The missing boys ✔

Part 10: Albus Dumbledore

It was Monday morning and the twins were at breakfast with Percy, looking up and down the breakfast table for Bill and Charlie. They were due back for classes today, but none of the read heads had been able to locate their kin.

"What if they don't come back?" asked Fred.

"Then we'll ask Mcgonagall to let us use her fireplace to call home," said Percy.

"She'd never let us," said George. "We'd miss classes. If anything she'd make us wait all day."

"Then we'll go to Hogsmede and use their fire place," said Percy, his expression turning dark and determined.

Fred and George looked at each other, then at their brother. Was goody-two-shoes-Percy actually saying what they thought he was?

Percy ignored the shocked looks from his younger siblings and glared at his plate. He couldn't believe Ron had just run away!

His heart broke as he remembered the letter his brother had written. Mr. Weasley had sent a copy to each of his sons in case they picked up anything he and Mrs. Weasley had missed. He had dutifully sat down to dissect the text, looking for any hints, any clues at all. It hadn't done any good. All it had done was etch the words into his memory.

I thought you wanted us all to be good like Percy. Was I doing it wrong? I don't understand why you got so annoyed when I was trying to be like Percy.

The words sickened him. All those times he'd told Ron he was being bad, or that he needed to try harder. He'd always been guilty of reprimanding Ron too much, and he wasn't the only one.

The twins told Ron he couldn't take a joke and should get a sense of humor, Ginny would tell him he was annoying and needed to be cooler, Charlie would say that he needed to conquer his fear of spiders. Even Bill would reprimand him over silly things. Not to mention the fact that his Mum was so busy that she rarely had time to recognize the good deeds of her youngest son, just the things he needed to correct about himself.

We did this, thought Percy. It was an unpleasant realization but it was true. They'd all picked on Ron while coddling Ginny, because Ginny was the baby, Ginny was the girl. They hadn't stopped to think about the fact that little Ron was only a year older than her and that he needed to be the center of attention just as much as she did.

It wasn't right. He knew this; he supposed he'd known it all along and just hadn't thought about it much. Like when his year mates started teasing "Perfect Percy" for having a non-regulation pet and he'd decided he'd have to get rid of Scabbers. He didn't want to risk his chances of becoming prefect on a rat and thought that giving him to one of his youngest siblings would be best. His mind had jumped to Ron, who would absolutely love the idea of having a pet for his very own. He remembered smiling at the idea of doing something that would make Ron feel important.

Looking back, Percy wondered how it hadn't bothered him that Ron didn't already feel important.

P.S. I'm taking Scabbers with me. Percy told me to take good care of him, and I wouldn't be doing that if I left him behind.

Percy wondered how a kid like Ron could take care of a rat and himself while he was alone, with no family or friends.

"Perc!" said Fred.