Ginny was packing Al's new robes in to his trunk. She had just laundered his and James'. She turned to leave and heard a strange sound coming from Al's wardrobe. She pulled her wand and flung open the door. In side she found her youngest son, hands tied behind his back, hanging from a hook. When she looked at his face she almost fainted. Where his lips should be was a zipper.
Al sat at the kitchen table, his hands free and mouth unzipped as his mother and father discussed James and Freddy's latest assault.
After having told his mum that James and Freddy had stolen Ginny's broom and were flying to see Hagrid, he had watched as his mother's face had turned a dark shade of purple. Her patroness had leapt from her wand to inform Hagrid of his impending visitors. She flooed his dad, Aunt Angie, Grandma and Grandpa.
Lily, Al, his folks and Aunt Angie were waiting for Hagrid and Grandma to floo with the boys back to Grimald place.
Al knew his dad was mad too. When his dad got real mad the scar on his forehead stood out white against his red face.
Harry was beside himself with anger. As if stealing a broom and riding all the way to Scotland wasn't bad enough to deliberately hex his own brother!
Kingsley had been in Harry's office when Ginny had flooed, he had an excellent suggestion that Angie and Ginny had readily agreed to. Wait until those two miscreants got home! Did they ever have a surprise waiting for them!
James had never seen his parents so mad. Mum was not talking and all dad had said was "sit down now!".
Grandma and Hagrid had had a lot to say when he and Freddy had landed. Grandma had taken the broom away and preceded to smack their legs and bums with it.
Now he and Freddy sat on the sofa in the great room with Aunt Ginny, mum and dad staring at them. Suddenly the fire flared and Uncle Ron and another guy in auror robes stepped in to the room.
They nodded to dad and went to stand by the door without saying a word. Why was everyone being so quiet? James was beginning to sweat. Something different was going on here.
The fire flared and Aunt Hermione stepped out with Uncle Percy, they both looked very serious. They went to the desk and spread some sort of parchment on the desk.
Uncle George stepped out of the fire next and, for once, he did not look as if he secretly agreed with what they had done. He sat done next to Aunt Angie, shaking his head.
The fire flared one last time and Uncle Kingsley stepped out, with his Wizengot robes on. At this point James knew they were in deep shit!
"Now opens this hearing on the use of underage magic. The accused, Fredric Fabian Weasley the Second, stand!" Kingsley voice boomed in the room.
Freddy shakily got to his feet. He looked as if he would pass out at any moment.
Aunt Hermione stood up. "Fredric Fabian Weasley the Second you have been charged with willfully participating in the use of underage magic outside of school. It is further charged that you did remove a flying broom, which was not your own, from the premises of 12 Grimald place and used said broom to fly, in broad daylight, in plain site of non magical people, from London, England to Hogsmede, Scotland. How do you plead?"
Freddy opened his mouth but no sound came out. Uncle Percy pulled himself to his full height. "Come, come Mr. Weasley. HOW DO YOU PLEAD?"
Freddy squeaked out; "I, uh we did it?"
Aunt Hermione turned to the quick quote quill and stated; "Let the record show Mr. Weasley pleaded guilty." She then turned to James and said; " Mr. James Sirius Potter stand!"
After James had gotten to his feet she said: "Mr. James Sirius Potter you have been charged with willfully participating in the use of underage magic outside of school. It is further charged that you did remove a flying broom, which was not your own, from the premises of 12 Grimald place and used said broom to fly, in broad daylight, in plain site of non magical people, from London, England to Hogsmede, Scotland.
How do you pleaded on the first count?"
James mumbled; "Guilty."
Aunt Hermione turned to the quick quote quill and stated; "Let the record show Mr. Potter pleaded guilty to the first count. Now Mr. Potter you are further charged with the use of a hex and/or spell upon the body of another with the intention to do harm. How do you plead?"
James' head hung even lower; "Guilty, but he was gona tell!"
Aunt Hermione turned to the quick quote quill and stated; "Let the record show Mr. Potter pleaded guilty to the second count. "
Kingsley stood; "Mr. Weasley and Mr. Potter it is my finding that you are to be confined to house arrest until the beginning of the school year. Further more you are to find gainful employment that you may earn enough to pay for the treatment that is needed by your victim to remove the zipper from his lips. During this employment you will be closely supervised by adults appointed by me. You are to travel with an adult escort to and from that employment. Furthermore your wands will be confiscated, to be returned after you are at Hogwarts for the school year."
He turned toward the adults; "Who will take responsibility for Mr. Weasley?"
Grandma stood up. "I will minister. He will live with my husband and myself and be gainfully employed in repainting the WWW store in Hogsmede. After that is done he can paint our house."
Kingsley nodded; You may take the prisoner to Mrs. Weasley's house Mr. Gint, please wait there with him until Mrs. Weasley returns and make secure the wards and his bracelet."
The other auror took Freddy by the arm and disappeared.
He asked; "Who will take responsibility for Mr. Potter?"
Aunt Angie stood up. "I will minister. He will live with our employee Timothy Stiles above our store in Diagon alley. He will be employed cleaning the basement and attic of said store and painting the outside. After that he will be employed at our head quarters, digging a trench for a new Latrine."
James was mortified. Stiles was rumored to be half goblin. He was an ugly git that guarded the store after hours.
Kingsley nodded; You may take the prisoner to Mr. Stile's flat Mr. Weasley, please wait there with him until Mrs. Weasley arrives and make secure the wards and his bracelet."
Uncle Ron grabbed his arm and he felt the sickening pull of side along apparition.
As soon as the pop of Ron and James disappearing happened the adults all burst in to laughter. Kingsley took off his robe and hat and turned to Harry; "I do believe we may have scared those two rascals a bit!"
Kreacher came in with pumpkin juice and sandwiches.
George said; "Lord mum if you had ever done that to Fred and me we'd have never acted up again!"
Ginny sat in the waiting room at St. Mungo's. Lily was quietly reading at her side. She had a chance to spend the day on Diagon alley with her cousins but had decided she preferred to keep her mum company while the med witches restored Al's lips.
Poor Al had spent a rough night. Having your lips replaced with a zipper was not a comfortable thing. Ginny was still so mad at her eldest she sputtered every time she thought about what he had done. Sure it was hard watching Ron apperate away with him yesterday but all she had to do was watch poor Al try to eat supper to feel her anger grow again.
Ginny had promised Al ice-cream after the procedure was done.
Gint, Ron and Harry were sitting around the desk in Harry's office. "Heard from the wife yet Harry?"
"No, the med witches said yesterday, when we took Al in, that it would take a while this morning. They planed on giving him a sleeping draught so it wasn't uncomfortable."
Ron shook his head. "I tell you what James was so scared when I took him to Stile that I thought he'd wet himself!" Tim laid it on thick too! Growling and grumbling. I don't envy James cleaning that attic today. I tried to clean it out one time and inhaled enough dust to fill one of Neville's pots! I sneezed for a week."
Gint laughed "Freddy was pretty cocky, up until your mum got there that is! I can see where you got your auror abilities Ron! She scared even me!
"Now see what you and your whispering have gone and done! I'm ashamed of you James Potter! Those children could have been hurt flying all the way to Scotland!" Lily leaned over Al's bed and placed an angel kiss on his forehead.
Meanwhile Fred and Sirius were doing their best to avoid Dora Tonks. Somehow she had convinced the powers that be to loan her a lightening bolt. Every time she found them one or both of them got a zap in the bum. Currently she was chasing them across the skies above Scotland.
Freddy was sweating like he had just played the quidditch world cup. It was hotter than Hades and his grandmum showed no sign of allowing him a break anytime soon. Even when it had started to thunder she told him to keep sanding the lower boards on the building.
Freddy had never realized how big this damn building was! And he had to sand it all with out magic before he could paint it!
James was in the attic of WWW. The window to the alley was open and he periodically shuffled to the window to drop dust and debris to the bin below. Stile had growled at him that he had better be able to eat off the floor by dinner time or James wouldn't eat.
James was absolutely certain a person could die of inhaling too much dust!
George and Bill were in Bill's office at WWW headquarters. He had just related the events of the past day to his older brother, who was laughing so hard his head was on the desk.
"I swear Bill I thought both the boys would pee themselves when Kingsley stepped out of the fire with his get up on! I'm not opposed to a little mischief, but even I have to admit that they went too far with Al."
Percy and Hermione sat catching a quick cup of tea before a news conference on the new laws just enacted by the wizengot.
Percy shook his head. "Freddy and James remind me of the twins more and more each day! I'm so glad I have two girls!"