7

Three men, two girls and a boy

Hermione send an owl to her father. It carried a letter with 'Urgent' scribbled on top of it. She had remembered that her father and many friends in the medical sector and one of them was a psychiatrist who worked for their church as well. There he helped children who had been abused by parents or other relatives and girls who had been raped.

----

Mr. Thornton sat in his office and read the newspaper in his break. On his desk was a cup of strong coffee, a bagel and a donut. He had propped up his feet on his visitor's seat and leaned back against the back of his chair.

All of a sudden, though, he heard a soft tapping noise be the window. At first he ignored it, expecting it to be yet another bout of rain, but the tapping continued. Irritated he folded his newspaper aggressively, tearing a page in the process which made him even angrier, and stood up. He almost knocked over his cup and set his desk afloat.

Outside his window on the sill sat a snow owl with a scroll of parchment tied to her leg. Approaching the window carefully, he remembered an evening at the Grangers' house. During dinner a snow owl had appeared as well. In fact it seemed to be the same owl.

Mr. Thornton opened the window wide and let in the owl. Hermione had called her Hedwig if memory served.

"Hedwig?" he asked tentatively and was amazed to see the owl nod as though she understood every word.

With a soft hoot the owl stretched out her leg and patiently waited for him to fumble loose the letter. Then she voiced another soft hoot and soared through the window.

Mr. Thornton was stunned and speechless. A combination which didn't agree with him. Calling out to his secretary that he didn't wish to be disturbed, he settled back behind his desk and opened the letter. Immediately he noticed Hermione's neat handwriting. Something must have happened for her to contact him in this way. Apprehensively he unfolded the letter and began to read.

Dear Mr. Thornton,

I would appreciate your help and wisdom in a matter concerning a very dear friend of mine.

My parents might have told you the a Dark Wizard and his followers are at large once again. They torture people, especially people like me. Muggle-born witches and wizards. But also supporters or friends of muggle-borns. Their favourite means of torture is rape.

My friend was held captive by these …

The letter in his hands trembled, violently and unstoppable. He had enough professional experience to read between the lines. "My friend" or "a friend of mine" were always indicators that whatever had happened to "the friend" in those letters or stories, had actually happened to the narrator. No such friend existed.

How, pray tell, was he supposed to tell his friend that his daughter, his only child, had been captured and … What had actually happened to Hermione? Mr. Thornton was both apprehensive but also strangely compelled to read the letter to the very end.

… death-eaters and raped.

His eyes closed. His worst fears had been realized.

"Oh, Hermione, my poor girl", he whispered, tears pouring over his face.

Mr. Thornton cried for the lost innocence of the young girl. He couldn't think how best to breach the subject in front of Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Ms. Shelldin, please cancel all my appointments for today. If there is an emergency … and only a very grave emergency you can reach me at the Grangers' residence."

Gathering letter, coat and hat, he turned to the door and exited his office.

----

Ringing the door bell for the thousandth time it seemed to him, Jonathan Thornton lost the grip on his control. He banged against the door with his hand. It soon developed into a pounding with fists.

Quite red in the face Mr. Granger ripped open the door and glared fiercely at his friend.

"What do you think you're doing, man?!?" he yelled.

His long time friend didn't reply but walked past him into the house. Mrs. Granger peered around the corner of the kitchen, fear and confusion clearly visible in her face.

"What is going on? Jonathan?" she asked but received no answer. Turning slightly, she addressed her husband, "Walter?"

"I would like to know myself", growled Mr. Granger, not taking his eyes off the psychiatrist.

"Where is Hermione?" asked Jonathan.

"In school. Why do you ask?" Mrs. Granger was really getting nervous and worried.

"I received that letter today. It came through owl post and is clearly in Hermione's handwriting. In this letter ... in this letter she talks about a friend being ... well, being raped. In my experience that is not true. She probably ..."

"NO!" gasped Mrs. Granger in shock and disbelief. "It can't be!"

Mr. Granger stood silently and quite still in the middle of his living room. Then he sprang into motion and rushed to the fireplace. His hand disappeared into a bowl with a powdery substance in it and grabbed a handful of it. Without ceremony, he threw it into the fire, turning the flames green instantaneously.

"Hogwarts", he cried out and stepped into the flames dragging Mr. Thornton with him.

----

Both men appeared in the Headmaster's office, witnessing unwillingly a scene between the great Albus Dumbledore and a very annoyed Arthur Weasley.

"Why can't I take my wife to our home? She will be better off there ... far away from Minerva and her creating chaos everywhere she goes!" yelled Arthur furiously.

Two other people were in the office as well. They were a boy and a girl. The boy had black untidy hair and glasses beneath a lightning-shaped scar. The girl had bushy brown hair behind which she tried to hide a very uncomfortable face.

"Hermione!" exclaimed Mr. Granger, rushing forward to his daughter.

Upon reaching her, he pulled her into a bone-crushing embrace, pressing every last puff of air from her lungs. Then his hands went searchingly over her body, probing here and there.

"Are you hurt? How do you feel? Are you alright? Talk to me!"

"Dad, what are you doing here?" she asked flabbergasted, gasping for much needed air.

"You wrote a letter that you have been raped", explained Mr. Thornton.

"I what?" screamed Hermione, not believing her ears. "No, I didn't. I wrote you a letter about a friend of mine being raped. The letter is about ..." She hesitated at that for a moment before she whispered almost inaudibly, "Professor McGonagall and Mrs. Weasley."

"WHAT?" asked Arthur aggressively. "You actually told someone about what happened? How dare you? Molly and Minerva are still recovering and hurt! Damn it! Don't you understand?"

Hermione had never seen Mr. Weasley losing his temper. It was a very impressive and frightening sight to be sure. She cringed away from him, hiding behind Harry and her father. Albus Dumbledore stepped forward and between Arthur and Hermione. He held both his hands up to stop Arthur from yelling at him. But he left no impression on Arthur who spoke his mind openly.

"She's a meddling know-it-all! She had no right to make it public! No right at all", Arthur spoke without really thinking, otherwise he wouldn't have said any of this, "They were raped in the most horrid ways a human can come up with and abused in many really cruel ways. I don't want the whole Wizarding Community to know. Let alone some muggles. Molly lost our child due to overexcitement. How do think she would react if God and the world knew she had been raped and beaten into a bloody pulp?!?"

Arthur was in an all-consuming rage and yelled his frustration and desperation out into the world. Unjustly bestowing it on Minerva, Albus, Hermione and her father.

Albus' eyes flashed dangerously. He, too, was angry but so far he had kept himself in check. It just wouldn't do for him to curse everyone in his vicinity. But he would be damned if he just stood there and let Arthur insult his wife and yell at his students. Drawing breath to yell back, Albus stepped forward but was stopped by Hermione. The girl was positively furious.

"How dare I?!? I care for Mrs. Weasley! She is Ron's mum. You are too busy to see your sons and Ginny fighting down their panic of losing their mother. Do you know that Ron searched the whole library for books on pregnancy? Do you know that Ginny cries herself to sleep every single night? Do you know that George is still guilt-ridden? Do you know that Fred actually asked Professor Flitwick to charm him a Portkey to St. Mungo's for an emergency during Molly's pregnancy? Do you know that Bill and Charlie went to the Ministry and tried talking to Percy? That they went to the Burrow and set a bedroom for the new baby. That they talked to Madam Pomfrey about the risks of late child birth. You have no idea what goes on. In my letter I never mentioned names. I asked my family's friend because he is a psychiatrist and can help dealing with the traumas both Molly and Professor McGonagall experience!"

Arthur couldn't believe his ears Was this school girl actually trying to lecture him on his duties as a father and husband? His eyes narrowed dangerously and he stepped forward. Anger was clearly on display in his face and he drew back his hand to slap Hermione for her insolence.

Harry, seeing through Mr. Weasley's intend, stepped in front of Hermione swiftly and caught Mr. Weasley's wrist in his hand. He glared at his best mate's father.

"She is right, Mr. Weasley. Professor McGonagall and your wife have to talk to a professional to overcome their fears. Madam Pomfrey took care of their bodily needs but now they need help for their souls to find their way home", Harry spoke calmly and rationally, shaming both Albus and Arthur.

It was true neither man had noticed much else besides their respective wife. Feeling terribly ashamed and disgusted with himself, Arthur looked at Hermione. He hated himself for even thinking to strike her. Mumbling a feeble apology, he freed himself from Harry's grip and hastened out of the Headmaster's office. Outside the door he ran into his daughter, nearly knocking her over. Arthur looked up horrified and ran past her without a word of explanation.

Ginny starred after him, visibly shaken and confused. She heard voices through the door and went closer. Leaning against the door frame, she was still concealed by the shadows but could see and hear clearly the conversation going on.

Mr. Granger and a stranger were in the room and talking furiously with Professor Dumbledore. Until Harry stepped forward with a worried and terribly embarrassed expression on his face.

"What is rape actually?" asked Harry shyly, looking from one man to the others.

All three remaining men seemed very uncomfortable. Finally Mr. Thornton mustered up his professionality and answered as best as he could.

"Rape is forced, unwanted sexual intercourse. Rape, sometimes also called sexual assault, can happen to both men and women of any age. It is not about passion and has nothing to do with love. Rape is an act of aggression and violence. Rape is about power, not sex. A rapist uses actual force or violence — or the threat of it — to take control over another human being. Some rapists use drugs to take away a person's ability to fight back. Rape is a crime, whether the person committing it is a stranger, a date, an acquaintance, or a family member. No matter how it happened, rape is frightening and traumatizing. People who have been raped need care, comfort, and a way to heal."

Hermione rolled her eyes heavenwards and prayed for patient with the so-called stronger sex. They were getting nowhere with this. Before she could say anything, Ginny stepped out of the shadows and addressed the psychiatrist.

"Yes, that is the rehearsed answer but what does it mean exactly? I need to know what my mother had to endure", said Ginny quietly, stepping close to Hermione for support and comfort.

"Why, Miss Weasley?" asked Professor Dumbledore equally quiet.

"Don't you want to know what happened to Professor McGonagall?"asked Harry surprised. "She is your wife and ..."

"I know, Harry, and I wish I didn't find out", answered Dumbledore almost inaudibly, not looking at either person in the room. He seemed absorbed into his own dark thoughts.

"I want to help Mum, that's why I have to know", said Ginny determinedly.

All three adult men starred at her. Comprehension slowly spreading over each face. Other feelings ranged from surprised pride to insecurity to downright refusal. Mr. Granger admired the strength in the little red-haired friend of his daughter while his friend seemed not at all sure if the teenager could really cope with this knowledge. Professor Dumbledore thought to know that the answer was a clear "No".

"What on earth makes you think that this helps?" he asked. "Most importantly how will it help your mother?"

"I could protect her from men ..."

Albus laughed hoarsely and unkindly. He turned around angrily and walked over to his desk, bracing his palms on the desktop and leaning heavily on his arms. Mr. Thornton, too, looked faintly amused by her statement but held a much kinder expression in his eyes.

"That, Miss ... Weasley, was it? ... is not the issue", he stated with the confidence of long experience. "Women who have been raped need to face their demons when they hope to ever be able to enjoy life again and return to some semblance of normality. In my experience most women are angry beyond all other feelings. Some are plain lost. Then some others are too scared to trust another man at first. Every person is different but there are three things that everyone who has been raped should do, though:

Firstly know that the rape wasn't your fault then seek medical care and then deal with your feelings. That's where I come in."

"How can any woman think that the rape was her fault?" asked Hermione, completely bewildered and confused.

Harry and Ginny looked just as incredible as their friend. Was that really what went through Molly's and Minerva's minds?

"Most of the women think so, I'm afraid, Hermione. Sometimes a rapist will try to exert even more power by making the person who's been raped feel like it was actually his or her fault. A rapist may say stuff like, "You asked for it" or "You wanted it." This is just another way for the rapist to take control", explained Mr. Thornton carefully.

"Oh", muttered Hermione faintly, tears brimming in her eyes and threatening to cloud her vision. Ginny beside her took her hand for support and was sobbing quietly. She shrank back from Harry's touch to her shoulder when he came to stand next to the girls and suffered his own consolation and support.

"Someone who has been raped might feel a lot of things: angry, degraded, frightened, numb, or confused. It's also normal for someone who has been raped to feel ashamed or embarrassed. Some people withdraw from friends and family. Others don't want to be alone. Some feel depressed, anxious, or nervous. Sometimes the feelings surrounding rape may show up in physical ways, such as trouble sleeping or eating. It may be hard to concentrate to participate in everyday activities. Sometimes it may feel like you'll never get over the trauma of the rape. Experts often refer to these emotions — and their physical side effects — as rape trauma syndrome. It can be hard to think or talk about a frightening experience, especially something as personal as rape. People who have been raped sometimes avoid seeking help because they're afraid that talking about it will bring back memories or feelings that are too painful. But this can actually do more harm than good. Working through the pain sooner rather than later can help reduce symptoms like nightmares and flashbacks. It can also help people avoid potentially harmful behaviours and emotions, like major depression or self-injury."

Again Mr. Thornton had quoted the rehearsed text, much to Ginny's and Hermione's chagrin. Ginny asked aggressively:

"Is that what Mum and Professor McGonagall feel like? It's hard to believe that. So ... I can't really help Mum?"

"Be there for her and support her when she asks for it. But she is your mother. Mothers always want to protect their children. She won't talk about what happened with you. She has to talk about it with her husband or a professional. The same goes for Professor McGonagall. Are both women in presently? Perhaps I could start a therapy session today?"

Mr. Thornton looked over to Professor Dumbledore and saw the Headmaster sigh heavily.

"Unfortunately I have no idea where my wife is at present and Mrs. Weasley is in the Hospital Wing ..."

Ginny's head jerked up at that tidbit of information and her face held a look of pure horror.

"What!!!!??? Mum's in the Hospital Wing? Is something wrong with the child? Is she ok?"

Ginny actually ran forward to Professor Dumbledore and grabbed the labels of his cloak. She was trembling from head to toe and tears ran freely down her face. Albus felt for the little girl. Wrapping his arms around her shaking form, he tugged her under his chin and rocked her gently back and forth.

"I don't know any details, Ginny. Why don't you let Hermione and Harry take you to your dorm and I'll check on both your parents?"

Ginny nodded numbly. She felt nothing inside her. A dark void was about to swallow her mother and there was absolutely nothing she could do. Hermione came forward and wrapped her into her arms. Slowly the three teenagers left the Headmaster's Office. When they had shut the door behind them, Albus turned to the two men in the room with him and spoke quietly:

"I will take you up on your offer, Mr. Thornton, but at a later date. Please return to your homes now. I have to ..."

"We understand", said Mr. Granger and approached the fireplace.

----

Albus went up to the very top of the Astronomy Tower. He had often come here in the past. Every time problems rose in his life, he would sneak up here and contemplate in silence under the solemn gaze of the stars.

Apparently he was not the only one who sought quiet contemplation tonight. Arthur stood at the banister and leaned a bit forward, looking down on the lake it seemed.

"Considering to throw yourself off the tower, lad?" asked Albus, drawing his wand to prevent that from happening.

Arthur jerked back and around, whirling to face Albus with his wand in hand. He looked positively furious. And dangerous. Albus seemed unfazed though and just stepped closer to his former student.

"Or are you just enjoying the view?"

Arthur wasn't sure what to answer. The truth was that he had actually thought of jumping, for a moment. Molly lay in the Hospital Wing after a miscarriage. Poppy had thrown him out and he feared for the worst. Desperately he tried to remember the chances of survival after a miscarriage but he couldn't. The longer he had stood there, though, the more he had heard Hermione's voice ringing in his ears. Now he just felt ashamed that he had neglected his children like that. And yet he was unable, it seemed, to go downstairs and be with them. He couldn't tell them that he had sacrificed their unborn sibling in a stupid fight with Molly. He couldn't tell them that by doing so he had probably killed their mother. And he couldn't tell Albus that either.

So both men just stood there, absorbed in their own thoughts. Neither was able to express their feelings. Suddenly a soft clearing of a throat was heard behind them. When they turned around, they came face to face with Poppy. Arthur's heart sank and hit bottom. She had surely come to tell him he was a widower. A sob formed in his throat and broke free. Albus' hand came to rest on his shoulder and Arthur saw that Albus, too, had to swallow a lump in his throat.

Poppy observed both men. They looked horrible. Neither of them had eaten properly in weeks, All the sleepless nights were finally catching up with them and it was evident to her that they were also guilt-ridden and deeply worried. Not a good combination for one's health.

"Arthur, I came up here to tell you ..."

Arthur broke down. Sobbing harder than ever before in his life, he fell to his knees and hugged himself tightly. His heart stopped beating and he wished that it never start again but it did and doing so broke into a million tiny pieces, sharp as razor blades. He couldn't breathe. He was actually having problems to breathe and the edges of his vision turned black.

"No. Molly. Oh God, have mercy. Not my Molly", he sobbed.

With a faint rustle of skirts Poppy was kneeling on the ground beside in and drew him close to her bosom.

"Arthur. She is alive. She and the baby are alive. Please, calm down, stop beating yourself up like that", she urged him, trying to break through to him. "She is alive. She is alive."

It was all Poppy could do. Repeating over and over that Molly and the baby were alive seemed to gradually calm Arthur down. Enough to tell him what happened.

"Her placenta was torn at one corner and parted with the wall of her uterus, causing light bleeding and terrible cramps. I could heal the tear and connect the placenta with her uterus again. She will be fine after a good night's sleep. No more excitement or stress for her, though. She is in a very fragile state. And ..." Poppy paused and breathed deeply in to strengthen her resolve. "... no more sex. If you follow these instructions, I don't see why there should be more complications. Do you want to see her now?"

Arthur nodded and stood up, ready to see the reassuring rise and fall of his wife's chest and hear the steady beat of her heart.

A./N.: Next chapter will be about AWMW and Minerva. Be warned it won't be pleasant. Ideas, Suggestions, requests, compliments ... please shower me with them.

Ilane