As Victor and Simon began their business discussion, Willow arrived at the front door to the Burrow. She knocked on the door and was greeted by who she assumed was Molly Weasley. The older woman looked at Willow curiously before she seemed to realize how she was.
"Hello dear, are you Harry's sister Willow?" She seemed a little cautious. Willow guessed it had to do with passed trauma.
"Yes, ma'am, I'm Willow Potter. Is my brother here?" Willow asked cheerfully. She could fill the woman's anxiety slowly fade as she realized there was no danger.
"Yes dear, he and the other children are playing Quidditch down on the pitch. I'm sure they wouldn't mind you going down. Would you like a snack or something to eat first dear?" Molly asked happily.
Willow had heard from her brother that Molly Weasley's favorite pastime was feeding hungry guests, so she politely took a cookie and glass of milk before heading down to the Weasley Quidditch Pitch. From a distance she saw Harry and Ron flying against two other identical redhead and freckled faced boys that just had to be Fred and George. Hermione and Ginny were setting under a tree close to a small pond. Ginny was watching the boys pouting, and Hermione was reading a schoolbook.
Both girls look up at Willow as she approached and waved. Ginny came bouncing up and hugged her. "Yay Willow, you want to play Quidditch with the boys?" Ginny asked figuring Harry wouldn't exclude his sister which would force her brothers to let her play.
The older redheaded girl looked at the younger one and said sadly. "I'm sorry Ginny, but I can't today as we have guests at the manor. I just came to get Harry and anyone else that wishes to come have dinner with us."
Ginny had at first been sad but cheered up at the invitation. She didn't see why her mom would say no. She turned back towards Hermione just as the boys where landing. "Do you guys want to go to Willow and Harry's place for dinner?"
Ron looked interested and said. "We have to ask mom first but, if she says ok, I do." Hermione simply nodded her approval and turned towards Harry.
Harry didn't look to happy. He wasn't thrilled that Willow had invited Pansy Parkinson of all people, and the Dursleys would also be present. He crossed his arms in a huff and stubbornly said. "I was going to see if I could have dinner here."
Willow understood why Harry was acting in this way, but that didn't mean she liked it. Harry wasn't happy about a lot of things that had been decided. "Harry, you can't avoid are family forever, nor can you ignore certain issues just because you don't like them."
Hermione looked back and forth between the siblings and asked. "What's going on? I know that your aunt and cousin are there but what other issues?
"Willow decided to invite Pansy Parkinson to stay the week. She and her dad are going to have dinner with us as well." Harry said angrily.
Ron, Hermione, Ginny and the twins looked shocked at the news. Ron's shock turned to disgust as he asked. "Are you nuts? What were you thinking inviting a Death Eater to your house?"
The young Wicca was a little offended by Ronald's statement. She crossed her arms over her chest and said. "Who I invite is my business not yours and, for the record, I only invited Pansy, not her father. It was our grandfather that decided to invite them to dinner."
"Even so it doesn't change the fact that Pansy still wants to marry me. It also doesn't change the fact that because of them and Lucius Malfoy, me and Ginny have to pretend to be engaged." Harry said. Willow noticed all the Weasley boys seemed to be on the same page as Harry. Ginny though, didn't seem to hate the idea and Hermione was trying not to laugh and embarrass the youngest Weasley.
Willow had to admit that this was one of the first times that she was getting angry with Harry. Her brother was a good person, but he had a hard time understanding other people and one reason for that is he was still a child. Sunnydale had forced Willow to grow and mature quicker than most of her pears to survive. Harry still had a lot to learn about people and the world around him, not everything was as it seemed.
"Why do you think Pansy wants to marry you, Harry?" Willow asked quietly.
Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny gave her a shocked look while both twins laughed at the question. "You can't be serious?" Fred asked snickering. "He's the bloody boy who lived. He is everything someone like Pansy Parkinson would love to sink her greedy claws into. He has fame, money, political standing if he works his name right, and blood status. Why wouldn't she want to marry him is the question."
Willow looked from one twin to the other but said nothing to them. She looked back at Harry in exasperation.
"Simon Parkinson, and the other Pureblood Elite, desire the match for various reasons. Pansy just doesn't want to anger her dad. It's just like Fred explained, only more than even he knows." Willow said to her brother. "The Parkinson family has lost a lot of power in the last two generations because of bad matches and business decisions. Last year, Draco Malfoy was matched to Daphne Greengrass's younger sister, Astoria."
"I don't get it. What does that have to do with Harry?" Ginny asked.
The California Wicca looked at the group of children and explained. "Pansy is Simon Parkinson's only child. Everything rides on Pansy getting a good match for future generations. A lot of families had you, Harry, pegged as future son in law material long before you where The-Boy-Who-Lived just because of the Potter name. Simon probably told Pansy to play both sides of the board looking for a good match at Hogwarts."
"However." Willow continued. "You and Malfoy became enemies almost right of the bat, so she had to pick a side fast. Sense she was Slytherin along with Draco, she chose his side. When Draco was matched with Astoria Greengrass, Pansy pretty much lost any real chance to get a match her dad would like. At least until it was discovered that you where the grandson of Victor Whitehall."
"I see. Whitehall gave the Parkinsons another chance to get Harry because of old family customs. Customs that didn't effect Harry as long as he lived in the Muggle World." Hermione said.
"Exactly." Willow said.
Harry still looked angry. "How does anything you've said so far excuse Pansy Parkinson actions? She was still a horrible person to anyone she saw as inferior to herself and her precious Pureblood status."
Willow just looked at her brother with petty. "Simon Parkinson is a monster Harry. He is physically abusive to Pansy, and more than likely bet her mom to death right in front of her."
Every one of the Weasleys, Harry, and Hermione had looks of pure shock and horror on their faces. "If that's true then why isn't he in prison?" A scared Hermione asked.
"What world have you lived in for the last two years Hermione? Money and political power can buy you anything in the Wizarding World. Pansy is the only one who could testify against her father, but that doesn't mean anyone would believe her. Let me correct that. That doesn't mean Simon couldn't still buy an acquittal. Plus, if that did happen, he would still have plenty of opportunity to shut Pansy up for good." Willow said exasperatedly.
"You're wrong! There's no way people like Dumbledore and are parents would let that happen!" An angry Ron said.
"You're incredibly lucky Ron. You and your siblings grew up sheltered in a loving home with loving parents that protected you from the world. However, Pansy saw far more than she ever should have at a young age. She saw her mom murdered and nothing done. She grew up hearing stories about atrocities committed during the war that went unpunished. How much faith do you think she has in those people you praise?" Willow said coldly.
The twins realized that this conversation was quickly spiraling into an argument between the younger kids. "Look, let's just go inside and calm down. I'm sure mom has cookies for everyone, and we can see what she says about dinner." George said.
As the subdued group headed back towards the Burrow, Willow began to reflect on what she told everyone. She felt bad about shattering some of their illusions, but it had to be done. Ronald lived in a black and white world where everything was straight forward and simple. His family was good and honest, and so were the other families that they socialized with, and every other family was dark and evil and couldn't be trusted. That was in fact true for the most part, but not every member of those families were evil, some only acted the part to stay alive. Pansy was one such person.
It didn't excuse the behavior and actions of the girl in relation to others, such as Harry and his friends, but it did require a certain understanding. Pansy Parkinson lashed out at others because she felt scared that the other people around her would see threw her facade and lies. She would do anything and act however she needed to gain her father's approval, because she was terrified of the consequences if she disappointed him. She was literally afraid for her life. She would have been just another victim of the Love At First Sight Charm as Harry if Willow hadn't intervened.
Entering the Weasley home, Willow couldn't help but cheer up. Just standing in the magical room one could feel the love this family had for each other. She almost felt high from the pure emotions that drowned the whole building. Then she saw who was in the kitchen.
Albus Dumbledore, wearing midnight blue robes and pointed hat with little stars that twinkled, sat at the kitchen table. He appeared to be having a conversation with Arthur, Molly, and Percy Weasley. Everyone stopped and looked at the group as they entered the kitchen.
"Is everything ok children?" Ask Arthur as he felt the tension some of the kids were giving off.
"Yes, dad, everything's fine. Hey, Willow and Harry need to head home soon but were wondering if Ron, Ginny, and Hermione could go with them and have dinner?" George said.
Both parents looked at one another and seemed to have a silent conversation. Mrs. Weasley looked at the group and said. "That's fine, but we need to have a talk first."
Willow looked at the grownups and figured she wasn't going to like this. Dumbledore straightened up in his chair and said. "Tomorrow, the marriage contract for Harry and Ginevra will be finalized at the Ministry. The Department of Binding Magical Contracts will be delivering a copy to the Daily Prophet as per request by Drusilla and Victor Whitehall."
"I was unaware that anyone had sat down with Drusilla to discuss the contract." Willow said. Harry looked a little uneasy about the conversation. He didn't want it to be publicly known. One week before school started Victor and Drusilla would meet with the Crabbe family and draw up the contract for Willow and Vincent.
"We did everything through the mail and left your grandfather out of it. That was what he wanted because he couldn't be seen being in favor of the contract." Mr. Weasley said.
'That makes sense but where is this really headed. Victor could have explained this to us later.' Willow thought. Out loud she said. "Thank you for giving us the heads up. Was there anything else you needed to discuss?" She asked curiously.
Albus Dumbledore seemed to focus more on Willow as he spoke. "Yes, Willow, there was something else. We are aware that you're going to agree to a marriage contract between yourself and Vincent Crabbe. I'm aware that you're doing this manly to protect your grandfather from backlash by the Old Families, but I wanted to offer you an alternative. The same arrangement that exists between Harry and Ginevra can be made for both you and Neville Longbottom. The Longbottoms are also an old family, so a match between the two of you would not be seen as unusual and anyone would have a hard time disputing the contract." Dumbledore explained.
Willow noticed the hopeful look in Harry's eyes. She knew her brother only wanted to protect her and saw nothing wrong with the plan, but Willow wasn't that naive. Arthur and Molly Weasley had reluctantly agreed to the contract to protect Harry, but had no objections to it being dissolved if nether child wanted to marry. They put Ginny ahead of political gain, power, and money. Augusta Longbottom though, was different.
Augusta wanted Neville to marry Willow because she believed that the Wicca was the only acceptable match for her grandson. Lady Longbottom wanted her grandson to grow up to be just like his father, but that wasn't Neville. The boy was his own person, a combination of both his parents, and Augusta refused to see that. She would never allow the contract to be dissolved and, what was worse, Dumbledore also knew this. Even if he did have the best intentions, he was still trying to trick her and Willow was offended.
"I'm sorry Professor but I've made my mind up. I'll go through with the contract for now and break it later. There is nothing to worry about." Willow said with fake cheer.
Harry looked mad once more as he said angrily. "What's wrong with Dumbledore's plan? Agree to a dissolvable contract with Neville and you won't have to worry about the stupid Crabbe family! What makes you so sure you can get out of the contract later anyway?"
There it was. The one question Willow was afraid to answer. Not because she didn't know the answer, but because she didn't want to scare her brother. Harry hadn't really asked her this question but instead had questioned Victor. Their grandfather was quick to say how the contract would possess so many rules that could annul it, Vincent Crabbe himself would break it for them. The young Witch, however, didn't put all her faith in her grandfather's contract word skill, because she knew that he was just like Augusta Longbottom and wanted Willow to marry a Pureblood Wizard for money and political gain.
Victor wanted her happy, but he also wanted his own expectations met regarding any potential husband. He had no real problem with Ginny because she was Pureblood, even if her family was pro Muggle. He wanted Willow to marry someone just as pure as Ginny and would be happy with Neville Longbottom. If push came to shove though, he would settle for Vincent Crabbe. He probably thought Willow could learn to love and control him for the idiot's own good. It was too late for that though, as his father had already condemned him.
"Harry, Voldemort will comeback one day. Before Voldemort can truly meet his end, he must be made whole so he can be destroyed. When Voldemort comes back so will the Death Eaters, both old and new. Vincent Crabbe will definitely be a Death Eater which will make him an enemy combatant that I can then dill with." Willow said.
Everyone in the room was shocked. Willow's plan relied completely on a second war. Dumbledore looked at Willow with a judgmental look as he said. "How do you know young Vincent will become a Death Eater. Rigel Crabbe may very well surprise us and try to protect his son from fallowing his path."
Willow couldn't believe what she was hearing as well as feeling from the old Wizard. He genuinely believed that Vincent Crabbe would be saved from his father's fate. He believed Rigel would love his son so much he wouldn't allow it. He truly was of his rocker.
"Do you know what a Hell Hound is Professor Dumbledore. It is a demon that exists to hunt down condemned souls that somehow try and elude hell. It can smell and track sin Professor. There is no way to trick it nor hide from it." Willow said in a quiet voice.
"Fascinating creature Willow, but what does it have to do with the conversation?" Dumbledore asked in a more serious tone of voice.
"I once tried to summon one. It didn't work how I wanted it to and luckily no one was hurt, however, there was one side effect. I gained a watered-down version of the Hell Hound ability. If you commit a greaves sin with in twenty-four hours of meeting me, I can smell it. The first time I met the Crabbes, I smelt innocent blood on both Rigel Crabbe and his son Vincent. That means the day before mine and Harry's birthday, he and his father killed someone." Willow explained.
Willow noticed everyone pale at her statement. Well almost everyone, Percy Weasley looked skeptical about the whole thing. "I find it hard to believe that this creature exists when there is no record of it in the Department for Regulation and Control Of Magical Creatures." He said snobbishly.
"I wasn't aware you had full access to those records Percy. When did you become an employee for the Department Of Magical Creatures?" Willow asked in a deadpan tone.
The oldest Weasley son present blushed in embarrassment at Willow's statement. The Other Weasley boys would have probably laughed if they weren't still shocked by what Willow said.
"I'm aware that there is not one person on this earth that could ever claim to know everything about magic, so I cannot dispute your claims Ms. Potter but I must ask, are you absolutely sure of your deduction in regards to the Crabbes?" Dumbledore asked. At Willow's nod he sighed sadly.
"Can anything be done legally? Can we not go to the Ministry about this?" Mrs. Weasley asked in a worried tone.
Arthur looked at his wife sadly and said. "I doubt the Minister would except Willow's nose as admissible evidence. What about the Americans though? Could they do something?" Mr. Weasley finished with a hopeful look at Dumbledore.
It was Willow that answered him. "I can't prove that it happened at the manor, and I doubt that it did anyway. The only way the Americans can do anything is if the crime happens at Whitehall Manor or if it was an act committed against me or anyone associated to me by legal means. Basically Harry, Grandpa, Drusilla, and so on."
Harry recovered enough to ask. "So, you're agreeing to a marriage contract with someone who you know has already killed in cold blood. What if he decided to harm you? If you have to pretend to try and make the contract work, then you have to go on dates. That means at times you and Crabbe will be alone together!" Harry exclaimed.
"I've fought and destroyed far worse things than Vincent Crabbe. I am more than capable of protecting myself." Willow stated.
Albus felt a little uneasy about what he was hearing. "Willow, if a problem where to occur with Vincent, would you use lethal force?" He asked startled.
Willow didn't say anything to Dumbledore, but she really didn't have to. Her eyes told the Headmaster plenty. "There are times, my dear, when we are given a choice to do what is right and what is easy. To be better than are adversaries, we must do what is right." Dumbledore told her.
There was no outward reaction from Willow but on the inside she was angry. This man spoke words that he himself didn't fully know the meaning of. "When I was younger, Professor, I discovered that both magic and monsters were real. The easy thing for me to do would have been to learn enough magic to protect myself and then hide under the covers. The right thing to do was learn magic to protect myself and those that couldn't protect themselves and hunt the monsters. What is right and what is easy depends on the individual's point of view, as well as society."
"Let me ask you a question, Professor Dumbledore. Is it easier to comfort a child that has just lost their parents to an evil man or, when they've just lost them to you because they were evil and about to harm innocent people?" Willow stated.
"Willow, that's a horrible thing to say." A shocked Hermione exclaimed.
"What would you do then Willow?" Dumbledore began to counter. "Should we just go out and kill every suspected Death Eater."
"That's not what I'm saying sir. What I'm saying is that I will use whatever force necessary to protect myself and others. If no Death Eater attacks me, my loved ones, or innocent people, than I won't harm them. Pansy Parkinson is at my house right now with her father and the easy thing to do would be to go home and kill the bastard, but I won't. I'll do the right thing and wait for him to give me a reason to subdue or kill him." Willow stated.
Harry decided to interrupt his sister and Headmaster in hopes of stopping the argument. "We should be getting home Willow. Grandpa is probably wondering where we are at, and I'm sure Pansy must be getting bored being alone."
"It's fine Harry, I left a replication of myself to hang out with her until we got back. I'll go on ahead though, so you can say goodbye. Thank you for the cookies Mrs. Weasley." Willow stated.
"Any time dear. Thank you for coming and we would love for you to visit more in the future." Molly told her. Willow vanished from the spot without making a sound.
"How does she do that Harry? Is it even Appartion or something else entirely?" Hermione asked.
"I have no idea. There's a lot about my sister I don't understand." Harry said frustratedly.
"I'm sure things will get better dear. However, I must ask who will be at dinner today?" Molly enquired.
"Just my family, the Parkinsons, and a man named Remus Lupin. I believe that's everyone." Harry said.
Arthur Weasley thought it over before saying. "I believe it will be ok for Ron, Ginny, and Hermione to go. We've known Mr. Lupin for years. He was in fact a good friend of your father's Harry, and could probably tell you stories."
Harry and his friends headed for the floo powder. One by one they left for Whitehall Manor. Dumbledore stood up and addressed the remaining Weasleys. "Thank you for your time Arthur, Molly, and Percy, but I must be going as I still have much to do before the school year."
"Come by any time Albus, your always welcome. Perhaps you can have dinner with us before school starts." Molly said.
"I'm sure that would be lovely Molly. Good day." With that Dumbledore headed for Hogwarts. He had a lot to think about, mostly Willow Potter and Vincent Crabbe. He wasn't ready to give up on the boy just yet, but he had no idea how to save him.