Shard Speculations

"Thank you for telling me, Ginny. Viktor isn't saying much, which worries me. If there is still a set of Extendable Ears at the house, maybe you should listen in on Viktor's conversation with Shacklebolt. You don't have to tell me about it. But maybe you could discuss it with Harry. I am going to get some sleep until these two wake up for another feeding. Kiss Harry for me. He really is family and so are you."

Ginny kissed Hermione on the cheek and left St. Mungo's by the Floo. She arrived back at the house in time to find Harry talking to Severus Snape in the library.

She walked in and sat down to listen. Both men acknowledged her with a nod.

"Does that shard in his arm carry any traces of Voldemort?" Harry queried.

"Harry, it has no portion of Voldemort's soul. He can't regenerate. It does, however, carry a great deal of the evil that Voldemort embodied. That shard has been in Weasley's arm now for close to three years. It did not take over his personality until less than a year ago. What could have triggered it?" Snape was musing aloud.

Ginny spoke decisively, "Ron was always jealous: jealous of me because I was the only girl and the baby, jealous of Harry's fame, jealous of Hermione finding her true love so early. He was eaten up by his insecurity. He was handfast with Lavender just weeks before Hermione came to talk to him. I think insecurity, jealousy, and his innate weakness of character woke up that shard suddenly."

Snape sat up and looked at Ginny in astonishment. "I think you have it, Ginevra. Your brother was never one for purely evil doings, but he was weak, petty, and secretive. This helps immensely. I have to go write up a report for Kingsley. Are either of you going to be there tomorrow when the shard is removed?"

Harry shrugged, saying, "I'll be there. I want to talk to Ron before it is removed and afterwards, too. If the old Ron is in there still, I think he just might be horrified at what he has done. Percy says that Lavender will be there, too. Maybe seeing her will have a beneficial effect on him."

"I will be there with the flask of memories, Harry. I think Kingsley wants Weasley to view those before the shard is removed. Kingsley should be getting here soon to talk to Krum. I'll be off home, then." He stood, and spoke directly to Ginny, "Tell Krum I would like to talk to him after this is over, please."

Ginny spoke before Harry could utter a sound, "I think he and Hermione will both want to talk to you. You don't have to do these things, Severus. You do them because you're atoning for the things you had to do as Dumbledore's pawn. We understand and thank you. Don't you dare get on your high horse; you know it's true."

Snape merely sent Harry a look that meant... She has definitely been around Granger too long.

Then he went through the Floo in the parlour.

Viktor was just coming down the stairs when Harry and Ginny came out of the library. He had been arranging things in the bedroom he was going to share with his wife and the babies.

Kreacher announced that dinner was served just then. The three went into the dining room and served their plates from the dishes Kreacher had set out.

"Harry, Minister Shacklebolt vishes to talk to me about Veasley this efening. I think you and Ginevra should also be present. I haff a feeling you know a lot of vhat he is going to tell me. Is that true?"

"Yes, Vik, the Legilimens who looked at Ron says that there is a duality of personalities in Ron's head. The reason is a shard from the Horcrux he destroyed during those last few months before the war ended. It is embedded in his arm. The Healers are going to take it out tomorrow morning."

"The shard could haff caused him to do these things to my Nin?"

"The glass in the locket had been in contact with the evil bit of soul for so long that it became impregnated with evil. The shard had been in his arm for a long time before something happened to 'wake' it up. Ron was always insecure, and Hermione was always a trigger for him to lash out. He must have seen her happiness at marriage and a child coming as an insult, and he snapped," Harry explained.

"Viktor, my brother was handfast to a girl he dated in his sixth year. He truly did love Lavender, and I think he will be horrified at what he has done. I know he didn't do it deliberately, but I am so furious with him it sickens me." Ginny looked to Harry and continued, "This has torn my family apart. I wish this had never happened."

"Yes, I know. I haff to tell you my secret. Snape has berated me for keeping this from eferyone, efen my Nin. I am an empath. I vas avraid of vhat people might do. If the other teams had learned of it, they vould haff found a vay to use it against me vhile playing."

Harry and Ginny shared a look, then Harry replied, "Severus told us. Hermione's Healer knows as well. Moreover, we had to tell the Weasleys. I imagine Shacklebolt knows, too. Everyone has sworn an oath to keep the secret. Bill Weasley, Ginny's eldest brother, is a curse breaker for Gringotts. He has a treatise on empaths in his personal collection that he is going to send you. He said it was a training manual for controlling empathic powers."

"Ah, I haff heard of such, but nefer seen one. I must thank him. He is the one married to Fleur, is he not? Nin told me of Ginevra's antipathy towards Fleur at the beginning," Viktor teased.

Ginny rolled her eyes and laughingly admitted, "Yes, I absolutely loathed her until I realised that Bill adored her and she made him happy. Now we are friends. He has a quick temper, but is also quick to admit when he is wrong. Much like the two of you, I think."

Both Harry and Viktor chuckled as the sound of the Floo from the parlour announced Minister Shacklebolt's arrival.

Ginny got up and called out. "Kingsley, we're in the dining room. Come in here."

Moments later, Shacklebolt entered the room and took the chair opposite Ginny. He asked Kreacher for a glass of wine. The house-elf brought the wine and a plate. He helped himself to the dishes on the table.

"I gather that you have filled the Ambassador in on the shard and the Ministry's findings."

"Yes, they haff told me of your findings. It vould seem that efen years after his death, the Dark Lord continues to inflict harm on those who opposed him. Harry vas telling me the shard is going to be removed from Veasley's arm tomorrow. I am assuming you vish me to be there as vell?"

"I think it advisable, Ambassador. The Wizengamot will be watching from a shielded room. Weasley's family will be with them. Only the Healers, both Legilimens, Harry, I, and you will be in the room with Weasley. I have hopes that will keep the emotional pressure off you. There hasn't been a decision about where to let Lavender Brown-Weasley watch from."

"Let her stay vith her husband. He vill need her once the shard is removed if he truly did not know vhat he vas doing. I can shut out her emotions somevhat. The others vill not be oferly emotional, merely clinical. I can deal vith that."

"Ron may get overwrought after it is removed. Maybe you should ask the Healers to bring calming potions, Kingsley," Harry suggested.

"Excellent idea. Slughorn hopes that the duality of minds will go away once the shard is dealt with. Severus thinks that Weasley had been fighting the thing since he destroyed the Horcrux, but it fed on his worst qualities. He had been getting distant and strange. The meeting with Madam Krum was the catalyst that sent him over the edge." Kingsley stood up, getting ready to leave.

At that moment, an owl flew into the room and landed on the table next to Viktor. It cocked its head and held out its leg. Viktor took the weighty roll of parchment and gave the owl a bit of meat from his plate. It took off again, flying out the open window in the dining room.

Kingsley left through the Floo as Viktor opened the parchment.

Ambassador Krum,

P.S. My wife, Fleur, says to tell you hello and wants to invite you and Hermione to our home for dinner soon.

The enclosed sheaf of parchments was indeed the treatise on Empaths, how to control their powers, and limit their susceptibility to the emotions of others.

Viktor tucked the treatise in a pocket and said, "Thank you both for all the kindnesses. Ve vill infite you to our home vhen ve haff official naming ceremony for babies. I appreciate all the things eferyone has done. I bid you leka nosht."

Ginny smiled and replied, "Leka nosht to you, too, Viktor. We will see you in the morning."

Harry hesitated when he saw the way Viktor was looking at Ginny. When Viktor spoke again, both Potters were surprised.

"I think your vishes vill come true tonight, Ginevra, if my friend Harry cooperates." Viktor smiled at both of them and went up the stairs.

"What was that about, Gin?" Harry was mystified.

"About something you asked me the other night. Come up to bed, Harry. I have plans for you," she teased.

"Oh, that question... I am a willing conspirator, Gin."

(*** Leka nosht*** translates as good night)