temp Part 7

Frightened someone had seen him appear from mid-air, Ron rolled behind a red armchair near the dying fire.
Ron saw the reflection of two dark shadows in the dim light. He peered tentatively around the armchair and gasped silently.
Two men were talking in low voices. Ron didn't recognise their voices, but he saw that one was holding on to something. It looked like an arm. Attached to the arm, it looked like…
Neville?!
Neville Longbottom was lying on the floor next to the arguing men. He appeared to be knocked out cold.
Ron sat stunned for a moment. A brief memory flashed through his mind. He was walking down the stairs of the common room—he saw Neville lying still on the ground—he opened his mouth to scream, but a man pointed his wand at him and shouted something—everything went black. Several thoughts of escape, fear, and bravery ran through his head.
Ron made up his mind. He leaped out from behind the chair, pointed his wand and bellowed, "Stupefy!" A bright green light flashed. Immediately afterwards he cringed and rolled back behind the chair, expecting a returning curse.
After several seconds of silence, Ron gathered up his bravery once again and peered out from behind the chair.
The outlines of two men were lying huddled on the floor. They appeared to be stunned. Ron decided he better act fast before they woke up.
Ron crouched behind the chair, sure he couldn't be seen, and let out a bellow loud enough to wake the whole castle.
"Arggghhhh!" screamed Ron, holding out his wand in panic. Considering all that had just happened to him, he was prepared for anything.
Immediately, Ron heard the many footsteps of his housemates coming down the staircases to investigate the noise.
He ran over to Neville to make sure he was all right. The noise was growing loudly as everyone was asking one another who screamed. Ron didn't see Harry barrelling down the staircase and spotting him in the corner. Bending down, Ron felt an arm on his shoulder.
"Wh—what is it, Ron?" panted Harry, hurriedly pulling on his robe over his pyjamas.
Other members of the house began to appear. Fred and George came down, looking around with glee.
"Perfect—are we partying?" asked George before spotting Neville on the ground.
Hermione walked up to Harry and Ron whimpering slightly. "What happened?" she asked franticly, peering around.
Fresh from his memories about the last two weeks, Ron felt a little odd around Hermione right now.
"It's Neville—he's been Stunned. Somebody go get McGonagall," said Ron, trying to prop up Neville with his arm. Neville was too heavy for him and dropped with a thud. Harry tried to prop him up, and with Fred and George's help, they dragged Neville into the nearest chair.
Colin Creevy reappeared almost instantly, Professor McGonagall in tow. She did not look pleased
"What is going on? Who screamed?" she asked sternly, arranging her square spectacles on her nose.
"It was me Professor," Ron spoke up. "Something's happened to Neville—Stunned I think."
"Oh my!" she said astonished. The colour drained from her face. "Stay here—I'll—I'll go get Professor Dumbledore."
Professor McGonagall returned moments later with Professor Dumbledore. Professor Dumbledore's eyes travelled from the two bodies on the floor to Neville's in the chair. He heaved a sigh.
After conjuring ropes to bound the two men, Professor Dumbledore pointed his wand at each and said, "Enervate."
They stirred slightly before opening their eyes. The man with the sandy hair and numerous freckles awoke first. His eyes travelled from Dumbledore to Harry, peering over McGonagall's shoulder to get a better look.
Ron, being taller than Harry and Hermione, could see everything that was happening.
Professor McGonagall was trying to clear a space away from the two men, but she wasn't very successful.
"Everyone, go back to bed!" she bellowed, looking very livid.
"What about Neville?" Hermione asked, looking pale. Neville was still lying still in the armchair.
"Oh!" she cried, suddenly remembering. The crowd's attention turned from the two men and Dumbledore, to Neville.
Ron stayed where he was, watching every moment. One of the men seemed to be under Dumbledore's spell.
"We came for the boy," he said in a raspy voice. "Master instructed us—we never defy our Master," he coughed.
The other one continued, "He was alone when we came through the window. 'Perfect' I had said. We quickly Stunned him before he even saw us. We almost got away when this boy," he gestured towards Ron, "came down the stairs. I had a wonderful idea—"
"No, it was I," the other one argued. "I was the one who wanted to Time-Transfer him. The Dark Lord teaches it to his most esteemed Death Eaters as a rare alternative to Stunning—much more successful and useful. We Time-Transferred the boy and were about to leave when I heard something."
"That is when the boy came back. We hadn't expected that. He Stunned us before we even knew what had happened."
Dumbledore looked very unpleased with all this.
"But why did you want Neville in the first place?" asked Harry before Dumbledore could stop him.
"We do not question our orders from the Dark Lord. He is supreme—he gives orders, and we follow them.
"Time-Transfer?" whispered Harry. Ron simply shook his head; he was trying to listen to Dumbledore.
Dumbledore gave some silent instructions to Professor McGonagall who had returned to his side. She nodded grimly before magically pulling the two men behind her (with the assistance of Fred and George Weasley). They disappeared from outside the portrait hole. Ron assumed the men were going to be turned over to the Ministry.
"As much as I'm sure you would like to talk to Mr. Potter and Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley, I'll need you to come with me."
Ron had expected that.
Ron walked down several staircases and dark hallways before arriving in front of a stone gargoyle. Giving it the password, Dumbledore led him silently up a winding staircase before arriving in his office.
"Now, Ron, tell me what happened," Dumbledore spoke to Ron.
Ron told him everything (well almost). He talked for almost fifteen minutes detailing his waking up ten years in future. Him meeting Hermione and Harry, eventually finding the book and getting back. He told him about what happened after Ron reappeared in the Gryffindor Common Room. Ron's throat was dry before he finished.
Dumbledore sat silent all throughout the explanation. When Ron finally finished, Dumbledore just sat, looking pensive.
"So what happened, Professor Dumbledore?" asked Ron, swallowing hard. "All I remember is going to sleep and waking up ten years later." Ron sat up quickly. "No—wait! I do remember something else. I remember walking downstairs and seeing Neville! I remember! He was there with the two men—one of them pointed and said something—I can't remember anything else…" Ron hung his head sadly.
Dumbledore fixed his blue stare on Ron. "I assume: You woke up tonight. You decided to go downstairs because you couldn't sleep—too excited from the Quidditch match, I suppose. Downstairs, you found Mr. Longbottom fast asleep. Two men were climbing in the window. Assuming they were up to no good, you tried to attack them. One of them performed the Time-Transfer spell on you—"
"Why?" Ron interrupted.
"I suppose they figured it better than Stunning. With Stunning, one can wake up within a matter of seconds if willing. The old and mostly forgotten Time-Transfer spell, it has been learned, is preferred by Death Eaters. They find it highly useful at times."
"But, sir, why were they trying to get into our common room?"
"Ah—that, Mr. Weasley, I can only assume due to the events that just occurred. I do believe they were after Mr. Longbottom. One of the men, was convicted of torturing Neville's father and mother."
Ron gasped. He didn't want to interrupt, but he had never known Neville's parents had been tortured. "Would he have been in Azkaban then?"
"I don't know how he broke into your common room tonight. Perhaps they thought Neville had some kind of lasting memory about the attack and were trying to get rid of him. We really don't know. I'll have my spies working on that," Dumbledore paused. Now, Mr. Weasley, I suggest you get yourself up to the hospital wing and have Madam Pomfrey check you for—"
"But, Professor!" protested Ron. "I'm not hurt!"
Dumbledore eyed him suspiciously. "All right," he conceded. "But I would suggest you do not tell the—er—finer aspects of your story to just anyone."
Ron agreed. He nodded solemnly. "You may go," Professor Dumbledore waved his hand at the door.
Ron walked back to the Gryffindor door towering contemplating everything that had just happened to him. He stopped suddenly. He had forgotten to ask Dumbledore about the clues in the book and in his papers that they had found. It was too late now.
Arriving back at the tower, he saw Professor McGonagall telling students off to bed.
"You too, Granger. And Potter," she said sternly, pointing to Harry and Hermione who had just approached Ron, mouths open, both waiting to ask questions.
Hermione sulked back to her staircase and slowly climbed the stairs. Harry shrugged and walked with Ron to the other side of the room.
Neville was nowhere in sight. Ron assumed he had been taken down to the hospital wing.
"Tomorrow," Ron said, climbing the stairs wearily.
Harry nodded.
Ron sank down in his four-poster bed into a sleep of happy bliss.

A/N—Oh the agony! The Epilogue is coming next! I had originally planned to tell all about Ron's arriving back, and his confronting Harry and Hermione all in one part, but that would be too long. I need to make you suffer :-) The ending is a little lame—this next part will be a chuckle, I'm sure (once I write it, LOL). PLEASE REVIEW!

Disclaimer—For the hundredth billionth time, I DON'T CARE! I own Bob. Don't ask me who he is, all I know is that I own him.