Previously on Of Wings And Warriors - Draco, Hermione, and Hadrian watched from their table, feeling a mix of satisfaction, relief, smugness and pity.
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The atmosphere at the Burrow was thick with tension. The Weasleys were gathered in the living room, trying to figure out how to handle the overwhelming financial burden imposed by Lucius Malfoy's lawsuit. Arthur Weasley sat with his head in his hands, feeling the weight of the family's predicament. Molly paced the room, her frustration boiling over. Bill and Charlie had also returned from Egypt and Romania for their sister's funeral. Fred, George and Ron were granted a month's leave by Dumbledore due to recent developments. As most of the Weasley household was downstairs contemplating, Ron was, of course, sleeping upstairs.
Arthur had tried to appeal to the court, but his lack of social standing meant his pleas fell on deaf ears. Fred and George, determined to help, brought their earnings from the joke products they had been selling at Hogwarts. Bill and Charlie also contributed, taking out money from their savings.
Instead of thanking them, Molly's eyes narrowed, and she criticized them. "All my jewellery and the gold I had saved for Ginny's wedding is around 1500 galleons. The Prewett account should have some more Galleons. This isn't enough! You two should have proper jobs at the Ministry. Instead, you waste your time on tombs and...and...dragon nonsense!"
Charlie, who had been biting his tongue, finally snapped. "Why don't you ask Dad why he hasn't accepted any of the promotions he was offered in other departments? Maybe you'd see we're not the only ones to blame!"
Molly's face turned red with anger. She marched up to Charlie and slapped him hard across the face. "How dare you speak about your father like that! And look at you, Charlie! You don't even look proper. Long hair and jewellery! No girl will ever marry you if you keep looking like that!"
The room fell silent, the air charged with shock. Charlie's face was a mixture of hurt and rage. "You think I care about what you or anyone else thinks of how I look? I love my job, and I'm good at it! At least I have the guts to follow my passion, and for your information, I am earning well from it. More than I would have earned from a Ministry job!"
Bill stepped in, his voice low and simmering with anger. "Mum, this is not the time to tear us down. We're trying to help. And Charlie's right. Dad could have made things easier for us if he'd taken those promotions. But you won't hear a word against him, will you?"
Arthur, finally lifting his head, tried to intervene. "Now, let's not turn on each other. We need to stay united."
Molly ignored him, her voice rising. "United? How can we be united when some of us don't even care about this family? Charlie, running off to Romania. Bill, always away in Egypt. And Fred and George, with your ridiculous joke shop dreams. You're all selfish! Haven't you ever thought of taking up respectable Ministry jobs to help the family's financial condition?"
