No one was able to go to bed. They all knew they would never get to sleep without knowing how bad Mr Weasley's condition was. Megan and Sirius, who felt a little intrusive in this family grief, glanced at each other but none spoke. Ginny presently dozed off on Megan's shoulder, her little hand clasping Megan's tightly. Megan rested her head against Ginny's, guilt still eating away at her. Ron was leaning against the wall, arms crossed, while Fred and George had propped heir seats against the other wall, and were dozing too.

The ticking of the clock had never felt so unpleasant, had never sounded so loud to Megan as they waited and waited. She glanced at Sirius who seemed to be thinking the same as her: they would be devastated if their father died. Megan, who hadn't known hers, missed him, but could live with it. But with a family as tightly bound as the Weasleys, as loving for one another... she wasn't sure they could bear the shock... and Mrs Weasley would have to fend for her family alone... Just then, like the crack of a whip that made them all start, the door of the kitchen opened on a pale, tired-looking Mrs Weasley.

"He'll be okay." she said weakly as they all rose. "He's sleeping. We can see him this afternoon. Bill stayed with him."

Megan felt relief along with her guilt. Fred sighed and slumped back into his chair while George and Ginny got to their feet and hugged their mother. Ron said nothing but his face expressed it for him.

"Breakfast, I think, you lot must be famished." Sirius said.

He and Megan, who felt desperate to do something, got up to get breakfast ready, to leave the Weasleys alone a while as they shared the relief of knowing Arthur was okay. But as Megan was bringing plates over, Mrs Weasley pulled them out of her hands and hugged her fiercely.

"I don't know what we would have done if it hadn't been for you..." she said. "They might not have found Arthur for hours and it would have been too late."

"Uh, well..."

Megan felt terribly awkward, not deserving at all of any kind of gratitude.

"And Dumbledore found a good story to explain why he was where they found him... Oh, he'd have been in so much trouble..."

She soon released Megan to thank Sirius for taking care of them through the night.

"Not at all," he said. "You're all welcome to stay as long as he's in St Mungo's, of course."

"Oh, we're so grateful..." Mrs Weasley said. "He might be there for a while, you see, and it would be a lot better to be close... But that does mean it could last until Christmas..."

"The more, the merrier," he smiled.

Mrs Weasley smiled back and put on an apron to help with breakfast.

After breakfast (of which Megan ate little), Sirius encouraged them all to go get some sleep. They did all look rather tired.

"Yes, I think he's right," Molly put in, stroking Ginny's hair. "We could all use some rest, it's been a long night."

"I've got everything ready for you, you needn't worry about a thing," he said.

So, they slowly made their way upstairs, Megan and Ginny sharing the same room they had over the summer. Ginny yawned and pulled off her jacket.

"Megan?"

"Yes?"

"Thanks so much. Dad would be dead without you."

Megan looked away uneasily.

"I... don't mention it. I know how much you all love him, I'm just glad he's okay."

Ginny smiled tiredly and slid into bed. Megan looked at her a moment, then lay down too. She wished she could talk to Cedric but a glance at her watch ruled that out. It was barely past seven in the morning. More concerning was the fact that she didn't know if it would be enough to hear just his voice, this time. Plus, he would be just as frustrated at not being able to be with her as she was.

Everyone except Megan spent the rest of the morning sleeping. Ginny went under quickly, but Megan lay awake, glancing at her from time to time, rolling and turning in her bed, though quietly to not wake her, too scared to go to sleep, keeping a hand on the metal bars of her bed to not doze off. She was terrified that if she did allow herself to sleep, she would become the snake again, and wake up to find Ginny in the same state as Arthur, or else that she had slithered through the house and hurt someone else. She even sat up for a moment when she started feeling drowsy.

She looked out the window, feeling lost and alone. She missed Cedric. And worse, she felt like she had no more control over anything. She wasn't even sure she knew who she was any more. What was happening to her? Why had Dumbledore been so intent on not looking at her, and barely speaking to her? Was it so bad he was trying to detach himself from her? She knew they had always had a connection he didn't have with other students... But he had never gone to such lengths to keep his distance... Was it because he knew what was going on but wouldn't tell her?

Yes... that has to be it. Why else would he just turn his back on me in the worse possible moment?

They were escorted to St Mungo's by Tonks and Moody, who looked rather unusual in his Muggle clothes and bowler hat lopsided to cover his eye. Megan hadn't really known what to expect as they reached the tall building. As it happened, it looked pretty similar to any hospital but the doctors were knows as Healers.

"We'll go in small groups, Molly. Family first," Tonks said. "He won't want to have too many people at once."

"Yes, I think that would be best," Molly agreed. "Come along, then, you all." she added to her children who stepped forward while Tonks and Moody moved aside.

Megan meant to fall back too, but Mrs Weasley pushed her forwards.

"Don't be silly, Megan, he wants to thank you."

Megan wished everyone would stop seeing her as a hero she clearly wasn't, but stepped in awkwardly behind Ron. They found Mr Weasley in a room of three, covered in bandages and looking rather pale, but he smiled at them.

"Hullo!"

"How are you, Arthur?" Molly asked, touching his cheek.

"I feel fine. It's just that they can't take the bandages off. I bleed like crazy if they try. They reckon it's the venom. They're sure they'll find something, though."

His eyes fell on Megan.

"Ah, Megan. I can't thank you enough."

"... Oh... I didn't do much, Mr Weasley..." she muttered, flushing.

"Always so modest," he smiled.

"What were you doing, Dad?" Fred asked. "Guarding You-Know-Who's –"

"Shh, Fred!" Mrs Weasley interrupted.

"Megan, didn't you say that he had a snake? A big one?" George asked.

"Enough, you two! Arthur, Tonks and Moody want a word."

"But, Mum–"

"You lot can wait outside, go on!"

They said their goodbyes and slid out.

"Fine, we'll find our own way," George said, pulling a load of Extendable Ears. "We've adapted them a bit so we each get an ear piece. Here..."

He handed one out to each of them. Megan hesitated to take hers.

"Go on, you saved his life, if anyone deserves to listen, you do." George said.

She smiled weakly and slipped the piece in her ear as Fred slid the other end by the door. Seconds later, they heard Tonks' voice.

"... looked all over, of course, but the snake was nowhere to be found. Looks like it vanished as soon as it had attacked you, Arthur."

"My guess is the snake was sent in reconnaissance." Moody grunted. "He's trying to get a clearer picture of what he's after and if Arthur hadn't been there, he would have had loads more time. You say Potter saw it all?" he asked.

"Yes... d'you know, it sounds to me like Dumbledore was almost expecting something like this..." Mrs Weasley whispered uneasily. "And he seemed worried about Megan when we spoke this morning..."

"'Course he is. She's seeing things from inside You-Know-Who's snake. Of course, Potter doesn't realise it, but if You-Know-Who's possessing her..."

Megan yanked the ear piece out and stepped back, horrified. But her terror was nothing compared to the shock and fearful expressions on her friends' faces...