Fire and Flight

Minerva gave me permission to go into Hogsmeade for some supplies I need for an upcoming class.  She said she’d cover for me for three hours.  Since I’m in Hogsmeade on a weekday,  I feel cheated not having a friend to spend my time with.  I need to see Megan. 

Minerva comes behind my chair at breakfast.  "Come and see me today during your prep time, Professor.  I will be expecting you."

With a careful word to my prefects and notice to Minerva that I will be out of the castle, I walk down to the edge of the castle grounds and out the gate before I Apparate to Hogsmeade.

I've been planning this all week. I know just what I want to do. I have the reservations all made. I put on my brown shirt and slacks with my bronze tie. I should have told Megan to wear Muggle clothes. Oh well. She can change. I grab the bouquet of yellow daisies with black eyes and Apparate to her door step.

I knock.

I receive a patronus message . . .  Bill and his boys are in Hogsmeade and want to visit.  But this patronus isn't Bill's.  Must have had someone send it for him.  I leave a note on my office door for anyone who might need me and head down the grounds to the village.   I can see Bill standing near the pub,  both my nephews strapped onto him.  I don't know that I'll ever get used to seeing my older, cooler, brilliant brother as Mr. Mum.

I get the picnic ready and go to pick up Megan. Now if I can just keep from being an idiot. I knock on the door

I’m home.  It was great to spend time with Mum and Dad and see where they are.  I’m sure they’ll help Percy, if not become as good as new, at least get him to be a functional part of the family.  I missed everyone while I was gone.  One person I missed more than anyone.

Sleeping on the floor makes getting up early easy.  I sit on the floor cross-legged and watch Percy sleeping.  Yeah, he’s been a git—but I wasn’t there for him.  I had Bill.  The twins had each other.  Ginny and Ron were a pair too.  He might not have been such a git if I acted more like the brother closest to him in age and less like Bill’s best buddy. 

Well, now he doesn’t know who he is.  He’ll be lucky if he recovers any of his memories if his Obliviation is like Butts’s. But he’s still my brother.  I can be a better brother to him now than I was before. I don’t know what kind of Percy he will be, but I’ll be there for him, whoever he turns out as.

I pull out my phone and start text messaging:

*Bill, GEORGE, Fred, Ron, Ginny. We’ve found him!  Taking him to Mum and Dad.  Charlie and Fleur*

The phone starts playing ‘He Ain’t Heavy, He’s my Brother’ when I hit send.

I go up to my room and drink a few shots of  Dad's Scotch, then take a nap.  When I wake up, my hand is swollen and red and throbbing like mad.  Serves me right for acting like a bloody baby. I try a little left handed magic to try to heal it, but no luck.  Great, now I have to go tell some healer what an arse I am and that I punched a wall. 

I Apparate to St. Mungo's. The receptionist asks what my business is.  "Charlie Weasley, broken hand."

I read the Witch Weekly--how the hell did the Weasleys manage to get mentioned in the Gossip column four times?  Since when did anyone ever notice us?  Well, the Ginny one is true.  The one about the twins is partially true.  So that leaves Percy.  I decide to Apparate to the offices of Witch Weekly and find out who the hell this Eison D. Alley is and what he knows.   I pop outside the offices and bang open the double doors with my shoulders.