Disclaimer: All Characters and things associated with Harry Potter belong to J.K. Rowling and Warner Brothers. This writing is purely for entertainment only.
Summary: A tragedy unravels the Weasley Family and the Wizarding World forever, but with the use of a time turner can one Weasley save them all?
Chapter 23
Hermione jumped back straight into Ron out of pure shock at how Scorpius had lunged at the boy she assumed was somehow related to Cormac, based on the name Scorpius had muttered.
Ron firmly held Hermione but she could feel the tightness in his fingers as they dug into her arms. Ron knew exactly who the young man was and realized Scorpius had been right; Cormac's son must have been involved.
Harry on the other hand moved to separate Finn and Scorpius.
"Hold on there a minute!" Harry yelled.
"He was there! He was in the Department of Mysteries! He isn't helping us!" Scorpius shouted, trying to get his fingers around Finn's throat.
"It's not what you think!" Finn choked out, but was not trying to fight Scorpius back.
"Enough!" Another loud voice filled the room causing everyone to stop moving and turn to see Lex leaning against the doorframe behind Ron and Hermione. She was breathing heavy and holding her ribs.
"You shouldn't be up," Ginny moved toward her niece.
"I'm fine, Aunt Gin..." Lex waved her aunt off and took a step further into the room. She was trying to not show how painful it was for her to move. "I want to know why Finn's here...why any of you are?"
"And we've come to tell you..." Harry told his niece now that the boys had stopped fighting. He moved toward Lex holding a small vile of silver liquid. Memories.
Lex furrowed her brow at what her uncle was holding. "Is that..."
"It's a mix of memories. It will help to explain everything...mostly the memories are from Hermione and some from Finn...some from Ginny and I...there were even a few stored from you, Lex," Harry explained, glancing at Ginny who nodded in agreement.
Lex shook her head again. "My memories? How?"
"It's complicated." Ginny said with a sigh, looking at Harry as if for confirmation and then back to Lex, Ron, and Hermione. "I think you should all sit down."
Ron moved to the table and pulled seats out for both Hermione and Lex. He was eager to hear what future Harry had to say. Hermione quickly sat down, also interested at getting to the truth. Lex, however, waved Ron off and chose to lean against the wall. She was worried if she sat her ribs would bust more than they already were.
Scorpius slide next to Lex, his eyes still watching Finn intensely.
Harry, realizing Lex wouldn't sit, moved to pull something else out of his jacket. It was a small golden locket the size of his fist. He placed it on the table and opened it to reveal a steal blue liquid. He glanced up at Hermione and Ron to explain the magic in front of them.
"Hermione helped develop this years ago...we can pour the memories in there and it will project it above so we can all see the memories...in theory, with the blended memories, it should create a story. Awfully helpful when we were interrogating criminals as Aurors but also helped a lot with memories of people who had lost memories...helped them retrieve them," Harry explained.
Ron turned and gave Hermione a proud smile though she hardly responded. She was still upset with all the lies and events that had gone on over the last few hours. It was so much to take in.
"Just get on with it," Lex said impatiently, her eyes flicking back between Finn and the liquid her uncle was pouring now.
Within seconds a swirl of white smoke filled the area above the table and then, slowly, shapes started to form, memories from another time.
Suddenly, it was as if they were all in the memory itself, watching as a version of Hermione that was the same age as the one sitting at the table came into view.
Hermione busied herself in the kitchen of the home she shared with Ron, pulling a pan of something out of the oven and then setting the kitchen table for two, a bottle of wine as the center piece. She smiled to herself and then the sound of someone flooing filled the memory.
Ron entered the kitchen and smiled, seeing the table all set.
"Bloody hell, Hermione...you didn't need to do all of this if you were feeling sick this morning," Ron said, moving to kiss his wife.
Hermione smiled and waved her hand. "I'm feeling better now."
"Did you go see the healer like I asked you to?" Ron asked.
Hermione nodded, motioning for him to sit as she gathered two plates of dinner. "Yes...I did..."
"And?" Ron pressed, opening the wine and pouring himself a glass before moving to pour Hermione one.
"Oh...no wine for me, Ron," Hermione smiled as she put the plates down on the table.
Ron's face screwed up. Hermione was never a big drinker but she did always enjoy a glass of wine with dinner. Maybe she still wasn't feeling well. "Why not?"
"It's not good for the baby," Hermione said, nonchalantly as she sat down across from Ron, her eyes slowly tracing up to see Ron's reaction, a small smile on her lips.
Ron sat frozen for a long moment, the weight of Hermione's words clearly dancing through his head. Finally he spoke. "Hermione...did you say..."
"Baby?" Hermione finished his sentence with a smile and nod.
Within seconds, Ron was on his feet, moving across the table and gathering Hermione in his arms, twirling her as he kissed her on the lips.
The memory faded and Ron glanced over at his wife to see she had a small tear in her eye. He instantly felt sorry. This was not at all how it had gone down when she told him she was pregnant in this reality. He had ruined that surprise with the cake and Lex being there. He realized that was a moment he stole from Hermione now.
Before Ron could say anything the memory in front of them changed.
Ron and Hermione sat at their kitchen table, Hermione over a stack of paperwork and Ron reading the Daily Prophet.
A knock on the door interrupted them. The couple looked at each other, clearly not expecting anyone which made Ron draw his wand as he stood.
Ron moved slowly toward the door and just as he was about to open it, it blasted opened, the same Masked Figure who has attacked them in their own reality stood there, wand raised. It was Goyle.
In the memory, Ron immediately responded, blasting Goyle onto the front lawn but also dodging a few counter curses. He heard Hermione scream as one blew past him and it made Ron more angry. He shot two more spells at the masked Goyle who then took off running out of fear.
Ron ran back into the house to find Hermione on the floor in the corner of the kitchen, breathing heavily, as their entire kitchen sink was squirting water in every direction. The curse that went past Ron must have hit their sink.
"Hermione? Are you okay?" Ron asked frantically, checking his wife over.
"Fine! I'm fine! Who was that?" Hermione asked.
"Doesn't matter...we need to get you to St. Mungo's," Ron said.
"Ron, I said I'm fine...nothing happened," Hermione assured him.
Ron shook his head. "I want to make sure you and the baby are okay...please?"
Hermione seemed to see the concern in Ron's eyes and so she obliged and nodded, the memory ending.
The memory ended and Harry put his hand over the device on the table, as if to pause the memories.
"That was the attack you went back to stop, Lex...the way it originally took place," Harry explained.
Lex nodded in understanding, her eyes drifting at Ron. "When Dad didn't catch Goyle..."
Hermione shifted uncomfortable in her seat at the name Lex had called Ron. Dad. It seemed utterly insane.
"He was worried about Rose..." Scorpius said out loud, realizing why Ron had not bothered to figure out the attacker.
"Who?" Hermione turned to look at Scorpius who realized he had spoken out of turn.
"Uh...well..." Scorpius looked to Lex and Ron for help.
"Uh...her..." Ron pointed awkwardly at Hermione's tiny baby bump.
Instantly Hermione's hand flew to her stomach. She looked confused and up at Lex and then back at Ron. She had assumed the baby girl she was carrying was Lex. She had no idea who Rose was.
"I'm your youngest child...of three," Lex explained, leaning against the wall and trying her best to shift her weight so her wounded side wouldn't hurt as bad.
"Three?" Hermione shook her head and looked back at Ron. The thought of three children, coupled with everything else that was happening seemed overwhelming at best. She was so angry Ron had kept all this from her and now she felt like she was being overloaded by information.
Ron merely shrugged.
Hermione shook her head again, a mix of anger and tears in her eyes. "How could you keep all this from me?"
Ron looked down at his hands, ashamed. He realized now they had been a huge mistake. "I thought it was for the best..."
Hermione looked away and shook her head, locking eyes with Harry now. "I assume there is more to show us?"
Harry nodded and lifted his hand off the object on the table, allowing the smoke to rise again and the memories continue as the image of Ron, Hermione, and Kingsley filled the room.
"We were attacked in our own house," Ron's voice held an anger it rarely possessed as he held tightly to Hermione's hand in the middle of Kinglsey's Ministry office in the memory.
"And your sure you didn't know who it was?" Kingsley asked.
"Didn't wait around to find out. We went straight to St. Mungo's...wanted to make sure the baby was alright..." Ron said.
"And the baby is fine," Hermione added quickly seeing Kingsley's genuinely worried expression.
"Well, certainly happy to hear that," Kingsley nodded.
"As were we but...we need to get to the bottom of this. I won't have this happen again," Ron said fiercely.
"Agreed...and I may have an idea of why this happened...we found a prophecy a few weeks ago that was attached to your name, Hermione." Kingsley said.
"What? You didn't think to tell us?" Ron seemed annoyed.
"I can take you down to the Department of Mysteries to retrieve it if you'd like...I just don't put a lot of stock in those sort of things and I know you typically don't either, Hermione," Kingsley said.
Hermione shrugged. "Typically I don't but...if you think it has to do with the attack maybe it's best I see it, or at least retrieve it."
Kingsley nodded. "Given the timing, I think it may have to do with you or the baby...so I'm happy to take you to get it. I wouldn't put much thought in it if you decide to find out what it is but...it's probably best off the shelves downstairs anyway, but please be careful with it. You know I'm not supposed to let any prophecies leave the Ministry."
"I understand. Thank you, sir," Hermione nodded.
The smoke of the memories swirled intro new forms as the group watched in silence.
The memory changed to a heavily pregnant Hermione sitting at her desk in her home office with the red ball of a prophecy sitting on the top corner.
Hermione eyed the prophecy carefully, moving her attention between the prophecy and her paperwork. Finally she sighed and picked the prophecy up, looking at it closely.
"Are you as curious as I am about this, little one?" Hermione ran a hand over her pregnant stomach, speaking to the baby inside.
After a long moment, Hermione grabbed a pair of scissors on her desk, lightly pricking her finger to draw blood and then, with her bleeding hand, grabbed the prophecy, smearing her blood on the orb.
The orb began swirling and the voice of Bellatrix LaStrange could be heard. "And so the blade used on the Mudblood Granger was cursed while I tortured her and now beats through her veins a curse. If she bears thrice children the third, being the completion of the trilogy, will bear the mark of the darkest magic and when that child reaches their third decade the beast inside will rise and curse all those in the Wizarding World who went against the Dark Lord. It is his final way to assure he will never die no matter what is to become of him here. He will live on through the disgusting seed of those unworthy of magic who defied him as their ultimate punishment."
Hermione dropped the prophecy orb, becoming so upset that she could hardly breath. She put a hand on her chest, trying to calm herself.
Ron, who had heard Bellatrix's voice ran into the office to also hear the prophecy.
"Hermione! You're okay! You know that's not true, you said it yourself...prophecy's are self fulfilling! Calm down!" Ron was at her side, trying to calm his pregnant wife down.
But Hermione had spiraled into a full on panic attack. "I can't breathe...I can't breathe..."
"You can! You are! Calm down for the baby!" Ron had both hands on her shoulder, trying to calm her.
But the mention of the baby seemed to only make Hermione worse and suddenly she was bent over clutching her stomach.
"Hermione...what's wrong?" Ron panicked now.
"I...I think she's coming..." Hermione looked up at Ron in shock.
Again, Harry paused the memory, his eyes slowly moving up to Hermione, Ron, and Lex, seeing identical looks of pure shock across their three faces.
"That...that's the prophecy?" Hermione said slowly.
"It is me...it's about me..." Lex murmured in absolute shock.
"Its more complicated then that," Harry said.
"What?" Lex was at an almost total loss of words as her mind raced with the realization that she was the problem in all of this.
"Show us more," Ron's voice was demanding as he refused to take Bellatrix's words at face value. He knew she couldn't be trusted and neither could her curse.
Harry nodded, lifting his hand again.
The memories swirled again and changed to Hermione in a hospital bed, holding a pink bundle, sweat and exhaustion all over her face while Ron hovered over Hermione and the baby.
"She's bloody here and she's perfect," Ron smiled down at Hermione and the baby that was Rose.
"Two weeks early, but yes, our perfect little Rose," Hermione's eyes never left the baby in her arms.
Ron seemed to bite his lip before speaking. "Not to kill this moment but...what happened earlier...we need to talk about it, Hermione. What I heard-"
Hermione shook her head, her eyes still never leaving Rose. "No we don't. You were right Ron, no matter what Bellatrix thinks she did...it doesn't make it true."
"Blood curses are different, Hermione..." Ron said.
Hermione looked up at Ron finally. "I don't believe that. Pure evil doesn't exist, it's created, and there is no way we would do that to a child of ours."
"Still..." Ron said cautiously.
"Well then we don't have three children. It's that simple. Honestly after today I don't know if I could do this again," Hermione half joked, glancing down at Rose in her arms
Ron gave a small smile at his always logically wife. "I suppose that's true. There are a lot of what-ifs at play here."
Once more the scene changed and a slightly pregnant Hermione stood in her office in the ministry, her hands on her hips as she moved to examine the book shelf behind her desk, trying her best to bend to get something.
"Can I help you?" Kinglsey's voice filled the office causing Hermione to jump.
"Sorry! Didn't see you there, sir...and yes if you can grab that book down here," Hermione pointed to the shelf.
"Baby Weasley making it hard to get around?" Kingsley joked.
"A bit...I wasn't even close to this big with Rose as this point...must be because it's a boy," Hermione joked.
"Takes after Ron, I suppose," Kingsley joked back. "Better hope the next one is a girl then."
"Oh there is no next one. A girl and a boy are perfect for us...at any rate with that bloody prophecy-" Hermione said and then quickly shut her mouth, realizing her error.
"Prophecy?" Kingsley cocked an eyebrow. "You mean you figured that prophecy out I gave you years ago? I assumed you would have told me what it was about..."
Hermione felt like she had broken Kingsley trust and it was written on her face. "I'm sorry, sir...I just...what it's about was complicated and I can assure you it isn't going to come true."
"I believe you, Hermione...I'm just surprised you would chose to keep that from the Ministry if you decided to figure it out. You know standard protocols...I shouldn't have given it to you to begin with," Kingsley explained.
Hermione knew he had done her a favor and she had violated the trust. "I just didn't want you to worry..."
"Well, now I am worried." Kingsley admitted.
Hermione waved her hand. "It's silly really...it basically said if Ron and I have a third child then...well I was cursed at Malfoy Manor to basically have a child who will be evil...which you're not born with evil, you learn it so it's so silly. Regardless it doesn't matter, Ron and I are done at two children, I can assure you."
Kingsley seemed to think for a moment and nodded. "I agree...it sounds silly. To your point, people learn evil and I don't see any child you and Ron raise learning that."
"Thank you, Minister," Hermione smiled.
This time Lex stopped the memory. It was too much for her to take in.
"So I'm not even supposed to be here. It was only supposed to be Rose ans Hugo," Lex barely got the words out, realizing now that her parents had not originally planned on her.
Hermione looked over at Ron, slightly confused but guessing that Hugo was their second child. It has alway been her favorite name for a boy. She was about to ask but was cut off by Scorpius.
"Yeah, but you are...so something changed. Let's finish the story," Scorpius moved forward, putting his hand over Lex's and locking eyes with her and for a moment she was lost in his steel grey orbs.
Slowly, Lex nodded, lifting her hand for the memories to continue.
Once more the images of memories changed to Hermione sitting on the floor in her living room with a three year old Rose twirling in front of her in a princess dress and a six month old Hugo in her arms.
Hermione looked distraught at best, as if she may cry at any moment when the front door opening brought her attention to Ron who had come in the house.
"Bloody garden gnomes..." Ron grumbled under his breath.
"That's a bad word, daddy," Rose corrected him.
Ron looked over at his daughter. "You're right, I'm sorry."
Ron then glanced at Hermione, clearly able to see something he was wrong.
"Hermione...are you alright? Is it Hugo?" Ron asked.
Hermione looked up Ron, adjusting Hugo in her arms and shaking her head. Her words barely came out above a whisper. "No...he's fine..."
Ron bent down and took Hugo from Hermione's arms and that's when the tears rose in her eyes.
"Ron...I have something to tell you. Please don't be upset...it's not a bad thing," Hermione said.
"You're scaring me a bit, Hermione. What's wrong?" Ron asked again.
But Hermione couldn't find the words, instead she picked up a small white stick that had been on the floor next to her and showed Ron.
Ron's face went white as he also sank down to the floor, absentmindedly rocking Hugo now. "Hermione...is that..."
"A positive pregnancy test...yes..." Hermione nodded.
"But how? We've been so careful and we hardly have done anything at all...I mean Hugo's not even six months..." Ron's mind was racing.
"Not careful enough I guess..." Hermione almost laughed. "I don't know how I'm going to do this...I feel like my body hasn't even recovered from Hugo yet..."
Ron furrowed his brow at her. "Hermione...we aren't going to do this...the prophecy-"
Hermione immediately glared at Ron. "Ron...I don't care about that."
"What? Since when? Didn't we agree on only two-" He started.
"Well, now there are three. Ron, I'm not putting stock in some silly curse Bellatrix thinks she managed. This baby isn't going to be anything but ours and loved...I just...I'm worried about having this one so close to Hugo..we've barely got the hang of two..." Hermione said.
"Hermione, I think you really need to think about what you're saying," Ron tried again.
"I have...and I need you to trust me, Ron. Nothing bad will come from this baby...and even if the curse is true, I'm going to find a way to reverse it...just in case...there's always a counter curse..." Hermione told him.
"Hermione..." Ron started.
"Just trust me," Hermione reached out, taking his hand that wasn't holding Hugo. "This baby is supposed to be here."
Ron sighed. Allowing the room to fall into silence for a moment before giving Hermione a soft smile. "You're right to be nervous...sleep is not going to be in our vocabulary for awhile I suppose," Ron gave Hermione a soft smile causing her to throw her arms around his necked almost seeming relieved.
Once more the memories changed and they group now saw Hermione sitting on one side of Kingsley's desk at the Ministry while he sat on the other.
"Hermione...you assured me this would never be the situation we were in...do we now need to take stock in this curse?" Kingsley seemed apprehensive at best.
Hermione's fingers landed on a very small baby bump and she shook her head firmly. "I understand but I am asking you to trust me...this baby will not be anything that curse says. I promise you I'd never put anyone I cared about in danger, especially my own family."
"How can you be so sure?" Kingsley asked.
Hermione shrugged. "It's just a feeling...and I know that means I'm asking a lot of you but, you know me Kingsley...you know I wouldn't say that if I didn't believe it. It's why I came to you first to tell you...I don't want to hide anything from you about this because I don't want you to worry about this prophecy."
"Curse." Kingsley corrected.
"Supposed curse created by a mad woman," Hermione corrected back.
Kingsley sighed and then nodded. "Alright...I trust you."
Hermione gave a grateful smile.
The memories faded and another came forward of Hermione walking around a nursing, hushing a crying Lex to sleep.
The baby version of Lex screamed her lungs out as Hermione tried her best to comfort the infant, though Hermione also looked on the verge of tears.
"Please, Lex...I don't know what you want...please stop crying..." Hermione tried to soothe her daughter.
The door behind Hermione creaked opened and a battered Ron shuffles in.
"Blimey...I can hear her down the street. How has she not woken up Hugo and Rose?" Ron asked.
"I put silencing charms on their rooms," Hermione sighed and looked Ron over as Lex calmed down a bit. "What happened to you?"
"We just can't catch a break...seems like more attacks...more crime every day...I'm bloody exhausted," Ron spoke of his work.
"I know the feeling," Hermione sighed.
"I know...I'm sorry I haven't been home. It's just...ever since Lex was born...things have gotten worse out there," Ron said carefully, his voice hinting at something that Hermione clearly picked up on.
"Ron, there is no correlation..." Hermione said sharply.
"What if there is, Hermione? What if there is something wrong with her? Rose and Hugo never cried like this...it's like she's possessed half the time." Ron said.
Hermione pulled Lex, who had quieted down, fiercely to her chest and glared at Ron. "You're wrong. I'm with her all the time... every baby is different. You're her father, Ron, you shouldn't be thinking like that and you would know how sweet she can be if you were ever home!"
Ron's ears went red. "I'm sorry I've been busy with work and you're right...I shouldn't have said that about her."
"At any rate, Ron, I told you the truth. I am doing research on a counter curse...I'm sorting through it, and once I get everything it should be easy. We just would need to get her to take it before she's thirty which means we have plenty of time, but we won't need it because this isn't real." Hermione explained.
"Well...good to know we have a backup plan..." Ron sighed and then stepped forward, running a hand over Lex who seemed to cuddle closer to his touch which made him smile despite everything.
Harry paused the memory as Lex snorted, looking over ar Scorpius. "Still think I'm supposed to be here? My own bloody father said I'm possessed."
Ron's ears went red in embarrassment for his words in the memory even though he was not yet responsible for them.
And Hermione, to her own surprise, felt herself grow extremely agitated by the memory and protective over Lex, which she could not truly understand.
"You heard your mom...he barely was with you at that age. He hardly knew tou," Scorpius reasoned.
Again, Ron felt his ears go red with shame at his future-self.
"There's more to see...and the next part gets complicated," Harry interrupted.
Lex just rolled her eyes. "Just keep it going...doubt it can get muxh worse."
Harry nodded, lifting his hand again.
The memories morphed into a completely different scene now. Kingsley stood in a grand sitting room of a house no one recognized except Finn with Cormac McLaggen. A twelve year old Finn stood behind a half-closed door, easedropping in the memory.
"Lucius told us about this curse years ago and I told you thinking you would do something about it. I violated my client privileges and you put no stock into it...now look at things. That last Weasley child was born twelve years ago and things have gotten significantly worse, especially around London. You don't see a correlation in deaths and disappearances and her birth?" Cormac asked Kingsley.
"I've met the youngest Wealsey and she is a lovely child. I also know Hermione and Ron. They would never risk anyone's life if they thought for a second this prophecy was true." Kingsley reasoned.
"Curse," Cormac corrected. "And one that a rather insane death eater is responsible for. Who knows what LaStrange was capable of."
"I trust Hermione," Kingsley repeated himself.
"So it's all a coincidence?" Cormac asks sarcastically.
"Could be," Kingsley said.
"I understand trusting Hermione but...she's also a mother. She is blinded by love," Cormac said.
"What are you suggesting?" Kingsley asked.
"That we simply watch the child. If you are correct and she's just a normal child then it's a none issue but if she is going to turn into something barbaric and evil wouldn't we like to know before it happens?" Cormac asked.
"And how do you suggest we do that? Hermione and Ron would notice someone immediately and I am not in the business of violating the trust of two of the Wizarding Worlds favorites..." Kingsley seemed eager to dismiss Cormac.
"We could use my son. He's the same age as Alexis...a little Amortentia could easily do the trick-" Cormac said.
Kingsley immediately shook his head. "She's a child...an infatuation potion..."
"He's a child as well...puppy love would be enough to keep her close to us, don't you suppose? We wouldn't need to give her a full dose of it and...if the prophecy is wrong we will just let it wear off eventually. Children at that age are all over each other at Hogwarts...it would hardly be suspect," Cormac said.
Kingsley shook his head again.
"I'm not really asking now. I will not let Hermione's love for her child potentially harm the rest of the Wizarding World and therefore my family or my child. I know about this prophecy, regardless of where it came from and if you don't do something about it I will make sure others know as well who may not take as kind and trusting to Granger as you have. It won't be a good look, Minister." Cormac threatened.
Kingsley seemed to think for a long moment and then nodded. "Fine...as long as it's not the full dosage and we taper off once you're satisfied that Hermione is actually correct."
"Agreed," Cormac nodded.
The memories changed now to one of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. A teenage version of Lex sat on the Gryffindor table, her food and drink behind her, with a crowd around her.
"Weasley! You won the game for us!" Someone shouted to Lex.
"Don't let her head get any bigger than it already is," a Teenage version of Rose ruffled Lex's hair as she and Scorpius walked by, hand-in-hand.
"Leave me alone," Lex stuck her tongue out at her older sister and then turned back to the group of teens in front of her.
"Being the best seeker we have will have its perks. I bet you will get asked by loads of boys to the Yule Ball," One of the other students said to Lex.
Lex blushed just as Finn walked up behind her. He quickly slipped something into the cup that her back was to before tapping her on the shoulder and getting Lex to turn around, offering her the glass he had put the Amortentia in. He smiled at her.
"Cheers to that game, Weasley," Finn tipped his own glass at Lex.
Lex's took a sip from the glass and her eyes seemed to glaze over as she smiled at Finn, transfixed on him in an unnatural way.
Once more the memories changed, now moving back to the McLaggen sitting room where Finn and Cormac sat while Kingsley leaned against the window, his gaze outside.
"You must notice things are getting worse, Minister. My own wife was nearly killed during that attack in Hogsmeade last week. Things are not safe," Cormac said.
"It doesn't mean it's related to Alexis..." Kingsley responded.
"She was nearly kicked out of school for almost beating the Hufflepuff seeker to unconsciousness last week..." Finn said slowly.
"I heard it was a bad collision," Kingsley said.
"That's how they spun it but...she talks to me now...she said she saw red...that she couldn't describe her anger," Finn admitted though he seemed hesitant.
Kingsley sighed. "Unfortunately, Harry has mentioned that Ron and Hermione were having a hard time with her at home too...just her anger."
"See? There is a correlation." Cormac said.
"Maybe...I do think it's best if we bring her into the Ministry to sort some things out. I know it will be hard to get Hermione to agree-" Kingsley said.
"Then don't tell her, just do it. All of the kids have gone this weekend from Hogwarts to get ready for the ball. Send some Aurors over...force Alexis in here. Be the judge for yourself on this one," Cormac said.
Kingsley sighed again. "I suppose if we just ask Lex to come in it may work...head over there and speak to them in private as a family."
The memories then changed to an older Hermione and Ron standing at the bottom of the stairs as they hear a door slam loudly above them.
"Boy, she really isn't happy about getting grounded," Ron mumbled.
"Well then next time she won't lie about her grades to stay on the Quidditch team!" Hermione shouted, more at the closed door than anything.
An older version of Hugo seemed to appear from the other room to speak to his parents "Well, that may not be a problem much longer. She nearly killed a Hufflepuff student in a collision last week which most of us don't think was by accident."
"Hugo, that is a very big accusation," Hermione scolded her son.
"Just saying," Hugo shrugged and continued on his way.
Once their son was gone, Ron sighed. "Hermione, she's getting worse. She's so angry all the time lately...I hate to see it. She has to not be like this. I know you don't wanna put stock into that curse but..."
Hermione sighed as well, almost looking defeated as she crossed her arms over her body. "I know. I also know teenagers can be hard to manage."
"I think this is a bit different. Rose and Hugo were never like this. Neither our any of our nieces or nephews. I just think we need a plan or at least we need to talk to Kingsley about the curse potentially being real. We need to keep everyone safe," Ron said carefully.
"I know that too but I am so close to the cure, on the off chance it is real. I just need a few more ingredients so it's not going to matter whether it's true or not. Even if it is something it isn't going to really happen until she's 30. We have nearly 15 years to figure this out and I won't need that long. Maybe a few more weeks at best..." Hermione said.
Ron sighed and simply nodded.
Lex felt overwhelmed by all the information she was being shown. She didn't know if she should laugh at how ridiculous it all was, cry because it was awful to watch, or beat Finn for what he had done to her. However, before she could make a decision, the memories changed to a day engraved in Lex's mind forever. She felt her body go numb as she watched the memory of her and Hermione returning to the house after getting her Yule Ball dress. This was the day of the attack, but the memory, which must have been Hermione's felt different than Lex remembered.
The attack was ongoing as Lex and Hermione returned home and without thinking, Hermione jumped out of the Muggle car and rushed up the steps, her wand drawn as she blasted spells at the small group of masked attackers.
It took Lex a moment, but she too got out of the car, following her mother into the house only to hear Rose shouting in the kitchen before hearing her mother scream.
Lex rushed up, noticing her brother and father's bodies sprawled out on the front lawn. She realized her mother must have missed them in her rush into the house.
Lex slowly made her way into the house, her wand raised until she almost tripped on her dead sister's body, causing her to nearly fall into the wall in horror. Lex glanced up, desperate for her mother only to see Hermione holding one of the masked figures in the corner of the kitchen, her wand raised to their throat.
"Why?" Hermione growled, her wand shaking angrily in her hand as tears flowed down her face.
The masked figure merrily pointed at Lex who was standing in the hall, causing Hermione for a split second to glance at Lex, and in that moment the masked figure disapparated.
Upon realizing what happened and what they had lost, Hermione rushed forward toward Lex, gathering her youngest, who was clearly in shock, in her arms as the smoke detector in the home started to go off, revealing that, somehow in the chaos a small fire had been started in the kitchen.
As the memory changed again, Lex shook her head in disbelief. That was not at all how she remembered the attack. Before she could say anything, the memories swirled to Hermione, Ginny, and Harry sitting at Harry and Ginny's kitchen table. They were dressed in funeral attire, the same as they had worn for the burial of Ron, Rose, and Hugo.
"Hermione...it's okay to be upset...you don't have to be this strong...you've barely slept in days..." Ginny gently reached out to touch Hermione's hand.
"I can't sleep...I can't stop thinking about who did this. They were after Lex...because of a stupid prophecy that only Kingsley knew about. It had to be the Ministry," Hermione reasoned, shaking her head.
"Why didn't you tell us about it? We could have helped," Harry said.
Hermione shook her head looking down at the wedding band she was still wearing as her eyes swelled with tears. "Ron and I didn't want anyone to know...because we didn't want exactly what happened to happen...we thought we could trust Kingsley. We thought we were protecting Lex..."
"Well, you did. She's still here," Ginny reminded her.
Hermione shook her head. "The cure I was working on was in the house...now we don't even have that. All that work...I've lost them all..."
"You said there was time before we even needed to worry if any of this was true about Lex..." Harry reminded her.
"It's not true," Ginny's voice seemed as sure of it as Hermione had in earlier memories.
"Whether it is or it isn't, I have to figure that cure out now because someone believes it is true. It's the least I can do...if Ron gave his life for Lex...if Rose and Hugo..." Hermione choked on her own children's names and suddenly the floodgates opened and Hermione was sobbing uncontrollably.
Ginny quickly wrapped her arms around her sister-in-law and tried to calm her.
Harry merely sat there as if he was frozen, his hands in fists as he watched Hermione cry. All three seemed wrapped up in the moment that none of them saw Kingsley floo into the house until he cleared his throat.
All three stood upon seeing Kingsley and before anyone could register anything, Hermione's wand was out, pointing at Kingsley.
"You!" Hermione growled.
Kingsley put his hands up as a gesture of peace. "I'm here to apologize, Hermione. I did not mean for any of this to happen..."
"Apologize?!" Hermione nearly spat the word at the Minister. "My family is dead and you were the only one who knew about any of this. I trusted you!"
"And I trusted you, Hermione! There has to be something here...ever since Lex was born-" Kingsley said.
Hermione shook her head fiercely. "You're wrong. None of that can be proven and at any rate, even if it's true...we have time to save Lex. I was working on it! You didn't bother to ask you just destroyed my family..."
Kingsley sighed. "Yes...I made a mistake and trusted the wrong people. No one was meant to get hurt, certainly not Ron or Rose or Hugo..."
"But causalities happen when you're blinded by love," Cormac's voice filled the room as he poked his head out behind Kingsley. No one has noticed him until now.
"Cormac?" Harry stood now, raising his own wand.
"What is he doing here? What does he know?" Hermione demanded.
"I know everything...and we are not going to let you destroy everything we have all worked to build because you don't think your daughter is a danger...we need to know the truth," Cormac said.
Hermione looked to Kingsley for an answer, devastated by the betrayal.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Kingsley said.
And before anyone could say anything else, Kingsley raised his wand. "Obliviate..."
And blank looks quickly took over Hermione, Harry, and Ginny's face.
"Now what?" Cormac asked.
"Now we replace their memories...better they all forget this so we can handle Lex as we need to should this all turn out to be real...make sure none of them remember this-" Kingsley explained.
But Kingsley was cut off by his wand being blasted out of his hand. Both he and Cormac turned, surprised to see Lex standing there with her wand raised and anger in her eyes.
"How much did you hear?" Cormac said, his own wand raised at Lex.
Lex turned her attention to Cormac. "Enough."
But while her attention was on Cormac, Kingsley managed to get his wand, Lex turned her attention back to the Minister, ready to attack him, when Cormac took the moment to blast a spell off at Lex.
The spell hit Lex directly in the stomach, causing a large wound that began bleeding heavily. She passed out from the pain.
"Damn it!" Kingsley rushed forward to examine the wound.
"Who cares?" Cormac asked.
"No one else dies until we get to the bottom of this!" Kingsley raised his wand to stop the bleeding on Lex before before also muttering the spell. "Obliviate."
"We will replace her memories as well..." Kingsley said.
"I'll handle it. The Minister shouldn't have his hand in this," Cormac said.
Kingsley's lack of a response gave Cormac the permission to perform the spells. He moved around the room.
"Hermione attacked Lex...because she went mad over losing her family. She can't remember what's real and what's not...Ginny and Harry found her like this..." Cormac said aloud the new memories.
Kingsley looked up surprised at what Cormac and chose.
"It will keep them out of our way...let them focus on something besides what we are doing...if there is any suspicion," Cormac explained.
The memories swirled once more to a much older Finn standing in the same McLaggen sitting room as the other memories but this time he wasn't hiding, instead he was standing with his arms crossed while his father and Kingsley stood across from him.
"I don't want to keep doing this to Lex...it isn't fair to her...she didn't pick any of this with me...and I can't live like this anymore. I can't stand lying to her," Finn said, slamming an engagement ring down on the table.
"I thought you loved her," Cormac laughed a little.
Finn clenched his jaw at his father's comment. "I do...and it killing me to know it's not real for her."
"We are so close, Finn...we can see how powerful she is becoming... look at all lives she has taken as an Auror already," Cormac said to his son.
"Bad people...she's hunted down bad wizards and witches and creatures. She is good at her job..." Finn reasoned.
"He's not wrong..." Kingsley sighed in agreement.
Cormac turned a sharp eye on Kingsley. "Don't tell me you're going soft on me now..."
"She may be a powerful witch...and have some anger issues but...Lex hasn't done anything but defend our community..." Kingsley said.
"Well power can be used for good or bad...if influenced properly," The voice of Lucius Malfoy the memory.
Kingsley turned but Lucius immediately disarmed him.
"What are you doing here?" Kingsley bellowed at Lucius.
"Why...simple really... I was the one who told Cormac about Bellatrix's curse to begin with. You, of course, made sure that bloody Mudblood got the prophecy rather then us and now that is gone so we will never know the truth. We need to understand what the prophecy said and who that Weasley girl could be. As you said...a powerful witch...but even that type of power can be influenced...and she could be very powerful indeed for those of us who want to right the Wizarding World again...and a half-blood with parents like hers? Oh people will follow her indeed," Lucius explained.
Kingsley turned an eye on Cormac. "This was never about protecting anyone or stopping a curse. This was about control for you. You want to control her."
Cormac merely shrugged. "Can't it be both?"
Kingsley shook his head. "This is over now."
"For you? Yes...stuplify! Cormac said, knocking Kinglsey to the ground.
"Obliviate," Lucius cast the spell on Kingsley.
"What..." Finn started, clearly in shock at what had just happened.
"You will marry Lex...you will continue to give her the potion and we will sort out exactly who she will become while we work on a way to go back and figure out that prophecy. If she has been cursed with the power she seems to hold and we can manipulate her...the Wizarding World will be ours for the taking and you, son, will be her right hand. We could have save ourselves all of this time and mess if we had sorted the truth out from the beginning," Cormac told his son, his wand raised on him.
"And if we can't...well do what you want with her," Lucius smirked.
Fear was written on Finn's face as he merely nodded.
Harry gently put his hand over the device on the table and the memories stopped.
The room fell into silence as pure shock was written on Ron and Hermione's face. No one moved, hardly a sound could be heard. Scorpius was frozen against the wall while Lex's face hung with absolutely shock and confusion on it.
"Lex..." Harry said softly.
Lex twitched her eyes up at her uncle and shook her head, her voice barely a whisper. "It's my fault."
"No...no it's not!" Ginny spoke up immediately, looking at Harry in almost a panic and she tried to move to her niece. "None of it's your fault, this is exactly why we wanted to tell you earlier."
Ginny continued to look at Harry as if he had been the reason they had told Lex along with everyone else rather then by herself and he ducked his head to indicate he indeed was.
Ginny got near Lex who put her hands up to stop her Aunt from hugging her as she quickly moved toward the door.
Finn, who was closest to the door gently reached out to grab Lex's arm. "Lex..."
Lex jerked her arm away from him, absolutely repulsed by his touch. "Don't you fucking touch me!"
Finn dropped his hand and immediately Lex took off out the front door.