Trouble Arrives

Harry absentmindedly rubbed the scar on his forehead, a habit he had never outgrown despite the years since it last ached.

There were numerous reports flooding his desk regarding a mysterious malaise. Throughout the countryside, wizards were found, their minds…scrambled.

It wasn't a known version of Oblivate or Confundo. Indeed, the most knowledgeable wizards in the Ministry have been unable to ascertain how it was happening. So far, there were less than twenty individuals affected.

But one thing was for sure. There was something in the wizarding world that rendered even the most stoic person into mindless monsters seething with hate and destruction. And it seemed to be spreading.

A letter flew in and repeatedly pecked at Harry until he read it. His face blanched.

"Bill…"

~~~

The Muscovy House in Lambeth, London, is more than a series of shops and residences at the edge of Vauxhall Gardens. Underneath the renovated facade is the new wizard hospital, built after the Second Wizard War.

Harry apparated to the entrance and hurried inside.

"Bill Weasley", he gasped to the receptionist behind a large mahogany desk. She glanced at the scar on his forehead and quickly straightened up.

"Seventh floor sir, elevators to your right."

He nodded his thanks and quickly took the lift to 7.

It was easy to spot the room of his brother in law. A large group of ginger-headed people were huddled just outside the door.

He spotted his wife in the crowd and caught her eye. After a brief hug, the pair sat down a short distance away.

"Do you know what happened, Gin?" Harry asked.

She wiped her eyes with a handkerchief. "I heard a little from Fleur, but it didn't make sense. He attacked her for no reason. She managed to bind him long enough for the emergency squad to secure and move him. Mom is staying with the kids."

Ginny gripped Harry's hand. "What is going on? Why Bill? Is it because of Gringotts?"

Harry cleared his throat. "I…"

The ED door opened; the two of them could hear dreadful screams and snarls as Fleur walked out. The sounds disappeared once the doors closed again, but it was enough for Ginny to run to Fleur, crying. The two of them hugged.

Fleur was a mess. There were dark stains on the front of her robe. Her hair, nomally in a sensible braid, was sticking out at all angles. There were red marks around her neck, bright against her pale skin.

Harry steered the pair back to the seats.

"Fleur, can you tell me what happened?"

She made an attempt to smooth her blonde hair and straighten her robes before speaking. Her voice was low and strained.

"He came home at noon, mumbling about a headache, and dozed off in his easy chair. I was upstairs with Louis when I heard a crackling sound, like a fireplace. I went down to check it out…" She took a shuddering breath.

"He was glowing, under his skin, as if his blood vessels were on fire. When I touched him, he was icy cold. But his eyes popped open, and then…and then…" She started crying again, squeezing Ginny even tighter.

Harry rubbed her back in comfort. He pulled out his wand and pointed it to the young woman's neck. "Episkey" he murmured, and the red marks faded away, healed.

A short time later, she had calmed down and continued in a quiet voice.

"He didn't say anything. His face was blank. He threw me to the floor and starting choking me. He was so strong I could barely move. I managed to get an Incarcarous spell on him. Once I got away, I paralyzed him."

She looked up, her eyes enormous with unshed tears. "What happened to my husband?!"