Short chapter
Percy Weasley was busy in the Department of Mysteries on loan from Minister Fudge. Being Minister Fudge's personal assistant was loads more work than when he was doing Crouch's work, but Percy kept telling himself over and over that it would be worth it when he was the one calling the shots. He and Penelope would be able to have a grand home and their children would want for nothing. No worries of hand-me-down clothes or stretching meals. He would save them from the embarrassment of coming from a family that never had enough.
Father just didn't understand. He was always content to be wherever life led him, but Percy wanted more. He wanted to have the freedom to do whatever he wanted but freedom could only be gotten with money.
Besides, when it came to his family he was damned if he did and damned if he didn't. He was sick of the merciless bullying from his brothers. His father pointing out the Minister was planning on using him as a spy was just the straw that broke the camel's back.
Didn't they trust him enough to not snitch on his own family? He was ambitious, not a rat. He wouldn't dream of putting them in danger.
Penelope told him to stay strong and even if he offered the olive branch to expect an apology for the treatment he received.
As he finished filing reports, Percy let his mind wander. He wondered if he'd be farther along in life if he were in Slytherin like the Sorting Hat wanted him to be. He had felt sick at the thought. The Weasleys hated Slytherins, how would they react if one of their sons had become one? Especially the least favorite?
Leaving had been so easy, he wondered how he had ever been so afraid of their disapproval before. Even so, part of him longed for Mum's hugs and his father's unfunny jokes. Penelope was traveling for work and might not even be home for Christmas, which would leave Percy all alone in his flat. He supposed he would have to cook himself dinner, but it wouldn't be nearly as good as Mum's.
"Now, don't think that way," he scolded himself. "You're much better off without them."
Percy put the last file away and picked up a fresh stack of paperwork that could wait for the morning. He pushed his horn-rimmed glasses up his nose and left the Department of Mysteries. He had barely walked ten feet when a stench hit his nose and a low moan reached his ears.
"Help…" a voice cried feebly.
Picking up the pace, Percy rounded the corner and dropped the entire stack in surprise; the flying papers nearly obscuring the person in pain.
"Dad…" Percy whispered and rushed to his side. "Dad! Dad what happened? Speak to me!"
"S-snake…"
Percy whipped his wand out and turned towards the massive snake. It hissed.
"BOMBARDA!" he roared.
The snake flew back, but recovered and reared up.
"DIFFINDO!"
Percy slashed at the snake until it was bleeding so horribly it could barely move. For a horror-stricken moment, the eyes became almost human.
"I'm sorry…" the snake hissed and retreated, leaving the boy alone with his father.
All of their past arguments forgotten, Percy screamed for help and gripped onto his shuddering father.
"I'm sorry, Dad," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I never should have left the family. I was just so mad, I wasn't thinking. Please, don't die."
Mr. Weasley managed to focus his eyes on Percy. He rested a hand on his son's cheek.
"I am proud of you," he whispered. "You're a brilliant, talented boy and I love you so much."
"No," said Percy. "Dad, just stay with me. We'll get help. We can even try Muggle treatments like stitches if you want. Anything you want. I-I'll quit being Fudge's assistant. I'll be a part of the Order, I'll do whatever you want, just please … please, Dad. Don't die…"
With an exhale, Mr. Weasley turned his eyes to the ceiling and the light left them.
"No… DAD!" Percy yelled and sobbed, clutching the lifeless body. He had cried himself hoarse when help finally arrived.
By then, there wasn't much to be done except take his father away to the coroner. Percy hiccuped and wiped his nose repeatedly with his sleeve.
"We'll send an owl to Hogwarts," said Kingsley, resting a comforting hand on Percy's shoulder. "Dumbledore will bring your siblings home."
"No…" Percy croaked. "Let me tell them. It's better they hear it from family."
Kingsley nodded. "Then I will tell your mother, so she can hear it from a friend."
If she were awake then she would already know. The family clock would tell her if he had died.
Still, Percy nodded and shakily got to his feet. He didn't care what time it was, he strode to the nearest known fireplace in the atrium of the Ministry of Magic and floo'd to Dumbledore's office. The old wizard must've been expecting him, for he was awake though in a silver dressing gown and standing beside his massive desk.
"Mr. Weasley," he said. "What brings you here this late?"
"I need to go wake my siblings," he said, wiping his tears away. "Something happened and I need them to hear it from me."
"What did happen?"
"There was a giant snake that attacked my dad." Fresh tears flooded down his cheeks. "I had never seen a snake that big and the eyes… the eyes were so human. It apologized… why would it kill him and then feel sorry about it?"
Dumbledore stilled.
"Sir," said Percy, "do you know something about this?"
"Speculation," he said. "I will awake Professor McGonagall so she may fetch your sister, but I will allow you to retrieve your brothers. The password is 'gingham' and I'm sure you remember the way."
"Thank you." Percy left the office and met Professor McGonagall outside the portrait of the Fat Lady.
"I am terribly sorry, Mr. Weasley," she said once he told her what had happened. "If there is anything I can do, don't hesitate to let me know."
Percy nodded. "I just think I should bring my siblings home."
The Fat Lady let them in and Percy went up to the boy's side. He came upon Ron's room first and lit the lanterns.
"Ron," he said, nudging his youngest brother. "Wake up."
Ron snorted and opened his eyes. He looked at Percy and scowled.
"What are you doing here?"
"There's been… an incident," said Percy. "Get up, get dressed. Don't worry about your trunk, Professor McGonagall will take care of that, but we should get home."
"We?" Ron scoffed. "So you're coming home? Who died?"
Percy pursed his lips and stood. "I'm going to go wake Fred and George."
"Percy," said Ron, looking more serious. "Who died?"
"What's going on?" Neville asked sleepily.
"Who died, Percy?" Ron asked again, getting out of bed. "Great Aunt Tessie? Granddad? Auntie Muriel? Tell me!"
"RON!" Percy shouted, startling awake the other boys. "Just get dressed! I'll tell you when our other siblings are gathered!"
Ron stiffened and threw open his trunk to grab some clothes. Percy left the room to get Fred and George.
"Percy?" said George, sleepily. "Why are you here?"
Percy looked at them sadly. "Something… terrible happened…"
"What, Fudge decided to sack you?" Fred joked.
Percy shook his head. "Get up and get dressed. Mum needs us."
They frowned.
"Is that blood on your shirt?" Lee Jordan asked.
Oh, there was blood on his shirt. Percy pressed his hand to his mouth and collected himself as best he could.
"Just hurry up," he said. "I'll be waiting in the Common Room."
Ginny was up by the time he made it downstairs. She leapt to her feet and hugged him tightly. Percy held her and bit his lip to keep from crying. He was the oldest in this room, he needed to be the anchor.
"Okay," said Ron, coming down with Fred, George, and Harry. "What's going on, Percy?"
"There's been an attack," he said at last, unable to look at any of them. "A giant snake… was let into the Ministry and killed a person patrolling the Department of Mysteries. It… it was Dad…"
"Right," said George. "Nice one. First joke in your life and it's a cruel one."
"It's true," said Percy. "I was working late and I found him… I only wish I had found him sooner."
"So… so, Dad's really…" Ron trailed away.
Percy nodded and sniffled. Ginny doubled over and wailed while Fred, George, Ron, and Harry could only stare in shock as tears flooded their eyes.
"Professor Dumbledore unlocked this fireplace for floo use," said Professor McGonagall. "I will go ahead and set the connection to the Burrow. You won't have homework due and I'll let the other teachers know. I'll send your belongings after you."
"Thank you, Professor," said Percy. "Come on, Ginny. You first."
Ginny nodded and stepped through the floo.
"Ron, you next."
Once his siblings were safely through, Percy stepped into the green fire and entered the living room where Mum was sitting on the couch and staring at nothing. She was holding Ginny and Ron tightly as if they would disappear the moment she let them go.
"Mum…" he said.
She looked up and said nothing as she met him in the middle and embraced him tightly, she stroked his hair the same way she did when he was little.
"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry about everything."
"I'm sorry, too," she whispered.
Meanwhile
Eighty miles away in Wiltshire, there was a commotion taking place in Malfoy Manor. Despite his crimes, Lucius Malfoy was able to keep his family home. His silver tongue managed to keep him out of most of the trouble he deserved to be in. It was sheer luck that no one in the ministry set an inquiry on Potter's and Diggory's claims of what happened in the graveyard. While waiting for the perfect moment to reveal his return, Voldemort amused himself by promising Lucius that he would receive his riches and his wife once they were in power and making other petty promises to his lackeys who had managed to avoid Azkaban.
However, he was not laughing now. Nagini was late in her return to him. She was his confidant and his sixth horcrux. She was more important now than ever since the Weasley girl destroyed his diary. Nagini promised to steal the prophecy for him in return for a cure to her blood curse. When they first met, Voldemort had claimed that he could cure her, but why would he ever want to do that? She was his eyes and ears and he could even, briefly, take over her mind. When he attacked the Weasley man, he had backed out knowing he could use the murder to manipulate her further.
He paced around the portrait hall, using his wand to slash up Malfoy's family members. It was tiring being unable to go out and wreak mayhem like he used to, but he comforted himself with knowing he would have an eternity to do so. He just needed to be patient.
"My Lord," said Thorfinn Rowle, bowing low as he entered the room. With the way he was trembling the news weren't good.
"Speak Rowle," said Voldemort. "I do not like to be kept waiting."
"W-well, it's about Nagini," he said. "I'm told that Weasley attacked her and now she's possibly… dead. There was a lot of blood and no one knows where she is."
"Dead?" Voldemort repeated.
Rowle nodded. "Yes, my Lord, but Weasley died as well."
Voldemort rested a hand on Rowle's shoulder and chuckled lightly causing the man to laugh with relief.
"DEAD?!" Voldemort roared and slashed his wand across Rowle's throat.
The man collapsed and bled out in front of him, but it did little to appease the Dark Lord's anger. If Nagini was dead, that means he was down two horcruxes. Now, he only had four left. Hufflepuff's cup was safe in Bellatrix Lestrange's vault and the diadem was hidden in the Room of Requirement at Hogwarts, but what about the others?
"MALFOY!" he bellowed.
Lucius Malfoy gracefully entered the room and didn't bat an eye at the damage to his possessions.
"Yes, my Dark Lord?"
"Fetch me Barty Crouch Jr.," he said, throwing his cloak over his head. "I need him."
"My Lord, he is a vegetable, perhaps the services of someone more capable—"
Voldemort glared at him. "Then perhaps you would like to drink the poison, Lucius?"
Malfoy paled. "I will fetch him from St. Mungo's right away."
"Do not keep me waiting."
The wizard bowed and exalted. Within the hour, Voldemort was holding Crouch up and apparating to the cave he liked to frequent as a child. It was the only place he could be alone. He had trusted Regulus Black's house-elf with the location of this horcrux and while he had hoped the secret of its location died with him, doubt had set in and he just needed to be sure. No doubt Dumbledore would figure it out through some convoluted means, but if he could throw the old man off the trail…
Voldemort hated doing muscle work, but as Crouch was drooling on his robes, he needed to handle this himself. The boat carried them across the inferi-filled lake and up to the pedestal containing his locket. He lifted Crouch out and propped him up, then peered into the poison. The locket appeared to be at the bottom.
Something didn't feel quite right, if he were in close proximity to a horcrux then he should be able to project his consciousness into it. Seizing the shell, Voldemort poured the black liquid into Crouch's mouth. The man moaned and screamed, but could not drag himself away as bit by bit the poison of despair disappeared. Finally, the last bit was gone and the locket was in the bottom of the basin.
Voldemort furrowed his brow and picked it up. This was topaz. Slytherin's locket wasn't topaz. He opened it and found a folded up note. He read:
To the Dark Lord,
I know I will be long dead before you read this but I want you to know that it was I who discovered your secret. I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can. I face death in the hope that when you meet your match you will be mortal once more. My diary will be the key to your defeat.
R.A.B
"No…" Voldemort whispered then screamed, "NOOOOO!"
He flew out of the cave to Little Hangleton where his uncle and grandfather once lived. The shack was rundown and hidden among brambles and overgrown trees. It took him the rest of the night to cancel the enchantments, but to his relief, the ring was still in place. He just needed to make it more difficult to get to. He needed to make it so that one person couldn't cancel the enchantments and the wards would be so fine that it would only take a person who could see magic to break them.
But no one had that ability. No one who would be willing to risk their life to stop him anyway.
When he returned to the manor, Nagini, injured but still alive, was waiting for him.
"Master," she said. "I am sorry I took so long in returning. How long must I wait until my curse is broken?"
Voldemort seized her by her throat. She wandered off too much for his liking.
"For as long as I have use for you," he snarled and apparated.