A/N- I'm back, aren't you glad? *lol* Well, here is one of the final chapters of Private Justice. There should be around two more, maybe three. Not much H/Hr in this chapter; this is a "plot" chapter. Oh and you know how I said in the last A/N, I "think" you'll find out who the killer is in this chapter? Remember that I used the word "think" and I did just that. I "thought" and I'm eating those words. And that's all I'm saying.
Nitya, thanks for the beta work!
Thanks for all the reviews. I'm overwhelmed by them all… *faints*
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When is this going to end?
Fred didn't know how much more he was going to be able to take. Aunt Mari had showed him her files, proving that her Birmingham address had been taken, and their nightmare was proved real when Hermione flooed him.
When is this going to end?
**********
"I don't know how you manage it," Fred said to Harry with amusement. "You have more lives than a cat."
Harry smirked. "I try." He quickly went serious. "Look, Fred. You all put the fire out quickly. I shot this guy on the arm, there was a blood trail, so-"
"We know, we know. We'll find the blood type."
Harry turned away for a moment, then looked back with serious eyes. "I saw what he was wearing, Fred. It was a long wizards robe, but under that was an Auror's shirt…" His eyes turned accusing. " How long have you known it was an Auror?"
Fred bit his lip, almost cursing himself. This wasn't the way he had planned to tell Harry.
"Well?" Harry demanded, knowing he probably wasn't going to like the answer.
"We-I found out the day you got shot." I really need to get back to my joke shop.
"What?! You've known that long and you didn't tell me?" Harry cried out.
"Um… yeah." Just think of Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes...
"Don't you think it would have been helpful and somewhat easier if I knew? If we Aurors knew?"
"Well, it might have been…But I didn't want to cause a stir in case I was wrong." Skiving Snackboxes….
Harry took deep breaths and looked straight into Fred's eyes. "Do you know who the killer is?"
Fred sighed. "Harry, if I knew who it was, do you think we'd still be in this bloody mess?" Bulbadox Powder…
"You need to tell me something. There have to be at least some Aurors you're suspicious of."
"You're not gonna like them, Harry." Frizzing Whizbees…
"Fred… I need to know!"
They stared at each other for a long time. Fred wanted to tell Harry right then, but he couldn't…
"Fine, but I want Hermione with us too."
**********
"But, what were his exact words, Harry?" Hermione asked worriedly as Harry led her back to Fred at the Ministry. At first Harry had been hesitant in coming back, but knowing the killer wouldn't show his face with a bullet wound, and the fact that there were more powerful wizards in the Ministry than Aurors made it a little more comforting.
"Look, he just said that he wanted to talk to us both."
"Because…?" Hermione stopped, causing Harry to stop as well and turn around to face her.
"Because of who the killer is."
Hermione took a sharp intake of breath. "He knows?"
Harry shook his head. "No, but he has his suspicions… It's an Auror, Hermione," he said quietly, looking into her eyes.
Hermione stood there, shocked. She blinked a few times. "An Auror?" she said hoarsely. "Are you sure?"
He nodded numbly.
Hermione, still in shock, leaned back against the nearest wall. She stood there thinking. "I never-I mean… out of all possibilities-that means…" she trailed off, not wanting to say it. It was one thing to say it was a wizard, it was another to say it was someone who worked with her husband.
"I know how you feel," Harry said, walking over to her. "I would have preferred if it was some former Death Eater that just wanted revenge. That I can live with."
Hermione tried to force a laugh and didn't succeed very well.
Harry took a hold of her hand. "Let's go and talk to Fred."
**********
Fred sat across from Harry and Hermione. In fact, he kept staring at them, saying nothing even after Hermione asked him who were the suspects.
This was it. The moment he had been dreading. Actually he was glad he narrowed down the suspect list, but knowing who was on that list and that he had to tell these two people made him sick.
"Fred?" Hermione said with concern. "Are you okay?"
Fred shook his thoughts away and took a deep breath. "Yeah, I'm fine. First, I just have one question… Did you tell anyone where you were staying?"
"No one," Hermione answered. "Only Aunt Mari and Angelina knew."
"Yeah I've talked to her. Let me tell you, it was weird questioning my wife and her aunt." Harry and Hermione chuckled.
"Aunt Mari," Fred continued, "said she told some Aurors that you two were staying at her house."
This is it, Harry thought. "Who were they?"
"Well, the ones who she was talking with were Ron, Remus and Percy. There were other Aurors in the room at the time. Ron and Percy were the only ones who asked where the house was, but she wouldn't tell." He rolled his eyes.
"Ha, well you can rule them out. Don't even think about them," Harry said firmly.
"Harry-" Fred began but was cut off.
"No, Fred, you shouldn't even think it was any of those three. Remus has been like a father to me these past years, Ron has been my best friend forever, and Percy…well…you just can't blame them!"
"Do you think I want too? Trust me, it's not fun to think one of my brothers or Remus who have been killing people."
"They aren't!"
"Harry, Fred, stop!" Hermione cried. "We don't need another war." She looked back at Fred. "Ron didn't do it. He was with me and Lavender at the hospital when Luna died."
"Did he leave at all during the night?" As he asked, Fred felt pain and guilt.
"No, I'm positive."
"Not even when you slept?"
"I slept a little, but…" Hermione broke off, remembering when she had woken up that night… Ron had been coming back in… "No…" she said faintly.
"What is it?" Harry asked.
She blinked. "He had been out, but just went to the cafeteria. I woke up as he came back in…"
Fred closed his eyes in frustration. Why did his brothers always look guilty?! He thought back to the night they had caught Percy sneaking to Hermione's house. He hadn't paid much attention to it before, but thinking back, Percy had been wearing a blue shirt under his jumper…
"Remember that night when we staked out at your house?" Fred asked. They nodded.
"Well," he said. "Percy had come up in a sneaky way, and it's possible he had been wearing his Auror shirt."
They blinked.
"Again, on that same night, Ron was caught snooping around your store. Both of them claimed to be checking on Hermione."
"Come on, Fred. You're accusing your brothers?" Hermione said with shock.
"I'm not accusing them! But my brothers always seem to be in the wrong place at the wrong time." He grunted.
"But Ron and Percy were both on duty when I was shot," Harry said slowly.
"But no one can confirm that. Where Percy said he was, nobody saw him, and Ron came into the Ministry all sweaty, saying he had been jogging."
"Fred," Hermione said, not wanting to believe her ears. "Ron goes running a lot. It's not unusual."
"He isn't supposed to go running when he's on duty… Hermione-"
"No, Fred. You can't accuse Ron! He's not a cold blooded killer. Same for Percy," she said.
"You aren't making this any easier for me," Fred said wearily.
Harry cut in. "Alright, here's one way to find out. He'll have a bullet wound on his shoulder. Not even with magic will he be able to make my bullet go away."
**********
Ron shot up in bed. He blinked to get adjusted to the dark room, and wondered what had woken him up and realized it was knocking.
He tumbled around with the sheets, and in the middle of doing so, he fell off the bed.
The knocking grew louder and cursing, Ron crawled over to the door. "I'm coming," he growled out.
But before he reached the handle, it opened from the outside, hitting Ron square in the face. "OW, BLOODY HELL!"
He looked up to see Terry and Dennis. Terry looked serious but Dennis looked sheepish. "Sorry 'bout that, Ron. We didn't know if you were in the house."
Ron rolled his eyes. "I just called out saying I was coming."
"Why did it take you so long to answer?" Terry asked suspiciously, looking down at him.
Ron pointed to the sheets. "I was sleeping if you must know."
"Why aren't you at work?"
"What's with the questions?" Ron asked, frowning. "Look, I cut my hand at work and had Remus clean it up. I just decided to come home early and get some sleep."
Terry and Dennis exchanged looks, and then Dennis looked down at his feet.
"What?" Ron asked curiously.
"We have to take you back to the Ministry, Ron," said Terry, slowly.
Ron, confused, stood up. "Why?"
"For questioning."
**********
"Miss Lavender! Miss Lavender," Koba squeaked.
Lavender smiled over at the small house-elf standing in the doorway. "What is it?"
"It's Mr. Weasley, ma'am."
Lavender looked over in surprise. "Ron's here?" She started walking over past Koba.
"Yes, in the fireplace."
Lavender rushed over in excitement, wanting to see Ron again. Ever since the hospital she had been thinking about him a lot. Her excitement died when she saw his face. "Ron, are you okay?"
"Not really. I need a lawyer, Lav. Terry and Dennis are here, and they're about to escort me to the Ministry," he said with obvious disgust.
She frowned. "Why?"
"They're pinning the murders against me."
"What?! That's crazy!"
"Tell that to them. Can you meet me down there?"
"Yeah, I'll be right there. Don't say anything till I get there." She moved over to get her shoes.
"I won't. Mum always said if I didn't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all."
**********
"Hermione, you don't honestly believe Ron is the killer?!" Lavender demanded to her friend.
"Lavender, please don't get down my throat," Hermione said quietly.
Lavender plopped down into the chair. "I just can't believe you think he could be guilty."
"I never said I thought he was guilty," she replied defensively. "I told them he was with us the night Luna was killed. But when I woke and he was coming back in…Everyone else is saying he could have gone to her father's house."
"That's all bull-"
"Lavender, calm down," Harry said. "I shot the killer on the arm. Ron doesn't have a wound."
Hermione stood up shakily, wrapping her arms around herself. Lavender knew Hermione was crying…
"Lav, I know you're upset. This isn't easy for me or Harry."
"So you think he's guilty?"
Husband and wife shared a look. "No…"
**********
"You are all trying to tell me that this cut mark on Ron's hand, is actually a bullet wound?" Lavender looked around at Fred, Terry and Dennis. She shook her head, smiling. "Is that the best you guys can do?"
"Stop, Lavender," Dennis muttered.
"I told them," said Ron. "I cut my hand around seven. Remus saw it happen, and then I went straight home."
Lavender saw Terry pop out, obviously now going to find Remus. She looked at Fred. "There is no evidence to prove he's the killer."
"He left the hospital room that night," Fred said, wanting to get the night over with.
"You told them that?" Ron accused her, his eyes wide.
"No, Hermione did. Besides, he wasn't gone long…I didn't sleep that well last night, I heard him…"
Ron rounded back on his older brother. "Fred, come on. Think about what you are saying!"
At that moment, Terry popped back in. "Just talked to Remus. Said he did see the cut hand. But when I asked him if Ron had left the station before that, he didn't know."
"Duh, because I didn't," said Ron with irritation.
"Ron, keep quiet," Lavender ordered.
Ron ignored her. "I have O positive blood. What does the killer have?"
"We don't know yet," said Terry. "But we will soon."
"Good, because I want to go home and get to bed."
**********
Lavender walked into Ron's room. He looked up when he heard her. "Did they find the blood type?"
She nodded. "It's… O positive. The other one was Harry's."
He sunk into the chair and buried his face.
"Look Ron, your blood type is very common…"
Ron snorted. "Yeah…they're taking me, aren't they?"
With her eyes full of tears, she nodded. He looked straight into her eyes. "You believe me, don't you?"
She didn't hesitate. "Yes I do. And they will in the end."
**********
Harry and Hermione waited outside, waiting until Ron came out. Lavender told them a little, but of course, it was all very vague. Harry still couldn't believe Fred was doing this. Hermione tried to calm him.
"It will be fine," she said. "We know Ron didn't do it. It's just a misunderstanding."
"But even Fred believes it," he said scowling.
She winced slightly inside. "Yeah… Fred wasn't always the smartest guy in school, but he's not usually influenced so easily to believe one of his brothers to be a killer… a git maybe, but not a killer."
"That's why I'm worried."
And Hermione was worried too. Not that she thought Ron was actually the killer…but that everyone else would believe it and he would be sent to Azkaban.
The two of them looked up when the door opened with Ron in front, pale faced and a group of other Aurors behind him. They jumped to their feet.
"This is all stupid, Terry," Harry shot out right away. "We told you it wasn't Ron."
"Well," Ron snapped. "They didn't believe you." He turned to Hermione, glaring. "You told them I left the hospital that night? How could you say something like that?"
"I didn't say that you had left the hospital," she cried. "I just said that when I woke up you were coming back into the room; they twisted my words around." She glared at Terry who looked back at her calmly.
"He has a blood wound on his hand," he said, bringing Ron's hand out and showing it to them.
Hermione's eyes widened and Harry felt his mouth go dry. Hermione recovered first. "Terry, it doesn't even look like a bullet wound." But even as she said it, she had doubts. And she hated herself for it.
Terry looked at Harry. "You could have been mistaken about where you shot the guy. It was dark."
Ron's face was as red as his hair. "It's a bloody cut! Remus will tell you! You still believe me, don't you Harry," he asked his best friend.
Harry blinked, and looked at Ron, confused.
Ron didn't know what felt worse. Being accused as the Auror wives' killer, or having his best friend believe it. "I don't believe this."
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A/N- *runs in when curses die down a bit* Don't hate me! You'll regret it! *like a rocket she's out of there*