As he walked toward the Gryffindor common room, Oliver felt bad about not being able to tell Penelope as much as she wanted to know. He just didn't think it was his place to go passing out information. The school wasn't. The school had even been keeping Percy's younger siblings in the dark. No, if Penelope wanted to know how Percy was doing than she was going to have to ask one of his family members and Oliver was determined not to feel guilty about that.
"Oliver," came Mr. Weasley's voice as Oliver passed through an intersection of two corridors.
Oliver stopped and looked down the corridor that he had heard Mr. Weasley's voice come from. Mr. Weasley was hurrying down the corridor toward him.
"Is something wrong?" Oliver asked thinking maybe something had happened with Percy. Oliver felt a lump forming in his throat. He wasn't sure what he would do if he lost his best friend.
"Oh, no I didn't mean to alarm you," Mr. Weasley said as he caught up with Oliver. "There's been no change with Percy, he's holding his own. We're still waiting for Will. No, the reason I wanted to find you was I was wondering if you wanted to see him before they took him to St. Mugo's. I know the school hasn't let you."
"Yeah, I'd like that," Oliver replied. He hadn't seen his friend since he had been moved to the hospital wing. He had wanted to ask Mr. And Mrs. Weasley if they could get him in to see him but hadn't found the nerve to ask them. He figured they had enough on their minds to worry about.
"I'm sorry, I really should have asked if you wanted to see him earlier," Mr. Weasley was saying as the two of them headed back through the same corridors that Mr.Weasley had walked through minutes before. " You've been like a brother to him. Molly and I think of you as another son. It's just that with everything going on, I wasn't really thinking."
"I completely understand," Oliver replied having followed Mr. Weasley's dialogue and he really did understand. He knew how protective of Percy Mr. And Mrs. Weasley could get as he had listened to Percy complain about it quite a few times over the years. Not to mention they had to deal with his four younger siblings. It was why I hadn't said anything to them about trying to get me past Madame Pomfrey to see Percy.
"Molly wasn't even sure she wanted to let him come to Hogwarts this year. She didn't think he was completely over the illnesses he suffered this summer but Percy was determined to come back. Maybe Molly was right."
Oliver remained silent. He didn't really think Mr. Weasley expected any reply and even if he did, Oliver had no idea what he would say. He couldn't very well tell Mr. Weasley that he knew how Percy had gotten sick this time. He didn't care much about getting the twins in trouble. Fred and George were usually up to one lain brain scheme after another. There was times that Oliver wondered how they had managed not to get expelled already.
Still, for whatever reason, Percy hadn't wanted his two brothers getting in trouble for sneaking out to the Forbidden Forest. Oliver didn't feel it was his place to tattle on the twins nor get his friend in trouble for going to the Forbidden Forest himself. Nor did he see what good it would do. Telling Mr. And Mrs. Weasley or anyone else for that matter, the truth about how Percy got sick wouldn't change anything.
Oliver stayed quiet on the walk to the hospital wing as Mr. Weasley kept rambling on about different things. Talking gave Mr. Weasley less time to dwell on how sick his third born son really was. However, Oliver almost wished for an uncomfortable silence.
"I really think it should only be family," Madame Pomfrey said, coming out of her office as she saw Mr. Weasley and Oliver walk into the room.
"Oliver is family," Mr. Weasley told her.
Madame Pomfrey nodded and returned to her office, though the look on her face clearly said she wasn't happy with the situation.
Mr. Weasley put his arm around Oliver's shoulders and led him toward the curtained off area. As they walked through the curtain they found Charlie sitting in the chair.
"I finally convinced Mom to go get something to eat," he told his Dad looking up. "Hi Oliver," Charlie said seeing Oliver come in behind his father. Oliver nodded to him.
"That's good. Will should be here shortly. I'm going to go wait for him at the entrance," Mr. Weasley said. Arthur Weasley ducked out of the curtains again leaving Charlie and Oliver with Percy.
"I'm going to take a quick walk," Charlie said standing up. He wanted to give Oliver some time alone with Percy.
Oliver watched him leave the curtained area, and then turned back to his friend. He had never seen Percy so pale. Oliver noticed that Percy was trying to open his eyes. He sat down in the chair Charlie had vacated and took his friend's hand.
"Hey Percy, can you hear me?" Oliver said.
Percy looked over in his direction, struggling to keep his eyes open. It took him a few moments to focus on who it was that was beside him.
"Hey Oliver," Percy said softly. It was the first time he remembered seeing or hearing his friend in quite awhile. "You didn't sneak in here did you? I think there's been enough rule breaking lately."
"What if I did?" Oliver asked him smiling. "It would be kind of hard for you to report me now wouldn't it."
"Point taken," Percy said closing his eyes again. Oliver thought at first his friend was falling back asleep but then Percy spoke again. "Can you do me a favor?"
"Anything," Oliver told him.
"Look after my brothers and Ginny for me. Try to keep them out of trouble."
"You got it," Oliver told him knowing full well how hard that promise was going to be to keep, especially when it came to the twins.
Before either one of them could say anything else the curtains parted. Looking over his shoulder Oliver saw Mr. Weasley and another red headed man come in. Oliver figured the other man was Mr. Weasley's younger brother.
Seeing his son awake, Arthur sat down on the bed opposite of Oliver. He explained to Percy that they were going to move him to St. Mungos and that his mother, Charlie and uncle would be going with him.
Charlie came in a few minutes later and went to go get their mother so they could leave. Oliver headed back to the Gryffindor common room before Mrs. Weasley and Charlie got back.
George and Fred Weasley sat in a corner of the Gryffindor common room alone. Their school books were opened in front of them but school work was the last thing on their minds. Both of them were thinking about their older brother, who was probably on his way to St. Mungos by now.
"Its our fault you know," Fred whispered to his twin. "He got sick because he came looking for us that night."
"I know," George said softly. He felt just as guilty about this as Fred did. If Percy didn't pull through, George knew he would never forgive himself.
"Maybe if we came clean we'd feel better about it," Fred suggested.
George shook his head.
"No we can't tell McGonagall what happened. Not only would we get Percy in trouble on top of everything else, but it also be like throwing what Percy did for us back in his face. He risked getting into trouble to keep us from getting expelled. Doesn't that mean anything to you."
"Sure it does," Fred said sullenly. When George put it that way it did seem like a bad idea. He truly did appreciate what his brother had done for them. He never would have expected it from Percy. Had always thought his brother was too by the book to risk anything, even if it meant helping out someone close to him. He sure hadn't hesistated to turn himself and George in enough times the last couple of years here at Hogwarts and to their parents before that. "I'm just not sure I can live with this guilt."
"I know what you mean," George said looking down at the book that laid open in front of him. Looking at it, he realized it wasn't even opened to the right chapter.
"Are you two alright?"
Both Fred and George jumped at the sound of Oliver's voice. They looked up to see him standing by the table, looking down at them with concern. It wasn't an easy question to answer. The twins looked at each, both trying to figure out what to say.
"Okay, what's on your minds?" Oliver said pulling out a chair and sitting down. He had told Percy he'd look after his siblings and that was one promise he was going to take serious.
"Percy getting sick is our fault," George said. "If we hadn't taken that stupid dare he wouldn't have been out in the rain."
"Yeah, and now he could die . . ."
"Don't think like that," Wood told him. "Percy's going to pull through."
"And if he doesn't," Fred said. "And we can't even admit to what really happened because then we get Percy in trouble."
"I know how you feel," Oliver said thinking of his own turmoil of feelings about revealing what he knew. About wether or not he should tell McGonagall or even Mr. Weasley what he knew about what happened. Evidently the twins were feeling even more tormented over it than he was. He hadn't even considered the guilt they must feel.
"It would also be like throwing Percy's gesture back in his face. He risked quite a bit for us. He could've gotten caught himself. After all those times of turning us in I have no idea why he even bothered to warn us that McGonagall and Snape were looking for us."
"Because he cares about you. Getting in trouble is one thing. Getting expelled from Hogwarts is quite a bit more serious," Oliver told them. "Your brother cares about you. Getting expelled from Hogwarts could have a negative effect on the rest of your lives. Everything he does he's doing it because he thinks its for the best but he isn't perfect. He makes mistakes too."
Fred and George looked at one another both thinking about Oliver's words. They had both always figured Percy just enjoyed getting them in trouble. Took pleasure in not letting them get away with their antics.
"Maybe we should tell Dad what happened," George suggested. "It won't change anything but I think I'd feel better."
"You do realize, at the very least he'll ground us for life," Fred told his brother.
"This is one time getting grounded seems like we're getting off light."
Fred nodded.
"I think that's the most sensible idea the two of you have ever had," Oliver told the twins.