Chapter Text
His hand is shaking after writing the letters.
He wrote two letters,just in case his family threw one into the fire without checking first.His handwriting had detoriated and his magic was for all purposes,non existent.He hadn’t used it for about 7 months.Hopefully,his family couldn’t tell the difference
And even if they did, hopefully they would chalk it up to stress or him being a utter disappointment.Anything worked.
A Healer tries to force a Calming Draught on him.He steadfastly refuses,he won’t risk anything else,He needs to retain what’s left of his sanity and his mind.
The Healer goes away,muttering something in French.
He’s in France.He was in France,imprisoned at his mercy.He would be a little surprised,if not for all the other revelations.
The war’s over. You Know Who is dead and has been for nearly 7 months. Hogwarts had been heavily damaged in the battle and even now, rebuilding hadn’t stopped.
The New Minister was Kingsley Shacklebolt.Percy had seen him once or twice at the lifts or the Auror Office.
His whole family is alive.It reduces some of the weight around his chest as he does love them dearly even if he isn’t part of the family anymore.
They were all famous for their part in defeating You Know Who.Even the French Aurors knew about them.They were all part of the new pantheon of heroes for their resistance against the Death Eaters
Except for him.All of Percy’s worries about the Boy who lived have come to naught.Instead of getting his younger siblings expelled or killed,He had turned them into people to be Lionized.
They didn’t recognise him as a Weasley.His most distinctive Weasley trait,the flaming red hair had faded from filth,dirt and a general lack of sunlight And even if it had not, would they have associated him,the cowardly ministry wretch with the family of heroes.
“No they wouldn’t have, Perce”
He sees Fred,Stocky and confident,dressed in his Quidditch uniform. Percy is not scared. He most probably should be but he isn’t .He had these conversations throughout his captivity with almost everyone. His siblings, his father, Penny- his former girlfriend,His old bosses Mr Crouch,Fudge and Scrimgeour. Even his old rat Scabbers and his dead headmaster, Dumbledore. They would offer him salvation from his boredom and yet torture him terribly with their barbs and accusations. But well,that was his price to pay.For what he did
"Come on now,Perce,Did you think you were ever part of the family ?"
“Its George,beside Fred,by the window, blocking the light.
Percy doesn’t respond. Can’t exactly refute that, can he ?
The imaginary Fred continues
“How could you be a Weasley. Could’nt even fly a broom, Mr Bighead here.”
George laughs and goes on
“Charlie would have played for England and this one would have been lucky to mount his broom”.
“Not wrong about that one”, Percy respond idly. He can see Two healers discussing something in French, tossing him the occasional glance .
“Ah, but when are we ever ,Dear brother o mine “,chuckles Fred.
“Never”,Says George shooting him a smile that looks unimaginably happy and yet feels cruel.
“There’s good news”,A Healer says to him in accented English,”Your ministry has arranged a Floo connection to bring you and ze ,uh the others back to St Mungos.
“The others”, Percy know whom she’s talking about-Travers, Selwyn ,Higgs and Him.
He’s reminded of the incident in his 3rd year
Flint had set upon him,pummeled him with fists till his nose broke.Why ?
He had forgotten
He did remember Oliver taking him to the hospital Wing.
“Percy,let me owl Charlie even if you don’t want to tell Mcgonagall,"Oliver had said,youthful and earnest.
“No”,Percy had said dispassionately,inspite of the fact that his nose was dripping blood by the second.
“He told me to inform him if Flint started on you again,I should owl him”
“No need to bother him,I have to learn to stand up for myself If I’m going to be a Prefect”
“Desolee ?”The Healer asks.He hadn’t noticed when she had come over.She looked at him warily as if he were a potion about to explode
“My Eenglish ez not very good,What ez prefect “?
Had he said that out loud ?He has to be careful.
“What I mean,is that I am quite alright ,I don’t need to go to St Mungos.Thank you “
Her eyebrows travel upward into her hairline and Percy can see himself through her eyes.They’ve healed all his cuts and bruises on his hands and legs.The ones beneath his clothes,he hadn’t shown them.If possible,he would show no one ever.
His leg was not alright .It was badly affected by curse damage.They told him it had been smashed beyond repair,The Healer had awkwardly patted his hands and talked about sourcing a cane for him.His hands just can't stop shaking and his body is wracked with momentary tremors and these were just the problems outside his mind.
“Now that’s just a loaded statement.”This time , it’s Oliver,his usual earnestness twisting into Malice .
“No ,it isn’t “Percy says, knowing that his retort wouldn’t hold up and it usually doesn’t take long for Oliver to turn cruel.
“Remind me Perce,who broke away from his family”,He says.
And what response can he give to that.As if it wasn’t true.
He imagines Seeing his mother again, after what he said and did for the last three years.How he slammed the door on her face when all she wanted to do was talk to him.How he sent back all her Christmas Presents , breaking her heart and probably making her cry and then he thinks of his father.At this point,his brain disobeys him ,refusing to think any further.
The Healer snaps her fingers, and he flinches backward.Jolted from his thoughts by the noise.She had been talking about something and he hadn’t heard her ,busy with his own conversations.She stares at him,wide eyed
“I don’t understand you, sorry “he says
“Ah, I look for someone else to eexplain, zen”,The Healer hurries out into the corridor, relieved to get away from the mad Englishman.
“Looks like our Percy’s going to St Mungos, innit Fred ?”, George’s back.
“Don’t worry Perce,you’ll finally make friends there and they’ll see all your injuries”Fred replies
“Even the one’s you’re hiding “George winks at him.
He knows they are imaginary,products of his damaged mind and yet he still has a shiver run through him when he hears those words.
Imaginary Oliver’s also there , with a frown often seen when analysing Gryffindor losses.He says
“Aren’t the Longbottoms admitted there ?”
Fred replies “Since Ron’s birth.I don’t think they ever improved after their torture “.
Percy’s heart feels like its on fire.Will they lock him up ?He know he hardly fits the picture of sanity,talking to imaginary versions of his siblings and friends,unable to follow the real world.
Hearing voices is considered the height of madness in the Wizarding World and here’s Percy talking to inaginary versions of his brothers.Maybe he truly has gone mad or Maybe this is all fake and it’s some elaborate mind game being played by Flint.
There’s someone new this time,taking the place of Oliver.It’s Penny.She drums her fingers as she speaks to him,one of her tics when she was nervous
“It’s for the best, Percy,You should go to St Mungos”.
“Maybe they can heal all your wounds”
His body gives an involuntary shudder.’No'
He’s not going to get locked up again and he’s not going to the hospital and he’s certainly not going to show all his injuries .Some things are a man’s own .
He gets off the bed onto wobbly legs and limps out the door.Another set of tremors wrack his body,
He turns the other way,trying to walk confidently as if he hadn’t been rescued from a death eater prison some hours ago.He ultimately sees what he is looking for.
The fireplace with a small container of floo powder kept in a rack beside it.He takes a handful
International Floo travel is tricky,complicated and has the potential to land you in some really unsavoury places.But he’s confident he’ll make it to Diagon.Afterall he did write some of the regulations concerning the International Floo.
-------
They’re waiting by the St Mungo’s Floo.
Bill and Fleur had travelled to France to visit Percy and stay with him until he came back home.A ministry representative and a healer would soon go to bring him back today.Arthur and Ron were at the ministry,sorting out the paperwork for Percy’s release.Ginny had taken Mum to the canteen after she had snapped at a Healer for requesting her to take a calming draught.The twins are waiting with him to welcome Perce.So it is rather shocking
When both Bill and Fleur come out of the Floo without him.
Bill’s face is set in a grim line and Fleur looks troubled.Something’s wrong.
And before Charlie can ask anything
Bill announces “Percy’s done a bunk “.
Percy gone rogue through a International Floo.It would be hilarious if he wasn’t worried about his sanity.
Fleur says “Zey said zat ‘e said did not need to go to St Mungos because uh “ she swallows. “Because ‘e is a prefect “
Charlie can see Fred’s mouth drop open.
George gulps and says “Atleast we know it’s definitely Perce”.
Charlie searches Bills face for any trace of a laugh and finds none.
Bill rubs his forehead and mutters “Bloody Hell”
He asks Fleur “How is he”?.
It’s a stupid question,he knows but still they need know to whatever they can.
She says “Zey couldn’t complete a deep diagnosis but they healed all his outward injuries .He’s still very weak and his right leg’s badly affected ,he’ll need a cane ….“and her eyes flash downward,looking at the floor
Bills expression is dark.”He has curse damage from torture.He’s having trouble focusing on when other people are talking to him”.
And even though Charlie’s subconscious knows that Percy would most probably have been tortured.It still makes him feel sick to his stomach.He can see George’s face has gone unnaturally white and Fred has lost his laugh lines.
George asks in a small voice that is uncommon for him.”Do you think his mind’s…..”.He trails off,unable to finish his question.
“Affected”.Bill completes it.”I don’t know”.
“They had Ollivander for over a year and he was fine.Fragile and weak ,but still fine.
Charlie remembers the old wand maker that Harry,Ron and Hermoine had rescued.
“But ,why was Percy taken ?”, George asks,all of a sudden.
“If the Death Eaters wanted Ministry secrets or to use him as blackmail us or Ron,why would they keep him…….,Fred can’t say it.
Alive,Its a bit insensitive but Yes,why would they go to the trouble of keeping someone insignificant like Percy alive for nearly seven months ?
"Did he ask any questions “,Charlie asks
“E asked about ze war and who survived ?,Zey said e was particularly interested about his family,’Arry and ‘Ermoine,.
“That’s something at least “,George sighs
“So,uh what now”,Fred asks ,tapping his fingers on his cane.
“He has to have gone somewhere”,states George
“Where do you think he would go “ ?Bill questions ,”If not Mungos or the Burrow “?
“Ministry”,Charlie suggests
“He did love the ministry “,George jokes and is rewarded with a wan smile by Fred.
This even earns a light smile from Bill but not Charlie.He just can’t see the humour in it.A bit unusual considering he would be among the first to laugh at these jokes.
“You think He’d just go back to his office and start working after Six months of captivity”,He asks
“Maybe”,George shrugs.”It’s where he spent most of his time these few years“
If Percy was suffering the ill effects of his captivity and his hold on reality was slipping,then maybe he would go there.
“He might be at his flat”,Bill says.”We might find him there”.
“Me and Charlie’ll go there,then “Bill makes an impromptu decision and goes into elder brother mode.He asks Fleur and the twins to inform Mum and tell her to wait till it’s all ok.He sends a Patronus to Dad.The Twins,surprisingly obey and go along with Fleur.
Charlie can feel himself rolling his wand between his fingers,a nervous habit he had acquired since becoming Quidditch Captain,”I’ve been paying Percy’s rent,since his disappearance “
Bill blinks at him”Oh”.As if Charlie wasn’t trying to compensate for his absence by paying Percy’s rent.
“I wanted him to have all his things”,Charlie says,feeling surprisingly defensive.
It certainly wasn’t cheap but the sheer idea of some landlord throwing his things meant acknowledgingthat Percy was dead.
“That’s good”,Bill says.
“We‘ll go then ?”
The realization hits Charlie,that Percy isn’t dead and suddenly,He can’t be calm.Percy’s alive,somewhere out there and they needed to find him soon.
“Yes" and he takes his wand out to apparate.
------
In the crowded streets of Diagon Alley,A thin, wild eyed man stumbled and limped his way through the Yuletide shopping crowd.
The Alley had still not come back to normal .There are still Aurors and Security Wizards at key places and some shops have still not reopened.
The skittish man ultimately reaches his 2nd floor flat.
Percy stumbles into the flat and slams the door shut.His right leg’s in extreme pain. Wasnt a very good idea to climb a flight of stairs.But when has he ever made good decisions.
There’s too many people in Diagon.The walk from his flat to the public floo is only 10 minutes and yet it felt like eternity,too loud and too bright and too crowded.Many looking at him with wide eyes,some moving towards him as if they might try to grab him,their hands inching closer with every passing minute
He collapses on the floor,shaking and shuddering,his breath coming out in strangled gasps.Cold sweat pools on his forehead and palms.He squeezes his eyes shut and feels his heart slamming against his chest like a animal trying to break down a door.There’s a urge to vomit but thankfully it dies down.When he finally opens his eyes,he expects to back in the cell but he’s not.
He’s just staring at a huge amount of dust
After a few minutes of lying on the floor,he finds the strength to haul himself up ,grabbing his sofa as a support.
He looks at the memories of his solitary existence.A minimally decorated living Room with a couch .Some books scattered on the shelf.Four layers of dust on everything.
He had half expected to find it ransacked by the Death Eaters but he was grateful that it wasn’t.
Most of the books are still in their proper places.The only indication that someone was there was when he sees the torn scraps of parchment littering the floor.
Maybe it was the landlord,angry about his missing rent but on the other hand,he hadn’t thrown out his belongings on the street.
He limps across the floor to the window.The glass of clear and a bit dusty.He can see the into the nearby alley and the next building’s walls.He used to consider the view Boring but after six months of semi darkness in his cell,the greasy pane of glass and the view it affords him is magnificent.
With shaking hands,he tugs on the rusty metal latch and manages to open it.The cold air wafts into the stale room.He closes his eyes and breathes in the dirty city air.
It feels exhilarating.
However even this simple action drains all the energy out of him and coupled with the pain in his leg,it makes him feel like a house fell on top of him
He can feel his legs buckling and he somehow stumbles over to the armchair where he soon collapses.
There’s a duvet on the armchair.He manages to wrap it around himself . His eyes give out and he drifts off to troubled dreams where there is only one constant and only one truth.