DOROTHEA {fred weasley}

thirty four

Dorothea sat back in the Rosier Manor's drawing room with the Daily Prophet open across her lap, her mother took up a double page spread, a moving image of her laughing with the Minister of Magic, a cup of tea delicately in her hand, looking beautiful as ever. The entire piece was a campaign against Harry Potter. Clementine had talked to Rita Skeeter about how the boy was damaged and attention seeking, warning readers against listening to him or Dumbledore who, in her mother's opinion, was getting far too old to run Hogwarts. Dorothea shook her head, unable to hold in laughter at her mother's sheer ridiculousness.

Elvira too sat in front of the Daily Prophet, in between the twins and opposite Molly and Arthur, who were reading the piece and occasionally huffing or exclaiming a curse towards Clementine Rosier. 

"What's it about?" George asked, unable to pry the paper from his mother's furious hands.

"Basically just Rosier saying you can't trust Harry or Dumbledore," Arthur sighed, leaning back in his chair.

"But why will people listen to Clementine?" Elvira asked, genuinely confused. "If everyone knows, as you do, what she did all those years ago?"

"She claimed to be under the imperius curse," Fred said to the girl quietly. "Said she had no idea what she was doing."

"That, paired with the immense wealth of the Rosier family, and the importance and history of her lineage, meant that she got away with it, and got straight to work with making friends in high places," Arthur continued. "People don't necessarily trust her - however I think people forget about the war much easier than we do, not everyone fought as directly as our friends - but people trust Fudge, and he trusts her."

"Well we should bloody be able to trust our Minister!" Molly exclaimed, slamming the paper down, looking extremely flustered.

"Fudge is scared," Arthur said reasonably. "The ministry isn't equipped to deal with... Harry's story."

"Well, they need to get equipped, surely?" George asked, eyeing his brother nervously.

"It's not for any of you to worry about," Molly said, her voice softening. "Focus on your NEWTs."

Elvira chewed her lip and looked down at the moving image of Clementine, how naturally beautiful and confident she was, like Dorothea.

"Sorry, dear," Molly sighed. "I know her daughter is your friend."

"What do you think?" A voice asked from behind the arm-chair.

Dorothea turned around to see her mother stood behind her, smiling with her arms folded. Missy the elf was surrounded by bags, her mother's bags.

"I think attacking a fourteen year old boy to protect yourself is pretty low, to be honest. I also think trying to take down Dumbledore is utterly in vain. The wizarding world isn't going to turn against the greatest wizard who ever lived because of Clementine Rosier."

Her mother seemed unphased by her daughter's words, she shrugged elegantly and took a seat in the armchair opposite Dorothea and lit a cigarette, "people know that Dumbledore is a liar. Him and Potter are spreading dangerous misinformation."

"Cut the shit, mum," Dorothea snapped, narrowing her eyes at her mother, feeling utter anger. 

"Dorothea-"

"Have you been in these meetings with Ezra?"

Clementine looked genuinely confused, she leant back a little and chewed her lip.

"He's been having meetings?"

"Yes."

"I had no idea we were starting this young," she replied absentmindedly.