My heart just stopped. Sob. "He's after the baby!" BUT WHO? Who's after the baby? Why? Percy, out of jealousy? Possibly, but he couldn't have wanted his brother to kill his sister and then turn around and murder him, could he? Was Ginny an unfortunate victim in the wrong place at the wrong time? Is all of this because Percy has the hots for Hermione, or is all of this to punish Hermione for being a Muggleborn marrying into his Pureblood family? If it's Percy, there's an accomplice and very likely an unwitting or unwilling one at that.
I say this because of a possible clue in Hermione's Magical Family Law research. Because she's a Muggleborn widow, her children can be taken from her and placed with their Pureblood in-laws, but Harry has evidently found a loophole, whatever it is. It has to have something to do with his relationship with Hermione and their plans to marry when her period of mourning is passed--unless there's a way around that too.
My guess is that even though Harry's a Half-blood, he married into that Pureblood family too, and is a widower of said Pureblood, which makes him one of the Weasley brothers...? If he marries Hermione, that satisfies the law. OR... Harry's the Head of an old Wizarding family in his own right--and a Pureblood one at that (until his father married his Muggleborn mother, that is). Again, that might satisfy the law.
At any rate, I hope Harry's able to talk to Ron while he's in Lighter's head and find out who "he" is and why he's after the baby. Now he knows why Ron went off the deep end and became violent. He has to tell Hermione. She has to know, it's only right. Meanwhile, I hope Cheryl has a full recovery. Perhaps Harry can help the entities to cross over in peace.
Great story!
Author's response
Wow!
Thank you for a very well thought out review.
I can answer all the questions you’ve asked here, but it would involve MAJOR spoilers.
I will, however, drop some not so subtle hints.
The one who’s after Hermione’s unborn baby is the same one that killed Ginny.
The one who killed Ginny did not kill Ron.
Harry and Hermione are just one straw short of telling the wizard-centric world to stuff it!
Cheryl is the only LIVING link to the personalities trapped within the network of cogs – this will prove to be dead useful!
Thanks for reading and reviewing.
N!