Chapter 10
Being called into Madam Bones' office was a regular part of James' work week as Head Auror.
Being called into Madam Bones' office and informed that he would be heading an arrest team to apprehend Molly Weasley under suspicion of dosing her husband, Arthur Weasley, with Amortentia since about 1968 was not something he expected. Ever. Especially coupled with the constant befuddlement draughts and her gradual movement of most of House Weasley's gold into her own personal vault. Her own children, bar the youngest two, were growing up with second-hand everything just so she could spoil herself and her youngest two in secret. It was disgusting.
Of course, he had informed Madam Bones of the comments made from Ron to Henry about Love Potions, and the woman's apparent attitude towards them as they may need to keep an eye on her, but he had not expected an actual investigation so soon. He really hadn't expected Arthur Weasley to be given a diagnostic test upon arriving to work this morning and found to be actually dosed up to the gills with Amortentia.
James decided that he would not be informing Henry that his relaying of a conversation with his best friend had been what got said best friend's mother arrested. The boy had been through enough recently without all that added guilt.
Sighing, James readied himself to report to his team. It wasn't an overly large team, normal for an arrest. If they needed more people, he'd be bloody worried. His gaze swept across the room, sweeping over the Aurors before him- Shacklebolt, Williamson, Dawlish. Four Aurors, including himself, would be plenty. He'd sternly rejected Madam Bones' tentative suggestion of Alastor Moody- the man was off his rocker, and an Order member to boot. James couldn’t care less if Madam Bones wanted him on some lesser cases for an unofficial probationary period, he wasn’t having the man anywhere near him.
"Right, Madam Bones has assigned you to this team for an arrest. Should be routine, I don't expect much resistance. We're apprehending Molly Weasley, as her husband has been discovered to be consistently dosed with Amortentia. All evidence points to her as the administrator."
Dawlish let out a low whistle, "Bloody hell. I reckon we'll be seein' loads of this now. The Evans case fairly set a precedent."
"Arthur Weasley was an Auror, back in the war," Williamson added, frowning slightly, "Left when the war ended, mind, before you and Kingsley joined the force. Everyone said his wife made him do it..."
"We can reminisce later, Auror Williamson. If you believe Arthur Weasley was forced into leaving the Aurors, then you can put it in an official statement," James asserted, "Madam Bones wants Molly Weasley in Ministry custody by noon. Gear up, we leave in fifteen."
Apparating to the edge of the Burrow's wards was never an experience James enjoyed, even less so now. He suppressed the twinge of vindictive glee he felt knowing that his son wouldn't be poisoned with more of the woman's beliefs, thinking about her husband and children instead. Nodding to his team behind him, James began to lead the way forward, knocking on the front door to the Weasley family home.
Molly opened it within moments, seemingly every bit as overly-cheerful as she usually was.
"Oh! James, I wasn't expecting you!" she announced, smiling, until she peered behind him and saw the other Aurors present. Her face dropped, "Ah, official business. Has something happened? Is Arthur alright?"
James grimaced, "Molly Winifred Weasley, you are under arrest for the following crimes; Unlicensed Administration of a Category A Love Potion, Line Theft, and the Continual Usage of Mind-Altering Substances on an Unwilling person. Please surrender your wand, and come peacefully. We do not need to add Assault of a Ministry Official to your record."
Molly burst into theatrical sobs as she stepped out of the House, but did not resist the arrest.
Attempting to compose herself, she looked up at James with pleading eyes, "My precious babies, Ron and Ginny, are at home. They're too young to be left alone..."
"Along with your other two pre-Hogwarts age children," James added, scowling, "Shacklebolt, Williamson, stay with the children. I shall ensure a relative is contacted immediately until Mr Weasley returns home. Dawlish, take her wand and cuff her."
"No!" Molly howled, "Not Ron and Ginny, never! I've kept them away from the Prewetts for good reason! I am not letting Dark Wizards near my babies!"
"That's the family you came from, lady," Dawlish said, looking incredulous as he cuffed the woman, "If your family's Dark, so are you."
"How dare you!" Molly bellowed, making James think she had to have had Banshee blood somewhere, "I have worked tirelessly, all my life, to make sure I am nothing like those filthy supremacists! I am not Dark. I am a perfectly upstanding citizen!"
"Yeahhhhhhh, I think the charges say otherwise," Dawlish countered, as he waved his wand in the spiralling pattern of the Auror-grade searching spells. Frowning, he summoned a bottle from the pocket of her apron that James immediately recognised, "Oh, definitely saying otherwise. Caught red-handed with the potion in question."
"Dawlish, grab her elbow," James said, sighing, as he grabbed the other one, "You're both side-alonging with me."
______
Being told by an Auror that his mum was being arrested as they spoke for drugging his dad was not how George expected his morning to go. It was not how he ever expected any morning to go. He shared a long look with Fred, identical expressions of shock marring their identical faces, before they both looked up at the man who had introduced himself as Auror Williamson.
"Doesn't really come as a surprise-" Fred began.
"Mum's always telling Ginny that a good wife potions her husband," George continued.
"S'pose it was only a matter of time-"
"Before we found out she was doing it herself."
Auror Williamson didn't look overly phased by their twin speak, and George was pretty sure that's because his mum's younger brothers that she never spoke about, Gideon and Fabian, had been Aurors during the war. They quit when it ended, along with dad. Though, if what Bill said was true which it probably was, mum had forced dad to quit against his will.
"I'll make note of that. Now, Arthur should be able to return home by this evening. Auror protocol is that we contact other family, but myself and Auror Shacklebolt will remain with you until then. He is breaking the news to your siblings."
George scoffed at that, "He must've pulled the short straw, huh?"
"It’ll be pretty cool to meet the Prewetts though, mum’s never let us near them ‘cos Uncle Gideon married a Black…” Fred mused, before turning to the Auror, "The screaming will start downstairs soon, by the way. Then we can go help your partner out."
At the Auror's questioning glance, George continued, "Ron and Gin are the apples of mum's eye. They can do no wrong. She hates the rest of us."
"Charlie reckons mum just kept having kids until she found two that would idolise her, so-"
"The rest of us are just spares. Especially us."
"Bill thinks she did some ritual she'd never admit to just to have twins-"
"Because the oldest set of twins in a generation of the Prewetts inherit the Lordship-"
"And she wanted to control the family."
"Backfired on her though, mind you-"
"Seeing as she hates us-"
"And planned to disown us from the Weasley family if we sort Slytherin in Hogwarts."
"That is... traumatic," Auror Williamson said, seemingly lost for words.
"That's our lives," Fred deadpanned.
"Not any more, though," George added, hopefully, "Since she'll probably be getting acquainted with the Dementors soon and all that."
As predicted, screaming began downstairs. George looked at Fred, and they rolled their eyes.
"Better hurry down there before it gets worse," Fred said to the Auror.
"Because it will get worse."
"We'll do... damage control?"
"Though, you could just stun them…"
George followed Fred out of their bedroom and down the stairs to the source of the screaming. Ron was yelling at the other Auror, demanding that their mum be returned to them at once. Ginny was sobbing, desperately muttering under her breath for her mum to come back. George sighed, seeing the furious glint in Fred's eyes.
"Ron," Fred snapped, "Get your hands off that Auror and sit down."
"Ginny," George continued, "Please stop crying and get off the floor. You know you’re too old for that."
"I don't have to listen to you! Mum said you won't even be my brothers soon!" Ron shouted, stamping his foot.
"Mum is probably going to Azkaban," Fred hissed, leaning across the table that separated him and Ron, "Forget what she told you. It's just us and dad now."
"Azkaban?" Ginny said, weakly, "But- but mum said they only put Dark wizards there! Mum's not evil! She's not!"
George lowered himself down to Ginny's height with a sigh and clasped her shoulders, "Mum has been drugging dad to love her since they were in Hogwarts. That's really serious, Gin. It's a crime. Azkaban is for anyone who commits a really bad crime."
"But love potions aren't bad," Ginny insisted, "Mum said they just help you to love someone even more!"
"Mum lied to you, Ginny. She lied to all of us." George countered, "And now we have to live with it."
Releasing a wave of fresh tears, Ginny ran off upstairs. Ron scowled at Fred and George, before going upstairs himself.
"Well, they've stopped shouting at least," George shrugged, looking at the rather bewildered pair of Aurors.
"Not much more you can ask for in this house," Fred said, "Wanna head outside, Georgie? We need to feed the chickens."
George nodded, following him out. They did the chore in an anxious silence, neither willing to break it.
George was conflicted, heavily. He knew it was really bad for his dad to be potioned and his mum to be arrested, but it was good for him and Fred that she was gone. Mum hated them, wanted them gone as soon as possible, and now they could stay with their dad and their older brothers.
Frankly, he didn't care if Ron and Ginny were swept off somewhere else. Mum had created a pair of monsters with the two of them, and he didn't think common sense and rational thought would ever prevail there.
______
"Dad?" Henry asked when James had returned home that evening, "You know the way you mentioned when mum was arrested that you have another son and that he's currently the Potter Heir? I mean, it doesn't bother me or anything, I wouldn't fancy Heir lessons this young anyway 'cos Neville says they're well boring and -"
"Yes, Henry?" James replied, patiently.
"Oh, yeah, sorry. I was thinking about it in tutoring earlier 'cos Miss Blishwick was talking about siblings and the line of... succession? I realised you never told me his name, or who his mum is or anything..."
James sat down, wearily, inviting Henry to do the same.
"He doesn't have a mum, I was with his father. Your brother was born from a ritual."
"Two men? But mum and Mrs Weasley said that's an abom- abomination."
"It's not, Henry. It's no different than a man and a woman, okay? It's just two people that love each other. My old boyfriend's name is Regulus Black, and your brother is Hydrus Black."
"Black?" Henry exclaimed, his eyes bulging, "As in, the Blacks?"
"Yes, the very same."
"Dad, I know you keep telling me that not everyone who's Dark is evil but, like, the Blacks are! They're the Darkest family in Britain!"
"They're Dark, yes, but not evil."
Henry shook his head, "Nah. No. I don't believe you. I need to- I'm- uhm- going to go up to my room and do my homework."
As Henry scarpered off upstairs, James threw his head back and groaned. He’d give him time, then they could talk about it.
Three years until Henry starts Hogwarts, in the same year as his brother. Three years to dismantle the anti-Dark rhetoric his son had internalised.
Would it be enough?
He couldn't have Henry starting Hogwarts and being at his brother's throat. Dumbledore would encourage it if he wasn't ousted from his position by then, and James just couldn't have that. It would definitely give him grey hairs, and probably unspeakable nightmares.
James knew that the Blacks didn’t believe that blood purity meant you were better than everyone else. They valued magical tradition, power, and the freedom to practice the Old ways. They didn’t despise Muggleborns, but they hated Mudbloods.
With that being said, James also knew that the Blacks weren’t afraid to throw around blood supremacist comments directed towards Half-bloods and Muggleborns who refused to believe anything other than the stereotypes around their family. That was why he needed Henry to come around. From what Regulus had told him, Hydrus was just as sharp-tongued as the rest of the family, and he would not hold back his words just because Henry was his brother.
Blacks didn’t tend to start fights, Sirius and Bellatrix being notable exceptions, but they sure as hell saw no issue with making them worse.
______
Sometimes, James thought that his monthly visits with Remus were the only things that well and truly kept him together. Hearing all about his best friend finally doing well in life in between gossip was what he needed to feel normal.
"I can't say I was surprised when I read the Prophet," Remus scoffed, on the topic of Molly Weasley, "I mean, have you ever listened to the banshee? She's fucking delusional. Whatever is going to happen with her horde of children?"
James sighed, though his eyes were surely still shining in amusement, "Arthur's joining the Aurors again as a trainer, he was one of the best on the force until he quit. He's getting all the money Molly stole back from him too, so he's more than capable of caring for all the kids. The eldest, Bill, already finished Hogwarts and Arthur said he's started a curse-breaking apprenticeship in Gringotts, so he's one less child to worry about. Charlie and Percy are both in Hogwarts. The twins, Fred and George, start Hogwarts next year, and they're currently living in between their father and the Prewetts, since they’re finally beginning their Heir training. It's the youngest two that cause concern."
"Ah, the two that idolise Molly, yes? Let me guess, they see nothing wrong with a bit of Amortentia?"
"Yeah, pretty much. Arthur seems ready to tear his hair out between the pair of them. Honestly, if Molly doesn't go to Azkaban, he'll likely foist the pair of them off on her. He’s been debating pushing back against a full trial with the highest degree of charges, just to save himself the hassle. Molly’s reputation would be in ruins no matter what, but he wouldn’t have to raise two children who suddenly hate him…"
"Good riddance, I wouldn't want to raise mini-Mollys. I would be horrified if Elara behaved like that."
James grinned. By far the biggest changes in Remus’ life now was the existence of the daughter he had adopted three years ago. Elara Lupin, a feisty ten year old true-born Werewolf, was exactly what Remus had needed to keep himself sane. Being a true-born, like Fenrir Greyback, she could control her transformations at will. She may feel most powerful under the light of the full moon, but she didn't have to turn. Begrudgingly, Remus had decided that Elara would be attending Hogwarts next September. James frankly pitied the staff if Elara took a shining to the Weasley twins. Hogwarts may not survive it.