Chapter 10: I'm Going to Kill Him

"I'm going to kill him," Bill said, throwing the book aside and standing. It was the next morning and he had spent all night reading. Sirius had just gotten up and had tried to make him eat, but he was too caught up in the book. He started pacing around the room as Sirius watched. "I know a lot of curses that are undetectable, I can get away with it," he muttered under his breath, though the other man heard him.

"Who, Malfoy or Dumbledore?" Sirius wanted to know, there was a hint of humor in his tone.

"Both, but mostly Malfoy," Bill said, throwing himself in his chair. "He's the one who gave the diary to my baby sister," he added as if he had to explain why.

"Ah, but Dumbledore is the one who didn't catch that there was a huge honking snake roaming around the school. He left it for a bunch of kids to take care of, and for that I want to kill him," Sirius said, all humor gone from his tone. He still didn't understand how the headmaster didn't know the snake was roaming the school when he knew everything else that went on in that castle. He knew which kid got through which trap, so he had to know that there was a basilisk in the school.

"You have me there," Bill stated, putting his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands. "I wish someone would have told me about this. I would have confirmed that the horcruxes were in play at the end of last year," he said, lifting his head. "I need to examine Ginny. I need to make sure that she's not suffering from that possession," he stated, standing as if to get to Hogwarts right this minute.

"How would you explain how you knew?" Sirius asked, not stopping him completely, but slowing him down enough to think.

"I will come up with something," the younger man said, standing at the doorway to the living room in thought. "I can say that you told me that Harry told you that Ginny was possessed," he said, turning to Sirius to confirm that Harry did tell him that.

"Harry never mentioned names," Sirius said with a shake of his head, which was the truth. Harry only said a friend did this or a friend of a friend did that.

"I will say that I guessed," Bill said, going out the door. He was going to see his sister. First though, he was going to go home and confront his parents.

"I wish you luck," Sirius said to the air. He did too. He wanted to storm the castle over so many things, but he had other things to deal with. There was going to be a Board meeting in a few days, and he was going to take his seat. Then the Wizengamot was going to meet the day after that, and he needed to be prepared for that as well.

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"I'm going to kill him," Moody said, throwing the book aside and standing. He started pacing around the room with Amelia watching with a smirk on her face. He too had read all night, and Amelia had read with him. They had taken breaks though and had eaten breakfast, then finished their respective books.

"Who, Crouch Jr. or Albus?" she asked, humor in her tone. It was funny to see him all bent out of shape over something that hadn't happened yet. And if she had it her way, it never would. Both of the main players were out of action, so there was that.

"Both, but mostly Albus," Moody said, glaring at her for her tone. He didn't find it funny that someone had gotten the drop on him. Two weak Death Eaters at that. They were at the bottom of the rung in the inner circle of Voldemort's men. One had been under the Imperius Curse for years, and the other had lived as a rat for years. They were both out of shape and they had gotten him good. He was so ashamed, and it hadn't even happened yet. He'd be damned if it was going to happen.

"Crouch Jr. has already been Kissed," she offered, hoping that would mollify him a bit. It seemed to a little. "You can't kill Albus for something he hasn't done yet," she said, still smirking.

"A year that imposter was at the school, and he didn't even notice. I am one of his oldest friends, even I noted that that man was not me," Alastor said, stomping around the room, throwing up his hands in frustration. "I don't drink from just my flask. Sure, I do prefer it, but not exclusively. And I don't yell 'Constant Vigilance' all the time," he said, not seeing her smirk harder.

"Yes, you do," she said, putting up her hands to ward off his protest. "I read the book, so I can debate it, and I can say it does sound like you," she said, thinking back to what she had read and knowing she would have had a hard time telling who was who. "I can tell you that I would have been fooled," she voiced her thoughts.

"I'll give you that," he grumped, sitting down in his chair. "I'm still upset that Albus didn't catch on until the end." He folded his arms and pouted.

"Here is the first book," she said, handing him said book, hoping to get his mind on something else. They were only copies and would disappear in a few days. She had still yet to read the last book in the series. "I'm going to start on the second," she added, picking it up. She was sure that she was not going to be happy with it either.

Alastor would be finished with them long before her. His magic eye made reading them much easier. He could scan them and get the gist right away. If something needed to be verified, he could reread it in his mind. It was something she could not do.

"Am I going to want to kill anyone after reading this one?" he asked, opening the first chapter.

"Probably," she confessed, having read that while he read the fourth. It was the shortest of the series. "I know I don't like what is going on in that school. What with Voldemort being there almost every year. It is disconcerting," she said, flipping to the first chapter of the second book.

"You're telling me," he grumbled as his eye scanned the pages. He already didn't like these Dursley people. He wondered why he had to read about them.

Hphphp

Bill made his way to the Burrow. He opened the door and called out, "Mum, Dad, are you home?" He hoped his dad was still here and not at work yet. If not, he'd just talk to his mum.

"In here, Bill," Molly said from the kitchen.

Bill went to where his parents were and sat at the table. There was still food, so he served himself up some breakfast, and as he was eating, he started his questioning. "Why didn't you tell me that Ginny was possessed last year?" he asked his dad.

"I didn't know she was," Arthur stated, putting his fork down. "I thought she just wrote in a diary that made her do things," he added, looking to Molly like she would have the answers.

Molly paled a bit, not knowing what to say.

"Dad, how would it make her do things, if it didn't possess her?" Bill asked as calmly as he could. He loved his parents, but they were such simple people. They believed anything anyone told them. Well, not always, but for the most part.

"But Albus said she was fine," Molly said, putting a hand on her husband's arm, worry in her face. "Was he wrong?"

"I'm not sure, but I want to verify that," Bill said, looking at both his parents and feeling bad for making them worry. "I want to go to the school and verify that. It won't take but a minute. Can you have them bring Ginny to the Hospital Wing?" he asked, glancing from face to face.

"Of course, son," Arthur said, getting up and going to the floo to talk to Madam Pomfrey. He would try to get her there and have it done before classes started.

"I'll just get this cleaned up," Molly said, starting to clean the dishes off the table. "No, finish your plate, son," she said to Bill when he tried to hand his half-eaten plate to her.

"Thanks, Mum," he said, and shoveled his food in his mouth, much like his younger brother. Sue him, he was starving. He was also tired, but he had so much to think about, he didn't think he could sleep.

Arthur came back in and said, "It's all arranged. She'll be there in a few minutes. We can step through straight to the Hospital Wing. The floo will be open to the Burrow for the next hour." He picked up his cup and drained the last of his tea. He then took the cup to the sink and kissed his wife on the cheek.

"Right," Bill said, eating the last of his bacon and carrying the plate to his mother. He then kissed her on the cheek and left with his father. They flooed to Hogwarts and there was Ginny waiting with Madam Pomfrey.

McGonagall was there and she said, "I will leave you to it. Miss Weasley, you will come to class as soon as your brother is finished with checking you over, if they declare you fit." Then she left with a rustle of skirts.

"What is this all about?" Pomfrey asked, her arms folded in an affronted manner. "I did check Miss Weasley over when she was here at the end of the year. I found nothing wrong with her," she said with starch in her tone.

"I just want to check a few things about my sister's possession. As a curse-breaker, I know a few things to look for that you might not know," Bill said in a placating tone, taking out his wand to do just that. He waved it over her a few times and studied the resulting lights. "Well, you missed a few things, but they are fading well enough. Just let me do this," he said, then chanted a spell to dispel some residue and then waved his wand again and this time she was clean as a whistle. "There, all done. You are right as rain, Ginny," he said to his sister with a winning smile.

"Let me do my own scan," Pomfrey said, waving her wand and finding nothing wrong. She nodded her head to the young girl.

"Thanks, Bill. I do feel better," Ginny said, jumping up and grabbing him around the waist. She then ran out of the room and off to class.

"What did I miss?" Poppy asked, not liking that she missed anything.

"Just some dark residue. It would have gone away on its own. I just helped it along," Bill said, glad it wasn't anything worse.

"Thank you," Arthur said, clapping his son on the back.

"She still needs to see a mind healer," Bill warned his dad. "I can help pay for it," he offered, knowing his parents didn't have much in the way of funds.

"I would appreciate that," his father said, hoping that Molly wouldn't kick up a fuss.

"We don't have to tell Mum," Bill said, winking at the man.

"She'll find out somehow," Arthur sighed, then a thought struck him. "I thought you were in Egypt." They had just visited him there after all.

"I'm here as a consultant," he said, standing up straighter. It was quite the honor in Gringotts.

"Then we'll see more of you at home?" was the inevitable question. One Bill was dreading. He loved his family, but they were overwhelming at times.

"Probably," Bill sighed, knowing his mum would make a hassle if he didn't show up now and then. He was just glad that he was staying with Black.

"Good," Arthur said, once more clapping the man on the back. "Where are you staying?" was the next unavoidable question.

"I can't tell you that," Bill said, remembering the piece of paper Sirius made him read when he showed him his house.

"Oh," his dad said, deflated. He had been hoping he could hide where his son was staying.

"I would if I could, but it's under a Fidelius."

"Oh," was said, this time with a curious tone.

"Yes," Bill said, then looked at the clock. "I need to get back to work. And you need to get to work. Tell Mum I'll stop by when I can," he said, hugging his father. "Madam Pomfrey, thanks for letting me check Ginny," he said to the mediwitch.

"Of course," Poppy said as she went about what she normally does when she doesn't have patients.

"I will let your mother know," Arthur said as Bill ran out the doors to get out of the castle.

Bill knew that his dad could floo back to the Burrow, but he didn't want to talk to his mum again. He would disapparate from the gate. As he ran through the halls, he wondered how they were going to get the basilisk. He remembered the one-eyed witch and changed course to go there and use the tunnel. He was hoping not to be seen or known by the headmaster. He was still mad at that man.

Too bad Albus had other plans. "Ah, William," came the unwanted welcome.

"Headmaster," Bill said, stopping near the one-eyed witch. He had been so close to exiting the school too.

"Whatever are you doing here?" the old man asked, looking over his ever-present spectacles.

"I wanted to check up on my sister after hearing about her ordeal from last year," Bill said truthfully, putting his hands behind his back they were shaking so bad with repressed anger.

"How ever did you hear about that?" Albus asked like it wasn't his business to know about his family.

"She's my sister," Bill pointed out like it was obvious. "Family talks," he added to make it further obvious without saying anything.

"Ah," was all Dumbledore could say to that. "Was everything satisfactory?"

"There was some residue that Madam Pomfrey missed, and she'll need a mind healer," Bill said, calming down a bit.

"Do you really believe that is necessary?" Dumbledore asked, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Why wouldn't it be? She went through a traumatic event," Bill said, his hands balling into fists.

"I feel that children will persevere on their own," the old man said as if he knew best.

"When you get your medical certificate, I'll take your word on that. Until such time, leave my family's medical advice to the experts," Bill spat and spun around and made his way out of the castle. He didn't take the secret passage since he was no longer trying to be stealthy. He made his way back to Black's place and quietly started reading the first book.

When all the books were read, they were all going to get together and have words with that old man.

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"I think I'm going to have words with Albus," Moody said, having finished the first book. He had read through the day, since he was retired, and Amelia said he could use her home to read the books.

It was going on late evening and Amelia wasn't done with the second book yet, since she had gone to work and only just returned about a few hours ago. That and he was a faster reader than she was, but she said, "I think I'll join you. Basilisk. Even I know there is a basilisk," she added at his confused look.

"There was a basilisk in the school?" he barked, getting up to peer over her shoulder as if it was printed on the page.

"I'm pretty sure that is what the monster is," she confirmed, putting her finger on her spot as to not lose her place.

"How do you know?"

"It's Slytherin's Secret Chamber, the monster is petrifying people, and the only parselmouth in the school can hear it," she said, counting the facts on her fingers.

"Who is the parselmouth?" Moody wanted to know, then he remembered the zoo incident in the first book. "Never mind," he said, looking at where she was at in the book like it would give him a clue.

She huffed and created a copy of the book and handed it to him. It wasn't her fault that he was a faster reader.

He just smirked and sat down. "When we're done, you're going to have to take me to Black's place," he said, as he cracked open the book to the first chapter.

"Yeah, yeah, let me read, you old goat," she huffed and continued to read about Harry's third time hearing the voices in the walls. It was then that she knew it was a basilisk. Albus must be getting senile.