Here it is, the first chapter of true Sith action, with Darth Ruin as main Sith character! Now, I decided to take a long step, of about a year, to make things quickier, because the true action comes later! Please note that I mantained HP story canon, so Moody, Lupin, Tonks, Dobby, Hedwig and Fred are dead. Enjoy!

Chapter 4 : Encounters

Harry's P.O.V.

A year. It's nearly a year since when I lost my best friend. Someone said that you don't recognize what you have until you lose it. It's true, I never recognized how much Ron meant to me. It's different from the times he wouldn't speak to me for some reason or another, because this time he's gone… probably forever. But if it's hard for me, others are taking this harder. A lot. Ginny is besides herself; she feels she's been too hard with Ron, always seeing him just as a overprotective big brother, and now she's wrecking with guilt. His family has took it hard, too. They feel guilty, too, but especially Mrs. Weasley and the twins, the first because she is afraid she's never shown much love for him, because she loves so much her only daughter after six males; the latters because they openly acknowledged they've gone a little too far with their jokes. Now they try to compensate by being much more serious and appear guilty, it doesn't matter how much Percy (!), who went back to his family after Ron's leave, tells them this doesn't help. But for Hermione is even worser : after all the Lavender stuff, she never truly admitted how much she desired Ron's love, and it wasn't all because of Ron's emotional range; now that she has lost her occasion, she is very down. But she is the most hopeful, too. After what that Torvin guy said, we are half convinced that Ron is gone, but she isn't. She's the first one to say his name, to remember him to us, and all this because she is adamant that he, in a way or another, will turn back to us. And no one shall convince her of the opposite.

Meanwhile, the war rages on; Dumbledore has been killed in cold blood by Snape, but not before he could tell me Voldemort's weakness : his Horcruxes, pieces of his soul that make him immortal. If they are destroyed, he can be killed. So, I, Hermione and Ginny (after losing Ron, I couldn't bear myself to distance myself from Ginny, and her family reluctanly agreed to let her going with us, while her father secured from the Minister an early lifting of the Ban, so she can use magic outside the school) didn't return to school and went on searching the remaining Horcruxes (two, Tom Riddle's diary and Slytherin's ring, are already gone). The Ministry has fallen to Death Eathers and Snape is now Headmaster of Hogwarts, but we managed to destroy one (Slytherin's locket) and to retrieve another (Hufflepuff's cup), and we just discovered where are the others (Ravenclaw's diadem and Nagini), at Hogwarts and with Voldemort. We managed to destroy the cup and the diadem, so remains just the snake, but Voldemort knows and so he unleashed his Death Eathers. We are fighting him in an all-out battle, he is going down or we are, there are no other chances. But as the edge of the war is coming, I find myself wanting for the zillionth time to have my friend back with us…

Unknown location

It was dark; the only light was a blood-red light that shined from the curved lamps on the walls. In the circular room, just a figure stood before a great mirror decorated with roaring black dragons. He lifted a hand and made a gesture before the glass : on it appeared instantly a clear image of a great battle… wizards fighting other wizards.

"What are you looking for, Lord Ruin?" a shrill voice asked. The figure turned his head : his shoulder-lenght hair was red, the shapes were the same, but the face was emotionless, and Ron Weasley's blue eyes were now Darth Ruin's yellowish sparkling lights. "I am looking what is happening, Master!" Darth Ferius came alongside him. "Aah, I see, you are looking after your friends… and those you love!" Ruin's face remained plain. "I am what I am now because of them, Master, I can't help it. And I still crave to help them in their quest!" Ferius looked at him. "Are you telling me that because you know you can't hide anything from me? Or because you're asking permission to leave this place and go help them?" This time, Ruin turned around towards his master. "Master, I know you know everything I do and think, and so it's useless for me to say what I wish. But if I was to make a suggestion, the presence of Voldemort could be an obstacle for us, so his demise is not against our quest!" Ferius sneered : in just a year, the uncertain and volatile young wizard had turned into a merciless warrior, and a cunning mastermind. His skill in strategy was incredible : it was just the truth that Voldemort would be an enemy to them. So, he looked intently in his apprentice's eyes, and saw nothing else than darkness. "Very well, Lord Ruin. You have my permission to do everything you deem significant to help Voldemort's defeat. But don't forget who you are… and that only one can actually overcome him, so you can just help them, but not defeat him yourself!" "I know, Master!" replied Ruin, lifting his black cloak's hood, that made his eyes sparkling even more evil than before. He bowed to Ferius, then he turned around and went for the exit, disappearing into the darkness of the place. Ferius stood there for a moment, then laughed. It would be a serious blow for future enemies that had proven to be so dangerous, to realize what had been of their old friend. And it would be an excellent field test for the most promising Sith Lord that history had seen from a thousand years.

Hogwarts

"Harry Potter is dead. He's been killed while he was fleeing, trying to save himself…" Voldemort declared triumphantly besides an astonished crowd of Hogwarts defenders, pacing around Harry's body. Actually he was still alive, but was pretending in order to complete his mission : having discovered through the just deceased Snape's memories he was another Voldemort's Horcrux (and that Snape was actually on the good side), he managed to walk to him to be killed, in order to dispatch it, but he had found himself in a limbo and realized he had a choice about going forward or going back. He had decided the latter, so he feigned death to lure Voldemort into a trap he couldn't escape.

But just before Neville Longbottom, besides himself from rage, could throw himself at Riddle, the air became a lot chillier, and the stars suddenly disappeared. The teachers, the Order of the Phoenix and the DA merely thought of another trick of Voldemort, but he looked up as confused as everyone. Then, a dark figure jumped from the Astronomy Tower and landed gracefully in the space between the two armies. He stood in all his stature, and when he spoke, fear caught everyone, for his voice was even more horrible and threatening than Voldemort's. "It's not true, Voldemort. You have failed, and now darkness and void are waiting for you!" Voldemort looked scared, but then sneered : "Ha! Who are you, to oppose the Dark Lord?" The figure took down his cloak, and everyone gasped : it was Ronald Weasley, but it wasn't really him. His expression was one of complete and calm fury, and his voice sounded with hidden power and danger. "I used to be Ronald Weasley, but now I am Darth Ruin! And ruin is upon you, and those who follow you!" He suddenly made his move, and a red flash cut the air; a second later, the thrown lightsaber returned in its master's hand as Nagini fell backwards, decapitated. Before anyone could react, Ruin had secured his deadly weapon on his belt, and lifted both his hands. From the Death Eather's ranks, Bellatrix Lestrange and Fenrir Greyback were taken and hurled into the air, a good thirty feet from the terrain, perfectly visible to everyone, even to the rushing reinforcements coming from Hogsmeade, led by Charlie Weasley and Horace Slughorn. In the deadly silence, Ruin merely said : "You… deserve only to die!", and then an impressive surge of lightnings was shot from his hands and hit the two villains with incredible power. Filling the air with their horrible screams, they died in a few seconds; if someone could have thought it over, he could have realized that probably Ruin could have killed them instantly, but instead chose to gave them a very painful death.

In that moment, everything went awry. Roaring from having his last link to immortality severed and having two of his best servants killed before his eyes, Voldemort charged towards Ruin, unleashing a barrage of spells that were easily deflected by Ruin, who seemed like he was toying with him. Harry got up covering himself with his Cloak of Invisibility and disappearing into the mess. As the Death Eathers, reeling from the sudden double attack in their rear and at their front, were trying to reorganize themselves, Buckbeak attacked the Giants, depriving them from their most powerful allies, and the House-Elves charged their lower parts, falling many of them. They were forced into the Great Hall and there they were overwhelmed by their opponent's sheer numbers and determination. Voldemort, after having realized that his attack could do nothing to Ruin but that Ruin was not going to attack him, was dueling with Kingsley Shackelbolt, McGonagall and Slughorn, neither side managing to get a finishing attack. When the Dark Lord remained alone, he managed to get free from his opponents; it was then that Harry took out his Cloak and faced him.

Everything went silent as Harry Potter and Tom Riddle faced themselves. Everyone's attention was drawn to this epic showdown. Ruin too deactivated his lightsaber (after having killed a good dozen Death Eaters) and folded his arms on his chest. He pretended not to notice it, but Hermione looked at him intently, unbelievingly and at the same time radiant with unbearable joy, before turning to the main event. The two mortal enemies circled each other as wild beasts waiting for the right moment to jump at each other's throats. But Ron, using his Force sensibility, could sense something the others couldn't, as Voldemort and Harry talked. He could sense something in Voldemort that some years before he couldn't have believed : fear. But now he know he was right to be afraid : Harry had managed to get all the good cards, and now there they were, Voldemort no longer immortal, and Harry… well, Ron could sense an immense determination in him, and that didn't surprise him a bit, but he could sense something mildly surprising : concern. It was possible that… even when locked in the greatest duel of wizarding history, Harry could feel concern… for him, for his long lost friend? The realization took his toll, as Ruin's eyes widened and his arms started to fall to his sides. But the gesture went unnoticed, as the two champions lifted their wands and roared togheter "AVADA KEDAVRA!" and "EXPELLIARMUS!". A bright flash of light…. Then, Voldemort fell, dead, gone for good.

Ruin made a smile in which satisfaction at his friend's success was mixed with glee because a potential rival to the power of the Sith had been broken and now lied lifeless on the floor. As everyone cheered and went for Harry, he took the chance and turned back, to get away, his mission finished. But someone noticed it : and that someone freed himself from the circle of people who was cheering at him and took some step forward, calling : "Ron…!" Ruin stopped, and turned a little. He slowly shook his head. "No, Harry Potter, you're wrong. I used to be Ronald Weasley, but now I can't say I'm him anymore. And don't get your hopes up : this time I helped you, but not because we were friends, but because it suited my mission. So be warned : I can see clearly that the next time we'll see each other, we shall be mortal enemies." He paused, feeling a mixture of amusement and sadness as devastating horror struck his ex-best friend, then he turned again and went for the exit. But it was with sincere fear, almost panic, that he reacted to the familiar voice that shouted : "Ron! Ron, please, wait…!"

His mind swirled in different ways. No, not her, I can't face her… he thought. He rushed to the grounds, then he made a series of Force Jumps that brought him on the Astronomy Tower. There, he boarded his aircraft and disappeared into the night, wishing that his feelings could disappear, also.

On the grounds, a lonely figure was standing there, looking at the exact point where the strange device had disappeared from her sight. Her eyes were filled with tears, all the joy for the final victory and his beloved's sudden reappearance vanished. But at least, she knew he was alive… and that her voice had some effect on him. No matter what, Ron, I'll always believe in you…

16/12/10 - Corrected a few mistakes!