Weasley Twins - A Fate You Can't Escape

Chapter 146 - Legal Liabilities

I wake up on the floor of the cell, the door left open for me to leave whenever I regained consciousness.  I pick myself up off the floor, vomiting again before making it out.  Panting, I slump on the floor of the department's office, completely ignored by the gray robed individuals.  My legs shake as I pull myself up, clutching my dangling arm to keep it still.

"Report back the night of the full moon."  One of them call after me.  "Or we'll get to throw you in Azkaban!"

His friends snicker as they watch me hobble to the elevator.  I'm not sure where to go, so I just push the button for the entry hall, hoping to find some help there.  The elevator lurches to life, jostling my shoulder so hard that I pass out once more.

***

I come to after the elevator stops, the voice chiming the location.  I crawl out of the elevator, unable to stand.  I nearly throw up again, but manage not to.

"Merlin!  Hazel?"  I hear someone call, and I look up to find Arthur rushing over to me.  "What happened?  Did you get mugged?  We can make an auror report."

I chuckle which turns into a pained cough.

"No.  It was all perfectly legal."  I laugh hysterically, so angry that it's funny.

"That's not poss-"

I cut him off.

"Did they do this to Bill?  Or is he not wolf enough to get the full treatment?  What about Lupin?"  I laugh again.  "Kingsley was there.  He oversaw the whole thing."

"No.  The ministry doesn't treat people like this."  He argues, helping me sit on the corner of the fountain.

"Good thing I'm not considered people anymore, huh?"  I close my eyes, swaying slightly.  I really need to get my shoulder popped back in place.  "Where's Fred?"

"I-"  Arthur looks lost.  Poor guy. 

"Take me down to the Department of Family Affairs."  I grunt, pulling myself up.

"I don't think you're in any state to go anywhere."  He protests, grabbing my good arm to keep me from toppling.

"It's the silver."  I mutter, exhaustion washing over me.  "They injected me with it to weaken me.  So I'm not a threat to "the humans.""  I giggle, the room going in and out of focus a few times. 

I think I black out in the elevator a bit, coming to when it stops.  The doors slide open, and I hear Arthur calling for Fred.  I don't bother opening my eyes.  It's easier to stay conscious when my eyes are closed.  

"What happened?"  Fred sounds panicked.  I feel him kneel beside me and slip his arms around me.  He carefully lifts me into his arms.

"I don't know.  She arrived like this in the elevator."  His dad tells him following Fred.  I am placed down on a bench, Fred pushing my hair back from my sweat sticky forehead.

"She's burning up."  He murmurs.

"Stupid silver."  I mutter, my voice croaking as I force the words out.

"She said the Minister was involved?"  Arthur questions, sounding skeptical.  If I had the energy, I'd tear him a new one.  But I am so very tired.

"Yeah.  Her partial lycanthrope was reported."

"Partial?"

"Yeah, she's kind of like Bill..." Fred's voice fades, and I give into the pain.

***

I wake up in Fred's bed in the Burrow.  He's sitting in a chair beside me, dozing softly.  I try to sit up, but wince as my neck burns from the movement.  I gingerly touch the skin there, stomach rolling as I feel the swollen flesh.  Judging my the knot under the skin, it's either infected, or well on it's way to being.

The bed creaks loudly as I attempt to sit again, causing Fred to stir.  I blinks groggily before realizing I'm awake.

"Hey, there."  He says softly, coming over to the bed to help me up.  "How are you feeling?"

"Angry."  I hiss, letting him pull me up.  

"Dad is furious.  Kingsley claims his hands were tied, but they didn't even bother to confirm anything before registering you."  Fred hands me a glass of water and I gratefully sip at it.  

"Being or human, no one deserves to be treated like that."  I set the empty glass down.  

"I agree.  But they aren't even sure which you technically classify as."  Fred offers his hands to help me stand.

"Shouldn't matter either way."  I protest, gripping his hands tightly when my wound burns.  I feel like I'm more scars than person at this point.  Fiendfyre, wolf bites, and literally branded.  

"You're right."  Fred agrees, dropping the subject from further discussion.  He had been talking from the current legal standpoint, and I had been arguing from the moral standpoint.  Neither really disagreeing, but not quite having the same conversation either.

He helps me shower, the experience very different from the passionate one we had last time.  Once dressed in some of Ginny's clothes, he takes me downstairs.  A woman I am unfamiliar with sits in the living room drinking tea with Molly while Harry and Ginny play with Teddy.

"Teddy!"  I beam, overcome at the sight of the precious baby boy.  

"Mama!"  Teddy squeals, squirming out of Harry's arms and running as fast as his chubby little legs will let him.  I scoop him up, peppering him with kisses.  His little hands tangle in my hair, but I don't care.  I missed him so much.

"Hello Mrs. Carrow."  The woman stands and holds out her hand for me to shake.  I make a disgusted face at the name.  "My name is Ms. Hilda with the Department of Family Affairs.  In light of this morning's... events, the ministry saw fit for me to make a house call."

"Oh?  The ministry did?"  My tone turns from polite to cold.

"Yes.  With all of that behind us, we can get the paperwork signed for Teddy's custody."  She smiles and I bite my lip to keep from saying something inappropriate.  I follow her to the dining room table where she starts pulling papers from her bag.

"If you'll just sign here, here and here, then I can be on my way."  She slides them over.  Feeling uneasy, I start reading over the paperwork.  

"Oh, it's just the standard custody reinstating forms."  She says nervously, watching me read.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you don't need to worry about reading over every little thing.  It's mostly a bunch of legal jargon."  She insists, handing me a quill.

"Hmm."  I quirk and eyebrow and return to my reading.  The first five or six pages are exactly what she claimed.  But then, the next page was different.  My eyes narrowed as I read. 

"Are you kidding?"  I snap, picking up the page and tearing it clean in two.

"Mrs. Carrow!"  She squeaks, face flushing.  I fix her with a death glare.  Her mouth clamps shut.  I return to my reading, only signing the necessary paperwork for the custody agreement.  Anything not applicable, I set aside.

When I finish, I hand signed papers back to her, pocketing the ones she had tried to trick me into signing.

"Leave."  I demand, somewhat grateful I didn't have my wand, or she'd be in trouble.

Eyes wide, the woman nods and scrambles to the floo, disappearing quickly.

"What was that all about?"  Fred asks, wrapping his arms around me from behind.  

"Can you sue the Ministry of Magic?"

"What?"  He leans back a little, startled by my question.

"Because that woman just tried to trick me into signing a bunch of forms, giving up any rights to pursue any legal actions for the events of earlier today."  I show him the papers.  He reads them, swearing under his breath.

"Let's talk to dad.  He'd probably know."  

I nod, letting him lead me back to the living room.  Molly tells Fred that Arthur had to work over, but should be home soon.  I grind my teeth, wondering if Kingsley understands just little control he has over the Ministry he runs.