It was cold again that day. In a way it seemed like every day since Harry's defeat had been cold. Ron, Neville, and Ginny were huddled together in an alley in Hogsmeade. All three of them looked shabbier than Professor Lupin had ever looked at his worst. Ginny's boots which had once been black were now a dull brown from many nights running through mud and her long coat was also brown simply from wear. Ron's turtle neck had a large hole by his shoulder showing the green stained shirt underneath. Neville's pants were completely frayed on the bottom and his robe was splotched different colors. Over all they looked like a thrift store from Knockturn alley that had spent a week in a ditch which wasn't too far from the truth.
It had been eight months since the fall and the new government had rose up quickly. Voldemort had created the new position of Supreme Lord of the English Wizarding World and now was setting his sights on conquering the rest of wizarding Europe. He was saving the Muggle world for later. The post of Minister of Magic remained to control the populous and was now taken by none other than Bellatrix Black. As one would expect, she ruled with a vicious hand and obeyed her Lord without question. Lucius Malfoy was her second and he controlled the new division of 'Categorization and Control of Muggle/Wizard Influence' which was another way of saying hunt down the Muggle-borns and half-breeds.
Suddenly they heard a crash out on the street. All three jerked their heads up.
"I'll go check." Ginny said in a low voice.
She silently rose from her crouched position and crept to the end of the alley.
The new office had put into place laws regarding who had the right to be considered a true pure wizard. Those deemed acceptable under the law had full citizenship with all the rights there to. Those who did not qualify as pure fell into two categories: the Secondaries and the Undesirables. Secondaries were those who had one fourth Muggle parentage, werewolves, and those who were former aurors and anti-regime ministry members allowed to live after the final battle regardless of Muggle blood. Undesirables were half-bloods, Muggle-borns, previous Order of the Phoenix members, and those considered political enemies such as any member of the Weasley family. Secondaries had partial status allowing them to have only certain types of jobs and only use lower level magic. If they broke any of the laws of their new status they were placed among the Undesirables.
Any one who defied the new regime was considered an enemy and hunted down. Undesirables were placed in camps where no one really knew what happened. Ron had heard from one man who escaped that the old Death Eaters were performing experiments on some of the prisoners to try and develop new forms of torture magic and who knew what else.
Scampering down the hall Ginny kneeled down beside them again.
"It was just a few Secondaries, no purists."
Those with full wizard status were called purists. Most former Death Eaters had since become part of the new branch of Magical Law Enforcement know as Hunters. They were the branch of the office which replaced the aurors but had a much different task.
"We need to move again." Neville said, looking up at Ron.
Ron sighed. Life was hard now, harder then he even thought it could be. They had no real home, no protection, and no rights. Everyone was spread apart, scattered by the Hunters or captured. Hermione had been caught four months ago and thrown into red camp. The three of them had heard nothing of her since and didn't know if she was dead or alive. Ron's father and been killed out right with hundreds of others, including many auror members who had been captured. He had also been forced to watch his older brother Charlie be vivisected by one of the Hunter's new curses. One casting had pulled his intestines straight out through his stomach. They had left him there to bleed to death.
Most of them had been captured at one point early on after the fall. Fortunately, Professor Lupin and Tonks had evaded capture then launched a breakout before the camp construction was finished. Ron and Neville had been dragged away from the furious battle by Kingsly Shacklebolt. They didn't know where any of the other Weasley's were. Their mother had escaped and they thought she was helping the resistance in the muggle world but weren't sure. They had heard nothing about Bill or the twins for months. Percy was in a camp.
"There's no one else out there." Ginny was saying. "I think we could get going now. There is supposed to be a portkey up the hill we can take out of here."
Ron nodded and they all stood. Reaching the edge of the alley way, Ron peeked around the corner. The street was quiet, filth pushed up against the buildings so there was a path through. Some stains of blood could still be seen on the street.
"Ready?" Ron said, glancing back at them.
They both nodded, Ginny with her wand in hand. Ron and Neville's wands had both been snapped in half when they were captured. Luckily, Ginny had escaped quickly and kept her's.
Quickly they darted out in to the street, keeping close to the buildings. It was dusk now and Ron hoped it would allow them cover. They had to get to the portkey soon or it would degrade because of the illegal make.
"Do you know what they are planning for this meeting?" Ginny asked over her shoulder at Ron.
She always took point now.
"I think they are working on a plan to hit blue camp. Tonks has a source that might be able to get her the lay out but we can't be sure." Ron replied.
"Lupin said, also, that he wants to get McGonagall out of there soon as we can because they may be able to crack her." Added Neville.
They all shuddered at the word 'crack.'
"She won't crack." Ginny whispered.
"Everyone cracks eventually." Neville said.
Neville had become extremely cynical and cold since the fall. Everyone at St. Mungo's at the end of the war had been slaughtered with out mercy, including his parents. Their deaths seemed to push Neville over the edge into a place that had always been threatening to take him over. Now it had and he was darker than any of them could have thought before. Neville did not smile. Hate was all he ever seemed to feel, hate for the people that ruined his life over and over again.
"Stop." Ginny hissed.
They heard a scream in the distance. It was a woman. The three pressed their backs up against the wall, trying to melt into the shadows.
"Should we…" Ron began.
"We can't," Ginny said. "It's only me with a wand and you two haven't progressed enough with wandless magic."
"It's too late now." Neville said.
The scream came again, sounding choked, like the person screaming had water or blood in her mouth. They heard a crash and the familiar snap of bone. Footsteps came briskly down the road.
"Back!" Ginny said.
They all back pedaled quickly away from the footsteps. They heard another crunch. One set of footsteps had encountered a bone to step on. Soon the footsteps came faster and the three of them turned around the broke into a run.
"Stop!" They heard behind them.
"Go!" Ron yelled. "Split up!"
"Meet back at 314!" Ginny yelled.
The resistance had a number system for safe hideouts and deserted places where they could find shelter from the Hunters and Purists. 314 was the location of tonight's meeting, if they would be able to get to it.
At once the three friends broke off in different directions. Ron kept running straight while Ginny turned off down their original alley to the left and Neville went to the right.
"Halt, traitors!"
Ron heard a curse hit the pavement behind him but he did not stop running. One good thing these eight months had done was make him faster than he had ever been in his life. There was scarcely a day in the week when Ron did not have to run from some one or to somewhere.
Then he heard the thing he had been dreading most since their last escape, a female scream of pain followed by the thump of a body hitting the ground. Ron stopped dead in his tracks and whirled off to the right.
"Ginny!" He screamed at the top of his lungs. "Ginny, no!"
He was completely tense but he kept moving. He had to get to Ginny. She was the only family Ron had left right now, the only one he could protect. It was his little sister and nothing could happen to her. Nothing could happen to Ginny, he would not allow it!
"Ginny!" He zigzagged through back streets looking and looking. "Ginny!"
He heard her scream again to his left and he nearly crashed into a solid wall trying to get to her.
"Ginny!" Ron heard Neville yell far away.
"Resist and die!" Ron heard and then there was the sound of step behind him.
A fist smashed into his jaw and Ron's head hit the wall. He crumpled like a rag doll onto the cobblestones. Echoing through the streets he could hear Ginny screaming high and long over the buildings.
"No, you bastards!" Ron tried to get up. "Leave her alone!"
The Hunter kicked Ron in the jaw, knocking him down again. Blood ran down his throat. He coughed spraying dark blood on the wall. The ground was dancing and Ron fought to stay conscious.
"Try it again and I will Avada Kedavra you right here." The man above him said.
Ron could still hear Ginny screaming. They were crucioing her, he could tell. If they did it for too long she could snap her own neck or back with the spasms. Ron had to get to her. He could not loose her.
"Leave her alone…" Ron rasped, pushing himself up with his hands.
Walking quickly around Ron so that he was right in front of Ron's head, the Hunter smashed his boot down on Ron's left hand. Bones crunched, sending Ron back to the ground howling in agony. The Hunter's wand dug threateningly like a dagger into Ron's temple.
"You are coming in with me. Mr. Malfoy wants all the Weasleys rounded up and is giving a big reward for anyone who brings one in alive."
Through the pain in his hand Ron felt cold terror seep into his muscles making him tense.
"And what do I have right here but the last Weasley boy?"
Ron realized then that Ginny's screams had stopped. Was she dead or not? Suddenly, the Hunter grabbed the top of his jacket and dragged Ron to his feet, shoving him brutally into the wall.
"So, you are coming with me, conscious or not."
He punched Ron in the stomach causing Ron to see stars.
"But I can soften you up some for the journey, you muggle loving blood traitor."
It was then that Ron realized he couldn't speak because of the blood in him mouth. He coughed violently onto the man's robes and slumped back against the wall. What could he do? This couldn't be it. He was not going to be captured again. He had to fight.
In one swift motion Ron shoved the man off of him and turned to run. Then the words were shouted, the spell cast, and he fell. Ron's knees cracked onto the stone and before he blacked out Ron saw the Hunter grinning down his pointed wand at him.
This was not the end. He had to survive.