All Fall Down

Molly Weasley sat next to the broken window, surrounded by red-cloaked ministry wizards of the crisis squad. "I don't understand, I didn't even hear anything," she kept seeing, tears streaming down her face. "They just went upstairs for a moment, and the next thing I knew, my daughter Ginny came running downstairs crying that the window was broken, and my son and his fiancée were missing! There isn't any more I can tell you!" Burying her face in her hands, she shook her head. "Where could they be..."

Outside the door, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger comforted an anxious Ron. "Stupid bloke probably tripped and fell right through the window," Ron muttered. Harry and Hermione exchanged meaningful looks. They knew Ron was really worried, no matter what he said.

"Really, Ron, I'm sure he's fine, honestly! I mean, the Minister of Magic can probably take care of him self, can't he?" Hermione attempted to sound light hearted.

Ron shook his head, pounding his fist into his other hand in a frustrated gesture. "That's just it about Percy, he thinks he can take on the world. He doesn't know the first thing about self-defense without his wand, and he quails when faced with real danger. Damn it," Ron said, biting his lip.

"I just don't understand, who would want to hurt or kidnap Percy?" Hermione was shaking her head in bemusement. Harry snorted.

"Anyone who wants to manipulate the ministry, or didn't like the previous minister. Percy's got a big important role in the wizard world now, all kinds of people could want him for various reasons." He sounded tired. "We don't have a clue about where he is...he could be anywhere...but why did they want Penelope, too?"

"Dunno," muttered Ron, staring at the floor. "She was there, they probably didn't want any witnesses, so they had to take her too. Probably end up killing her, if they just wanted Percy."

"Ron!" Hermione stood up, and put a hand on Ron's shoulder. "Don't talk like that, we've no idea what's going on, we can't assume. I'm sure Percy and Penny will be just fine! Anyway, Percy doesn't know anything, doesn't know any ministry secrets, he hasn't even been inaugurated yet! They'll probably realize that and send him back!"

"Unlikely," Ron said to the floor. "Why send him back, he'll know too much. They'll have to dispose of him."

"You've been reading far too many of those comic books, lately," Hermione admonished with a wag of her finger. "No one's going to 'dispose' of Percy. Who knows, maybe he'll be able to give them what they want and be set free! I'm tired of all this pessimism, I'm going to get a drink. Would you two like anything?"

"I'm fine," said Harry, and Ron didn't speak. Casting one quick and worried glance over Ron, Hermione walked down the stairs and out of sight.

"She's wrong, you know," Ron said when she was gone. "She doesn't want to say it, and she knows she's wrong."

"Wrong about what?" Harry asked.

"Percy's not all right, how could he be all right if he was kidnapped! I bet it's something from the dark wizards, you-know-who's bunch-!"

"Voldemort's dead, Ron." Harry shook his head. "He can't come back to power now, he's dead, dead and gone."

"Yeah...but he's got all kinds of followers, death eaters and such, still at large! There could be all kinds of people who want to continue his ways! And a new minister of magic is the best way to do it, to get a hand into the government! I bet it's the Malfoys, they've always been rotten, Draco, his father, the whole-!"

"RON." Harry's firm voice stopped Ron's monologue, and Ron turned to look at him. "We've got absolutely no proof that this had anything to do with any former death eaters, or, in fact, any proof that it was a kidnapping."

"What else could it be?" Ron asked, his voice raising. "I mean, do you honestly think he just decided to break open the window or something? It has to be kidnap!"

Harry shrugged, trying to keep his frustration down. Ron was worried, it was normal, there was no reason for Harry to lash out at him, especially not now. "I'm not saying you're wrong, but we can't be sure. We can't start jumping to conclusions about everything before we've got any knowledge at all."

"You've changed, Harry..." Ron looked up at his friend, a puzzled expression on his face, still tinged with concern. "It used to be all gung-ho, let's-go-get-him. You're turning into too much of a thinker, like Hermione. What happened to the Harry that was always willing to check things out, even if we didn't have much proof?"

Harry sighed, thinking, yes, I have changed. I've changed a lot, Ron, and entirely for the better. But even that he couldn't be sure of. He remembered the days when they used to parade around the school after midnight, in the invisibility cloak. He remembered how all three of them had combated the Dark Lord, brought his final downfall in their fifth year, how they had rallied the whole school together, even when the ministry refused to help. But Harry had lost something in that battle, something known as Cho Chang. She'd sacrificed herself for the cause, for the country, for the wizard world. He'd seen her smile as she faced death, how she knew she was going to die, and how she knew it was going to be all right. But it wasn't all right...and since, he'd never been quite the same. Her death had hit him hard, harder than he would have thought. He never really got to know her...but he always looked up to her, admired her as a quidditch player, and a person, and a girl. He'd been more cautious ever since, but he missed those days...

"Yeah," he heard himself saying, rubbing the back of his neck in frustration. "I know."

Ron's face softened, and he put an arm out to touch Harry's. "Hey, I'm sorry...I'm just worried, that's all...'s not your fault..."

* * * * *

When Penelope awoke, she couldn't breathe. Unable to scream, she stared wildly around, seeing nothing but blackness, an unending void of absolute nothing. Finding she could stand, she tried to run, but smacked hard into some unseen barrier in front of her. She tried the opposite direction, with the same effect. Help me, she tried to call, but again, no sound came out. Leaning against the invisible wall, Penelope felt her last morsels of oxygen being used up, as her eyelids slowly drooped forward. Percy...

Suddenly, she was falling, the wall was gone, and everything was thrown into startlingly bright light. Her lungs gave way, and she was breathing, sucking in a long, starving breath, before gazing around through now functional eyes from her vantage point, sprawled prostrate on the ground. She discovered that the room was not brightly lit at all, but dim. Her eyes had only seen it as bright in contrast the pitch black of blindness.

Staring around at her surroundings, Penelope found herself in an old room, with very little furniture. The lighting was pale green, eerie, and she could hear quiet noises, like something sliding through the dust caking the floor. "Percy..." she whispered, afraid to call out, for fear of awaking or startling whatever had caused her to be here. Then, "Percy!" louder, when he didn't respond.

Nothing stirred for a long time, and the noises ceased. Penelope slowly hauled herself to her feet, and took a few careful, staggering steps across the room. How did I get here? Where was I...she couldn't remember. All she knew was that she had to find Percy, that somehow, finding him would bring it all back, would make it all clear. "Percy!" She called again.

Then, someone was standing in front of her, someone who she knew had not been standing there a moment before. "Percy," she called, relieved, but then stopped, as her beloved swayed back and forth, then slowly crumpled to the floor. Rushing forward, she lifted his face, and saw, to her horror, that it wasn't Percy at all. Penelope recoiled, as the faceless thing that wasn't Percy melted away into a tiny black snake, and slithered away out of sight.

"So...you've escaped from my little surprise, have you? Hmm...quicker than I thought, very impressive, but alas, not quick enough to get away." Still kneeling on the ground, Penelope snapped her head around to see a tall dark haired boy, draped in green robes, with a sneer on his face that reminded her remotely of a face she'd seen once before, but on no such person. The situation came back to her, then, standing in the bedroom with Percy, the window breaking, a pounding sensation in her head, and a swirl...a swirl of green robes...

"What do you want with me?" She stumbled to her feet, backed against the far wall. "Why did you bring me here? And where's Percy?" The boy laughed, a high piercing laugh that rang in her eardrums.

"Don't worry, you'll see your precious boy in a few moments...he's undergoing some...ah...testing..." He laughed again, malicious, and she took a deep breath, her eyes narrowing.

"What have you done to him? Take me to Percy!" Rage overtook her. Who was this person, to simply take her out of her home like this? She went to draw her wand, but found that it was gone. Looking up into the boy's face, she saw him smiling that putrid sneer again.

"Ah, yes...can't have you turning me into a toad, now, can we? Not that you'd be able to...Ah, and here's your Percy now..." Penelope turned, looked, and gasped.

It was undoubtedly her fiancée who stumbled in, but his face was haggard, and his eyes were hollow. "Penny," he croaked, and she saw a slight glint of the old light in his eyes. He walked two paces, tripped, and fell into her waiting arms, laying his head against her shoulder in complete exhaustion. She saw that he was bleeding from one shoulder.

"What have you done to him?!" She roared, wanting to hurl herself at this antagonist, though unable to let go of Percy. "What do you want?!"

The boy snapped, and a large green armchair appeared out of nowhere. He sat, beckoning Penelope closer with one lazy hand. She felt her feet moving of their own will, felt Percy drift out of her arms and towards the chair. "No," she whispered, but could not fight it. This isn't the Imperius, she thought, horror struck, this is something else entirely. Good lord, what is this boy?

"There, don't be shy," he said mildly, gesturing at the ground in front of him. "Go on, sit. Sit, I said," and he waved the hand at her, causing her to suddenly thud the floor, Percy alongside her. "There, that's better. Now, to business." He drummed his long, thin fingers on the arm of the chair, staring off into space for a moment. "I've brought you both here...because there's a little task I'd like you to do for me."

Penelope spat. "And this is how you get us to do you a favor? By kidnapping us?"

"Ah...now," said the boy admonishingly. "Quiet, dear." And he waved a hand. Penelope's mouth seized up, and she flailed wildly, trying to convey her anger, but unable to speak.

"Yes, where was I...ah, yes...now, your purpose. I have no intention of keeping you here, none at all, and I'll send you home all healed and repaired. All I ask...well, it's quite simple, really." And he chuckled that horrible laugh again. "All I ask is that you bring me a certain girl, one Ginny Weasley..."

Percy's head snapped up, his eyes flamed. "Ginny? What do you want with Ginny? You leave her alone, she's got nothing to do with anything, she's just an innocent little-!"

"I assure you," said the boy loudly, "She will not be harmed in any way. I just want to...well," and he stopped, "that doesn't matter. She will not be harmed, everything will be perfectly all right...just...bring her to me...to talk, yes, to talk. That's all."

Percy glowered. "Never. I don't know who you are, but the ministry will hear of this, that you can be sure of. My whole family will be looking for us, they're bound to find you. And you leave my sister alone! Don't touch her, do you hear me?" Penelope put a hand on his arm, staring at him hard. Stop, she thought frantically, we're not in a position to fight!

The boy looked at them for a long time, as if calculating their worth to him. "Very well," he said quietly, "I see you need some convincing." Again, he raised his hand, and gestured at Percy, the mild expression not leaving his face. "Cruciatus," he said, with the air of someone making a perfectly reasonable point, and Penelope's mind whirled.

Percy was suddenly seized with convulsions, he doubled over in pain, clutching his legs, his arms, his sides, in too much agony even to speak, or to scream. "Penny..." he managed to gasp out.

Finding she could speak, she cried out "Percy! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" And tried to struggle towards him, but found herself locked in place by one of the curses put upon her. She was forced to watch as Percy, bleeding from several places, screamed silently, his mouth hanging open, his eyes hollow again...and then collapsed, completely broken, to the ground.

"I did warn you," whispered the boy, a slow smile spreading across his face as Penelope looked on in horror. "Perhaps now, you will...reconsider?"

"Never," muttered Percy, in a barely audible voice, causing the boy's eyebrows to raise.

"Never, you say? Are you sure? I thought I made a rather convincing argument, myself." Percy said nothing, and the boy shrugged. He raised his hand again, rolling his eyes to the ceiling and shaking his head. "If you insist...I had thought you'd be more sensible than this, really...she's just a girl, after all...I'll tell you again, then..."

"NO!" Screamed Penny, "NO! STOP IT! PLEASE...please..."

But it was too late. Percy rolled over on the ground, and Penelope screamed, and screamed, and screamed...

"Help us, someone! Please...help us...Percy!" She tried to reach him, tried to fight the curse, but it was useless. The hollow laugh echoed around the dusty room again, and she turned to find the boy shaking his head in mild amusement.

"There's no one to help you, foolish girl. We're all alone here, you, me, and your precious boy, though it'll likely be only the two of us if he doesn't give up on this foolish pretense and tell me where the girl is...unless...you'd like to enlighten me." Abruptly the torture stopped, Percy sagged, the curse was broken, and Penelope rushed forward, cradled Percy's head in her arms, saw his eyes close, checked to make sure he was still breathing. "Don't...tell him," Percy muttered. "I know...he's...Ginny...don't tell him..." And he blacked out.

Penelope, completely torn, looked up into the cruel eyes of their tormentor, and slowly shook her head, taking a deep breath, and steeling herself against the wall. "No..." she whispered.

"No?" He closed his eyes, sighed like someone undergoing a painfully tedious encounter, and muttered, "Cruciatus."