A Slight Mishap
Summary: Harry Potter knew something was going to go wrong when, as a punishment, Snape made him test an uncompleted ageing potion. Something always goes wrong. And he was right.
Disclaimer: I most definitely do not own Harry Potter or anything that you recognise in this story.
A/N: Okay, I know I'm horrible, don't throw things at me? I meant to have this chapter up ages ago, but then I lost it! So blame me being absent-minded on the (yet again) late update. However, Christmas is coming up so I'm glad I got this chapter done in time. Think of it as a Christmas present! I hope I'm not going too far out to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy holiday. And I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter Twenty-Two; Lies that Come Undone
Ginny Weasley was well versed in the types of anger that her mother could be prone to.
The most common type was an exasperated sort of anger, which she generally directed towards the twins or anyone who misbehaved. This type was usually followed by long periods of stony silences and the banging of pots and pans in the kitchen.
There was also the outraged anger that her mother usually displayed when she saw something stupid in the newspaper, or when Mr Weasley came home with a story about the minister's latest misdeeds. This type had been seen far more often in the last few years, but it thankfully didn't last long.
But this type... well, even Ginny wasn't sure what this type was, nor was she entirely sure what it stemmed from. All she knew was that it seemed to have something to do with the young boy she was currently clutching protectively by the hand.
It was a simmering anger, she decided, inconspicuously following her mother up the hall. She could see it in the woman's eyes and in the tight lips. The rest of her body was loose, however, rather than tense like usual, and she was giving off the impression of a tiger that was getting ready to pounce on unsuspecting prey.
Something had happened.
Now all she had to do was take a leaf out of Harry's book and try and figure out what.
HPHGRWHPHGRW
Molly was unaware of her follower. At that current moment she was wandering more than anything with no set direction.
No, actually, that was a lie.
She had two places she wanted to go, but the trick was deciding which way to go first.
She could go to see Sirius and Remus and tell them everything that happened. From there it was easy to deduce what would occur; the three of them would probably immediately go to the Dursleys and enact some well-deserved justice.
Or she could go and see Dumbledore.
Running the risk of being talked out of said well-deserved justice.
Molly's head was telling her the wisest decision would be to go to Dumbledore. The rest of her desperately wanted to go Sirius and Remus.
There was just one thing to do.
"Harry?" Molly asked slowly, causing the little boy to look up at her curiously. "Do you want to go see Professor Dumbledore or –" her voice gained a note of hope, "– Sirius and Remus?"
Harry's face lit up.
"Granpa!" he cheered.
"Of course," sighed Molly.
She was very disappointed, but she tried hard to tell herself not to be. After all, she was walking a far more logical path now... the Dursleys would have to wait. Then a sudden thought struck her and Molly began to smile.
She had bigger fish to fry...
HPHGRWHPHGRW
Ginny couldn't help but shudder as she saw her mother smile. People had occasionally said that Molly Weasley was similar to a saber-toothed tiger. But if they could see her now they would swear she was a shark in a previous life.
It was her mum's most dangerous look, saved usually for those that threatened her family in some way, or those who had done wrong by them. It was the look that promised a long, slow, painful death.
One thing was for sure... Ginny felt very sorry for whoever was on the receiving end of her mother's wrath.
HPHGRWHPHGRW
Harry wasn't sure why they were going to see Granpa, but the logic behind it was lost to him as he decided that it didn't matter. He was just excited to get the chance to see the usually busy man.
"Cream puff!" he shouted gleefully when they got to the stone statue, and the gargoyle jumped aside to reveal the moving staircase.
Harry and Molly stepped onto the stairs, not looking back as the gargoyle closed behind them. If they had, they would have seen a stunned red-head gaping after them.
Molly was very quiet as they travelled up the stairs, which concerned Harry. She didn't seem as happy as she normally was, nor was she smiling as much. Shyly he tugged on her robe.
"What's wrong, Molly?" he asked, looking up at her with wide, innocent eyes.
She looked startled for a moment, not having expected the question, and then her face relaxed into a smile and she ruffled his already messy hair. The smile put Harry at ease; if she was smiling then nothing could be too bad, right?
"I'm fine, Harry," she said. "I just have a bone to pick with your Granpa."
"Harry's brow furrowed in confusion.
"A bone to pick?" he asked, puzzled. "Why are you picking bones?"
Molly laughed suddenly, causing Harry to jump.
"Sorry, Harry," she said. "When I say that I have a bone to pick with someone it means that I'm very annoyed at them."
"Oh," said Harry, blinking. "Why are you upset with Granpa?"
"That's between me and him," Molly said, smiling. "Don't you worry about a thing."
"Okay," Harry sighed.
They reached the top and stepped off the stairs. Molly stretched out a hand to knock on the door, but Harry was having none of that. He let go of Molly's hand, grabbed the handle and pushed the heavy door open, oblivious to Molly's scandalised "Harry!"
"Hi, Granpa!" Harry said cheerfully as he bounded into the room, Molly cautiously following him.
Professor Dumbledore was the only one in the room, and he looked up as they entered, smiling fondly when he saw who it was. He didn't seem at all put out that they had entered without knocking.
"Hello, Harry," he said, standing up and walking around the desk so he could accept the hug the little boy was running to give him. "Good afternoon, Molly."
"Albus," Molly greeted stiffly, inclining her head slightly toward him.
Dumbledore blinked and then straightened. He smiled down at Harry.
"Why don't you go play with Fawkes?" he asked, sending the disgruntled phoenix (who had not forgotten New Years Day) a significant look. "He's missed you."
"Okay!" said Harry, skipping to the other side of the room after Fawkes.
"What is wrong, Molly?" Dumbledore asked once Harry was away.
"The Dursleys," Molly all but snarled.
On the other side of the room Harry sighed and looked at Fawkes, who was simply staring back at him. This was no fun... the bird didn't seem happy with him at all for some reason. Absent-mindedly he gazed around the room and his eyes landed on Molly and Granpa. To his surprise they both looked very unhappy. Molly was saying something and Granpa was listening.
"What's wrong, Fawkes?" he asked the phoenix. "Why are they upset?"
A moment later the question was answered. Granpa said something in response and then a bomb exploded.
"YOU left him there!" Molly yelled. "Why didn't you ever check on him?!"
Granpa said something else and Molly snorted.
"Oh, don't give me that," she said scornfully. "I don't care anything about blood wards – what was the point in protecting him from the outside when he was being hurt on the inside?"
"It was for the best..." Dumbledore began wearily, no longer bothering to keep his voice down.
"He was a child!" Molly said, firing up again. "He is a child, no matter his age! How could it have been the best to leave him in an abusive home?!"
There was a pause. Harry was watching them, stunned. He had never heard Molly raise her voice like that before, and her glare was a little scary. What had Granpa done that made her so upset? And what were they talking about?
"Molly... we can't change the past," Granpa said, passing a tired hand over his face.
"Haven't you noticed?" Molly asked, calming. "We are changing it."
They both looked over at Harry, who tilted his head curiously back at them. Slowly Granpa began to smile and his eyes twinkled merrily again. Content that all would be right again, Harry turned back to Fawkes. In the background the adults were still talking, but Harry had lost interest in what they were saying.
"Why are you mad at me Fawkes?" he asked the bird.
The phoenix gazed at him for a moment and then seemed to relax, hopping a little closer to Harry. Delighted, the young boy reached out a hand and carefully smoothed down a few feathers.
Strangely he had the feeling he knew how to do this, even though he had never done it before. Harry smiled as he thought of a beautiful snowy white owl...
"Harry."
Startled out of his thoughts, the image lost, Harry looked up. Molly was standing there all of a sudden, smiling at him.
"Will you stay up here with Fawkes for awhile?" she asked. "I've got to go do something."
"Okay," Harry said with a firm nod.
"Are you sure this is wise, Molly?" Granpa asked from his desk.
"If I wanted wise and rational I wouldn't be going to Sirius and Remus," Molly said wryly, causing Harry's ears to perk up at the sound of the two names. However, Molly had asked him to stay in the office and that was what he would do.
"Very well, I can't stop you," Granpa said, walking toward the door.
"Can't, or won't?" Molly asked.
"It rests easier on my conscience to say 'can't'," Granpa said, smiling. He opened the door and gestured out of it before glancing at Harry. "I promise we will be right back, Harry. I swear it."
Harry felt a moment of anxiety; they were leaving him alone? But then he gazed up at the portraits lining the walls, and at Fawkes, and knew that he wasn't really alone after all. He smiled back at Granpa.
"Okay, Granpa."
"Shall we, Molly," Granpa said grandly.
And then they were both gone. Harry watched the closed door for a moment and then looked back at Fawkes.
"Let's play hide-and-seek," he said decisively, putting the reason for the adults' departure out of his mind.
HPHGRWHPHGRW
Molly Weasley strode determinedly down the corridor, Professor Dumbledore following quietly on her heels. She was somewhat surprised to find that he was not attempting to prevent her from seeing Harry's godfather.
But then... she knew that Dumbledore cared for Harry. And the hard truths that he had just had to face couldn't have been easy. Was it possible that he didn't want to stop her?
He had made just a token protest before deciding to follow her. Why was her following her, anyway? To make sure that she, Remus and Sirius didn't do anything rash?
Then again, what she was doing right now could be classed as rash. Just telling Sirius about his godson's treatment in that "home" was almost as good as going there and hexing them into oblivion herself.
The end result would be the same.
Molly allowed herself a small, humour-less smile. For once she couldn't care less about rules and morals. If she got in trouble with the Ministry of Magic, so be it. She would feel no remorse for giving those people exactly what they deserved.
Finally she found herself standing in front of a door that was somewhat hidden in a little-used part of the school. Not long after her knock it was thrown open by Remus; it would be far too dangerous for Sirius to open the door.
"Molly!" Remus said, surprised. "And Albus! Come in."
Sirius was lounging on an arm chair, but he sat up when they entered, a curious look on his face.
"Hey," he greeted. "What brings you here?"
"To discuss some things about..." Molly trailed off.
She wasn't sure why she was hesitating now of all times. She had come this far. But then she found herself glancing at Professor Dumbledore and she knew.
Dumbledore wasn't just silent company, he had become a quiet conscience. He was standing there, staring her, neither approving nor condemning, just waiting to see what her decision would be.
Molly knew what it should be. She should discuss Remus' treatment for the coming full moon and leave, never mentioning Harry, or the Dursleys, or the despicable treatment Harry had suffered there.
She should ignore it herself but petition more strongly against Harry ever returning to that house. Dumbledore wouldn't – couldn't – refuse her now, no matter what she did. Molly would never talk to him again if he attempted to send Harry back to that house.
Nevertheless, what she should do was warring with what she wanted to do. And she knew very well what she was going to choose even before she consciously decided it.
'Sorry, Albus,' she thought, not finding even an ounce of regret in her.
"About Harry," she said.
'This is for Harry.'
"Harry?" Sirius asked sharply. "What's wrong with him?"
"There's a few things I need to tell you," Molly said grimly. "Things that I've recently found out about Harry's childhood."
She moved to sit down, Remus and Sirius watching her intently now. But they weren't the only ones. Dumbledore was gazing at her too.
His face was still expressionless, still not giving anything away. Molly didn't know whether or not he disapproved of her actions, nor did she really care. But there was one thing that made her lips twitch and told her Albus was forgiven now. It told her why he had followed her all the way out here and why he had not even tried to stop her talking to Sirius and Remus.
In his eyes she saw he knew what was going to happen. And she knew that he was going to let it.
Next Chapter: Chapter Twenty-Three; No Action Escapes Consequence – Molly, Remus and Sirius are horrified to have learnt what they did, and the Dursleys are cheerfully ignoring any thought of their nephew. Naturally these ideas are going to clash...
A/N: Yes, what we've been waiting for (if you've been waiting for it); I've been building it up for awhile now, and finally the Dursleys will be confronted. Might have a little Dumbledore in it, but I might wait for the chapter after that where he can angst a little... anyhow, sorry again for the late update and I'll have the next one up as soon as possible. I'm on holiday now so I'll do my best to write more!
Thanks to: hemotem, Steel Drums and Island Dances, dragongirlG, JBPM, swiftsword, Aoi Mitsukai, jimmy-barnes-13, Eillipses, nautikitti, EspyLacopa, insaneschitsoid, shanesdragon, 7sins7lies, Celebwen Telcontar, l1ttl3 Sakura, CrayonsPink, Griffin Raven, Romado, Kathryn Marie Black, ceara1888, Death1991
Okay, there was a question about Voldemort; and I have to say that I quite forgot about him with all the fun I was having with little Harry. As such he's going to ease his way back in – and Harry's at the age I was going to bring Voldemort back in anyway :)
Also, if there's anything in particular that you want to see happen to the Dursleys, let me know and I'll see what I can do :)
Thirdly I'll be replying to reviews again starting with this chapter. I've been really slack and I'm sorry to everyone, and I promise I will get back to answering questions and things like that. I thank each and everyone one of my reviewers and those who have stayed reading even though it's been so long between updates.