Chapter 5

Weasley Interlude

Emmeline Vance, an attractive Healer in her mid 30s, declared Harry to be of adequate health, though she felt that he needed to get more exercise and eat a healthier diet. The latter would be much easier in a house where Molly Weasley commanded the kitchen.

By the time Harry had been released from Healer Vance's well-manicured and able hands, it was nearly midnight, and despite the chocolate he had had with Mrs. Figg and the coffee that Mr. Royer had offered him, Harry was flagging.

Hermione had long since retired to bed, still with a smile on her face, and left Harry to the adults. After the debacle with the Healer had been resolved, Sirius had settled down admirably, and was quite thrilled to have his godson close to him, despite the lateness of the hour. It was unsurprising then, when Harry gave a jaw-cracking yawn, that Sirius leapt to his feet to show him to his room.

"Your things will be here in the morning, I'm sure Remus has already told you, the great mother that he is," Sirius chuckled as he lead Harry up the winding staircase.

When passing by one of the familial artifact of note, Sirius would pause and give a brief, and most probably embellished history of the object in question.

"THAT was my twice great Auntie Bertina's chandelier- brought the ghastly thing with her when she married into the family. Claimed it was charmed to always cast a favorable light on those who stood directly under it- probably how she got in with the family, if the portraits are true to life- It fell, twenty years later, or so, and killed her husband, my twice great Uncle Hamish. Apparently, his eldest daughter was so pleased by that fact that she had it charmed so that it could never be taken out of the house, as a memorial to the fact that a light fixture had squashed her arse of a father."

Harry grinned, "Your family sounds erm… charming?"

Sirius barked out a laugh and Harry felt a warm sense of happiness wash over him.

"Maybe a better way to describe them would be 'evil gits', but I suppose 'charming' is a touch more polite- This is your room, you'll be bunking with Ron. Bathroom's right across the hall here," Sirius pointed to another black door with a crystal knob on the other side of the landing, "Fred and George are down the hall, so you'd best watch for errant spells- they are seventeen now and taking full advantage of the benefits. Hermione and Ginny are up a floor, with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. I'm one up from there and there's an empty bunk room up there as well for Order Members who need to stay the night. Remus is here fairly often, probably gets the most use out of it. "

"This is fantastic, Sirius. I'll have the full tour tomorrow; tonight, I'm absolutely knackered." Harry hugged Sirius briefly before retreating to his room and quietly closing the door behind him.

With a smile on his face, Harry turned around and leaned against the door, only to be met with four freckled faced grinning back at him from the half-lit room.

"Ron!" Harry yelped.

The four youngest Weasleys were piled on the two beds, grinning from ear to ear.

"Mate! We've been waiting up for you for hours!" One of the twins leapt off the bed and pulled Harry over, forcing him to sit on Ron's trunk so that everyone could see him. "Hermione told us that you'd gotten here, but that was at 'a much more civilized hour'." Whichever twin it was- Harry thought it was Fred- stuck his nose in the air in a passable imitation of Hermione.

"Tell us what happened, mate! We'd heard something about dementors and a hearing at the Ministry before mum sent us all up here! We've been trying to listen in with these," Ron held up a long peach colored string with what looked like a severed human ear at one end, "Fred and George's Extendable Ears!"

"That French bloke wised up though and put up a ward when he left so that we couldn't hear anything past the foyer, though," Ginny groused, before Harry could ask what an Extendable Ear was. "But we are so glad you are safe Harry- I am especially-"

"Shut up, Gin! Mooning over Harry whilst we are interrogating him! I know that you've been pining after him all summer, but please, spare a thought for the rest of us!" George swatted his sister on the shoulder with a sassy harrumph while Fred snickered. Ginny blushed to the roots of her hair, but it was difficult to see in the dimly lit bedroom.

Ron looked a bit put out.

"It's good to be back, guys." Despite his exhaustion and the lingering bitterness regarding his friends' lack of communication over the summer, Harry couldn't help the slow smile that spread across his face.

"Well you've certainly brought a fair bit of drama with you, haven't you mate?" Ron sounded a bit strangled, perhaps still reeling from George's insinuation about Ginny's feelings toward Harry.

"Can't even go a few months without the spotlight, can you? First you win the Tri-Wizard Tournament, now you've got a fancy court date! With the Minister himself, I would wager!" Fred's words would have stung had he not been grinning like the Cheshire cat. The expression made it impossible for Harry to take anything that he said seriously.

"Leave him alone, Fred! You know Harry doesn't ask for this. It just… finds him," Ginny shrugged helplessly. "He's a magnet for trouble."

"Well, tell us the story then! Spare us no details!" Ron leaned forward and waggled his eyebrows at Harry, who sighed and launched into the tale.

By the time that he had finished, leaving off with Remus fetching him from Mrs. Figg's, Ginny's brow was furrowed into a deeply worried expression, though Fred and George seemed more perplexed than concerned.

"How would the dementors have known where to find you?" George asked.

"I've honestly no idea- neither did Remus or Sirius, for that matter. I've got rotten luck, but this couldn't have been a coincidence! Mrs. Figg said I was the only wizard for miles…"

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" Ron looked at them all as if they were completely stupid. "The Ministry sent them."

"Ronald, I don't think-"

"Shut it, Fred!" Ron barked, "Listen- it makes sense! Who controls the dementors? The Ministry. Who is more than a bit peeved at Harry right now, for claiming You-Know-Who is back? Fudge- the Minister for Magic. A man who could order the dementors to do whatever he wanted. He certainly hasn't been quiet about discrediting Harry and Dumbledoor! Think about it!"

"…Ron may actually have a point, loathe as I am to admit it," Ginny was frowning again, "The Ministry is the smartest bet the only bet we have at the moment, which makes me wonder: How safe will you be walking in to your hearing in a few weeks?"

Harry shrugged.

"I don't think they'd arrest him straight off. What would be the point of setting up a hearing, if they were? It all seems very legal, very proper." George reasoned.

Harry grimaced, "Mrs. Figg recommended getting a lawyer. She's supposed to come by tomorrow with a few names."

"A smart woman, that Arabella Figg," George murmured, "And you said there was a Healer not from the Order who looked you over?" Harry nodded. "Well shite, mate."

"What? Sirius had about the same reaction, but I don't see what the big deal is-"

"The Order would have wanted to keep this quiet. They're trying to keep out of the headlines at the moment. Imagine what the Prophet will have to say! 'Tri-Wizard Winner Off His Rocker! Claims You-Know-Who Is Back! Firing Potronuses Into The Air!'" George waved his arms about his head and pulled an ugly face.

"They'd launch a smear campaign!" Ron exclaimed. "They can't expel you! You're too famous, especially after last year, but they can make you look like a nutter. No one would take you seriously."

"Well that's bloody fantastic- nothing new considering the way everyone at Hogwarts acted last term. For once- just once! I'd love to have a quiet, uninterrupted school year!" Harry was exasperated, it seemed things never went his way, no matter that he had been minding his business this summer. Ginny was right; he was a magnet for trouble.

"Well the solution is rather obvious Harry- there's no need to sulk- we just get ahead of them! Fight back! Make you out to be the victim-"

"I am the victim!" Harry huffed.

"Shush- don't interrupt, Harry, it's rude," Ginny waved him away, "Anyway, yes, you are the victim, but that's not what the Ministry will say. At best they'll make you out to be some ponce who thinks he's above the law. At worst…." Ginny trailed off. Harry didn't need her to spell out exactly how bad it could be. "We need to get your story out there too- silence will only make you look guilty."

The five of them sat silently for a long moment, gazing hopelessly around at one another. Ron was the one who broke the heavy silence.

"Hermione has that… erm, contact, at the Prophet, Harry. D'you think we should talk to her?"

Harry considered for a moment. If the Ministry was going to try to defame him by painting him as some sort of lunatic, he couldn't sit idly by and allow them to slander him.

"Yeah- I think we should talk to her in the morning- set something up. I'm sure any news of my… adventure will be in the morning Prophet. We can plan from there." Harry felt a rush of adrenaline as he confirmed their plan.

He wasn't going to be the victim this time. This time, he was taking control of his image- he wasn't Rita Skeeter's play thing. Come tomorrow, pending a carefully worded note, she would be working for him.