Empathy

Shocked, Harry tried not to show it, but simply took Ginny's hand and beckoned Moody forward so they could get Viktor into the lift. Harry went through the Floo first to make sure Ron had not been to Grimmauld Place. He warned Kreacher to keep Ron out of the house at all costs. Then he told the house-elf to make a bedroom ready for Viktor. Remembering, he added that there would be five for dinner that night.

Ginny came through the Floo holding onto Viktor's hand. Moody followed them. Kreacher showed Viktor to his room while Ginny informed Harry that Minerva would be there directly. "Everyone is worried sick, Harry."

Moody handed Ginny a phial of potion. "Dreamless Sleep. The boy looks like he could use it. One of the two of us should be able to slip it into a drink when he finishes his story. If anyone says anything, it was my idea, ex-Auror's privilege."

Ginny nodded and put the phial into her pocket."Harry, I am going to send an owl to Luna to see if she has had any luck scrying for Ron. Go up and make sure Viktor is all right. It is up to us to keep him from doing something drastic."

"I'll make sure he has everything he needs. Kreacher! Bring a pot of very strong, sweet tea to Gospodin Krum's room and a lager for me. Gin, tell Luna to clue Percy in if she locates Ron."

Upstairs, Harry found Viktor lying on the bed with one hand over his eyes. An open suitcase sat on the window seat. Kreacher popped in and left a tray on the table by the window before popping out again.

Harry poured tea for Viktor and opened his lager. He sat at the table and began to talk. "Vik, you have to get it together. You can't do the Legilimency on Hermione. You're too close to losing it yourself. Let me call in someone. I know just the man. Having seen pretty much everything during the war, he would never speak of anything he saw, and could remove the memories without any trouble. I don't want to see you take any more on now. You have got to be strong for her. She's going to need you when she comes out of this."

"I know, Harry. Is it a Healer at St. Mungo's?" Viktor sat up and took the cup of tea from Harry.

"No, Vik. It is Severus Snape. He quit teaching after you and Hermione rescued him. He now takes on the worst cases for the Ministry. He also runs a profitable potions business. He knows how to remove and retain the memories so that the victim doesn't even know they were a victim. If you want, I'll have him meet us at St. Mungo's in the morning."

"Yes, please, Harry. He vas a good teacher, but wery stern. I haff an idea vhat ve could use those memories for." Viktor's mood had lightened up a bit.

"I see where you are going with that. Good idea, but we have to catch him first. A friend of ours, Luna Lovegood, is scrying for any signs of Ron. She will get with Percy Weasley if she finds him. Come on downstairs after you shower and freshen up. We'll have dinner with Alastor and Minerva. I've told them not to ask you about what happened, but you can tell them if you want. We are here for you and Hermione. She is the closest thing to a sister that I have ever known."

"I am avare of that, Harry. I alvays thought of you as a vriend. I vill take shower and meet you downstairs. I vill tell you all vhat a fool I vas."

Harry took his lager with him as he headed back downstairs. He found Ginny reading a message from Percy.

"Harry, there were only seven babies born in the last two days. Perce has checked out four of the babies: all blond and blue eyed. The next baby was born to a woman who works for the Ministry, so that one is out, as well. The last two were twins. There is no listing for birth parents, which is very odd. And another strange thing is that the babies are in the custody of two of your classmates, the Patil girls. Luna and I are going to go visit them tomorrow afternoon. If there is the slightest chance..."

"Do not say anything to Viktor, Gin. We don't want him getting his hopes up until we know for certain. Alastor, isn't there a Ministry spell to determine genealogy?"

"Quite right, Harry. Come on over here, Ginny. I'll teach it to you while we wait for Viktor."

Almost as soon as Alastor had finished telling Ginny how to do the genealogical spell, Minerva arrived through the Floo. She looked shaken.

"Molly and Arthur are both at St. Mungo's. The two oldest boys are at the Burrow, keeping watch. George and Fred have set up smaller Foe-Glasses at Diagon Alley in case Ron goes there. I cannot believe this. Why? Why did he do this?"

"Because I sent her to him to say goodbye. She didn't vant to see him. I made her go. I told her she owed him the courtesy of a face-to-face meeting. This is all my fault." Viktor's voice came from the stairs.

Minerva's voice rang out loudly. "No, Viktor. This is most assuredly not your fault. You could not have known he would do something like this. Sit here, talk to me. I was their Head of House; she was my prize student. Tell me what happened and don't you dare blame yourself."

She had taken his hand, sending a look to Alastor with a nod at the hidden bar in the sideboard. Alastor got up, went to the bar and poured a glass of vodka, which he brought to Viktor.

"Now, boy, what happened?" Alastor added his voice to Minerva's questioning.

"Ve had done the handfasting a month before. Ve only found out she vas pregnant two days before she came to talk to him. I had made a point of telling her that if she efer vanted to be free, I vould let her go. I did not hear from her for two days. On the third morning, I got an owled message. It vas her handwriting, but did not sound like her." He fumbled in his pocket for a tattered piece of parchment and handed it to Minerva.

She read it aloud: "Viktor, I have decided I prefer Ron. This is goodbye. Don't try to find me. You are nothing to me."

Harry couldn't keep quiet. "That isn't her style at all. She never is that abrasive. You should have contacted us."

"I vas numb. I quit the team and didn't leave house for veeks. It vas nearly two months until I realised that she had not sent back the Snitch. I had Charmed it to protect her from the Imperius Curse that last year vhen you vere hunting Horcruxes. I think Veasley must haff found it and it nullified his spell on her. I know that vhen she touched it today, it acted like a communication dewice. I could hear her screaming. It nearly tore me apart. I svore I vould kill him. I vas at our Ministry talking to my godfather vhen Ginevra's owl found me. I had to vait for the Committee to affirm me as an Ambassador. Then I came straight to St. Mungo's."

While talking he had downed two glasses of vodka.

Kreacher appeared to say the meal was ready, just before the fireplace lit up with green flames.

"Harry, you sent a message. May I come through to discuss this?" Severus Snape asked.

Ginny responded at once, "Yes, please do, Severus. You are not going to believe what has happened."

The flames died down then sprang up again to admit Severus Snape. He greeted everyone and then asked what the problem was.

Harry answered him, "Come sit down with us. Early this afternoon, Ginny went to Ron's house and found Hermione beaten, starved, and tied up. It turns out that she was never married to Ron at all, but had been placed under the Imperius Curse to control her. It is actually Viktor's story since he is her legal husband. But we want you to come to St. Mungo's in the morning and remove the memories of her treatment at Ron's hands. The memories will be used in the punishment of Ron Weasley. It may be worse than anything you've dealt with so far. I'm really sorry to have to ask you, but Viktor was going to do it and I didn't think he needed to see exactly what has been done to her. We're sitting down to dinner, won't you join us?"

"No, thank you, Potter, Gospodin Krum and I need to talk about this. Please excuse us. He will join you for dinner shortly."

Snape's voice had taken on the tight tone and clipped pattern he once used when speaking to Neville Longbottom. He was furious and not trying to hide it.

Mystified, Harry ushered Ginny and their guests into the dining room. He felt strongly that he should listen in to what was going on with Snape and Viktor, so he dug through the sideboard to find an old set of Extendable Ears the twins had left behind.

Ginny took them from him, reminding him, "See to our guests. I'll see what Snape is so upset about. I'll guarantee it is something from when they found and healed him after the battle."

"Okay. But, come tell me if they come to blows. I don't want Viktor any more stressed than he is now."

By the time Ginny had set the ears into place, she heard Snape snarling at Viktor.

"The Potters don't know what you are, do they, Krum? It is still your closely guarded secret. It took me some time to find the appropriate references after you healed me, but I found and read every text about empaths and their special circumstances. I know why you look so ragged. You have felt every pain, every emotion of hers since she supposedly left you of her own free will. Merlin save me, you young fool, your emotions were joined to hers the moment you were handfasted. You didn't expect it, even though your vows ensured it. That bond can never be severed, except by death. Yet you were going to come here and sacrifice yourself to bring her back. Do you really think she would want to live without you by her side? You're the first male empath, as far as I can tell. Igor told me you were stubborn, but I certainly didn't think you were stupid. We both agreed the two of you were soulmates, even if you hadn't recognised it yet."

Viktor's voice was very low, Ginny had to strain to hear him.

"If the cost of taking her pain and memories is my life, it is mine to pay. I sent her here. I haff nothing left, Snape. She must be healed; if it kills me, so be it. I loff her beyond life, beyond sanity." Even unhappy, Viktor was defiant.

"Viktor, I have already been to St. Mungo's. I saw that the rope burns on her arms and wrists that the Healer had reported were completely gone. I know you were in with her for hours today. Let me be the one to deal with her memories. You are simply not up to this. I will deposit the memories in a flask. Then they are hers to dispose of or take back when she is stronger. But, if necessary, I will Stupefy you so you don't kill yourself for love. Oh, bloody, effing hell!"

Ginny heard a thump and then Snape yelled.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley Potter, I know you are listening. Get your husband in here. The young idiot has collapsed."

Ginny had just time enough to think, He is an empath? Merlin, it's no wonder he looks as bad as he does.