Harry Potter and all characters, etc. belong to J.K. Rowling, not me.

Harry's New Boggart – Chapter 23 – Worried About the Git

All four of them were shocked. Harry could see the worry in Ginny's eyes when she repeated what they'd just been told. "P-Percy's hurt?"

"I'm afraid so," replied Petunia.

Ginny lightly sniffed while Ron looked shocked. "Why should we care?" she asked with a shaky voice. "H-He sided with Fudge against Harry. He wouldn't admit he was wrong when Harry was proven right! H-He wouldn't even go to Bill's wedding, or even MINE!" Tears started falling from her eyes as Harry went to her. "Why do I feel this way? He doesn't deserve…"

"He's your brother," interrupted Harry as he hugged his wife. Hermione was doing the same with Ron, who had a blank expression on his face like he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Harry took a deep breath. "So, are you ready to leave?"

After they quickly cleaned up and dressed, they flooed to St. Mungo's to find a crowded hospital. The line to find out where Percy was at was enormous, and Harry was seriously considering using his fame to move to the front before he saw Fred and George with uncharacteristically somber expressions on their faces. "There's the twins," said Harry, pointing. "They'll know where he is."

The quartet walked up to the Fred and George, who greeted them with subdued 'hello's.'

Fred explained, "Mum had us wait here,"

"So we could show you where he is."

They led them up to the fifth floor – the spell damage ward. Harry was holding Ginny's hand while Hermione was holding Ron's the whole way. The room they were led to was very near where Mr. Weasley had stayed a few years before. There were two aurors standing outside the door with wands drawn. Harry looked into the room and first noticed the unconscious form of Percy lying on a hospital bed. His face and arms were bruised, and Harry couldn't see any other part of him because of his bed sheet and clothes.

Harry was pulled from his thoughts by his hand being yanked by his wife into the doorway. "Come on, Harry," she said, "The guards were expecting us."

As they went into the room, he now saw Arthur, Molly, Bill, Fleur, and Charlie sitting near the bed. Ginny released Harry's hand and embraced her mother. Ron walked up to Percy's bed and stared at him for a few seconds before muttering, "You can't die, now. You haven't apologized, yet. I was, kind of hoping that when the time came, you'd come to my wedding."

Ron walked back to where Hermione was standing, and Ginny walked up to Percy with tears still falling from her eyes. "I still haven't had the chance to yell at you for what you did. Splitting up the family at the time we needed each other the most. You-you have to wake up so I can hex you, you git. Don't you dare die on us!"

She rushed into Harry's arms and buried her face in his shoulder. Harry looked at Mr. Weasley. "Dad, what happened to him?"

Arthur looked at his son-in-law with a somber expression. Harry could see that he'd been crying. "He was standing near Scrimgeour while he was giving a speech about how the Ministry has everything under control, when five Death Eaters somehow apparated through the wards right onto the stage. Percy threw himself in front of Scrimgeour and took this…curse. I've never heard of a curse like this. Scrimgeour ran for it and left him and the aurors that started fighting behind. Five civilians were killed, several more people hurt."

Harry looked shocked. "But there were only five of them! I mean…"

"None of the spells the aurors used affected them."

"Then, how did the attack end?" asked Hermione, who'd been listening with interest.

"A few Order members were in the crowd. Remus was one of them. He pointed a muggle weapon at one of them and caused a loud bang and the Death Eater fell over dead. I think he called it a peace-tell. Anyway, the others apparated away immediately."

Harry and Hermione shared a look, realizing that Moony must have gotten himself a gun at the same time he got theirs.

They found out that one who died was wearing dragon hide armor beneath his robes.

"And the bullet penetrated it?" asked Hermione.

Arthur shook his head. "No. Lupin shot him in the face."

She cringed at the thought, but then commented, "I-I guess that would be the only way."

They stayed in that room for a few hours chatting every now and then, until Harry, desperate to get out of that room, announced, "I'm gonna get myself some tea. "Would you like some, Ginny?"

"Er, yes, I guess so."

"Anybody else?"

Most of them realized they were thirsty once he'd mentioned it, and Hermione said, "I'll go with you, Harry," as she got up from her chair.

He turned back to Ginny and assured her, "We'll be right back," and kissed her on the cheek.

Once they were far enough away, Hermione sighed with relief. "I'm so glad to be out of that room."

"I know what you mean." He took a deep breath. "I understand that Ginny and the other Weasleys care about him, and I'm trying to be a good husband, y'know, comforting Ginny, but the truth is that I didn't really ever like Percy, even before he turned on his family. I mean, I didn't want this to happen, but I wouldn't have objected to Ginny hexing him good."

Hermione smiled. "I know. I'm trying to be a good girlfriend, but – I hate to admit it – I don't really care about Percy. I keep remember him defending Crouch, and then later writing Ron to stay away from you. I'm not really worried about the git."

Harry took a deep breath. "Me, neither." He then decided to change the subject. "So, how is your relationship with Ron going? I haven't heard you fighting lately."

"Oh," she chuckled, "It has been a bit better lately. He's finally accepted that I want to take things slowly. I think his…relationship…with Lavender made him think that all girls want to move quickly. Did you know that she started trying to seduce him a few weeks before they broke up?"

"No, I didn't know that," replied Harry.

"We talked a lot after you spoke to him. I never thanked you for that. It really helped us a lot."

Harry smiled at his best friend/honorary sister. "Anytime, Hermione."

About an hour after Harry and Hermione returned with a tray full of tea, the quartet left the hospital. Mrs. Weasley promised to have them flooed if there was any change with Percy.

"We'll be back tomorrow afternoon," promised Hermione as they left.

"How's your brother doing?" asked Mrs. Granger, soon after they arrived back home. The three middle-aged muggle occupants of the house were in the living room when the others got back.

"He's in a coma and…and bruised…they….they don't know what the spell he took did to him, so they're just…doing their best," answered Ginny, trying not to cry. Harry put his arm around her and led her to a chair where she sat on his lap.

They continued their training and visited Percy afterwards. His condition remained unchanged. Hermione's actual birthday arrived a week after her party. Although everyone wished her a happy birthday and they did have a cake, not much else was done because Ginny and Ron weren't in the mood for celebrating. They'd both thrown themselves even more into their training. Harry had commented to Mr. and Mrs. Granger that he's glad they'd had the party before Percy was attacked.

Despite the circumstances, Hermione kept preparing the Polyjuice potion, secretly enjoying the excuse to get away from the moping Weasleys. Harry had gotten Ginny to tell him that what they were most worried about was that he would die without being reconciled. They were worried about what that would do to the family. They knew it would absolutely devastate their mother if that happened.

One evening, after they got back from St. Mungo's, Hermione announced, "Tomorrow we're going to visit Voldemort and have a little chat."

"Hopefully we can kill the snake while we're there," replied Harry, with an excited expression on his face.

Chapter end