Chapter 19
Reunion
(Opening song. Danger Danger by FZMZ feat. icy.)
(Sometime later, Grimmwauld Place)
Harry and Ron sat in the living room in complete silence. Ron's hands were trembling from the news of his dad being attacked, while Harry felt exhausted from the sudden visions. Despite his exhaustion he was determined not to fall into a doze, terrified that he might become the serpent again in his sleep and wake to find that he had attacked Ron, or else slithered through the house after one of the others.
Just then they heard a low 'boom', and Fred, George, and Ginny arrived from using the portkey.
"Ginny!" Harry said as he stood up. She ran over to Harry and hugged him.
"Are you alright? I heard what happened in the hallway from Hermoine.
"I'm better now, still a bit of a headache. Nevermind me, are you alright? You're dads-"
"I'm fine Harry," she said cutting him off quickly. Her voice was soft but resolute. "I have to be… for dad."
Harry nodded; he understood the strength she was trying to hold on to, especially after everything that had happened.
Ron, who had been silent, looked up abruptly, his eyes red-rimmed and watery. "How is he? How's dad?" he asked, his voice trembling with suppressed emotion
"Were waiting on a message from Dumbledore on that" Sirius said as he, Lupin, and Tonks walked into the room
The sight of the three adults made everyone look up, the tension in the room increasing.
Lupin stepped forward and put a comforting hand on Ginny's shoulder, then Harry's. "We don't have the full picture yet, but as Sirius said, we're waiting to hear from Dumbledore," he said, his voice steady yet kind.
"We've got to go to St Mungo's," said Ginny urgently. She looked around at her brothers who all nodded in agreement.
"Hang on, you can't go tearing off to St Mungo's!" said Sirius.
"Course we can go to St Mungo's if we want,' said Fred, with a mulish expression. 'He's our dad!"
"And how are you going to explain how you knew Arthur was attacked before the hospital even let his wife know?"
"What does that matter?" said George hotly.
"It matters because we don't want to draw attention to the fact that Harry is having visions of things that are happening hundreds of miles away!" said Sirius angrily. "Have you any idea what the Ministry would make of that information?"
Fred and George looked as though they could not care less what the Ministry made of anything. Ron was still ashen-faced and silent.
Ginny said, "Somebody else could have told us… we could have heard it somewhere other than Harry."
"Like who?" said Sirius impatiently. "Listen, your dad's been hurt while on duty for the Order and the circumstances are fishy enough without his children knowing about it seconds after it happened, you could seriously damage the Order's -"
"We don't care about the dumb Order!" shouted Fred.
"It's our dad dying we're talking about!" yelled George.
"Your father knew what he was getting into and he won't thank you for messing things up for the Order!" said Sirius, equally angry. "This is how it is - this is why you're not in the Order -you don't understand - there are things worth dying for!"
"Easy for you to say, stuck here!" bellowed Fred. "I don't see you risking your neck!"
The little color remaining in Sirius's face drained from it. He looked for a moment as though he would quite like to hit Fred, but when he spoke, it was in a determined calm voice.
"I know it's hard, but we've all got to act as though we don't know anything yet. We've got to stay put, at least until we hear from your mother, all right? Besides, we have another urgent matter to discuss."
The tension in the room was still high, but the mention of "another urgent matter" made everyone pause.
"You think now is an appropriate time to discuss Harry's visions?" Tonks asked puzzled and a bit irritated at Sirius
"I'm not talking about the visions? This..this is something to do with those incidents" he replied to Tonks, his tone more grim than usual.
Lupin, who had been observing the argument with a concerned expression, now stepped forward. "What about them, Sirius?" he asked
Sirius looked around the room "Have you told them about that kid Harry?" he asked looking at Ginny and the twins. Harry looked away, and Ron began to shake at the reference.
"No, we haven't, it's too dangerous for everyone if they knew who he was," he said, grimacing at the memory of Hermoine fainting from exhaustion after their last encounter with Yuno.
"What kid?" Fred asked his expression a mix of confusion and intrigue.
"My thoughts exactly? Sirius, what are you talking about?" Lupin said as he and Tonks looked at him puzzled.
Sirius turned his eyes towards Harry again. "It's either you tell them or I do," he said giving Harry the ultimatum. Harry sighed, knowing that the secret couldn't be kept forever and that Sirius was right.
"Alright," he said, reluctantly ."We know who one of the members of the group of dark wizards who infiltrated Hogwarts. It's...Yuno Lovecraft." he finished.
As soon as the name was mentioned, the other Weasleys in the room reacted with shock. Fred and George almost tripped over themselves in surprise, Ginny's eyes went wide.
"YUNO!?" they yelled in unison.
"That first year from Slytherin!? He's just a kid!" George yelled in surprise.
At George's statement, Lupin and Tonks both turned their heads to Sirius in shock. "One of them is a firstie!? They're bloody teenagers!?" Tonks yelled.
"You have to be joking Sirius! A flippin' first-year was partially responsible for breaking Grindlewauld out of prison!?" Lupin said still reeling from the shock.
Harry, Ron, Ginny, and the twin's heads bolted up looking at Lupin. "The Dark Triad broke Grindlewald out of prison!?" Ron yelled.
Lupin looked taken aback, realizing that to his surprise he had let slip information that they didn't have. He quickly re-composed himself.
"Yes," Lupin said seriously, his eyes darting between the group of students. "We suspect this 'Dark Triad', as you called them, are the ones responsible for breaking Grindlewauld out of Nummengard" Lupin finished, looking incredibly uncomfortable, knowing that he had just divulged a significant order secret.
"That's... all I can say on the matter, I've said too much already. However, what I didn't know was that they were just a couple of teenagers. Sirius what the hell are we dealing with!?"
"It's not his fault Lupin, I'm the one who asked him not to say anything about them. Yuno's extremely dangerous and now that all three of them are at Hogwarts, people will end up dying if we try to corner them" Harry explained.
Lupin still struggled with the revelation, his expression a mix of surprise, anger, and disbelief. "Over 90 Aurors... killed by just three people, teens nonetheless… bloody hell" he repeated, almost to himself. "How old are the other two?"
"We don't know, but they sounded around our age. We know they came in as transfers, but that's pretty much it" Harry said. Lupin shook his head as if he could barely believe what he was hearing. The very idea of a trio of young teenagers rivaling a feat that only Dumbledore would be capable of, and them willing to commit murder sent a shiver down his spine.
"And how do you know any of this?" Lupin asked, turning his sharp gaze on Harry.
"We eavesdropped on a conversation he was having with the two others. He used this magic that didn't feel right. He can summon this monster from god knows where. He didn't even use a wand to do it" Harry said. "It's some sort of magic that makes the dark arts look tame" Ron added.
Tonks' eyebrows were raised so high they were nearly touching her hairline. " He summoned a monster and he didn't use a wand? Is that even possible?" she asked almost panicked.
"I've heard of wandless magic, but something like that, especially his age... it's unheard of" Lupin muttered, his voice laced with dread.
"How on earth did they wind up at Hogwarts unnoticed? Dumbledore had to have sensed, something off about all three of them?" Tonks interjected, her voice equally worried.
"I don't know. They mentioned a 'boss' I think. Maybe she's the one behind it. Pulling strings, falsifying transfer papers, something along those lines " Harry answered, not too confident in his answer.
"And who is this 'boss' they spoke of? Did they give any indication of who they are?" Lupin questioned.
"None whatsoever. One of them said something about her watching a telly show, which made it sound like she's living among muggles." Harry answered again.
"Watching something on the muggle idiot box?" Fred repeated.
"They have to be muggle-born then, or at least half-bloods," George added.
Ron straightened up a bit. "Wait, I forgot about that fact. Yuno's a muggle-born, or that's what everyone in Slytherin says. Harry that might narrow down the list of who the other two are?"
Harry looked at Ron, happy to see that some color had come back to his face. "Yeah, that's right! That narrows down the list of suspects a bunch."
Lupin, however, pinched the bridge of his nose, his face a mask of concentration and concern. "It also makes tracking down this 'boss' incredibly complicated," he said shaking his head in frustration.
"Agreed If this witch is living amongst muggles, it makes tracking her down near impossible," Sirius said.
Suddenly a burst of fire in midair illuminated the room, as they gave cries of shock, a scroll of parchment fell with a thud onto the table, accompanied by a single golden phoenix tail feather.
"Fawkes!" said Sirius at once, snatching up the parchment. That's not Dumbledore's writing - it must be a message from your mother - here -'
He thrust the letter into George's hand, who ripped it open and read aloud: "Dad is still alive. I am setting out for St Mungo's now. I'll meet you there- Mum."
The news was like a wave of relief that washed over the room, momentarily casting aside all thoughts of The Dark Triad. Ginny clapped her hands to her mouth and said, "Thank Merlin!", while the boys let out a collective sigh.
Lupin took the letter from George and looked at it more closely. "At least we know something now," he said, his voice almost a whisper. "We should head to St. Mungo's to wait for your mother," he said to the Weaslys.
"Agreed, but don't think this means we're done with this conversation Harry," Sirius said sternly.
Harry nodded, knowing that the conversation about The Dark Triad was far from over. But for now, he was grateful for the momentary distraction provided by the news about Arthur.
"We should hurry," he said, standing up. "We don't know what kind of state Arthur will be in if we delay any longer."
The group quickly gathered their belongings and headed out the door. It was already late in the evening, the sun would be setting soon, and they had a long walk ahead of them to St Mungo's.
(Meanwhile at Hogwarts, The Restricted section of the Library)
"He's gone?" Arianna asked tilting her head as she stared up at the three-dimensional map of Hogwarts. She, Yuno, and Galin had assembled an emergency meeting discussing Potter's disappearance from the afternoon classes.
"Seems that way," Yuno replied, his eyes still on the map. "He didn't attend any classes this afternoon. I don't know where he could have gone."
Oh come on, I wanted to follow him so I could get into the Room of Requirments today!" Galin pouted.
"You're really that determined about getting back to squats and deadlifts?" Yuno asked a bit annoyed
"Hey, I've got strength to maintain. Besides, talking with Monty about his workout routine didn't go well. Dude juices with potions, can you believe that!?" Galin exclaimed
"Fasinating" Yuno said dryly.
"I know right"
"And clearly sarcasm goes in one ear and out the other" Yuno muttered under his breath.
Arianna rolled her eyes at the two's bickering, n but said nothing. She looked back down at the map, her expression thoughtful. "You don't think he somehow left the school grounds without us noticing," she said suddenly.
"It's possible," Yuno said, "but unlikely. The school's wards would alert the teachers if anyone tried to leave without permission. Plus, he couldn't Apparate or use a Portkey due to the Anti-Disapparition Jinx surrounding the school."
So that would mean ...damn, Dumbledore's the reason. Must have disabled the spell temporarily to protkey him somewhere" Arianna cursed.
"But why? Umbridge would have a fit about it" Yuno asked.
"That's the question of the hour" Arianna replied twirling her hair. "Maybe we could just focus in on Potters's sigil and see where he's at?" Arianna suggested
"That's a no-go. I focus in on one sigil out of range of the rest, we lose the entire map" Yuno said.
"Yeah, not doing that again." Galin yawned stretching his arms out.
Suddenly there was the sound of footsteps in the hallway of the restricted section.
"The hell!?" Yuno exclaimed looking at the map. "No one should be here right now!
The trio froze, holding their breaths as they waited to see who was approaching. The footsteps stepped closer, and out of the shadows, Cho Chang appeared to them, with a warm smile on her face.
"Cho!?" Galin said in surprise, his voice a harsh whisper.
Arianna's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Are you?
Cho's appearance changed her ears began pointed and red tribal marks appeared, her face, and her eyes turned rose pink.
"Not da welcome I was expecting after haven't sein' yo lot for the last couple centuries" Faulin chuckled
Tears began to stream from Arianna's eyes, as Yuno's and Galin's eyes also began to form tears of their own, although they tried to fight the urge to let the tears fall
"Faulin!" Arianna shouted as she ran up to her and hugged the new arrival.
Faulin smiled, and hugged her back "It's good to see you too Ari," she said warmly as Faulin started to tear up a bit as well. Yuno took a step forward, looking at Faulin in amazement.
"I-I didn't think we'd get you back this soon," Yuno said, his voice cracking trying to fight back tears
Galin chuckled through his tears "See pipsqueak. (sniff) I said you'd have nothing to worry about"
"Shut up, jackass," Yuno said, despite the smile on his face a tear trickled down from each of his eyes.
Faulin looked up and smiled at the two boys bickering, giving her memories of simpler times. She looked at Arianna who was still sobbing into her. "You'll get dehydrated if you keep up the waterworks princess" she joked.
"Faulin I've wanted to apologize for so long, Everything that happened that day was my fault. I was the reason you and the other..."Arianna began until Faulin squeezed her a bit tighter
"You have nothing to be sorry for. What happened that day... It was not your fault. They manipulated you, manipulated everyone."
"But…But when I came back…oh god…. it was h-horrible. The whole capital was on fire! the bodies!" Arianna sobbed as the flashback of the worst day in her life played back in her mind.
"I failed all of you as queen! It was my duty to protect everyone from harm and I-"
"Ari, no one had any idea Arthur and Merlin were going to launch an assault as soon as you and Wyn left Avalon. You can't blame yourself for your father's cruelty" Faulin soothed her.
"It doesn't matter! I should have been there for you all!" Arianna cried, her hand trembling as she gripped the Hogwarts robe Faulin was wearing.
Faulin looked at Arianna with a soft expression. "You've been blaming yourself since that day haven't ya?"
Arianna didn't answer and continued to sob. Galin and Yuno looked at Arianna with a concerned expression knowing full well of the self-hate she had for herself.
"I did everything in my power to make those bastards pay for their betrayal! I took down Camelot, I killed my father ending his tyranny, and then when I got this second chance at life I came back and found those who govern the wizarding world still living by Merlin's example of supremacy! I-I feel like everything I did to stop them was in vain" Arianna sobbed
Galin and Yuno looked at Arianna sympathetically, both knowing full well just how hard she'd worked to try and make things right. They knew firsthand how badly she blamed herself for everything that had happened.
Faulin gave Arianna a gentle squeeze.
"You've done more than anyone could ever ask of you, Ari. More than anyone could hope to achieve. You did your best, and that's all any of us could ask for" she said
Galin came in and hugged both Arianna and Faulin "You took down Camelot all by yourself, that's an accomplishment that not anyone can just claim." Galin said, his voice soft and caring.
"And we have a second chance to end Merlin's legacy, and we will," Yuno said, also coming in and hugging Arianna and Faulin.
Faulin smiled at the two boys, tears still in her eyes. "It's good to see you two idiots have grown up a bit," she said, then with a slight smirk. "Well, mostly."
"Yee thanks Fal" Galin rolled his eyes,
"Least you admit she's talking about you" Yuno chuckled.
Arianna finally looked up, her face tearstained but a smile on her face."I'm... so happy you're back. Thank you….all of you" she said, her voice cracking a bit.
The four of them stood there for a moment, each of them soaking in the presence of the others. For a brief moment, it was as if time had rolled back to a simpler time before everything had gone wrong.
"So, the boss sent you to help us?" Yuno asked finally breaking the silence.
Faulin looked at him, "Sort of. She wants you three to see your mission out on your own. I asked for a separate mission of my own I want to complete" she explained.
"A separate mission,? Come on Fal, you're gonna miss out on all the fun?" he teased. Yuno shot him an annoyed look but didn't say anything, as the four stepped back from the embrace.
"What sort of mission?" he asked, his curiosity piqued.
"I'm going after Riddle. He needs to pay for what he did to Cedric." Faulin said, furrowing her brow at the thought of Voldemort.
Arianna tilted her head to the side, perplexed at Faulins answer. "You have feelings for him. I knew you did as Cho, but you hardly knew him"
We grew close," she said somberly. "I still have memories of the good time we had together. He was a good man, and he didn't deserve what happened to him. I can't let his death go unavenged."
Arianna nodded and reached out a hand and put it on Fauilins shoulder. "I know how you feel Fal, make him suffer," she finished.
"Oh, he'll suffer, alright. I'll make sure of that." Faulin said looking at Arianna, a dark gleam in her eyes. "He thinks he's invincible with those Horcruxes, I just see that as a way to inflict as much pain as possible. I won't kill him until he begs, and even when he does… there's no reason to be in a hurry about it."
Galin let out a low whistle, a grim smile on his face. "Remind me never to get on your bad side, Faulin," he joked, though there was a hint of a shiver in his voice.
"Well if that's the case, you could at least give us some insight on Potters's secret club? Like a name, or how they decide when to meet up? " Arianna asked
Faulin shrugged giving in"Suppose Morgie wouldn't mind. "The group is called Dumbledore's Army, as you probably already know they meet in the Room of Requirements as a training space to practice charms and jinxes. As for how they meet up..," she began as she took out a galleon and threw it to Yuno. "They use these."
Yuno caught the galleon and examined it closer. He then looked at the serial number of the coin, took out a galleon of his own, and started to compare the two coins. After a couple of minutes, he then gave a dry chuckle.
"Pretty clever, Protean charm, guessing Granger thought she could use the serial number to hide the time and the date of the meetings. Although she didn't consider that the serial number on the fakes were always going to be one or two numbers too long compared to a real one." Yuno said as he tossed the coin back to Faulin.
Galin and Arianna raised an eyebrow at Yuno's display of knowledge. "And you know that, how, exactly?" he asked
"Binns's class is the only one I actively pay attention to, considering we missed about 700 years of history, and the guy never shuts up about the Goblin rebellion," Yuno said
"Wait seriously? How do you not fall asleep in that class dude."
"Hogsmeade has insanely strong coffee"
"Fair enough,"
"Alright, so all we need to do is get our hands on one of these coins and read the serial number to get a date and time, and then, boom, we got em… alright I think I have an idea," Arianna said
She motioned for Yuno and Galin to gather near around as her as she began to discuss the plan. Faulin gave a small smile at the three as they began to formulate their plot.
"I'll leave you lot up to your scheming. Let me know if anything about Riddles hideout comes up" she said as she was about to depart.
"Quidditch practice?" Yuno asked.
"Yep, have to keep up appearances" Faulin answered
"Hate that game, it's too damn complicated and the rules don't make sense," Galin said a bit irritated at the mention of the sports name.
"That's because you have a hard time comprehending anything that doesn't involve punching, kicking, or shooting someone in the face." Yuno retorted.
Galin didn't look at Yuno or say anything but instead made a rude hand gesture aimed at Yuno, which got a chuckle out of Faulin.
"Real mature, you idiots. Now can you focus on what I have to say" Arianna said giving the two an annoyed look
"Sorry," they both said in unison.
Arianna rolled her eyes at the two and smacked both of them on the head lightly. She looked up at Fauiln and gave a warm Faulin "We'll see you later Fal and….it's good to have you back with us."
"Never thought I'd be seeing you get all sentimental Pendragon" Faulin laughed. "I'll be seein' ya, and try not to get caught when you're causing havoc at the school."
Galin and Yuno responded with a mocking salute, still rubbing their heads where Arianna had hit them.
"Trouble? We'd never," Yuno said, his tone dripping with false innocence.
"Yeah, our roleplaying is arff de charts" Galin chimed in.
Faulin gave a final wave and headed out of the library, leaving the trio to their devices. As soon as she was out of sight, Galin turned back to Arianna.
"So, what's this grand plan you've come up with, your highness?" he asked.
"Oh I think you two are gonna like this one" Arianna replied.
As she explained the plan, both Yuno and Galin listened intently at the details, and when they heard the final part, the two boys couldn't help but form impish-looking grins on their faces.
"Oh this gonna be fun, Dumbledore ain't gonna know what hit him," Yuno said.
(Meanwhile, St Mungo's)
A harassed-looking wizard was holding his small daughter tightly by the ankle while she flapped around his head using the immensely large, feathery wings that had sprouted right out through the back of her romper suit.
"Fourth floor," said the witch at the desk, in a bored voice, without asking, and the man disappeared through the double doors beside the desk, holding his daughter like an oddly shaped balloon.
"Next!"
Mrs Weasley moved forward to the desk. "Hello," she said, "my husband, Arthur Weasley, was supposed to be moved to a different ward a couple of hours ago, could you tell us -?"
"Arthur Weasley?" said the witch, running her finger down a long list in front of her. "Yes, first floor, second door on the right, Dai Llewellyn Ward."
"Thank you," said Mrs Weasley. "Come on, you lot."
They followed her through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, which was lined with more portraits of famous Healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling, looking like giant soapsuds. More witches and wizards in limegreen robes walked in and out of the doors they passed; a foul-smelling yellow gas wafted into the passageway as they passed one door, and every now and then they heard distant wailing. They climbed a flight of stairs and entered the Creature-Induced Injuries corridor, where the second door on the right bore the words:
Dangerous' Dai Llewellyn Ward: Serious Bites.
Underneath this was a card in a brass holder on which had been handwritten:
Healer-inCharge: Hippocrates Smethwyck. Trainee Healer: Augustus Pye.
"We'll wait outside, Molly," Tonks said. 'Arthur won't want too many visitors at once… it ought to be just the family first."
Harry was about to draw back, but Mrs Weasley reached out a hand and pushed him through the door, saying, "Don't be silly, your already like family Harry, and Arthur wants to thank you." Harry gave a weak smile at words as he followed her along with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny.
The ward was small and rather dingy, as the only window was narrow and set high in the wall facing the door. Most of the light came from more shining crystal bubbles clustered in the middle of the ceiling. The walls were of panelled oak and there was a portrait of a rather vicious-looking wizard on the wall, captioned:
Urquhart Rackharrow, 1612—1697, Inventor of the Entrail-expelling Curse.
There were only three patients. Mr Weasley was occupying the bed at the far end of the ward beside the tiny window. Harry was pleased and relieved to see that he was propped up on several pillows and reading the Daily Prophet by the solitary ray of sunlight falling onto his bed. He looked up as they walked towards him and, seeing who it was, beamed.
"Hello!" he called, throwing the Prophet aside. "Bill just left, Molly, had to get back to work, but he says he'll drop in on you later."
"Oh, Arthur" Mrs. Weasley said worryingly, bending down to kiss his cheek and looking anxiously into his face. 'How are you feeling? You're still looking a bit peaky.'
"I feel absolutely fine," said Mr Weasley brightly, holding out his good arm to hug Ginny. "If they could only take the bandages off, I'd be fit to go home."
"Dad they're on there for a reason, you'd probably start gushing like a squished berry you took em off!" Fred exclaimed.
"Well, you're right about that. There's some sort of venom in that snake's fangs that keeps the wounds open. Nothing to worry about though. Couple potoins and I'll be fine" Arthur waved off dismissively.
"So, you going to tell us what happened then, Dad?" asked George, pulling up a chair next to the bed.
"Well, you already know, don't you?" said Mr Weasley, with a significant smile at Harry. 'It's very simple - I'd had a very long day, dozed off, got sneaked up on and bitten."
"Is it in the Prophet, you being attacked?" asked Fred, indicating the newspaper Mr Weasley had cast aside.
"No, of course not"' said Mr Weasley, with a slightly bitter smile, "The Ministry wouldn't want everyone to know a dirty great serpent got —'
"Arthur!" Mrs Weasley warned him.
"- got - er - me," Mr Weasley said hastily, though Harry was quite sure that was not what he had meant to say.
"Na-Nagini" Harry said "That's the snake's name"
The Weasley family looked at Harry, surprised by his sudden statement.
"How do you know that, Harry?" Mr Weasley asked curiously.
"I-I don't know," Harry said confused. "I've been getting angry lately over things I wouldn't normally do, but for some reason...I think my vision and temper might be connected"
"What do you mean, Harry?" Mrs Weasley asked looking particularly worried.
"We've been having trouble at school," Ron said. " Has Sirius told you anything about it Dad?"
"Bits, and pieces here and there, but nothing too specific. Can you keep an eye out for Mad-Eye would you, Molly?"
Mrs Weasley looked puzzled, then gave a sharp nod to her husband.
"Of course, dear," she said, then turned to the rest of the Weasley family. "Come on, everybody, we can wait outside for a bit."
"Actually, they can stay if they want," Harry said. "They could give us some insight as well"
Mr Weasley looked surprised but nodded. "Alright then, if you're sure Harry."
Fred, George, and Ginny all gave Harry grateful looks and settled back into their seats. Arthur motioned them to gather closer.
"I didn't want to worry your mother, kids," he said to Ginny, Ron, and the twins. "Have you told Dumbledore about them?" Mr Weasley asked, looking at Harry seriously.
"No... I haven't…. I've seen firsthand the destruction just one of them can cause, and knowing him he wouldn't be afraid to use students as hostages if he got suspicious. On top of that, we don't know who the other two are."
"That's... that's certainly a difficult predicament," Mr. Weasley admitted with a frown. "But still, you should tell Dumbledore about this. He's the best equipped to deal with it, and he deserves to know what's going on at his school."
"I just don't know what to say without them getting suspicious. Would you really have me put students at risk by revealing everything?" Harry asked.
Mr Weasley looked torn for a moment, his expression conflicted. He understood the risk involved but also knew the importance of confronting the danger head-on. He let out a deep sigh.
"I understand your predicament, Harry," he finally said. "But the safety of the students must come first. Maybe there's a way to give Dumbledore a hint without revealing too much. Just enough so he can cripple their movements without arising suspicion"
"You're right," Harry said, rubbing his forehead. "I just wish there was a way to do it that didn't involve putting everyone in more danger."
"You're a good soul Harry. I understand your reservations, I truly do... But keeping this kind of information to yourself is a heavy burden to carry alone. If you can't trust Dumbledore to be able to handle the situation, then who can you trust?" Mr Weasley told Harry putting a hand on the boy's shoulder. Harry looked up and gave him a weak smile. Deep down he couldn't get out of his head how DUmbledore had so blatantly disregarded him after having the visions.
Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Tonks peeked into the room. "Mad Eye's here. Can we have the room kids?" she asked
Mr Weasley saw the reluctant expressions on the teen's faces and gave them a sympathetic smile.
"You heard her," he said gently, gesturing for them to head out. "Go on."
With a frown on each face, Harry, Ron Fred, George, and Ginny reluctantly got up and walked out, closing the door behind them. They trooped back into the corridor. Mad-Eye and Tonks went in and closed the door of the ward behind them.
Fred raised his eyebrows. "Fine," he said coolly, rummaging in his pockets, "be like that. Keep us in the dark."
'Looking for these?' said George, holding out what looked like a tangle of flesh-colored string.
"You read my mind," said Fred, grinning. "Let's see if St Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"
He and George disentangled the string and separated five Extendable Ears from each other.
Fred and George handed them around. Harry hesitated to take one.
"Go on, Harry, take it! You saved Dad's life. If anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him, it's you."
Grinning despite himself, Harry took the end of the string and inserted it into his ear as the twins had done.
"OK, go!" Fred whispered.
The flesh-colored strings wriggled like long skinny worms and snaked under the door. At first, Harry could hear nothing, then he jumped as he heard Tonks whispering as clearly as though she were standing right beside him.
"They searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere. It just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur… but You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"
"I reckon he sent it as a lookout," growled Moody, "cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had a lot more time to look around. So, Potter says he saw it all happen?"
"Yes," said Mrs Weasley. She sounded rather uneasy. "You know, Dumbledore seems almost to have been waiting for Harry to see something like this."
"Yeah, well," said Moody, "there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."
"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this afternoon," whispered Mrs. Weasley.
"Course he's worried," growled Moody. "The boy's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him —"
Harry pulled the Extendable Ear out of his own, his heart hammering very fast and heat rushing up his face. He looked around at the others. They were all staring at him, the strings still trailing from their ears, looking suddenly fearful.