Harry Potter and The Story In The Runes
Based on the Harry Potter Series By J. K. Rowling
Chapter 41 “ Reunion & Rescue
Please Read & Review, it makes for better stories! Thank you.
“YOU! What have you done to them?” Ginny yelled, when she saw Rufus Scrimgeour twirling his wand, as if he had no cares in the world. Ginny suspected she knew exactly what he had done. She had seen the Imperius Curse used by Death Eaters and Voldemort, and now Scrimgeour had the Muggle leader of her country under his power.
“Now, now, Miss Weasley, sit down and be quiet.”
Ginny had no intention of sitting, but she felt herself being pushed into a chair.
“Hard to imagine, isn’t it? Poor old Rufus succeeding where the greatest wizard of all time failed. I suppose they will be talking about this for a while.” Scrimgeour stood and pointed his wand at Ginny. “Have you ever been under the Imperius Curse, my dear? Let’s ask Brian what it’s like.” Turning to the Prime Minister, Scrimgeour asked sarcastically, “How does it feel, Brian?”
“Wonderful… sir. I… love it.”
Ginny recognized the signs of the newly cast Imperius Curse; the victim did not immediately go under the total control of the spell caster, it took a little while for the magic to work through their mind. Thompson was still trying to fight, but Ginny knew he did not have a chance.
“Now, Brian, what did I tell you? We’re very happy and informal here. No more of that formal language.” Scrimgeour laughed and walked about the room.
Thompson was fighting as hard as he could, but all he could say was, “Yes… Rufus.” The last word was spoken through clenched teeth, but it still came out. When Ginny saw a tear squeezed out of the corner of the Prime Minister’s eye, she went cold.
“As for you my dear, I can’t have everyone under the curse, now can I?” Stepping slowly, almost casually across the room, the Minister of Magic was addressing Ginny like she was a schoolchild. “Perhaps you’d like to join me? I can always use another pretty face.”
Scrimgeour started to smile at her, but Ginny was repulsed by this man as she had never been before. Yet there was something very odd about him that Ginny could not put her finger on. Scrimgeour seemed to sense the curiosity she was exhibiting and showed her what she wanted to see. Widening his smile, and opening his mouth a centimeter or so, Ginny nearly swooned when she saw his teeth.
Rufus Scrimgeour was a vampire.
“But… but… you can’t be! Why aren’t you… Monday, how…? It’s daylight, the sun!” Ginny stammered, her stomach turning over by his disclosure.
“Oh! The sun, the sun!” Scrimgeour mocked Ginny and laughed all the harder. Then turning deadly serious again, he spat out, “Obtuse girl, read your history of vampires instead of watching the stupid Yank films with their silver bullets and wooden stakes.”
Through Ginny’s utter horror, something stood out about the evil creature before her. His hand, when she had mentioned Monday, grasped at a piece of jewelry he wore. There was something familiar about it, but Ginny had no time to analyze the clue for Scrimgeour was now only a meter away and had her trapped in the chair. Smiling, the vampire continued his taunting.
“But not everything in those silly films was mistaken, I do like to drink blood, especially the blood of pretty… young… girls.” His face now just centimeters from Ginny’s.
Scrimgeour ran the tip of his wand around the front of her neck. “Come now, I’ll even give you a choice. Left side or right?” Then looking down to her chest, “Or if you like, I can do it all at once, directly from your heart; but that’s so painful, and I won’t be able to play with you later.”
The horror that filled Ginny’s mind in those seconds was beyond imagining. Her life with Harry, their children, her parents and family, Rebecca, everything seemed to flash before her. Wide-eyed, the absolute terror of her situation had her frozen, motionless, watching Scrimgeour’s wand whirl, as if it were making up its own mind; and then it pointed to its choice, Ginny’s chest.
A glaze appeared over the vampire’s eyes and they became as black as death. “Oh, what a shame. Still, it has been a long time since I’ve indulged myself.”
Here it was, Ginny realized. I’m about to die. Pressing her body back into the chair only gained her another second. The blood-sucking, vile orifice was opening wide, unnaturally wide, and the razor sharp teeth started toward her chest. Ginny felt as if her heart would burst, even before it was torn apart and sucked dry.
That was when Ginny saw what would save her life. The movement in the corner of her eye; slow, quiet, and unseen by Scrimgeour with his attention focused elsewhere.
Oh, God, that she would just disobey me, was the desperate plea that jumped through Ginny’s tortured mind.
Scrimgeour’s hands were on the front of her jumper and she could feel his nails dig into the wool, scratching her skin beneath and tearing the fabric. The ripping sound nearly stopped Ginny’s heart, thinking it was her skin being torn open. Still, Ginny waited, unmoving, hoping that someone else’s curiosity would save her life.
“Mister, what you do?” Rebecca asked innocently, in a voice that seemed much louder that she normally produced.
“WHAT?” Scrimgeour roared, in both agitation and shock, raising back up to his full height, just under two meters. Turning his head and expecting to face an adult, it took the vampire a second to look down at the startled Rebecca, but that was all the time Ginny needed. Renewed, and with all her strength, she performed what her brothers had all taught her was the perfect defense against a man. She leaned forward and then sprung back with all her strength, bringing her right knee into Scrimgeour’s groin. The effect could have been better; Scrimgeour had started to turn toward his rear, thus partially deflecting Ginny’s attack, but enough landed to have the desired effect.
Howling in pain, Scrimgeour twisted and fell to the floor, nearly catching Ginny’s legs under him. Jumping up, Ginny raced around Scrimgeour and grabbed Rebecca’s hand, dragging her out of the room. There was nothing she could do about her parents right now.
Running down the hallway as fast as the trailing Rebecca allowed, Ginny started taking the stairs two at a time until she realized Rebecca was now crying and being dragged behind. Turning, she picked the child up and unwisely took the last four steps in one leap. As she landed, a distinct “crack” could be heard, and with her next step on her right foot she collapsed, screaming in pain. However, by that point it did not matter. Looking up she saw four security service guards, all with their weapons drawn, standing in front of her. She knew she was safe.
Rebecca recoiled away from her in fear, but she did not care. She had saved both of them from a horrible fate. Pushing herself up, and wiping tears from her eyes, Ginny tried to catch her breath and ask one of the guards to help her up. But before anyone made a move, Ginny heard the Prime Minister’s voice calling down the stairs.
“Don’t let her get away, she’s trying to take Rebecca.”
Ginny could not even scream, trying to say something to the guards, who now looked upon her with utter contempt, was futile. The closest one smashed Ginny across the face with the butt of his automatic rifle. Her last conscious thought was of blood and broken teeth.
_____
Harry decided to check on Percy after washing up. After first consulting a map, he, Ron and George left for the hospital, leaving Hermione with Tonks and James. The walk to St. Mungo’s was uneventful, and the gawkers around the building were few in number. Harry did notice a fair number of Muggle emergency vehicles and medical personnel. George thought they were trying to help the patients, and Harry tended to agree; but Ron voiced his concern that they might try to take Percy away, too. They found out soon enough.
There was no one in the reception area and the emergency room was also empty. In fact, it looked like the entire hospital was empty. Climbing the stairs to Percy’s floor, they saw one Muggle nurse, but until they reached his room she was the last person they ran across.
George jogged the last few meters and entered the room first; Harry and Ron heard George yell out a moment later. Joining Percy and George, Ron embraced his two brothers, crying, and laughing along with them. The emotions were so mixed-up, Harry had trouble determining which was dominant. The three finally settled down and just embraced as Harry had never seen three men do before. There would be tough times ahead for Percy, trying to reconcile his actions at the battle, but that was obviously far from anyone’s mind right now.
Percy caught Harry’s eye a few minutes later and smiled, then went back to talking to Ron and George. The Healer, who had been coming by every few hours, saw Harry and remembered him from earlier in the week. His information about the hospital did not surprise Harry; it was being evacuated to Muggle facilities. There was no running water, food, or sanitation. The Healer had been bringing Percy and a few other patients food from a Red Cross kitchen and escorting the ambulatory ones out for showers and the use of toilet facilities.
The report he gave about Percy was understandably incomplete, but the only alarming news was that Percy, after awakening Monday night, had chosen to stay until someone came for him. “He was scared and not all together there,” the Healer reported, tapping the side of his head. Harry thanked him and said he would take over, but the Healer had one other bit of news for Harry. He reported that Tuesday morning the staff had come across Olga Windshine’s body; she had apparently died the night before. Thanking the Healer again, Harry let the news wash over him, and like so many other things in his life, he buried it away to handle another day.
Exiting St. Mungo’s, Harry and the Weasley brothers had their attention drawn to someone calling Percy’s name. Down the sidewalk, a boy was running full-speed towards them. When Harry saw who it was he looked over towards Percy and saw him beam and then stumble forward on two unsteady legs to meet his friend.
“Peter!” Percy exclaimed as the young teen stopped a few steps short. For a second, Percy thought Peter might not be as glad to see him as he was to see Peter.
“God, Percy, what happened to you?” Peter asked. “You look terrible.” But the boy’s face betrayed the hint of a smile.
“Well, thank you, Peter. I guess that’s a more sincere welcome than ‘Hi, Stinky’.”
Peter’s pretense of fright was completely extinguished by Percy’s humor, and he walked up to his friend and embraced him. “I was so worried about you. What happened?”
As Percy began explaining the short version of the past four months, two adults, whom Harry recognized as Peter’s parents, arrived and greeted Harry, George and Ron. Trailing along was a younger child, Peter’s younger brother, who had first found “Stinky” and taken his wand. Harry introduced Percy to the Martin family and suggested they all step into a coffee shop to warm up and talk.
Peter’s father and mother were friendly, but Harry could tell they were suspicious of all the Weasley’s. Harry seemed to be omitted from their distrust, probably because they heard my name on TV, Harry supposed.
After a few minutes of tense conversation, Peter’s father pointed to Percy and told his son, “Talk to him, now, Peter. See what he knows.” George and Harry caught the discreet comment and watched Percy walk to the far end of the shop where Peter appeared to whisper something into Percy’s ear. Judging by Percy’s reaction, the message was of some significance. The two went back and forth for a minute or two, and then returned. Then Percy pulled Harry outside, but insisted that Ron and George remain behind.
“Harry, Peter says he can ‘do things,’ as in magic.” Percy was even more surprised by Harry’s response.
“Er, Percy, I forgot to tell you, so can I.” Harry had not really thought he should bring it up yet, but this revelation reminded Harry that he and Peter were not the only ones to return from Merlin’s world. “Have you tried to do any magic since you woke up?”
Looking surprised, Percy admitted that he had not even tried, especially after what happened the last time he performed magic. Harry reflected on what Percy said and was taken back to St. Mungo’s, nine months earlier. After waking from his coma, it had been months before Harry had performed any magic at all. In fact, he had deliberately avoided using magic until classes started and he was required to use it.
“Percy, I wouldn’t be concerned. I did the same thing back in April after the battle. Here, try this.” Harry handed Percy his wand and put his arm around him to shield them from the Muggles on the street. “Cast a simple spell, try ‘lumos’.”
Percy did, and was amazed to see the wand light, then he stopped the spell and returned Harry’s wand. “I don’t believe it, Harry, how did I get my powers back?”
“Uh, I don’t think there’s a short explanation for it. Can it wait till later?” Seeing Percy agree, Harry led him back inside and whispered to Ron and Fred about Percy and Peter. Both were stunned, especially about Peter who had never been a wizard to begin with. Harry reminded them that they both had been deeply involved in the story, and therefore, in Merlin’s world. Peter had as much chance to have the powers of magic infused into his body as did Harry, or anyone else who took the ‘trip.’
“Figure we should tell the parents, Harry?” Ron asked, though he was clearly not looking forward to it.
“Yeah, but don’t worry, I’ll do it.” Harry took Peter’s parents to a booth near the rear of the shop and spoke with them for a few minutes. When Ron saw them, a few minutes later, there was an expression of shock and amazement on their faces.
Harry motioned for everyone to gather in the back and they all talked about what should happen next. The only consistent opinion expressed was that of Peter’s younger brother who wanted to be a ‘magician,’ also. Peter quickly set him straight, “We’re not magicians, bone head, we’re wizards. Now shut up.”
After a few disciplinary words towards Peter, and more deliberation by all present, the Martin’s thought it best for them to return home. They could contact Harry at a later time to find out what to do about their elder son. This decision was not at all amenable to Peter, who was ready to try out his powers right then. Harry defused the situation by promising he would personally bring Percy to visit when things were calmer.
Before Peter walked out with his family, Percy called him aside for some final words.
“Peter, it’s very important that you not try any magic until Harry or I contact you. Will you promise me this?”
“Like an unbreakable vow, Percy?” Happy that Peter remembered the incident which raised the subject of wizard promises, Percy gladly responded, “Yes. And when I see you next I’ll tell you more than you could ever imagine about magic. How’s that?”
Unlike most fourteen year old boys would have done, Peter pulled Percy into an embrace and then shook his hand. “Ok, it’s a deal.”
Exchanging addresses and phone numbers, the Martin’s departed shortly thereafter.
George suggested that everyone head back to the flat and all agreed, especially considering Percy’s condition. Four months of ‘bed rest,’ with little physical activity, had left him thinner than usual and weak from atrophied muscles. Stopping at a Muggle fast-food establishment, they all had a mid-morning snack and then continued back to Fred and George’s flat to await the arrival of the others.
But three blocks later it was plain that Percy could walk no further. Harry hailed a cab and went ahead with Percy while George and Ron went to pick up some groceries. Arriving at the complex, Harry helped Percy up the stairs and into the apartment. Hermione and Tonks greeted the eldest surviving Weasley son like the long lost brother he was, but mentioned nothing about the battle or his disappearance.
George and Ron returned while their brother was showering and changing clothes. After his first thorough cleaning in four months, Percy sat in utter shock as he was further brought up to date about his family and the other events in their world. Hermione was sitting next to Percy and hugged him when she revealed that she was his sister-in-law, a revelation that did not appear to shock him too greatly. James took a turn sitting with his Uncle Percy and George talked about the money he made selling his now useless magical junk to Muggles. After a few more minutes, and a light snack, Percy said he needed to rest. George told him to use his bed and that he would wake him when everyone else arrived.
The morning had been a whirlwind of activity, and it was far from complete.
Dozing on the sofa, Harry was trying to ignore Ron and Hermione’s occasional snogging when his mobile phone rang. Answering the call, Hermione and Ron listened in to see if it was something important. When Harry’s face went white, Hermione called for the others and they stood around waiting for Harry to explain what had happened. Another minute of the one sided conversation passed and then Harry hung up.
“That was Jeff Benton, Thompson’s secretary.” Harry looked in shock. Ron, Percy, and George hovered over him, listening. “Thompson, the Prime Minister, had Ginny arrested for trying to kidnap Rebecca. She’s at the hospital now; it appears one of the guards hit her pretty hard.” Tonks gasped as she ran to pick up James who had started crying.
“Harry, why would Ginny do something like that?” Ron asked, clearly not believing his sister was possible of such an action.
“I… I don’t know. Scrimgeour… Benton said he had talked with Ginny shortly before this happened and she seemed fine. He also told me that Scrimgeour was upstairs with the Thompson’s.”
“Blimey, Harry, we’ve got to get her out of there. Now!” Ron shouted.
“No, Ron, we can’t do that, we’d have to fight the entire government. We have to find out what happened first. I’m willing to bet Scrimgeour is involved with this.” Hermione stood and started pacing; she looked deeply thoughtful as she walked back and forth, around the furnishings of the crowded room. “Harry, did this Jeff guy say anything else?”
Harry thought for a moment and then shook his head. “No, but I have his number here on the phone. Maybe I should call him back.” Opening the phone, Harry started to retrieve the last caller’s number, but Hermione stopped him.
“Harry, if Scrimgeour IS behind this, he was probably also the one who killed Kingsley.”
“Kingsley Shacklebolt?” Percy exclaimed.
“Yeah, Perce, I’ll fill you in later.” George promised.
Continuing her train of thought, Hermione asked another question. “Do you have a way to contact Rudy’s uncle? I thought you said they were doing interviews of witnesses yesterday. Maybe he knows something.”
“Yeah, good idea; let me look it up.” Harry played with the phone until they heard him say, “Got it.” He pushed the dial button. After a short pause, he started talking.
“Tiernan? Hi, this is Harry. WHAT? Yeah… Yeah… Hmm. We suspected that. What are the Muggle police doing? Ok, can you try to stay with them? Ok, thanks, Tiernan. Oh, can you find your brother and have him call me straight away? Yes. Great, thanks. Bye.” Harry ended the call and looked up. All the color had returned to his face and he looked like he was ready to be sick.
“Harry! What did he say?” Tonks asked first.
“It IS Scrimgeour. Tiernan has been working with the Muggle police. Seems he made some big points with them during Kingsley’s investigation. He says they just finished interviews and six people saw Kingsley and Scrimgeour leave his office just minutes before the murder. Then Scrimgeour returned, but without Kingsley.”
“All right!” Ron cheered.
“Yeah, sort-of, Ron. The Muggle police think he’s vanished into thin air, but we know where he is, but how do we get him?”
“Harry, I’m certain Scrimgeour has the Prime Minister under the Imperius Curse. It’s the only thing he could use to force him to make those ridiculous accusations against Ginny.” Hermione’s eyes were bright with her successful analysis, but then she started thinking again. “We’ve got to get in there and remove the curse.”
“You mean I have to get in there and remove the curse,” Harry muttered.
“Or I could do it,” Percy offered. “I’ve been out of action a while but I do know my counter-curses.”
“No way, Percy, you can’t even walk a couple blocks without coming up lame,” George reminded him.
As much as he hated to admit it, Percy had to concede this point to George. “Ok, but there has to be something I can do.”
“Well, you could put on your old Prefect badge and dock him 50 points,” George joked. Everyone laughed at the old joke, Percy most of all. It was a welcome sign that he was being accepted back into the family.
Harry had a better idea. “Percy, I have no clue what the counter curse is for the Imperius Curse, can you teach me?”
Percy beamed and gladly accepted.
“Ok, why don’t you two go off and practice. The rest of us will try to think of a way to get you into Downing Street.” Hermione gently pushed Harry and Percy into George’s room and then gathered everyone else to plan strategy.
_____
St. Thomas Hospital was a pleasant walk across Westminster Bridge from Downing Street. Of course, the ambulance that took Ginny Weasley there made the journey in two minutes flat; between the morning rush and lunch hour traffic, there was little to impede the emergency vehicle. Pulling into the emergency entrance, the ambulance was accompanied by two Security Service sedans and six agents.
The heavily bandaged patient was taken into the first available examination room. Two guards stood outside the door, two left to check with the hospital security, and two tried to remain in the room with Ginny and the doctor. These last two guards stayed but a few minutes. Seeing there was no other exit, the doctor pointed out, reasonably, that they had no need to worry about escape and would they please leave. He did take a moment to ask one guard what had happened. By the time he had finished, additional hospital staff had congregated around the table as the attending doctor began his examination.
After asking for the portable x-ray machine, the doctor tried to wake Ginny. She came around a few seconds later, but wished she had not. Besides the bruises on her left, lower jaw, there was a two centimeter gash on the inside and outside of her cheek, probably where the teeth were located, the physician guessed. Four of Ginny’s lower left teeth, two molars, the canine, and the bicuspid were either chipped or sitting at an awkward angle. Two of her upper teeth had also been damaged, but to a lesser extent.
When Ginny tried to talk the doctor told her not to move her jaw. Seeing the tears in her eyes, he asked if she was in pain, but Ginny just closed her eyes and shook her head no. An IV was started and a nurse began prepping Ginny’s cheek for stitches. Though motioning for paper and pen, Ginny continued to be ignored.
The sedative and pain killer which the doctor had administered began to take effect and Ginny tried to speak again. “Waweckah? Way ith thee?”
Between her numbed jaw and the drowsiness overtaking her, Ginny finally gave up trying to get someone’s attention. Her only consolation was that it was highly unlikely Scrimgeour would try to kill her now that she was square in the public’s eye. She had no idea what fate my hold for Rebecca. Drifting off to sleep, no one paid attention to the tears running from her eyes.
_____
“DANM! How did I do that?” Harry exclaimed, showing his pain and frustration.
“Harry, this counter curse will bounce off the target with equal energy unless you say it properly. You have to get the incantation down before you put yourself wholly into it.
“Ok, ok, here.” Harry calmed himself again and pointed his wand at the lamp Percy had animated then placed under the Imperus Curse. It looked incredibly silly, but as a target it was quite effective.
“Tempero modo!” Harry said, this time with far more conviction that power. The lamp stopped bouncing around and returned to its normal state.
“Excellent, Harry. Try it again.” Reanimating and cursing the lamp, Percy had Harry perform the counter curse ten more times.
“I think you have it, Harry. Let’s see what the others have been up to.”
Satisfied with himself, at last , Harry followed Percy into the parlor. Just as they had entered, there was a loud knock on the door. Alastor Moody stumbling into the room before Tonks could reach the door to open it.
“Damn stupid place to put an apartment, Weasley!” Moody complained, “And no lift, either.”
“Hi, Moody, remember me?” Tonks said, knowing full well he would never recognize her.
“NO! Should I?” Then seeing Harry and Percy, Mad-Eye stopped and actually grinned. “Well, I’ll be damned!”
Before Moody had a chance to say anything else, Molly Weasley entered the flat and saw Percy before her. “Oh my dear!” Was all she could say. In the true Molly Weasley fashion, she immediately began crying and wrapped her arms around her son for the first time in almost a year. Arthur joined them a moment later.
Fred found his way straight to George and started to put his hand out, but ended up pulling his brother into an embrace. He then went over to see his long missing brother. But the reunion Harry, Ron and Hermione really wanted to see concerned Tonks and Remus. Entering the flat just before Patty Lee and the Granger’s, Remus introduced himself to the ‘stranger.’
“Hello, Remus Lupin. Have we met?” She does look remotely familiar.
Hermione stood up when Tonks looked at her sitting on the sofa. “Ok, you win, five galleons as soon as Gringott’s reopens,” Hermione said. Remus just looked perplexed, still waiting for the stranger to introduce herself.
“Hi Remus, maybe this will help,” turning back to the couch, Ron handed baby James up to Tonks. “Look familiar?”
Remus WAS starting to see something familiar in this person, even before she took his son.
“Tonks?” Remus finally gasped. “What happened? WOW!”
“Com’on, love, I’ll show you.” Giggling, Tonks took Remus’s hand and led him to Fred’s room after handing James to Harry.
Tonks’ boldness surprised everyone, except Fred and George. When they heard Remus exclaim, rather loudly, “OH MY GOSH! HOW DID YOU DO THAT?” the entire room broke out in laughter.
Harry was happy to see everyone back, but wanted to refocus them on Ginny’s situation. Raising his voice, Harry told everyone about Ginny and asked Hermione if she had thought about any way to get to Ginny or the Prime Minister. The recent arrivals were stunned by the news, having been out of communications for thirty-six hours.
“We have some ideas, Harry, but before I share them don’t you want to tell everyone about you and Percy?”
Harry was again the center of attention, but this time it was Percy who came to his rescue. “Harry and I have our powers back. Wait, don’t ask me, I didn’t know it until a few hours ago. How about filling us in now, Harry?”
Over the next hour, the-boy-who-lived proceeded to share the story with everyone, just as he had the previous night. Of all the people listening, it was Moody who seemed most affected by the news.
“Hermione, I owe you and Patty an apology for dismissing your idea about the Chamber.”
“So do I, ladies, my apologies,” Remus said, having come back into the room with Tonks.
Waving off the two men, Hermione tried to end Harry’s story and get back to Ginny.
“Look, we have to get to Scrimgeour as soon as possible. He could influence Thompson to do anything, and I’m certain he is interested in more than just wizards and witches.”
“Hermione’s right,” Harry added, “any ideas about the best way for us to proceed?”
Conversation went on for the next half hour. Some of the opinions were heated by emotion, some tempered by logic. The one conclusion they reached easily was that they first had to rescue Ginny. She very likely knew much more about what was happening within Downing Street that they ever could.
Finally a plan was developed. Molly and Arthur would go to St. Thomas Hospital in the hope that they could get in to see their daughter. Harry and Percy would follow shortly behind and wait for a time when they could stun any guards. Then Harry and Percy would Apparate to the Burrow with Ginny and Mr. & Mrs. Weasley. Everyone seemed to like the plan. There was no doubt Harry and Percy could handle any reasonable number of guards. The only real trick was getting them close enough to observe the guards without being turned away, or worse, captured.
With the plan in place, Tom Granger drove Harry, Percy, Molly and Arthur to St. Thomas Hospital and dropped them off at the visitor’s entrance. Percy was using George’s wand but was having a difficult time storing it because of it’s length. Finally sticking it into the inside of his sock, they were all ready. Harry gave the mobile phone to Tom Granger for safe keeping, and to prevent damage, then they all exited the car.
Approaching the information desk, Arthur asked the clerk for Ginny Weasley’s room number, introducing themselves as her parents. They were fortunate when the woman said, ”Room 414, but you can’t get in now, it’s a secure area,” rather than, “I’m sorry, you can’t get in now, it’s a secure area.” Walking away, they regrouped with Harry and Percy, twlling them of the problem.
“There’s no problem, mum, we just have to go in through another door. And use those tears, it may help to get us through,” Harry directed.
With these scant directions, Molly and Arthur tried again. Proceeding to the north entrance, they walked past the information desk as if they knew exactly what they were during. No one stopped them. Harry and Percy followed a couple minutes later, again, no one stopped them. Unknown to Harry and Percy, however, Molly and Arthur did run into some resistance on the forth floor. When Harry walked out of the lift, he saw Percy’s parents speaking with a police officer out of the corner of his eye. Discreetly motioning for Percy to stand beside him, he and Percy made like they were studying the room number signs. After a few more seconds, they turned away from Ginny’s room and walked to a visitors lounge.
Sitting in the empty lounge, they watched the police escort Molly and Arthur to the lift. Molly appeared to be feigning tears, or perhaps not feigning them, to see her daughter, but it wasn’t working. As the parents entered the elevator, Harry looked at Percy. “I guess it’s up to us. Feel like an insane rescue?”
The grin on Percy’s face gave Harry his answer. Then they had to discuss a practical approach, neither wanted to head in blasting spells, though they both admitted it would be more fun that way.
A few minutes later, Harry walked calmly out of the lounge and towards a closet they had noticed earlier. Quickly checking for any hospital personnel or security guards, Harry opened the door and entered the closet. Pulling out his wand and uttering, “Lumos,” Harry saw that he had hit the jackpot.
Two minutes later, Harry walked out of the closet wearing surgical scrubs and carrying more in his hands. Percy quickly slipped on his outfit as well as the hat Harry had brought. “Put this on, if the guards see that hair of yours they may connect you with Ginny.”
“Nice idea, Harry. Did you bring a mask and bib for my beard and moustache?” Percy noted.
“Oh, er...” Was all Harry could get out before Percy started laughing.
“Forget it, let’s go. I haven’t seen Ginny in nine months. I won’t let something like a beard stop me.”
Walking back into the hallway, Harry and Percy went around the opposite end of the wing from Ginny’s room and then moved up the hallway parallel to the one they had first entered. Approaching the turn that would lead them to Ginny’s room, Percy remarked, “Steady, Potter.”
“Shh, just don’t say anything. Wand in your hand?” Percy grunted out a yes as they approached the first guard who was raising his rifle. To Harry’s mortification, Percy pointed ahead and spoke out clearly to the guard.
“Is that the Weasley girl’s room? What the HELL are you staring at? Is it or isn’t it?”
Harry’s heart sank, he was sure they would both be shot right there. Then to his complete amazement, the guard lowered his gun and mumbled, “Down there.” They were past the first guard. But before he could say anything to Percy, something along the lines of “Bloody fool,” or “I’m going to kill you,” a second, more aggressive guard stepped in front of them, blocking their entrance to Ginny’s room.
“Do you want that girl to die, you imbecile?”
I can’t believe he did it again! Was all Harry could think, desperately trying to keep his face an emotionless mask. It worked again, the guard’s face had an odd expression, but he was moving away.
Not stopping to argue, Harry followed Percy into the room. Ginny was asleep, but it did not matter. Following their plan, Harry detached one IV line as Jeannie Granger told him he might have to do. Then picking up his fiancé, Harry Apparated to the Burrow, disappearing with a soft pop.
Percy calmly walked out of the room, past the guards, into the lift (where he removed his scrubs,) and exited the hospital with his parents who were waiting apprehensively in the main lobby. In under a minute they had climbed into the Granger’s auto and were headed to Fred and George’s flat.
Harry Potter and The Story In The Runes by IHateSnakes
Chapter Notes: My apologies for the long delay, work has taken a decidedly nasty turn for the worse and I have little time to write or revise. Thank you for your patience. S.