chapter eleven

The three stood staring at the parchment in silence for a while until Molly broke that silence.

"Percy, I think this potion doesn't work or something, or is it a joke, what is it?" said Molly, her voice trembling.

Although the potion showed that her son Charles had no secret children, and Her beliefs were wrong, but it also showed the existence of an eighth child for her husband, Arthur of Minerva McGonagall.

Molly couldn't believe this and started to think that this potion was rotten.

Percy didn't answer, and whenever he tried to open his mouth to speak, he didn't know what to say, so he closed it again.

"I think, Molly," said Arthur, after controlling himself in a trembling voice, "there is a possibility that what was written on the parchment is true."

Molly and Percy both quickly looked at Arthur, their eyes wide.

"What do you mean, Arthur?" said Molly, horrified at the thought. "What do you mean by that? Are you having a love Affair with Minerva? Are you cheating on me after all these years?"

"It's not what you think, molly ," said Arthur. "You don't understand."

Molly shouted quickly, her voice getting louder, "What am I to think, Arthur Weasley? You have an illegitimate daughter from an affair with a woman whom i trusted as a friend, a woman who was your children's favorite teacher. What do I not understand, Arthur?"

Arthur swallowed his saliva and said, "Minerva and I weren't more than friends, as you know. Our relationship didn't evolve into a love affair, but." Arthur was silent. He didn't know how to tell Molly the secret he had kept all these years.

"But what, complete your words, Arthur?" said Molly in an angry voice.

Arthur said, "It was just one night. Believe me, one night I spent with Minerva in her house almost nine years ago. It was just a mistake and it never happened again, neither with Minerva nor with another woman."

Molly put her hands over her mouth and let out a weak shriek and slumped onto the couch, in shock at what she was hearing.

Percy was standing still watching the conversation between his parents and he was not believing what he heard, Percy did not try to intervene by saying anything yet.

"Molly, my darling," said Arthur, "I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. Believe me, I didn't know I had a daughter from her. I broke off all relations with her after this night."

"Get out, Arthur," said Molly, crying. "I don't want to see you in front of me. Do you hear me? Get out now."

Arthur said, "Listen to me, Molly. Believe me, I didn't ..."

Molly interrupted him while shouting at him saying, "I don't want to hear your voice, Arthur, get out now. I don't want to see you in front of me. Do you hear me, get out?" Molly's tears were covering her face.

"Father," said Percy, "I think you'd better let her absorb it, though I can't even absorb it." He said, shocked at what he had heard, and continued, "You'd better get out, Dad."

Arthur sighed, shook his head, and walked out of the living room.

Then Percy heard the door of the house open and close and knew that Arthur had left the house.

Percy went to Molly and sat down next to her and took her hand and said, "Mom!"

Molly collapsed and began to cry in pain. She did not believe that Arthur, her husband, partner in life, and her first and only love, betrayed her, and fathered a child from another woman, an illegitimate daughter.

Percy embraced his mother and started to calm her down, but he failed to do so, so he went to the kitchen and brought a cup of water and a sedative potion and poured some of the potion into the cup of water and gave it to Molly.

She drank what was in the cup and began to feel sleepy.

Percy helped her to go to the bedroom and ,she lay on the bed staring at the ceiling without speaking.

Percy remained by her side, holding her hand until she fell asleep, and he got up and walked out of the room, leaving the door open so that he could hear Molly if she woke.

He went to the living room, took the parchment that bears evidence of his father's betrayal of his mother and read it more than once.

He decides to write a letter to Audrey, his wife, informing her of what happened and that he will spend the night with his mother because he is worried about her and warns her not to tell any of his siblings.

Percy left the living room and went to the owl's place, to send the letter to his wife.

Arthur came out of the hole while he was immersed in thinking, did Minerva become pregnant from him after that night, is this possible, and why did she never tell him about this matter, is this girl, Athena, his daughter, how old is she now?،

She is expected to be eight years old, Then he stopped, what is he thinking now, Molly knows about his betrayal and she is angry with him, he must think how to make her forgive him, a life without Molly was hell for him.

Arthur turned all his anger on Minerva and blamed her for everything, although there was a voice in his mind that was telling him that it was not her fault and that he was a partner in this, but he was silencing him. ، Arthur needed something to direct his anger and grief to, something to hang his troubles on, and Minerva was this thing.

Arthur had decided to go to Bill, his eldest son, and had decided to tell him so he could try to help him.

In front of Bill Weasley's house, Arthur stood knocking on the door, Fleur, Bill's wife, opened the door and said, "Arthur, what a surprise. Please come in."

Arthur entered the house and Fleur closed the door saying, "How are you? How is Molly?"

Arthur said to her, "Is Bill home, Fleur?"

"Yes, he's in the office room working a bit," said Fleur. "Would you like some tea and cake, Arthur?"

"Thank you, Fleur," said Arthur. "Not now. I'll go to Bill's now."

Arthur went to the office room in Bill and Fleur's house and knocked on the door.

He heard his son's voice saying, "Come in."

Arthur entered, and when Bill saw him, he smiled and said, "Welcome, Father," and stood up to greet his father.

Arthur smiled nervously at his eldest son and said, "Bill, I want you on an important matter that cannot be delayed."

Bill and Arthur sat down and Bill said, "What's the matter, Dad? Is everything all right? What's up?"

Arthur said, "I will tell you the story from the beginning."

Arthur told Bill the whole story from the beginning until he had just left the house.

Bill said, "I can't believe it, Dad. How do you do that?"

Arthur said, "I know what I did was wrong, but I am human, and what happened happened, and I deeply regret it, and I did never repeat it, believe me."

Bill said, "Why didn't you confess to my mother before?"

Arthur said, "I wanted to, but after two weeks from this night , you and Fleur told us about the pregnancy,

And I didn't want to ruin the joy of Molly and the family, and then the births of the grandchildren followed, and I postponed the matter."

"Didn't Professor McGonagall tell you, or hint to you, that she was pregnant after that night?" said Bill.

"No," said Arthur, "we broke off our friendship after that night and shunned each other."

Bill sighed and said, "How's my mom?"

Arthur replied, "Shocked, of course. If I were in her place, i would have wanted to kill me. Of course, I understand her reaction "

"I'm sure Percy will stay with her," said Bill, "and he won't tell anyone, until he thinks about it."

Arthur said, "What shall I do, Bill?، My mind is close to igniting from the intensity of thinking."

Bill said, "You must find a way for my mother to forgive you, and you must talk to Professor McGonagall about this child. Her name is Athena, right?"

"Yes," Arthur said sadly.

Bill said, standing on his feet, "Come on, Dad, go to the guest room and rest a little, and let's continue in the morning."

Arthur nodded, and walked out of the office into the guest room of his son Bill's house.

At night, while Arthur is lying on the bed, he stares at the ceiling.

Arthur was thinking and thinking about everything Molly and his children and grandchildren and Minerva and her newfound daughter Athena, His family and how they will think of him when they know what happened, he doesn't want to lose his family, his anger at Minerva and blaming her.

Before he closes his eyes, Arthur decides that early in the morning he will go to Minerva's house to talk to her and go to that house that he has not visited since that night.

Thank you for reading the story so far.

What do you think of the events so far?

If you liked the chapter, please leave a comment.