His mother had made all their favourites – roast chicken with dumplings, pumpkin soufflé, roast potatoes, smashed green beans (a particular hit with Fred and George as it contained a minute amount of Irish fire whiskey) and homemade treacle bread. Ron could see the tears in his mother's eyes as she gazed around the table at the beloved faces of her family. Her gaze locked on her husband's and he reached across and squeezed her hand. Then he took it in his and placed his lips against her palm before returning it to her.
" Molly, " was all he said. Ron felt a lump in his throat. He knew his parents loved each other fervently but he and his siblings didn't often witness a public demonstration of this sort. He exchanged a look with Ginny who managed a tremulous smile.
Arthur Weasley stood.
" Let's give thanks and a toast to the continued strength and love in our family."
They all stood united and clunked their goblets. " The Weasleys! "
The solemn note ended with George producing a small package at which he pointed his wand, muttering an incantation under his breath. Immediately a bright fizzing firework appeared above the table shooting sparks everywhere. It then backfired sending Pig screeching from his secure perch behind the table.
" George, what are you thinking? This is not your shop! We're guests in your Great Aunt Muriel's home!" his mother yelled.
" Hey, Twin. We'll have to work the quirks out of that one," laughed Fred. He then turned to his mother and asked," Where is the old bat, I mean Great Auntie M. anyway?"
" She had to lie down - too much activity gives her a migraine." Molly Weasley replied looking at both of them darkly.
" Shame," George said and winked outrageously at Ron and Ginny behind his mother's.
Ron grinned. It was good to be with his family even if they were impossible at times.
Charlie then told a few hilarious tales about the dragons he trained and the family settled down to its normal dinner routine. While Charlie told a second story, Ron excused himself and scribbled a quick note to Hermione, dispatching a still shaking Pig to deliver it. Ginny caught him at it and mouthed " Don't worry," as she smiled and shook her head.
Ron was grateful that no one had brought up the Ministry job or even worse, the humiliating scene at the station. Not that it could last with the Twins around but at least the delay allowed him a little time to recover.
Thinking of the station reminded him of the old bloke he'd met there. As Charlie finished his third dragon tale to the uproarious laughter of his family, Ron decided to jump in with a question. Fred and George had been eyeing him the last minute or two – after he returned from sending Pig with Hermione's note- and another delay tactic might buy him some much needed time.
" So, I met this nice old bloke at the station today," he began. His family exchanged meaningful glances at the mention of the station and Ron blushed his usual crimson. Damn, why had he mentioned the station?
" Bloke?" asked Fred to George puzzled.
" Uh, uh. Certainly not a bloke we saw you with, little Ronnie," replied George winking lewdly.
Fred picked up the thread grinning widely.
" Not unless the bloke had wild bushy hair, gorgeous brown eyes, a very feminine body with…"
Ron could feel the situation falling apart rapidly and his temper rising. He stood up ready to let the Twins have it.
" That's enough. Let your brother finish," Arthur Weasley said quietly but in a tone that both the twins had come to respect.
Ron gulped down some pumpkin juice and continued.
" Yeah, nice old bloke named Herodotus Henckel who said he knew Uncle Billius. Said I looked like him," Ron's cheeks began to cool.
" Then he must have been a right ugly prat, " George muttered, nudging his Twin and tempting fate.
This time both Molly and Ginny yelled, " George!"
Ron ignored them and continued doggedly." Dad, I'm named after him. I should at least know something about him. This code of secrecy is ridiculous now almost all of us are of age. I want to know about him."
Ginny beamed at Ron and his brothers joined the battle.
" Yeah, so do we, " Fred whined.
" And we're older so we should," George agreed.
" Older doesn't mean more mature," Ginny glared in a good imitation of her mother.
Charlie joined in to support them." Look, Dad, you told Bill and I when we were only a little older than this lot. I expect with this War on everyone is growing up a little faster than we did. Ron and Ginny have both risked their lives more than once, as have Fred and George. And the Twins do own their business so it makes them almost responsible beings."
Arthur Weasley sighed and his wife's face revealed strong discomfort.
" Alright, then. Molly, dear- let's have our sweet and coffee in the parlour. Twins, help your mother. The rest of you set out chairs."
" The first things you have to understand is the kind of person your uncle was," Arthur said quietly, a slight catch to his voice. " He was larger than life – my older brother by eight years. I'm afraid I was a bit of an afterthought."
Ron felt a stab of sympathy for his father - he knew what being an afterthought felt like.
Arthur Weasley continued. " Billius was the wizard of his generation – a brilliant strategist, quick with his wand and the best in his year at Hogwarts. When he graduated, the offers came immediately. Everyone wanted him – the Aurors' Office, Gringotts, various departments at the Ministry. The First War hadn't begun in earnest but rumours abounded about a Dark Lord. The elite group surrounding Voldemort, soon to be known as Death Eaters , were gathering. In fact, attempts to recruit the best and the brightest of wizards and witches were made – but more of that later."
Arthur Weasley paused for breath and his wife, who had been looking on in a disapproving manner, spoke.
" Now, Arthur. It's no use making Billius out to be perfect. He may have been brilliant, but he certainly had his flaws."
" What do you mean, Mum?" Ginny asked curiously.
" Now, Molly," Arthur said with a warning tone.
Molly just pursed her lips." Well, let's just say that he was a little too good-looking and a little too confident in his opinions for his own good."
" What your mother means is that the Deatheaters tried to recruit Billius. After all,he was brilliant and a pure blood wizard. Billius showed them the error of their ways." Their father concluded daring them to ask any more about the matter.
" So uh - where did he end up after Hogwarts?" Fred inquired as it was evident his father would say no more on the other matter.
Arthur resumed his narration. " In the end, he decided to become an Unspeakable. He felt that he could develop either a strategy or weapon deep in the Department of Mysteries that would give the Ministry the power to eliminate the threat of Voldemort and his dark wizards. For two years, he and his team worked feverishly on a plan that would completely destroy Voldemort's powers and leave his followers in disarray. It was, of course, the most secret and all of the Unspeakables involved were in Deep Cover for most of those two years."
" Deep Cover – what exactly does that involve?" Ron interrupted. He was highly intrigued and disquieted by his father's tale thus far. Still, by observing his mother's facial expressions, he didn't think his father was telling the whole story.
" Deep Cover," answered Charlie, " is the most in-depth cover-up you can accomplish at the Ministry. It involves cutting your ties to everyone including your family and friends, working in a secret location away from the Ministry and often taking on a different form or disguise."
" You mean by using polyjuice potion?" George suggested.
" Sometimes, although it's not a very effective long-term solution." Charlie stated somewhat uncomfortably.
"Well, it worked for the fake Professor Moody," Ginny objected.
" Most of the team Billius worked with on the project were animagi like Sirius Black or Metamorphmagi like Tonks. Your uncle was, in fact, a most accomplished animagus, a particularly effective owl. As an owl he could travel almost anywhere undetected."
" Wicked," Fred and George said together.
" Maybe we should have paid more attention to McGonagall." Fred stated thoughtfully.
Molly Weasley choked and went red in the face, " Professor McGonagall …" she began.
Arthur shook his head slightly and Molly subsided. Ron and Ginny exchanged puzzled glances. What had that been about? Before they could ask any more questions, their father cleared his throat and continued.
" All went well and the plan was almost ready to implement. There was one more piece of vital information needed. Billius, who had been spying on various dark wizards using his animagus form, volunteered to fly right in to the lair of Voldemort himself to get the last piece of information. The rest of the team begged him not to go as his owl form had almost been detected on his last mission. "
" Overconfidence," muttered Molly Weasleydarkly.
" But Billius had already thought that through and managed a very complicated transfiguration spell which allowed him to change his animagus from an ordinary brown Barn Owl to a Great Horned Owl."
" Bloody Hell. He must have been brilliant to do that," George breathed in awe. His twin nodded in agreement.
" He transfigured, intercepted a delivery owl and flew directly into Voldemort's quarters and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet."
" WHAT!" Ron, Ginny and the Twins exclaimed.
" Oh, yes," their father replied. " In those days, Voldemort was anxious to keep track of the latest rumours and he enjoyed reading about the antics of those he considered as fools. Billius perched out of sight and eavesdropped on a strategy session with Voldemort and his Death Eaters. Finally he had the one missing link for which his team had been searching. And then it happened – the unthinkable to the Unspeakable."
Here Arthur Weasley stopped and shook his head " Just give me a moment, children,"
Molly Weasley rose, stood behind her husband, arms encircling him.
" Take all the time you need, Arthur," was all she said. The silence in the room was deafening.
" Just as Billius was about to fly undetected to rejoin the team, one of the Death Eaters spoke.' He is here – an Unspeakable.' Before Billius could spread his wings, the same Deatheater uttered a revealing charm so powerful that Billius's animagus form turned to his human form.
They did not kill him immediately. Weeks of torture with the Cruciatus Curse followed his capture. He will never broke. But they left his body broken and twisted on the front stoop of the Burrow. Our father and mother were never the same."
Charlie had disappeared briefly from the room – reentered and handed his father a goblet of liquid, unmistakably Ogden's Fire Whiskey. Ron thought his mother would have plenty to say about this but she now had her arm around Ginny who was white and shaking, tears threatening to spill at any moment. The Twins were completely still and Ron himself felt like he suffering from a Dementor's kiss – there would be no more happiness in the world.
" The Ministry never found out which Death Eater revealed Billius or who on the Ministry team might have betrayed him. But Billius did not betray anyone not his team, friends or family. No Weasley who is truly a Weasley ever will."