Dream On
Siriusly Amused

Author's Note: I'm hungry. And I know that I said that I wouldn't update this until next week, but I did get a pretty nice number of reviews for the prologue, plus, I have a busy weekend ahead of me where I may not get a chance to get online much, so come Sunday night, it will be a nice surprise to see some more reviews in my inbox. After this, I'm going to try really, really hard to put a bit more time between updates because I'm still not completely finished with Chapter 4 of this fic and if I keep updating this after 2 days, I'll run out of chapters to post. Did I mention that I'm hungry?

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Chapter One
We're not the same, we're different tonight…Tonight so bright…Tonight. -'Tonight, tonight' by The Smashing Pumpkins

Bill Weasley gazed down at his younger brother and sighed. Eighteen-year-old Ron Weasley was still comatose as was his friend, Hermione. They were alive, but lifeless. It was ripping everyone apart to see them that way.

"We should be grateful, shouldn't we?" came a soft, female voice to Bill's right. He turned around to find his sister, Ginny, gazing at Ron and Hermione sadly. Her brown eyes raised to meet her eldest brother's. "I mean, when we found them, we thought they were dead. We should be happy that they're alive and that they at least have a chance."

Bill nodded. He had been on Privet Drive during the battle. After awhile, most of the Deatheaters had been killed and those who survived fled in fear. Then everyone's eyes turned toward Number 4. They were all aware that the final battle between Harry and Voldemort had taken place in that house, but no one knew what the outcome was. Bill was the first to enter the house and his breath caught in his throat when he saw the limp bodies strewn across the living room floor. Two of them, Ron and Hermione, laid next to a big pile of ash.

Bill was confused until the Muggle woman Bill recognized as Harry's aunt explained what had happened. Upon hearing that Harry had died to save Ron and Hermione, and that the two surviving teens had attempted to strangle the dark lord, hope rose in Bill's chest. Crossing the living room in two steps, Bill reached down and felt for a pulse on his brother's neck. When he found one, he was overwhelmed with happiness. He hadn't lost another brother.

"Excuse me, Mr. Weasley?"

Bill was forced out of his memories by a high-pitched voice. Turning and looking slightly downward, Bill found Professor Flitwick gazing up at him.

"Professor," Bill greeted. Next to him, Ginny attempted to give the kindly teacher a smile but was unable to.

"Once your other brother joins us, I would like to discuss a form of treatment for Ron. I have already discussed it with Ms. Granger's parents and they have already agreed to it."

Bill was confused. "You need our approval?" he asked his former teacher. Flitwick nodded and launched off into an explanation.

"The procedure I have planned is very tricky, especially for Ron. We could lose him. Normally I would ask the parents but seeing as yours are currently missing…" Flitwick trailed off.

Bill nodded as Ginny choked back a cry. Just then, the door to the hospital wing burst open and another red-head joined the room.

"Is he alright?" Fred asked apprehensively, his blue eyes shooting from Bill, to Ginny, to Ron.

Bill shrugged. "He's alive."

Fred's shoulders visibly relaxed as he blew out a breath of air. "Thank Merlin," the 20-year-old whispered, coming to his brother's bedside.

"Well, now that we have everyone here," Flitwick started. He paused briefly when he noticed the profound sadness that suddenly filled the room with the mention of 'everyone' being there. The seven Weasley children were down to four, one of them being comatose. Both parents were missing. That was hardly 'everyone'. "I can now discuss what I have in mind for treating Mr. Weasley."

The three Weasley's turned their attention to their former teacher; all of them were a bit tense over what they might hear.

"We can all agree that Ron and Hermione have been through a lot over the years," Flitwick stated. The others nodded in agreement. "The reason why they are in the state that they are currently in," Flitwick waved a hand at the two unconscious bodies, "is because their minds are having trouble processing everything. They will wake sometime soon, and when they do they will not be the same. I think it's safe to say that they will both fall into a horrible depression that could very well last them the rest of their life."

Ginny issued a choked sob and Fred put a reassuring arm around her shoulders, squeezing lightly and running his hand up and down her upper arm. Bill looked away from his former teacher and ran a hand over his face, his fingers brushing the grotesque scars that he received the night he fought Greyback.

"We're all depressed," Bill whispered.

"Yes, I realize that," Flitwick said kindly, "and Madame Pomfrey fully intends on giving each of you some potions to help ease the pain, and also requests that the three of you will show up for some counseling sessions with her. You'd be surprised how talking can make one feel better."

"We don't need therapy," Bill stated plainly. "Do we?" he turned to his two younger siblings. Ginny glanced to the floor and whispered that she would like some counseling sessions, and Fred looked torn. His pride would not allow him to admit that he needed to vent, but the loss of losing family, his twin included, weighed so heavily on his shoulders that the sensible part of him told him to swallow his pride. Casting his eyes to the side so as to not look at Bill, Fred muttered that if Ginny wanted counseling sessions, he would go with her for support. Bill sighed and returned his attention to Flitwick.

"Okay, so we could use a little counseling. So is that the treatment for Ron as well?"

"Well…no," Flitwick replied, wringing his hands and looking apologetic. "Ron has gone through a lot more than you three have--not that you three haven't been through a lot," he added hastily. "Ron has lost everything you have: brothers, parents, friends. You have to admit, though, that he has gone through a lot more. He has been fighting alongside Harry since he was eleven. He has endured so much more. He has to live with the knowledge that Harry died to save him, as well as deal with Harry's death. And then there's also…" Flitwick trailed off again, looking away from the three Weasleys.

"There's also what?" Bill asked.

Flitwick sighed. "Well, Ron and Hermione killed Voldemort, didn't they?" he asked. "Harry put the same charm on them that his mother used on him ages ago. When Ron and Hermione touched Voldemort, Voldemort couldn't stand it. Ron and Hermione are…well, they're…"

"They're what?"

"Celebrities."

There was a resounding silence in the room as the three Weasleys processed this information.

"It'll be Harry all over again," Ginny said at last, brushing Fred's arm off of her shoulder and pacing the room frantically. "The public won't leave them alone. The press will have a heyday with their depression and pain!" Fred swore loudly and Bill ran his hands through his hair.

"So what do you suggest?" Bill asked, turning back to Flitwick.

"We want to put them in the Muggle world to hide them from the public. And to help them cope with…everything--we want to use a very complicated charm that will make them," Flitwick paused and adverted his eyes, "forget."

"Forget what?" Ginny asked, eyeing her teacher suspiciously.

"Everything," Flitwick replied sadly. "Everything about the Wizarding World, about being a Wizard," the tiny man paused yet again, "about the family members and friends he has lost."

"No!" all three Weasleys said at once.

"Ron wouldn't want to forget," Ginny stated furiously. "We'll hide him in the Muggle World to keep him safe from prying eyes, but he's not forgetting."

"He wouldn't forget permanently," Flitwick stated. "His original memories will still be there, and because Ron has a strong mind, they will resurface, one by one when he's ready to deal with them. Until then, he will be under the impression that he's an ordinary Muggle. We'll give him new memories, you three will be included in it and your parents as well. We'll leave Charlie, Percy, and George out. He'll remember them later--when he's ready."

Bill, Fred, and Ginny sent one another looks.

"We're already going to perform this charm on Ms. Granger. Her parents have given us permission. We will replace the last seven years of her memory. She will forget about Ron. If we don't perform this charm on Ron, when he wakes up, he'll have to deal with losing Hermione on top of everything else."

There was a moment of silence, and then…

"You may perform the charm on Ron," Bill said in barely a whisper. Ginny and Fred nodded their agreement silently.

"Thank you," Flitwick squeaked. The little man raised his arms and ushered the three Weasleys out. "I'll need total concentration; I'll let you know when I'm done."

Fred, Ginny, and Bill turned just in time to see the heavy oak doors of the hospital wing close in their faces, leaving them alone with each other and their despair.

End Author's Note: Hmm...yeah, got nothing to say here except that I hope you all enjoyed it and I promise that the story picks up soon.