The Fall of Me (an HP fanfic)

VIII

Dear Bill,

Please come home. Percy is arrested, I'll tell you the details when you get here. Your mother's been in an awful mood and she'd appreciate it if her other children were here with her. The hearing is scheduled at the 25th of August, and he's going to stay in a holding cell in Godric's Hollow precinct until then.

Your Dad

Bill's eyes skim through the letter over and over again, not believing what he's just read. Percy... his little brother Percy? Arrested? Bill could not believe what he just read, Percy can't even copy off someone's essay! Did his father write the right name? He can mostly imagine Fred and George in the future, maybe Charlie in present time, certainly not Percy. Bill wasted no time as he quickly packed his things, he maybe needs to stay with his parents for two weeks. Once his things are packed already, he apparated to the International Portkey Management.

"I'd like an international portkey to England, as soon as possible," Bill announced, placing his wand and passport on the table. The IPM worker takes the wand and passport and checks it, inspecting Bill with a scrutinising eye.

"Show me your trunk." Bill takes his trunk to the table and the IPM worker used his wand to scan through the trunk, then puts a stamp in Bill's passport, taking out an old boot. He casts a 'portus' on the boot before handing Bill the boot. "Scheduled to activate thirty minutes from now."

"Thank you." Bill takes the old boot, moving away from the receptionist table to take a seat in one of the empty seats in the building, still tightly holding onto the boot and the trunk. He opens the note and reads it again, rubbing his face in disbelief. Has Percy gotten himself arrested? What did he do? Merlin, Bill can only imagine a bundle of curly amber hair, following him religiously, excitedly asking questions about how Hogwarts works. From a young age, he always tried to bite more than he can chew.

Maybe that's what got him arrested, because he tried to bite more than he can chew, and choked. Maybe he tried to learn more and ended up learning too much, and he doesn't have the insight to hide the knowledge. Who is he kidding, he's barely 14! What can a barely 14-year-old do? What's his crime? What did he do? He could be innocent of the charges, couldn't he? The Aurors caught the wrong guy. If Bill knows anything about Percy is that he's very persuadable.

Bill felt himself getting pulled to all sorts of directions as he no longer felt the hard ground beneath him, realising that the portkey has activated itself. After what it feels like an eternity of flying, Bill felt the hard ground beneath him again and knew that he's in England. Bill furrowed his brows, seeing a graffiti art of a black hand and a white hand forming a love, with the red cursive words underneath "no one is illegal." Should that be drawn here? Right in front of the International Portkey Management? Bill shakes his head, teens nowadays are so inappropriate. He walked up to the receptionist, giving back the portkey before leaving the building,  apparating to the Burrow. Even though he's not been there for two years, he still remembers the house as day.

As soon as he reached inside, he is immediately hugged by his father. Bill hugs him back, looking behind to see Charlie, Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny, still deadpanned. No signs of Percy. Right at the edge of the dining table, Bill can see an image of Percy wearing a grey jumpsuit, holding a board that displays his full name and a series of numbers, behind him lines to indicate his height. His mugshot. It must be true, Percy is arrested.

"Hey, Bill," Arthur whispered, his voice hoarse and heavy. "Let's have some tea, wouldn't you? Go and have a seat with your siblings. Your mother would've loved to join us had she not been crying in our room."

"I'm fine-" Bill shook his head. "I just want to know what happened, why is Percy in jail? He's not even a 4th year yet!"

"Very well-" Arthur sighed, taking a seat before he cracks his knuckles, taking deep breaths. "Before we begin, I'll let you know that Percy is transgender bigender, and we should use either the pronouns she or they to refer to her from now on. She doesn't go by the name 'Percy' anymore, but Cundrie. We should support her."

"Alright," Bill nodded, urging his father to continue with the tone of his voice.

"There was this group, the Graffiti Teens-" Arthur shows the eight pictures of the propaganda drawn. "They consist of three teens, drawing graffiti to spread leftist ideas in public properties. And Cundrie is one of them."

"You're kidding," Bill scoffed. "Per- Cundrie can't break the rules. The thought of him- her cheating on essays seems preposterous, she can't do that! What are the charges?"

"Umm, ruining public property, drawing propagandas that are pro-LGBT, pro-illegal immigration, pro-abortion, and blasphemy. She's also in jail for drug abuse, underaged drinking, owning an unregistered wand, and attacking two Aurors-" Arthur named them so easily. Bill widened his eyes, what the fuck? "She's being held in Godric's Hollow precinct."

"Are you sure that's really Cundrie?" Charlie asked, his eyes wide in bewilderment. "Maybe they arrested the wrong person?"

"It's true-" Arthur shook his head defeatedly, wanting to cry again. "Cundrie's friend brought a bag with him, and there are spray paints, seconal capsules, illegal wands, and a camera. When the films in the camera was developed, they reveal these pictures, they admit in being the Graffiti Teens and abusing drugs, as well as alcohol. There was an Auror placed after the first picture, and the group attacked him unconscious. Another Auror who arrested them also told that she was attacked."

"Shit."