Everything always happens to me
(A Next Generation Story)
(Ron's House)
Ring. Ring.
"Ron, get the door."
"Ronald Billius Weasley, get the door or I will lecture you on goblin wars for the rest of your life!"
Ron stiffened, but didn't move from his bed.
"And lock you in a room with Draco Malfoy." Hermione Jean Granger added as an afterthought.
Ron bolted from his bed. Hermione was sitting on the sofa, a smug expression on her face. Grumbling, Ron groggily stomped his way to the front door, and was greeted by a smiling Harry, accompanied by Ginny and George Weasley. Tall, red haired, long-nosed and full of freckles, Ron hadn't changed much at all, except for a small moustache beginning to grow on his face, which Ron was very proud of.
Hermione stood up from the sofa, her frizzy brown hair falling on her chocolate brown eyes. "Hello, Harry!" She told Harry, whose mess black hair was sticking up at the corners. His startlingly green eyes looked happy. "You're just in time!"
"Whadda 'ave to wake me up so early fer?" Ron answered groggily, sounded like Hagrid. "It's-hold on a second-" Ron checked his watch. "Eight fifty. And it's a weekend." With his eyes half closed, Ron collapsed on the sofa and Ginny giggled.
"Because," Hermione said, exasperated, sounding so much like her teenage self that Ron let out a snort. "We arranged for our children to meet here, remember?"
"Really?"
"No, Ron, it's because we wanted to give you a koala." George replied sarcastically. He then looked to his right, as if waiting for someone to respond, but then looked forward again and his face fell just a tiniest bit. Nobody noticed except Ron, and he felt tears jumping to his eyes. He hastily wiped them away before anyone noticed.
As if on cue, James and Albus bolted inside the room, grinning. It was remarkable how much James Sirius Potter looked like Harry, but had brown eyes instead of green. Albus Severus Potter looked a bit like Harry, but had some of had Ginny's features, like the pale skin and brown eyes. His hair looked like the teenage Snape Harry had described.
Harry Snape. Heh. That was a good one.
Lily Luna Potter followed Albus, her red hair trailing behind her back, sopping wet. Her nose was in the air. She was a carbon copy of Ginny, except for the startlingly-green eyes that Harry had. Harry was about to comment on why she was wet, but then decided he would rather not know.
As if sensing Harry's question, Lily informed them. "It was hot, and I was complaining, so they poured pop on me." She stalked away disapprovingly. Harry and Ginny snickered when George pretended to applaud and wipe his eyes.
There was a great clattering and clanging from Hugo's room. George and Ginny exchanged interested looks and were almost at the door, but they faltered from Hermione's stare.
The doorbell rang. Ron barely had time to move as Rose shot out of her room and greeted a blushing Scorpius Malfoy. He had platinum-blonde hair, grey eyes, but much darker skin than Draco Lucius Malfoy, who was striding behind Scorpius, a sour look on his face.
Ron saw Rose and Scorpius ran to the room where James was. Then Ron noticed that it was empty. Hermione giggled, and Draco smirked. Draco spotted Ron and they had a silent glaring contest.
Ron blinked. Draco smirked. "Years of being a Slytherin, Weasel. Years of being a Slytherin."
"And being a big pain in the ar-"
It was fortunate that Hermione coughed loudly, and Draco didn't her the rest of what Ron was going to say, because they were glaring pure daggers at each other.
Draco turned away from Ron and faced Harry. "Potter."
"Harry." Harry corrected automatically. Draco looked like there was dung under her nose. Harry, Hermione and George were watching him with highly amused expressions on their faces.
"H-Harry-" Draco shuddered, and Ron was glaring at him again." There's an emergency down in the Auror office. Someone named-" Draco paused, trying to rack his brains-"Dungus Fetcher?"
"MUNDUNGUS FLETCHER? WHY THAT NO GOOD, SNIVELLING – "
Draco looked up curiously. Harry groaned. "That's third time this week. Is he trying to steal my broomstick again?"
Draco, Ginny and George had sudden coughing fits. Ron sniggered loudly. Harry glared at them, which only caused them to cough and snigger more.
Hermione looked stricken. "You have to go now? But there are more people coming!" She started rattling off names. "Bill and Fleur, Percy and Audrey, Victoire and Dominique, Teddy, Angelina's coming with Fred-"
"Blimey, Hermione, how are we going to fit all those people in one house? And sorry, Mione, but it's-"
"Official Auror business that's highly important. You're starting to sound like Percy when he was Mr. Crouch's assistant."
"Eh, I expect Scorpius will enjoy a little time with Weaslette Junior over there." Commented Draco offhandedly. "Never thought he'd sink to Weasleys, but hey, at least he's smarter than her."
It was lucky that at that time Harry suggested that they get a move on, because Ron was looking like he could strangle somebody. A pale, grey-eyed, platinum-haired somebody.
(Ministry of Magic, Department of Mysteries)
"Where's Dung hiding?" Was Ron's first comment, as he saw Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic and expert Auror. He had dark skin and brown eyes, and had a deep, reassuring voice that could calm you even if your house was on fire. Which, in the Potter-Weasley household, it often was.
Kingsley was the best Minister of Magic so far, and not even the most critical person could deny that. He didn't underestimate anybody, and was always on the lookout. He wasn't as paranoid as Moody, of course…
Don't think about Moody!
"He's hiding in the Hall of Prophecy." Ron saw Harry groan, and remembered his experiences in fifth year, and Sirius…
Sigh.
"It's behind the brain room, the hall of prophecy and the newly-added fear room."
Draco spoke up. "What does the fear room do, exactly?" He asked apprehensively.
"It works kind of like a boggart." Kingsley replied, his voice soft like always. "It turns into your worst fear."
Ron had the immense satisfaction of seeing Draco turn paler than usual. Not so brave now, eh, Malfoy?
"Dung's smarter than he looks, isn't he?" Ron looked up and a grin spread across his face. Percy Weasley was striding towards them, his thick glasses sliding down his nose. His hair was messy, and he had a look of importance on his face. Draco, if possible, scowled even more.
"Peter Weasley." Draco greeted politely, although his expression was anything but.
"Percy." Ron correct automatically, and then grinned, remembering his second year.
His second year.
And then Ron immediately knew what his worst fear was. He saw it, plain as day. He remembered that incident, and thought about those giant pincers, snapping, coming to get him. He heard a faint voice whisper some words, as the clicking increased, and the giant, eight-legged beast was swooping down on him, snapping, hissing-
"So, ready to go to an obstacle course?" Percy's voice snapped Ron out of his nightmares. Harry scoffed. "Please, I've faced a nose less snake dude. I can face a boggart." Draco turned a little less pale, his face determined.
"All right then."
"Let's do this."
Ron emerged out of the brain room, panting. He shuddered. He would never get over that disastrous incident in fifth year. He swore he still had the marks on his left arm to prove it.
He entered the fear room. It was just a large, circular room, with a door on the opposite end of Ron. Large chandeliers hung from the top, and the room was painted a glittering blue.
Ron slowly approached the door. "Hormonus Revalis." He muttered, and when nothing happened, he approached the door. Suddenly, he heard a large clicking noise He froze. The noise was faint, yet clear. Ron immediately knew who it was, and he hoped with all his heart that he was wrong.
Memories began flooding towards him. He Forbidden Forest. Follow the Spiders. The great black spider coming near, with all its family clicking their pincers rapidly, the car, the battle of Hogwarts, the eight-legged creature whispering, whispering something in Ron's ear…
He turned around slowly, and his heart froze.
It was Aragog.
Large and hairy, he was exactly as Ron remembered him. Tall, eight-legged, and a very menacing look in his eyes. Suddenly, Ron remembered those words which Aragog had spoken.
"Good bye, friends of Hagrid."
Harry felt cold and numb. He turned to the large beast descending upon him, his face pale. The dementor was gliding towards him, looking like a large, tattered, black transparent blanket, only much more dangerous.
Memories began flooding towards him. His worst memories.
Lily, take Harry and go! Go! I'll hold him off!
"Avada Kedavra!"
And then Fred fell before him, the ghost of his last laugh still etched before his face.
"Harry-Potter." And the elf stood motionless before his arm.
Stand aside, you foolish girl, stand aside…
"Expecto...Patronum." A silver wisp of light came out of his wand. Harry lay on the floor, his face pale, his hand shaking. The dementor came down on him, his faceless expression menacing.
Dumbledore fell off the astronomy tower.
And then Sirius fell through the veil, and expression of triumph on Bellatrix's face.
Remus and Tonks, their hands together.
The owl lay crumpled on his cage.
"Ex-expecto.."
The cold was flowing through his veins. The dementor slowly lowered his hood, his ace ready to suck out his soul.
No. He would not give up. Think about Ron, Ginny, Hermione, George, Even Malfoy, Percy...
The dementor came closer.
Think about Fred, Dobby, Sirius, Remus, Mum, Dad, Dumbledore, they would not want this to happen. Don't give up. Face your fears. Face your worst memory. Let Prongs ride again.
"EXPECTO PATRONUM!"
Aragog was descending upon Ron, pincers clicking madly. It was twice Ron's size. Nearby, he heard voices in his head. "My friends do not harm Hagrid, upon my command, but I cannot deny them fresh meat when it wanders so willingly upon my mist. Goodbye, friends of Hagrid." Ron froze, his legs numb. He wanted to run, but the world was moving in slow motion. The spider was almost upon him, its pincers clicking furiously.
An inner voice in his head spoke up. "You've faced Voldemort, but you're afraid of a spider." The voice was jeering, taunting, and evidently right.
Why was he afraid of Aragog? He was just a spider. A giant, bloodthirsty spider, but still a spider. He had faced much worse, bloodthirsty dragons and dementors and even snake-face himself. There was no reason he should be afraid of just a spider.
Then Ron laughed, and the spider exploded in a million teeny, tiny, bits of light.
Draco Malfoy stood in the room, terrified. A slow voice was coming near him, a voice that he recognized only too well. It was the voice of Lord Voldemort.
He's not real, he's not real…
Draco ran to the other side of the fear room and slammed the door shut, panting in huge gasps of breath. Waiting for his face to regain colour1.
Percy Weasley met Draco outside the door. "Draco." He greeted politely. He got a small nod back, which was almost amazing for a Malfoy.
"What do you think is holding up Ron and-" No sooner as he spoke the words, Ron and Harry both came out of the room. Harry's face was white, though it was regaining colour, and Ron was wearing a smile.
"Kingsley has dung." Percy informed pompously, sounding do much like his older self that Ron couldn't resist a snigger. "They took back all his stolen items and he has to pay a 100 galleon fine. But your broomstick-" Percy shot Draco, who had begun snickering, a dirty look. "Is worth more than that, isn't it?"
"Er-I have no idea."
Harry turned to Ron. "Dementor held me up." Ron's expression turned to one of pity. "What took you so long?"
"Aragog."
"You poor, poor soul…"
-END—
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