The Lost Weasley

It hasn't been seen for 13 years. The terror it inspired. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house and knowing what you're about to find inside.... Everyone's worst fear...the very worst....."
Arthur Weasley, the night of the Quidditch World Cup Final, August 22nd 1994.

Crack! Dead twins. Crack! Dead Percy. Crack! Dead Harry...
"I see them d-d-dead all the time! All the t-t-time. I d-d-dream about it.... I'm just s-s-so worried. Half the f-f-family's in the Order, it'll b-b-be a miracle if we all come through this... and P-P-Percy's not talking to us.... What if something d-d-dreadful happens and we've never m-m-made it up with him? And what's going to happen if Arthur and I get killed, who's g-g-going to look after Ron and Ginny?"
Molly Weasley, 31st August 1995.

"You weren't in the Order then, you don't understand. Last time we were outnumbered twenty to one by the Death Eaters and they were picking us off one by one..."
Lupin to Molly, 31st August 1995.

A mother's fears for her family in the face of an upcoming war. Understandable. To be expected, even. But for someone not active in the previous war? Those fears must have grown from something more than the natural fears of a mother. Some unknown previous incident.

Something happened to the Weasleys in the years of the first Voldemort war. But what provoked the feelings behind Arthur's comment at the Quidditch World Cup? Here is this story.

William Jal. Age 30.
Charles Rumer. Age 28.
Percy Ignatius. Age 20.
Frederic Elden. Age 18.
George Kell. Age 18.
Ronald Thane. Age 15.
Virginia Gail. Age 14.

Everyone knows that the Weasleys have flaming red hair and more children than they can afford. Well liked, but a little too fond of Muggles for their own good. Why else hasn't Arthur Weasley progressed further in the Ministry?

Whispers amongst the Muggle-borns and the younger pure-bloods speculate on why there is such a gap between Charlie and Percy. Arthur and Molly are notoriously tight lipped on the matter. Bill and Charlie will arch an eyebrow and change the subject. The younger Weasleys will just look at you blankly and shrug. No-one asks though. Common courtesy prevents them and too many have had losses. The Bones. The McKinnons. The Prewetts.

They had another little girl once. Well she wouldn't be so little now. Before Percy. A little scrap of a thing. Looked like a good gust of wind would blow her over. But she'd give Fred and George a run for their money. At least in the cheekiness department. Not stupid by a long way. Would have been about twenty-five now.

[flashback]

April 1980
It was the last few days of the Easter holidays. Bill and Charlie had wanted to stay at Hogwarts over the holidays. Bill was revising for his O.W.Ls and Charlie had wanted some extra training with the Gryffindor Quidditch team ahead of the Cup Final against Ravenclaw.

Alda was idly wandering round the field behind the Burrow. Percy was still little to play with and the twins were shaping up to be little terrors. She hadn't forgiven them for pulling a large chunk of hair out the previous day. She missed her older brothers. Alda loved their stories from school and couldn't wait to join them in September.

A call rang out from the house. She groaned and before she had a chance to disappear behind a bush, Molly appeared. "Alda, I'm needed at the Diggory's. Mrs. Diggory is about to give birth again and refuses to have the mediwizards in. Keep an eye on Percy. I'm taking the twins with me."

Alda rolled her eyes and resigned herself to the joys of an afternoon with a 5 year old. Percy could grow up into an insufferable bore if they weren't careful.

Finally Percy was asleep, clutching a teddy bear and a bottle. Thankfully she had remembered where Dad had hidden a bottle of Firewhiskey. Alda smirked. A shot of that in Percy's bottle always sent him to sleep. "And Mum always wonders why I can get him to sleep so quickly." She jumped down the final couple of stairs and headed straight for the kitchen.

She started to prepare a snack, when she heard footsteps. Without turning round, she called out, "Evening Dad. Mum's still at the Diggory's with the twins. Honest to bloody God, how long does it take to have a baby?"

A hand clamped over her mouth and a smooth voice sneered in her ear, "Pity, you're not going to live long enough to find out, little girl." Alda started to struggle, but couldn't break free.

"Avada Kedavra."

A flash of green light was the last thing she saw.

An hour later, Arthur returned home. All colour drained from his face as he saw what was hovering above his house. He ran through, only to be greeted by the sound of Percy screaming his head off. "Molly? Alda?" His voice trailed off as he stood in the doorway of the kitchen. The body of his only daughter. Lifeless. Eyes wide and staring.

That's where Molly found them. Arthur sitting on the kitchen floor, cradling Alda's body and quietly weeping. He looked up with blood shot eyes. "Why our little girl, Molly?" he whispered. "She hasn't done anything."

As the news leaked out, a tremor of shock went through the wizarding world. But then life went on. Because it had to.

[/flashback]

The Weasleys don't mention it. They are just grateful that more of their family didn't die. It's common knowledge that it's because of Alda, why Ginny is so overprotected. The only girl child. Precious. But Ginny doesn't know this. Just that her family has a dark secret that no-one talks about. But why do Bill and Charlie sometimes absent-mindedly call her Alda and what does this have to do with anything?