadness and confusion.

"Oh Bill." Mrs. Weasley whispered, filling the silence that had come between them.

"As to sending the kids to Hogwarts," Bill finally continued, some edge of strength returning to his voice. "I think its the best place to send them. I mean, they'll be protected by Dumbledore. It would be a different matter if they were full-fledged wizards. Then they might be able to hold out on their own, but still. Mum, send the kids to Hogwarts. Keep 'em safe. The safest place to go right now is Hogwarts. Some of the kids from the other schools are even coming over to Hogwarts." There was an exclamation on Mrs. Weasley's part.

"Why on earth?" She asked.

"They don't feel safe at their own schools. So they're going to Hogwarts." Bill said nonchalantly.

"Are their superiors sending them there?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"Some of them are in secret. The heads of the schools don't want people to think they're weak, so they're not doing it. Its gotta be some of the teachers and the kids' parents. But anyway, if kids from Durmstrang and Beauxbatons are coming to Hogwarts for safety, I don't think you should hesitate to send Fred, George, Ron and Ginny either. Or Harry for that matter. Especially Harry." Bill murmured.

"The poor child." Mrs. Weasley murmured.

"As for me, I better be getting back to Gringotts. Now don't worry Mum. I'll be fine. It won't get me. It won't ever get me. I promise." Bill said quietly. The boys knew that Mrs. Weasley had suddenly stood up when they heard a chair scrape against the floor sharply.

"But Bill even you said that its so powerful that it almost captured you! You wouldn't have made it back if you hadn't thought to apparate before it took you completely!" The boys heard the gentle sound of Bill kissing his mother.

"Don't worry, Mum. I'll be fine. Send owls to Percy and Charlie though won't you? Just to make sure they're alright. I love you so much Mum." They heard rustling as they assumed Bill held his mother close to him.

"Say hullo to Dad won't you?" Bill added.

"You just come home to me. That's all I ask. I want you to write me every week. Understand? And if you miss even ONE week, I'm apparating over there to Egypt and I'll give you a piece of my mind!" Mrs. Weasley said firmly. Bill chuckled softly and hugged his mother again.

"Okay, Mum. I'll see you. Tell everyone I said good-bye." There was a long silence and the boys thought Bill had disapparated before he spoke again. "I love you, Mum." Then there was silence. All save for Mrs. Weasley's quiet sobbing.

Harry stood still, his legs beginning to ache from standing still for so long. Bill's words were echoing in his head. Not safe to stay at home? Safer to go to Hogwarts? This thing killed Martin Wothes? The right hand of You-Know-Who? What is going on? This is unreal. No, no its not Harry. Remember, YOU brought Voldemort back into the land of the living. He's coming.

"Harry, you okay?" Harry blinked out of his stupor to look at Ron. Ron's freckled face was grave as he stared at his friend. "I'm going in to Mum. Fred, George, you go find Ginny and Hermione. From the looks of things they don't need to be out by themselves." Ron said firmly, for once taking charge, and for once the twins obeying him. "Come with me okay, Harry? I don't wanna comfort her alone." Ron said, as he watched Fred and George run off to look for the girls. Harry nodded and the two boys walked into the kitchen.

Mrs. Weasley was sitting at the table alone, a coffee cup in her hand, another lying neglected on the table. She finished writing a letter and giving it to Pigwidgen before she looked up. "

Oh Ron, Bill left, dear. I'm just sending a letter to Percy and Charlie. Hope you don't mind if I use Pig, but Errol is so tired." Mrs. Weasley said with a smile, looking rather tired herself, Harry thought.

"Sure, Mum. It's no problem." There was a slight pause before Ron leaned closer to his mother. "Mum, is there anything you want me and Harry to do? Anything? Anything at all?" He asked kindly. Mrs. Weasley stared off into space for more than a moment before she looked back to her son, and when she did, there was an unquenchable fire resting there.

"I want you to gather your brothers and sister and tell them that they are to get their things packed so that you can leave for Hogwarts." Confusion registered on Ron's face.

"But Mum, we don't leave for Hogwarts for a few days yet." The fire in Molly Weasley's eyes grew larger and more intense. "Get ready to go to Hogwarts. You're going tomorrow, even I have to fly you there myself. Harry, you stay with us. Now don't fuss! We'll go back to your home for your things. Ron, you make sure your friend Hermione gets safely home. No, no, I don't want her out. Get her in here, she'll stay with us. That way she can leave with us tomorrow. Ron, don't argue with me!" Mrs. Weasley shouted as Ron began to protest. "I am not going to allow my children, nor anyone else's children to be in danger from You-Know-Who, not while I'm alive. I swear I'll get you to Hogwarts, if its the last thing I do."

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Author's Note: AIEEE!!! Love you all!! *passes out homemade chocolate chip cookies and lemonade* Thanks for all the reviews you guys!! I love ya! I'm so glad that you're giving me input on this, seeing as its my first HP story. I'm just so overjoyed. I live off of reviews you know. Taste like REALLY expensive chocolate. ;-) Hope you're enjoying the story!! Thanks again for all the reviews! Love ya!

T.H.