Disclaimer: I do not own.

I'm posting today in honor of Bill Weasley's birthday.

I would like to dedicate this chapter to guest reviewer Jessy for her fic-ception review. It was inspiring. I hope you don't mind that I borrowed some details from it for this chapter.

Chapter 11

At the edge of a small village, that was many miles away, a cloaked man appeared out of thin air. Adjusting his hood so that his face was hidden, the man made his way through the crowded streets. On any other day the man would have foregone the cloak and looked at the wares being sold or maybe he would have chatted with the locals and the tourist. But today wasn't any other day.

Today the man was exhausted. He had reached another dead end in his mission. He had reached out to several contacts for information. Some had directed him elsewhere, most however had nothing for him. It didn't help that he couldn't exactly explain the situation to them fully. That surely would have brought unwanted attention to him. The last thing he need was for the authorities to catch wind of what he was asking around about. That wouldn't have ended well for anyone.

Reaching the small block of flats he lived in he made his way to the top. His employers had been generous. They had provided him with a furnished place with a wonderful view. But then again they were talented businessmen. A happy, well rested employee is more productive and less likely to make a fatal mistake. It would take time to train his replacement, and time was money.

The man rested against the door, letting his head hit it with a soft thud. Finally he was alone. He made his way into the kitchen, removing his cloak as he went. Tossing the cloak on the table the red haired man went through his cabinets, searching for something. He emerged with a mostly empty bottle of firewhisky. He poured the remainder of the bottle into a glass and sprawled out on his sofa. His blue eyes taking in everything and nothing.

His mind was racing a mile a minute. His thoughts were chasing one another, never able to settle on one thing. He was anxious and upset and afraid. But most of all William Weasley was worried. His entire family had come down to visit him over the summer. (Even Charlie had made it!) And it was great. It had been so long since they'd all been together. But there was something off. Charlie saw it too. Their mom fussed more than usual over Ron and Ginny. She barely let them out of her sight. Their father wasn't as bad, but he kept a close eye on all of them. It was as if they were afraid the two youngest Weasleys would disappear never to be seen again.

Bill almost though it was because this was the first year all the children were out of the house, but then he saw his brothers acting oddly. Percy was constantly asking Ginny if she was feeling well or if she was scared and if he could get her anything. Fred and George kept trying to cheer her up and make her laugh. Ron though was the most unusual. He went nearly everywhere with Ginny and if he wasn't with her he made sure he was within shouting distance. He nearly got into a fight with some kid who accidentally knocked her down. He was never this protective over her.

The two oldest brothers couldn't take it anymore. So one night, while Ginny was with their parents, the boys pulled their brothers aside for a little talk. And what they heard had horrified them. Ginny had spent the better part of her first year at school fighting off a possession. And it wasn't just any dark wizard trying to and succeeding in possessing her. It was You-Know-Who himself. They slowly and painfully dragged every detail out of the boys. Bill and Charlie couldn't help but be disappointed in their brothers. Their baby sister was struggling and having a hard time and they didn't even notice. Ginny must have been so terrified and alone. That was not the way her first year should have gone. It wasn't the way anyone's should have gone.

Bill remembered his first year at Hogwarts. It was strange for him, not having his family around all the time. He had missed them dearly those first few weeks. And he was jealous that he was missing out on the adventures to save Princess Ginny from the evil Dark Lord, and the pick-up Quidditch games in the garden and the chaos Fred and George would cause when they got bored. But then one night he woke up to a sniffling coming from the bed next to him. And he realized he wasn't the only one missing home. He and the boy had spent the entire night talking about their homes and the jealousy he had felt at his brothers and sister had faded. Sure he was still missing them, but they were probably missing him too. And he would see them again at Christmas, until then he would write them every week.

By the end of the month he had expanded the late night talks with the one boy to include the rest of his dorm, and then the first year girls. Soon enough the entire first year was having giant sleepovers in the common room once a month. They would build a huge fort to sleep in and roast marshmallows in the fireplace while telling stories and playing games. Sometimes an older student who couldn't sleep would join in and eventually most of the second years joined them. A prefect was always there just in case, but for the most part the kids were left alone, and they liked it that way.

When Bill entered his second year he continued to help organize the sleepovers. He remembered how lonely it was to be away from home so he made sure to get the new first years involved. Then third year came and with it the realization of why so few third years joined their sleepovers. The new classes he was taking took up a lot of time, so he couldn't make the sleepovers every month. But he did make sure they still happened. After all Charlie was a first year now and he had to make sure he was okay. Luckily the prefects had caught on by then what was happening and made sure to continue it. Anything that gave them less homesick children to deal with was worth doing.

By the time he was a prefect Percy had started Hogwarts. Bill continued organizing things and looking after his brothers. He felt bad sometimes though. It was OWL year and he didn't have as much time for them. And Charlie had his new classes to adjust too, so Percy was often a second thought to both of them. But Percy was never one to complain. He made friends with his housemates and even helped with the sleepovers.

When Bill became Head Boy (and Charlie was a prefect) the sleepovers had reached various levels of success within the Houses. Bill had suggested it at a prefect meeting back in fifth year as a way to help battle homesickness. Gryffindor was the only House to keep the monthly tradition. Ravenclaws would keep up with it until Christmas before half of the students started using it as all night study sessions, which defeated the purpose. Hufflepuff stuck with it longer. But once the students made friends with each other they slowly dwindled. Slytherin didn't even try. The prefects had declared them to be below their station and that their House didn't suffer from things as plebian as being homesick. Maybe he should have tried harder to have a friendlier relationship with their prefects.

It wasn't until this summer that he learned that the monthly sleepovers were no longer happening. By the time Percy made prefect they were nonexistent. Fred had George had only experienced them in their first year, and even then it was only once a term. Other things though were established. Maybe they didn't have the sleepovers anymore, but now they called a House meeting at least once a term. But it wasn't the same. Maybe he'd write Percy and see about getting them started again.

He should probably write all of them. He was the brother they all went to when they had a problem or when they were too embarrassed to ask mom or dad. Maybe if he stayed in closer contact with them Ginny would have written to him about her troubles in school and her 'friend' Tom. It was too late though for what ifs and maybes. He could only move forward from here.

Once his family left for the new school year Bill had thrown himself into research. Gringotts kept him busy, but any spare moment he had he was researching how a book had managed to possess Ginny. In between the research and work he started contacting experienced curse-breakers and anyone who extensively studied the Dark Arts. No one knew anything. One old wizard had directed him to a rare book, but he was having trouble locating the book. And then once he found it he would have to translate it or find someone he could trust to help him with that.

At this point he only had two options left. First he could contact the Headmaster. Dumbledore always knew more then he let on. But contacting him ran the risk of cryptic answers. The old man would probably have him running around in circles. His other choice would be to ask the goblins. And that definitely wouldn't be happening. They were likely to charge him some ridiculous price, and that was assuming they would agree to meet with him.

All in all he was on his own in this. Well, maybe not entirely on his own. He had his family. Most of his siblings were too young, but Charlie wasn't. He might be able to find something in Romania. There were some Dark Arts specialist there Charlie could try talking to. With that in mind he got a quill and started his letter.