Disclaimer: I'm not J.K. Rowling, as much as I want to be. Wait, then I'd be a mother of three and I'm only fifteen…I just want the rights to Harry Potter!

Luna Quiz answers: Dumbledore's brother is Aberforth and he was ridiculed for performing inappropriate charms…on a goat. These quizzes will pop up every once in a while, so stay sharp!

I promise to you all, come Christmas in the story, Harry will face Voldemort.

Chapter Four Ron's Riddle

"Has anyone seen Ron?" a sleepy Fred asked the bustling kitchen of the Burrow. All the Weasley's present shook their heads, and for a moment it seemed as if a fire had broken out. Harry noticed Mrs. Weasley casually turn her head to face the enchanted clock, the one that had all the Weasley's on it. All the hands were on "mortal peril". It had been that way since Voldemort's return, but it definitely didn't help Mrs. Weasley with the fact that her youngest son wasn't around.

"He probably overslept," Hermione suggested, glancing at Harry. She started up the stairs, and motioned for Harry to follow. As soon as they were out of earshot, she started talking.

"I'm worried. He Apparated this morning, and I don't know where he went,' she said quickly, all on one breath. He followed her into Ron's room. "Look at that!" She pulled a dusty atlas off of Ron's bed.

"Maybe he marked where he was going?" Harry said. Something about this seemed odd. How did Hermione know where the atlas was right away? "What's going on?" But she ignored him.

"Look, he marked this spot. We can do a Side-Along, alright?"

"Hermione--"

"You don't have a license, so we'll do this legally," she huffed, and grabbed his elbow. Before he could object, he felt the strange sensation and knew he was being Apparated. With an 'oof', he felt the feeling end, and looked around at where he and Hermione now were. They were on an asphalt surface, and there was a heavy fog all around. He shuddered. It was creepy looking.

"Couldn't we have at least told Mrs. Weasley that we were leaving?" Hermione paused, as if considering what he had said. The she shook her head, dismissing the thought. "You two have been acting strangely lately."

"No we haven't Harry," she said, absentmindedly looking around. "Let's find Ron, okay? He's around here somewhere." She raised her voice a bit, and looked around expectantly. "He's around here SOMEWHERE!" Hermione called.

"What's going on? Hermione?" Harry asked. Had they planned something? For a brief moment, the heavy fog lifted, and he saw a street sign.

Godric's Hollow

"Godric's Hollow…this is where my parents lived," he gulped. He looked at Hermione, and saw that her face was flushed.

"Ron and I were planning on surprising you. You said you wanted to come see the place, and we came up with this," she motioned around her, sweeping her arm. "We did tell Ron's mum, though. She'd freak if Ron really was gone--but now…he's gone. What could have happened to him Harry?"

"Maybe he just fell asleep waiting. Or he got lost in this fog," Harry reasoned. There was another at the back of his mind, but he pushed it back. Voldemort wasn't involved. Ron was just being a prat. "RON!" he yelled. No answer.

"We have to find him!" Hermione squeaked. "Ron!"

There was a deafening bang, and then a groaning and another bang. Through the swirling haze, he saw a flaming head of hair.

"RON!" He ran to the collapsed figure, and he felt like his stomach had dropped to the pavement. Ron was coughing terribly, and his face was bloody. It looked like he was getting a black eye as well. Hermione caught up with Harry, and let out an "oh!". She pointed to Ron's chest. It was slashed, just like Draco Malfoy's had been.

"Ron, what happened? Ron?" Hermione seemed pale. "Harry, get him up, we have to get him to the Burrow or St. Mungo's, now!" He pulled his limp friend up, and felt a rush of guilt. All he could see was Mrs. Weasley all those years ago, when she faced a boggart. She had seen Ron dead.

"Harry! Do you know how to Side-Along with Ron?" Hermione was asking him. He shook his head. "You, I know it's illegal, but….Apparate to the Burrow, and tell the Weasley's….I'll get Ron to St. Mungo's. Go!"

Both he and Hermione tried, but couldn't Apparate. This was looking more and more like a trap every second. But whoever had Ron…he had Apparated. He must have set off a charm after he'd left. Or maybe they were in the wrong spot.

"This way!" Harry helped pull Ron a little ways, and they tried and failed again. They kept moving and trying. But every time they failed to escape, Ron was dying. Suddenly, he emerged from the fog. "Go now!" he panted. With a pop, Hermione and Ron were gone. He willed himself to Apparate, and as it started to work, he felt a hand grasp him. He turned, and it was a Death Eater. There was no way he could go to the Weasley's now. Instead, another idea took him. At first, he tried to pull away, but when it was clear that it wasn't going to work, he Apparated.

Moments later, the two plummeted into the Atlantic ocean. In the fall, the Death Eater Apparated, and right before he hit the water, Harry did too. He staggered at the sight of the leaning Burrow before him, and was relieved when he saw that there were no Death Eaters. Instead, he saw the Weasley's all standing around happily in the kitchen, looking at one of Fred and George's new products. He felt like he would collapse when he heard Mrs. Weasley scream. Suddenly, everyone was around him, dragging him into the house.

"Harry, what happened?"

"Where's Ron and Hermione?"

"Who did this?"

"Did you Apparate? That's illegal--"

"He's exhausted!" Mrs. Weasley said above everyone else. "Harry, are you hurt?" He shook his head.

"Ron's….hurt. Hermione…took him…to…St. Mungo's," he gasped. He heard chatter all around him again, and a series of pops. When he opened his eyes again, there were no Weasley's, only a scattered assortment of Order members. Lupin was closest to him, and it looked like he might have been dozing. But the moment Harry moved, he was completely alert.

"Harry! You're awake!" Immediately, Tonks and Mad-Eye Moody joined him at Harry's side.

"How's Ron?" Harry asked feebly, taking a sip from a glass of water that had magically appeared at his side. The trio looked around uneasily at each other.

"We don't know. But Harry, what happened?" Lupin asked quietly. Harry quickly told them everything he could remember. At the end, his voice was hurting a bit, and he finished off the glass, only to watch it refill itself.

"Can I go see Ron?" he rasped. After a few more looks, Lupin nodded.

"I'll take you to him. But he's not too well," Remus said in hushed tones. Harry wondered how he could really be a dangerous werewolf. After he assured everybody that he was alright to walk, he went outside with Lupin, and when he opened his eyes, he was at St. Mungo's. After talking to the receptionist, Lupin lead the way to Ron's room.

When he got there, Harry saw that all of the Weasley's, with the exception of Percy, had gathered red-eyed outside the room. Mrs. Weasley immediately hugged him, as if he needed it, not her. Hermione was pale, and he could see where her tears had been. She was standing in the corner, and Harry felt sorry for her. She probably felt guilty.

"Is he…okay?" Harry asked. Mr. Weasley nodded.

"It was a close call, but he'll be fine. He's sleeping now," Mr. Weasley indicated the small window on the door. "He should be well enough to return home tomorrow."

"Did he say anything?" Lupin asked. "About who did that to him?"

"One word. Snape," Mrs. Weasley said, and broke out sobbing again. Mr. Weasley starting patting her on the shoulder. "That evil man…Dumbledore….now Ron? Oh…"

Harry wasn't listening anymore. All he seemed to hear was Snape. He took a deep breath. Snape would definitely pay. For Dumbledore and Ron.