Harry Potter and Future's Past

A Hat that thinks

Chapter 38

"Blast it," Moody said as he followed the two teens down the hall. "My eye's stuck again and a hospital is one of the few places you never want to have a stuck magical eye."

"Expecting an attack in a hospital?" Hermione asked.

"You should ALWAYS be expecting an attack lassie," Moody said as he stopped and moved into a small alcove, "but that's not the reason for the concern though." After looking to make sure his back was to the wall and no one was approaching he pulled the eye out with audible 'pop'. The grizzled ex-auror pulled a small rag from a pocket of his coat and wiped down the eye while constantly muttering curses about the 'idiot Crouch who didn't know how to service a magical eye'. Finally after reinserting the eye with a sound that made both Harry and Hermione stomach's queasy he continued. "Do you want your eyes stuck looking into hospital rooms where people are being poked and prodded in all kinds of manners? Not to mention the maternity ward. Now that's scary stuff."

Harry and Hermione were positive the ex-auror was joking with them but the look on his gnarled face gave nothing away. They decided to remain quiet and discuss what was about to happen.

"What do we do if Molly won't listen?" Hermione asked as they neared Mrs. Weasley's room.

"What we have to do," Harry replied with a mental sigh. "We are not going to be worrying about Ginny's next attack the rest of our lives. Besides, there is no way she and Arthur can still believe she is only suffering from unfulfilled infatuation now. She tried to kill you."

"Do you think Dumbledore will let it come to a trial if we go to Madam Bones?" Hermione persisted.

"If he doesn't, we'll turn the story over to Rita," Harry said after a moments pause. "I don't want to hurt Arthur or the Weasley family, but if they insist on following Dumbledore, or let Dumbledore guide Ginny's punishment, then they'll have to suffer the consequences."

There was only a murmur of low voices when they came to Molly Weasley's room. Voices that became very quiet when Harry and Hermione pushed the door open.

Molly was lying on the bed with Arthur holding her hand while Bill was standing on the other side. Tears were evident in both of the older Weasley's eyes.

No one said anything for several seconds, but finally Molly blurted. "Please tell me it isn't true? Not my Ginny. She'd never do such a thing."

"Bill has seen the evidence and you can ask Ron and Fleur," Hermione replied trying to keep an edge on her voice. "She even admitted it."

"But...but..."

"What are you going to do?" Arthur asked, cutting off his wife as he stood to face the Potters.

"We don't WANT to do anything," Harry replied. "We want YOU to realize your daughter needs help and is not just an infatuated lovesick teen as Dumbledore would have you believe."

"But..." Mrs. Weasley tried again.

"Let's be clear," Hermione said. "Neither of us want to see Ginny arrested, but we just spoke with Madam Bones and that is EXACTLY what is going to happen if you don't get Ginny the help she needs."

"You can't mean that," Molly blurted out. "She's your friend."

"A friend who needs help and hasn't got it because you, her parents, are listening to someone who definitely does not have yours or her best interest at heart," Hermione replied. She lifted her wand and quickly sent the Muffliato charm around the room. "Just making sure no one is listening outside of this room," She quickly explained.