Mirror, Mirror

Percy looked around, expecting Terence to be there, he wasn’t. Instead, Percy was in the empty Minister’s office. An office that he had spent so much time in. The name on the nameplate sent a chill down his spine. Augustus Rookwood. A picture on the desk caught his attention. A smiling Rookwood holding a little blonde boy standing next to an equally happy looking Terence who was holding a little blonde-haired girl, they all were waving.

After everything they had been through his heart broke. Terence said he wouldn’t try to recreate his life. It looked like he did and went a step further. Marrying the man and having a daughter. Percy wondered if Terence’s son was born with the sickness he had. Is that why there was a little girl, he said he wanted to try for another baby because there was some muggle cure if he had another child that matched. Percy had to shake his head, this wasn’t his Terence, it was the Terence that took over after they left. He always thought it would still be them with their memories and feelings but maybe not.

The door opened and in walked Rookwood. Percy was frozen where he was. Rookwood’s eyes widened and a cruel smile spread across his face.

“I know you Weasleys aren’t the smartest wizards around but then to sneak into my office while you have a price over your head is really foolish. You’ve been on the run for thirteen years and you just walk in here, finally giving yourself up? If you tell us where the rest are then I’ll make sure your death is only mildly painful.”

Getting away was the only thing on Percy’s mind. He knew he couldn’t disapparate, it was impossible inside of the Ministry. His wand was in his robe pocket, there was no way to get it before Rookwood would be able to stop him.

“I’ll even let you pick how you die,” Rookwood said, causing Percy to feel real fear. Memories of killing the man savagely came back to him, maybe this was his fate for what he had done.

Someone came up behind Rookwood, distracting him for just a moment, it was all Percy needed. Pulling his wand out, he sent a stunning spell at Rookwood, the man went down, and Percy sent another to the woman who had interrupted them. She looked familiar but he didn’t stop to think about it, he ran flat out, people not really sure what they were seeing. He hoped that everyone would stay that way until he was out of the Ministry. Percy had never run so fast in his life and that included when he tried to stop Harry from cursing Terence that one horrible night.

“IT’S ONE OF THE WEASLEYS! STOP HIM!” a loud yell came from somewhere behind him, he didn’t stop to see who. All he needed to do was get to the floo and get away.

Finally, he made it to the lobby but there were several on his trail, sending curses his way. He was able to block them all so far, just a little further. The floo in the lobby didn’t need powder to work because they all went to the same place and for that he was extremely grateful, he slid into the floo and disappeared. Knowing they were seconds behind him he disapparated just as he cleared completely out of the Ministry.

He went the only place he knew…home…the burrow.

Percy’s jaw dropped looking at the remnants of his childhood home. The Burrow was no more. It looked like it had burned down and not recently. Everything was overgrown and cold. The Burrow had always been a place of warmth, even when he was on the outside looking in.

“Where do I go now?” he asked himself, his heart breaking. They said that he was wanted and would be put to death, it also sounded like all of his family was wanted too.

Maybe Great Aunt Muriel was still around, she had been in his timeline before. They said the Weasleys were wanted not the Prewitts, his only hope to find out what was going on. Disapparating again, he found himself in front of Muriel’s and his stomach dropped. Much like the Burrow it had looked to have been set on fire. Wizards could usually put right things set of fire but some fires magic could never fix. It was either one of those were used or it was too dangerous to continue to live there. That was if she had gotten away, she was so old. Why would someone do this to her home? She wasn’t the kindest person in the world, but he had always got on with her, liking her stories. She really was the only one that preferred him to his brothers and sister.

“It’s a right shame, isn’t it.”

The voice made Percy jump and turn. It was Muriel’s old neighbor, Mr. Pickering.

“What happened?”

“You know what happened. You were here that night.”

“Someone hit me with a rogue obliviate, I’m trying to piece everything back together. I don’t remember anything after my fifteenth birthday.”

“Really? That’s dangerous for you my boy.”

“Why?”

“You really don’t know do you?”

“No, please Mr. Pickering.”

“I’ll tell you but then you need to leave, I can’t have anyone seeing me talk to you. I’ve lived to a ripe old age but would like a few more.”

“I understand.”

“Might as well come in and have some tea, it’s a bit of a story to tell you the truth and I don’t fancy standing here and waiting for the aurors to come. In my day we called them what they were…Death Eaters, different times.”

Percy followed Mr. Pickering into his home, it was a cozy little place, much like Muriel’s except there was no overwhelming smell of lavender.

“Sit, sit, it’s been a while since I’ve had company. Not like it used to be. Muriel used to come over for Sunday tea, Rina, Mrs. Hawkins to you, used to come over on Friday and we would watch her programs. I even had one of those muggle people come and hook up one of those strange television boxes. She was a good woman, what happened to her was downright shameful.”

“Not to be rude but what did happen? What has been happening in the last fifteen years?”

“Voldemort was finally gone, were you around for that?”

“Sort of.”

“Well, when there is magic there is always someone to try and use it for evil. I’ve lived through Grindelwald’s reign and Voldemort’s, when he was finally dealt with I knew we shouldn’t have gotten too comfortable.”

Mr. Pickering hobbled over to a bookshelf in his hallway and grabbed a large book, walking back to the kitchen table where Percy sat. The old man plonked the book down in front of Percy, waving for him to open it as he sat.

Inside were pictures, hundreds of pictures. Some old, some newer but probably not in recent years.

“I worked for the Daily Prophet before I left. I had to leave; I saw the writing on the wall even though no one else did.” His old, wrinkled hand reached over and flipped through the pages, landing on several pictures of what looked like a party. A woman in a long, gold flowing dress was dancing with a tall, man in a silver suit. Percy knew them on sight.

“Barty Crouch Jr. and Bellatrix Lestrange.”

“How? They both are in Azkaban.” Percy had stopped what led to their escapes.

“After Voldemort was gone for good, his followers went a little mad. They started attacking people in the street. The Ministry was locking up more and more. It was the mark on their arms, they were supposed to go away after his death. But Voldemort was never the truthful or forgiving type. After his death, the marks were to drive the bearers mad. There were only two that I know of that were able to fight it.”

“Who?”

“Severus Snape and Regulus Black. Well, after the Ministry found out what the mark was doing all the best wizards worked on a cure. One was found and the marks were removed, and the madness gone. But the ones in Azkaban before also had theirs removed. Then they demanded new hearings, saying it was the mark that made them do what they did. Only one or two Death Eaters didn’t win their cases. That woman,” he said, pointing to Bellatrix. “was one of the first out. I knew it wasn’t good, so did others, your family for one and even the remaining of Bellatrix’s family.”

“So, the Death Eaters got free, they were always a bunch of followers.” Percy knew because he had been the same kind of blind follower only to the Ministry. “There has to be a leader.”

“Oh, and there is.”

“Who?”

“Terence Higgs.”