XXXII. something bad's about to happen

When Isaac died, Devore felt like she had no one. Her mind was purposefully isolating her from everyone, and she turned against those she loved. She had become so comfortable in her suffering that she didn't care who she hurt in the process of dealing with the grief. For a while, Devore didn't know how to deal with the grief properly, and she just became mean, because she didn't want to accept the fact that her dad was gone.

She never gave the people she loved a chance to be there for her, to consolidate her, let her know that she wasn't alone. Devore continued to fall back into the freezing cold isolation until she finally broke out of it. Now Arthur was hurt and Devore would do anything to be there for the Weasley family like she wished she let them be there for her.

When Devore received a letter from her mother explaining to her what happened to Arthur, she rushed to Dumbledore's office and pledged her case to him and Professor McGonagall. "I know leaving at this time isn't permitted—"

"Miss Taylor, I understand your deep concern for Mr. Weasley, and it's admirable. But I simply cannot allow it." Declared Dumbledore, standing with his hands behind his back, his glasses perched at his nose.

Devore stood there, her mouth gaped, trying to figure out what to say. She glanced at McGonagall in the corner of the office, listening silently. She looked back and forth between the professors. "You don't understand, professor. Neither of you do. When my father died, I didn't let anybody in. I didn't let anyone be there for me," she spoke her inner monologue with tears in her eyes. "I pushed all of my friends away because I was scared. And I know how scared Ron and all of his siblings are, and especially now that Harry's scared. They need to know that everything will be okay, and I want to give that to them. We're a family."

There was another set silence in the office. Professor McGonagall stepped forward, standing by Dumbledore's side. "Perhaps, Albus, we could make an exception, seeing as how Mrs. Taylor has caught a horrible sickness," the woman insisted, giving Devore a pointed look through her glasses.

Devore blinked multiple times.

"And her and her brother need to get back to her immediately." McGonagall finished and turned to the headmaster.

Now, Devore and Bennet were on the train with their bags packed. Having to tell her brother what happened to Mr. Weasley was excruciating, because while Devore was close with Molly, Bennet was close with Arthur. It was early in the day, and he'd fallen asleep on her shoulder. Devore knew she'd have to owl her friends and explain her early absence, especially to Olivia.

The thought of Mr. Weasley being hurt made her sick. Arthur was a great man, a good father, it made no sense to her why somebody would want to hurt him. She thought of Ron and Ginny, the youngest siblings who had known their father for the littlest time and then she thought of Fred and George, and how they were probably trying to hold it together for them. Devore knew that feeling well.

When the train arrived at the station, the siblings stepped off the train and Chanel Taylor stood on the platform. "Mom!" Bennet yelled when he spotted her and ran to her.

"Sweetheart!" Said Chanel with a breath, relieved to finally see her children.

"Is Mr. Weasley going to be okay? How badly is he hurt?"

"He's going to be just fine, Ben. They've taken Mr. Weasley to St. Mungo's for observation."

Seeing her mom, Devore tugged at the ends of her long sleeves to keep her wrists hidden. "Mum. . ."

Chanel pulled away from her son and opened her arms. "My girl,"

She fell into her mom's arms and put her face into her neck. "I've missed you so much."

"I'm here now, darling. Not sick at all."

Devore laughed. "That was McGonagall's idea. Not mine."

Chanel pulled away and smiled. "I figured that. Always loved that woman."

"How is everybody?"

A frown tugged on her lips. "They're not taking it well, dear. As you must know." Said her mother softly.

Devore rolled her tongue around her mouth and nodded. "Poor Mrs. Weasley." She almost whispered.

Chanel nodded gently. "Yes."

It was nearing lunch when the Taylor family arrived at Grimmauld Place. Devore was unbelievably tired but she sucked it. It was so quiet, so she assumed everybody was still in bed until she walked into the kitchen, then she saw Molly and Sirius making lunch.

Mrs. Weasley lifted her head. "Devore, Bennet," she said and tried to smile, but she appeared to be so tired that she couldn't.

"Mrs. Weasley. . ." She trailed and the red haired woman walked her way. Molly hugged her and Devore laid her head on her shoulder. "I'm so sorry."

"That's very kind, dear."

Chanel stood by Sirius and smiled at him. "How are you?" She said quietly, putting her hand on his back.

"Oh, well. . .I think." Answered Sirius hesitantly.

"How is Harry doing?"

"Not as well."

Chanel sighed. "That poor child. Mt heart hurts for him." She expressed sadly and toyed with the necklace around her neck.

Molly pressed a kiss to the top of Bennet's head. "The kids should be up by now. Sirius and I were just making lunch." She tried to sound happy.

"Oh, let me help, Molly—"

"That's quite alright, Chanel—"

"Molly Bee," said Chanel and she put her hands on her shoulders. "I'm here to help. Don't overload yourself right now, okay?"

Mrs. Weasley's lively eyes turned sad. She put her hands on Chanel's arms and squeezed them. "Yes, yes, thank you, Nelly."

Harry and Ron were the first to come into the kitchen. Seeing Devore, her and Bennet helping their mother set the table, Ron's jaw dropped. "Devore?" He spoke like he couldn't believe she was there.

Devore paused and put the plate in her hand on the table. "Hi, Ronnie."

He circled around the end of the table and quickly went up to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders without saying a word. Bennet went up to Harry and hugged him, the older boy ruffling the top of his head. "Thanks for coming." Ron said to her, his voice quiet and sad.

"Like anything was going to stop me." She said and rubbed his back.

Him and Harry switched places but Harry stood there for a moment, rubbing his hands on his jeans. "Hi." He said awkwardly.

Devore's eyes filled with concern seeing his paling skin and dark under eye bags. "How are you?" She asked and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"Honestly, Dev, I think I'm losing my mind," Harry said truthfully, a permanent frown on his lips.

"Well, at least we have another thing in common," she said to cheer him up and hugged him. Devore rubbed his back like she did with Ron, but it felt different. She was noticing the way he was hugging her like a lifeline, how tense he was, and all she could think about was how scared he probably was.

Ginny entered the room rubbing her tired eyes. Seeing Devore, she gasped. "You're here," she spoke and ran to her. Devore pushed past Harry and met her in the middle. Ginny threw her arms around her. "I was hoping you would come." She whispered, her worry becoming abatement.

"Of course, Dove. I'll always be here." Devore smoothed her long red hair. "I'm so sorry, Ginny."

"I thought he was dead," she uttered with a crack in her voice.

"I know, but he's not. You're going to go see him soon."

"Devore?"

Flicking her eyes up, Fred and George stood at the entrance way of the kitchen, George having uttered her name.

"Hi," she said mildly and Ginny slipped out of her arms. She walked up to them. She hugged George first. "You wouldn't believe the ploy McGonagall came up with to get me onto that train." She tried making them laugh.

"I'll believe it when you tell me," laughed George and he ruffled the top of her head. "Does, uh, Olivia—"

"She doesn't know yet. I haven't had time to write to her. I promise I will."

He shook his head. "That's okay. It should be me to tell her." George gave her a quick smile and slipped past her, going to her younger brother who immediately went in for a hug when he saw his tall frame.

Devore looked at Fred, who had yet to speak. He looked so tired, his brown eyes dull and squinted like they were trying to close on their own. His shoulders hunched over and his hands were in the front pocket of his hoodie. He gulped, his Adams apple moving. "Hi, my love," she whispered and stepped up to him. Devore reached her hand up brushed it against his cheek. "I'm so sorry, Freddie."

Fred leaned down and put his head on her shoulder, the action and emotion exuding from him telling her all that she needed to hear. He took his hands out of the pocket and wrapped them around her shoulders like he was trying to hide himself. Devore rubbed his clothed back soothingly. "Everything's going to be okay, Freddie. I promise. I'll be here throughout it all. I love you my boy," she continued to whisper to him.

When Fred lifted his head, she saw that he was crying. A tear ran down his face and dripped off his nose. He sniffled. "Thank you." He whispered back.

Lunch was quiet as Devore would expect it to be. All of them were nervous, the Weasley family anxious to go and see Arthur. They all dressed in normal clothing to travel to the Muggle World. Tonks and Mad-Eye showed up to escort them, her hair short and bright pink and his bowler hat that concealed his magical eye at an angle.

The travel to St. Mungo's was stressful and crowded, all of them trying not to get separated in the heart of London. Devore held Fred's hand while Bennet held on to their mother's. They arrived outside a large, old-fashioned, red brick department store called Purge and Dowse Ltd. Large signs on all the doors read CLOSED FOR REFURBISHMENT. "It's never open, that place. . ." said a large woman with shopping bags as she and her friends passed by them.

"Right," said Tonks, beckoning them forward to a window displaying nothing but a particularly ugly female dummy whose false eyelashes were hanging off and who was modeling a green nylon pinafore dress. "Everybody ready?"

When they all nodded, Tonks leaned close to the glass, looking at the very ugly dummy and said, her breathing steaming up the glass, "Wotcher. . .We're here to see Arthur Weasley."

"Sure hope nobody around's seeing this," Bennet whispered, his mother giggling under her breath.

Soon after a second, the dummy nodded, beckoning its joint finger, and Tonks had seized Ginny and Mrs. Weasley by the elbows, stepping right through the glass and vanishing.

"Come on, sweetheart. Off we go." Chanel urged gently and walked up to the glass with her son. Her and Bennet vanished through the glass.

Devore, Fred, George, and Ron were next. When she stepped through the glass to the other side, she immediately had to hold back her disgust. They had arrived in what seemed to be a crowded reception area where rows of witches and wizards sat upon rickety wooden chairs, some looking perfectly normal and others perusing out-of-date copies of Witch Weekly, while others sported gruesome disfigurements such as elephant trunks or extra hands sticking out of their chests. "Merlin's beard." She mumbled while eyeing the room, and she clutched onto Fred's arm.

"Over here!" Called Molly over the renewed clanging of a warlock in the corner of the room, and they all followed her to the queue in front of a plump blonde witch seated at a desk marked INQUIRIES. On the wall behind her was a large portrait of a witch with long silver ringlets that was labeled:

DILYS DERWENT
st. mungo's healer 1722-1741
headmistress of hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry, 1741-1768

Dilys was eyeing the entirety of them as though counting them, and then she winked at Harry, walking sideways out of her portrait and vanishing.

"Look at you, Harold. You even attract paintings." Said Devore to Harry, sending him a smirk.

Harry only rolled his eyes.

After getting the information on where Arthur was, Molly led them all through the double doors and along the narrow corridor beyond, the walls lined with portraits of famous Healers and lit by crystal bubbles full of candles that floated up on the ceiling, looking like giant soapsuds. Devore was careful not to pump into any of the Healers wearing lime-green robes. Climbing the flight of stairs, she entered the "Creature-Induced Injuries" corridor and the second door on the right bore the words "DANGEROUS" DAI LLEWELLYN WARD: SERIOUS BITES.

"Molly, you and the kids go. The rest of us will wait out here." Chanel insisted, resting a gentle hand on her friend's back.

Molly turned to her. "Nonsense, Nel, Arthur will be glad to see you and Harry—"

"Harry can happily go with you. But me and the kids will stay back."

"But mom, I want to see Mr. Weasley!" Bennet begged, tugging on her hand, his wide brown eyes pleading.

Devore stayed silent, knowing her place. She rubbed Fred's clothed arm.

"Bennet, don't be rude—"

"Oh, don't worry, Chanel, Ben won't harm anything." Molly promised her and gently put her hands on the boy's shoulders. She took one of those hands and reached out for Harry, then she looked at Devore. "Devore, come on, sweetheart."

She shook her head. "I'll stay back with mum. She's right. Family first."

"Dev—"

Devore looked up at Fred. "It's okay, Freddie. I'm here for support." She said with a smile and released his arm, giving his back a final rub before going to stand with her mother.

After another minute of deliberation, Bennet and Harry went with the Weasley family through the door. Chanel rubbed the back of her daughter's head and smiled at her. "Are you okay, my love?"

"Yeah, sure. Just, uh, this place kind of makes me nervous." Devore stammered.

"Never been one for hospitals myself," Tonks spoke up. "Blood makes me queasy. I can remember a time when I fell and skinned me arm on the pavement, blood all over me, I passed smooth out. . ."

Devore didn't mean to tune her out, but Tonks had a way of rambling that after a while, your brain focuses on something else. She laid her head against her mother's shoulder and they waited. Unconsciously, she looked down at her covered wrists, the scars still invisible to everyone, but she knew they were there.

"Mom?" She uttered and lifted her head from her shoulder.

"What is it, honey?" Asked Chanel.

"If I was to talk to you about something, something specific, would you be mad?" She asked fearfully.

Her mother furrowed her brows. "What? No, of course not. What's going on, Devore?"

Devore glanced behind her at Tonks and Mad-Eye, making sure they were listening. They weren't, seeing as Tonks was trying to spark a conversation with him and Mad-Eye tuned her out, grunt every so often. She was scared to talk about Umbridge, about her punishments, but the longer she held it in, the worse it got for her. Her mother was right there, she would protect her. "Well, something's been happening, and—"

She was cut off by Harry and the Weasley siblings coming out of the room, the twins's faces bright red. "Is everything alright?" Chanel asked the kids.

"Mum says for you, Tonks, and Mad-Eye to go in. Dad wants to speak with all of you." Ginny repeated her mother's words, her arms wrapped around herself.

Grunting once again, Mad-Eye hobbled forward through the door, Tonks quickly following behind. Chanel looked at her daughter and smiled. "We'll talk later, okay?" Not waiting for an answer, she went inside the room and all of the kids were left in the hall.

Devore looked at them all. "How is he?" She asked, locking her hands together.

"Awfully cheerful for almost getting killed by a bloody serpent," grumbled Ron, obviously pissed off that he was kicked out of the room.

". . .I'm not sure how to respond that that."

"Well, if they won't tell us anything," said Fred coolly, rummaging through his pockets.

"Looking for these?" Said George, holding out what looked like a tangle of flesh-colored string.

His twin grinned. "You read my mind. Let's see if St. Mungo's puts Imperturbable Charms on its ward doors, shall we?"

"You want to spy on your poor father's conversation?" Asked Devore with raised eyebrows.

"He won't tell us anything about that night, Dev," George responded. "We're his kids. We deserve to know."

She couldn't argue with that logic.

The twins disentangled the string and separated five Extendable Ears from each other. Fred and George handed them around. Harry hesitated to take one. "Go on, Harry, take it! You saved dad's life, if anyone's got the right to eavesdrop on him, it's you. . ."

Devore grabbed a hold of her brother and pulled him in close. She watched the flesh-colored strings wriggle like words under the door. She held the Extendable Ear between them so that they both could hear.

Tonk's whispering convince became clear. ". . .they searched the whole area but couldn't find the snake anywhere, it just seems to have vanished after it attacked you, Arthur. . . But You-Know-Who can't have expected a snake to get in, can he?"

"You underestimate him, Tonks," Devore heard her mother say with a dreaded sigh.

"Chanel's right," growled Moody, "I reckon he sent it as a lookout. Cause he's not had any luck so far, has he? No, I reckon he's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's facing and if Arthur hadn't been there the beast would've had much more time to look around. So Potter says he saw it all?"

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley. She sounded rather uneasy. "You know, Dumbledore seems to have almost been waiting for Harry to see something like this. . ."

"Yeah, well," Moody said again, "there's something funny about the Potter kid, we all know that."

Devore heard what sounded like a muffled slap. "Don't say that. None of this is Harry's fault," it was Chanel, and though she couldn't see her face, she heard her voice, and it was angry. She was always standing up for Harry.

"Bless your mother, Dev." Ginny whispered.

"Oh, come off it, Chanel. You know what I mean."

"Dumbledore seemed worried about Harry when I spoke to him this morning," Molly whispered.

"Course he's worried," Mad-Eye growled again. "The boy's seeing things inside You-Know-Who's snake. . . Obviously, Potter doesn't realize what that means, but if You-Know-Who's possessing him—"

Devore flinched when Harry suddenly pulled back, hear rushing to his face. Everyone was staring at him, fearfulness on their faces. Mixed emotions appeared on his face, and he didn't meet their eyes.

Devore grew up with the Malfoy family, which meant she knew all about their ties with Voldemort through Lucius Malfoy. She suddenly remembered what Draco said to her at the end of their fourth year. That Voldemort was creating an army, that he would be trying to get to her mother. But now something bigger was happening and he was using Harry.

She needed to talk to her mom.