A Helping Hand...


Upstairs Molly went back to her room checked her potions cabinet and put few things in her bag and was coming out when her 17 year old daughter apparated right in front of her
“Ginny!” shouted Mrs. Weasley, “just because you have turned 17 and you have passed your apparition test doesn’t mean that you apparate on every floor you want!”
Ginny just giggled and Mrs. Weasley went past her climbed down the stairs
“mum where are you going?”
“Gorge called me to Zonkos”
“He is in Hogsmeade?”
“yes”
“mum I am coming too. Its been ages since I have visited Hogsmeade,” said Ginny
“no Ginny, you aren’t coming and moreover Hermione will be coming soon. She will panic if no one’s there in the house”
“she has gone to visit her parents ,right?” asked Ginny with a wicked smirk and Mrs. Weasley nodded and with that she stepped on to the fire place and shouted, “The Three Broomsticks”
“Mum!” called out Ginny but she was gone.
“The Three Broomsticks? What is she going to do there?” thought Ginny and frowned but a smile crept along her face when she remembered her mother nodding at the reason that Hermione has gone to meet her parents. Hermione, Ron and Harry all three of them were at Gorge’s apartment in Daigon Alley and were preparing for their NEWTs exams. Hogwarts had allowed the 7th years, to take up an exam equivalent to NEWTs if they don’t wish to miss one more year. Though the teachers were expecting the 7th years to return but they also wanted to give an option to those students who studied through the entire year on their own staying in Hogwarts. Though Harry, Ron and Hermione didn’t come back to Hogwarts last year to study they took up the syllabus from school during the start of the summer after the war ended and started preparing. It was Hermione’s idea to give this exam. According to her at least they would have something to distract their mind from the after effects of the war. It wasn’t that she didn’t feel bad as Ron felt bad for the death of his dear brother Fred and Harry the death of his mentor and friend Remus Lupin and his wife Tonks but she wanted them to take the exam so that they will have a chance to lead a normal life which Fred, Remus and Tonks would have wanted the young wizards to lead. Her own parents whom she had sent to Australia came back and she visited them once and brought them back to normal. They were glad to see her and they encouraged her take up a job at the Ministry. She hadn’t told them yet about Voldemort or the war. She didn’t want to go back and tell them every thing that happened. But she would have to sooner or later.
Ron on the other hand was broken to core to see his brother’s death that he couldn’t come to think of it that it was only Gorge who was left behind to do all the pranks alone. He was furious with Hermione when she put up the idea of giving the exam. He didn’t talk to her and told her that she didn’t have feelings for anyone in his family and that all she ever cared for was books and exams. That didn’t hurt her neither did it infuriate her but made her feel bad for Ron but soon she could make him see some sense in it and forced him to study. It did help Ron a lot. Though there were nights when he would be awake but it would have been because of the exams. Harry soon joined them at study just to get things out of his mind and fortunately it worked for him too. It was their idea of not telling Mrs. Weasley that they were not going to attend Hogwarts and quietly giving the exam and surprising her. The exams were due on the coming Monday and it would continue till the end of July and the results will be expected to be out in late August. Meanwhile, Ginny had given her 6th year exam in June itself and was waiting for the results, which was due late in July.






Back in the room in Rosmerta’s apartment, Rosmerta changed Sara’s robes and tried to put her in new robes. But before that she had to apply the potion. She didn’t allow Gorge to come in. he was waiting out side for his mom.
“Gorge! What is happening dear?” asked Molly as soon as she entered the apartment.
“Mum I have told you about this girl called Sara, right?”
“yes, you have. What about her?”
“I think she has been attacked by a werewolf, she is badly injured”
“oh my…where is she?”
“in there, Madam Rosmerta is tending to her she didn’t let me in,” he said
“you stay here, I’ll go and see,” said Molly and went in.

“Rosmerta?”
“Molly, thank you so much for coming here,” said Madam Rosmerta
“what has happened?”
“Sara, she has been helping me for quite sometime. She went out for a break of 2 days and just came back in a bad state this afternoon. Looks like she has been attacked by a werewolf,” she said
Molly took a closer look at Sara’s torso. It had a bad gash and her back too was having scars and wounds with dried blood. She shook her head and asked Rosmerta what she was applying.
“Sara comes back and applies this if she has a wound like this,” said Rosmerta
“so you knew that she is attacked by a werewolf before too?” asked Molly to which Rosmerta nodded and said she will give the details later. Molly soon joined Rosmerta in cleaning the wounds and took the mortar from Rosmerta and applied the potion to Sara’s back while Rosmerta turned her.
“oh dear…this is bad…”
After what looked like an hour’s effort they dressed Sara and left her in her room. Sara was still unconscious when they came out. Gorge who was waiting outside asked them how Sara was as soon as they came out.
“still unconscious,” said his mum
“Rosmerta now will you tell me what all this is about?” asked Molly
“yes Molly but lets go have some firewhiskey and let me place the ‘close for today’ board and then I will tell you everything, but promise me that it wont be leaked because Sara may not like it. We have been telling people that she is a foreigner who has her boyfriend here and has come to live in Britain as they soon will be getting married”
Molly looked amazed at the piece of information and Gorge just smirked and said, “I wont be surprised if she ends up actually one day with her boyfriend here Madam Rosmerta”
“so she doesn’t have a boyfriend?” asked Molly
“no it is just a story that she made up so that people over here will stop bothering her,” said Rosmerta
“smart girl,” said Molly and sat down at a table as Rosmerta went to get a bottle of firewhiskey and Gorge went to change the sign board. It had begun to rain now.
Rosmerta told everything to Molly and they sat there for quite some time when Molly said getting up, “I should better leave. It is getting late. Ginny will start to worry, Hermione should be back by now and I have to start preparing for dinner”
Madam Rosmerta nodded and Gorge to got up too
“Rosmerta let me know how Sara is doing, alright? Poor girl,” said Molly and she nodded.

hope you liked it so far...waiting for your comments too...:-)