Once again, a huge thank you for the follows, favourite and reviews!
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Death in the Family
Bradley approached Nymphadora in the quad the next day. She looked up at his approach. "Sorry you didn't get to play against Ravenclaw."
Bradley shrugged. "Maybe I'll be in the team against Gryffindor."
Nymphadora bit her lip slightly. "Don't take this the wrong way…but I'm hoping you aren't."
"What's the right way to take it?"
Nymphadora paused, gathering her thoughts. "You know how I got on the team? Delacour Sharpe, one of the Gryffindor Chasers from last year...her parents pulled her out of school. They think Hogwarts is wrong for supporting the Ministry against Dad."
"And…you're worried other people might do the same?"
"I think they already are. More and more people seem to be getting involved, taking a stand."
Bradley sat down next to her. "So what are we going to do about it?"
"James is the only person we can trust. And he trusts us."
"Do you think he's got a plan?"
"Well, not a specific one. But he wants to stop this, bring everyone together, work out a truce."
"Do you think he'll be able to do it?"
Nymphadora shrugged. "I guess that one's up to Dad and Uncle Ron."
Hermione found Harry at the table in one of the smaller dining rooms, pouring over a plan. "You know Astoria's going to kill you if she finds you've damaged the varnish?"she asked. Harry gave a mumbled reply. "What are you looking at, anyway? What's that a plan of?"
"Azkaban,"Harry replied firmly.
Hermione looked at him long and hard. "You're not serious."
"Why not? Everyone else raids it."
"Harry! Are you trying to commit suicide or something?"
"I'm trying to put things right!" Harry looked at her with sudden intensity. "Three people are in Azkaban because of me! Who knows what Ron's going to do to them? We need to get them out."
"Do we even know they're in Azkaban?"
"It seems the most likely place, doesn't it?"
Hermione was distracted from answering by the appearance of their hostess. She gave her a conciliatory smile. "Astoria! Harry was just…"
But the state of her table didn't seem of interest to Astoria. Instead, she produced a copy of the Daily Prophet. "Harry, you should probably see this."
Harry scanned the section she'd indicated. Hermione wondered what it was. The latest plan of the Ministry probably, or the latest report against them… She wasn't expected what Harry read out. "Arthur and Molly Weasley, parents of Minister of Magic Ronald Weasley, died last night within a few hours of each other."
Parvati and Scorpius cautiously approached Ron's office. They found the minister with Hugo. "We heard the news,"Parvati said quietly. "We just wanted to say sorry."
Hugo nodded, managing a smile. "Thank you."
"What happened?"Scorpius wondered.
"Mum died during the night,"Ron said slowly. "We were all with her, we knew the end was near. Then we found Dad next to her in the morning. I guess…he didn't want to live on without her." He got up, his face full of thunder. "They didn't live to see what I was trying to achieve. I'm trying to protect people like them, save them from going through what they've been through, from having their families killed because previous governments don't know how to keep dangerous elements locked up!"
Parvati looked at him with concern. "Ron, we don't want to make any rash decisions."
"I'm through being cautious. If anyone thinks we're wrong, then they can say it to my face, and I'll tell them why they're wrong. Scorpius, organise a press conference. I'm going to make an announcement."
Scorpius nodded and departed. Hugo looked closely at his father. "Dad…what are you going to say?"
Hermione found Harry alone in their room. She had a feeling he wanted to go outside, to breathe fresh air, to have space to grieve. She did too. But at the moment that was too dangerous. They couldn't be spotted. They had to stay hidden inside. "Are you all right?"
"That's our family, Hermione,"Harry told her. "We've known them the whole of our adult lives. They're our children's grandparents. Apart from Dora and they never treated her differently to the others."
"I know, Harry,"Hermione said quietly.
"And we can't go to their funeral. Lily and Rose can't go to their funeral. We're…stuck here. Hiding. I can't believe we're back here again, like we're seventeen. Hiding from the ministry. Hiding from the people that run the country. And we don't even have the excuse that they're evil."
"Harry, do you want to stop?"
"No. We still need to stop the Purification Device. But the cost is high, Hermione. Too high."
Ron was standing in front of the press conference. Parvati, Scorpius and Hugo hung back nearby: None of them knew what he was going to say. They soon found out.
"Since I announced that the Purification Device would be used as a way of temporarily robbing criminals of magic, there has been a lot of controversy. Controversy that has turned into armed rebellion against the Ministry. Some people say that the Purification Device should never be used, that it is against the core of our society. Others have doubted the modifications the Ministry have made to it, refusing to believe that its effects are safe and temporary. Well, I'm going to put an end to those arguments." Ron looked around at the press people, as though daring them to challenge him. "Three members of the rogue group known as the Order of the Phoenix were captured in a raid. They will be the first that the Purification Device will be used on."