Hogwarts - 1

"Molly," Mr. Weasley said, moving to take her in his arms, but she jerked free.

"Don't you dare 'Molly' me," she snarled, her face crumpling. "He made Percy take that horrible Vow, and look what's happened to my baby. They probably tortured him to get their information."

Moody shifted on his feet and appeared as if he would respond, but Professor McGonagall placed a restraining hand on his arm.

"We don't know that, Mum," George said, although he couldn't meet her eyes. "Don't think about it now. For all we know, it could have just been an accidental slip."

"Unless he gave it to them willingly," Ron said darkly, his face turning scarlet.

Several of the Weasleys shouted in protest, but Ron stared back defiantly. "Don't tell me the thought hasn't crossed any of your minds. Percy hasn't exactly been the most reliable bloke, lately."

The others shifted uncomfortably without meeting anyone's eyes. The suspicion in the room – although unspoken – was palpable.

Mrs. Weasley collapsed in a puddle on the floor, sobbing hysterically.

Ron winced. His lower lip beginning to tremble, before he jumped from his chair and fled up the stairs towards the boys' dormitory. Hermione stood shakily, as if to follow him, but Bill stopped her.

"I'll go, Hermione; you need to see Madam Pomfrey," he said quietly.

Hermione sniffled and leaned her head onto Harry's shoulder, bursting into tears. Harry awkwardly wrapped his arm around her and patted her on the back, feeling extremely uncomfortable.

When Madam Pomfrey arrived in the tower, she walked straight toward Hermione, pushing Harry out of the way with her no-nonsense attitude. He moved to the couch where Ginny was seated, clutching her uninjured knee to her chest and looking so forlorn that it broke his heart. Wanting desperately to comfort her, but uncertain how, he spotted her rucksack lying on the floor where she'd dropped it.

He knelt beside it and unzipped the top, rummaging inside until he'd found what he was seeking. Ginny, he discovered, packed just like Ron with no order whatsoever. Moving back to Ginny, he sat down beside her and pulled her close, handing Snot to her with a sad smile.

Ginny sniffed but smiled tremulously as she took the bear in her arms. "He really is a stupid-looking bear, isn't he?" she asked with a small chuckle.

"Er…just a bit," Harry replied, tugging on one of Snot's lumpy ears.

"Oh, Harry. I don't know what to think. Percy could be a prat, but he was our prat. Poor Mum. I don't know what this is going to do to her," she said, putting her head on Harry's shoulder.

Harry remembered Mrs. Weasley's Boggart and shuddered, knowing she was living through her worst fear. He hoped she'd find a way to survive it, too. He hoped they all would.

**--**--

The next several days passed in a blur for Harry. Tonks had finally arrived at Hogwarts, informing them all of the sketchy details surrounding Percy's death. According to her source, Severus Snape was seen at the Ministry that night, and Percy had been called to a private meeting. No one knew exactly what went on behind the closed doors, but the meeting had ended with Percy's dead body and an enraged Severus Snape.

An examination of Percy's body had revealed that he had indeed been tortured, but from Snape's angry demeanor, it was suspected that Percy hadn't given up the information that the former Potions master was seeking.

This was both a relief and a new source of misery to the Weasley family. Percy hadn't betrayed them, after all. In fact, he'd apparently given his own life while trying to protect them, but he'd died before they'd ever truly had the chance to mend their row. Mrs. Weasley was taking it the hardest, and Madam Pomfrey had been regularly giving her a Calming Draught. The rest of the family was also struggling in their own way.