The Marauders: Year Four

The Letter, Delivered

The Letter, Delivered

Bill Weasley woke up to the sound of his two year-old brother crying loudly from across the room they shared. Bill stared at the door expectantly, but their mother didn't come. He pushed his blankets off himself and rolled out of the bed, stooping on the way over to the little crib to pick up the stuffed dragon from the floor that baby Charlie had chucked over the side. Bill jammed the dragon through the rungs of Charlie's bed roughly and Charlie clutched the dragon to his chest, sucking on the toy's tail and quieting. Bill blinked sleepily at his brother -- all that noise for a stuffed dragon! - and suddenly he heard it... Charlie wasn't the only noise echoing through the walls of the Burrow.

"-- HAVEN'T GOT TO BELIEVE ME BUT I KNOW WHAT I SAW ARTY!" Uncle Bilius's voice carried up the stairs, "I'M NOT CRAZY!! I DON'T NEED TO GO TO MUNGO'S!!"

Bill looked to be sure Charlie was going to keep quiet and then he snuck out to the bedroom door, out to the landing of the stairs, which overlooked the dining and kitchen area, where Mrs. and Mr. Weasley stood, Bilius cornered in the kitchen, a funny, wild sort of look in his eyes. Bill inched closer to the stairs carefully.

Mr. Weasley said, "I'm not trying to fight with you, I'm trying to help you, alright? Bilius, the Grim isn't coming for you, you've got to calm yourself down."

Mrs. Weasley nodded.

Bilius's hands shook, "You don't understand, you don't bloody understand. He's come for everyone of my mates, one by one. The grim's brought Death along after him... Derek, and Alex... I've got to be next. I'VE GOT TO BE!"

"Bil... Dumbledore said --"

"He's wrong!! DUMBLEDORE IS WRONG!!!" Bilius cried.

Mr. Weasley held up a palm, "Bilius..."

"WRONG! HE'S WRONG! I don't need any help, I don't need to go to Mungo's. It isn't something I'm making up -- I saw the Grim. I did. And people keep dying about me. I'm jinxed, I'm telling you, I'm jinxed. I'm horrible luck! I've GOT to be next or else everyone's going to just keep on dying! Because of me!"

"Arthur," Mrs. Weasley whispered and she made a face of regret...

Mr. Weasley looked near to tears. He looked on as Bilius Weasley began to throw an absolute fit, tossing things down to the floor, breaking a couple of Mrs. Weasley's trinkets. He nodded. Mrs. Weasley aimed her wand. "Petrificus Totalus," she called and froze Bilius right up as the spell hit him and he toppled over, stiff. Arthur ran forward. "Bilius, I'm sorry," he said to Bilius. It's... it's for your own good..."

Upstairs, Bill backed away from the rungs of the stairs, scared. He backed up so fast he ran into a small table, knocking a family photo that was sitting upon it, framed over and the glass in the front of the frame shattered loudly. Charlie started crying at the sound of it. Mrs. Weasley heard it that time and Bill could hear her on the stairs, coming up in a rush. Not wanting to get caught, Bill made a mad dash for the bedroom, diving into the bed and pulling the covers right over his head as Mrs, Weasley came into the room.

Bill lay very, very still beneath his covers, listening as Mrs. Weasley quieted Charlie down, and he wondered what he'd just seen happening... if Uncle Bilius was alright.

In the Shrieking Shack, the wolf was fully transformed and opened its glowing yellowed eyes. He sniffed the air in confusion at first... then looked up to see the stag. James's antlers were knocking into the rafters as he watched the wolf warily, his hooves clunking on the wood floor as he moved them about nervously, short tail flicking. The wolf watched the stag, just as warily. The stag was just so... impossibly out of place... that it shocked even the werewolf to see it there. James was honking nervously deep in his throat, low and funny sounding and the werewolf tilted his head like a regular dog might, trying to figure out what the sound meant. Sick of banging his antlers on the rafters, James laid down. The werewolf jumped up and backed away, hackles raised, looking at the stag as he lay down, swinging his head side to side, trying to keep them balanced. The motion seemed to make the wolf rather timid.