A/N: Warning!!! Mild gore ahead. Don't say I didn't warn ya!
Disclaimer: do I have to say this again? No, I'm not Rowling. Unfortunately. No profit what so ever is being made off of this. DON'T SUE ME for the love of god, I have no money anyway.
Chapter 23: Peter
The body was found just after dawn.
A lone janitor had come out of the Ministry building, a bucket in one hand, a mop in the other, whistling tunelessly as he blinked sleep from his eyes. He stopped dead a few steps from the heavy oak doors, water soaking his shoes and pants as the bucket fell from nerveless fingers. A fine tremor ran through the man's frame as his mouth worked silently. Finally a small, barely audible whimper escaped from his mouth; a dark stain spread itself down the front of his pants as he turned and sprinted away, screaming shrilly as he ran. He didn't look back.
The sounds of his screams brought running footsteps, steps that faltered abruptly to a stop when they rounded the corner to the Ministry building. Heavy sounds of retching could be heard, as well as a few murmured prayers and vicious swearing at the sight.
Peter Pettigrew's body was in ruins – all, except for his face. The body was impaled on a wooden spike that had been driven into the ground. The chest cavity was gaping wide; edges of lung tissue and bone could be seen around where the spike exited from his chest. He was naked, his skin shredded in most places and heavily bruised where it wasn't. Peter's hands and feet were mangled, pulped objects that bore no resemblance to their previous forms.
His expression was one of terror and pain, with eyes squinted and his mouth open in a silent scream. Onlookers shuddered at the face, averting their eyes as they covered their nose – his bowls had been ruptured, and the stench was slowly spiraling out of the area. A sign had been fixed to the top of the spike, its dark lettering easy to read on the light wood. Come, Dumbledore, come pick up your precious Gryffindor.
"C'mon, get a move on! Move out of the way, people! The Minister is coming through!" Aurors pushed the gathering crowd out of their way, the tight knot of hard faced men shuffling along to keep pace with Fudge. When they finally got to the body and stepped aside, the Minister paled dramatically and clamped a hand over his mouth. His expression was decidedly green as he stared at the body.
"It's – it's – it's – !" Fudge trembled, his mind gibbering frantically. A stir went through the crowd, and several of the Aurors' mouths drew down into hard, tight lines.
"Do you know who the victim is, sir?" One of the closer Aurors turned to face the Minister, his eyes dark as he looked at the shaking form. "Do you know who that is up on that spike?"
Fudge looked at the Auror in question silently, the green fading from his expression as a stubborn mask came down over his face. "No, it's simply not possible. Peter Pettigrew was killed all those years ago by Sirius Black, it's a known fact." A mutter went through the crowd around him. The Auror snorted.
"That was never clearly proven. We found a finger, yes, but never a body."
Fudge's mouth drew down into a tight line. "No. Sirius Black was justly sentenced to life in Azkaban. I sent him there myself – he was guilty, everyone knew that. And besides, as unfortunate as this is, how do we know it isn't an attempt by that Potter boy to free his godfather? God alone knows what the boy may be capable of doing…" Another, louder murmur went through the crowd. People looked warily from the body to Fudge, their minds spinning. Already tongues were wagging, deep inside the crowd.
The body was swiftly taken down and the blood cleaned up by grim faced Aurors. The young, brown haired man that had questioned the Minister was given the duty of escorting the body to St. Mungo's, and was told to stay with it, until further notice by a white faced Fudge. The Minister himself took the day off, claiming the sight of the 'nameless victim' to be too much for his heart to take.
Gossip spread like wildfire, Fudge's words igniting a blaze of controversy. Most believed that it was indeed Harry Potter who had snuck out in the middle of the night and killed the poor man, as the good Minister said. The other half, led surprisingly by Molly Weasley herself, claimed that the Dark Lord was responsible for the actions, and that the victim was, indeed, Peter Pettigrew. The Daily Prophet ran two headlines, proclaiming both sides of the story, just so their readers would be happy.
And inside one castle, in a remote area far to the north, the news finally hit.
*_*_*_*_*_*
"Hermione! Hermione! Hermione!" Ron Weasley ran into the Great Hall, his robes flapping around him as he sprinted up the aisle. The brown haired girl looked up, startled, as the sound of her boyfriend's shouting disrupted her reading. She looked at the now red-faced boy, confused.
"What is it, Ron?" She flicked a strand of hair off of her face and turned to face him. "What's wrong?" The red head jiggled in place, a huge grin spreading across his face.
"Peter Pettigrew's body was found this morning on the steps of the Ministry! Fudge recognized him, but refuses to admit it's him! Everyone's in an uproar, half believe it's Pettigrew, the other half don't! Can you believe it?" Ron's eyes gleamed. Hermione gasped.
"But – but – why did the Dark Lord kill him?" Ron's hasty entry had gathered quite a crowd. Students from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw were beginning to drift over, creating a large crowd around the Gryffindor table. Ron wedged his way onto the bench next to Hermione, his eyes bright.
"No one's really sure. But there was a note with the body, calling for Headmaster Dumbledore to pick up his 'precious Gryffindor'. So Pettigrew had to have been doing something brave and heroic that You-Know-Who must have hated. Maybe," Ron broke of with a gasp, his expression lighting up. "Oh, maybe he had come back to the good side and was trying to inform the Headmaster about something really big that the Dark Lord was up to?" Lavender's tired eyes glanced at Ron sharply, before relaxing. Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, a pensive expression on her face.
"But why would the Dark Lord publicly display Pettigrew's body? I mean, by doing that, he's proving Sirius Black's freedom…" Ron laughed joyously, startling his girlfriend into silence.
"I know! Isn't it brilliant? Black is innocent, Pettigrew is redeemed! Gryffindor's pride can finally be restored! Isn't it wonderful?" Hermione looked at him oddly for a moment.
"Gryffindor's pride wasn't tarnished because of a few bad apples," she pointed out. Ron's smile dimmed a bit.
"Yes it was, a little. It was embarrassing to think that we could be in any way, shape or form like those slimy, backstabbing Slytherins." Ron's face twisted into an ugly sneer. Other Gryffindors nodded vigorously. Seamus stayed silent and unmoving, his eyes locked on his plate. Ron glanced his way and frowned, disturbed by Seamus's lack of agreement. "What's wrong Seamus?"
The other boy looked up quickly, a slightly panicked look on his face. "Nothing, really." He gave them a sickly smile. Ron's eyes narrowed.
"Seamus, really mate, what's wrong?" The redhead now had everyone's attention firmly on the Irish boy. Seamus squirmed in his seat, a pale flush coming over his features.
"Nothing, really Ron. It's just –," Seamus broke off, looking back down at his plate. "You know, not all Slytherins are bad." Ron's face flushed hotly and he tensed, his hands curling into tight fists.
"Seamus how could you say something like that? You know the whole lot are evil; they're bloody junior Death Eaters for all we know!" Seamus raised his head, his mouth in a tight line, and his eyes were hard as he looked at Ron.
"Are they? So why are they here and not at Durmstang?"
Ron's mouth worked silently. "Because their parents wanted eyes and ears into the school. And besides, Harry bloody Potter is here – they wanted to make sure to stay close to their newest recruit." Ron's voice was acidic and Seamus flushed a deeper shade of red.
"Can you prove it?" the boy pressed. Ron regarded him silently for a long moment.
"No. But it doesn't mean it's not true." Ron folded his arms across his chest stubbornly. Seamus sighed and glanced away briefly.
"But you do admit that there could be some, ah, 'bad apples' in Gryffindor but that doesn't mean that the entire House is bad." Seamus leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table, his eyes now piercingly clear. Ron frowned, clearly confused.
"Well, of course."
"And if, say, there were a few 'bad apples' in Ravenclaw, would you say the same thing about their House?" Ron nodded. "As well as Hufflepuff?" Ron laughed.
"You know as well as I do that Hufflepuffs are too loyal and good to be Death Eaters." Ron scolded the other boy with an amused smile. Those from that House around Ron beamed happily at him.
"Are you so sure about that? Anyhow, since you admit that a few bad apples don't spoil the bunch for Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, well, why doesn't that apply for Slytherin as well?" Silence followed Seamus's remark.
"Seamus, mate, you seriously need to get your head on straight. Slytherins are evil," Dean placed a concerned hand on Seamus's shoulder. "It would be nice to give them the benefit of the doubt, but really, we've seen everything we've needed to see. They're evil. We're good. End of story." Dean shrugged. Seamus merely stared at him for a long moment.
"Everything's not always black and white you know." Seamus's voice was quiet. Ron's expression darkened slightly.
"Most of the time it is. Come on Seamus, you seriously don't believe that Slytherins can be…good, do you?" Ron looked at him intently. Seamus snapped his mouth shut on his retort, not liking the look in the red head's eye. He merely shrugged and looked down at his plate, conceding the argument to the other boy. Ron's face broke into a triumphant smile and he turned back to the crowd.
"That's a mate," Ron reached across the table and clasped Seamus's shoulder tightly, his fingers digging into the other boy's flesh briefly before letting go. Seamus kept his head down and ignored him, hiding his flinch.
"So what's going to happen with Black?" Dean shifted the attention back to Ron, who lit up, smiling broadly.
"My Mum and Dad are leading the rally to get Black's name cleared, to restore the Gryffindor pride. Make sure to pass the information on to your parents, my Mum and Dad need all the help they can get!" Ron flashed them all a bright grin. A loud murmur went through the crowd as the gathered students gossiped. The buzzing noise of their voices faded quickly, though, when a small knot of people walked through the Great Hall doors.
Harry and Draco led the way into the Hall, their heads held high. Behind them came Pansy, Millicent and Ginny, with Blaise and Neville bringing up the rear. They all paused briefly in the doorway, their eyes scanning over the gathered crowd carefully. Draco touched Harry's elbow gently, guiding him away from the hostile stares.
"He's so pale."
"Look at the bags under his eyes."
"Lucy said she thought she saw a whole group of Slytherins tromping through the Halls last night. She said they had a body floating along with them." Lavender hissed to the huddled Gryffindors, her eyes as wide and innocent as she could make them. People muttered darkly as they watched the Slytherins make their way to their table. Ron's brows lowered.
"I wonder…" He tilted his head to the side and pursed his lips slightly.
"What?" Dean asked, his eyes lighting up with malicious glee. Ron's eyes were fixed on Potter, and for Dean that meant more gossip to be held. Lavender leaned back from the redhead, a satisfied expression flashing across her face.
"Well, Black is Potter's godfather. But the Dark Lord's note wouldn't make any sense then. But, still, isn't it odd that Pettigrew dies days after Potter becomes a Slytherin?" Ron mused. Hermione shifted in her seat.
"That makes little sense, Ron. Why would Potter kill Pettigrew and pretend he was killed by You-Know-Who? And why would he include that note? It makes no sense, unless Potter really is a Death Eater and asked for Pettigrew's death as a reward for joining the Dark Lord's ranks. But still, I wouldn't think that the Dark Lord would give Pettigrew up like that unless he really did decide to turn to the light. But still…it could, now only could, mean that Potter did kill Pettigrew at the Dark Lord's behest. I'm sure it could have served as some initiation rite for him, like how in primitive societies boys become young men with their first hunt. But that still doesn't explain why it was Pettigrew…" Hermione trailed off, one hand rising to her mouth. She nibbled on the edge of her nail as her mind raced. Ron smiled fondly at her, reaching out to brush the back of her hand lightly with his fingers.
"We'll figure it out, Herm. Don't worry." The girl glanced up at her boyfriend, her intense expression softening.
"Of course we will," she said softly, her eyes lowering slightly. "Of course we will."
*_*_*_*_*
Harry watched the crowd warily as he made his way over to the Slytherin table. He could feel Draco at his back, the taller boy's heavier presence comforting. He took a seat gratefully; he could feel the muscles in this thighs and calves quivering slightly. He quickly folded his hands in his robes to hide the fine tremors that were running through them – they'd stop after a moment, he knew, but he was damned if his Housemates were going to catch him shaking like a leaf. They'd bundle me back off to Pomfrey before I could blink, he thought fondly, if with a touch of exasperation. He'd been able to talk Draco into smuggling him out of the Hospital Wing the night before, much to Madam Pomfrey's irritation, but he couldn't escape the attentions of his Housemates.
Inside the dorms, Harry had nearly been overwhelmed with the number of people coming up to him, making sure he was all right. None of them had looked at him oddly, none of them seemed afraid – instead they touched his hand, or arm slightly, as though they were making sure he was real, before letting him go with a warm 'welcome home'. It had touched Harry deeply.
A few third years passed by them, flashing brief smiles at the dark haired boy before letting a cool mask drop over their features. Harry nodded briefly at them, wondering for the hundredth time how he ever thought Slytherins were cold, heartless people. Draco turned to him slightly and nudged his shoulder, a brief frown crossing his face as the pale eyes flicked towards the Gryffindor table. Harry let his eyes stray to the far side of the Hall, glancing at Ron and Hermione briefly before shaking his head slightly. He didn't know what was going on.
A rush of wings heralded the arrival of the owl post. Hundreds of shadows passed along the tables, almost all of them bearing Daily Prophets in their grip. Draco caught his bundle and quickly opened it, freezing as he read the headline.
Harry leaned close to the blond and took a look at the paper. The screaming headline made him pale dramatically – he gasped slightly and looked away, memories flickering at the edge of his mind. He closed his eyes and shuddered, taking a deep breath and placing his hands on the table in front of him. Suddenly he tensed and his eyes flew open. Sirius. His godfather could be freed, could have his name cleared and be able to take his inheritance back. Draco's head whipped around to look at Harry, the idea had just hit him as well. The dark haired boy glanced over to the blond, nodding briefly, his eyes gleaming. That's when he noticed the other headline.
Harry leaned across Draco, eyes intent on the paper Blaise was reading. The sable haired boy glanced at Harry, bafflement on his face as he turned the paper towards him, so the other boy could see it better.
POTTER'S HANDIWORK OR YOU-KNOW-WHO'S? Harry's eyes skimmed down the page; the feature story was on the debate as to whether or not Harry or Voldemort had killed Pettigrew, and what would be done if Harry had indeed committed the murder. The dark haired boy's hands curled into fists – how could they think something like that? I'm not like Voldemort, I'm NOT. His lips thinned out to a fine line. Those faithless bastards – he could feel a snarl pass across his face. Draco pushed at him until he was sitting upright, and pressed a goblet of pumpkin juice into his hands. Harry merely stared at the liquid in the cup, his mind simmering with anger.
Draco looked over to Pansy and Ginny worriedly. Harry hadn't said a word throughout the entirety of breakfast, and had only picked at the food that was on his plate. Pansy let her eyes dart to Blaise's paper, and Draco scowled briefly. He knew why Harry was upset. Pansy narrowed her eyes at the blond. She sighed slightly and shrugged; she didn't know how to cheer him up or distract him. Well, she didn't, but she knew who could. She glanced slyly over at Millicent and flicked her eyes to where Draco sat worrying over Harry. Millicent hid a smile and nodded briefly. All right then, Pansy smirked to herself, operation Get Them Together is a go.
The rest of the week crawled by for Harry. The Daily Prophet's screaming headlines greeted him each morning, and throughout the day dark whispers and mutters would pick up in his wake. Classes were nearly unbearable – ever since Pettigrew's death the rumor that someone had seen a group of Slytherins with a dead body had run rampant throughout the school. When Draco and Pansy had first heard the rumor they saw red.
"Those – those – those –," Pansy shook slightly, her delicate hands curling into vicious claws. "Those bloody wankers."
"Pansy!"
"Shut up Blaise." The petite blond whirled around and crossed her arms across her midsection. The sable haired boy came up and rested a hand on her shoulder.
"What we need to do is find out who started the rumor," Draco rested his elbows on his knees and buried his head in his hands.
"Well, that's perfectly obvious."
"Pansy," Blaise's tone was warning. The small girl sighed and glanced at Draco.
"Sorry." Draco smiled wanly at her and shrugged.
"It's beyond irritating, I know. We just have to work around it, as best we can."
"How? This new rumor all but destroyed our communication systems within the other Houses. No one, no one is talking to us now, it's ridiculous." Pansy turned back to the room where the majority of Slytherin House had congregated. Harry sat next to Draco, one leg tucked underneath himself, a faraway look in his eyes. Ginny sat next to Neville, her eyes wide and bright – she kept running a section of her robe through her fingers, nervously playing with it as she took in the tension in the room. Neville was the only one that was even near calm; the sandy haired boy watched Pansy, Draco and Blaise with quiet eyes. Although if his gaze rested longer than normal on Blaise no one said a word.
"I wish we could bug their Common Rooms," Harry murmured, his eyes still fixed on the far wall. Draco frowned and turned to the smaller boy.
"You wish we could what?"
Harry shook himself slightly and looked at the blond. "Bug the common rooms. It's a type of muggle contraption; a little camera or sound recorder that's a small black dot, making it easy to hide under tables, or in dark corners, etc. I remember my cousin and his friends raving about them. He was going through some strange James Bond phase."
"James who?"
Harry smiled. "Never mind who." Draco looked at him oddly.
"And these muggle contraptions – they'd record what was said in a certain room?"
"And sometimes let you see into a room as well. But how it works exactly, I dunno." Harry shrugged. "And besides, it's not like muggle electronic things can work at Hogwarts." He colored slightly. "It was just a – wish, I guess. It'd make things a heck of a lot easier." Draco nodded slowly and caught Blaise's eye.
"You think it would be possible to modify a spell to work the same way?" Blaise was by far the best at modifying spells in their House. The boy tilted his head to one side and thought about it.
"I – would have to experiment. I really have no clue whether or not it's feasible."
"Good. Get to work on it immediately." Blaise nodded sharply, letting his hand drop from Pansy's shoulder and drifting away, one hand coming up to rub at his lower lip thoughtfully. "Now, anyone else have any suggestions?" No one said a word. Draco sighed heavily and buried his hands in his hair.
"Damage management. We need to start mitigating the damage that the blasted rumor has done. While we might want to hide from the rest of the Houses, us traveling in packs, with more than one House as witnesses to where we're going and what we're doing would really make it hard for them to say we're sneaking out at night and killing people." Harry drummed his fingers on his leg, his eyebrows drawing together sharply. "And as much as I would hate it, having Dumbledore post a – a – curfew spell, or make it so a very loud alarm will sound when a student leaves the castle would probably help as well." Pansy sank into a chair, folding her hands in her lap carefully.
"Traveling near and with the other Houses is rather difficult at the moment. But …doable, I think." The small girl nibbled on her lower lip, her thumb absently brushing back and forth over the skin of her palm.
"And the only ones who really need to stay in the public spot light would be the fourth or fifth years and up; everyone younger than that most everyone forgets about." There were solemn nods from around the room.
"And all hope is not lost for Ravenclaw," came a quiet voice. Sasha, a quiet and solemn sixth year spoke up. Far more timid and intellectual than her fellow dorm mates, the girl was often over looked in a crowded setting. She was one of their best informants.
"How so?" Draco fixed his gaze on her. The girl shrugged slightly.
"I've managed to hear a few of them in the Library, talking about this and that. They were very – logical in their review of the matter." Her mouth twisted slightly, her smile never reaching her eyes. Sasha had lost most everything to the Dark Lord the year before; her parents, her siblings, her home. From what Draco had told him, Harry knew that the girl was once a vibrant and cheerful girl, if only in the confines of her own dorm. Now she barely smiled, and worked with a feverish intensity for the Dark Lord's demise.
"Their names?"
"Bradley and Davies were the two I could identify. There were a few more, but I couldn't see them clearly. They seem to meet in the Library every other day at lunch; I'll sit closer next time and try to get a good look."
Draco nodded slowly, his eyes focusing on a distant point. "Yes. Keep an eye on them; we'll approach them as soon as we get a little more information about them." He sighed again and let his hands dangle; he was tired.
"I think that's good for now," Harry cast a glance towards Pansy, who nodded firmly. Draco was overworking himself again, and they needed to do something about it. "C'mon Draco. I heard that the Ravenclaws had the pitch today. I want to get a look at their line up this year." Draco looked up at the dark haired boy and nodded tiredly. Harry uncoiled himself from his seat and waited for Draco to join him. Pansy and Millicent looked at each other with smug grins on their faces. Harry was perfect.
*_*_*_*_*_*
"And now, the first Quidditch match of the year! Ravenclaw vs. Hufflepuff!" Lee Jordan's voice rang out over the crowded pitch, the cold clear September air carrying it easily on the breeze. Harry stood next to Draco in the Slytherin section, bundled up as though they were in the depths of winter, watching the sky intently. His dorm mates, namely Ginny and Pansy, had been adamant that morning that he dress warmly. All he wanted to do was wear a sweater and his winter robes, but the girls would hear none of it. So, he ended up being wrapped in layers of clothing, pulling on heavy winter robes, and his scarf firmly tied around his throat. He thought they were all being a little silly, but for Ginny's sake, let her do as she pleased.
Bill stood right behind the knot of Slytherins, his face drawn into a pensive scowl. They had had a small run in with a group of Gryffindors that morning on the way to the pitch, and the memory of it still irked the tall redhead.
Bill had been happily chatting with Ginny and Harry when a group of Gryffindors, led by Ron, had materialized in front of them. Bill had tensed, his hand inching towards his wand, his eyes never leaving his former little brother's face.
"So, Potter. Headed off to the game to plan on who you're going to kill next? I'm sure Ravenclaw is feeling left out." Ron's lip was curled up into a sneer and Harry's hands balled into tight fists.
"You pathetic –,"
"Ronald Weasley!" Hagrid's voice startled them all, Harry most of all. The tall half giant strode up to them, his cloak and pack stained with dirt. He towered over the small gathering, his bulk all but quivering. "That is the most horrible thing I've heard you say. You apologize to Harry right now!" Ron's face flushed a deep shade of red.
"But Hagrid! You've heard what he's done! He –"
Hagrid snorted and shook his head vigorously. "I've heard a lot of things in my travels. Crazy things like how Harry's becoming the next Dark Lord to how there's no longer a Slytherin House in Hogwarts anymore. Now, I come here, expecting to see everything as it should be, and here you are accusing Harry of murder! What in the blazes is going on here?" Ron opened his mouth to snap back to the half giant when a new voice cut in.
"Ah, Hagrid, you've returned." The Headmaster's sudden appearance made them all jump and turn sharply towards him, eyes wide. The Headmaster smiled kindly at them, his eyes twinkling brightly as he transferred his gaze to the half giant. "If you don't mind, Hagrid, I'd like to have a few words with you in my office. After you've cleaned up, of course." The burly man nodded vigorously, lifting his heavy pack and draping it across his shoulders easily.
"O'course Headmaster Dumbledore. Right away sir." Albus smiled at him as Hagrid winked at Harry kindly and sped away towards his hut. Harry watched him go quietly, a small, happy burn kindling inside of him. Hagrid still believed in him…he tore his eyes away from the half giant's back to look back at Ron. But Ron never will. His smile faltered and died at the look of pure hatred on Ron's face.
"C'mon Gin, Bill. Lets get to the pitch," Harry took Ginny's hand and led the glaring girl away. Bill lingered for a moment, his own gaze dark and warning, only to be shooed away by the Headmaster. Bill had looked back as he walked away, and caught a glimpse of the Headmaster talking quietly to the knot of Gryffindors. He'd felt a cool chill touch the back of his spine as he looked at his former little brother. Something was up.
Now Bill sat fretting behind the students, his hand itching to hold his wand. He had a bad feeling that the Gryffindors were planning something, something large and nasty, but he couldn't say just what it was. He sighed and shifted on the hard seat, a frown crossing his face yet again. Well, I'll just have to keep my eyes out for them, I guess. A rising shout from the crowd drew his eyes to the middle of the pitch, to where the Ravenclaw team was making a drive for the goal. Ah, there's nothing like Quidditch, Bill smiled widely, some of his uneasiness drifting away as his attention shifted to the darting figures in the sky. He glanced to where Harry and Draco stood, shoulder to shoulder, and had to smile; the boys were talking animatedly, heads bent close to one another, gesturing to the sky with impatient hands. Now there's a pair of national Quidditch team coaches if I've ever seen them. He laughed quietly to himself – it was good to see Harry animated and happy again.
In the end, Ravenclaw ended up beating Hufflepuff two hundred to thirty. The Ravenclaw team was ecstatic – and the Hufflepuff team was cheerful and congratulatory, much to Harry and Draco's disgust. Ginny poked her head into Harry and Draco's conversation finally, to point out the Hufflepuff keeper's weak left side, which led to a discussion between the three of them about the best strategy to use, given that information. They were still arguing when they hit the Great Hall.
Ginny sat down next to Pansy with a happy smile. She loved Quidditch and arguing about Quidditch, but had always been run rod trod over by her brothers when she was in Gryffindor. It was good to finally have people listen to her ideas and brainstorm with her. Pansy looked at her and shook her head, the petite blond having no interest in sports. She had given herself and Millicent a manicure that morning – which is another pleasure I'll have to introduce Ginny to sometime soon, Pansy smirked and passed along the pitcher of pumpkin juice.
A rustle of wings alerted the students to the arrival of the late post. Ginny looked up briefly, out of reflex, before catching herself and looking back down. The rush of wind on her face, though, had her gaze snapping back up – and when she did her eyes widened in shock. That's Charlie's owl! She reached out for the letter the bird was holding and offered it a bite of her supper. The tawny owl daintily took it from her fingers, and stayed an extra moment to brush its head across the back of her hand before it took off.
She watched the owl go silently, running her fingers over the spot that the owl had caressed. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes briefly – centering herself. When she was ready, she opened her eyes and opened the letter.
Dear Ginny,
I know I should have written sooner, but I really didn't know what to say. I wasn't there for whatever 'revelation' that Mum and Dad had, so the whole attitude of the family is quite baffling to me.
I also heard what Mum and Dad did to you. I want you to know that no matter what, we are still family, and that I love you, and will always be your brother. There's nothing that will change that, understand?
I also wanted to let you know that I'll be staying a part of the Weasley family – it doesn't mean that I agree with them, or blame you for anything. All it means is that I still have hope for them, that they might somehow come around to the truth of the matter. It will never make up for what they've done, I know, but it will at least count for something.
I hope this letter finds you well, and that you've settled in well in Slytherin House. Say hello to Bill for me, and tell him he's a prat for not coming to see me. Write me soon.
All my love,
CharlieGinny sniffed softly, and rubbed at her cheek, determined not to cry. On one hand she was incredibly relieved that Charlie didn't hate her, or blame her for anything – but on the other hand she had been hoping that perhaps Charlie would remove himself from the family too, and she would have both of her favorite brothers full support. Selfish brat, she scolded herself. You have Bill! The former Weasley heir! Don't be so bloody greedy. She shook herself lightly and nodded once, faintly. Acting like a petulant brat would get her nowhere, she had to be positive. She steeled herself and looked up – to be confronted by the stares of everyone in her proximity.
"All right there, Gin?" Harry asked. The redheaded girl nodded, a small smile creeping onto her face.
"There's no one we have to hunt down and torture until they convert to our side?" Pansy's voice was a little wistful. Ginny gaped at her for a moment, before breaking into giggles.
"Pansy!" she hissed. The blond winked at her and smiled back. "Don't say that so loud!" Laughter rang out from their table, causing more than one head to turn and look at them oddly.
Hagrid looked down from the Head Table, his eyes lingering on the small group. His meeting with the Headmaster had been eye opening, that was for sure. He sighed as his gaze switched back to the Gryffindor table – to say that he was unhappy with his former House was an understatement. But they're but kids – surely all this – this nonsense is coming from their parents. Molly and Arthur should have known better. I'm sure they'll come around in time. Nodding once, the burly half giant tucked into his food, his worries and anger pushed aside. He could trust in Ron and Hermione to see the light – they were Gryffindors, after all. They would always see the light in the end – because Gryffindors were always brave, loyal and true. I'll just give them some time, Hagrid grunted to himself as he ate. Let them clear their heads of all the nonsense their parents have stuffed it with. This whole mess will blow over in no time, it will. He glanced over at the Gryffindor table and sighed. It just has to.
End Chapter 23
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Lady FoxFire, YuZira, Minerva-Severus-Dumbledore, Berkana, rayvern, KoChanneo, Kristine Thorne, Cherrygal3, Vicious Lily, The Shadow Bandit, AtieJen, keebler-elmo, bakachan17, Angel-liam, Redrum, Malfoy Snogger, Jade Maxwell, Moonfairy2000, lea, Videl86, hersheyheaven, Christine, stayblue, tati1, Xirleb70, Jes Imagin, Belle, Silvrei, TanisaFyre, Harmoni, Barbarella, ShaeLynn, azntgr01, SilverYoukai, Relle, LIZ, frizzy, Mia26, SparkySparkles, momma-dar, RaynieceMalfoy, Serpent of Light, Lukaret, Isilme Domitius, Milkyweed, heard the owl scream, Luna Malfoy, Bella Naris, Tanya, doompaw, charmed, In-the-Shadows, Shinigami, OxBeachFlirtx01, Peta, Rei, Rei Tamashii, Rose, Wandering Shadow, Sayiera, Sondy, sunrise, DaOnlyWolfGurl, kickedoutofthegoblet, Jay, Me, Cheery Wolf, Draconias, Amirathis, Yuna, A Fallen Angel, : THANK YOU FOR YOUR AWESOME REVIEWS!!!!
Kalorna Enera: Yes, Charlie will be in this fic. The issues revolving around Ron and Hermoine will be explored. I'm glad you're enjoying the fic! Thanks for the review!
NayNymic: Lots of things will be changing around holiday time for the story =) Keep your eyes open! Thanks for the lovely review!
Athenakitty: Charlie will be informed. Harry's Slytherin side will get to shine. Harry is staying in Slytherin. There is no reconciliation possible between Harry and the Weasley's – he's through with them. Thank you for another awesome review!! And I hate elevators! I was stuck in the same elevator, twice, in my dorms freshman year of college. =/ Icks about the people, /sigh. Silly humans…
Undead Queen: Yes, Lucius will return =)
Tempest8: Harry can't, and that's all I'll say =) I'm still shady on the Sirius / Remus relationship. Yes, in my head they are together, but the issue of them being together will more than likely not come up in the story unless it's absolutely necessary. Thanks for the lovely review!!
Usagi Serenity Yui Cosmos: The little girl…sorta took over a role in the story. I dunno, it was very odd. She wasn't even written into the first draft, and then bam! There she was. Little kid ghost/spirit things scare the crap outta me though, and fascinate me as well…so that's probably where she came from. I'm still going to keep her as a very back burner character…or at least try /sigh. Thank you for another wonderful review!!
WillowS: Yes, this is my first fanfic story, ever (aside from shorts that I've begun over the years, but ended up stopping half way through because they sucked). No website, yet, but I do have a yahoo.group. Thanks for the review!
Dreamxseeker4evr: yes, Ginny and Bill will love their new family. Thanks for the review!
Radical Edward9: Lucius will get a hold of the paper just before Christmas hols. Wait and see about Seamus =) Thank you for reviewing!
Vampire Goddess Jekyll: Yep!
Artimisu: Yes, Charlie will have a spot in the story. Yes Harry will be having more visions. It's still September in the story, but I'll be speeding up the timeline soon. I'm very glad you enjoyed the fic! Thanks for reviewing!!
Girldevil: Still a while to go, never fear. The chapters keep multiplying on me =)
Dreamseeker4xever: Ginny and Bill will get adopted just before the Christmas hols. Maybe sooner, but probably not. =)
Eriadne: Remus's POV and views on the vision potion will
probably be added in at some point.
Harry is going to go away for Christmas! And this fic should be pretty darn long once
I'm through with it. Thanks for the
awesome review!