Chapter 1: Power Surges

(A.K.A: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. It's just that yours it stupid.)

It was a cold day in July when Ron agreed to go talk to Snape for Harry and Hermione about why the hell there was a cold day in July and whether they should be worried about it.

Well, that wasn't necessarily true, but Ron thought it should be. He had to have a good reason to willingly waltz into the dungeons after he'd spent six years trying to avoid them, not to mention helping take out you-know-who in the hopes that he'd eventually be rid of the greasy git for good. Harry and Hermione owed him big time for this one. Ron wasn't the type to put himself through such torture just so his sister and two best friends could go on a double date without him when they should have been helping him solve this case anyways.

The wizarding world had been experiencing strange surges of power in seemingly random places for the last few months and no one could figure out where it was coming from. There were rumors going around that the Dark Lord was returning, but so far there was no actual proof. The ministry had everyone from aurors to unspeakables trying to figure it out. Kingsley, the minister of magic, had put him, Harry, and Hermione on it a month ago but they weren't any closer to solving the mystery than anyone else was. So Hermione thought it would be a bloody wicked idea to send Ronald Weasley to ask Severus Snape for help. Why she thought Snape would listen to him of all people was as much of a mystery as what was causing the power surges. As a matter of fact, this meeting would probably cause more power surges than it prevented. Ron groan out loud and knocked on the door to the office of the man he had hoped would just die…or at least be sent to Azkaban, but had been labeled a 'hero' instead.

"Enter," Said the familiar voice that Ron had hoped to never hear again.

Determined not to allow Snape to get a single insult in, Ron started in on him the second he opened the door, leaving it open behind him just in case he needed to make a quick exit, which he probably would. It wouldn't surprise him one bit.

"Look Snape, I don't want to be here any more than you want me here so why don't we get straight to the point? I need to know if your master plans on coming back from the dead any time soon."

"I suppose you're the dolt Miss Granger chose as her last minute replacement for the meeting we were supposed to have half an hour ago?" Severus sneers, leaning back in his chair and crossing his arms over his chest. "You're late Mr. Weasley. You haven't changed in the slightest."

"Yeah, well, you haven't either, you greasy old git." Ron retorts.

"Ah, is that any way to ask your, and I quote, 'last chance at solving this case' for help? That doesn't encourage me to oblige you at all. Also, I don't appreciate that reference you made to my past. My name was cleared of all charges. If you place such an accusation again, this meeting that I am no longer obliged to have will end." Severus states calmly, standing up and moving to the other side of his desk. "Try again, Weasley. More professionally…if that's within your ability."

"Alright…By the authority of the Ministry of Magic, I demand that you tell me whether or not your sorry arse is working with your little deatheater mates to take over the wizarding world." Ron obliges mockingly.

"Well, that's closer." Severus shrugs. "I'd have thought they'd have taught you in the auror training program how to properly ask for assistance from your superiors…then again, I am talking to a Weasley, aren't I?"

"I'm warning you, Snape! You better give me some answers or I'll-"

"You'll what, Mr. Weasley? Arrest me? Upon what grounds? Wounding your inflated ego?" Severus cuts him off, "I'm sure they'll believe the word of the auror who tried to arrest the Minister of Magic over the word of someone who has been awarded the Order of Merlin First Class just a few years ago."

"Yeah, well, they'll forget all about that little incident, which wasn't my fault anyways, when I bring in the psychopath who's been causing all that weird stuff to happen." Ron counters.

"And when it continues to happen, you'll lose your job for putting the wrong man into Azkaban." Severus adds, "Then I shall be labeled a hero, yet again, for ridding our world of the worst auror it has ever seen. Really, that's not necessary, Mr. Weasley. The first time the Ministry begged my forgiveness was quite enough."

Ron starts for his wand but pauses mid way, taking a deep breath and struggling to contain the rage that was inevitably built up in him whenever Snape was around. No wonder you-know-who found him useful. Luckily, Ron's training had prepared him for this sort of thing, helping him learn to control his temper.

"Look, Snape, I didn't come here to argue with you. I didn't want to come here at all, but Hermione has got it in her head that you can somehow help us. Just tell me you can't and I'll be on my way," Ron requests, gritting his teeth while forcing a smile on his face that looked more like a grimace.

"But, , I don't know whether or not I can help you…and I've been trying to cut back on lying since I killed Dumbledore." Snape answers innocently.

"You admitted it!" Ron declares excitedly.

"I never denied it," Severus smirks.

"Go…" Ron's mind went blank, as it often did in Snape's presence, and he yelled the first thing that popped into his head, "fall in a hole!"

Ron turns around and makes for the door, but freezes as the jars lining the shelves on Snape's wall start to shake.

"What have you done?" Severus demands furiously, pulling out his wand and trying several different spells to make them stop. None of them work, and a moment later the jars start falling off and the floor starts shaking as well.

"What? I didn't do anything! You're the great, powerful wizard with the First Class Order of Merlin!" Ron accuses, terrified. He draws his wand and moves towards Snape in an attempt to get away from the walls. "I knew it had something to do with you!" Ron yells, just as the floor gives way beneath him. He grabs Snape's arm to keep from falling, but ends up pulling Snape down into the dark hole with him.

Minerva looks up from her dinner as the Great Hall starts shaking. As the students started panicking she started to stand up, but hesitated when the shaking stopped. She sat back down as the hall filled with chatter, but grew calm again.

"Hmm…that was interesting."