Arthur Weasley

Very philosophical question indeed… I’d simply say “a squeaky toy made to entertain”

On Friday, when I was in History, ( which unlike Professor Binn's lessons are fun!) we were taking notes and our teacher played a video about the spinning jenny while we were finishing the session. Before she played it she said a famous actor was in the video that some of us may recognize and the minute she hit play Mark Williams (the actor for Arthur in the films) was operating a spinning jenny. It was honestly the highlight of my day!

I found the playlist on YouTube (after a bit of searching) so if you want to witness him teaching about the Industrial Revolution you can do that!

But in reality- it feels like Arthur is becoming a Muggle Studies teacher! ☺

In goblet of fire, when Ron is telling mad-eye about the imperius curse in defense against the dark arts, mad-eye says something like, "oh your father would know about that." or something.

That got me thinking....what did arthur do that made him so aware of imperio? just out of general curiosity.

His bday is today!

I accidentally put luna before lol hers is soon tho

Previous Chapters:

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003804769

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003805533

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003806102

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003806803

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@SaphireStark @Missy Clara Oswald

Chapter Five: Preparations for the Hunt

The shock of losing Mad-Eye hung over the house in the days that followed; Harry kept expecting to see him stumping in through the back door like the other Order members, who passed in and out to relay news. Harry felt that nothing but action would assuage his feelings of guilt and grief and that he ought to set out on his mission to find and destroy Horcruxes as soon as possible.

'You can't leave to go look for you-know-what until at least the thirty-first, unless you plan to begin the hunt without magic,' said Tracey, and Harry had to admit to himself that she was probably correct. 'Speaking of the hunt, in the last month have you thought of any other locations some might be?'

'No,' Harry admitted.

'That's ok, while I was staying at Mould-On-The-Wold Cottage I noticed Theodore has basically non stop been studying different book the entire last month, it probably has to do with our mission. He wouldn't tell me though as he said he wanted to be sure he was right before he revealed anything.'

They were sitting at the breakfast table; Mr Weasley and Bill had just left for work. Remus had thankfully arrived home safe and had agreed to stay at the Burrow until after the wedding, along with Canini and Theodore, and was currently unpacking upstairs. Mrs Weasley had gone upstairs to wake Hermione, Ginny, and Canini, while Fleur had drifted off to take a bath. Tonks, Tulip, and Allison had returned to their home until the night before the wedding.

'The Trace’ll break on the thirty-first,' said Harry. 'That means I only need to stay here four days. Then I can—'

'We're here five more days,' Tracey corrected him firmly. 'Harry I'm ready to go on the hunt now if we could, I know the others are ready to, but we have to attend the wedding. I want to see Terence one last time before we're gone for who knows how long, he's arriving the day before as my plus one, and they will track you down and kill you before Voldemort even can if you're not at that wedding.'

Harry understood 'they' to mean Fleur and Mrs Weasley.

'It'll only be one more day,' said Tracey, when Harry looked mutinous. 'Its an important day too.'

'But don’t they realize how vastly more important what I'm—?'

'They do, you know they do,' said Tracey. 'But without the specifics they don't realize why you have to go as soon as possible, and they really don’t understand why all three of us have to go with you. Speaking of which, prepare for an ambush.’

Tracey glanced toward the door into the hall to check that Mrs Weasley was not returning yet, then leaned in closer to Harry.

‘Mrs Weasley has been trying to coax out of Theodore and I what we’re all up to, she’ll probably go after you next. Remus casually asked Theodore what we’re all up to but when he responded that it was something important from Dumbledore that could solve the war he didn’t ask any further questions. Mrs Weasley though is on a mission.

Tracey’s prediction came true within hours. Shortly before lunch, Mrs Weasley detached Harry from the others by asking him to help identify a lone man’s sock that she thought might’ve come out of his rucksack. Once she had him cornered in the tiny scullery off the kitchen, she started.

'Theo, Tracey, and even Miss Allison seem to think that the four of you are dropping out of Hogwarts,' she began in a light, casual tone.

‘Oh,’ said Harry. ‘Well, yeah. We are.’

The mangle turned of its own accord in a corner, wringing out what looked like one of Mr Weasley’s vests.

‘May I ask why you are abandoning your education?’ said Mrs Weasley.

‘Well, Dumbledore left me…stuff to do,’ mumbled Harry. ‘Theodore, Tracey, Allison, they all know about it, and they want to come too.’

‘What sort of “stuff”?’

‘I’m sorry, I can’t—‘

‘Well, frankly I think the Order and I have a right to know, or at the very least Remus and Mr and Mrs Davis!’ said Mrs Weasley. Harry had been afraid of the ‘concerned parents and guardians” attack. He forced himself to look directly into her eyes.

‘Dumbledore didn’t want anyone else to know, Mrs Weasley. I’m sorry, the other three don’t have to come, but all three chose—‘

‘I don’t see that you have to go either!’ she snapped, dropping all pretense now. ‘You’re not even of age yet, and the other three barely are! It’s utter nonsense, if Dumbledore needed work doing, he had the whole Order at his command! Harry, you must have misunderstood him. Probably he was telling you something he wanted done, and you took it to mean that he wanted you—‘

‘I didn’t misunderstand,’ said Harry flatly. ‘It’s got to be me.’

He handed her back the single sock he was supposed to be identifying, which was patterned with golden bulrushes.

‘And that’s not mine, I don’t support Puddlemere United. The Tutshill Tornados have been my favourite team for over five years.’

‘Oh, of course,’ said Mrs Weasley with a sudden and rather unnerving return to her casual tone. ‘I should have realized. Well, Harry, while we’ve still got you here, you won’t mind helping with the preparations for Bill and Fleur’s wedding, will you? There’s still so much to do.’

‘No—I—of course not,’ said Harry, disconcerted by this sudden change of subject.

‘Sweet of you,’ she replied, and she smiled as she left the scullery.

From that moment on, Mrs Weasley keep Harry, Tracey, and Theodore so busy with preparations for the wedding that they hardly had any time to think. The kindest explanation of this behaviour would have been that Mrs Weasley wanted to distract them all from thoughts of Mad-Eye and the terrors of their recent journey. After two days of nonstop cutlery cleaning, of colour-matching favours, ribbons, and flowers, of de-gnoming the garden and helping Mrs Weasley cook vast batches of canapes, however, Harry started to suspect her of a different motive. All the jobs she handed out seems to keep him, Tracey, and Theodore away from one another; he had not had a chance to speak to the two of them alone since the first night, when he had told them about Voldemort torturing Ollivander.

‘I think Mrs Weasley believes if all four of you are never in a room together again, then you can’t make the preparations necessary to go,’ said Canini quietly to Harry as they were washing dishes together after lunch. Harry turned to her in surprise.

‘You know?’ he asked.

‘I’m not a fool Harry, Theo’s been packing a bag for over a month with way more stuff than he’d need for a five day stay at the Weasley’s, and Tracey wouldn’t ask to stay with us for a month unless she needed to be closure to you and Theodore,’ said Canini. ‘I know wherever you’re going it’s for an important reason, something stupidly noble, but Mrs Weasley just sees it as stupid.’

The last little bit made Harry laugh, and Canini smiled to for a moment, but then her smile faltered and Harry could tell she was holding back a great amount of worry.

‘Deep down though, I think she’s just worried about you. She’s known you since you were a toddler, she and the rest of the Weasley’s are like family, and she is scared something terrible is going to ha-happen to you w-while you’re out there alone on y-your journey,’ the longer she spoke the more her voice trembled. Canini’s live rivalled Harry’s own for tragedies, in some ways maybe even surpass, such as her having been old enough at the time to remember her own parents murder at the hands of Fenrir Greyback, and while Harry has had to deal with unbearable pain from his scar a couple dozen times, she’s had to deal with similar pain every single month when she transforms for nearly twelve years. After also witnessing Sirius’ death a year ago, Harry could understand that Canini more than anyone was afraid of losing another family member, and yet she wasn’t trying to convince him to stay.

‘I’ll be alright,’ said Harry, trying to sound confident. He put down the dishes he was holding and gently but firmly placed his hands on her shoulders. ‘I can take care of myself, but I also won’t be alone. Theodore has libraries of useful knowledge in his head, Allison is an excellent strategist, Tracey knows multiple healing spells, and all four of us can handle our own in a fight. We have to go, but we’ll be ok, I promise.’

And with that said she gave him a hug, it wasn’t her normal rib crushing tight hug, but one where you try to make a memory of that moment in your head. After a while they let go and Canini look a tiny bit more relieved.

‘I just wish we had more time to spend together, I didn’t get to see you all month and now you’re going to be gone in a couple days. We haven’t had any time to catch up,’ said Canini.

‘Well, then, let’s catch up, what’s been happening in your life while I’ve been stuck in the Dursley’s?’ asked Harry.

‘Well, when Tracey was staying with us long term we all decided to switch beds. Moony magically disassembled Theodore and your bunk bed and moved it into my room which I’ve been sharing with Tracey, Theodore got my old bed. It’s been fun having Tracey around, it’s been like them summer we were all stuck in Grimmauld Place, she’s helped bring some light into these dark times.’

‘That’s great to hear,’ said Harry.

‘Then I’ve been helping Remus stock up on things, incase we have to hide in Mould-On-The-Wold for an extended period of time. Preserved food, toiletries, potion ingredients even though neither of us are the best at brewing, and—‘

‘Oh, that reminds me, I read in the paper that there is a mass shortage of Fluxweed Syrup. That’s a main ingredient for your Casition Potions, isn’t it, people are buying it in a hope to use as last minute disguises to escape Death Eater’s. Have you stocked up on Casition Potions as you seem to still be looking like any other girl?’ said Harry, he knew his wording wasn’t quite right but hoped she’d know what he meant and forgive him.

‘I’d still be a girl whether I ever took those potions or not, they just were to help me more closely be who I am, but if you can keep a secret I’ve actually been off those potions for nearly a month,’ admitted Canini. ‘When the shortage first started Remus sat me down for a long private conversation, he told me that the next two years until I’m seventeen were going to be long and uncertain, and that he knew that ever since I told everyone I was really a witch that not once had I ever showed doubts that I might still be a wizard. He said if I was absolutely sure with who I am he’d hunt down a bottle of Feminalex Potion for me to take so I wouldn’t have to add worrying about morphing back into a boy-like body to my already long list of anxieties in these dark times. He got the bottle and I drank it and I’ve felt amazing ever since, it’s like I’ve become whole.’

‘I’m so very happy you got to take the Potion, it must really lift a pressure off your chest,’ admitted Harry, slightly happier than he had been before talking to his sister.

It was a tiny moment, but a happy one.

They were often joined by other Order members for dinner now, because the Burrow had replaced number twelve, Grimmauld Place as the headquarters. Mr Weasley had explained that after the death of Dumbledore, their Secret-Keeper, each of the people to whom Dumbledore had confided Grimmauld Place’s location had become a Secret Person in turn.

‘And as there are around thirty of us, that greatly dilutes the power of the Fidelius Charm. Twenty times as many opportunities for the Death Eaters to get the secret out of somebody. We can’t expect it to hold much longer.’

‘But surely Snape will have told the Death Eaters the address by now?’ asked Harry.

‘Well, Mad-Eye set up a couple of curses against Snape in case he turns up there again. We hope they’ll be strong enough both to keep him out and to bind his tongue if he tries to talk about the place, but we can’t be sure. It would have been insane to keep using the place as headquarters now that its protection has become so shaky.’

The kitchen was so crowded that evening was difficult to maneuver knives and forks. Harry found himself crammed beside Remus and Theodore, although the fact their arms were touching he wished he had more space. He could barely cut his chicken without elbowing someone in the arm or side.

‘No news about Mad-Eye?’ Harry asked Remus.

‘No, sorry Harry,’ answered Remus.

They were postponing holding a funeral for Moody in the hopes they could find his body, but there had so far been no luck. Bill and Remus had failed to recover his body. It had been difficult to know where he might have fallen, given the darkness and the confusion of the battle.

‘The Daily Prophet hasn’t said a word about him dying or about finding the body,’ said Bill. ‘But that doesn’t mean much. It’s keeping a lot quiet these days.’

‘And they still haven’t called a hearing about all the underage magic I used escaping the Death Eaters?’ Harry called across the table to Mr Weasley, who shook his head.

‘Because they know I had no choice or because they don’t want me to tell the world Voldemort attacked me?’

‘The latter, I think. Scrimgeour doesn’t want to admit that You-Know-Who is as powerful as he is, nor that Azkaban’s seen a mass breakout.’

‘Yeah, why tell the public the truth?’ said Harry, clenching his knife so tightly that the faint scars on the back of his right hand stood out, white against his skin: I must not tell lies.

‘Is nearly the entire Ministry full of cowards?’ suddenly asked Theodore quite harshly, although Harry suspected this out burst was brought on by Theodore learning his abusive Death Eater biological father was likely free from Azkaban.

‘Yeah, isn’t anyone at the Ministry prepared to stand up to him?’ asked Ron angrily.

‘Of course, Ron, but people are terrified.’ Mr Weasley replied, “terrified that they will be next to disappear, their children the next to be attacked! There are nasty rumours going around; I for one don’t believe the Muggle Studies professor at Hogwarts resigned. She hasn’t been seen for weeks now. Meanwhile Scrimgeour remains shut up in his office all day. I just hope he’s working on a plan.’

There was a pause in which Mrs Weasley magicked her empty plates onto the work surface and served apple tart.

‘We must decide ’ow you will be disguised, ‘Arry,’ said Fleur, once everyone had pudding. ‘For ze wedding,’ she added, when he looked confused. ‘Of course, none of our guests are Death Eaters, but we cannot guarantee zat zey will not let something slip after zey ’ave ’ad champagne.’

From this, Harry gathered that she still suspected Hagrid.

‘Yes, good point,’ said Mrs Weasley from the top of the table, where she sat, spectacles perched on the end of her nose, scanning an immense list of jobs that she had scribbled on a very long piece of parchment. ‘Now, Theodore, have you and Ron cleaned out Ron’s room yet?’

‘Er, no, not yet,’ admitted Theodore.

‘Because it doesn’t matter,’ exclaimed Ron, glaring at his mother. ‘Why does my room have to be cleaned out? Harry, Theo and I are all fine with it the way it is!’

‘We are holding your brother’s wedding here in a few days’ time, young man—‘

‘And are they getting married in my bedroom?’ asked Ron furiously. ‘No! So why in the name of Merlin’s saggy left—‘

‘Don’t you talk to your mother like that,’ said Mr Weasley firmly, ‘And do as you’re told.’

Ron scowled at both his parents, then picked up his spoon and attacked the last few mouthfuls of his apple tart. It was clear the stress of the was a lot on Ron, and the added stress of the Wedding wasn’t helping.

‘I can help, some of it’s my mess.’ Harry told Ron, but Mrs Weasley cut across him.

‘No, Harry, dear, I’d much rather Theodore sticks with Ron, you help Arthur muck out the chickens, and Tracey, I’d be ever so grateful if you’d change the sheets for Monsieur and Madame Delacour with Ginny, you know they’re arriving at eleven tomorrow morning.’

But as it turned out, there was very little to do for the chickens, ‘There’s no need to, er, mention it to Molly,’ Mr Weasley told Harry as they stood outside the coop, ‘but I actually just tell Molly the coop is messy so I can get an hour or so to myself each day. You can go have a little time for yourself to relax.’

When he returned to the house, Mrs Weasley was nowhere to be seen, so Harry slipped upstairs to Ron’s attic bedroom where he, Harry, and Theodore were staying.

‘We’re almost done, almost don—! Oh, it’s just Harry,’ said Theodore in relief, as Harry entered the room. Theodore lay back down on his caught, which he had evidently just vacated. The room was just as messy as it had been all week; the only change was that instead of Ron in the room with him, Tracey was now sitting in the far corner, sorting books, some of which Harry recognized as his own, into two enormous piles.

‘Oh good Harry, you’re here,’ she said, as he sat down on his own camp bed.

‘And how did you manage to get away?’ asked Harry.

‘Mrs Weasley didn’t remember that she had Ginny and I to change the sheets already yesterday, so Ron and Hermione are relaxing with Ginny in her room,’ said Tracey. She threw Flesh-Eating Trees of the World onto one pile and Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts onto the other.

‘So, what’s with all the books Tracey?’ asked Harry curiously. ‘I thought you said it was Theodore going through books?’

‘His are in here now too, and I asked Allison to bring the ones she deems most important when she arrives before the wedding,’ she replied, her small emerald purse beside her. ‘Right now we’re deciding which books we’ll have to take with us on our journey.’

‘Yeah, we don’t know what we’ll encounter, so it’s best to have a little bit of everything,’ agreed Theodore.

‘Listen,’ said Harry.

He had sat up straight. Theodore and Tracey looked at him with similar mixtures of resignation and defiance.

‘I know you said after Dumbledore’s funeral that you wanted to come with me,’ Harry began.

‘I saw this coming,’ Theodore said to Tracey, rolling his eyes.

‘Alli said he would,’ she sighed, turning back to her books. ‘Should I take all seven volumes of The Standard Book of Spells, or just the last two as well as Advanced Charm Casting?

‘Listen!’ said Harry again.

‘No, you listen to us, Harry,’ said Tracey. ‘We all agreed on this a month ago—years ago actually.’

‘But—‘

‘Shut up, Harry,’ Theodore advised him.

‘—are you sure you’ve thought this through?’ Harry persisted.

‘Are we sure!’ said Tracey, slamming Olde and Forgotten Bewitchments and Charmes onto the keep pile with a rather fierce look. ‘I’ve bought supplies and have had everything packed for a month now, as well as have over five hundred gallons and two thousand-five hundred pounds for emergencies. I’ve been studying a few different healing spells in case one of us gets hurt. I have done something I am not proud of in preparation for our journey. And I should go with you anyway as I don’t have a home to go back to, my muggle father has taken my mother and brother somewhere hopefully no one magical will think of and I asked them not to tell me where. If we succeed with our mission we’ll hopefully be able to find each other again, but if Death Eater’s find them or Voldemort gets me we’ll never know what happens to each other.’

Her voice was becoming shaky, so Theodore picked up where she left off.

‘Harry. You, Sirius, and Remus saved my life years ago from my father and his ideology, but now if we don’t put a stop to this war everyone we know and love would be forced to live how I was,’ started Theodore. ‘And Allison’s not here, so I’ll speak on her behalf. She literally chose you and the rest of us over the traditional views and expected associations of a Slytherin. We all made sacrifices, we all know the risks including that we might not all survive, but we also all know that no one we love or care about will survive if we don’t do something. We’re coming with you.’

‘At the start of our fifth year we all made a promise to each other. That we’ll stick with each other no matter what, that no one is getting left behind. I am not breaking that promise now,’ said Tracey firmly.

Harry could not think of anything to say, he had thought they would understand why he wanted to go alone, but they did bring up good points on why they should go even though he wouldn’t admit it.

‘I—guys, I’m sorry—I didn’t—‘

‘Didn’t realize we knew exactly what we were signing up for when we volunteered to join you after Dumbledore’s funeral?’ said Theodore with snark, his face than sank. ‘I had to tell Colin to take Dennis and the rest of the Creevey’s and go into hiding, it’s not safe for Muggle-Borns anymore. Terence will probably be safe a little longer because even people like Umbridge believe he’s half-blood, but everyone and their Crup knows Colin’s parentage…I needed to make sure he was safe. He might be halfway to New Zealand for all I know.’

There was silence in the room, broken only by gentle thuds as Tracey threw all seven volumes of The Standard Book of Spells as well as Advanced Charm Casting into the keep pile.

Harry looked from one of them to the other. The measures they had taken to protect their families and loved ones made him realize, more than anything else could have done, that they really were going to come with him and that they knew exactly how dangerous that would be. He wanted to tell them what that meant to him, but he simply could not find words important enough.

Through the silence came the muffled sounds of Mrs Weasley shouting from four floors below.

‘She must have found a tiny gum wrapper or something somewhere,’ said Tracey.

‘Well, while she’s still distracted there are some things the three of us should discuss. I’d prefer if Allison were here so it could be unanimous, but we’ll have to fill her in once she arrives back at the Burrow,’ said Theodore. ‘We need to decide where in the world we’re going after we leave the Burrow. Harry, you’ve suggested Godric’s Hollow, to visit your parents graves, but I really doubt there’d be a Horcrux hidden there.’

‘Except we don’t know where any Horcruxes are, so given that we have no other first places in mind to go I say it’s as good as anywhere else to go,’ said Harry, who did not believe that Theodore really understood his desire to Godric’s Hollow. His parents grave were only part of the attraction: He had a strong, though inexplicable, feeling that the place held answers for him. Other than a couple dozen visits to the graveyard as a child Harry had never explored the village, he had never even seen what remained of the house he was born in. Perhaps it was simply because it was there that he had survived Voldemort’s Killing Curse; now that he was facing the challenge of repeating the feat, Harry was drawn to the place where it happened, wanting to understand.

‘It might be dangerous though, Harry,’ protested Theodore. ‘Voldemort knows that you’re connected to that place, that you have a history there. He might be expecting you to go there at some point and have some sort of trap set.’

This had not occurred to Harry. While he struggled to find a counterargument, Tracey spoke up, evidently following her own train of thought.

‘The R.A.B. person,’ she said, ‘The one who managed to find the real locket and take it under Voldemort’s nose?’

The other two nodded.

‘They said both that they were going to die, but that they also believed they would succeed in destroying the Horcrux,’ she continued.

Harry dragged his rucksack toward himself and pulled out the fake

Horcrux in which R.A.B.’s note was still folded.

‘“I know I will be dead long before you read this—I have stolen the real Horcrux and intend to destroy it as soon as I can”,’ Harry read out.

‘So, do you think it’s possible he or she did succeed in destroying it? That was have one less one to worry about?’ asked Tracey in a hopefulness that Harry couldn’t tell was real or not.

‘If they got far enough that they beat Voldemort’s challenges and swapped the lockets than its not out of the realm of possibility that they destroyed it, but we have to find evidence that they did follow through with what they wrote, otherwise Voldemort will still have a Horcrux protecting him,’ said Theodore, dead serious.

‘Even if the locket, diary, and ring are destroyed, that leaves three that are not. How do we vanquish Horcruxes?’ asked Tracey.

‘That’s where I might be of some help,’ said Theodore smugly. ‘I’ve spent the last month researching Horcruxes as well as Voldemort as a whole.’

‘How?’ asked Harry. ‘I didn’t think there were any books on Horcruxes in the Hogwarts library?’

‘There aren’t, at least not for several decades,’ said Theodore, his smugness now becoming a little hesitant. ‘Do you all remember how at the end of our second year Dumbledore admitted to removing just about all mentions of Tom Riddle from the main body of the castle, well he did something similar with books that covered Horcruxes, he moved them to his office.’

It took Harry and Tracey a moment to understand what Theodore was implying, but then Harry’s eyes widened and Tracey’s jaw dropped.

‘What? We’re Slytherins, if the worst thing I’ve stolen is a handful of books I think that’s pretty tame…and if we survive what’s to come I plan on returning them,’ Theodore admitted.

‘How’d you get them out of his office?’ asked Harry, who could only assume something that important of Dumbledore’s would have powerful spells preventing them from being stolen.

‘Oh, it was super easy, hardly any trouble,’ he said with a nervous laugh. ‘I just was very specific while using the Summoning Charm, and they immediately flew out of Dumbledore’s study window right into my hand. I did the same with three library books I thought we might need.’

‘But when did you do this?’ Harry asked, regarding Theodore with a mixture of admiration and incredulity.

‘Just after Dumbledore’s funeral ended,’ said Theodore. ‘Immediately after all four of us agreed to go on the hunt for Horcruxes with you. I told Remus I had to use the bathroom before we left so I snuck back into the castle and went to the courtyard. I knew I probably wouldn’t get the chance to do deep searches at Flourish and Blotts, the secondhand shop, Tomes and Scrolls, and I definitely wasn’t going to be allowed to go searching through Knockturn Alley, so I knew the only shot of getting the books I needed was from Hogwarts. I did a few Summoning Charms, and the books I needed flew right out his office’s window or through the library door.’

There was silence, and then Theodore spoke once more. ‘Do you think Dumbledore would have been mad?’

‘No, I think he’d understand,’ answered Tracey, in a quite serious tone.

‘So, what are in these books?’ asked Harry.

Theodore began rummaging through Tracey’s keep pile until he puled out an old book bound in faded black leather. He looked a little nauseated and held it as if it burned his skin to touch it.

'I took Magick Moste Evile just in case, but this was the only one I could find with detailed instructions on how to create a Horcrux. Secrets of the Darkest Art—I thought Magick Moste Evile is revoltingly dark, but this book makes it look like a bedtime story. I can't believe this used to be in the Hogwarts library, even if in the restricted section, because this is almost certainly the book Voldemort used to create his Horcruxes.'

'If the instructions are so clear, why did Voldemort have to go to Professor Slughorn with questions?' asked Tracey.

'He only approached Slughorn to find out what would happen if you split your soul into seven,' said Harry. 'Dumbledore was sure Riddle already knew how to make a Horcrux, and maybe had already created one, by the time he asked Slughorn about them. I think you’re right, Theo, that could easily have been where he got the information.'

'And the more I learn about those horrible things,' said Theodore, 'the more sick I feel, and the harder I find it to believe he was able to create six. Even in a book this dark there is a warning inside that states how unstable you make the rest of your soul by ripping it, and all that is just for making a single Horcrux!'

Harry remembered what Dumbledore had said about Voldemort moving beyond 'usual evil.'

'Do you know if there's anyway to remove the sole piece without destroying the Horcrux, it might be easier,' asked Tracey.

'Technically yes, but it isn't something we can do,' said Theodore. 'Voldemort would have to willingly want it back, and he would have to experience unbearable remorse over what he has done to do so, the remorse is so bad it can be deadly. So I don't see Voldemort doing any of those steps.'

'Yeah, neither do I,' admitted Tracey. 'If destroying them is the only option we have, how do we do so?'

'Well,' said Theodore, now turning the fragile pages as if examining rotting entrails, 'the book warns potential Horcrux creators that destroying a Horcrux is near impossible to do so once its done there really is no going back. We know the "near" part is accurate as Harry discovered one way to destroy a Horcrux at the end of our second year.'

'What, stabbing it with a basilisk fang?' asked Harry. 'Much good that'll do us, I doubt the Weasley's have any lying about the house or that they could be easily in Diagon Alley or even Knockturn Alley.'

'Thankfully the fangs are just one way, not the only way,' explained Theodore patiently. 'Substances or spells that are so powerful and destructive that they can eliminate something with little to no chance of reversing the damage are the Holcruxes weakness. The venom from a basilisk fang is only one example of what can destroy a Horcrux because it only has one exceptionally rare cure which is—'

'—phoenix tears,' said Harry, nodding.

'Correct,' said Theodore. 'The problem we're up against is while there are a handful of potential ways we could destroy a Horcrux, all are to dangerous to carry around or deadly to cast. We preferably don't want to die in the process of destroying them.'

'If we do manage to find a way to destroy the items that contain them,' said Tracey, 'what prevents the soul fragment from finding a new host?'

'A Horcrux in a host is not the same as a soul in a person,' said Theodore, trying to explain it the best way he could. 'I could blow Harry up with the Bombardment Spell, leave nothing recognizable behind, but his soul would be fine. For a Horcrux, if you destroy what its encased in, you kill the soul fragment inside, but that's why the host is so hard to damage.'

'That diary sort of died when I stabbed it,' said Harry, remembering ink pouring like blood from the punctured pages, and the screams of the piece of Voldemort’s soul as it vanished. 'Also, you used blowing me to pieces as an example?'

'Sorry, first way that came to my mine on how to describe the destruction of a Horcrux,' shrugged Theodore.

'I wonder how Dumbledore destroyed the ring?' said Harry. 'Why didn’t I ask him? I never really...'

His voice tailed away: He was thinking of all the things he should have asked Dumbledore, and of how, since the headmaster had died, it seemed to Harry that he had wasted so many opportunities when Dumbledore had been alive, to find out more...to find out everything...

The silence was shattered as the bedroom door flew open with a wall-shaking crash. Theodore yelped and dropped Secrets of the Darkest Art. Tracey jumped off the bed, tripping over her piles of books, and smacked her head on the opposite wall; and Harry instinctively dived for his wand before realizing that he was looking up at Mrs Weasley, whose hair was disheveled and whose face was contorted with rage.

'I’m so sorry to break up this cozy little gathering,' she said, her voice trembling. 'I’m sure you all need your rest...but there are wedding presents stacked in my room that need sorting out and I was under the impression that you had agreed to help.'

'Right, sorry,' said Tracey, looking terrified as she leapt on her feet, sending books flying in every direction, 'We’ll be right there...'

With an anguished look at Harry and Theodore, Tracey hurried out of the room after Mrs Weasley.

'These unrelenting chores are starting to make me feel like I'm back with my father...minus the beatings,' said Theodore. 'I barely even know Bill and Fleur, I can't wait for this wedding to be over.'

'Yeah,' said Harry, 'then we’ll have nothing to do except find Horcruxes...It’ll be like a holiday, won’t it?'

Theodore chuckled slightly at Harry’s sarcasm, but his laughter ceased at the sight of the enormous pile of wedding presents waiting for them in Mrs Weasley’s room.

The Delacours arrived the following morning at eleven o’clock. Harry, Canini, Tracey, Theodore, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny were feeling quite resentful toward Fleur’s family by this time, and it was with ill grace that Theodore stumped back upstairs to brush his teeth, and Harry attempted to flatten his hair. Once they had all been deemed smart enough, they trooped out into the sunny backyard to await the visitors.

Harry had never seen the place looking so tidy. The rusty cauldrons and old Wellington boots that usually littered the steps by the back door were gone, replaced by two new Flutterby bushes standing either side of the door in large pots, though there was no breeze, the leaves waved lazily, giving an attractive rippling effect. The chickens had been shut away, the yard had been swept, and the nearby garden had been pruned, plucked, and generally spruced up, although Harry, who liked it in its overgrown state, thought that it looked rather forlorn without its usually contingent of capering gnomes.

He had lost track of how many security enhancements had been placed upon the Burrow by both the Order and the Ministry; all he knew was that it was no longer possible for anybody to travel by magic directly into the place. Mr Weasley had therefore gone to meet the Delacours on top of a nearby hill, where they were to arrive by Portkey. The first sound of their approach was an unusually high-pitched laugh, which turned out to be coming from Mr Weasley, who appeared at the gate moments later, laden with luggage and leading a beautiful blonde woman in long, leaf-green robes, who could only be Fleur’s mother. Harry had seen Fleur’s family once in the distance during the final task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, but had never met them himself.

‘Maman!’ cried Fleur, rushing forward to embrace her. ‘Papa!’

Monsieur Delacour was nowhere near as attractive as his wife; he was a head shorter and extremely plump, with a little, pointed black beard. However, he looked good-natured. Bouncing toward Mrs Weasley on high-heeled boots, he kissed her twice on each cheek, leaving her flustered.

‘You ’ave been tru too much trouble,’ he said in a deep voice. ‘Fleur tells us you ’ave been working very ’ard.’

‘Oh, it’s been nothing, nothing’ trilled Mrs Weasley. ‘No trouble at all.’

‘Dear lady!’ said Monsieur Delacour, still holding Mrs Weasley’s hand between his two plump ones and beaming. ‘We are most honoured at the approaching union of our two families! Let me present my wife, Apolline.’

Madame Delacour glided forward and stooped to kiss Mrs Weasley too.

‘Enchant ́ee,’ she said. ‘Your ’usband ’as been telling us such amusing stories!’

Mr Weasley gave a maniacal laugh; Mrs Weasley threw him a look, upon which he became immediately silent and assumed an expression appropriate to the sickbed of a close friend.

‘And, of course, you ’ave met my leetle daughter, Gabrielle!’ said Monsieur Delacour. Gabrielle was Fleur in miniature; eleven years old, with waist—length hair of pure, silvery blonde, she gave Mrs Weasley a dazzling smile and hugged her, then gave Harry a hug as well that he hadn’t been expecting. Though he had nearly forgotten about Gabrielle, he had not forgotten that he had once saved her life…at least in Fleur and Gabrielle’s minds.

‘Well, do come in!’ said Mrs Weasley brightly, and she ushered the Delacours into the house, with many ‘No, please!’s and ‘After you!’s and ‘Not at all!’s.

The Delacours, as it soon transpired, were helpful, pleasant guests. They were pleased with everything and keen to assist with the preparations for the wedding. Monsieur Delacour pronounced everything from the seating plan to the bridesmaids’ shows ‘Charmant!’ Madame Delacour was most accomplished at household spells and had the oven properly cleaned in a trice; Gabrielle followed her elder sister around, trying to assist in any way she could and jabbering away in rapid French.

On the downside, the Burrow was not built to accommodate so many people. Mr and Mrs Weasley were now sleeping in the sitting room, having shouted down Monsieur and Madame Delacour’s protests and insisted they take their bedroom. Gabrielle was sleeping with Fleur in Percy’s old room, and Bill would be sharing with Remus and his brother Charlie, his best man, once Charlie arrived from Romania. Opportunities to make plans together became virtually nonexistent, and it was in desperation that Harry, like Mr Weasley, volunteered himself, Tracey, and Theodore to feed the chickens just to escape the overcrowded house.

‘We didn’t have this many chores when we were at Grimmauld Place, and it hadn’t been cleaned in over a decade!’ snarled Tracey, as their second attempt at a meeting in the yard was foiled by the appearance of Mrs Weasley carrying a large basket of laundry in her arms.

‘Oh, good, you’ve fed the chickens,’ she called as she approached them. ‘We’d better shut them away again before the people arrive tomorrow…to put up the tent for the wedding,’ she explained, pausing to lean against the henhouse. She looked exhausted. ‘Millamant’s Magic Marquees…they’re very good. Bill’s escorting them…You’d better stay inside while they’re here, Harry, just incase. I must say it does complicate organizing a wedding, having all these security spells around the place.’

‘I’m sorry,’ said Harry humbly.

‘Oh, don’t be silly, dear!’ said Mrs Weasley at once. ‘I didn’t mean—well, your safety’s much more important! Actually, Remus, Arthur, and I have been trying to plan your birthday and I’ve been wanting to ask you how you want to celebrate, Harry. Seventeen, after all, it’s an important day…’

‘I don’t want a fuss,’ said Harry quickly, envisaging the addition strain this would put on them all. ‘Really Mrs Weasley I just honestly am looking forward to Allison, Tonks, and Terence arriving. A normal dinner would be fine…It’s the day before the wedding...’

‘Oh, well, if you’re sure, dear. I’ll still make some of your favourites. Oh, and how about I invite Hagrid over for the evening?’

‘That’d be great,’ said Harry. ‘But please don’t go to loads of trouble.’

‘Not at all, not at all...It’s no trouble...’ She looked at him, a long, searching look, then smiled a little sadly, straightened up, and walked away.

Harry watched as she waved her wand near the washing line, and the damp clothes rose into the air to hang themselves up, and suddenly he felt a great wave of remorse for the inconvenience and the pain he was giving her.

Arthur Weasley's wand characteristics are unknown in canon, so i have a theory what they could be.

Wood: Hornbeam.

Hornbeam selected for its life mate the talented witch or wizard with a single, pure passion, which some might call obsession - more kindly - vision, which would almost always be realised. Hornbeam wands adapted more quickly than almost any other to their owner's style of magic, and would become so personalised, so quickly, that other people would find them extremely difficult to use even for the most simple of spells.

Arthur is very devoted to his hobby and work with muggle objects, which you could call an obsession. And he has shown great proficiency with many spells, which means he does not lack talent. This wand wood suits Arthur perfectly.

Core: Unicorn hair. This core produces most consistent magic, just like we see Arthur in the series. He can cast a patronus and fix glasses without a problem. It is also hardest to turn to dark arts, and Arthur would not allow that to happen.

Length: 11½ inches. Longer wands can indicate a bigger personality and also a more dramatic style of magic. Arthur was definitely not lacking in character, so i imagine wand length somewhere in middle would be good.

Flexibility: Swishy. This flexibility just sounds like it would suit Arthur. He is pleasant and curious.

Thoughts on this?

Previous posts: Snape, Sirius, Newt

Previous Chapters:

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003768423

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003769317

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003770117

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003771789

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003772695

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003774876

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003775746

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003776170

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003776958

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003777821

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003778655

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003779874

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003781975

https://harrypotter.fandom.com/f/p/4400000000003784137

Tags:

@Teddy.J.B @Pervaza972 @CatsAndRoblox @Missy Clara Oswald

Chapter Seventeen: A Very Frosty Christmas

(Hey, so for those of you that remember, I had emergency surgery on my arm last month, well it turns out the ER doctors didn't do anything right so I have to get a more professional procedure done this week. I'll be fine, but like last time since it relates to my arm its going to effect my ability to write, so I'll try to still get more writing done, but I may not get a chapter out on my normal Saturday/Sunday schedule. Again, I'm fine, just wish me luck that it goes well this time.)

‘And you are positive that what Snape was doing offering Draco a helping hand?’

‘If you ask that once more,’ said Harry, ‘I’m going to stick this cranberry branch—‘

‘Bloody hell, I was just being sure. You almost sounded like Allison there!’ said Theodore quietly so no one but Harry could hear. They were standing at one end of the Burrow’s kitchen picking cranberries off their bunches and washing them on one end while Ron and Ginny were peeling a mountain of sprouts at the other end. Christmas Eve was a full moon so Remus had Harry and Theodore with the Weasley’s in the afternoon and was going to pick them up once the moon set the following morning. Harry felt bad that Canini and their adoptive father would be spending Christmas Eve and morning in pain in Stow-On-The-Wold Cottage while Harry and Theodore were warm and cozy watching the snow drifting past the window in front of them. One other bonus to them being at the Weasley's was that Harry's fellow tri-wizard champion, Fleur Delacour, was staying there with her fiancé Bill and she was very happy to see Harry again.

‘Yes, Snape was offering to help him!’ said Harry. ‘He said he’d promised Malfoy’s mother to protect him, that he’d made an Unbreakable Oath or something—‘

‘What do you mean “or something?” Do you not know what an Unbreakable Vow is? And are you sure Snape said he made one, because that isn’t good at all,’ said Theodore looking quite nervous. ‘And are you sure Snape said he made one, because that isn’t good at all.’

‘Yes, I’m sure,’ said Harry. ‘And yes I don know, so what does it mean?’

‘Well I guess the simplest answer is that you can not break an Unbreakable Vow…’

‘I’d worked that much out for myself, funnily enough. What happens if you break it, then?’

‘You die,’ said Theodore simply. ‘My father used to threaten me all the time that he’d make me do an Unbreakable Vow that I’d do all the chores in the mansion or die from being lazy. A couple times he even took out his wand and reached for my arm but I always managed to slip away…although I’d always get a furious beating later.’

Theodore’s voice was a little shaky after saying the last part, as it often was when he managed to discuss the abuse he faced at the hands of his biological father. Harry managed to put a hand gently onto his shoulder, however before Harry could say anything comforting, everyone in the room was interrupted.

‘Aaah, George, look at this. They’re using knives and everything. Bless them,’ said Fred as he and George entered the room. They were making fun of Ron and Ginny for not being allowed to use magic.

‘I’ll be seventeen in two and a bit months’ time,’ said Ron grumpily, ‘and then I’ll be able to do it by magic!’

‘But meanwhile,’ said George, sitting down at the kitchen table and putting his feet up on it, ‘we can enjoy watching you demonstrate the correct use of a—whoops-a-daisy!’

‘You made me do that!’ said Ron angrily, sucking his cut thumb. ‘You wait, when I’m seventeen—‘

Harry and Theodore couldn’t help but just watch this dramatic scene right in front of them.

‘I’m sure you’ll dazzle us all with hitherto unsuspected magical skills,’ yawned Fred.

‘And speaking of hitherto unsuspected skills, Ronald,’ said George, ‘what is this we hear from Ginny about you and a young lady called—unless our information is faulty—Lavender Brown?’

Ron turned a little pink, but did not look displeased as he turned back to the sprouts. He turned his head ever so slightly towards his sister. ‘Gin, mind your own business.’

‘What a snappy retort to your only sister,’ said Fred. ‘I really don’t know how you think of them. No, what we wanted to know was…how did it happen?’

‘What d’you mean?’

‘Did she have an accident or something?’

‘What?’

‘Well, how did she sustain such extensive brain damage? Careful, now!’

Mrs Weasley entered the room just in time to see Ron throw the sprout knife at Fred, who had turned it into a paper airplane with one lazy flick of his wand.

‘Ron!’ she said furiously. ‘Don’t you ever let me see you throwing knives again!’

‘I won’t,’ said Ron, though Harry thought he saw him mutter something else under his breath as he turned back towards his mountain of sprouts.

‘I just wanted to discuss tonight's sleeping arrangements. Fred, George, Bill is going to continue to to stay with you in your old room.’

‘No problem,’ said George.

‘Then, as Charlie isn’t coming home, that just leaves Harry and Theo sharing a room with Ron in the attic, and if Fleur shares with Ginny—‘

‘—Oh come on mum, not again—‘ protested Ginny.

‘—everyone should be comfortable. Well, they’ll have a bed, anyway,’ said Mrs Weasley, sounding slightly harassed.

‘Percy definitely not showing his ugly face, then?’ asked Fred.

Mrs Weasley turned away from the twins before she answered. ‘No, he’s busy, I expect, at the Ministry.’

‘Or he’s the world’s biggest prat,’ said Fred, as Mrs Weasley left the kitchen. ‘One of the two. Well, let’s get going, then, George.’

The twin’s continued to mess with Ron, and Mrs Weasley came over to check on Harry and Theodore’s work.

‘Oh, Theodore, I’d have thought you’d be done your share by now,’ said Mrs Weasley looking at Theodore’s medium size bowl of picked cranberries.

‘I don’t mind doing it by hand, and I didn’t want to leave Harry behind,’ answered Theodore with a shrug.

‘Oh, well, you’re a good brother. Keep up the good work you two,’ she said before leaving the kitchen.

‘I keep forgetting your birthday last week was your seventeenth.’

‘Me to if I’m being honest, I guess it’s because I don’t feel any different then I did before the holidays started.’

The twins finished teasing their younger siblings and then made their way over to Harry and Theodore.

‘We’re off to the village,’ said George. ‘Harry, do you and Theo want to join us? There’s a very pretty girl working in the paper shop who thinks my card tricks are something marvellous…almost like real magic…’

‘Sorry, Moony made us promise to only stay in and around the Burrow while we’re here,’ said Theodore.

‘Remus is currently howling at the moon, come have some Christmas Eve fun, we’ll keep you both safe,’ argued Fred.

‘I would,’ said Harry, ‘but Dumbledore himself made me promise not to wander off.’

‘Ah, well, we’ll see you both later then,’ said George. Harry and Theodore then watched Fred and George set off across the snowy yard.

‘Speaking of Dumbledore, do you plan on telling him about Snape’s conversion with Malfoy?’

‘Yep,’ said Harry. ‘I’m going to tell anyone who can put a stop to it, and Dumbledore’s top of the list. I was waiting for Moony to not be so tired but I don’t think that’s going to happen so I’ll ask him tomorrow. I think it might also be worth asking Mr Weasley about his opinion as well.’

‘It’s unfortunate luck you didn’t get to hear Malfoy’s true plans.’

‘I couldn’t have done, could I? That was the whole point, he was refusing to tell Snape.’

There was silence for a moment or two, then Theodore said, ‘Harry, I think Remus, Mr Weasley, and maybe even Dumbledore will all have the same response. That Snape is simply trying to trick Malfoy into divulging his plan.’

‘They didn’t hear him,’ said Harry flatly. ‘No one’s that good an actor, not even Snape.’

‘I just don’t want you to get your hopes up,’ said Theodore carefully.

Harry turned to face him, frowning. ‘You think I’m right, though?’

‘Yes, you’ve managed to convince me about Draco anyway, if Snape thinks he’s up to something then he probably is,’ said Theodore. ‘Snape being on Draco’s side I’m less sure about, he’s a part of the Order and helped save your life last year, but I will listen to you Harry and I will let you tell others if you think it’s important.’

Harry said nothing. It had already occurred to him that this would be the most likely objection to his new evidence; he could hear Tracey now: Obviously, Harry, he was pretending to offer help so he could trick Malfoy into telling him what he’s doing…

This was pure imagination, however, as Harry had not had an opportunity to tell the girls what he had overheard. Allison had disappeared from Slughorn’s party before he returned to it, Theodore had told him she had been quiet mad at Harry after he left her on the dance floor, and Harry saw this anger for himself the next day. Allison decided to sit with her second cousin Terry Boot on the trip home and Tracey took her side in the incident between her and Harry, so he only managed to wave goodbye to them both at King’s Cross station before the disappeared through the barrier. Harry had sent them both a Christmas card that along with holiday greetings he mentioned that he had some very important news to tell them when they got back from the holidays, but didn’t go into specifics.

Though once he did manage to show the girls there should be no reason they would be able to deny it any long: Malfoy was definitely up to something, and Snape knew it, so Harry felt fully justified in saying ‘I told you so,’ which he had done several times to Theodore already.

‘You know, I think I’ve done enough physical chores this Christmas Eve, I wouldn’t complain if we got to hang out in the living room,’ said Harry.

With a smug smile Theodore rolled his eyes, drew his wand, and said, ‘Diffindo,’ and instantly all the remaining cranberries got severed from their stems.

Harry did not get the chance to speak to Mr Weasley until that evening as he had been working very long hours at the Ministry. The Weasleys and their guests were sitting in the living room, which Ginny had decorated so lavishly that it was rather like sitting in a paper-chain explosion. Fred, George, Ron, Harry, and Theodore were the only ones who knew that the angel on top of the tree was actually a garden gnome that had bitten Fred on the ankle as he pulled up carrots for Christmas dinner. Stupefied, painted gold, stuffed into a miniature tutu and with small wings glued to its back, it glowered down at them all, the ugliest angel Harry had ever seen, with a large bald head like a potato and rather hairy feet.

Harry had vaguely remembered Theodore saying Mrs Weasley disapproved of Fleur, and Canini saying Ginny, Hermione, and Mrs Weasley had an adverse effect to her Veela magic, but he didn't realize how thick the tension was until the evening.

They were all supposed to be listening to a Christmas broadcast by Mrs Weasley’s favorite singer, Celestina Warbeck, whose voice was warbling out of the large wooden wireless set. Fleur, who seemed to find Celestina very dull, was talking so loudly in the corner that a scowling Mrs Weasley kept pointing her wand at the volume control, so that Celestina grew louder and louder. Under cover of a particularly jazzy number called “A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love,” Theodore was singing along. Fred and George started a game of Exploding Snap with Ginny. Ron kept shooting Bill and Fleur covert looks, perhaps looking for tips for his new relationship. Meanwhile, Mr Weasley was sitting deep in his armchair by the fire, he seemed zoned out and as though he could not hear Celestina’s voice.

'Oh, come and stir my cauldron, And if you do it right,

I’ll boil you up some hot strong love To keep you warm tonight.'

'We danced to this when we were eighteen!' said Mrs Weasley, wiping her eyes on her knitting. 'Do you remember, Arthur?'

'Mphf?' said Mr Weasley, whose head had been nodding over the satsuma he was peeling. 'Oh yes...marvelous tune...'

With an effort, he sat up a little straighter and looked around at Harry, who was sitting next to him.

'Sorry about this,' he said, jerking his head toward the wireless as Celestina broke into the chorus. 'Be over soon.'

'No problem,' said Harry, grinning. 'Has it been busy at the Ministry?'

'Very,' said Mr. Weasley. 'I wouldn’t mind if we were getting anywhere, but of the three arrests we’ve made in the last couple of months, I doubt that one of them is a genuine Death Eater—only don’t repeat that, Harry,' he added quickly, looking much more awake all of a sudden.

'They’re not still holding Stan Shunpike, are they?' asked Harry.

'I’m afraid so,' said Mr Weasley. 'I know Dumbledore’s tried appealing directly to Scrimgeour about Stan...I mean, anybody who has actually interviewed him agrees that he’s about as much a Death Eater as this satsuma...but the top levels want to look as though they’re making some progress, and "three arrests" sounds better than "three mistaken arrests and releases"...but again, this is all top secret...'

'I won’t say anything,” said Harry. He hesitated for a moment, wondering how best to embark on what he wanted to say; as he marshaled his thoughts, Celestina Warbeck began a ballad called "You Charmed the Heart Right Out of Me.”

Harry looked over at Theodore who had a wide smile on his face and seemed to be writing a letter. Harry guessed it was probably for Colin as this song was special to them as a couple and probably made Theodore think of his boyfriend. Harry wondered if he had stayed at the Christmas party if the song him and Allison were dancing to would have become important to them, but now he couldn't even think of the name of the song and was fairly certain him and Allison would never become a item now, he was becoming distracted and had to focus back on his conversation.

'Mr Weasley, you know what I wrote to you at the beginning of the school year?'

'I checked, Harry,' said Mr Weasley at once. 'I went and searched the Malfoys’ house. There was nothing, either broken or whole, that shouldn’t have been there.'

'Yeah, I know, I saw in the Prophet that you’d looked...but this is something different...Well, something more...'

And he told Mr Weasley everything he had overheard between Malfoy and Snape. When he had finished, there was silence, except for Celestina’s crooning.

'Oh, my poor heart, where has it gone? It’s left me for a spell...

'Has it occurred to you, Harry,' said Mr Weasley, 'that Snape was simply pretending—?'

'Pretending to offer help, so that he could find out what Malfoy’s up to?' said Harry quickly. 'Yeah, I thought you’d say that. But how do we know?'

'His actions speak for themselves, Harry, the little good the Order has been able to do would not be possible without the information he provides,' said Mr Weasley, as neutral in tone as he could be. 'And last year when Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Hagrid were gone, Snape acted as the sole Order member at Hogwarts, and without his quick thinking you'd have been tortured or killed.'

'But,' said Harry, 'what if he was telling the truth about it all being just an act—'

'Snape has given me no reason to distrust him,' said Mr Weasley more firmly. 'Now Harry, I am very tired and want to enjoy my Christmas by not thinking about the war and betrayals.'

'...and now you’ve torn it quite apart I’ll thank you to give back my heart!'

Celestina ended her song on a very long, high-pitched note and loud applause issued out of the wireless, which Mrs Weasley joined in with enthusiastically.

'Eez eet over?' said Fleur loudly. 'Thank goodness, what an ’orrible—'

'Shall we have a nightcap, then?' asked Mr Weasley loudly, leaping to his feet. 'Who wants eggnog?'

Shortly after this, Fleur decided to imitate Celestina singing "A Cauldron Full of Hot, Strong Love,” which was taken by everyone, once they had glimpsed Mrs Weasley’s expression, to be the cue to go to bed. Harry, Ron, and Theodore climbed all the way up to Ron’s attic bedroom, where two camp beds had been added for Harry and Theodore.

Ron fell asleep almost immediately, and Theodore began quietly reviewing his copy of Alchemy, Ancient Art and Science, but Harry couldn't stop thinking about if the Ministry was going to be able to fight more effectively against Voldemort, what Draco was up to, and who's side was Snape on. Harry finally fell asleep to the thought of whether Allison would ever forgive him.

'She’s got to be joking...'

Harry woke with a start to find a sweater with a large Golden Snitch worked onto the front, hand-knitted by Mrs Weasley, and a large box of Weasleys’ Wizard Wheezes products from the twins, both at the end of his bed. He put on his glasses and looked around; the tiny window was almost completely obscured with snow and, in front of it, Ron was sitting bolt upright in bed and examining what appeared to be a thick gold chain.

'What's going on?' asked a grogy Theodore, who also had a Mrs Weasley sweater at the end of his bed with a Grass Snake on it wearing a Santa hat.

'What’s that?' asked Harry.

'It’s from Lavender,' said Ron, sounding revolted. 'She can’t honestly think I’d wear...'

Harry looked more closely and let out a shout of laughter. Dangling from the chain in large gold letters were the words:

"My Sweetheart"

It was far less subtle than Tracey and Terence's small green lockets that they shared.

'Oh goodness, it's huge,' said Theodore, fighting back a laugh.

'Nice,' said Harry. 'Classy. You should definitely wear it in front of Fred and George.'

'If either of you tell them,' said Ron, shoving the necklace out of sight under his pillow, 'I—I—I’ll—'

'Stutter at me?' said Harry, grinning. 'Don't worry, we won't tell a soul. Come on, lets get down stairs.'

Everybody was wearing new sweaters when they came down for Christmas breakfast, everyone except Fleur (on whom, it appeared, Mrs Weasley had not wanted to waste one). Harry and Theodore thanked them for their hospitality and for the girts, and soon Remus arrived to pick them up and return them to Stow-On-The-Wold. It was clear last nights full moon had been a hard one as his face looked hallow and it almost seemed like he had more rey hairs then he had when Harry saw him the day prior, he had also yet to shave. He thanked Mr and Mrs Weasley and gifted them a Christmas Trifle he had made in advance, and they gifted him in return a bottle of Blishen's Fire Cinnamon Flavoured Whisky and a sweater for Canini that had a silvery hummingbird on it.

When they returned home Canini was sitting on the sofa taking a small dose of Wideye Potion to wake her up a bit from her and Remus' long night. Either from the potion or seeing her family return, her eyes suddenly lit up.

'You're home! Happy Christmas you guys!'

'Happy Christmas, Cani,' Harry and Theodore said in unison as they came over to her to give her a hug.'

Harry quickly fetched the sweater and handed it out to her, 'Mrs Weasley made this for you.'

'It looks lovely,' she said as she pulled it on, 'how did she know my Patronus was a hummingbird?'

'I think Ginny told her,' answered Harry.

Before their conversation could continue, Remus returned with a pile of presents in his arms.

'Happy Christmas everyone,' he said, a little more cheerful then he had been when he picked Harry and Theodore up. He placed the colourfully decorated boxes down in front of them. 'I wasn't able to get many presents, but there is something here for everyone.'

'You didn't have to get us anything, we know how busy you've been with the Order of the Phoenix,' said Theodore.

'I have been busy, but so have all of you at school, and so I think we all deserve some comfort. The big box is for all of you, and then I've placed individual boxes and letters in front of who they belong too. Harry, be careful with that brown package.'

Not sure what that meant, Harry and his siblings got to opening their presents. They each received Christmas cards from their friends, Harry was pleasantly surprised to see that he received one from Allison, he had thought he would only get ones from Tracey, Terence, and Hagrid.

'Those three are from me,' said Remus pointing two three boxes. They opened them and inside each was a pair of warm slippers, and a house scar. 'This winter is going to be extra cold, so I thought new scarves were in order, and since each of your common rooms are bellow the castle I also thought you should each have cozier slippers to protect you from the frigid floors.'

'Thank you Moony, that's really thoughtful,' said Harry.

'They're so fluffy,' said Canini while petting her slippers.

Theodore then opened a small box in front of him, inside was four even smaller boxes of Shock-o-Choc.

'Its from Colin, last year me and him came up with a plan to prank a bunch of Inquisitorial Squad members, he bought a bunch of Shock-o-Choc and the I left it in the common room in spots I.S. members normally sat, it was quite funny. Afterwards though I tried some, and if you know it has chili powder and flakes in it before hand it actually is quite good, its a nice kick.'

That left the big box for all of them and an oddly damp, moldy-smelling package in front of Harry. When he inspected it he saw that it came with a label reading:

"To Master,

From Kreacher."

Harry stared at it.

'D’you reckon this is safe to open?' he asked.

'The Ministry is still checking all our mail, so their shouldn't be anything dangerous in it, but I doubt there is chocolates or satsuma in there,' advised Remus.

'I didn’t think of giving Kreacher anything. Do people usually give their house-elves Christmas presents?' asked Harry, prodding the parcel cautiously.

'Don't worry Harry, I already sent him some extra blankets for where he sleeps,' said Canini. 'Now, lets see what's in this odd parcel.'

A moment later, Harry had given a loud yell and leapt off of the sofa; the package contained a large number of maggots.

'Wow,' said Theodore while dying of laughter, 'he must really love you.'

'Now, now, don't make fun of your brother,' said Remus taking the package. 'I'll-er-fry these up and feed them to Phasming, Hedwig, and Janus as a Christmas treat, and a couple live ones for Phileas. You three will probably find the big box more appetizing, remember its for all three of you and don't spoil your lunch or supper.'

Like ravenous beasts the three adoptive siblings quickly opened the box and gasped, inside was some of the best Christmas sweets from Honeydukes and Sugarplum's sweet shop combined. There were Exploding Bonbons, mint humbugs, orange slices, peppermint toads, sugar plum apples, Chocolate Cauldrons, Ice Mice, Glacial Snow Flakes, and even Butterbeer Fudge.

Lunch was indeed spoiled, as by the time Remus had finished giving the Cottage's pets their treat and returned to the living room, nearly half the box was gone and all three were practically paralyzed on the sofa or arm chairs. Harry was still looking at Allison's Christmas card, on the inside she had drawn with a pencil lots of little holiday themed items, such as a Christmas tree, a baubles, a candy-cane, but the one that had caught Harry's attention was in the top left corner. Allison drawing it all in grey, and being quite a small and simple illustration, it was hard to tell, but she had either drawn holly and its berries, or mistletoe.

'You all look cozy,' said Remus looking at them all lounging around, he then looked at Harry. 'What's got you all smiles, Fawny? Whose card are you reading?'

Harry hadn't expected anyone to notice his joy over Allison's card, embarrassed his cheeks turned a little red.

'There is something I should probably tell you and Canini, Theodore already knows,' started Harry, though he was worried what Remus would say as he had been disapproving of Allison in the past. 'For the past few months I've realized that I...'

'Am in love with your friend Allison Runcorn,' finished Remus calmly, he even seemed to have a slight smile.

Both Harry and Canini sat straight up in their seats.

'Wait? Is that true Harry?' asked Canini.

'You knew‽' asked Harry, who had not been expecting this out come.

'Not me, Sirius,' answered Remus. 'He told me he suspected that you both deep down had feelings for one another ever since your squabble near the beginning of your fourth year. I told him he was a romantic and seeing love where there was only friendship, we debated back and forth for years. I never believed him until...until the Ministry, where I saw with my own eyes the immense loyalty Miss Runcorn had for you, and that afterwards how committed you were to making sure I knew she was a good person, I realized Sirius was right and that there was indeed more to your friendship just like their had been more to my friendship with Sirius back when we were at Hogwarts...Harry I want you to know Sirius gave any future relationship you had with Miss Runcorn his highest blessing.'

This was all well and good to know Sirius supported Harry liking Allison, but Sirius was gone. The opinion Harry was more interested in at the moment was Remus'.

'And you?'

'Harry, I think I've made myself clear over the years that I don't trust her father, Albert Runcorn. He was one of the aurors that during the last war got drunk off of the extra power Barty Crouch gave to the aurors, and ever since sketchy things have happened around his presence. I will never approve of or trust Albert Runcorn, however I was wrong to pass that judgement off onto his daughter. She might be big and hot-headed like he is, but she's also unbelievably loyal to you Harry, and I saw in the Ministry that she fights for what is right as well. So if you want to know if I have changed my mind, the answer is yes, I think Allison Runcorn is a fine young woman and you and her would work well together as a couple...speaking of which, are you a couple?'

'Well, no, we hung out at a Christmas party and I had planned to ask her out, but I messed up, and I don't think she likes me any more.'

'I not so sure, she still sent you a card so she likes you well enough, I wouldn't give up on her yet,' said Remus. He then turned his focus to all three siblings. 'Now, the Tonks' will be here in a bit over an hour, everyone go get presentable.'

So Harry, Theodore, and Canini each took their presents up to their rooms. Harry brushed his hair even if it didn't do much, Theodore slicked his hair back and did his makeup. Harry finished getting ready before the others, and so left him and Theodore's room to head back downstairs, as he entered the hall though, he faintly could hear the unmistakable sound of someone sobbing coming from the bathroom.

Harry wasn't sure what to do at first, he slowing approached the door to discover it was slightly open. Making up his mind he peered inside and found Remus, who had finished shaving, quietly sobbing over the sink, his whole body shaking.

'Remus, what's wrong?'

Remus straightened up and tried to rub the tears out of his puffy eyes.

'Harry, I-I didn't see you?'

Harry came in, closed the door, and sat on the edge of the tub.

'Moony, are you ok?'

Remus tried to take a deep breath of air.

'Yes, I'm ok, just all that talk about Sirius brought up to many memories at once. I got overwhelmed.'

'Today would have been your fifteenth anniversary as a couple,' said Harry, guessing at the root of the problem.

'Yes, it would have been, we also got engaged at a Christmas gathering here in this cottage fourteen years ago today,' said Remus, his breath still shaky. 'Sirius and I had made plans that for our fifteenth anniversary, if the war got any better, the five of us would go to the South of France, or Calp, or Mallorca Island. Instead the war has only gotten worse, everywhere is cold and dreary, and I am all alone...'

'You're not alone though,' said Harry with confidence. 'You still have us, you have the Tonks', and the Order can be there for you if the rest of us can't. You're only as alone as you want to be, I learned that last year, I started out thinking I only had seven friends in a school of two hundred and eighty, but by the end of the year I was part of a group that took up more than a fifth of the school. Open up to the Order of the Phoenix, and they will help you.'

'Perhaps you are right, you are becoming so wise for your age. It still sometimes shocks me to think that in seven months you'll be an adult, I still remember seeing you for the first time in Godric's Hollow when you were only fifteen months old. How far you have come since then.'

'I wouldn't have gotten half this far without you or Sirius,' said Harry honestly.

'Come here,' said Remus with his arms outreached, and Harry quickly accepted the hug. He often over the past two years tried to be the strong and mature, but every once in a while he was glad he could still take comfort from a hug from his adoptive father.

There is incest

Ginny X Harry = INCEST (harry is related to Gin because of Dorea Black marrying Charlus Potter)

Arthur X Molly = INCEST (both are related to the Black family)

Thats all I know for right now ...

Creidits to the picrew: makowka character maker II｜Picrew