Arthur Weasley came home that day to find his wife sitting alone at the kitchen table. Oddly enough for the first time in years dinner was not already waiting for him. Nor was there anything on the stove. This did not bode well.
"Is anything the matter Mollywobbles?" he asked.
"We need to talk Arthur", said Molly.
Oh dear, oh dear. This was bad; this was very…very bad. What had happened?
"Has anything happened?" Arthur asked.
Molly snorted in disbelief. "Do you really need to ask that Arthur? Didn't you hear about what happened to Sturgis?"
"He's been arrested, I know. But what does that..."
"He was arrested because Dumbledore had him guarding the Prophecies. Why hasn't Dumbledore had him released already? Why is he still under arrest?" demanded Molly.
"I'm sure the Headmaster is going to have him released soon Molly. You don't need to worry", said Arthur.
"Oh, it's not him I'm worried about Arthur. What if it had been you instead? What if you were the one under arrest? I don't think we can trust the Headmaster to keep you out of Azkaban Arthur. Look at what happened to Harry. Dumbledore had Mundungus guarding him. Mundungus! As useless a wizard as I've ever seen and Dumbledore had him guarding Harry."
"Molly...You can't talk that way about Dumbledore", said a deeply shocked Arthur Weasley. He could not believe his ears. Molly had always been one of Dumbledore's staunchest supporters.
"Why bloody hell not? He couldn't even keep Harry safe. What good is he?" shouted Mrs. Weasley.
Arthur sputtered in disbelief. Unfortunately at that moment he couldn't really come up with an adequate defence of Dumbledore.
"I'm telling you right now", Molly continued. "You are not to stand guard at the Ministry any longer. I will not have it."
"But...but...I have to", said Mr. Weasley.
"No, Arthur, No", said Molly. Her voice was rising and she was starting to tear up as well. "I will not have it. We are done risking our lives in Dumbledore's games. I lost enough family in the last war. I will not lose any more. Do you hear me?"
"Yes dear. If it means that much to you, we won't involve ourselves with the Order any more", said a defeated Mr. Weasley. There was no arguing with Molly when she was in this state. He just hoped that they found Harry soon so that she would return to normal. For now though he had a wife to comfort.
...
Rita Skeeter was ecstatic. She had started digging as soon as she received word from one of her informants at Hogwarts and it had paid off in spades. This would be the biggest story of the year and the best bit was it was all absolutely true. She even had proof in the form of copies of the expulsion notice sent to the Boy who lived and copies of the testimony provided by Dumbledore and that auror bloke. Her editor was going to have kittens. All she needed now was a good headline.
"Ministry expels Boy who lived for charm cast by an auror!" No, that would not do at all. It wasn't nearly sensational enough.
"Ministry and Dumbledore conspire to have Harry Potter expelled!" Better but still not quite what she was looking for.
"Fudge attempts to have the Boy who lived kissed by dementors then expels him." Yes, that was much better but didn't have quite the correct ring to it.
"Harry Potter missing after dementor assassination plot foiled. Fudge expels him in retaliation."
"Dementors attack Boy Who Lived! Is Harry Potter dead? Why did the Ministry expel Harry Potter? Ministry Cover-up exposed!"
"Boy Who Lived missing after Dementor attack! Is Harry Potter dead?"
"Fudge expels Boy Who Lived to cover up failed dementor assasination!"
"Boy Who Lived Missing - Presumed DEAD! Is Fudge responsible?"
Yes, that last one would do nicely, she thought, although perhaps she should tack on a few more exclamation points. Now the only thing to do is to get that Granger girl to sign off on it and lift that vow she had forced her to take. She was sure that Hermione Granger should have no problem with this article. After the way the Ministry had been taking shots at Potter all summer she should be eager to get some payback.
....
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