And You Were Worried About Rodents?

This is our punishment. We came
Here without blame, yet with blame,
Dark blame of others, but our blame also.
This stroke was bound to fall,
Though not to fall so.

(Edwin Muir, The Refugees)

Chapter 4: Something from the Past Just Comes and Stares into Your Soul

It took several attempts to drag himself out of nightmarish visions of fire and blood to a halfway conscious state. Well, at least he hoped it was conscious. He'd never experienced the Cruciatus Curse before, but knew it could damage the mind if it was put on somebody too long. He didn't know how long Malfoy had kept him under. Too long.

He was shivering, hot and cold at the same time. The inside of his mouth was raw from where he'd bitten down to counter the inhuman pain the curse brought. A a couple of nails had splintered when he had dug them into his palms, and his hands hurt awfully..

He couldn't see anything, but felt he was alone - for the moment. The darkness dunked him right back into the imaginary duck pond of his mind, to struggle with the memories that rose up, unbidden but uncontrollable. Perhaps because the past, ugly as it had been, was easier to deal with than the present. Or maybe it wasn't...

Malfoy...

The past...

~ ~ ~

Great enmities, according to the Golden Rule, always start at Hogwarts. Illustrious hatreds are sparked by house rivalries and individual dislikes. Godric Gryffindor and Salazar Slytherin. Sirius Black and Severus Snape. Harry Potter and Draco Malfoy.

In contrast, it was perhaps symptomatic that Lucius Malfoy and Arthur Weasley had basically ignored each other during their Hogwarts days. Arthur had been a quiet student, preferring the company of Ravenclaws to that of the Gryffindor firebrands - of which, to be honest, there hadn't been too many in his year. Their Slytherin yearmates, on the other hand, had by third year turned into the worst bunch Slytherin had seen in a couple of centuries, a force no student - and only the bravest of teachers - was foolish enough to cross. Their 'career' was lined with incidents - intimidation, duelling injuries, students transferring to Beauxbatons, the Salisbury Academy, even the disreputable Kyteler Institute of Sorcery just to get away - all culminating in the suicide of a fifth-year Ravenclaw. Nobody had ever pointed a finger at Malfoy's gang, but everybody... knew.

In hindsight they'd been ideal candidates for Death Eaterhood. Arthur had partnered Alan Lestrange in Professor Crux's inflammatory excuse for Muggle Studies, had ogled a bit at his beautiful girlfriend, and observed them enough to learn that their leader, the Prince of Snakes, was certainly no gentleman despite his aristocratic demeanour. But it was only after Arthur had joined the Ministry that he'd first crossed swords with Lucius Malfoy...

~ ~ ~

The Ministry conference room was hot and stuffy. Late afternoon August sun filtered through the high windows and threw geometric patterns on the large mahogany table. Arthur Weasley sweated, uncomfortably aware of the fact that his best robes also happened to be his winter wear. Half-heartedly, he listened to Mucius Cadwallader droning on about regulating Floo-network connections in Muggle areas.

"Why permit links into Muggle habitats at all?" a cool drawl interrupted. "If the Mudbloods chose to live apart from the Wizarding World, they can just as well bear the consequences."

He had stopped to reflect, Arthur might have held his peace. As it was, however, he was hot, uncomfortable, and had just gone through the worst month of the worst year of his life - a year that had cost him his mother, his family fortune and almost his father. He was in no mood to be patient.

"I think we should leave that kind of language to the Death Eaters," he snapped.

The other turned to face him and Arthur found himself the focus of those deadly grey eyes for the first time.

"Did you just call me a Death Eater?"

The drops of sweat on his back suddenly turned to icicles. Damn, he's going to hex me in public - or even worse, challenge me to a Wizard's Duel. He swallowed and clutched his wand.

"No," he replied calmly. "It's just bad enough that our enemies use such slurs - we shouldn't sink to the same level."

They glared at each other until a fist slammed down on the tabletop.

"That's enough!" The lined face of Luther Crockford, ageing head of the Department of Magical Transportation, shone with anger. "I'll not have junior members squabbling in my meeting. You're not at the Leaky Cauldron!"

Arthur looked down at his hands, feeling himself blush to his roots of his red hair - a thoroughly unhappy colour combination. He shot a covert glance at Malfoy, who seemed absolutely indifferent to the rebuff, although he sat on his chair a bit more stiffly than before.

As he was leaving the meeting, Arthur was stopped by a hand on his arm. He looked up at Augustus Rookwood, who eyed him sternly.

"Arthur, I know you're under a lot of pressure, but what were you thinking, antagonising Malfoy like that? He's one of the up-and-coming people in the Ministry - he could ruin your career before it starts. I didn't give you this chance so you could throw it away."

"I'm sorry, Augustus, honestly. But... it's bad enough that You-Knows-Who is terrorising Muggles and Wizards alike. We don't need that kind of contempt among ourselves." He paused for a second, before asking tentatively, "Do you know Malfoy? Could he be one of...?"

"No," Rookwood said firmly. "You know how some of the old Slytherin families are. I know Lucius, and I'm absolutely certain he's not involved with the Death Eaters." His voice softened slightly. "How's your father?"

Arthur snorted bitterly. "He blames himself for the loss of the house and the shop. Never got over mother's death, and then the trial. I'm worried about him. Not even baby Bill can cheer him up."

Rookwood sighed and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sometimes the Ministry seems no better than the Dark Lord. Yes, your father was flaunting the International Code of Wizarding Secrecy, but your mother was an old woman. Just because she wanted to die among the Muggle family she hadn't seen since she'd left for Hogwarts did not warrant your family being fined out of every gallon to save your father from Azkaban. But maybe," he gave Arthur's shoulder an encouraging pat, "some day we can help you regain what you lost. And until then," he added, more gravely, "be careful with your accusations. Crouch's department is on the warpath, and I don't think you'd wish what happened to your family on another, even if you don't like them."

Arthur sighed. "You're probably right. It's not like I have any proof..."

~ ~ ~

Proof, yes. It seemed that proof of things he'd never wanted to know in the first place always came to him in the most painful way possible. Reluctantly, he let go of the memory of the warm summer afternoon and its multi-layered conversation that only made complete sense in retrospect. If it were the worst he had to look back on, he'd be a happy wizard indeed. And yet, that day had been the first step on the road that brought him to where he was now. Facing reality on his own terms now was better than being forced to face it later on another's...

~ ~ ~

"Are you sure you don't want to come?"

Molly smiled brightly, arms around their sleepy, round-faced toddler, and shook her head.

"I'm fine, love, but Apparating or Floo travel would be a bit too much." She patted her belly happily. "The little one here has grown quite a bit over the last couple of weeks."

"You really don't want me to stay here, then?"

She waved him off and reached up to smooth down the collar of his dress robes.

"No, silly, it's not time yet. Muriel Lovegood is going to come over and do a little star chart divining with me for our new arrival. You know, tea leaves, chat and girl stuff." Arthur made a gesture of warding off evil and received a playful slap in return. "You've been holed up in the Burrow ever since dad's death, and Daniel and Mandy are looking forward to seeing you. Give them my love and my best wishes."

He kissed her, and then Bill, who opened one grouchy blue eye.

"I will."

He Apparated just outside the wards in front of the fence enclosing the wide lawn of the Prewett residence. It was cluttered with an assortment of chairs, pillows and sofas, including an antique padded rocking chair on which Daniel Prewett's elegant white Persian was curled. Numerous wizards and witches in their best robes were chatting amiably and enjoying the warm spring sunshine.

"Arthur!" A brown-haired witch ran across the lawn to greet him. He embraced her, laughing.

"Heather, it's great to see you again." He held her at arms length and looked her over. She wore blue robes, embroidered on neckline, sleeves and girdle with tiny pink roses.

"Beautiful - your work?"

The former Ravenclaw smiled proudly and nodded.

"Have a look at Mandy's wedding gown before you dish out compliments," she grinned. "All that time in Advanced Herbology was worth it after all - at least I could turn my little sister into the envy of the wizarding world."

"Hey, Weasley, are you smooching my girlfriend?"

Jonathan Brocklehurst sneaked up behind Heather MacDonald and put an arm around her waist.

"Your what? What happened to seven years of fighting tooth and nail for top marks at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah, well," Jonathan shrugged sheepishly. "It turned out we had both been accepted to teach at the Salisbury Institute, and well, we didn't know any of the staff so we spent lots of time together, and it just... happened."

Arthur laughed. "Not that I'm not happy for you, but it's kind of like seeing Crux and McGonagall together. Have you seen Daniel or David?"

"They're back in the house putting hovering charms on the buffet," Heather explained. "Is Molly with you?"

"She didn't feel up to it, but she practically threw me out of the Burrow."

"Well, she sent Mandy a crystal ball message yesterday that she probably wouldn't be able to make it, and a love potion as a wedding gift," Heather snickered.

"What on earth for? I thought they already went through the handfasting ritual together?"

Heather smirked evilly. "Not that kind of love potion, you poor innocent."

"Oh? Oh!" The infernal flush reappeared again. "I'll go look for the newlyweds before you corrupt me entirely," he mumbled and escaped to the house, leaving their laughter behind him.

As Heather had predicted, he found David Prewett in the kitchen. The grey-haired Auror surveyed his floating plates of canapés and drinks with the same stern look he used to command his Hit Wizard Squad. His cold eyes warmed up a little when Arthur came in.

"Arthur, how good to see you. How're you holding up?"

Arthur shrugged. "All right. We've magicked so many extra rooms onto the Burrow that I'm surprised it hasn't exploded yet. Billy likes it, though. Molly's coping, and looking forward to the new baby."

"You're a lucky sod, Arthur, despite everything. I just hope Mandy and Daniel will be as happy."

"They around?"

"Probably snogging somewhere. That's my little brother, sneaking out of his own wedding reception..."

"Where's the rest of the Hit Squad?"

"On emergency duty," David sighed. "There were rumours about a possible attack on Hogsmeade. We'd be there as well, but Moody insisted we go through with the wedding. They have postponed it twice already, poor things..."

"Hey, David," a stern voice interrupted from the door. "I thought we put a ban on business talk for today. Arthur, you're an evil influence."

"Sorry," Arthur grinned over David's shoulder at Daniel and Mandy Prewett, who were leaning against the doorframe, hands pretty much all over each other. Heather had not promised too much, he thought when he saw Mandy. Her long-sleeved robes and hair were interwoven with swirls of flame-coloured miniature blossoms - she smelled like a rose garden and looked like a happy fire spirit. They walked over to embrace him, and he sighed and relaxed into their arms. For the first time in years it felt like being back at Hogwarts with his best friends.

Smiling, he handed them the parcel he'd brought. Daniel dug through the wrapping and lifted out two beautifully carved pocket watches on silver chains. They didn't have hands or numbers, but instead both faces read, in ornate script, 'Prewett Residence, Kitchen'.

"Portable Locus Amandis charms?" Daniel whispered. "Dear Gods, you finally did it!" Arthur nodded, proud and slightly wistful.

"Those were the prototypes, but with the shop and materials gone that's probably going to be it. Congratulations to you both," he said.

"It's so unfair," Mandy hissed angrily into his ear as she embraced him again. "You're brilliant at Magimechanics, completely wasted at a desk job at the Ministry!"

"Don't worry," he patted her shoulder. "I'll keep tinkering in my spare time, and I always wanted to work with Muggles."

"Now who said 'No job talk'?" David growled behind them. "Give me a hand with the levitating spells and let's get out there and feed the hordes."

Arthur took out his wand and poked two of the platters in front of him, while Mandy gave Daniel a lascivious leer and whispered audibly, "Pity, I was so looking forward to trying Molly's potion..." Giggling like a pair of harpies they sped out of the kitchen. Arthur grinned and snatched a pumpkin pasty off one of the platters.

"I said float, not feed," David grumbled. They smiled at each other and followed the couple outside, trailed by a fleet of refreshments.

Outside, they were greeted with voiced approval by the guests, and there was even more applause when David conjured a truly impressive wedding cake in the shape of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, glazed with creamy white Butterbeer icing.

The bridal pair was just preparing to cut the cake when a dark shadow fell over the lawn. For a second Arthur thought it was a cloud blocking the sun, but then its colour turned darker, then green, and then dark shapes appeared from behind it. Paralysed with horror, Arthur watched the cloud uncoil itself into the shape of a snake curling around a skull. He did not need to hear the spell to recognise it. Morsmordre. The Dark Mark.

The Death Eaters swept down from the sky behind the mark, some on brooms, a handful on crazed-looking Hippogriffs. Hovering just out of reach, they performed an incantation that sent down a rainstorm of acidic droplets, and the celebration disintegrated into absolute chaos. Wizards and witches sped out of the way or huddled under their robes, some preparing for defence or performing shielding spells. A couple of drops hit Arthur's face and arms, and he moaned as the fluid seared his skin. While some of the Death Eaters took to hexing wedding guests indiscriminately from the air, the main group descended on the Prewetts, who were still crowded at the head of the table.

Daniel was the first to go for his wand, hitting one of the attackers in mid-flight with an Impedimenta spell. The Death Eater's broom stopped abruptly; its rider did not. He tumbled over the handle and crashed to the ground. David Prewett reactivated the floating charm on the platters and flung them outwards against the enemy. They sailed up like a flotilla of UFOs, causing several Death Eaters to veer off course abruptly. One Hippogriff ended up with the Hogwarts cake plastered all over its beak, and sped off screeching, oblivious to its rider's angry curses.

Arthur pulled out his wand and pointed it at one of the closest Death Eaters.

"Incendio!" The black-clad figure sputtered as the tail twigs of his broom caught fire and he pulled off a rather close and hard landing. Snarling, he whirled to retaliate.

"Reducto!" The curse slammed Arthur off his feet and sent him down into a clutter of abandoned chairs. He reached up to his throbbing head, momentarily blinded, and touched blood. Hell! First blow and you're out - how typical, Arthur! He scrambled to his feet angrily.

Arthur could see that resistance had been organised among the frightened guests - Heather and Jonathan were throwing hexes at the trio of Death Eaters responsible for the acid rain, while some other wizards were busy constructing a shield to protect those around them. David, Daniel and Mandy stood back-to-back and duelled the group of Death Eaters who surrounded them. Trained Aurors and Hit Wizards as they were, they held their own, but barely.

"Crucio!"

The spell came from the same Death Eater who had hexed Arthur. Daniel screamed and curled up into a ball on the grass, wand slipping out of his shaking hands. The Death Eater giggled delightedly at the young man's agonised whimpers. Mandy sobbed, shot a Stunning Spell at the offender and fell to her knees besides Daniel to undo the curse. While the Death Eater struggled with the Stunning Spell, the sorcerer next to him murmured a complicated incantation. He pointed his wand at Mandy's averted back. Her body was enveloped by a garish purple glow that faded quickly. She made a gurgling sound and clutched her chest. Blood started to trickle from her mouth, nose and eyes, even from under her fingernails. She dropped in a heap next to her husband, coughing up more blood, hands pressed desperately against her body as if to hold back whatever had been liquefied inside. Her dress slowly turned red, flame-coloured roses drowning in a sea of crimson.

"Finite Incantatem! Finite Incantatem!" David screamed desperately, pointing his wand at her convulsing form, but Mandy's movements slowed until they hardly stirred the pool of dark blood that had formed below her body. Daniel reached out to her, still under the influence of the Cruciatus. His hands were gnarled and claw-like from sheer agony as he watched his wife of two hours bleeding to death before his eyes.

"Oh hell," Arthur heard the Death Eater who'd duelled him whisper, exasperation and disgust warring in his voice. "Avada Kedavra!"

Green light washed over the two bodies. The Killing Curse extinguished the pain in the Daniel's upturned eyes with frightening ease and left only glazed-over blankness behind.

"Spoilsport," his companion complained dryly.

David looked down on the empty shells of his younger brother and his wife, and his face went cold. Without warning he threw the two Death Eaters off their feet with an Ice Wall hex and raised his wand again to cast something more deadly. Arthur felt a stab of panic as he noticed a third tall black-robed figure preparing to strike behind him. The air around David began to move and crackle, until it shifted itself around him like a solid hand.

Arthur grabbed his wand, praying his aim wouldn't fail him, and shot a stunning spell over David's shoulder at the Death Eater. The man looked up from the spell he was weaving just in time to whisper, "Repello!"

The spell ricocheted back at Arthur, who threw himself out of the way at the last moment. It sizzled over his wand arm, leaving it almost paralysed and the sleeve of his robes covered with scorch marks.

David hissed and struggled with all his might against the spell that lifted him off his feet and gripped him in an invisible fist. His face contorted in pain as it started to squeeze around his spinal column.

"Accio wand!" Arthur yelled, but the Death Eater just flicked off the spell and continued to intensify his pressure. The Auror twisted in the merciless grip and bit down on his lower lip forcefully to stop from crying out in front of his tormentor. Tears of frustration ran down Arthur's cheeks.

"Accio mask!" He never understood where the thought came from, but he had to do something, anything, no matter how futile. He put all his energy into the Summoning Charm, and it ripped the white mask right off the Death Eater's face.

The man didn't seem to notice at all. His eyes were still fixed on the figure writhing in the air before him. A look of ecstatic exultation shone on his face. Not a strand of pale hair was out of place, and grey eyes sparkled with intense enjoyment as he observed his victim's suffering.

Lucius Malfoy.

The ex-Slytherin smiled up at the Auror and intensified his grip until David's spine broke with a dry, final crack. He dropped to the ground like a broken and disjointed doll. With that terrible cat-in-cream smile still etched on his face Malfoy turned to face Arthur. He flicked his wand and the mask flew back into his hand. Then he flicked the wand again...

Oh Gods, Arthur thought, I'm never going to see my unborn child.

"Avada Ked-"

A hand seized the collar of Arthur's robes and yanked him out of the way. The green light of the Killing Curse whistled by where his head had been just a second ago. An intense cold touched his heart for a split second, then receded. Shaking, he turned his head and looked directly into the distinctive scowl of Alastor Moody, Auror. Behind him, several more Magical Law Enforcement Hit Wizards dropped out of thin air.

"Pays to know a way through my own flaming Apparation Wards," the Auror growled. "You all right, boy?"

Arthur nodded, breathing hard.

"Yes. But the Prewetts..." Moody's eyes roamed over the scene of destruction and he nodded, bitterly.

"Yeah. Voldemort's cronies planted false rumours to get us out of the way. But we'll make them pay, boy. You stay down."

Moody's squad formed a half-circle and advanced on the Death Eaters, who had assembled around their leader.

"We've accomplished what we came for," Malfoy told them, face again secured safely behind the Death Eater mask. "Let's go."

"Like hell," Moody muttered. "Petrificus Totalus!" The spell came at Lucius with incredible speed, but one of the Death Eaters was quicker.

"Detracto!" he yelled and the petrifying spell veered off course and harmlessly hit a sofa, sending it clattering across the lawn. The impact threw the man back into Lucius. He leaned into his arms for a second. "Get out. I'll hold them off."

Malfoy hesitated.

"Go!" the Death Eater yelled and shoved him back. Malfoy held up a hand and his broom jumped up into it. Before any of the Aurors could interfere, the Death Eater murmured "Fumus!" and a thick cloud of smoke erupted between them and the fleeing dark wizards. It only took a handful of clearing spells to disperse it, but the distraction had given the Death Eaters enough time to take to the skies.

All but one. The remaining robed figure slowly reached up and took off its mask to reveal a calm, familiar face with honey-coloured eyes under a shock of light brown hair. Arthur gasped, and heard several of the Aurors do the same. He'd gone to school with the man, shared classes for years.

"Evan Rosier, you're under arrest for participating in the murder of three Aurors," Moody hissed. "Come quietly, and I'll guarantee you a fair trial."

Rosier smiled with genuine amusement. "I killed only two of them." He raised his wand challengingly. "I offer you revenge instead. Dance with me, Moody."

"Why should I bother duelling a worthless, low-life killer?"

"Because if you make it a free-for-all, I'll get at least one of you with the Killing Curse."

Moody snorted, lips curling in contempt. "You expect me to trust the word of a bloody Slytherin?"

Rosier nodded, unperturbed, never taking his eyes off Moody's. "Yes."

The grizzled Auror inclined his head in the tiniest of nods and raised his wand. "Reducto!"

Rosier flew back and landed hard on the ground, but came to his feet again with a Kneazle's grace and only a slight grimace of pain.

"Serpensortia!" he hissed at Moody. A tiny snake with gold and crimson marks shot at the Auror. He deflected it with a spell and it landed on the ground at his feet. Before he could stamp on it, it sank needle-sharp teeth into his boot. Moody cursed and put two purification charms and a healing spell on himself in quick succession. The poison didn't seem to slow him down much, but Arthur could see that he was limping.

"Sanguis Incendio!" he shot back. Rosier gave a strangled scream and reeled back, as his blood started to burn inside him. He dropped to his hands and knees, struggling to control the pain.

"Give up," Moody growled.

"Not in this life," Rosier ground out through clenched teeth and flicked his wand. "Furor Harpyiae!"

A tiny bat-like shape materialised at the tip of his wand and quickly increased in size. In a flutter of grey skin, leathery wings and tangled grey hair the harpy flung itself at Moody, teeth and claws clamping down on his face. The Auror screamed as he struggled with the creature. Finally, he grabbed its wings and forcefully ripped it off, incinerating it in mid-air with a muffled fire spell. Arthur gasped as he saw the claw marks that disfigured his face. He nose had been damaged worst - it was bleeding profusely where a whole chunk of flesh had been bitten off.

His voice was choked with blood, but amazingly he was still standing.

"Sica!" A small shimmering blade appeared in Moody's palm and he flung it at Rosier. The magical knife hit the Death Eater squarely in the middle of the throat. A puzzled expression flickered across his face, then he crumbled to the ground with wide open eyes, a weird smile still dancing around his lips.

Moody fell to his knees heavily. One of the younger Aurors ran to his side and conjured a magical stretcher. Carefully, he helped his wounded chief to lie down and hovered above him nervously.

"Don't fuss, Potter," Moody admonished, his trademark growl very muted.

Arthur slumped down next to the bodies of the Prewetts, not daring to look at them, and absent-mindedly accepted the blanket a young Hit Witch offered him. He placed it over Daniel and Mandy's intertwined bodies, oblivious to the tears that were running down his face. Daniel's watch had slipped out of his pocket and lay next to them, broken glass obscuring the face that would never have anything written on it again.

"You, Weasley, is it?" He looked up at Moody, who had stopped the young wizard floating his stretcher to address him. "You recognised one of the bastards?"

Arthur closed his eyes for a second and nodded. There would be time to mourn later.

"Lucius Malfoy," he said flatly.

Moody grunted as Potter applied a blood stopping charm to his face. "Always knew that bastard was evil. I'll need you to testify to the Ministry."

"I'll come. But my wife is eight months pregnant and I don't want her to hear what happened today from the Wizarding Wireless..."

"Tomorrow morning, then," Moody murmured, blood loss and poison finally taking their toll. "We'll take that snake down."

Arthur looked over the lawn at the terrified witches and wizards attended to by Moody's team, at Heather, who sobbed over the body of her murdered sister while Jonathan stood behind her helplessly. He nodded again, very determinedly.

"Yes, we will."

~ ~ ~ tbc. ~ ~ ~