Evaluations

Arthur Weasley looked ill as he realised that his youngest son was possibly gone forever. The Ron Weasley who had done horrific things to another man's wife was not the boy he had raised.

All he could do was wait to see what the Ministry would do. If the case were presented to the Wizengamot, without the mitigating testimony of Horace Slughorn, Ron would probably go to Azkaban for life. If the shard was removed, there was a chance that the real Ron would resurface.

Almost afraid to, he asked, "Is the shard going to be removed from his arm?"

Kingsley Shacklebolt looked at the Healers who nodded and replied, "Yes, Arthur, we plan on removing it first thing in the morning. Harry is going back to the place where the locket was destroyed to see if there are any other fragments to collect. Horace will make another foray in Ron's mind to see if the evil memories can be safely removed. The whole thing hinges on whether or not Ron knew what he was doing and if he could have stopped himself. I have a meeting with Ambassador Krum tonight to discuss things."

Arthur knew Kingsley wanted to talk this whole thing over with Viktor to see what the younger man's feelings on the subject were.

He walked out of the building, wondering how he was going to explain to Molly what Ron's chances were.

A young woman stepped into his path and said, "Mr. Weasley, what has happened to Ron? He has changed so much from when we were in school. The last few times I saw him, he was cruel and mean. He didn't used to be that way. I know he supposedly got married to Hermione last year, but it isn't legal. He and I, well, we were handfast just before the Millennium."

"Lavender, isn't it? Ron talked about you. How you understood him and loved him in spite of his faults. Would you walk with me a bit?"

"Oh, sure. Ron didn't seem to mind that there was a good chance that I couldn't have kids after being bitten by Greyback. The Healers at St. Mungo's said that it was lucky that Hermione's boyfriend, that Viktor Krum, was able to heal my injuries so fast. He did a lot of chanting in Bulgarian, and Hermione fed me a bunch of potions. They saved me, Mr. Weasley. I think Ron was a bit jealous of that. He certainly didn't like Krum."

By the time they had reached Arthur's Apparition point, he knew Lavender Brown would certainly be the perfect wife for Ron. She was sweet, caring, easy-going, and she loved Ron utterly. He was not going to enjoy telling her what had happened. "Lavender, tell me how to reach you. Molly and I will be in touch shortly, I promise."

"I can be reached at Eeylops, Mr. Weasley. I am learning the business from my aunt and uncle."

"Wonderful. I promise Molly or I will let you know something before tonight."

As soon as the young woman was out of sight, Molly's Patronus appeared and said, "Arthur, we are all at the Cauldron. The kids want to know what the story is with Ron. Come quickly."

Arthur was only a few blocks from there, so he walked briskly toward the pub.

Bill was talking to Ginny and Harry. Charlie was talking to Molly. The twins were listening to both conversations, and Percy was slumped down in a chair, his head on his crossed arms on the table.

"Arthur! There you are! What has happened now?"

Bill handed Arthur a lager after getting drinks for everyone. He and Charlie were standing next to the wall behind the large table.

"Ron is definitely guilty of doing unspeakable things to Hermione Krum during the months he was supposedly married to her. He gave away the two babies she bore within hours of their birth. They have been found and restored to their parents at present. The memories of the worst of her treatment at Ron's hands have been removed from Hermione's mind, thankfully. Viktor is aiding in her recovery. It appears that Ron has been infected...possessed...changed by a shard of the Locket Horcrux that he destroyed before the War ended.

"That shard will be removed from his arm tomorrow. The Legilimens will see if that nullifies the possession. Ron has not been himself for many months; he kidnapped Hermione and used the Imperius Curse on her. She was beaten, raped, and tied up for most of the time the last months. We, as a family, have to face the possibility that the Ron we know is gone forever."

"We should have seen what was going on with Ron. After the Battle of Hogwarts, he just got more and more distant. I thought it was because he didn't get the Keeper's job with the Cannons. But it got worse, and none of us noticed." Ginny's voice broke on those words.

Charlie spoke up, hesitantly, "I thought it was because the publicity had gone to his head. He was surly and downright nasty when I tried to talk to him about two weeks before he supposedly married Hermione."

Molly spoke up, very sadly, "He told me she was having an affair with Viktor. That he had caught them in bed together. He said she was continually shopping and not doing the housework. It was all lies. He had used the Imperius Curse on her to leave Viktor. She was already pregnant with Viktor's children when Ron kidnapped her. I had thought he was serious about Lavender. Harry, what can we do?"

"There really isn't anything, Molly. Snape did the memory removal this morning. He was almost physically ill afterwards. He took the flask of memories to the Ministry. As far as I know, Minister Shacklebolt has them under lock and key. I think it is probably best if the only Weasleys she sees are Gin and Percy for the time being. Viktor is going to bring her to Grimmauld Place as soon as she is strong enough. She was just waking up when we left this afternoon," Harry said sadly.

The twins, for the first time in their lives, did not make jokes. Instead, they went to Ginny and hugged her, saying, "Tell her we love her, and we miss her. There really isn't anything else we can say."

Bill went to talk to Percy. Charlie approached Harry and said, "Tell Vik to contact me. I have worked with him in the past on some Order things. We became friends. I hope he doesn't blame the rest of us..."

"No, Charlie. He knows what happened had nothing to do with the rest of you. I'll tell him, but I'm not sure he is up to talking about it."

Molly was talking to Arthur, and Harry overheard her say, "I should have known there was something not right with him. It is my fault."

Harry turned to Ginny. "Go talk to Molly. She is about to wind herself up. None of us saw what was going on. Tell her that, please, love."

As Ginny hurried over to Molly's side, Bill beckoned Harry over to where Percy was still looking miserable.

"What's wrong, Bill?"

"Perce just told me that the Wizengamot has decided that Krum is going to be the one to question Ron. Surely, that isn't wise."

"Bill, I heard the report from the Legilimens who looked at Ron. I also heard the report from the Healers who treated Hermione. Neither was easy to hear. You do not want to know what your brother did to that girl. If the Wizengamot wants to let Viktor interrogate Ron, so be it. It is their decision," Arthur answered his son wearily.

Bill wasn't going to let it drop. "Dad, Perce said Krum is an Ambassador now. Could that be the reason they are allowing this? Is there something you aren't telling us?"

"William, there are things even I do not know. Harry may have answers to some of it. He and Viktor have been friends since the Tournament. I have to see to your mother. She is working herself up to a collapse, and it isn't her fault," Arthur snarled at his eldest son, reaching the end of his patience.

Bill turned to Harry and said, "Just what the hell is Krum trying to do? Have Ron sent through the veil? He is an arrogant bastard, isn't he?"

Ginny stepped between them and pushed her brother back a bit. "Bill, you don't understand. You didn't see the condition Hermione was in when I found her. Ron had been systematically raping and throttling her for months. She was bleeding to death before my eyes. Moreover, there was worse. He had taken her babies away when they were born; given them to two silly, stupid girls to treat as live dolls. He had warded the house against intruders so no one could rescue Hermione. Bill, she and Viktor were handfast and are soul-mates. Do you understand what that can do?"

Stunned, Bill Weasley asked, "They used the old Bulgarian handfasting, didn't they? The ceremony where their thoughts and emotions are linked. It would be hard on him, but it is not as if he is an..."

Ginny put her hand over his mouth before he could utter the word.

Harry looked at everyone present and knew his hand was being forced. "Arthur, the rest of you, I need a Wizard's Oath from each one of you not to reveal what I tell you."

Eight Weasleys nodded and the twins held up their hands to show they weren't crossing any fingers.

Ginny cast Muffliato to make what Harry had to say unheard by anyone else in the room.

"Vik is an empath. Snape said he is probably the only male empath in recorded history. Vik knew what was being done to her; he felt it. He suffered as much as she did. Apparently, the Imperius that Ron cast only shielded her whereabouts from Vik, not their connection. He had been looking for her for months. The only thing that made Hermione fight back was that Ron finally gave her the Snitch Vik had given her. It somehow nullified the Imperius. Therefore, Bill, this isn't just about what was done to Hermione. It was done to Vik and the two babies as well. Vik has a right to question Ron. The Aurors said that Ron was meeting the Patil girls to get the babies back so he could kill them. He would probably have killed the Patils, too."

"Bloody effing Goblin Gizzards!" Fred and George said, a sentiment echoed by both Charlie and Bill.

Molly gasped and nearly fainted. Percy came to stand by Ginny and took her hand in his.

"Harry is telling you the truth. Within hours of Hermione being found, Luna Lovegood was scrying for Ron's whereabouts. She found a trace of him at the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade. I sent an owl to Aberforth, who said that Ron was going to meet the Patil girls there. Harry and I were going through the Floo to accost him, but Ginny and Luna had gone early. Mad-Eye had gone with them. He captured Ron. The Patils hadn't really known what was going on. Ron admitted to the Aurors that the burlap bag he was carrying was to put the babies into, and it would be thrown into the lake. Then he had planned on killing the Patils slowly."

Bill Weasley went white with shock. Being a curse-breaker with Gringotts meant that he had been subjected to more unusual types of wizards and witches. He knew first-hand about empaths and their powers.

"Oh, bloody hell. Dad, Harry, I have a treatise on empaths from the Alexandrian library. Offer it to Viktor for me, will you? It is a how-to manual on learning to control empathic powers. It is mine; I didn't find it on Gringotts time. There was a male empath centuries ago, a good one. The treatise was written by him."

Bill and Charlie went to help Arthur with Molly. The twins had cornered Percy, talking earnestly to him. Ginny and Harry looked at each other and decided to go back to St. Mungo's. Harry stopped to have a quick word with Charlie.

"We're for St. Mungo's. I'll send an owl later with any updates. Take your parents home now. You and Bill might want to go with Arthur in the morning when that shard is taken out of Ron's arm. You'll understand a lot more if you see what it has done to him."

Bill spoke up quietly, "I'll send an owl with that treatise. I need to check on the cottage anyway since Fleur is at her parents' home in France."