Attack on Arthur Weasley

Attack on Arthur Weasley
Event information
Location	Department of Mysteries, Ministry of Magic
Date(s)	December 18, 1995
Participant(s)	Arthur Weasley, Nagini
Description	Nagini attacks Arthur Weasley after looking over the Department of Mysteries for the Order of the Phoenix

The Attack on Arthur Weasley occurred a couple of days before the Christmas holidays in 1995, while he was on duty guarding the prophecy regarding Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter. He was bitten by Lord Voldemort's snake familiar Nagini. He was grievously injured and sent to St Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries.

Background Information

The Prophecy regarding Harry Potter and Voldemort's downfall

"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches…Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies…And the Dark Lord will mark him as equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not…And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives…The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."

— Sybill Trelawney

In 1980, Sybill Trelawney made a prediction regarding a boy born at the end of July, part of which was overheard by Severus Snape. He hastened to tell Lord Voldemort, who perceived the prophecy to refer to Lily Potter's son. Voldemort then pursued the Potters for a year when they went into hiding. When their Secret-Keeper, Peter Pettigrew, defected to the Death Eaters, gave in to after Voldemort threatened to kill him, divulging the Potters' location. James and Lily Potter died defending their son, the latter of which sacrificed herself, giving Harry protection from Lord Voldemort until he turned 17. After Voldemort tried to kill Harry, the fragment of his soul which resided in his body was driven out, but he did not die as he was kept alive, yet bodyless, by his Horcruxes.

Lord Voldemort's Rebirth

"Who put your name in the Goblet of Fire, under the name of a different school? I did. Who frightened off every person I thought might try to hurt you to prevent you from winning the tournament? I did. Who nudged Hagrid into showing you the dragons? I did. Who helped you see the only way you could beat the dragon? I did."

— Barty Crouch Jr. to Harry Potter

In the year of 1994, the Triwizard Tournament was held at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Bartemius Crouch Jr., disguised as Mad-Eye Moody by way of Polyjuice Potion, made sure that Harry Potter could get through all three tasks successfully and win the tournament. He did this to ensure that Harry was brought to Voldemort fulfilling the Dark Lord's plan. He volunteered to take the Triwizard Cup into the middle of the maze for the Third Task, making the cup into a portkey. He patrolled around the maze, stunning Fleur Delacour and putting Viktor Krum under the Imperius Curse. He made Krum torture Cedric Diggory, while Harry was encountering a Blast-Ended Skrewt. Harry, hearing Cedric, went to help him. The two of them took the cup, deciding that they should draw, still resulting in a Hogwarts victory.

Barty Crouch Jr.

The two were transported to Little Hangleton Graveyard, where Cedric Diggory was immediately killed by Peter Pettigrew. Harry Potter was then bound to Tom Riddle Sr.'s grave and watched as Wormtail prepared a potion. After taking the bone of Tom Riddle Sr. and sacrificing his own hand, Wormtail approached Harry with a knife and took some of his blood. These ingredients were added to the potion, and Lord Voldemort was returned to his body.

Lord Voldemort prior to regaining his body

Once in a physical form, Voldemort summoned his Death Eaters and discussed his plans both past and future. In an effort to prove himself superior to Harry Potter who had thwarted his best laid plans, he then duelled with Harry Potter intending to finally eliminate the threat, but he was stopped by Priori Incantatem. Harry was able to escape with Cedric Diggory's body and return to Hogwarts, alerting the world of Voldemort's return.

The Attack

Arthur Weasley was doing work for the Order of the Phoenix, guarding the prophecy regarding Lord Voldemort and Harry Potter, as the Order of the Phoenix knew that Voldemort would attempt to retrieve the prophecy once he gained a body once more. Arthur fell asleep while guarding it, and Nagini attacked him. Harry Potter viewed this through his connection with Voldemort. The rest of his dorm thought that it was just a dream, however Harry assured them that it had actually happened. Neville Longbottom went to get Professor McGonagall, and she took Harry and Ron to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore alerted the rest of the Weasley family and made a portkey to 12 Grimmauld Place. In that moment, Harry felt an urge to attack Dumbledore; this and the fact that he had viewed the attack through Nagini's eyes made him fear that he was being possessed by Voldemort.

Aftermath

Arthur was sent to St. Mungo's and was placed on the first floor for creature induced injuries. He had to take a Blood-Replenishing Potion, because whenever they took his bandages off he started bleeding profusely. Trainee Healer Augustus Pye suggested using stitches on his wounds, which did not work and only dissolved. However, he eventually made a full recovery and was sent back to Grimmauld Place.