The following morning, Hermione was still struggling to come to terms with the fact her stalker was someone she knew. In fact, it was something everyone was struggling with and the previous evening Harry had suggested that they took some time to digest the news before meeting up to discuss their next step. He'd also promised that while they discussed matters, Ginny would look after Anya so they didn't have to worry about her overhearing something she shouldn't.
After breakfast Charlie took Anya off to Ginny's, where she would spend the morning with her cousins. While Charlie was out, Draco spoke to his father to let him know he was staying with Hermione and wouldn't be in work. When Charlie returned, he had Harry with him and they were closely followed by Ron, who looked as though he had barely slept.
"Where do we begin?" Charlie asked once they were all gathered around the kitchen table with fresh cups of coffee steaming in front of them.
"I don't really know," Harry admitted. "To be honest, I still can't believe what's happening. I never expected to find we would be looking for our stalker so close to him."
"It's taken us all by surprise," Ron agreed with a long sigh. "And it's so unbelievable that someone close would do this to Hermione."
"Is it?" Draco questioned. "I think before we go any further, we need to address the elephant in the room. There is one person we all know who had serious issues with Hermione, issues which have been very prevalent lately."
"No," Ron insisted with a shake of his head. "I know what you're thinking Malfoy, and it's just not possible. Mum would never do anything like this."
"After thinking on it all night, I have to agree," Charlie said. "Yesterday, she was the first person to come into my head as there's no denying the problems she and Hermione are having. But the more I think about it, the more I refuse to believe she would stoop so low. At the end of the day, she loves Anya, and she would never do anything to hurt her in any way, and that includes scaring her mother."
"I think I also agree," Hermione told her fiancée. She hadn't exactly slept much the previous night, and she'd reached the same conclusions Charlie had about his mother.
"Okay, you lot know her better so I won't argue," Draco said. "I just thought we needed to mention it."
"We know why you said it," Charlie assured the younger wizard.
"Although even taking our opinions of Molly into consideration, she's still not the one who took the mask from the Ministry," Harry said.
"How do you know that?" Draco asked. "Do you know who was posing as Weasley?"
"No, but it would have arisen suspicion if it was a witch, don't you think?" Harry countered.
"I guess so," Draco admitted.
"Since we're on that topic, do you have any idea how someone could pose as Ron at the Ministry?" Charlie asked. "Are we talking Polyjuice Potion here?"
"Not necessarily," Ron answered. "I have access to the security vault because I'm an Auror, but it's not somewhere I go a lot, so I can't say I know any of the Unspeakables who work there. My wand would have been enough to allow someone access."
"But surely if whichever Unspeakable on duty didn't know you personally, they would still know enough about you to know what you looked like," Draco pointed out. After all, Ron was a war hero and the best friend of Harry Potter. "Or they should at least know enough to have a vague idea what you look like."
"They should," Ron agreed with a long sigh. "But maybe whoever did this looked enough like me not to arouse suspicion."
"What are you saying Ron?" Charlie asked warily, even though it was clear what his brother was suggesting.
"That whoever did this was family," Ron whispered. "I've been awake all night, and that day the only places I were, was at home, The Burrow and Diagon Alley. Now we know my wand wasn't cloned, I think we can rule out Diagon Alley as the place my wand was taken. I was only there about ten minutes, and no-one could have done everything they did in ten minutes."
"I guess someone could have taken your wand while you were out, and then returned it later on when you were either at home or at The Burrow," Harry argued. Even though Ron's theory made complete sense, he just didn't want to believe they were looking for a Weasley.
"They could," Ron agreed. "But surely that still makes them family. I didn't see anyone else that day."
"So who did you see that day?" Charlie asked.
"That's just the thing, I didn't see anyone but Mum," Ron admitted. "I spent the morning with Rose as Luna had a few things to do, and once she was home, I headed to The Burrow. Mum was there with a few of the kids and I helped her clear out a few things she wanted rid of before Christmas. I also popped to the shops for her."
"And what about your wand? How much did you use it?" Harry asked. "Maybe if we can narrow down what time you weren't using our wand, we can work out who could have taken it."
"I don't think I used it much at all," Ron said with a thoughtful shake of his head. "I travelled by floo to Diagon Alley and back, and I didn't really need my wand for the bits and pieces I did for Mum. I did have my wand with me though, I always have it with me. But since I didn't use it, it could have just been sitting in my jacket."
"Okay, so it seems your wand was sitting in your jacket at The Burrow, where any of the family could have taken it," Harry mused. "And just because you didn't see anyone, it doesn't mean no-one else was around that day."
"Earlier on, you said Molly was at home with some of the kids, which ones?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not sure I can remember exactly," Ron confessed with a wince, wishing he'd paid more attention. But then again, at the time he hadn't know how significant the day was going to turn out to be. "I think Victoire and Louis were there, or maybe it was just Victoire. Little Fred might have been there. Percy's Molly possibly. I'm sorry, I just can't remember."
"So basically any of our brothers could have popped in with their kids and taken your wand," Charlie remarked with a sigh. "The problem is, I can't see any of them doing this either. None of this makes any sense."
"It doesn't, but the evidence is definitely pointing in the family's direction," Harry said, not liking it one bit, but knowing that as an Auror he had to go where the evidence led him, and right now it was pointing firmly at his family.
"Maybe rather than trying to decide who would have done this, we should talk about why they've done it," Draco suggested. He could see why everyone was finding it so hard to believe that someone they loved was behind the torture Hermione was going through, but Harry was right and the evidence was certainly leading them in that direction.
"I think the reason why this is happening became clear yesterday," Hermione said. "You said it yourself, Draco. That parcel was a warning against your family. Someone wants me to think Anya is in danger because I am with you. And Molly said that to me the day we told the family we were engaged."
"So you think someone heard what she said, and decided to run with it?" Harry asked, the theory actually making sense.
"Maybe whoever is doing this, isn't doing it to hurt me," Hermione said, warming up to her theory. "Maybe they're doing this thinking it's what Molly wants. The whole family know about our recent troubles, so maybe they're just trying to help Molly. What if they're doing this because they think it's the only way to make Molly happy."
Everyone was quiet for a while as they considered what Hermione was suggesting. Of course, it would still mean a member of the family was behind everything that was going on, but at least this way their motives were a bit more palatable. Not that it excused what they were doing to Hermione, and the worry they were causing her. But it was better to think they were doing this for Molly rather than because they hated Hermione.
"I think there's only one way to get the answers we want," Harry eventually said, breaking the contemplative silence which had fallen. "We need to gather the family and have this out with everyone."
"And if we're wrong?" Ron asked. "I know all the evidence is pointing towards our family, but what if there's more we don't know? What if we accuse the family, and it turns out someone else is behind this? False allegations could tear the family apart."
"Then we have to do it in a way where it doesn't sound like we're accusing anyone," Charlie said. "Why don't we gather the family on the pretext of keeping them up to date with what's going on."
"But how will that get us the culprit?" Ron asked. "Even if we lay out everything we know, I can't see anyone owning up to doing this. Not if we don't have any evidence against them."
"What about the footprints you took after the first incident?" Draco questioned. "Could you not match them to someone now you have suspects?"
"That could work," Harry agreed with a thoughtful nod. "Does anyone know if anyone in the family has a size eleven foot?"
"I'm an eleven," Charlie said. "Growing up, I often borrowed Bill's shoes, so he might still be the same size as me."
"I'm a size twelve, and the twins shoes were way too small for me when we were younger," Ron said. "I do think I got passed a couple of Percy's old pairs, but they were pretty tight, so I think his feet are smaller than mine."
"I guess that's something we can find out," Harry said. "But as for getting someone to confess. We could always use Veriteserum."
"Only as a last resort," Ron said with a slight shake of his head. "I don't like the idea of using truth serum on the family. Let's just arrange a meeting and hope that whoever is doing this will have the decency to admit it."
Hermione wanted to believe that Ron's hopes were right, but she seriously doubted it. She just couldn't see why anyone would confess to stalking to her when they didn't have proof. She honestly thought that to get a confession they would either have to trick whoever was behind the stalking, or find positive proof of who had been doing it.
After a bit more talking, it was decided that it would be better to talk to the family sooner rather than later as there was no point prolonging the agony. However, to make it work they would have to include the whole family, which meant that arrangements would have to be made for childcare. So of course that meant that there would be a short delay, but Harry and Ron promised to get everything sorted as quickly as they could.
When Harry and Ron headed off to go to work, and to arrange a family meeting, Charlie went off to pick up Anya, with plans to take her out for the afternoon. That left Hermione and Draco alone, and once the house was empty and they'd relocated to the living room, Draco asked Hermione what she would do if the culprit was revealed to be a Weasley.
"Would you want to press charges?"
"It's not exactly going to make things any easier with Molly," Hermione sighed. "But at the end of the day, I've been through some pretty major mental trauma these last few weeks. I can't just overlook that if it does turn out to be family behind it. I guess we'll just have to see what happens if the truth can be revealed. Although let's not forget that it's not just about if I want to press charges, it's about how much can be proved by the Aurors. Someone else in my department might decide there's not enough evidence to prosecute."
"I suppose only time will tell," Draco said, wrapping his arm around Hermione. "I have to say, I didn't expect this ordeal to end like this."
"I don't think anyone saw this coming," Hermione agreed with a sigh. "Part of me still hopes that we're wrong and there's someone else behind this. Is that crazy? If someone else is doing this, the danger might be more real."
"It's not crazy to hope your stalker is someone you don't know and trust," Draco assured her. "Especially if they do turn out to be family."