Happy Saturday, my freaky darlings. As the title suggests, this is an eventful chapter. Events herein will have sweeping consequences for numerous characters. That sounds so ominous, doesn't it? Legal disclaimer: I own nothing. I make no money. Enjoy. And to the readers who sent messages asking after me when the system failed to send notifications: That was so sweet. Thank you.

Chapter 56 THE BIG ONE

On a blustery March afternoon, Hermione decided to take her godsons to Honeydukes in Hogsmeade. Sure, four-month-old James couldn't have anything. But nearly three-year-old Teddy could. Kreacher presented her with a well maintained pram, probably last used for Regulus. As it did let both boys sit next to each other she accepted gracefully. As they walked down the streets she and Teddy played an alphabet game, her sing-song voice making James laugh. A harsh, hate filled voice made her blood run cold and her breath catch. "You fucking, bitch. How dare you show your face here after everything you've done."

Slowly, keeping herself between Ron and the boys, she turned, "This is a public street with public businesses, Mr. Weasley. I can go anywhere I please. Furthermore, I have not done anything against you." She pulled her emergency portkey out from under her shirt, gripping the pram handle tightly. Both boys began to cry at the ugly look on Ron's face. He slapped her face, then backhanded the other cheek. The chain of her necklace broke and she lost her grip on the pram. Determined to save at least the boys, she threw the activated portkey into the pram, popping the boys to the safety of Black Island.

Ron hit her again, this time knocking her to the ground, "Cunt, did you think I would hurt your stupid bastards? Because damn right I would." He kicked her in the back. "Drown Flint's spawn before they can grow up and rampage against innocent people." Noticing a crowd gathering he yanked her up by her hair. "Don't want an audience for a private matter, now do we, sweetheart?" He apparated away seconds before the aurors arrived.

The repeated blows to the head combined with the disorientation of being side-alonged had Hermione retching when they landed. She tried to clear the fog in her head as he pulled her about by the hair, slamming her into things as he pulled/dragged her inside the Burrow. "Should have disciplined you properly years ago, might have kept you in your place." He dragged her up the stairs and threw her into the attic. "Keep the ghoul company. I have to finish working."

The concussion she surely had hindered her from concentrating enough to perform magic. She started looking for something she could use as a lock pick. All those survival skills were coming in handy again. Coming up empty handed she decided to risk alerting Molly to her presence by ramming down the door or knocking off the handle. She found a box of wooden dolls. She suspected they belonged to Molly based on all appearances. Hefting it like a club, she swung it overhead down onto the doorknob. Again and again, she smashed her weapon down onto the old brass knob. Simultaneously, the figurine broke into pieces and the doorknob clattered to the ground. She discarded the pieces and took another as a new weapon. As silently as possible she inched the door forward, pausing constantly to listen for any movement below.

-O-

As he exited the Burrow, Ron informed his mother of their guest, "I put Hermione in a time out. She's keeping the ghoul company in the attic. I'm going to try and stop anyone from looking for her." Molly looked up the staircase wondering if she wanted to know what her son had done. She decided she didn't. Uppity little ingrate was merely getting what was coming to her. Molly continued with her day.

-O-

Reports came in from Hogsmeade that Romserta's assistant assaulted a woman and her children in the streets. Tonks nodded to Shaklebolt. The two grabbed their rookies and apparated away. A crowd gathered between Honeydukes and Tomes and Scrolls. Shouts rang out. Tonks quickly took control of the situation. The first witness had seen everything and proved to be a calm, reliable witness, recalling details. "The woman was pushing her two little boys in one of those old-fashioned strollers, it was so precious. They were singing a silly song about people made of letters when the redhead that works at Three Broomsticks charged at her and started screaming at her. He smacked her around, kicked her, and pulled her about by the hair. She tried to portkey away, but he grabbed her. She got those kids away. Which was good, because he threatened to drown 'em." The middle-aged man stated plainly.

"Can you describe the woman and children?" Tonks asked.

"Yes, the woman was in her early 20s, with curly dark hair, nicely dressed. She was wearing a muggle-style coat. One of the children was rather young, a baby. The other was more of a toddler. He's the reason I noticed them, kept cycling his hair between straight and bright blue, sandy brown, and the dark curls of the woman. Metamagi are so rare."

Tonks felt her blood run cold. Horror coiled in her stomach. "Around two to three years old?"

The man beamed, "Yes, right about there."

"Thank you, please leave your contact information with the auror over there." She pointed at one of the rookies. She waved Kingsley over while pulling her wand. She created three patronuses, "Hogsmeade now! Ron abducted Hermione. The boys are missing." The spectral wolves loped off to deliver her message to Remus, Harry, and Marcus.

-O-

Kreacher felt the tingle of notification that someone portkeyed onto Black Island. He frowned deeper, Mistress Flint had not mentioned going to the island, and once she learned he could feel it she had begun telling him. A pull from the family magic caused him further concern. He instantly went to investigate the hidden island. On the beach, he found Master Teddy and Master James crying in the pram. They were alone and clearly terrified. "Kreacher is here, little masters. Kreacher bes taking you home." He took hold of the pram and concentrated on Harry.

-O-

His heart in his throat, Marcus tried not to push through the crowd. Those three sentences aged him centuries. It took him five minutes to find her because he hadn't realized Tonks's hair was its natural brown instead of bubblegum pink. "Do we know anything?" he asked.

"Not yet, Kings went to get the paperwork started to check the Burrow. Ron's impulsive, he'll take her there first. And we all know how Molly is about her children. If she knows, or suspects, she'll keep us out." Harry started to leave, "No, Harry, we have to do this legally."

Kreacher's arrival interrupted Harry's protest. "Mistress Flint sent boys to sanctuary. Kreacher has collected them. Tonks hugged the house elf and then swept Teddy up into her arms. "Oh, my baby! Thank you, Kreacher." Teddy hugged her back tightly, his sobs quieting. Harry soothed James.

Remus hugged his wife and son, meeting Marcus's eyes with concern, "Now we just need Hermione."

-0-

Ron flooed directly into the storage room behind the taproom. Rank had privileges. The large room buzzed with the news of the attack. Realizing no one herald him the hero, he decided to let the furor calm down. He would deal with his wayward fiance, then explain why she was the villain. Once everyone knew the whole story they would agree with him. He flooed back to the Burrow.

-O-

Hermione crept down the stairs, slowly moving around the corners of each landing, cursing whichever Weasley built up instead of out. By the third floor, she could hear Molly puttering around the kitchen. She reached the bottom of the staircase and began easing her way to the front door. "Just where do you think you are going? Your future husband told you to stay put. March yourself up those stairs and get back in that attic."

She straightened and turned around, "I have a husband. And even if I didn't it would never be your philandering prick of a son." Molly went for her wand. Quickly, Hermione swung the wooden figurine, striking the older woman in the temple. The dull thunk collapsed the dowdy housewife. She crumbled to the floor.

Hermione ran for the door, flinging it open. "Freeze. You aren't going anywhere. You have to pay for your crimes." Still unable to properly do magic, she was unable to stop the barrage of stinging and cutting hexes Ron sent at her. She struggled through the pain to run from the house. She stumbled on the uneven stone path. Ron grabbed her ankle, twisting it to wretch her onto her back. "You ruined our lives. You poisoned Harry against us." He kicked her in the ribs and hip. "You hid your money from me like you didn't want to share. You pretended to be poor, so we would pay for everything."

"You ruined your life. You poisoned Harry, literally. And I always paid my way when I did things with you and your family, arsehole." Panic bubbled up. A dangerous, risky, solution flashed through her mind. She screwed her eyes tightly closed, flung her arm over them, and turned her head away from Ron. "Ektyflotiko fos!" she reached her free arm towards him, fingers sprayed out. He screamed as a blinding light filled the air in front of him. She held the spell as long as she could. She dropped it and rolled to her side, trying to stand as Harry appeared next to her. "Harry," she sobbed.

Gently he helped her to her feet. She grabbed at him, her ankle refusing to hold weight. "I got you," he comforted her.

"The boys," she cried wildly.

"Kreacher went to the island almost as soon as they arrived. They were terrified but physically fine. Let's get you to Marcus and St. Mungo's. Isn't that a change, we get to go to the medical facility instead of sneaking in healers."

"Marcus, yes," she breathed. Leaning heavily against Harry she closed her eyes. She felt Marcus sweep

her into his arms, cradling her close to his chest. His familiar scent relaxed her further and let her drop into the darkness.

She floated in the nothingness, enjoying the lack of pain. She knew when the darkness ended there would be quite a bit of it, there always was. Detached from her emotions, she idly wondered if Molly and Ron were okay. She doubted she would care if they were not, but she could admit to curiosity. The voices began as a background noise slowly growing louder, and more prominent. She recognized a few, Tonks, and Rabastan, she did not like the nasal grating voice. She hoped if stayed gone. She stayed where she was until Marcus's concerned voice came from next to her. She hated the sound. With great effort she banished the darkness, opening her eyes, and reaching for her husband.

"Hermione! You're awake, someone get the healer," Marcus snapped. He cupped her face in his hands, "How do you feel, little dove?"

"Like a centaur herd ran me over. And tired, very, very tired," she smiled at him wanly.

"You will feel exhausted for some time, I'm afraid." She looked at the voice in the doorway. A middle-aged man in healer's robes entered. "I am Healer Wiest. And you, Mrs. Flint, are an extraordinary woman. You are awake and coherent two hours after using all of your magical reserves to create and maintain an exceedingly strong spell.
Ministries as far away as Egypt and Iceland have inquired. You registered as an unknown and ancient magic."

"Blinding light spell from Circe's personal grimoire."

"I see. May I ask what spell you used on Mrs. Molly Weasley?"
"I hit her with a wooden doll."

Healer Wiest blinked twice, "A wooden doll?"

"It was rather large, and she was about to attack me. I had to defend myself and Ronald gave me a concussion."

Marcus covered her small hand with his large one, "You're babbling, little dove."

"Because I have a concussion, brute," she responded dryly.

"Your wife is correct, Mr. Flint."

"How is she?" asked Harry.

"As she mentioned, she has a mild concussion, and some bruising to the face and legs. We healed the cuts and mended the three broken ribs and ankle. She is also severely magically depleted. And, the best news of all in our opinions, the baby is fine."

Hermione rubbed her ears. She looked at Marcus, who stared at the healer shell shocked. "Um, what baby?"

"Your baby, Mrs. Flint? Did you not know, yet? You just finished the first trimester, so it is early."

"Do we look like people who knew?" she snapped.

"No, my, uh, apologies for springing the news on you. I will have that department send a healer over."

"Thank you. Three months, hmm. Due in October, drat," Hermione frowned. "He or she will be a year behind the twins."

"Still be there together most of the time," Harry offered.

"No sense being annoyed by what can't be helped," she shrugged. She looked over at Marcus, "What do you think?" she asked in a small voice.

"That this is the second best news I've gotten today. And we'll let Lord Voldemort tell Bellatrix."

"You're not mad?" she asked.

"What is there to possibly be mad at? We agreed to let it happen. It happened. I'm ecstatic, shocked but ecstatic." He hugged her, "I love you and I love our baby."

"I love you both, too," she returned his hug.

A knock at the door interrupted the conversation. Remus and Teddy stood in the doorway. Teddy's normally turquoise hair was caramel colored and curly. "See, buddy, Aunt Hermione's safe and sound. Uncle Marcus is taking care of her. She saved you and Jamie."

Hermione held up her arms, "Come here, Teddy Bear." She settled the toddler on her lap, "How is my brave boy? Did you take care of James for me?" Teddy nodded solemnly as he clung to his godmother's hand. "Good, thank you." She rubbed small circles on his back until he stood and returned to Remus.

"Hermione," Remus began, his voice thick with emotion, "we can't even begin to express..."

"Remus," she interrupted, "unless you're angry, save it. They were only in danger because of me."

"And your quick thinking and quicker reflexes saved them," argued Remus.

"Kreacher has your portkey, he's repairing it," Harry broke in.

"Oh, I'll have to thank him."

"He's doing it to thank you. You saved the future of House Potter."

Remus and Teddy left once Teddy had been assured Hermione was fine. Harry departed when the obstetrics healer arrived. Healer Nicole, as she asked to be called, examined Hermione, assuring them again the baby was healthy, completely unaffected by the day's events, and too young to determine gender. She promised to set Hermione up with an appointment. "If you haven't been discharged, they'll let me know, I'll come to you."

Once she left, Hermione turned to Marcus, "Oh my gods, we have so much to do, we've lost three months of prep time."

"Um, Hermione, you're aware we have magic and several house elves who are going to demand to do most of the work, right?"

She took a deep breath, "Yeah, sorry. I forgot."

"And you've read all those books to help Potter," he reminded her.

"I did," she admitted.

"The only prep work you still have to do is focus on growing the baby."

"And picking out names and godparents," she corrected.

"Potter and Cressida," he answered immediately. She raised an eyebrow. "Potter wasn't in the wedding, and when we were younger Esme got mad at Cress and said she would never be a godmother. I was too young to know what they were fighting about. But to get her to stop crying I promised Cress I would name her my baby's godmother. She's probably forgotten by now, but I know she feels left out sometimes."

"You are simply the sweetest man alive." Tears threatened to fall as she smiled at him.

"No one will ever believe you."

Due to the lingering effects of the concussion, the healer kept her overnight for observation. Her parents arrived as she finished eating dinner. "Weasley recovered enough to slip out of St. Mungo's. The aurors are looking for him. They are posting one outside your room. Bellatrix will be staying in your room while Marcus takes a break." Rodolphus told them.

Marcus nodded and placed a kiss on her forehead, "Get some sleep, little dove."

"I'll try." She made a show of snuggling into the pillow.

In the corridor, away from the auror, he looked at his father-in-law expectantly. "Rabastan checked with all of the Weasel's siblings, he hasn't gone to them. Rowle is praying he runs to his sister and she's dumb enough to take him in."

"Unlikely, she's a shrewd one and only concerned for herself."

"Other ideas?"

"He has a girlfriend, Lavender Brown. Or maybe other Order members like Diggle, Hestia Jones, or Moody?"

"We'll check them. Nymphadora thinks she and Shaklebolt are long shots because they are aurors."

"But he's entitled thanks to his mother. He might expect them to protect him and get the charges dropped," Marcus pointed out. He stood thinking for a moment. "Sirius Black's house, the Order used it for a headquarters and Potter said they stayed there for a time. He would feel secure and hidden there."

"Good thinking, let's go see Potter and visit Bella's dearly departed aunt's house."

"Is Hermione okay?" Harry asked as he opened the door.

"Yes, but the minute his sight returned and backs were turned, Weasley snuck out of the hospital. No one's seen him so we expect he's hiding out somewhere. Perhaps an old safe house, or somewhere he would feel safe."

Number 12 Grimmauld Place," Harry said instantly. "Walburga's house, we stayed there often, and I never removed him from the wards." He groaned, "Gods, what a git. Lolly, Kreacher," he called. The elves arrived quickly. "Kreacher would you check and see if someone is at Grimmauld Place?"

The old elf departed in one breath and returned in the next. "Master's former companion is there raving about Mistress Flint," he spat.

"Right," Harry nodded. "Thanks, Kreacher. Lolly, watch the twins. Kreacher, can you get us in there undetected?"

"Kreacher can be taking you to attic, less noise."

"Then let's be off," Harry pulled out his wand.

"Potter are you sure about this?" Rodolphus questioned. "We're not going to joke hex him until he promises to be a good boy."

"He assaulted my sister. He threatened to drown my son and godson. Because he thought they were going to be evil. He's not my friend anymore. I would prefer to rough him up and drop him on Azkban's doorstep, but I accept if otherwise happens. He brought this upon himself."

Rodolphus stared at him briefly, studying his face, then nodded, "The Dark Lord would prefer captured alive. He wants to use this as an example and public relations move. Come along, then, let's get this done."

The three men stood in the attic listening to the destruction going on several floors below them. "He won't be hard to get the drop on, will he?" remarked Marcus.

Harry winced, "Those aren't his belongings to smash."

"If he lives we'll add breaking and entering and destruction of property to the charges," Rodolphus told him.

When they could understand Ron's rant Harry considered he might be drunk. None of it made sense like his brain finally broke. "He's in the front parlor, only one way in or out."

They listened to the irrational wizard, contemplating plans. Until Ron started in on Hermione again, "Stupid bint, willing to spread her legs for Death Eaters, but not me. Bet she slept with all of them. All her fault. She took my money and stole Harry. Ruined everything. Should have just ordered her to put out. A baby in school would have kept her occupied."

At the suggestion Ron should have forced Hermione, Marcus rushed into the room with a roar. He tackled Ron to the ground and began punching him repeatedly, his fist making contact with Ron's jaw, nose, cheek, and skull as the smaller man flailed about trying to defend himself. "Should we stop him, you think?" Rodolphus asked dryly.

"Solves a lot of problems," Harry shrugged. "Dump the body in the Forbidden Forest and never look back."

"Very pragmatic of you, Mr. Potter."

"Thank you, Mr. Legstrange."

Rodolphus sighed, "The Dark Lord wants to use this as proof we aren't murdering monsters, and the light aren't all paragons."

Harry groaned, "I suppose we should rein Flint in then."

"We should," Rodolphus stood silently as Marcus continued to pummel Ron. "Oh, that broke some ribs. Oi, Flint! Time to stop." Rodolphus stepped forward. Marcus climbed to his feet and stepped away. "Let's get you fixed up a bit." Blood poured from his broken ribs and rubbed WWW bruise paste on his torso. "We'll leave the broken nose. Breaking and entering is dangerous, especially if you startle people."

Ron looked about for some escape route or rescue. His gaze landed on who he thought was his savior, hope flared in his eyes, "Harry, help me!"

Rage boiled through Harry, "Help? Why should I help you? You betrayed me. You robbed me." Harry stomped on his ankle repeatedly. "You abused me and Hermione! We were your friends." He changed from stomping to kicking. He heard the crunch of broken bones and kept going.

"Potter, your turn to stop," Flint called out.

Rodolphus neglected to heal Ron's broken ankle. "Potter, summon the aurors, Weasley broke into your estate. We subdued him." Harry stomped away to the floo fireplace.

"Cowards," spat Ron. "The Order has friends in the auror department."

"By friends do you mean Shaklebolt, Lupin, or Moody?" Rodolphus asked calmly. "Because I assure you we aren't bothered about them." Ron opened his mouth. "Save your breath. He wants you tried and convicted in a public hearing. Proof we are not the monsters you call us. And that you are not the shining knights you think yourselves."

Marcus found Harry staring into the flames. "Steady there, If the legal system somehow fails us, Bellatrix will gleefully flay him alive."

"Something to look forward to, then," snorted Harry. "Even with Lord Voldemort in charge, I have little faith in ministry justice."

"That's because Dumbledore wanted you desperate and grateful. Hand waving away charges as he did for Moody or Weasley wouldn't have gained him the same level of loyalty stepping in at the last second with a saving grace did. And before you and Hermione were always against purebloods. Now, she's Sacred 28 not a muggleborn."

"She's going to hate that," laughed Harry.

"Completely, then she'll work to change the system as she can," Marcus agreed.