On particularly trying days, especially when the Triwizard Tournament had been at its height and Mr. Crouch at his worst, Percy had gotten in the habit of Apparating to a secluded spot of Ottery St. Catchpole and walking to the Burrow. It gave him time to clear his head, enjoy the silence of the countryside, and just relax and decompress.
He also liked coming over around the bend in the path that led from the Muggle road to the Burrow. At the end the Burrow could be seen at the bottom of the lane, his mother's vegetable and flower gardens in bloom (or not depending on the season), the orchard stretching further back with his dad's shed nearby, along with the few animals they kept. At one time they had kept pigs and made some money from that, but when most of the children had gone off to Hogwarts, they had sold the last of their pigs and converted that area of the property into the flower garden.
In late June, the gardens were in full bloom and some of the orchard's apple blossoms were in late bloom. The warm evening breeze brought the heavenly smell to Percy as he approached the house. It was as familiar a smell as the feel of the gate he now opened and walked through. As familiar as the feel of his wand in his and whenever he used it. It was comforting. He was glad to be home, especially now that his siblings were home for the holidays where he could keep an eye on them and ensure they were still alive and breathing after such a harrowing end of the year.
He slipped into the Burrow, allowing the smells and bells of the house settle over him. He could hear the twins in the living room, they seemed to be playing chess with Ron for once. He poked his head in. Fred and George were teamed up against Ron and were losing quite spectacularly. Ginny lay sprawled on the couch, holding a book above her face.
"What're you reading?" he asked, dropping his briefcase, and sitting on the couch, lifting Ginny's feet up to set in his lap.
"Pride and Prejudice," Ginny answered. "It's apparently a very popular Muggle book from the 1800s. Mum let me walk into the village to buy it. Aria thought I might like it as a start to my adventure into Muggle literature."
"And do you like it so far?" Percy asked. He would have to ask Penelope about the book.
"The mother, Mrs. Bennet, kinda reminds me of Mum. And the sisters are kinda all like us, except they're all girls and I'm not as stupid as the youngest sister. She's already very annoying. But yes. I am liking it." Ginny peered at him from underneath the book. "Mum's invited the Headmaster for dinner."
Percy's heart stuttered to a near stop before he dropped his head back with a tired sigh.
"For a man who's done a lot for you, you don't seem to like him that much," Fred said. "Aren't you supposed to get along with your godparents?" Percy winced at the subtle reminder that neither Fred nor George had grandparents anymore. At the height of the war, their uncles Fabian and Gideon Prewett had been killed by Voldemort's Death Eaters. They had been the twins' godparents, as per wixen tradition.
"Getting along with a godparent is not a guarantee," Percy answered.
"Just would've thought that since he got you that ICW internship and gave you all that private tutoring, you'd be more excited to see him," Fred said.
"Private tutoring?" Percy questioned.
"Yeah. You spent so much time with him at Hogwarts."
The fact that they had noticed was surprising. He had not thought anyone had taken note with how much time Dumbledore called him to his office, except for Oliver, but Percy had always had an excuse ready.
"Yeah, that," Percy murmured. "We're just different, is all, Fred."
Arthur popped into the living room, grinning when he spotted Percy.
"Yes, dear!" he called over his shoulder to some unknown question. "It was Percy. He's just hanging out with the kids."
"Am I not your kid?" Percy teased.
"You'll always be my kid," Arthur said. "But you're not a kid. Come on, you lot! Dinner's served!" Ron knocked over the twins' king as a final act which had the twins squawking with indignation. Ginny shoved her bookmark into her book and trotted after Arthur to the kitchen. Percy forced himself to his feet, mentally preparing himself for what he was sure was going to be a few hours of his family feeling very sorry for Dumbledore.
"It's really quite awful how the Wizengamot just removed you like that," Molly was saying as she finished levitating the food to the table. She perked up, seeing Percy.
"Ah, Percival!" Dumbledore greeted warmly. "So good to see you."
"Evening, Headmaster," Percy said as he went around the table to greet Molly with a kiss to her cheek. "Hi, Mum. Need help?"
"No, no, you go sit."
Percy snagged a seat between his dad and Ginny. It still put him directly diagonal from the headmaster, but at least he wasn't having to sit right next to him like Ron was. Fred settled at the end of the table while George slid into the seat on Ron's other side.
"How have your summers been?" Dumbledore asked.
"Good so far," George answered. "We had a picnic the other day with the Diggorys and Lovegoods and Sirius and Remus brought Barty Crouch over for us to meet."
"Neville was there too," Ron added. "Bit of a mess the whole thing."
"Yes, it is," Dumbledore said. "Frank and Alice were some of the brightest students of their generation. I am hoping to visit once Florian's had it announced in the papers."
"Your summer's been eventful, hasn't it?" Ginny asked the headmaster.
"Indeed, it has," Dumbledore said. "I was just telling your parents about being removed at Chief Warlock the other say. Minister Fudge is quite insistent that I am a danger to the public."
"A danger?" Fred cried. "By speaking the truth?"
"The truth can be a frightening thing," Dumbledore replied.
"Does that mean you're no longer a Supreme Mugwump too?" Ron asked. His siblings all gave him raised eyebrows and he rolled his eyes. "What? I know a few things!" Ginny grinned as she kicked Ron under the table.
"That is correct, Ronald," Dumbledore said. "I believe the ICW is going to have a vote within the next few days to replace me. It will be interesting to see who they elect. A European has held Supreme Mugwump for the last three hundred years."
"Babajide Akingbade from Nigeria was quite popular," Percy couldn't help but say. "I remember meeting a few interns from Uagadou."
"Where's that?" George asked.
"It's the wizarding school in Uganda," Percy explained. "Most of its students are from East Africa."
"I'd like to go back to Africa," Ginny said. "Egypt was fun, but I'd like to see more of it."
"Well, I think it's absolutely pitiful how Fudge is treating you," Molly stated emphatically. "And then the rest of the world just seems happy to follow along. After all the good you've done!"
The chicken suddenly felt like rubber. Unchewable. Unappetizing. Percy focused on the act of chewing in an attempt to beat down the twisting feeling his stomach was currently going through. All the good Dumbledore had done was just a bunch of lies piled up to hide all his sins.
"What exactly happened the night of the Third Task, Headmaster?" Fred asked. Dumbledore appeared genuinely surprised at the question.
"Has Harry not told you?" he asked.
"Harry'll tell us when he's ready," Ron stated, very firmly, around a bunch of cooked carrots, shooting a sharp look at Fred. "Cedric too." Neither of the twins seemed unrepentant at how nosy they were being.
"It seems Sirius is keeping Harry from speaking out about that night," Dumbledore said, disappoint seeping into his tone. "And he may be pressuring Cedric to do the same. I spotted Amos going into Sirius' office the other day after Sirius voted in favor of removing me as Chief Warlock."
"Why would he do that?" Ginny asked.
"How could he?" Molly cried, her voice overpowering Ginny's question. Dumbledore shook his head with a shrug.
"I'm afraid Sirius may be trying to undermine me," he said. "For what purpose I can only speculate. I fear Azkaban may have changed him." Molly and Arthur made sympathetic noises. Percy finally managed to swallow his food without feeling too sick. Of course, Azkaban changed people, especially if you were held in the dementor infested areas. He knew there were at least two levels of the prison the dementors did not go to, but one of those levels was for prisoners, the other level was the living quarters for the guards stationed at the prison.
"But to return to your question, young Fred," Dumbledore said, "Harry was forced to give up his blood in a ritual that brought Voldemort—" the Weasleys shivered, "—back to a corporeal form. He was also tortured and forced to duel the man."
"Monster, not man," Molly muttered, tears springing from her eyes.
"He is very lucky to escape," Arthur said seriously. "As is Cedric."
"Yes . . . neither of them were able to tell me how Cedric survived," Dumbledore said, "beyond the fact that Cedric – and all the Champions – had been given a protection amulet prior to the task. Now, they technically weren't allowed to have those on, but . . ."
"Good thing people cheat sometimes," Ginny muttered.
"I think Aria gave them the amulets," George said. Percy sent him a sharp look that the twin completely missed. "I saw her give something to the Champions a few days before the Third Task. Just a couple days after she was attacked."
"The same day The Daily Prophet broke the news that Karkaroff had sent all those fucking Durmstrang students home," Ginny said.
"Language!" Molly cried. "I don't know who is influencing you to speak in such a way, but it certainly wasn't me."
Ginny shrugged also unrepentant.
"Miss Bourne . . ." Dumbledore stroked his beard. "Quite the young lady." Percy's fingers tightened around his knife and fork. "I will have to speak with her then. If Voldemort were to discover the powers, she is manifesting . . . one can only imagine what he would do to a vulnerable Muggleborn such as she. She'll need someone to help protect her father, of course. The Order can see to that."
There was a calculating gleam in Dumbledore's eyes that Percy did not like. He shot a prayer to Lady Magic and any one of the Old Gods that he didn't really believe in, but he had to thank somebody that Aria had a protector like Professor Snape, like Remus, like Sirius and Prudence and Tracey and Marcus. That she had first met Teddy Lawrence and that she had made it through Hogwarts so far without being too bothered or important enough to garner the headmaster's attention. Then he thanked them that he was only of average magical ability because he could not imagine how much worse his time with Dumbledore would have been if he had shown any kind of remarkable talent.
Or maybe that would not have been so bad. He remembered seeing Dumbledore slip Bill and Charlie little trinkets and candies while they were at Hogwarts, had laughed with them over the shenanigans they had gotten up too; had helped Charlie rehome a Niffler he had found, and had gifted Bill a book about cursebreaking that he had found in a secondhand bookshop because he knew Bill was interested. Both of his brothers always spoke of the headmaster with fondness and a smile. Like he was their godfather and not Percy's.
Maybe, if he had been as talented as his brothers, there would have been warmth where there was now only ice in his heart.
But then, Percy supposed, he would not be able to see the headmaster's manipulations. So, perhaps, even for all the pain, some good had come of it after all.
"I'm going to get the old crowd back together," Dumbledore said. Percy came out of his thoughts, realizing that he had missed at least seven minutes of conversation, and that Molly was clearing dinner away to make room for dessert. "I would like to ask Sirius to have the group headquartered at Grimmauld as it's central and no one would suspect us using that house, but I fear after today he may not be receptive to playing host. If it comes to it . . ."
"We can have it here," Molly stated, setting a large banoffee pie on the table along with mugs for coffee and tea.
"What's the old crowd?" Ron asked.
"None of your business," Molly stated. Percy nearly groaned. That phrase practically ensured that any Weasley child would make something their business. Arthur sighed, as if realizing the same thing.
"Come now, Molly," Dumbledore said. "The children will learn one way or another. Fredrick and George and Percival are also of age and may join if they wish."
Join? Join what? Whatever little friend group Dumbledore had going? He would probably want Percy to spy on the minister, which wasn't any different from what the minister wanted Percy to do for him, but that was neither here nor there since Percy didn't intent to spy on anyone for anybody!
Well . . . not exactly true. He'd tell Aria and Harry anything if it kept either of them safe.
He cut himself a large piece of pie and served himself coffee.
"At the height of the last war," Dumbledore explained to Percy's siblings who hung on every word, "the ministry was extremely corrupt and full of Death Eaters and sympathizers. The aurors were stretched thin. People had to rely on themselves. I and a select few gathered together into a group to fight against Voldemort. We called ourselves the Order of the Phoenix and, in many ways, we became the last line of defense between Voldemort and his complete domination of the British Isles. It was a secret order, no one outside the group knew who was in the group."
With a name like Order of the Phoenix? Dumbledore was the only person in the last thousand years to have a phoenix for a familiar. And historians were still debating whether or not Merlin or one of the founders actually had one or if Fawkes just happened to like the magical area of Hogwarts and decided to stay. Percy prided himself in having read Hogwarts, A History several times.
Thankfully, Dumbledore did not stay long after dessert. Percy breathed a sigh of relief when his parents walked the man to the Floo. He had been half-afraid that he would have had to politely help entertain the man for another hour or two. When Molly and Arthur returned to the kitchen, the twins, Ron, and Ginny began bombarding them with questions.
"Were you really part of a vigilante group during the first war?" Ginny asked.
"You make it sound like we were some kind of Muggle superheroes," Arthur said, settling down for his tea.
"Wicked!" Ginny and Ron cried.
"We want in," Fred and George cried.
"This isn't a game, boys," Molly insisted, waving the pie knife at them as she cut herself another slice. "This is serious business. Besides, you've still got one year of Hogwarts left."
"Who cares about NEWTs when there's a Dark Lord running about?" Fred asked.
"There won't always be a Dark Lord running about," Percy pointed out.
"Are you going to join, Percy?" Ginny asked, grabbing his arm. "Oh, it would be rather exciting, wouldn't it? You could . . . you and Dad . . . you could be spies or something!"
"You sure Percy isn't already a spy?" George muttered.
"George!" Arthur snapped, startling everyone. George glanced down at his piece of pie, unable to meet their dad's gaze. Percy decided to ignore George in favor of Ginny.
"I don't want to be a part of the Order," Percy said to Ginny.
"Do you don't want to fight against You-Know-Who?" Fred demanded.
"I never said that!" Percy cried, anger flaring inside at his brother. "I just said I didn't want to be a part of the Order."
"Same thing, isn't it?" Fred questioned. "You know the truth, yet you'd rather sit on your ass in your fancy office with your fancy job and pretend all is right with the world when it's not!"
"George!" Molly cried.
"It's Fred!" the twins and Percy cried back. Molly huffed.
"I know just as much about the situation as you do," Percy said. "Because Harry hasn't informed any of us what happened in the graveyard, so all we have is Dumbledore's word to go on."
"So, you're saying Dumbledore is lying about what Harry and Cedric went through?"
"I'm saying that Dumbledore always has an agenda, Fred. And I don't want to be a part of whatever agenda he's got. If Voldemort's back, and I don't doubt Harry for a moment, but a lot of things could have happened that night so until I hear from Harry or Cedric, I will keep my opinions on that matter to myself instead of spouting them off at every turn and gain more enemies than are worth it! Because that's what Dumbledore's doing right now. Gaining more enemies. And he's dragging Harry and Cedric into this, especially Harry."
"Harry is a child," Molly stated. "Dumbledore would never involve children in the war."
Percy laughed. Molly's face twisted, hurt, that her son was laughing at her. Percy nearly apologized, but he shoved the feeling aside.
"Of course, he's going to use children," he said. "Why do you think he appointed himself Harry's magical guardian?"
"That's paranoia talking," Molly snapped. "Or a bitter Sirius Black. Who knows how Azkaban really affected him. He should have allowed Dumbledore to be Harry's co-guardian, why throw the boy into more turmoil than necessary? Dumbledore loves Harry just like we all do."
"Except Percy apparently," Fred muttered, George nodding along.
A small memory shot through Percy's mind of when Harry was just a tiny second year.
"Dumbledore's a bad man," Harry had said. Afterwards, Percy had stormed back to Dumbledore's office and used the spell Aria had inadvertently taught him. The one Prudence had shown her. He had gone and cut off Dumbledore's dick. Dumbledore had had to go to St. Mungo's and the story told to the press was that someone tried to assassinate him.
Percy almost wished he had.
"I love Harry just as much as anyone in this family," Percy snapped, rising to his feet. Fred and George followed suit, always a united pair. Percy doubted that even Death would be able to separate them. "And that's why I want to ensure that he is safe and well and looked after. It was Dumbledore who placed him with the Dursleys and Dumbledore who chose to keep him in the dark about his magical heritage until he was eleven! It was Dumbledore who had the power to ask for a trial for Sirius Black, yet he never did. He sat year after year in the Chief Warlock seat and then the Seat of the Supreme Mugwump and let Lord Black rot in Azkaban. So don't try and tell me that Dumbledore loves Harry more than me or you or Sirius or anyone else."
"Dumbledore must've had his reasons," Molly said, backing up the twins. "We need to trust him."
"No." Percy shook his head. "No. I won't."
"Percy," Arthur finally said, voice steady and quiet, "this family supports Dumbledore."
"Then count me out," Percy said. His family gasped. Ginny's hands flew to her mouth and tears welled up in her eyes. Ron's face paled, his freckles jumping out. "I want no part in whatever it is Dumbledore has planned. Everywhere he goes he leaves nothing but a trail of death. How many of the original Order is still alive? Hm? They all blindly followed him and look where they ended up. Dead! The Bones, the Potters, and Uncles Fabian and Gideon too. Our uncles could be alive today if they hadn't followed that fucking old man!"
Smack!
Percy's face snapped to the side at the sudden slap from his mother. Time froze in the Burrow as everyone sat petrified, trying to process what they had just witnessed. Even Molly looked surprised at her own actions. Percy supposed he deserved the slap. Their mother's brothers were still sore spots even after all these years.
"Oh, Percy," Molly cried, tears slipping from her eyes, her voice choking against her words. "What happened to that sweet boy you once were?"
"I grew up, Mum. Came into my own opinions."
"But they're all the wrong ones!" She sniffed, pulling out a handkerchief to mop at her eyes. "Don't you see, Percy? The Minister wants to make trouble in this family, and you play right into his hands by believing everything he says over Dumbledore!"
He had never said that! Percy tried to think of a response but fell short of anything worthwhile to say. It did not matter, he realized, how he worded it, his mum and dad would always believe that he was choosing the Ministry over them, all because he had accepted a cushy job at the minister's junior undersecretary. They would always think the worst of him. That . . . hurt.
Without another word, Percy left the kitchen, marching upstairs to his bedroom. With a swish of his wand, his trunk came sliding out from under his bed, popping open, and the items he could not live without began to shrink and float into the trunk. Books, clothes, and other knick-knacks went into his trunk.
"What're you doing?"
Percy paused in floating another ten books off his bookshelf over to the trunk. Ron and Ginny stood in his doorway, looking around with wide eyes and growing horror and understanding.
"You can't go!" Ginny cried.
"I've got to," Percy said, setting the ten books into the trunk. "I can't stay here another minute where Dumbledore is set on a high pedestal." With another switch of his wand, he brings his mementos box into his trunk followed by other little knick-knacks he's collected over the years. Another switch of his wand and his clothes came flying through the air, folding as they flew, landing neatly in his trunk.
"You can't go," Ginny repeated, grabbing some of Percy's clothes from his trunk and trying to put them back in his wardrobe. "So, what if you don't like Headmaster Dumbledore? Half my house doesn't like him, you're in good company!"
"Ginny," Percy murmured, taking the clothes back out of the wardrobe, and putting them in his trunk, studiously ignoring the tears rolling down his baby sister's cheeks. "This . . . this isn't just about Dumbledore. It's about the fact that Mum and Dad both think that I'm willing to sell this family out for a promotion. The twins too. Do you really think we can continue to play happy family for long with that elephant in the room?"
"But you wouldn't," Ginny sobbed. "And you haven't!"
Percy smiled sadly at her and Ron who was nodding his head too, his jaw clenched tightly as he did his best to keep from crying like Ginny was. He drew his siblings close, holding them tightly as they returned the hug. He pressed his face into Ginny's hair, then Ron's, taking in every smell and feeling of them, committing it to memory. He wanted to remember Ginny's strawberry shampoo and Ron's spearmint body wash. He wanted to remember what it felt like to be wrapped in the arms of his siblings. He knew that, when he walked out of the house tonight, there was a good chance he would not see any of his siblings for a very long time.
"I want you to promise me something," he said, pulling away from them.
"Anything," Ron choked out.
"Look out for each other," Percy instructed. "And look out for Harry and Aria. Watch out for all your friends, but especially the Muggleborns. If Voldemort is truly back, then it's only a matter of time before he makes moves, and Harry will need all the support he gets, and Aria will have a target painted on her back for, not just her association with Harry, but her powers."
"Dumbledore's known about Aria's powers," Ron said, "but he's never seemed interested in her. I didn't like the look he had on his face tonight. But, Percy, he's a war hero. He's done so much for the wizarding world! Why're you so worried about him?"
Percy closed his trunk; his room bare except for the bedding left on his bed. He stared at the wall, heart beating wildly. He couldn't just tell Ron and Ginny the truth. What was the point? Even with Dumbledore on the down and out at the ministry, the truth was so outlandish, so far-fetched that even Minister Fudge wouldn't believe him! Dumbledore was a war hero and he had done a lot for the wixen community. Worse, even if he told Ron and Ginny and they believed him, the rest of the family would not, and he didn't think that he could live with his parents' disbelief.
"I just . . . worry that perhaps the power and prestige has gone to his head," Percy settled on saying, shrinking his trunk and slipping it into his pocket. "Power can corrupt even the most benevolent of people if they aren't careful." He pressed a kiss to Ginny and Ron's head.
"Be good," he said. "I'll try and write, but I doubt the twins would let that stand knowing them." He exited the room.
"Percy!" Ginny shouted, bursting into a new round of tears. "Don't go! Please, don't go!"
Percy arrived at the bottom of the stairs. The twins glared at him from the living room, and he could hear Molly banging away in the kitchen. Arthur stood a few feet off, face flushed pink the only indication that he was upset.
"Don't go!" Ginny cried, grabbing Percy.
"Ginny . . ." Percy warned.
"Then wait!" she cried. "I'll come with you. I'll just pack my trunk too!"
"No," Percy stressed, pointing a finger in her face, causing her to stop short with a half-sob. "Stay here. I will see you when I can." He kissed her forehead again, pushed her into Ron's arms, and turned for the door. A part of him wished that Arthur would call out to him, tell him to stop and to not go. If his dad asked, he would stay, he knew deep down he would.
He opened the front door and Arthur still said nothing.
With a finality that frightened Percy, the door closed behind him, and he walked towards the edge of the Burrow's wards, Ginny's crying ringing in his ears. He took a deep breath, spun on his heel, and disappeared.