Chapter Thirty Two

"I've got you. I've got you." Lily said, stroking Harry's hair and slowly sinking to the floor under the weight of Harry flopped in her arms.

He heard the kettle clatter to the floor in the kitchen and forced himself upright, "Hi Mum." he mumbled.

Harry looked around and saw Nikka, Sirius and Severus helping the others to their feet. Danica was peering, white faced around the banister at the top of the landing, her hair neatly plaited and hanging each side of her face, in her long nightgown she looked like a child from an old painting, Harry forced a smile onto his face so she wouldn't worry too much.

"Young Missy should be in bed." Kreacher said kindly but forcefully and loud enough to be heard, leading Danica back to her room.

"Are you all right?" Severus asked Harry.

Harry wasn't sure what to say.

"Phineas said Arthur has been hurt?" Lily asked for confirmation.

"Yeah. I want to hear this for myself." George said.

Harry felt like vanishing as every Weasley eye in the house turned to him.

"I..." Harry didn't know what to say, they had a right to know but that didn't mean he wanted to be the one who had to tell them, "I had a sort of vision. I saw a snake, a big one, definitely not natural, it attacked your father."

Harry might have been expecting the accusing looks but that didn't make it any easier that they came, he hung his head, unsure of what to say that would do anything but make the situation that much worse.

"Is Mum here?" Ginny asked after a few moments.

Lily shook her head, "No. She's gone straight to St Mungo's."

"We've got to get there." Ron said, his face stony.

"You are to stay here." Severus said calmly, "We will make sure you can see your father as soon as possible. But it's the middle of the night."

"You don't tell us what to do!" Fred snarled at Severus, "Our Dad is dying!"

"It is more complicated than that." Nikka told them sternly, "Look I get it, there is nothing I wouldn't do for my family but how are you going to explain to the ministry that you knew about the attack before they did?"

Fred and George glared back at her.

"Why does that matter?" Ron asked angrily.

"We are all being watched, you moron. The ministry would love to throw us all in Azkaban right now! You wouldn't be helping your father by getting him arrested." Nikka said frankly.

"Well how did Harry know?" Ginny asked, "I mean, how did you have a vision? Like Trelawney?"

Harry shrugged, "I honestly don't know." although he didn't like the comparison to Trelawney.

"Did you know before? Why didn't you tell us this was going to happen?! Warn us!?" Ron yelled.

"That is enough!" Lily said, cutting across them, her face made them fall silent, "I know you are all worried about Arthur and I don't begrudge you that, but it was not anyone in this room's fault. Now, you may wait up, I'm sure Kreacher would be happy to make you all some hot milk, or you may go to your rooms, they're all ready for you. But you will not stand here and accuse my son of causing this. It is because of him that he was found at all and your father has the chance he does, you should be thanking him."

Ron looked shame faced at Harry and muttered something that sounded nothing like a thanks or an apology before shoving his way through to the kitchen.

"I didn't know until it happened." Harry said, hoping the Fred, George and Ginny would believe him.

"I suggest we all take a seat." Severus said, "It's going to be a long night."

His parents weren't wrong, Harry drank the milk that Kreacher warmed for them without really noticing it. At half three Fleur carried Danica down the stairs, apparently Danica had crawled into her bed asking if she knew what was going on.

Lily and Kreacher quickly made everyone some toast and more warm milk and honey which was left mostly untouched, no one was hungry. Harry wished the clock would stop ticking, it was the only noise echoing around the room until Mrs Weasley arrived with a pop in the hallway, stripping off her travelling cloak.

She ignored their pleas for information until she was sitting down in the dinning room which annoyed Harry immensely, she gave them a small smile, looking very tired and worried still.

"He's going to be all right." she said, with forced strength, "He's going to be just fine. He's sleeping at the moment but we should be able to go and see him later today. Bill is sitting with him and Charlie is on his way home."

"I am soo pleezed." Fleur said, "I am soo relieved."

Mrs Weasley looked less than impressed at her, turning up her nose a little.

"I'm pleased too." Danica said, nodding her sleepy head. Mrs Weasley smiled fondly at her although Fleur almost certainly knew Arthur better than Danica did, as well as having a better understanding of what was going on.

Fred, George, Ron and Ginny were too tired, worried and relieved to say anything.

"Kreacher would you mind getting a cooked breakfast on the go? I'll come and help you shortly." Lily asked.

Kreacher nodded and took Danica with him into the kitchen.

"I'm just so pleased..." Mrs Weasley said, close to tears, "I don't know what would of happened without you Harry. They might not of found him for hours and then… then… it would of been too late." her voice hitched with emotion, she dabbed her eyes with a soaked lace hanky, "But thanks to you, he is alive and Dumbledore had time to think up a good cover story for what he was doing down… you've no idea the trouble he could have been in. I mean look at poor Sturgis…"

Harry didn't want to be thanked, he wished no one knew he had anything to do with his. He forced himself to stand up, though, and give Mrs Weasley a hug, his limbs stiff and sore from spending so long at the table.

"I'm just glad he's going to be OK." Harry said.

Mrs Weasley clung onto him and burst into tears, leaving a wet patch on Harry's Pyjama top. Kreacher returned before too long and set down plates full of pancakes. Mrs Weasley let Harry down and dried her face on a fresh tissue Nikka passed to her.

Harry was surprised he was able to eat anything but soon realised how hungry he was. They all had more than one helping, Danica also managing to finish off half a jar of maple syrup before it was taken off her.

"I'm sure Lily will agree, Molly, that you all should stay here as long as you'd like." Sirius said, "We have plenty of room and you'll struggle to visit the hospital with the Floo network… the way it is at the moment."

"Oh Sirius, I'm so grateful. He's going to be in for a little while, it'll mean we're here over Christmas?" Mrs Weasley said.

"We wouldn't have it any other way." Severus said with a tight smile.

Harry could think of several other ways he'd rather have it but said nothing; it was him who'd attacked Mr Weasley after all. He shook his head, he was being stupid, he didn't have fangs. He didn't know what had happened other than he'd been asleep in his bed at Hogwarts.

"I should be getting off, I will be missed if I'm not at breakfast. It may raise difficult questions what with Harry coming home early." Severus said, hugging Danica and Harry before giving Lily a peck on the lips and leaving.

"Mum can I have a word with you?" Harry said quickly, he needed to tell her.

Lily nodded, "Yes of course. Molly can you make sure Danica doesn't eat any more sugar for a moment?"

"Do not worry." Fleur smiled, shaking her silvery hair, "We will watch 'er."

Harry caught Mrs Weasley giving Fleur another disapproving look before he left the room.

"Harry what's wrong?" Lily asked, "You look as white as a sheet."

"It was me." he whispered, "I… I was the snake that attacked Mr Weasley."

Lily looked at him in confusion, "I don't understand."

"I was dreaming about exams and then I stood up and fell through the floor." Harry said steadily, "Then, I was the snake. I felt what it felt, I could taste the blood."

Lily thought for a moment, trying to process what he was saying, "Did you tell Dumbledore about this?"

Harry nodded, anger bubbling up in him again, "Yes." he spat, "But he acted like I wasn't there."

Lily looked like she desperately wanted to tell him something before smiling, "I'm sure that if he thought it was anything you needed to know, he would of told you. Besides, you were in Hogwarts, Mr Weasley was miles away."

Harry nodded, "There was another moment though, in Dumbledore's office. It was the only time he looked at me for the whole evening and it was back, I felt like the snake again. I know the whole 'teenage hormone' thing but… I was so angry in a second. I wanted to bite him." he sounded crazy.

Lily pulled him into a hug and smoothed his hair, "Don't worry Harry. This isn't your fault and if you hadn't seen what happened, for whatever reason you saw it, Mr Weasley would be dead. You saved his life."

"They blame me. Ron at least does, if not the others as well. They're just better at hiding it." Harry mumbled.

Lily smiled, "Well I'd say something but it wouldn't be very responsible motherly of me." she whispered, "Please do try not to worry sweetie."

Harry nodded and forced a smile. Lily was right, it couldn't of been him that attacked Mr Weasley, even magic had it's limits and being in two places at once, at his age, was one of them.

He wondered back to the dinning room and helped Kreacher, Nikka and Sirius clear the table and do the washing up.

Molly finished getting all of the beds ready, and by that she was remaking them in her way after Kreacher had done it perfectly well before. It wasn't long before their trunks arrived from school and they could get unpacked before all grabbing a few extra hours of sleep. Harry changed into clean pyjamas and lay, wide awake on his bed.

It wasn't long before he heard his door creak open. He pushed his glasses onto his nose and looked round to see Danica peaking her head into his room, he smiled and patted the bed next to him. She grinned and ran in, cuddling into his side.

"Why are you home early from school? We didn't even go to the train station." she said, picking at a loose thread on her nightdress.

Harry didn't know what to say, he didn't think his mother would be happy if he gave the gory details to his baby sister; however much said baby sister would like the gory details.

"Well, I had a dream and it came true." Harry said.

Danica looked at him in confusion, "So you don't need to learn anything more?"

Harry laughed, "No, not exactly. It was a bad dream so they said I could go home in case I got upset and then Mum, and you, would be there to look after me."

Danica nodded, "I had a bad dream that a giant banana was chasing me, that's not going to come true is it?"

Harry fought the urge to laugh, "I doubt it. But if it does you could always just eat the banana."

Danica wrinkled her nose, "But I don't like bananas."

"Sorry, good point." Harry said, very seriously.

"I like Mr Weasley." Danica said softly, "He is nice."

"I like him too." Harry nodded, "Remember when he cooked you sausages at the Quidditch World Cup?"

Danica nodded and smiled, "And he slipped me four chocolate frogs as we left the tent, for me to eat during the match!"

Harry laughed, "Did he? That was sneaky of him. What cards did you get?"

"Slytherin, Dumbledore, Al...Ab...Adalbert Waffling and Beatrix Bloxam. I remember the last one because Draco has a scary aunt Bellatrix which sounds the same without the Ls." Danica said, counting them off on her fingers.

"Your very own collection." Harry smiled, trying not to cry at how upset Danica was going to be if Mr Weasley didn't pull through. Somehow her innocence lying next to him felt like a knife to the chest.

"Not really, I lost them." Danica sighed, "I'd put them under my pillow in the tent, to keep them safe. Only it wasn't all that safe in the end. Maybe Mr Weasley could get me some more when he's better?"

"I'm sure he could." Harry said quietly.

"What happened to him?" Danica asked.

Harry sighed, "Honestly? I don't know. But Mummy and Daddy and Uncle Sirius and Aunty Nikka will figure it out I'm sure."

"And stop whoever hurt him?" Danica asked, her big green eyes looking up at him.

Harry felt like throwing up and nodded, forcing a smile. He was sure that they would stop whoever attacked Mr Weasley, even if it was him.