Mirror, Mirror

Looking around, Percy didn’t recognize the place he was in. It was dark, damp and smelled awful, he felt cold.

“This is Azkaban, isn’t it?”

“Yes. After the aurors came, they arrested Charlie. Dumbledore fought for him, but Fudge wasn’t giving in. The Wizengamot found him guilty of the murder of Finnley Higgs.”

“What about that woman who killed mum?”

“I can’t.” Ron just pointed at the figure in the corner of the cell they were in.

“Charlie,” he said brokenly.

Charlie was in the corner and biting his nails, more like ripping chunks out of his fingers with his mouth. Percy could hear screaming from other prisoners. One sounded very familiar, but he couldn’t be right. Because why would Mad-Eye be here?

There was a man coming into the cell, looking Percy saw it was Lucius.

“What do you want?” Charlie snapped, he still sounded strong.

“I promised my son I would come.”

“After you left, Draco was around all the time, spending most holidays with us, it was really annoying. I guess he was the little brother George and Fred really wanted. Lucius wasn’t so bad after that but still no one in the family’s favourite person.”

“What happened?”

“It’s better to see it than me tell you.”

“You’re here to gloat more like it. Just leave me alone.”

“If you don’t want out, that’s your choice. I’ll tell Draco I tried.”

Charlie scrambled to his feet, shaking a little. “What do you mean out?”

“I knew you Weasleys were thick but not that much.”

Charlie lunged at Lucius but was thrown back into the wall by some unseen force.

“It’s to keep them from hurting their visitors.”

“Ouch. Fine, tell me.”

“You’re father made a deal with the Wizengamot.”

“What kind of deal?”

“His life for yours.”

“No. They would never do that anyway; he’s committed no crime.”

“Mr. Higgs said he will accept the switch. He said it would be better, you knowing what you’re father is going through all because of you.”

“I refuse.”

“My Draco thought you would, that’s why I’m here.”

“Would you get to the bleedin’ point.”  

“You’re looking at the newest Minister of Magic, and I’m granting you a pardon. If I didn’t my son said he would never talk to me again and he’s just stubborn enough to do it.”

“How are you Minister? With your past?”

“It pays to have the right friends, Mr. Weasley.”

“Why would you go against the Higgs? Aren’t you close with them?”

“I am close to no one. I do what I have to and use the people I need.”

“Isn’t Higgs fighting this?”

“He can fight it all he likes. You are banned from the United Kingdom magical and muggle alike.”

“I’ll go to Romania; I was living there anyway. The Wizengamot is alright with this?”

“As Dumbledore pointed out several times during the trial, you were not first to act. I can’t say I ever liked your father, but Molly was a good person, even in school.”

“You knew my mum?”

“Ah yes, we were friends of a sort.” Something about the faraway look in his eyes was a bit disturbing. Percy hoped he didn’t sleep with someone his mum did. Was that why she was so angry in the beginning? “I best be off, come with me now if you want to be free.”

“I didn’t know Lucius knew mum in school.”

Ron just made a strangled noise but said nothing. Their surroundings changed and now they were in Grimmauld Place. Snape was reading to a small girl, Percy recognized her instantly, Lainie when she was small. By the looks of Snape’s stomach, she was going to have a little brother or sister soon.

“Read another,” the girl said.

“It is well past your bedtime.”

The girl made a face and Percy heard a laugh from behind him. Turning he saw it was Regulus.

“Who would have thought all those years ago you would be here, popping out kid after kid for my idiot brother.” Snape glared at him. “Kreacher!”

The house elf popped in right in front of Regulus.

“Master Regulus calls for Kreacher?”

“Yes, take Lainie to bed. I need to speak to Severus.”

“Right away, Master Regulus. Come this way Young Mistress Elaine.”

The girl wrinkled up her nose but hopped down off her father’s lap. “It’s Lainie, Kreachie.”

Kreacher made a disgusted noise but didn’t say anything. He lightly grabbed the girl’s hand and they popped away.

“I wish he would just walk her to her room,” Snape said.

“He’s old. Anyway, we have a lot to talk about.”

“Terence?”

“Yes. There is nothing left of the nephew I knew. He’s planning to kill the Weasley boy.”

“Charles? It would make sense, he was just released from Azkaban, not that he should have been there. Margaret should be there, killing Molly Weasley.”

“In all fairness she was trying to kill Charlie.”

“For what? For standing up to them? I don’t know what those people did to my son but he’s a stranger to me.”

“Have you thought about the mirror?” The last word was whispered.

“I’ve tried. Sirius has tried. Dumbledore has tried. Arthur Weasley has tried. It won’t work. Dumbledore thinks because it’s still in use. It won’t work again until is spits Terence and Percy out in the future. We have to accept that this is our life. It feels the same, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, right before the first war started. I know I wasn’t on the “right” side, but I think this one is different. It isn’t about avenging Finn anymore; it’s about hurting and destroying as many lives as he can. Maybe try again to get through to him.”

“I’ve tried. Last time he used the Crucio curse on me. I was just about to give birth to Nigellus. He’s gone, Terence died the night Finnley died.”

“Siri didn’t give up.”

“And look where that got him. I have no idea where he is now. I don’t know if he’s dead or alive. I was thinking about Molly’s clock. I think I can do something like it but a way to know what’s going on with everyone without giving anything away if it’s found. I need you to do something. I’m surprised he hasn’t come here yet. I need you to make Grimmauld Place’s ward reject Terence.”

“I did that the day Charlie Weasley got out of Azkaban. It won’t matter who the secret keeper is or what he knows, the house will not show for him.”

Everything changed around them again and now he knew this was some kind of nightmare. Because in front of him was Ron, Hermione, Harry, Ginny, Luna, and Neville. They looked to be about eighteen or nineteen. Percy noticed Ginny had a wedding ring on. In fact, all of them did except Ron.

“They were so young to be married,” Percy said.

“It was getting bad, they wanted to be together before the real fighting started. Harry and Ginny. Hermione and Fred. Luna and Charlie. Neville and Hannah Abbott. It was just luck or not that Fred, George and Hannah weren’t with us.”

“What about Charlie?”

“He couldn’t come back he had a lifetime tracker put on him. He tried to come back the Ministry will all know. Doesn’t matter now, he’s as dead as the rest of them.”

“You weren’t married?”

“No,” Ron snapped. It was cold and angry at the same time; it was more emotion he had seen in Ron since he arrived back.

“Back in the first time around, you were married to a man. So, if that’s what you’re trying to hide, there is no need.”

Ron laughed bitterly. Ron pulled the front of his top down, under the neckline was a jagged scar that read “Liar.”

“That was done by someone I trusted, someone I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. But that is all I got for trusting her.”

“Her?”

“I like both, is that a crime?”

“No. Who was it?”

Instead of answering, Ron just pointed back to the group of barely adult wizards. Percy didn’t recognize where they were. It had old-looking furniture but expensive. There were paintings of famous wizards all around. Was that Merlin? Wow.

“We’ve got to get him to drink this,” Harry held up a familiar potion.

“He won’t take anything from us, he’ll think we’re trying to poison him,” Neville said.

Pansy Parkinson came around the corner, running into Memory Ron, he looked worried.

“What are you doing here?” Memory Ron asked.

“And miss the show?”

The door to the right flew open and out came Terence. Percy’s breath caught. No longer was he the boy he knew once. His face was hard, his eyes were cruel, and his wand was pointed squarely at Percy’s little sister’s heart.

Percy stepped forward to try and protect Ginny but then he remembered it wasn’t happening right now. He couldn’t do anything. Turning Percy looked at the Ron that came into the pensieve with him. Ron looked like he was going to be sick.

“This is when it happens, isn’t it?” Percy asked.

Ron nodded. “I can’t do this. I can’t. I can’t. I can’t.”

“I don’t need to see it. I don’t. I’ve seen enough. Let’s go.” Percy left knowing Ron wouldn’t be able to handle seeing what happened again and Percy didn’t want to watch his baby sister die.

Once they were back in the room with Lainie, Ron started retching on the ground. Percy just realized something. “Where is Kreacher?” He thought even if he didn’t like Ron he wouldn’t be able to handle sick on the ground.

“He died saving Regulus. My uncle wasn’t actively being sought out by them so he can go out in public, but he risks being killed anyway.”

“How could Draco be in Azkaban if Lucius was the Minister?”

“Lucius was killed by Terence and Terence appointed Rookwood as Minister,” Ron said, when he composed himself. Cleaning up the sick with his wand.

“I don’t get it; Voldemort took years to get this far. You’re telling me Terence did all this before he was thirty? How could he get past the Wizengamot and the whole Ministry?”

“You would know if you stayed through everything and watched the memories. It’s not really Terence. That’s what we were doing there. His mother had used some sort of dark spell I’ve never seen on him. It’s akin to the Imperio curse except there is no cure. You don’t get better. I don’t know why Voldemort didn’t use it himself. We went in hoping the potion would work anyway but we were betrayed,” Ron said.

“By Pansy?” he asked even though he knew it was the truth.

“I’ve loved her since we were third years. She ended it in our fourth year, but she had her reasons, good ones. I still thought she at least cared for me though but then Goyle held me down with his wand while she carved into my chest ‘liar,’ then she handed us over to Terence and his men. The first to die was Harry, trying to protect Ginny, I tried to get to her, but I was trapped between fighting both Goyle and Blaise. They were dormmates and they did that. Next to go was Luna, she fought valiantly but there were just too many of them. Then Neville and next was Hermione. Ginny was the last, begging me to save her but I couldn’t move, they had me pinned. I had to watch all of them die. I kept waiting for the killing curse, but it never came. Other curses did, my skin sliced off. So many cuts all over my body. My legs, ribs, and arms all broken. The medi-witch who saved me said she thought I was dead when I was dropped off in front of St. Mungo’s public entrance.”

“Do you know why you weren’t killed?”

“Pansy. She couldn’t let them kill me. Torture until I wished for death, yes but kill no.”

“Because she loved you?”

“Because she wanted me to suffer.”

“Why? What did you lie about? Why did she betray you?”

“You might as well tell him. He needs to know the truth,” Lainie said. She seemed so much more grown than thirteen.

Ron put his wand to his head and pulled out a memory. He pulled out a smaller pensieve, this one Percy hadn’t seen when he came in.

“I can’t go in again. This one is short. Don’t hate me, please.”

“Why would I ever hate you?”

Ron turned and left the room without saying anything else.

“You know what’s in there?” Percy asked Lainie.

She nodded. “He’s never shown anyone the memory, he blames himself for their deaths. They would have been killed anyway, everyone else was.”

Percy entered the pensieve and saw Pansy. She was wearing a beautiful black and green dress. She was younger than the other Pansy, maybe fifteen or sixteen.

“Beautiful,” Ron said. He was young, healthy, and whole.

“Well, Mr. Weasley, are you ready to take me to the ball?”

“Everyone will be jealous.”

“You look very handsome,” she purred at him, her hand running up his chest. He also was wearing black and green. The dress robes were nice, much nicer than something their family could afford.

“Percy sent it to me. Dad’s not been well since you know.”

“I know talking about your mum makes you sad. It’s alright if you don’t want to go to a stupid ball. We can go back to the common room, and I can beat you at wizard’s chess.”

“You wish. No, you deserve this. You deserve to be the belle of the ball. You’ve been amazing. Do you mind going ahead, I need to talk to Fred, he’s not going so I need to see him.”

She rolled her eyes. “Sure…Fred...I’ll be waiting outside the doors so we can go in together.”

“Sounds great.”

Pansy left, looking one last time at Ron. Percy had to admit she did look beautiful. Percy barely remembered the girl but she he remembered a very unpleasant faced girl but maybe it was him that was the problem. Or maybe now she was actually happy, he knew happiness can make all the difference.

Ron then looked around suspiciously and headed upstairs. Percy followed him and soon they were outside the Room of Requirement. Again, Ron looked around suspiciously again, he was being very fishy. He walked inside and Percy knew he didn’t want to stay in the memory. Ron was in Viktor Krum’s arms, pressed up against him. Percy left the memory before watching anything more.

“So, what did you think?” Lainie said in a distressed tone.

“No, I’m not buying it. It was a horrible thing to do. But no one would torture someone they loved at one point because they cheated.”

“Cheated? What are you talking about?”

“Ron and Krum.”

“You didn’t stay in the memory did you?”

“I didn’t want to watch whatever was about to happen.”

“Krum? Are talking about that fling thing? Pansy knew about that; she gave her permission and everything. Apparently, he was obsessed with the man, and she didn’t want him to always have questions about himself. The baby, it was all about the baby.”

“What baby?”

“Pansy and Ron’s baby. Accidents happen, you would know. She found out just before the ball, at least that’s what was pieced together later.”

“What happened?” He really didn’t want to know.

“What always happens to make everything bad. Terence showed up at the school, no one told me how he got in. Pansy saw him, she wanted to hurt him like he hurt Ron, not exactly of course. But she sent a stinging jinx at him, child’s play. Something that my dad and papa said happened all the time between students at Hogwarts. He hit her with the crucio curse, it caused so much pain she lost the baby, but it also made her a little, messed up in the head and dead set on revenge not a good mix.”

“Wait, you’re saying Pansy knew Ron was with Krum?”

“Yes, her only thing was she didn’t want to know when he was with him. The man was only there for the Tri-wizard tournament, and she wouldn’t have to think about him again, after all he was a huge Quidditch star. But Ron had promised her he would always protect her, he didn’t keep that promise and the curse messed up her mind. That’s why he said he didn’t want you to hate him. It wasn’t about cheating it was about him not being there when she needed him. If she wouldn’t have started it with Terence it probably wouldn’t have happened, but it’s all done now.”

Percy turned around and started heading towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“To fix this.”

“Are you going to get Terence?”

No, he wasn’t but he wasn’t going to tell her about it. Terence must have left himself a note about his son. He couldn’t take Terence with him; it would just cause the same problems. With any luck he could find a way back before Terence found out about his son. Or was it really all about Lucy? He had come to get her, that’s how it all started.