Arthur and Alan were both stunned by the news, and Moody, standing nearby, immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. He turned to Frank. "Frank, you go and help. I'll notify Alice. Emmeline and I will handle the Prewett brothers; we'll get them where they need to be. Don't delay."
Frank and Arthur nodded quickly, each taking one of Alan's arms as they Apparated away.
Emmeline Vance, remaining in the shadowed grove, whispered a quiet prayer. "I hope Molly is alright. We've seen enough tragedy for one day."
The trio arrived outside an old-fashioned red brick department store. After a hurried explanation to the mannequins in the display window, they stepped through the glass and into St. Mungo's Hospital. The receptionist informed them that Molly had just been admitted to a second-floor ward.
They rushed up the stairs. Augusta was already there, pacing anxiously in front of a set of double doors. Neville was nowhere to be seen, likely left in the capable hands of Mrs. Diggory.
Augusta stepped forward to explain. After the men had left for Cornwall, she and Mrs. Diggory had gone to the Burrow to look after Molly. Initially, Molly had been stable, though paralyzed by grief. But as the afternoon wore on, the heartbreak became a physical toll. She had doubled over in pain, and Augusta realized her water had broken. Labor had begun weeks early.
The decisive matriarch had split their forces, leaving Mrs. Diggory to manage the house full of children while she rushed Molly to the hospital. The Healers had moved quickly, and Molly was currently inside receiving emergency care.
Arthur's face paled. He moved toward the ward door as if to burst through, but he caught himself, afraid of interfering with the Healers' work. Instead, he joined Augusta in her pacing, his brow furrowed in a deep, agonizing frown.
Eventually, the door opened and a female Healer stepped out, removing her mask. They swarmed her for news. "The patient's condition has stabilized," she said. "She's taken a Strengthening Solution and her vitals are returning, but because her water broke, we must proceed with the delivery now."
Alan, thinking of Muggle medical procedures, asked, "Why not perform a C-section?"
"A C-section? What is that?" The Healer looked at him blankly. "The patient is still quite weak from the shock. The danger hasn't passed. All we can do is monitor her and wait for nature to take its course."
Alan's heart sank. *They don't do Caesareans?* he thought, incredulous. Did that mean she just had to endure a high-risk labor while physically and emotionally exhausted?
Arthur asked if he could see her, and the Healer granted him a few minutes. While Arthur was inside, Alan turned to Augusta. "Mr. Weasley and I can stay here. You and Frank should head back to the Burrow. Mrs. Diggory shouldn't have to handle all those children by herself."
Frank agreed. "I'll stay with Arthur. Mother, you go. I'll send a message to Alice later and have her join you. That way, we have both locations covered."
Augusta nodded, her mind already on the eight children at the Burrow. Mrs. Diggory wouldn't even be able to manage a meal for a group that size.
After Augusta left, the wait became a test of endurance. Arthur eventually emerged, reporting that Molly was conscious but exhausted. They settled into a heavy, suffocating silence in the corridor. Alan felt a rare sense of helplessness; he was trained in field medicine and trauma, but he knew nothing about the complexities of childbirth.
As midnight approached, the silence of the hospital was shattered by Molly's screams. Labor had truly begun. Arthur's pacing became more frantic, his footsteps echoing like drumbeats in the hollow hallway.
The ordeal lasted until nearly dawn on August 11th. Finally, the screams ceased, replaced by the thin, high-pitched cry of a newborn.
The tension broke. A few minutes later, the Healer returned with a tired smile. "Mother and daughter are both safe."
When they were finally allowed inside, the sight of Molly holding her baby was a study in contradictions: her face radiated a tender, maternal love while her eyes remained clouded with grief for her brothers. Alan stood in the doorway, silenced by the weight of the moment. Joy and sorrow were playing a tug-of-war in that small room.
By morning, Alice arrived. She had secured emergency leave for herself and Frank, and the Ministry had granted Arthur compassionate leave. The Longbottoms planned to rotate their shifts between the hospital and the Burrow.
Over the next few days, Alan and Augusta took charge of the Weasley home. Alan handled the cooking, ensuring the children were well-fed, while Augusta managed the logistics of a household without a mother. The usually rowdy Weasley boys were strangely quiet, their mischief dampened by their mother's absence and the heavy atmosphere they didn't fully understand.
Arthur returned home a few times to give them updates: Molly was recovering remarkably well and would be home soon. However, their new sister—named Ginny—was currently needing constant care, meaning the boys would have to wait just a little longer to meet the new addition to the family.