At What Price? Alternate Scenes

For those of you still with me, Thanks. I would like to say thank you to Ayla Pascal and Marix for their phenomenal beta work and for catching the mistakes I missed. Thanks to my friend Jeff for listening as I worked out the scene between Christopher and Molly. Thank you's to my wife and daughter for their support and enthusiasm, respectively. Finally, thank you to those of you who take the time to rate and review my fics, I appreciate it.

 

Betrayal Enough for Two Lifetimes

 

Arthur looked out the window and watched the gray countryside slide by. It was a cool foggy day, which wasn’t unusual in the western counties of England and the sun had yet to burn off the fog rising from country fields. Arthur glanced at his watch again, 7:30 am. He put his arm back down and kissed the top of his fiancé’s head as she snuggled against him in her sleep. He wanted to enjoy this moment with Molly as the next couple of weeks promised to be summarily unpleasant. Arthur frowned at that thought. When had going home become such a chore?

Arthur of course knew the answer to that question. He stopped enjoying home after his father’s change. Mr. Joseph Weasley had always been a capable man. He was a good Auror in his day, and had proved to be an even more capable administrator over the Auror section to which he was assigned, Artefact Recovery and Study. His father was still well respected at the office, and in most cases well liked. However, at home, he had become a different man. Arthur shied away from that thought. His brother’s letters describing his father’s changing behaviour had been coming for three years now, but in the last six months they had gotten much worse. Arthur suspected that there was more to this than just stress, despite Joseph’s protestations to the contrary.

"Arthur, what’s wrong?" Arthur turned to look at his lovely fiancée. Molly’s strawberry blonde hair was returning to darker shades of red now. With the loss of the summer sun, the natural bleaching of her hair had reversed itself. In a few weeks her hair would go back to being the flame red color that it always was by Christmas. Arthur was thankful that Molly didn’t have her mother’s bony structure, but rather seemed to have more of her grandmother’s roundness. Arthur liked Molly’s grandmother a great deal. He smiled as he thought of how she bustled about her kitchen in South Hampton. Molly was very much like her grandmother.

"You’re thinking about William’s letter again, aren’t you?" Her voice was full of rich concern for her husband-to-be. She was looking forward to the winter solstice, when she would be able to drop the ‘to-be’.

"Yes, I’m afraid I am, honey." He grinned at her devilishly, "Why don’t you come over here and distract me?"

"Arthur Weasley!" She slapped at his chest and feigned a look of shock at his suggestion. "We’re in a public carriage." Arthur couldn’t help but think that she looked awfully innocent as she cast her eyes down demurely and blushed ever so slightly.

"Ah, but the door is closed and there’s nobody else here." Arthur gave her a sly look, then leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the cheek as he stood up. "I’m going to run up to the café car and get something to drink, would you care for anything, hon?"

"A vanilla fizzy, and a kiss like you mean it." Arthur was all too happy to oblige this request. He swooped in on her like an owl and kissed her soundly on the lips. After several seconds they broke apart and Molly smiled at him. "That’s better." She smiled at him again and snuggled back down into the seat with his cloak pulled over her. Arthur put his hand in his pocket and felt for his wallet before he strode down the hall towards the cafe car. As he walked he pulled out his younger brother’s letter again.

Arthur,

I would like to start this letter by asking how your job is going and how Molly is doing, but it seems a little frivolous at this point. In the last three or four weeks, Father has become intolerable. Last night during his after dinner tirade he threw Mother’s good crystal gobletsinto the fire, then melted the shards down with an Inferno spell. At this rate, the only thing of Mother’s left by the end of the year will be her, provided he doesn’t beat her to death first. I left my school things with Fletcher’s for the summer so that I would have them to take back with me when the school year begins. Speaking of school, Father is furious that I am not Head Boy. I’ve never even made Prefect, yet he expects me to become Head Boy.

Apparently his malady is starting to affect him at work. Alastor Moody came by and asked me how things were at home. He said that Father has been acting a little strange lately, yelling at new recruits and seasoned Aurors alike. I’m supposed to meet with him Tuesday night, I didn’t feel comfortable talking in the house. Anyway, the reason I am writing is that Anna, Elizabeth, and Christopher are all going to be coming home the week before I leave for Hogwarts. I need you here if you can make it; Mum does too, though she’s in no condition to ask. Owl me and let me know if you can be here, don’t call through the fire, Father has a way of finding out everything that is said through the fire.

Hopefully,

William

Arthur folded the letter and slipped it back into his pocket. He drew in a long deep breath and sighed. He opened the door to the café carriage and slipped in amongst the many patrons. At the bar, he reached into his wallet and pulled out his last twenty-pound note.

"What can I get ya’ guv?" Arthur looked down at the short man tending the fountain. His thinning hair was combed over and covering a large bald spot on the back of his head.

"Vanilla fizzy, and…" Arthur thought about how long it was until payday, "a glass of water."

"Righ’ away guv." The short man turned and began pouring vanilla syrup into a glass. Arthur looked around the car. It appeared that many of the people were on holiday, and the car was filled with riotous conversation and laughter. He felt out of place. "Pound fifty, guv." The short man had set the two glasses on the bar. Arthur handed him the note and took a drink of his water. "Here go, guv’. Good day." Arthur left the fifty-schilling piece on the bar and pocketed the rest. He may be almost broke, but his mother had instilled in him enough good manners to leave at least a small tip.

Arthur returned to his own compartment to find Molly flipping through a book of star charts. She smiled at him and set it aside. "Thank you, Arthur." She took the drink from him and sipped at the straw. She smiled and offered him a drink. Taking a small drink, he wondered yet again what it was about that drink that appealed to his sweetheart so much. She laughed at the face he made.

"Honey, what redeeming quality do those things have for you? Those are just nasty. Worse than that batch of dark beer I tried to make."

"Arthur, how many times do I have to tell you, nothing is nastier than your attempt to brew a dark beer. Leave that to the professionals." She crinkled her nose as she remembered the awful smell that permeated his flat for days after that fiasco. She had sworn that she would never let Arthur in her kitchen after that. He had redeemed himself nicely though by taking her out to dinner and proposing to her. She smiled wistfully as she thought about how sweet his proposal had been.

Arthur looked at Molly and realized what she must be thinking of. "That batch of dark wasn’t a total loss." He leaned over and kissed her cheek. Molly looked down at the engagement ring Arthur had given her. Its simple band was comfortable and the paired diamond and sapphire looked quite nice there. She slipped it off and read the inscription inside for at least the hundredth time Molly, With all my Love, for my Love. Arthur. She was still getting used to the idea of wearing a ring; she’d only had it a week. She smiled up at him.

"Not a total loss. Just don’t ever think you’re cooking in my kitchen." Molly nuzzled up against him again as he sat down. "Are you going to do a big announcement while we’re there?"

"I don’t know, honey. Depends on how things go. If it’s as bad as William says it is, I may just tell everybody individually." He sighed and looked out the window. This should be a joyous trip home; maybe it’ll be OK once we get there. Molly sat bolt upright next to him as a chill of what Grandma Lillian called Dweomer Warning ran up her spine.

"What were you thinking about Arthur?" Molly sounded very worried.

"Nothing dear, just hoping everything goes OK at Mum and Dad’s." He didn’t see the look on Molly’s face. She decided not to share her premonition with him, he looked worried enough for the both of them. She leaned back against him and drifted off to sleep.

The train station in Ottery St. Catchpole was a small affair and Arthur and Molly were the only ones departing there in the early afternoon. Arthur hefted his bag and picked up Molly’s suitcase. A voice from behind him made him turn around.

"Arthur, Molly, over here." William was a gangly young man, all arms and legs. His freckled face and mousy brown hair looked slightly mismatched, as though he should have a different hair colour. He was standing next to an attractive woman who was probably two or three years his senior. Her caramel-coloured hair was long and blew lightly in the breeze. She was dressed in a light blue skirt and jacket and was standing with her arms crossed over her chest.

Arthur tapped Molly’s shoulder. "Elizabeth and William are here." She turned and waved back at them. As they approached the pair, Arthur could see that his little brother had shot up in height considerably in the eight months since Christmas. Arthur extended his hand and was caught up in a rough embrace by his brother. "Good to see you too, William." Arthur turned to his sister and extended his arms for a hug, her response was cool and forced, as though she hugged him only for appearance. Molly puzzled at this as she watched the two of them. Arthur and his younger sister had always been very close and they were always glad to see each other… least until now anyway.

Arthur broke the hug with his sister, "Hey Lizard Breath, what’s new?"

"Arthur, my name is Elizabeth. I would appreciate it if you would use it." The look she gave him was imperious and cold. Behind her, William motioned for Arthur to just drop it.

"Very well Elizabeth, you look well." Arthur’s voice was subdued. She’s gotten to be as bad as Christopher; this is going to be a very long week. Arthur thought of his older brother and how he had become insufferable over the last year or so. He worked with their Father at the Ministry and was every inch his Father’s son.

"Arthur, I brought the carriage down so that we…" William stared daggers into his sister’s back, "could visit on the way back to the house." Arthur gave his younger brother a quizzical look at this comment and then let it drop. Given his sister’s reaction just now he wasn’t sure what they would or would not be able to talk about.

"Go on, say it William. What you really brought it for was so that you could poison my brother against me on the way back to the house. That’s why you were so upset when I came along. I spoiled your plans, and that’s why you’re upset." She had turned to face her younger brother as she said this. "I am not a fool, and your attempt to play me as such will fail." She swept away haughtily but walked slowly so that she would not be out of earshot of the others. William took Molly’s extra bag and led the trio in his sister’s wake out of the small station and toward the carriage.

Molly looped her arm through Arthur’s and gave him a questioning glance. He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "I don’t know what’s going on, darling, it’s all very strange to me too. Stay close to me." Molly tilted her head up and kissed Arthur’s earlobe.

"Always." Molly said softly as she followed William’s waving towards the carriage.

The carriage William indicated was a black horse-less carriage with brass lamps and nice fittings. Inside, the upholstery was a rich burgundy color and was well appointed. The carriage had been in Arthur’s family for generations. Supposedly, it was the first of it’s kind in Ottery St. Catchpole, possibly all of Great Britain. The carriage was based on a muggle invention that was then adapted by Arthur’s great-grandfather for use by wizards. The idea hadn’t caught on very well, but he had constructed several for Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the early 1900’s. Molly knew first hand that they were still in use. Once they were all situated inside and closed the door, an invisibility spell fell over the carriage and it trundled along down the road towards the Weasley home.

"How have you been doing Molly?" William’s voice was pleasant; he genuinely liked Molly. They had been briefly acquainted during William’s first year; Arthur and Molly’s seventh.

"Good. You William?"

"Passably well."

"How do you like Gryffindor’s chance at the house cup this year?" Molly still liked to follow the race for the cup even though she had graduated five years previously.

"Not good, I think Ravenclaw’s going to win this year. Their whole Quidditch team is returning this year, Head Boy and Head Girl are both Ravenclaws, and Headmaster Dippet is a Ravenclaw alumnus." Molly and Arthur nodded sagely. Headmaster Dippet was a good man, but wasn’t above giving his house a few extra points, if he could get away with it.

"Honestly, I don’t see how you can care about such things still." Elizabeth’s voice was condescending, matching her arrogant look, as she considered the others and their conversation. "Once you’ve left the school I don’t see why it should hold any great interest for you." Molly shot Elizabeth a nasty, and slightly injured, look but said nothing.

William responded to her, apparently used to her sniping and tone. "You’re just jealous because Ravenclaw never won while you were there. I should think it’s fairly obvious why." He hadn’t quite meant it the way it came out, but William was perfectly content to let the barb land where it may. He had been fighting with his sister for a week now, and any opportunity for a hit was a good one. Molly remembered now that Arthur’s family was a real mixed bag when it came to houses. Joseph and Christopher had both been Slytherins, Elizabeth was a Ravenclaw, Anna and her mother were both Hufflepuffs, and Arthur and William were Gryffindors.

"Perhaps," Elizabeth’s voice was nonchalant, "but at least I was able to help my house out when I was there, Mr. I-Lost-Fifty-Points-In-One-Shot-And-My-House-Lost-By-Thirty." She smiled triumphantly. William hung his head; he had to concede this round. It sickened him that she was able to hold that over his head after three years. The rest of the ride passed in silence.

When they arrived at the house, William held Molly back. "Molly, I didn’t get a chance to tell you sooner, but this is going to be a very unpleasant experience. Everybody in the house has turned on each other. Nobody misses an opportunity to embarrass someone else. The other three are all trying to curry Father’s favor as he now controls everything worth having in the house." He lifted her hand and admired her ring. "Congratulations Molly, that’s a very nice ring." Molly blushed slightly despite her worry about the situation in the house.

"Thank you William." Molly looked at him carefully. "How’s your Mum?"

"Not good, she hasn’t been out of her room in two days." William sighed deeply. "She’s alive, but only just. I am the only one who goes in to see her. I’m the only one willing to incur Dad’s wrath for it. Even Pebbly won’t go in there." This really concerned Molly; if a house elf wouldn’t brave Joseph's wrath to care for an injured person, then his wrath was backed by something mighty.

Molly wanted to ask another question, but Arthur was waiting for her at the door. Arthur extended his left arm to her, and she placed her right hand on it. "Why the formal entrance Arthur?" She was confused by his actions.

"These games have been going on for years, now we’re just taking them to a whole new level. I’m sorry Molly, I had hoped you would never see this side of my family. Just follow my lead, I love you." He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze as William opened the door for them. Molly matched Arthur in his measured pace. They entered the living room where Joseph sat.

"Father," Arthur’s voice was deep and resonated in the room, which was spacious, but not particularly large. "I would like to present my betrothed, Molly Virginia Flannagan, daughter of Michael and Jane Flannagan. A family that traces their wizarding blood back ten generations." Molly was very careful not to let her shock at Arthur’s statement filter to her face. It was not something she did easily, it was not something she was experienced at; but she knew that it was important now. Joseph rose from his seat. Molly noted that his face was gaunt and drawn. His clothes were finely tailored though, despite the signs of needed repair around the house. He looked Molly over as though he had never seen her before. She was uncomfortable under his gaze, she felt as though he was stripping away the layers of clothing with his eyes so that he could measure her like prize goose.

"You have done well for yourself Arthur, she is a fine looking woman." Molly drew in sharp breath for a retort, but Arthur squeezed her hand reassuringly, quieting for the moment the fire that burned in her. Joseph cocked his head slightly to the left as he noticed this. "And she knows her place. It is good that you can control her, there is no greater sin than a woman who seeks to rise above herself." Molly glanced at Arthur and felt him wince, though his face did not betray it.

"Thank you Father," Arthur’s voice was cold and measured, "with your leave I would like to visit my siblings." Joseph dismissed them with a casual wave of his hand and went back to staring into the fire. Arthur led her from the room and closed the door. Molly turned on him, fire burning in her blue eyes.

Arthur spoke quickly to pre-empt her retort. "Honey, I am so sorry you had to go through that. I had no idea he was going to be like that. Please, honey, I am begging you to forgive me." She stopped and considered him for a moment. He hadn’t even apologized this profusely over the beer incident. Seeing that she was not going to go into an instant tirade he continued on. "Molly, I would really like to take you back to the station and send you back to South Hampton. I really don’t want you to go through this." Molly looked at him carefully. He was perfectly serious, and very sincere. In that moment she realized just how far he would go for her, and she was touched by it. She also realized that she couldn’t abandon him to this on his own.

"Arthur, I’m touched by your concern," her voice was loving and filled with compassion. Her eyes looked adoringly at him. Then her voice steeled with resolve and she laid down the law to her future husband, "However, I’m going to be your wife very soon. That means that I face things like this with you. It means that we support each other in dark times. It means that we don’t sacrifice each other or ourselves for the sake of convenience. I will stand by you through this, I’m going to be your wife Arthur and we cannot start out by abandoning each other." Arthur swept Molly up in his arms and kissed her soundly. He resolved in that kiss that no man had ever been more blessed than he, and that she would always know it. She whispered in his ear. "It also means that your father knows that looking at me like a piece of meat is not acceptable behaviour."

"Absolutely honey." There was no sarcasm in his voice and his face locked into a mask extreme displeasure. "You want me to do it now or later." This was not the answer she was expecting, she expected him to hem and haw about it. "Later is fine dear, right now you can kiss me again." Arthur wrapped her up in his arms and kissed her deeply and lovingly. When they finished they straightened their clothes, checked their hair, and then went out to talk to the rest of the family that was gathered in the dining room.

Anna rose as they entered. The twin resemblance between her and Arthur was in everything except the length of their hair and their height. "Arthur, Molly," she greeted them pleasantly if a little cool. She gave Arthur a small hug, but whispered in his ear as she did so. "You shouldn’t have brought her."

Arthur whispered to her as well, "Perhaps, but it was her decision to make. Given some things I have learned, I am glad I did." Anna stepped away from him and eyed him carefully. There was something unknown in his statement, and that bothered her, she didn’t like unknowns in this game. "Same as always," she asked him out loud.

"Same as always," Arthur replied. They didn’t share the closeness that many twins did, but they had always watched each other’s backs. Anna was pleased to hear this, it meant there was one less to worry about and that he would be easy prey. She turned and embraced Molly as well. She had learned of their engagement by eavesdropping on her father. She was the one who dropped the bomb on the rest of the family, whom she was sure did not know.

"Molly, can I see your ring." Her voice was a little louder than was necessary for talking to someone in front of her. However, it carried easily across the room. "I understand you are stealing my brother away to marry him." Molly blushed slightly and shot a questioning look at Arthur, who shrugged in response. Anna noted with some satisfaction that her little sister had not been aware of this, given the gasp of surprise. Christopher even rose to come and congratulate the happy young couple.

Christopher was the spitting image of his father. The cold hard stare, the slender bone structure, the commanding presence, the thick wavy brown hair, and even the cleft in the chin. He admired Molly’s ring and commented on how the stones played nicely against her eyes. Then he turned to his brother and extended his cold hand in greeting. "She’s a fine looking woman Arthur." His tone was appraising, but as cold as ice. It was the first time Christopher had met Molly since his own graduation from Hogwarts eight years prior. "She has good looking hips, good for bearing children." Arthur’s grip strengthened on Christopher’s hand, which responded in kind. "A woman like that should be able to produce a brood of seven or eight without any problem. You’ll be the next Weas…" He never finished his remark as Arthur’s fist smashed into his face. Arthur hadn’t released Christopher’s hand that he had been shaking. With his other hand, he continued to punch Christopher several more times. Finally, he released his older brother’s hand and brought his own right hand smashing into Christopher’s jaw. Christopher spun around and dropped onto the table.

Arthur leaned down into his brother’s face and spoke quietly and with great menace. "Don’t you talk about her like that! Actually, you don’t talk about her at all! Don’t you even look at her. If I see you anywhere near her, I’ll bloody well snap your neck." Arthur leaned back and then drove another punch into his brother’s jaw, knocking him unconscious. Arthur wrapped his large hand around Molly’s arm just above the elbow and steered her out of the room and up the stairs. The others all watched impassively as they left, no one moved to help Christopher. Once they were in Arthur’s room, Molly turned to him.

"What the hell was that all about Arthur?" The flames were in Molly’s eyes and she looked ready to spit nails. All she had heard Christopher say was "fine looking woman." Next thing she knew Arthur was punching him repeatedly.

"I’m beginning to believe I should just take William and let the whole sodding bunch of them tear each other to shreds." Arthur let out a sigh of frustration. "Christopher is his father’s son, I won’t tell you what he said, suffice to say he asked for everything I gave him." Arthur sank down on the large double bed. "You’re sleeping in here as long as we’re in this house."

"I most certainly am not Arthur." Molly was incensed by his suggestion. "I will not have your sisters making false assumptions about what kind of woman I am. Same for your father." Now her voice sounded a little hurt. "Besides, you said that you respected my feelings about that." Molly wondered in the back corners of her mind what she was getting into here.

"Honey." Arthur’s voice was trying to assuage her concerns. "Molly, we won’t be sleeping in the same bed, I do respect your decision. I also don’t trust anybody else in this house with the exception of my mother and possibly William. I’m guessing that what we’ve seen is just the tip of the iceberg." As Molly sat down on the bed next to him he reached over and put his arm around her. "When William goes back to Hogwarts, we head home." He held up his hand to ward off her protests. "I know we have a two week holiday, but I would much rather spend it at your grandmother’s house in South Hampton than here." Molly leaned against him.

"You just like Grandma Lilian’s cooking," she chided him, but a smile floated around her lips.

"Almost as much as yours," he replied as he kissed her temple.

"Very well Arthur, bring another bed in here and make sure everybody else knows why. I have a feeling my honour is going to be very important over the next few days." She shuddered as a cold chill of warning ran up her back. Arthur got William to help him move a bed from the Anna’s old room to his own.

Shortly before dinner, Arthur knocked respectfully on his mother’s door. There was no answer. Arthur knocked again and opened the door. As he opened the door a beam of red light arced over his shoulder. He ducked and pushed Molly to the side.

"My apologies Arthur, I thought you were someone else." Her voice was quiet and weak, not the voice he remembered from his childhood. He stood and looked at her. Her face was drawn and deeply lined. Her normally thick brown hair was gray now, and tangled horribly. A large bruise spread over the left side of her face, and the dressing gown she wore was spotted and stained. He was ashamed to bring Molly in to see his mother like this, but she twined her hand in his own and nudged him forward.

Arthur moved into the room and went to his mother’s bedside. The room was a shambles, clothes strewn about, broken picture frames and mementos, even dirty dishes that looked to be at least two days old. Tears came to Arthur’s eyes as he took in the details of the room. "Mother, what can I do?" Tears were choking his voice; he desperately wanted to do something for her. His mother looked up at him and smiled ever so slightly.

"You can introduce me to this lovely young woman." Arthur thought she seemed to be unaware of the filth around her, something she never would have stood for when he was a child. He was puzzled by her response; she had met Molly on several occasions over their long courtship. Then he realized she didn’t remember, and it broke his heart.

"Mother, this is Molly Flannagan. Molly, my mother, Agnes Weasley." Molly shook the older woman’s bony hand, noting the haggard appearance of her nails and the lines of dirt in the wrinkles of the hand. "Molly and I are to be married this winter." Arthur wasn’t sure his mother would live that long, the thought troubled him deeply.

"Arthur, that is wonderful news. Why don’t we do it tomorrow? I’ll have the house elves cook up a huge feast and we can use the pavilion out back. It will be marvelous, we’ll open up the land of faeries and invite all our friends." She whispered conspiratorially, "I’ll even invite the goblin king and his queen." She cackled out loud. "Little William can be your ring bearer, and Elizabeth the flower girl. You know she starts school in a few weeks." Arthur looked carefully at his mother, and noted that her eyes were wild and manic. Suddenly she jumped out of bed and began to dance around the room to a tune that only she was hearing.

Arthur shook his head as the truth dawned upon him, his Mother had become barking mad. Molly laced her fingers in with his own and hugged his arm. "I’m sorry Arthur, I know how much you love her. This must be breaking your heart." She whispered.

Arthur nodded dumbly. Molly spoke up again, "Mrs. Weasley, we have to go now. We have lots of plans to make."

"That’s fine dear, I’ll dance with you tomorrow and you can tell me all about how you met." The older woman continued to dance by herself, then curtsied and thanked someone named Lord Voldemort as Molly and Arthur closed the door.

"You see now why it’s necessary." The cold voice of Arthur’s father caused him to jump as it rolled forth from the shadows. "You’ve been warned not to cross me boy. I’ll let this one go, but next time, there won’t be a next time." His voice was deadly cold as he said it. He brushed past Arthur, and Molly shivered in his wake.

Dinner was an unpleasant affair. Christopher and his two sisters seemed to believe they could curry their father’s favor at the expense of the other children. William seemed to stay out of it for the most part, but was not above dropping the occasional direct insult. Joseph seemed to smile at this display, as though he enjoyed watching it. What confused Arthur the most was trying to figure out why his siblings were so interested in their Father’s favour. The family was not particularly wealthy, their father was not a man of great power and influence, there weren’t even lost ancient magics to be gained. However, there seemed to be something their father possessed that they wanted him to share.

After dinner, Arthur and Molly went to take a walk by the creek behind the Weasley home. Molly asked the question first. "Arthur, what do your siblings want from your father?"

"I don’t know, I am hoping that Alastor Moody can shed some light on that. William told me where the meeting is, it starts in about half an hour." Arthur stopped in a clearing surrounded by old maple trees. Molly looked around; it was a beautiful spot. She reached down and ran her fingers through the grass. She had a momentary vision of a good-looking young man with red hair kissing a woman with brown hair and wearing a yellow dress. A sense of calm overcame her as she was filled with the feeling of a deep and abiding love.

"Since we have so much time then, why don’t we sit down and enjoy the setting sun Arthur." Molly was a girl with simple tastes. Her parents weren’t wealthy and she didn’t have a lot of pretensions. She enjoyed sunsets, even better her husband-to-be did as well; and together they loved them. They sat together, feeling the fading warmth of the sun on their faces as they luxuriated in the calm of the other’s presence. All too soon the time passed and they set off for the malt shop on the edge of Ottery St. Catchpole, just a five-minute walk from the house. They decided to walk rather than Apparate, quiet time together was liable to be in short supply in the coming days.

Alastor Moody had seated himself in a corner booth where he could watch the door. William was sitting across from him. Arthur noted that Alastor drank from a hip flask rather than out of the glass on the table in front of him. Arthur slid in next to Moody and Molly next to William. "Arthur, good to see you again." Moody’s voice growled out. He looked across the table to Molly. "You would be Molly Flannagan, if I am not mistaken." Molly blushed slightly.

"I am, it’s a great honour to meet you Mr. Moody." Molly thought of all the stories she had heard growing up, Alastor Moody was something of a legend among Aurors, and his reputation had filtered out into the rest of the wizarding community. It was said he actually planned the attack that led to Albus Dumbledore capturing Grindelwald She hadn’t expected his face to be quite so scarred and battered though.

"I know, not a very pretty face anymore. Fortunately though, I still have both my eyes and my brain still works, so it’s not a total loss." He turned and looked at the two Weasley boys. "So boys, what is it you wanted to talk to me about?" William deferred to Arthur.

"Alastor, I’m having the hardest time figuring out is what my Father has over my other three siblings. They all bow and scrape in his presence, like he can give them something they don’t already have. I can’t seem to figure out what it is." Arthur’s voice came out in a rush.

"Of course they laugh about the fact that we don’t know," William interrupted. "They won’t tell us because they assume it means they’ll have to fight us off too. Anna told me that much."

"Boys," he stopped and looked at Molly carefully, then turned to Arthur. "Can she be trusted? Will you put your life in her hands Arthur?"

"I already have Alastor, I trust her more than anyone else, you included." Molly beamed at Arthur’s words and took hold of his hand.

"That’s dangerous boy, but you’re a pretty good judge of character so I’ll take your word for it. Besides," he reached into his pocket and pulled out a small glass globe and set it on the table. "This would tell me if she couldn’t be trusted." He slipped the item back into his pocket. "Boys, there are some rumors of stuff missing from the evidence rooms. That’s your father’s division. I’m not saying he’s behind it, but I don’t believe in shady coincidence. Even if he did take them though, I seriously doubt he would share them with you kids. Probably wouldn’t even take them home." Alastor was not happy about having to make these accusations. He had known Joseph Weasley a long time and had a lot of respect for him.

Molly spoke up next, "Mr. Moody, does the name Voldemort mean anything to you?" Alastor looked at her very carefully.

"Where did you hear that name?" Molly looked at Arthur for reassurance; he nodded to her.

"Mrs. Weasley was dancing around her room today and thanked somebody named Lord Voldemort for the dance. I didn’t think anything of it at the time, but the name struck me as being very odd. Why wouldn’t she use Mr. Weasley’s name?"

Moody closed his eyes, his brow furrowed in concentration. "I’ve got a couple of reports on my desk that mention the name Voldemort. Mostly petty crime stuff, robbery, break-ins, and a theft from a Muggle pet store. My agents seem to think that it’s a gang of thugs." He rubbed his temples, "but you say she said Lord Voldemort. That changes everything." After a couple of minutes Moody opened his eyes and spoke again. "You kids go on back home. See if you can’t find some kind of an appointment book or what not. I’ll start digging in to stuff at work. Be vigilant, but most of all be careful."

William interrupted again. "What about Mother?"

"My best advice, get her out of that house. Send her off to St. Mungo’s quickly. Once they get her straightened out, she should be OK." Arthur and Molly slipped out of the seat to let Moody and William out. "William, go on back to the house, Molly and I will stay here for a while. We’ll see you later tonight. Don’t do anything stupid." William gave his older brother a hurt expression.

"I’ve only been caught doing something stupid once." William headed for the door as Molly and Arthur slipped back into the booth. When the waitress came over Molly ordered a vanilla fizzy, which the waitress explained was actually called a vanilla soda. Arthur decided on a butterscotch malt that he found much more to his liking than Molly’s vanilla fizzies.

"Arthur, how hard is going to be to get your Mother out of there?" Molly’s voice was worried.

"Next to impossible, I’m afraid. We can’t Apparate with her. Dad seems to watch her room pretty closely. I’ll figure something out." Arthur gave her a weak little smile, "One down, six to go." Molly laughed weakly, unsure she could last another six days under this stress. It was late when they finally got back to the house, and everybody else had gone to bed. Arthur tucked Molly into his double bed and then stretched out on the single bed he had brought in earlier, unaware of how seriously Molly had considered inviting him to join her.

Molly slept late Wednesday morning, she enjoyed sleeping late but it was something she seldom got to do working as a senior chef at Maggiano’s in Diagon Alley. When she finally woke the sun was high in the eastern sky and she guessed it to be about 10:00. Following a shower, she went down to the den where the Weasley’s kept a small library. She thought she might go through the books looking for forgotten notes that might hold a clue or two. As she entered the den she lit the candelabra on the center table. She jumped as it revealed Christopher, who had been sitting there in the dark with the curtains drawn. "Christopher, you startled me." She noted that he showed no signs of the beating Arthur had laid on him yesterday.

"Molly, do not be frightened of me. Although my brother’s temper seems a bit frightful." His voice was smooth and oily; like that of a snake. "Come Molly, sit down. We’ve never really visited and soon you will be my sister-in-law." His request was reasonable, though Molly did approach the chair opposite him with some measure of reserve. Christopher propped his feet up on the coffee table and offered Molly a glass of wine.

"No thanks, bit early for my taste." She slid into the chair and mimicked Christopher’s relaxed posture.

"Tell me Molly, does Arthur make you happy?"

"Yes he does. He’s a wonderful man. I couldn’t ask for anything more. What about you Christopher, is there anyone who makes you happy?" Molly let her guard drop just a little; this looked like it might be a fairly pleasant conversation.

"Yes and no, there is someone, but she doesn’t bring me happiness. Happiness comes from other things for me. She is pleasant to be around though. I wouldn’t bring her to snake pit like this though. Arthur exercised very poor judgement." Christopher sipped his wine as he gauged her reaction. Molly considered him for a moment before answering.

"You’re wrong there Christopher. Arthur and I are strength for each other. We support each other and make the hard times easier." She paused for a moment; "We are each other’s power, if you will." Christopher chuckled lightly.

"Power?" His tone was incredulous. "Molly, power is not something you draw or something you give, power is something you wield." Christopher pointed his wand at the door and closed it. His eyes glittered as he looked at her. "Molly, power is when you demonstrate to someone that you have the upper hand, when you show them that you have what they want, or can take what they have. Allow me to demonstrate." His lips moved but Molly did not hear what he said. Suddenly her mind went numb, like someone had draped a wet blanket over her brain. All she could hear was the sound of Christopher’s voice in the vaults of her mind.

"Come over here Molly." His tone was casual, like talking to a friend. Molly knew in the depths of her mind that he was not her friend, and that she should ignore it. It was too late though, she had already taken the first step toward him. She stood next to his chair.

"Molly, come down here and kiss me." She knew it was wrong, she knew she shouldn’t, but her resistance crumbled under the sound of his voice. She fell into his lap and submitted to his kisses. His lips were strong and forceful, but there was no warmth in them. His hand was rough as it groped her and squeezed her. It popped the buttons on her blouse, tearing the fabric in the process.

"Now Molly, I am going to demonstrate what real power is. You are going to give to me what you will not give to my brother, the man you love. You will give it to me because I have that power. Arthur is too weak to wield power like that, I am not." Molly could feel the tears running down her cheeks as she dreaded what was coming. She tried to steel her resolved in hopes that she could resist him; her brain felt as if it would burst with the effort.

"Molly, take off your clothes." His smile was wicked and his eyes danced with an awful glee. He traced his finger up the inside of her leg. She struggled to fight the messages her brain was sending to her hand. She tried to grip at the shirt to keep her hand from straying, but it betrayed her and pulled the fabric from her shoulder, exposing the undergarment beneath and her smooth cream colored skin. Tears splashed against her shirt as they fell from her face.

The door burst in just as her arm came free of the sleeve.

"Bleedin’ Christ," William swore in a low voice. Arthur’s approach was much more direct; he grabbed a vase and hurled it at Christopher as he ran across the room. Christopher had been a beater on the Slytherin Quidditch team and his reflexes to thrown objects were good. He shoved Molly in front of the hurtling vase. It impacted solidly with her head and she slumped to the floor. Arthur dove over the coffee table and plunged into Christopher, sending the chair over and driving the two brothers to the floor. William scooped Molly up off the floor and carried her back upstairs to her room.

Arthur wrapped his hands around his older brother’s neck and began to squeeze with inexorable force. "I told you if even came near her I would break your worthless neck."

"Arthur," Christopher choked out, "she came to me." Arthur’s grip loosened in shock at his brother’s words; they couldn’t be true. Christopher capitalized on the second of confusion. "You saw her, throwing herself at me." He arranged his face in an expression of shock and outrage. "She told me she wanted me." Arthur felt like a mule had kicked him. "She offered herself up to me." Arthur noticed Christopher’s wand on the floor next to him. "She begged me to kiss her." Arthur remembered the tracks of tears on Molly’s beautiful face.

Then Arthur realized who was saying these things about his beloved and threw himself back to the task at hand. Arthur strained his hand and his grip strengthened. He could feel the pulse in Christopher’s neck begin to speed up, felt him try to swallow as his windpipe began to collapse. Arthur felt something pointed and solid at his side, then Christopher’s lips moved. "Crucio."

Suddenly Arthur’s body was consumed with pain, his back arched horribly. Christopher threw him off and stood up, rubbing his neck. "Arthur, you are a fool. You cannot hope to tangle with me." Christopher reached down and hauled Arthur upright, bracing him against the wall. Christopher stuck his wand in Arthur’s mouth, "Crucio." Arthur writhed in pain under his brother’s vice-like grip. Pain spread to every limb of his body, his head thundered like a blacksmith’s anvil. His tongue felt like it was on fire.

Christopher watched his brother with a rather detached glee. He liked this spell almost as much as the Imperius Curse. He smiled and considered casting it again. Suddenly, there was a loud noise and a force blew into him and hurled him across the room along the wall.

Anna looked with curious detachment at the scene before her, Christopher had Arthur pinned against the wall and was chuckling to himself as Arthur writhed in pain. Anna thought of the trick he had learned in dueling club years before. Professor Ellagon had taught them that the disarming spell would remove small objects, like wands, from the opponent’s hand. It also had the side effect of throwing the target back several feet. Through trial and error, she had found out that it could be used on anyone holding on to something, including another person. Leveling her wand she shouted, "Expelliarmus." She smiled as Christopher was lifted off the floor and thrown into the corner. Arthur slumped to the floor. Anna pointed her wand at Christopher again and gave careful consideration to how hard she should hit him, "Stupefy." Christopher didn’t stand up.

William came back into the room as Anna was surveying the extent of the damage. "Thank you for helping Anna." He was sincere she decided, and it settled the score between her and Arthur. She was tired of owing him from all those years at school when he kept rescuing her from one catastrophic spell experiment or another.

"Don’t worry about it William, you’ll just owe me later." William decided he really didn’t like the sound of that idea, but said nothing. William moved over to Arthur, who was trying to stand up.

"Arthur, can you walk?" Arthur shrugged in mute response. William squatted down next to him and put an arm around him and pulled Arthur’s arm over his shoulder. "Up we go old man." With a grunt William stood up and brought Arthur with him. Carefully, William picked his way across the room, then led Arthur up the stairs to his room, where Molly was. Anna followed him out into the hall.

In the back corner of the room, the light shimmered and coalesced to reveal Elizabeth’s form as her invisibility spell dropped away. "Well Christopher," she muttered to herself, "I see what you are willing to do. That was a most informative lesson." She swept from the room on silent feet, a wicked glint in her eye.

After depositing Arthur on the bed, William whistled. Pebbly, the Weasley family house elf, popped into the room where the three were.

"Yes Master William?" Her eyes widened as she saw the bleeding form of Molly sprawled on the bed. "Oh Master William is Ms Molly going to be OK?" She wrung her hands and shifted between her left and right legs. She could help Molly, but not until someone asked her or gave her permission to touch a guest in the house.

"It’s OK Pebbly," Pebbly hadn’t even seen Arthur as she came in. She turned toward him at the sound of his ragged voice and noticed several bruises rising on his face and arms. "You can touch Molly, she won’t hurt you. Can you please help her?"

"I should be helping you too Master Arthur, you is badly hurt." Pebbly noticed that at least Arthur wasn’t bleeding.

"Help Molly first, please." Arthur stood up slowly and went to lean against the wall so that he could see Molly. Pebbly set to work. The flow of blood from Molly’s scalp stopped, then the wound closed into neat line with no scar. The rising bruise faded and finally the dry blood evaporated out of her hair. Pebbly was an expert healer as house elves went. She had served four generations of Weasleys, and each one had several children, most of whom enjoyed finding new and interesting ways to injure themselves. She had learned to heal cuts, bruises, broken bones, dislocated joints, concussions, and even the occasional misfired spell. She looked over at Molly, her large dark eyes concerned; the cut was easy, the rest would take a long time to heal. Molly stirred and her eyes fluttered open. The first thing Molly saw was Arthur looking down at her, his hand coming to rest on her cheek.

"Arthur!" She cried out and grabbed his arm turning toward him. Arthur sat down on the edge of the bed next to her and wrapped his arms around her as best he could. Molly wept unabashedly into his ribs; fear, sadness, loss, and loathing swept over her in waves. Arthur held her all through her storms of weeping; ignoring the pain that racked his own body. Pebbly offered to heal his bruises, but he told her they would wait.

Seeing that Molly was awake and that Arthur was with her, William turned and left the room. Pebbly followed in his wake. William turned to her, "Pebbly, this is a secret. You cannot tell anybody about what happened. You cannot tell Master Joseph Weasley. This is binding until I release you from it or until I die." Pebbly nodded solemnly, he had invoked an ancient and powerful magic that he should not have even known. Pebbly could never give up this secret, even under torture or death. She would carry this secret to her grave. The price of failure to do so would be her life. "Thank you Pebbly. I’m sorry I had to do that to you, but Molly and Arthur must be protected."

"I understand Master William. You need to be careful also. Elizabeth is doing something she tries to keep secret." Pebbly’s eyes went wide and she ran downstairs to the kitchen and began to pound her head on the counter. By the time William got to the kitchen a large red mark had appeared on her forehead.

"Pebbly, stop that." Pebbly looked at him with bleary eyes. "You will not do that while I am talking to you, and I forbid you to do it after speaking to me." Pebbly nodded her assent. William looked around to see if anyone else had heard. "Pebbly, is anybody listening to us right now?" Pebbly shook her head no. She was amazed by how much William knew about house elf magic. "Good, do you know what Elizabeth’s secret is?" Pebbly shook her head no. "Very well Pebbly. If you find out what it is I want you tell me. Will you do that?" Pebbly hemmed and hawed, she shouldn’t tell him, but Master William was a powerful wizard and he knew a great deal about elf magic. She was sure that he probably knew how to make her tell him. Finally, she nodded yes. "Thank you Pebbly." William turned and left the kitchen, heading for the den.

--------------------

Joseph Weasley sat down in the finely upholstered chair. The room was well appointed, and reeked of great power and wealth. Joseph looked forward to the day when his own house would convey this type of power. He would get rid of his shack in Ottery St. Catchpole and buy a fine London Manor such as this. He pictured how it would look in his mind’s eye and was wrapped up in his vision when his host entered. "I am ssorry Josseph. Have I interrupted ssomething." The man spoke not with a lisp, but rather seemed to place an inordinate amount of emphasis on his esses. Joseph snapped out of his reverie and rose to bow to his host.

"My apologies, my Lord. Your power is awe-inspiring, one cannot help becoming lost in it." Joseph had figured out early on that the best way to remain in the good graces of this man was to assuage his ego, and insure him that you sought no more than a shadow of his power.

"I’m ssure. Pleasse be sseated. Have you brought what I assked of you?" The man’s slippery voice pulled at Joseph’ mind, nudging him to go along with the hissing voice.

"Yes, my Lord." Joseph reached into his pocket and pulled out a short, black bladed dagger. "The Blade of Betrayal, the knife which slew Julius Caesar." As Joseph gripped the hilt and extended it to his master the thought suddenly occurred to him that if he struck this man in the heart, he could become the Dark Lord.

"Josseph, I am no fool; sset the blade on the table. I will not take it from your hand." Joseph shook off the effect of the blade as his master’s words again tugged at his mind. He set the blade on the table, though he felt it mock him for his weakness as he did so. "The irony in thiss iss ssimply deliciouss. The sservant deliverss to the masster the one blade which could have made the sservant the masster and he doess sso at the masster’ss direction. You are a good and faithful sservant, Josseph. I sshould reward you." The man looked at Joseph with imperious benevolence.

"Service is it’s own reward, my Lord." Joseph inclined his head to the man standing before him. A thought struck him then. "My Lord, my entire family is assembled at my house. Three of my children are ready to become your willing servants. The other two will resist, but they have always been a great disappointment to me. Perhaps your presence will inspire them. Would you grace my humble house with your presence for dinner tomorrow night?"

The man considered Joseph for a long moment. "What makess you think your children are willing Josseph? "

"My Lord, they know that I possess some new power, though they do not know what it is. Yet they seek to curry my favor, and bicker amongst themselves for who will be greatest in my eyes. They seek a powerful master to serve." Joseph inclined his head, yet again, to the man before him.

Another long moment passed. Joseph began to sweat, fearing he had overstepped his bounds as a servant. The man smiled at him then, "That would be acceptable Josseph. Following dinner, we sshall induct your three children to my sservice. If the otherss do not, we will make exampless of them." The man’s smile was malicious and evil as he considered the possibilities. "Will your wife be joining uss again Josseph? Sshe iss a fine woman."

"Of course my Lord." Joseph thought about all he must do to prepare for the next night. "How shall I introduce you my Lord?"

"Until the time iss right, they sshall know me ass Mr. Thomass Riddle." He shuddered at the mention of his name. He hated that name and all that it stood for, but until he knew who his faithful were he could trust very few with the truth. He chuckled in the vaults of his mind at the irony of that. "For your faithful sservice, I have ssomething for you Josseph." He reached under his cloak and drew out a box. He handed it carefully to Joseph, who was surprised at the box’s great weight. "Ass you ssay, sservice iss itss own reward, but there are other benefitss ass well." Joseph bowed graciously to his master, then left quickly so that he could see and enjoy his rewards.

---------------------

William piled the last of the wood in the fire pit and examined it critically. He had never built a fire from scratch, but he guessed it looked OK. It was shaped kind of like a pyramid and should serve the purpose he needed it for. A cold wind blew down through the quarry ruffling his cloak around him. He extended his wand with a dramatic flourish, "Incendio." The small fire caught and roared to life. William extended his hands over it and basked in its warmth for a moment. He reached into his pocket and withdrew a small leather pouch and took out a pinch of white Floo powder. He cast it into the fire, which roared up again, "Comunus Infierno, Alastor Moody," he called to the fire. After a just a few seconds a head formed of flames bearing the likeness of Alastor Moody appeared in the fire.

"What do you want William?" Alastor’s voice growled from the roaring fire.

"Alastor, we have a serious problem here."

"Is this the kind of problem the Aurors should be involved in or is this something private?"

"A bit of both actually." Moody’s expression turned curious, making his face even more frightful. "Christopher decided it might be fun to use an ImperiusCurse to make Molly sleep with him. Then when Arthur tried to kill him for it, he thought Cruciatus might be the best way to deal with it." William looked at the fire curiously as Moody’s face darkened and his brow crinkled.

"Are Molly and Arthur OK now?"

"Yes, Arthur got there in time to stop him, but they’re both pretty messed up from it. Also, Dad is bringing some guy named Thomas Riddle over tomorrow night. Says he’s a colleague. You know him?"

"Thomas Riddle…can’t say as the name rings any bells. I’ll run it around the office tomorrow. What time is he coming over?"

"Dinner is usually served at 7:00."

"Well, if anything turns up suspicious tomorrow I’ll show up early. Otherwise I’ll be by about 8:00 and you can catch me up on anything else suspicious. What kind of proof other than Molly and Arthur’s word do you have of what Christopher did?"

"Only his wand," Using a gloved hand, William waved the wand back and forth.

"Bloody brilliant, boy. You study damn hard this year, when you graduate I’m going to put you on my team." Alastor smiled at William, the fire made it look hollow and hellish. William beamed back. Pebbly tugged at his cloak.

"Gotta go Alastor, bye." William slashed his arm in a downward motion and killed the fire completely. With the quarry being twenty some feet below the normal ground level, William was pretty sure nobody would know he was there or why; but he had Pebbly stand lookout anyway.

"Master William, it is Ms. Elizabeth. She is invisible." Not for the first time that day, William was glad he had taken the time to befriend Pebbly. William pressed himself back under the rock lip that had protected his fire from view. Pebbly reached up and took his hand. He felt a powerful energy rush through him and realized he was standing in the abandoned cellar under the kitchen. Pebbly pushed the door trapdoor in the floor open and entered into the kitchen. William followed her out.

"How do you do that Pebbly?" William was awed by the strength of her magic. Its no wonder house elves aren’t allowed to have wands, he thought.

She looked at him carefully, "Ancient House Elf secret," then she began to laugh to herself. William looked at her in utter incomprehension and shook his head as she laughed herself silly.

-----------------

Arthur cradled Molly close to his chest in relief as her weeping finally subsided yet again. They had spent the rest of the day in their room. Arthur wanted blood from Christopher, preferably lots of it. Molly had forbidden him, reminding him that he was no good to her dead or in prison. In the end Molly won because Arthur realized his revenge would cost her everything, and he couldn’t do that to her. As the sun was beginning to set, there was a knock at the door. "Who is it?" Arthur was wary as he asked, but he expected that it would be William.

"Arthur, it’s Anna, can I come in?" Her voice sounded concerned, and she had kept Christopher from killing him that morning.

"Come on in." The door opened and Anna entered followed by Pebbly, who was bearing a tray of food and drink. Pebbly set the tray down on the nightstand and looked at Molly with concern. Arthur still bore his bruises from earlier that day. As Pebbly was about to say something, Anna interrupted her.

"You are dismissed." Pebbly left the room, but bowed as Arthur thanked her. "How is she Arthur?" Arthur stroked Molly’s hair and rubbed her back as she slept against him, his shirt clutched in her hands.

"She’s better now, she’s sleeping." Arthur looked up at his sister, "Thank you for this morning. I guess I owe you now."

Anna smiled only slightly, "I guess you do."

His look changed then, concern filling his eyes. "Anna, I need your help with something else." Anna looked at her brother warily, they had always watched each other’s backs, but she couldn’t afford to cross either Christopher or her father now.

"How can I help Arthur?" Anna showed concern on her face, but her heart was filled with joy. He would owe her even more; he would be ripe for the picking.

Arthur smiled wryly, "You could bring me Christopher’s head on a silver platter." Anna seemed to have missed the joke, such as it was. "Anna, I have to know what’s going on. What are the three of you fighting over?" A year ago he would have asked Elizabeth this question, they were much closer. Something had changed Elizabeth though; Anna was his next best hope for an answer from inside the insidious triangle.

Anna turned his question over in her mind several times. He was so cavalier, always plunging ahead with never a thought to the ramifications of what he did or asked. She noted the sincerity on his face. She knew she could tell him, she knew he wouldn’t turn it against her; but she couldn’t take the chance that he would learn how to play this game her way. "I can’t tell you that Arthur. If I did, then you would be after it too. I don’t want to fight you for this. The others, I could care less about what happens to them. If you knew though, you would fight for it too."

"I doubt that. Nothing is worth what I see you doing to each other. Whatever it is, you are all willing to sacrifice the entire family for it. Nothing is worth that. If I have to, I’ll save who I can and leave the rest of you fight amongst yourselves; but I would rather see it end, and everybody live peacefully as a family again.’

"Arthur, you’re so Gryffindor." Anna laughed lightly at her own joke, and touched Arthur’s shoulder affectionately. "Always rushing in where angels fear to tread, then looking for Camelot." Anna turned and walked to the door. She looked over her shoulder at Molly, "She’s your greatest weakness Arthur, be careful of that."

"Get out Anna," Arthur growled at her. He was tired of the way his siblings referred to Molly. The only one who had any respect for her as a person was William. Arthur slipped out of Molly’s embrace and placed her head gently on the pillow. He began gathering things around the room and packing them into his suitcase. He picked up a picture of the five children and looked at fondly. William had been very young in that picture, and swung between Arthur and Anna while Christopher made rabbit ears behind Elizabeth. He tossed it into his suitcase; doubtful they would ever smile and laugh that way again.

Molly stirred and sat up, Arthur was at her side before her eyes were fully open. A light knock on the door interrupted the question he was about to ask her. "Who is it?" he asked, annoyed by the unwanted presence. The door clicked open and William poked his head in.

"How is she?" William asked as he stepped through the door. Lines of concern wrinkled his young face. "What’s going on?" he indicated the open suitcase on Arthur’s bed.

"Molly and I going home tomorrow. I want you to come with us William. You can crash at my flat until school starts." Arthur set a glass of juice against Molly’s lower lip and tipped it slightly.

"Can it wait another day?"

"Why?"

"I just spoke with Alastor Moody, he’s coming by tomorrow night. Father also has a colleague coming for dinner. Some chap named Tom Riddle. I think this could be important, and I need to be here for it." Arthur had always admired his brother’s commitment to keeping appointments.

"Very well William. Thursday morning we catch the 9:15 to London, then on to South Hampton. You’ll like it there. Riotous and loud, but a fun place to live. Definitely more your speed than Ottery. You’ll like Grandma Lillian too, she reminds me a bit of Grandma O’Hara." With a thank you and a nod in Molly’s direction, William left the room.

Molly had gone back to sleep. Arthur slipped away from the bed and finished packing as much as he could. At dawn the day after tomorrow, he would leave with Molly and William. He thought of his mother, and wondered how he could save her as well. He pushed the thought aside, deciding he had to help the others first. He would get Moody to help him with his mother.

------------------------

Elizabeth sat in her room, her father’s diary open on her desk next to the invisibility potions she had brewed the afternoon before. Her father had seemed very pleased with himself at dinner last night; his diary entry bore out the reason why.

August 27

Lord Voldemort has rewarded me graciously today. My vault fills with his generosity. Soon I shall shed my ramshackle house and purchase a fine manor like his. I am sure I’m not his only servant, but I wonder if he rewards them all this well? Hmm, I will find out soon enough. All is ready for the ceremonies tomorrow night, I simply hope that William and Arthur don’t disrupt them in any way. Perhaps I should just kill them and ensure that they are not a problem. I am sure that Arthur’s fiancé would make an excellent gift to Lord Voldemort as well. I will know at dinner tomorrow how I should proceed with them.

Elizabeth is showing great promise, but she also bears watching. Her willingness to expose Christopher shows she is ruthless in her pursuit of power. Perhaps she will learn to control herself when she sees what kind of power Lord Voldemort wields, he will not be impressed by her willingness to turn traitor. She’s smart though, she should figure it out. If she doesn’t, then she will deal with the consequences. I must go see to Agnes now; she must be made ready for her role tomorrow night. A role that serves her well since she refuses to allow me into her bedchamber.

Elizabeth read the second paragraph again, "I’ll learn, especially since now I know." She closed the diary and, quaffing one of her invisibility potions, slipped it back into her father’s study. Briefly she entertained the idea of warning her brothers, in particular Arthur. Then she remembered her father’s words, and decided she would keep her knowledge of her father’s plans to herself unless she could profit by saving Arthur and William. She rather doubted it.

---------------------

Joseph Weasley opened the door and invited his guest in. He had assembled the family in the living room; the boys were to be introduced first. "Mr. Riddle, may I introduce my sons, Christopher, Arthur, and William." The man known as Thomas Riddle shook each of their hands in turn. Christopher, he knew from their meetings before, but in Arthur and William he sensed trouble. He was sure they would not survive the night, there was something about them that set his teeth on edge.

"These are my daughters, Anna and Elizabeth. This young woman is Molly Flannagan, the betrothed of Arthur." Anna shook his hand, he was not impressed by her; she lacked good manners and the proper sense of decorum. Elizabeth was a stunning beauty in a pale blue robe with a gold necklace. She curtsied as Thomas brushed his lips over the back of her fingers.

"Elizzabeth, it iss my great pleassure to meet you." He noted with some satisfaction that she had enough control to not flinch at his speech patterns. He also noted her slight blush at his attentions and manner, she would be an easy conquest he thought to himself. Elizabeth felt herself wanting to fall faint as power oozed from the man. She decided that whatever power her Father had was nothing next to what this man could offer her. Molly, noting the reception of the first two girls, shook his hand before retreating to Arthur’s side.

Joseph Weasley stepped forward again, "My L- Mr. Riddle, if you would care to join us, we have appetizers and drinks in the dining room." The host led his guest to the dining room, followed by the rest of the family. Arthur noted as dinner progressed that the usual bickering and maneuvering was absent until the conversation took a darker turn as dinner was served. It was Mr. Riddle that was leading it; the others followed merrily along with the exceptions of Molly and William.

"I understand that Hogwarts Deputy Headmaster Dumbledore is pushing to start a new class for Muggle-borns that would indoctrinate them to Wizarding history and society. He wants to open it not only to muggle-born wizards, but their parents as well." He took a bite of the crème brulle that had been prepared before continuing. He used the time to note the looks of disgust or approval around the table. Christopher responded first.

"I personally would like to see them sent to another school altogether. I see no reason to bring in upstarts and surround them with proud wizarding families such as ours. Let them study among their own kind, or find a master to take them on like was done in the old days."

Arthur got his hackles up on this one, but it was Molly that spoke first. "Christopher, did you learn nothing in History of Magic?" Her voice quavered slightly as he met her eyes. Arthur held her hand under the table to lend her strength. "We just went through this thirty years ago. The Grindelwald Wars showed us that purity of blood means nothing in questions of honour, strength, or power. In many cases, Muggle-borns were as brave or braver than wizards with long family histories." Her voice gained momentum and strength as she continued. "This whole argument is a moot point in my opinion. There were so many families that died during Grindelwald’s rise to power that we cannot afford to isolate wizards simply because of their blood history."

Anna responded quickly, "One of these days, those Mudbloods are going to turn on us. When they do it’s going to look like The Inquisitions again. They’ll be burning witches, not in the street, but in prisons. I hear things like that are still happening in Eastern Europe and the Soviet states. We simply cannot afford to have that kind of purging here. I say that the established families should nurture that like an orchard keeper, and that muggleborns should be left to rot like fruit left too long on the tree."

William entered the debate. "Would you support the idea of killing squibs too, just on the off chance that they might turn on their wizarding families? Anna, you probably ought to be careful how you answer. You might as well be a squib in our family. Your powers beyond the most rudimentary of spells are a joke. Only somebody with as adlepated a brain as yours would actually come up with something that preposterous." The truth cut deeply, and Anna got up and ran from the table.

Thomas Riddle considered William carefully as he spoke. The boy has fire, he thought to himself. His willingness to turn her weakness against her in front of strangers means he is doesn’t hesitate to use whatever will help him win. It was then that he noticed the stricken look on William’s face as Anna ran from the room. Oh well, his heart is too soft to wield real power though. He would be too hard to control in the long run.

"Bravo, bravo brother mine." Elizabeth’s voice dripped sarcasm like a broken water pipe as she clapped in measured tones. "Just air out the family’s dirty laundry here in front of strangers." She turned to Mr. Riddle, "My apologies good sir, my brother is young and has yet to outgrow the insult-any-idea-I-can’t-refute stage yet. Personally, I think Anna made an excellent point. If we continue to allow them to look at our society from the inside, one of them is going to turn against us and raise the general population against us. It happened to the gypsies. They were a small group of people, much like wizards in relation to the population at large. They were all wiped out. I believe wizards are always going to be perceived as a threat to the population at large, and Muggles deal with things they fear by destroying them. It’s foolish, but there it is. We cannot continue to take those kinds of risks. Let them explain the powers however they will, but do not tell them the truth." She smiled radiantly as Mr. Riddle nodded in agreement with her assessment.

Arthur shook his head as he responded to his sister’s tirade. "Elizabeth, I always thought you were the smart one. How can you deny the tons of empirical and anecdotal evidence showing that wizarding dynasties produce no greater wizards than do Muggles? A wizard is a wizard, regardless of his parents. Grindelwald was born of a great wizarding house, yet he turned and destroyed wizards of both dynastic and muggle families without regard to blood. The Lord of the Inquisition himself was a wizard seeking only to destroy his enemies using the greater population. Wizards and witches are killed not because some wizards are Muggle born, but because evil wizards will use anything to gain power. The Mudblood question is just a way to ascertain loyalties." Arthur looked carefully at his father’s guest. "Isn’t that so Mr. Riddle?" Elizabeth gasped as Mr. Riddle rose from his seat.

Tom Riddle strode slowly around the table, walking behind Christopher and Elizabeth. "That is very close to the truth of the matter, Arthur. Those who seek power will use something as simple as this to determine enemies and friends. Not because they necessarily care one way or the other, but because it is a polarizing issue." He continued on around the table, easing his wand out of his sleeve and into his hand. "The line on this is very firm, just like the line on unforgivable curses, Avada Kedavra." Green light erupted from the end of his wand and struck William, who crumpled to the ground like a pile of rags.

The room exploded with action as Arthur leapt at the man and tore his wand from his hand. Molly noticed that Christopher had been reaching for his own wand as well and ducked under the table so that she could hopefully remove him from the fight. Not seeing Molly, Christopher rose and began to move towards Arthur. The door burst inwards as Alastor Moody stepped into the room and shouted at Joseph Weasley. Elizabeth slid away from the table, wanting to find out who would win before she committed herself. Hearing the commotion downstairs, Anna grabbed her crossbow. William was right that she didn’t have much magic, but she was an expert hunter. She headed down the stairs while setting the bolt in place.

Molly came out from under the table to see Arthur locked in mortal combat with Mr. Riddle. Arthur was holding on to the man’s wand, pointing it at the opposite wall as Mr. Riddle struggled to get away. She saw Christopher level his wand Arthur’s back, without hesitating she pointed her own wand at Arthur, "Reflectere Incantatem," she said as Christopher released his own spell. The spell reflected and Elizabeth dropped to the ground, writhing in pain and shouting.

Moody had seen green light through the windows, the kind of green light that could only mean one thing, the Killing Curse. He exploded the door with a bursting charm and shouted at Joseph, thinking to find answers. The chaos he found would not give him answers, and he had to subdue everyone as quickly as possible. He growled out a body-binding curse, and pointed it at Joseph Weasley just as Elizabeth began screaming in pain. He ran towards the dining room.

Seeing that his spell had been turned aside, Christopher turned on the offender with a look that was half glee and half loathing. "Bitch, one would think that you would know not to cross me. This time I’m just gonna do you in." Christopher leveled his wand at Molly as she dove under the table. The spell reduced a portion of the table to splinters as Molly darted out the other side.

Tom Riddle looked up to see Joseph Weasley’s petrified body speeding towards the entryway where Alastor Moody stood. He could ill afford to have a man that knew as much as Joseph Weasley falling into the hands of the Aurors. With a mighty effort he threw Arthur off of him and towards the wall. Rolling over he pointed his wand and gave the order. A black blade jumped from the end of his wand and buried itself in Joseph’s skull. With another command, the blade returned to his hand as Joseph’s limp body fell on top of Alastor Moody.

Arthur got his bearings and turned over to see what was going on just as the black blade returned to Mr. Riddle’s hand. He coiled himself to jump on the man again, when with a "Disapparo," the man vanished. Christopher turned to face Arthur, his wand in his hand. Arthur saw light from the kitchen cast Christopher’s shadow over him just as he heard the unknown thwack. A crossbow bolt rocketed out the front of Christopher’s face. He fell to the ground to reveal Anna standing in kitchen doorway.

"Same as always Arthur?" Her voice was clear as she loaded a second bolt into the cradle and tensioned the string.

"Same as always," he replied staring at the now dead form of his brother.

"Good." Molly realized what Anna was doing as she raised the crossbow to her shoulder; she planned to shoot Arthur. Molly couldn’t allow that to happen. She pointed her wand at the crossbow.

"Pereo." The crossbow exploded in Anna’s hands, the arm snapping in half. The full tension of the string forced the broken arm to swing around with incredible velocity. The shattered, jagged end of the arm punctured through the weak bone at Anna’s temple, its wild spinning scrambling her brain as it ricocheted off the inside of her skull. Anna’s body went limp and fell to the floor.

Arthur looked up in time to see Elizabeth stand and stare at Molly with wide eyes. "You killed my sister," she shrieked, her voice mad. She tried to dive over the table at Molly, but a burst of light in the room threw every body backwards. Molly was slammed into the wall and slumped to the floor. Arthur heard his back crack as he was slammed into the china cabinet. Elizabeth was hurtled through the plate glass window that overlooked the back yard.

Moody ran into the room after his spell. He ran to the window to see Elizabeth’s body vanish. In its place hovered a small green skull, a snake protruding from its mouth. "Bugger me," he growled. "I have a feeling this won’t be the last time I see that." He turned back into the house and went to check on Molly and Arthur.

--------------------------------

Four months later

Arthur stood staring into the mirror, thinking of all he had lost and gained in the last six months. He had lost his entire family. After the loss of her children, Agnes had wasted away and died before Halloween. They buried her in the O’Hara family plots in Ireland. At the reading of the will, Arthur was the only one present. Lord Voldemort had sacrificed Elizabeth in order that he could make his own getaway when the Aurors tracked him down in late September. At the will reading, he had been left everything. It was all gone now, except for the house. They had sold off everything to pay his father's debts and for his mother's failed treatments. Pebbly was gone too, gone to Hogwarts where she would assist in the hospital wing. There was nobody left in his branch of the family, it was just he and Molly.

He and Molly, he smiled at the thought. They had been married three days earlier, in the grove down by the creek. His eyes got distant and a goofy smile spread across his face as he thought of how beautiful Molly had looked in her wedding dress. He blushed as he thought how much better she looked out of it. "Snap out of it Arthur," the mirror chided him, "you’re supposed to be getting ready for work. Besides, I am tired of listening to you two, I need some peace and quiet." Arthur blushed again as he smiled stupidly at the mirror.

"Arthur," Molly’s groggy voice carried to him from the bedroom, "who’s that."

"Just the mirror, honey, she’s reminding me that I am supposed to be getting ready for work." Arthur stuck his tongue out at the mirror, "I think we'll move out into the hall tonight, just for you."

"You do that Arthur, and I swear on Snow White’s memory, I’ll break." Arthur grinned again and went in to kiss his wife good-bye before he headed to work. It was his first day in his new department, Muggle Relations. It had been a promotion, and he really hadn’t minded getting out of Artefact Research. Molly reached over and took the packet of parchment off of the old dresser and handed it to him.

"What are you doing today Arthur," Molly asked him groggily, stealing a kiss before she would give him the packet.

"Meeting a new student, she’ll be starting next fall, but today is her eleventh birthday. Kind of feel bad for the kid having a birthday two days before Christmas." Arthur leaned over the bed, giving her another kiss.

"What’s her name, anybody we know?" Molly conned two more kisses from him before he answered.

"No, her name is Lilly Evans, no other witches in two generations on either side. Has a wizard for a great-uncle on her Father’s side though. I just hope it goes well." Arthur leaned over and nuzzled his wife’s neck and nibbled her ear.

"Arthur, if you don’t stop kissing me like that, you’re going to miss that appointment altogether." She looked at him mischievously, "Hurry home love." Arthur turned and left the room, stopping at the door to tell his wife one more time that he loved her. The Wizarding Wireless Network was playing Joy to the World, and Arthur whistled along with the music as he headed down the stairs and out the door.