After an initial moment of shocked silence, Hermione screamed, and Ron ran to Ginny and Fred's side. George stood, dumbfounded, staring at his injured siblings while Harry took in the surroundings. He found it difficult to look directly at his wife—after years of watching his loved ones die or be hurt by the evil that was Voldemort, he couldn't bear the thought that Ginny might be following the rest. So for now, he couldn't bring himself to look at her in case his worst fears were confirmed. Instead, he looked up to see a window frame, with no glass in it, and as he watched the glass replaced itself, as if by magic. There was no one standing in the window that Harry could see. He felt a chill creep up his spine as though he was being watched by an unseen enemy.
Hermione grabbed Harry and George, shaking them from their fog, and Harry finally turned his reluctant gaze to the fallen Weasleys. He swallowed fearfully. Ginny was lying as if dead, with shards of glass piercing her skin in various places. Her face was scratched pretty badly, and she was bleeding. Hermione took this as a good sign, figuring that if she was still bleeding, her heart was still pumping. Fred was in quite the same condition, although his breathing seemed a bit more shallow, which could have been due to a large piece of the glass appeared to have punctured his right lung.
In tears, Ron cried, "We have to get them to St. Mungo's." Hermione nodded in agreement.
She stood and, being sure no one was watching, told Harry, "Go!" Harry had Ginny wrapped in his arms, and Disapparated. George followed, clinging for dear life to his brother. One last look up the street, and Ron and Hermione left as well.
* * *
The six arrived outside the Purge and Dowse building unnoticed, and Hermione spoke to the dummy in the window to gain entry.
The reception area was empty save for the Welcome Witch, who immediately called Healers to the room. They took one look at Fred and Ginny, levitated the pair, and moved them soundlessly through the double-doors at the end of the reception area.
Ron, Hermione, Harry and George took the lift to Fourth Floor: Spell Damage, and went to sit in the waiting area until they could see Ginny and Fred.
George and Harry were sitting silently, and, although he was trying to ignore them, Harry could hear Ron and Hermione whispering back and forth as though trying not to let anyone else hear them. Try as he might, he couldn't block out their whispers, which seemed to get louder and louder.
"Ron, I HAVE to talk to him about this. Your sister and brother got hurt because someone was trying to hurt HIM." Hermione looked pointedly at Harry, not realising he could hear every word.
"I AM sitting right here, you know." Harry sounded bitter. His new wife had been brought, bloodied and injured, to St. Mungo's, and he had no idea what the prognosis was.
Hermione glanced nervously at Ron before turning to Harry. "Harry, I – "
"Listen, mate," Ron interrupted, "Hermione has reason to believe that – "
"I believe her." Harry cut Ron off so effectively that Ron was speechless. "I believe Malfoy lives there, and I want to know why my wife is dying. I want to know why he hates me so much, and why he seems to think that if I die, his life will be any better. I am NOT responsible for the death of his parents, and I will NOT let this lie."
Hermione, too, was speechless, and as someone who always had something to say, this was a surprise.
"Ok, Harry. What can we do? Where do we start? It'll be like old times." Ron was trying hard to ease the tension.
"Ron!" Hermione scolded. "Shouldn't we at least wait to hear how Ginny and Fred are? Please, show some sensitivity."
They didn't have to wait long. The Healers came out and, as somber as they seemed, there was a lightness in their eyes that betrayed the good news. "Ginny and Fred are very lucky. Judging from the shards of glass, a spell was definitely responsible for the shatter, but fortunately their injuries are merely physical … no magic was involved in the injuries themselves, so they'll just need to spend a night to heal their wounds and they'll be able to go home tomorrow."
Both George and Harry had not realized that they had not been breathing. When the Healers finished their report, Ron tapped them on the shoulders, and they each let out a big breath.
George recovered quickly, asking, "Can we see them?"
The Healers responded with a soft chuckle. "Absolutely. As a matter of fact, if you don't get in there immediately, your brother will drive us all batty with his wisecracks."
George ran into the room, the rest of them close behind.
The visit was a short one; Ginny reassuring Harry that she was fine; Fred joking about the entire incident. Harry promised to make sure Draco Malfoy never hurt them again.
"Don't do anything dangerous, Harry," Ginny pleaded.
"I won't."
And with that, they all headed back to Harry and Ginny's flat.
* * *
"Harry," Hermione spoke in a warning voice, "don't do anything reckless."
Harry halted his pacing back and forth past the window and turned angrily on Hermione. "Hermione! My wife nearly DIED! I think 'reckless' is justified."
"But that's exactly what Malfoy would want – to have you go off half-cocked and –"
"'Half-cocked'?" Ron asked with a laugh. "What's that mean?"
"Never mind, Ron, not what you think. Harry, you have to be careful. Wait till we get some help from the Ministry."
Harry turned his back on his friends and stared out of the window into the dark night. A whoosh and a burst of flames interrupted his sulk and, turning back to face the room, he was surprised to see an owl shoot out of the green flames of his fireplace.
Ron caught the disoriented bird and unscrolled the note that was tied to its leg. "It's from McGonagall … says she heard about Ginny and Fred," his eyes scanned down the parchment quickly, "and she wants us to go up there."
"To Hogwarts?" Hermione asked, surprised. "What on earth for?"
"Says Dumbledore has something to say to us." He looked up at Harry uncertainly.
* * *
The three friends sat in the Headmistress's office, staring at Dumbledore's portrait. The occupant seemed to be snoring soundly, but upon hearing Harry's throat clearing, his eyes fluttered open.
"Ah, Harry! So good to see you again. And you too, Miss Granger and Mr. Weasley."
"Thank you, Professor. It is always nice to be back at Hogwarts."
"So, you received Professor McGonagall's owl, I presume?"
"Yes, sir," Harry spoke first, "I –"
"Harry," interrupted Professor Dumbledore. "I am concerned about Ginny and Fred. I asked Professor McGonagall to call you here because I was hoping to help you."
"Draco Malfoy blames me for the death of his parents."
"Understandable, Harry."
"But, sir, it wasn't my fault." Harry was more than a little agitated.
"No, I know it wasn't, Harry. I'm not saying his anger is not misdirected. I'm just saying it is understandable that he would feel that way."
"Professor, he's trying to kill me. And now Ginny and Fred have been hurt. I just want it to end. I thought with the war over we could all get back to having happy lives, with NORMAL craziness. This is just absurd."
"What you need to look at is what keeps you going."
"What keeps us going?"
"Yes."
Hermione responded, "I know, sir, that what keeps me going is the fact that I get to spend so much time with Ron."
"And why do you think that is, Miss Granger?"
"Because I love him."
"Exactly."
"I don't get it." Ron was thoroughly confused.
"All that Mr. Malfoy has to keep him going right now is the anticipation of avenging his parents' deaths. What he needs is a way to redirect his feelings into something positive."
"Oh superb! So all we have to do is conjure a beautiful woman who would not be averse to making it with Malfoy and we're in the clear?" Ron was not pleased with the prospect.
And although Hermione seemed to be embarrassed by Ron's outburst, Professor Dumbledore's eyes were twinkling. "I don't think that is what you need to do at all, Mr. Weasley. There must be some classmates who would be willing to talk to him. Perhaps," he yawned, "even one of you." With that, Dumbledore shifted in his chair and his chin nodded onto his chest as he fell asleep once more.
With a look of consternation, Harry led his friends to the fireplace to Floo home, where they turned to the portrait. Harry muttered a grudging "Thanks for your help, sir. Not that I have the foggiest idea what to do with it."
As they each waited their turn to be off, Dumbledore cracked open his eyelids and thought he heard grumbles, but could not make out the words of their conversation. Harry and Ron had been exchanging words about how Dumbledore was never straight with his answers, and how his portrait was worse than Dumbledore was alive.
Hermione watched Ron floo away, and said to Harry softly, "We can do this. We'll work out exactly what Professor Dumbledore means and we will do it."
A/N: Thank you all for waiting, and being so patient awaiting this chapter. We – that is, my beta ladybug and I – are of the opinion that we've reached a turning point. Not much more to go now, and if you'll just be patient with me, I think that you'll be pleased. Ladybug was more than a huge help with this chapter. There is at least one HUGE chunk that I have her to thank for. Please read and review. Keep me inspired.
