Ron opened his eyes and saw the concerned face of Seamus Wellington. Shafiq and Smythe were being him while Harry was being tended to by McKenzie and Archer. Brumby wasn't present in the room and neither was Edwards.

"Sir, say something!"

Ron blinked a few times, trying to dispel the stars floating in his eyes. "That didn't go like I expected." He sat up and groaned. "Bloody hard stunner."

"You landed badly, sir. The Auror Healer is on their way to check you out."

Brumby stumbled back in, his chest heaving. "They've been informed. They'll be here in a few minutes." He bent back over, sucking in more breath.

Ron got to his feet and saw Harry wobbling slightly. "Rubbish on that. I've hurt myself worse wrestling with that git." He took a step and his head was clearing. He shook his head and saw the faces of the cadets and apprentices looking gobsmacked, some stowing their wands and refusing to make eye contact. At least that part of his plan went accordingly.

"Well done, everyone. Full marks for for the class That is how you hold your fire in a hostage-taking situation." Harry toddled over and saw Ron's ears turning red, trying to hide his discontent. "Juniors, stay but class dismissed. The Juniors have a surprise training hop today."

Minutes ticked by as the cadets and apprentices collected their items and slowly left the room. Shafiq and Smythe stood along the opposite wall, waiting anxiously like children waiting on Father Christmas.

"Get over here, you two." They hustled over, taking seats to listen.

Wellington spoke up, "That wasn't a training exercise, sir."The look on his face betrayed the question he didn't ask.

"No, it wasn't." Ron was overspoken by Robards who stalked into the room. "That was one of our moles."

"But Mallory?"

"It's not Mallory, is it, Daniel? She used him like she used everyone else.."

Archer sat back down in one of the chairs. "No sir." He sighed before putting his head in his hands. "I told her she was being stupid."

"Ron?" Harry inquired first. Ron handed over the parchment to Harry, with Robards reading over his shoulder.

"Ron, this is… wow. I never expected them to come through."

Robards snarled. "Who the bloody hell sent that?"

Ron refused to smile. "A source, cultivated for this case, which I refuse to divulge on the part of it being a sensitive Pureblood network."

"Sensitive Pureblood network?" Robards cursed dramatically while Harry had a smile blooming on his face. "How the hell did we miss this?"

Ron didn't respond to Harry's comment. "We didn't. It was intentionally hidden, so we wouldn't find it. Being a Pureblood has some drawbacks, for the privileges, and this was it. That's why I did the legwork. This," he tucked the parchment back into his pocket, "this is the tedious and trifling and dependent on asking the right people the right questions without bringing them into the situation."

He looked at the rest. "That's what you have to learn, once you make the grade. You have to foster a network so information doesn't get held back when you need it. Right Harry?"

"I couldn't have gotten the information, that's for sure."

"But sir, three are gone. How are we going to track them?"

Ron and Harry smirked at one another. "Come on, we have a manipulator to catch."

The group left the room and made their way through the maze of hallways to the Auror offices. Sure enough, Auror NIgel Williamson, with a patch on his eye and his arm still in a sling, was sitting at his desk surrounded by a large stack of parchment and a flock of memos flying around his head.

"It's about time you sods got here. I've had this flock flying around my head the last hour, pecking my arms. What's this about Hemera getting kidnapped out of a teaching room?"

Ron saw Robards giving his silent approval and spent five minutes explaining what happened, including the trap laid for the kidnapper.

"So how are we going to rescue everyone?"

"Weasley, this is your hop and your idea." Robards sat down next to Williamson. "I'm not going, that's for sure."

"You and Auror Williamson will be here, sir. With this group, we'll have our kidnap victims back in short order."

"Juniors? That's madness."

"Call it a training hop, sir. 9 of us against 3, two of which were being controlled and manipulated. I'll take those odds, sir." Ron refused to break eye contact with Director Robards before Robards grunted.

"And the kidnapper, sir?" Williamson might have been busy with department Memos but he rarely missed information.

Serious looks passed between all of them. Ron went to speak up but Gawain cut across him. "Bring them in, preferably alive. But you bring back the kidnap victims alive. I don't care how you do it because if Hemera doesn't return, Kingsley will have all our heads."

"The scuttlebutt going on, sir?"

"I have a perfectly reasonable excuse ready for when you bring them in."

Ron and Harry waited with the rest and yet Gawain stayed tight-lipped."Yes, sir. Understood."

"Sir?" Smythe spoke up first. "When are we going to get them?"

Ron looked at his watch and grinned. "We're just waiting on the word to come in."

Looks passed with the rest of the group but Ron stood ready. "But how, sir?"

"Harry," Ron spoke up first.

"We made a particular word taboo. As soon as it's uttered, we'll go to our landing location."

"And where is that, Sir?"

Ron motioned Smythe and Shafiq over. "It's a flat on Diagon alley, across from Gringott's. The landing site is the alley on the west side of Gringott's. I want you two to go there now and once we arrive, your task is to stay outside the building and keep the crowds back, but also seal the doors once we go in. Someone else will set the anti-apparition wards. Whatever you do, do not come into the building. Juniors know the risk but I'll be arsed to have your necks out. Understood?"

The two energetic cadets went to the next room, which was the only one where they could apparate out - not in.

"Those two will keep the inevitable crowds out when the rest of us storm the flat. But we won't go before Hemera is ready." Ron wiped his face with his off hand, muttering at it to give him a signal.

"Hemera? What!" Gawain roared.

"It's only my hop in name, sir."

"Weasley, what the - "

"Shut it," Ron growled and he felt his wand shaking softly. "Come on, trust us on this Hemera," he muttered to himself. He watched Harry watching his own shuddering wand.

Seven wands rattled at the same time. "That's the signal. Let's go. Landing location is the alley behind Gringott's."

Ron waved his wand in the proper formation, with the others in tow and focused on one particular landing spot, three meters away from Harry's landing location. The compression caused some anxiety every time he did apparition by himself. Infinity passed in a heartbeat before he landed on the spot in question in the alley next to Gringott's. He looked around and saw Harry staggering slightly. The others had their wands out, scanning the area immediately.

"Alright there, everyone?" Harry grunted to cover his small case of the remaining heads affirmed all sorted. Ron saw the building across the street, looking wretched but also reinforced. "We handle this among ourselves. This is an Auror issue, and no one else. So no blabbing to the press when we're done."

McKenzie's face was a mask, along with Archer and Wellington. "Yes, sir."

The group took off to the building across the alley, jostling a few people who were about their business. Shafiq was there and watching everything coming and going. "Once we're inside, put up an Auror grade Blocking charm on the ground floor. Once we're inside, there will be an anti-apparition ward put up. No one is to come in our out without my authority, not even this git. Tell Robards when he arrives that he can come in once the mission is finished."

"We don't know what we're dealing with in there and I don't want fuck all dropping on the entire alley."

"Sorted, sir." Her black and gold hijab contrasted with her modest grey robes. "No one will pass me." She took up station at the front door, watching the alley.

"Come on," Ron motioned to the front door and used magic to enter the ground entryway. They ascended the stairs, passing the first two floors before finding the door to the third, and top floor. The group finally closed the door behind themselves, quietly, to hide their entrance. "Brumby, guard the door. Edwards, get those who are on the floor out of here and down the stairs. I want the floor cleared before we go in." The other two took off, working quickly to check the remaining 7 flats on the floor. Once the two remaining residents were cleared out, Brumby guarded the door. Edwards stood next to him.

"Senior Weasley, are you sure this is the place? It's almost like she's expecting us. Something doesn't seem right."

Ron ignored the young man. "Archer, you're on point."

"Sir, no. She'll kill me."

Ron yanked him to the end of the hallway, away from the particular door. "And why the fuck not?"

"She'll kill me as soon as look at me, sir."

"And that's because?" Ron's stare made the younger man flinch.

"We dated, for a while, when we were first in the program. But a year later, she dumped me because I was competing for the same slots and promotions. She said that I was holding her back and sabotaging her." He shuddered, once. "She called me a fuckin' rent boy would would only be good as a chamber maid, not an Auror." His face turned bright red.

"I know you were shagging her. And, well, women say shite when they get mad."

Archer shook his head immediately. "She tossed me aside and went chasing someone else in the department. I dunno who, but within a month, she was cocky as a Quidditch cup player. Way she had her nose in the air, you'd think she was bedding a Quidditch player."

"Was she?"

"I dunno, maybe. Maybe she was bedding a senior." Archer looked past his arm and the waiting group of Aurors. "She might have been shagging Cavendish, or maybe another one. Fuck all if I know."

"Come on, then. You're still on point. But go in with the shield up first. Two of us will shield you too, so we can take her out."

"And the others? Are you going to kill Mallory too?"

"Why? He's been manipulated, just like you were. Now get a move on."

The two men joined the group at the stairwell.

"Ron?"

One particular look shut Harry up. "Later," he said gruffly before going to the door. "Archer is on point. Wellington and Harry will cover him with shields. Everyone else, shield them. I'm rescuing the hostages."

"Hostages? There's only Jones."

"No - there's two. Mallory was Imperiused - forced to attack me and Harry. So don't you hurt him - for any reason." Ron saw Edwards sealing the stairwell and Brumby at the end, behind him. Someone had to guard the hallway, in case Edwards failed.

Faces turned hard before they stood before the doorway on the very end. "Harry, would you check?"

Harry pointed his wand at the door and verified. "Basic locking spell only. I detect nothing else as a trap."

"Weren't we here a few months ago?" Ron asked off-handedly.

"Yeah, but I doubt we'll find 2 dead bodies inside, not this time."

Ron bit off a chuckle. Now wasn't the time for gallows humor. "On three." He held his left hand out while moving his right, holding the wand, into a complicated motion. The moment the dust settled, the spell would be ready to fire.

On three, Harry blew the door lock and Archer kicked his way in first, with Harry and Wellington covering him. Ron came in almost last, scanning the room, while McKenzie was covering his back.

Mallory was on the ground, possibly dead. Jones was sitting in a chair, apparently petrified, but looked considerably worse for wear. Colby Carrington was sitting in a chair behind Hemera, holding a wand to her throat. She was disillusioned but the sparkle from the spell gave her away. Even with the spell, she made herself smaller, using the larger Auror to shield her.

"Wotcher, Weasley. She told me you were coming here. Damn it if you didn't." She clipped the petrified Auror, drawing blood from her ear.

"Drop the wand Colby." Five wands were pointed her way.

"Drop yours, all of you. I have no qualms taking her fucking head off!"

No wands dropped on her demand. Harry wove a complicated movement and her disillusionment dropped, and Jones slumped, the petrification falling off of her.

"You really think you're in control here, Carrington? Think again." Wellington had his wand pointed right at her eyes.

"She's a little battered but no worse for wear. And you can't pin a thing on me. I've done nothing except be in the wrong places, at the wrong times. Blame the Seniors for using me for their own pleasures. I'm just holding them to their promises and obligations."

Archer kept his wand pointed at Hemera, while the rest slowly moved away from one another, finding a position where she couldn't hurt everyone. Archer kept a shield on Hemera, feebly trying to protect her.

McKenzie slid with him, keeping both of them shielded. "How many have died by your wand, Carrington? Two? Three?" McKenzie slid along the wall of the flat, his wand pointed at the others while shielding them.

"You're a knob, McKenzie. I'm about to become a fucking Auror and you're asking me how many died at my hands? None of them, you dumb fucks. No one died by my hand. There was no need, not when others were so willing to do as I asked. Isn't that right, Daniel? How many did you sabotage to help me get to this point, on the point of being promoted?"

"Drop the wand." Ron's voice was stern, a fair imitation of Hermione when she was arguing before the Wizengamot. "You have no way to escape."

"And you're a fuckwit, Weasley." Carrington shoved her wand into Hemera's neck and tried to apparate away. She landed with a painful thud and a now-not petrified Hemera Jones.

"We told you, you're not leaving this room except in ropes. Aurors are outside with an anti-apparition ward."

"And that's not happening, not when I'm this close to the promotion and have done everything I can to earn it." Carrington put her wand between Jones' eyes, forcing her back to the floor. "Anyone makes a move and I won't just kill her. I'll put her in the Thickey ward for the rest of her life."

"Potter, you kill this bitch now. My life doesn't matter, as long as she's in the ground too."

"Drop it, now!" two voices bellowed.

"Fuck all y'all. I'll blow the fucking building. You know I can do it."

Ron kept his face placid. "You'd die in the blast and wouldn't get to become a full Auror. And you'd not be the one to rescue the rest of us, earning an immediate promotion to Senior." Harry gave him a side-eyed look and kept his wand steady on the two in front of him. "Isn't that what you wanted, Alexis?"

Colby's wand froze, eyeing Ron. "Who told you that you could use that name?"

"I'm an Auror and a damn fine one. I know everything about you, who you really are. Did you think that you'd get away with hiding your true identity for very long?"

"I will be an Auror," she whispered, "and no one is going to keep me from it. I'm more worthy of it that any of these gits."

"The only thing you're going to have," Harry spoke up first, "is a cell in Azkaban. No more dreams for you, not with everything you've done."

Ron dropped his wand slightly. ""We already know about Cavendish, and your feeble attempt of blackmailing Me, Jones, and Williamson. Having a relationship with Archer first, then Mallory just added to the list of your problems." Ron saw that Mallory hadn't moved a muscle since they kicked in her door. "Did you think that getting Hemera to throw away everything for your sodding promotion was going to happen? Think again Carrington."

Her wand dropped slightly. "You have no bloody clue? She does, and she wouldn't lift a bloody finger to help me!" Carrington slashed her wand at Jones' face and made a nasty cut along the cheek. "Tell them!"

"Fuck you!" Hemera spit before getting another slash across her cheek.

"Tell them!" Colby screamed in her face.

"Weasley, Potter. Step back."

They did, understanding the unspoken instructions.

"Carrington blackmailed Cavendish into helping her pass her apprenticeship to a Junior. She got him into a compromising position and said if he promoted her, she'd keep quiet. Well, you see what happened to Cavendish, right?"

Carrington shoved the wand into Jones' throat, leaving a welt. "All of it."

Jones made eye contact with Harry and Ron and they pulled the others.

"She approached me one night I was out without Aurora, trying everything to get me into a compromising position. I blew her off - repeatedly - and eventually left her standing in her knickers in Blackpool. I wouldn't take a bite of the forbidden fruit - and then things went sideways, with Cavendish dead, and her cock-up on the assignment. Regardless of her position in the promotion pool, she only had one recommendation, not the required two. Missing the portkey dropped her to third place - and zero chance at promotion. She got desperate."

"The rest," Carrington shoved Jones completely to the floor. "And make it quick."

"She had no real way to make Auror except through hard work and that wasn't going to happen. You know, Weasley, that up until Shacklebolt changed the rules in the last 2 years, Purebloods had a direct promotion line. Potter, he had his promotion line because of what he did. I found out that she wasn't a Pureblood. She used it to fake her credentials, claiming Avery was her dead father, securing her place for promotion. So when I found out and started asking questions, she panicked and started blackmailing people. Everyone else who made junior are Purebloods, even if they aren't on the Sacred 28."

"So the thing with Avery?" Wellington spoke up first.

"My source said that brother Avery never had kids. That was a ploy and nothing more."

"I am a Pureblood," Carrington's voice broke into a shriek. "Either I get that recommendation and promotion, or everyone in this room dies - everyone except me."

"You're not that good, Colby."

"Shut your gob, Daniel! You're a limp cocked twat and a shitty lover. I'm glad I threw you over the side."

"You're not leaving, Colby." Harry stepped back with the others. "And you're not getting the promotion." Harry looked at Ron and saw the glimmer in his eyes. "You're not getting my recommendation. Williamson said that he won't give it."

Ron saw the signal from Jones and lowered his wand. "And you're not getting mine. Now!" Ron yelled and everything went pear shaped.

He jumped towards Hemera, landing on her roughly while casting a shield charm on her. He bumped Carrington on his way down, throwing her backwards while she was trying to cast the charm that would blow the flat to hell.

He felt the flames for a brief moment before he was doused in cold water. Ron stayed down, pinning Hemera while trying to shield her as best as he could.

Seconds later, he pushed up from her very fit body below him and saw Jones leaning her head back onto the ground, groaning. "Don't do that again, Weasley. That bloody well hurt." Hemera clutched her ribs and moaned again. "Aurora's gonna be bent, having a man on top of me."

Ron choked on his chortle. "Hardly. She might snog me for saving your life." He rolled off of her to survey the damage and felt the dragon fall on his body.

Harry and Seamus Wellington were over the two men in the corner, in front of the charred couch. Mallory was face up, with his eyes glazed over and so was Archer, with a huge scorchmark on his chest. Their robes were incinerated and Brumby was clearing the air of the rancid smell.

"Fuck," he growled and went over to them. "Harry?"

"The four of us were shielded from her blast," Harry choked out. "Daniel, he broke formation to try and save Mallory. He," Harry wiped his face roughly before speaking up again, his voice broken. "He told me in the hallway that George was his best friend and he had to save him." Ron saw tears falling down his face. "He broke formation to save his best friend who was probably dead."

"It's shite," Seamus spoke up, "that they both died, but that would be how they'd have wanted it."

Robards patronus popped into the flat. "Weasley, Potter! Report!"

They looked at one another before speaking. "You're needed on site, sir. 21 Diagon Alley, flat number 33. Shafiq is downstairs, along with Smythe."

"How bad?" The gruff voice on the other end demanded.

"Jones is alive, but we have Aurors down."

"On my way." The Patronus disappeared.

"Sir, there are people in the building." Edwards looked outside the doorway and pulled his head back in. "And they're yelling what for."

"Call the Obliviators and see if there were any Muggles who were present. The rest in the building can get told off until there's a statement released." Brumby stepped out first, followed by Edwards." Harry pulled his wand and closed the door, sealing it along the front the front of the flat.

"Robards will have our hide for this, you know." Harry pulled the young men's cloaks over their faces.

Hemera coughed and tried to hide the sputum of blood in her hand. "Nonsense, Potter." No one was acknowledging the third set of remains, spread awkwardly near the windows and her head hanging at an impossible angle. "It was a hostage rescue and you rescued one. Me. Unfortunately, the kidnapper died along with the other hostage."

"So Mallory - " Ron asked first.

"I didn't realize she already had him under Imperio before we came into class. When you turned your back to them, she charmed me into silence. Mallory blasted Harry," Hemera took a huge gulp of air," and threatened to kill you while your back was turned to the rest of the room if they didn't stay their wands. So when you turned back, Mallory had his wand pointed at you and she'd roped us together. The last thing I saw before we disapparated was that Mallory blasted you off your feet."

She put her head back down on the ground and Ron saw tears leaking from her eyes, running down her ashen skin. "I didn't know if either one of you gits were alive. I only had to rely on the plan and hope you'd told others of it. I had to trust someone would come to the rescue when I used the emergency taboo." She threw her hands across her face and Ron looked away, unaccustomed to dealing with the witch before him, quietly sobbing.

"We did, Robards and Williamson both. You taught us to always have contingency plans in place if we were going into a trap."

"Potter, open the door," Robards voice boomed through the wall. Harry pulled his wand and released the locking charm on the door. Gawain stepped into the mess and closed his eyes for a moment, whispering whatever he said when confronted with the worst. "Three juniors? Merlin's bollocks, Kingsley's gonna sack me for this."

"Ron, help me up." He shifted to help Hemera sit up. He didn't look at her face since it was covered in soot and bleeding cuts and smudged eye make-up. "And he's not going to sack you, you bear. But he might be beastly towards me for this."

Harry moved to help Hemera into a seat near the other window, pointedly ignoring the remains behind her chair. "But I'll talk about that mess at St. Mungo's." Her breathing was shallow and her shirt was shredded and covered in blood.

"I've already sent for the Auror Healer. They should be here any minute. Once they check you out, we'll send you via Portkey to St. Mungo's. We'll debrief there."

Robards interrupted. "Once the others are gone, you're in charge of the scene until MLS arrives with the Solicitor. We have to keep this quiet until Kingsley says something - "

"Sir, the Healer is here, along with Solicitor Cutcliffe."

Robards looked like he was cornered against a firecrab. "Bugger. Potter, get Jones to St. Mungo's. Now. Weasley, you're here with me. The rest of you, keep quiet until you're asked a direct question."

"Sir," Harry responded immediately and pulled a cushion from the couch and turned it into a portkey. They disappeared seconds later, right before Solicitor Cutcliffe, assistant Director of MLS walked in. "I was informed of a hostage situation and when I arrived, the building was secure, which was good, but the cadet in the stairwell said I couldn't come up until I proved who I was. Whatever rubbish you're teaching, Robards, that needs to change immediately."

"It's standard procedure, considering the situation." Cutcliffe ignored Robards' explanation and looked around the room and saw the carnage. "Explain this, now." His voice commanded a response.

"Weasley, you were on site. Inform the Solicitor what happened."

Each of the remaining men took a seat and Ron recounted everything. During such, members of MLS came in, inquiring if they could start cleaning the flat. Cutcliffe waved them away and said they could return in an hour, once he had statements from the Aurors.

Once Ron finished, he listened to the other juniors in the room. Cutcliffe wrung them all out. "So you say that Jones and Potter are at St. Mungo's, getting checked out?"

"I sent them when Jones was looking wretched. She was the worst injured, and Potter seemed to be, too."

Ron's head swiveled fast towards the Director. "Sir?"

"You were too busy checking Jones."

Ron stood up and went to the door. "If the Solicitor has no further questions, I'm going to St. Mungo's." Ron left before he could get an answer. He stepped outside the flat and went to the end of the hallway and disapparated, landing in the Auror reception area.

Ron checked all his fingers and toes, and also his eyebrows. Since he seemed to be in one piece, he made his way to the window. "Excuse me, but Aurors Jones and Potter came in about an hour ago."

"Auror Weasley," the receptionist smiled at him like an old friend. "They're still back there. I'm sure the healers will be out shortly."

"Thanks." Ron went to the small waiting room across the hallway, cataloging what he needed to do. He had to get ahold of Ginny but he knew she was off in Holyhead with the team. If he pulled her away from practice for nothing more than a singed eyebrow, she'd blame him for everything that went wrong that day."

Ron turned back to the receptionist. "Excuse me, ma'am, but do you have a fireplace. I need to make an urgent firecall."

"Last room on the left. It's a public fireplace so you can't keep it open too long."

"If anyone comes looking for me, I'll be back in a little while." Ron left, knowing he'd intrude on the Headmistress, but understood this was a necessary duty.

He made it into the open room and found it empty, as expected. He reached inside the ceramic cistern and pulled a large handful of powder out and threw it into the fire. The flames turned green and he stuck his head inside of the fireplace. "Hogwarts, Headmaster's Fireplace."

He waited and saw the room open up in front of him. "Headmistress McGonagall. Headmistress," he yelled.

"Mr. Weasley, why are you calling so early in the morning?"

"I need to speak with Professor Sinestra immediately. It's regarding Auror Jones."

Ron watched the Headmistress motion her wand in a complex form, mumbling under her breath for the incantation. Another flash of her wand and her cat popped into existence. "Professor Sinestra, please apparate to my office immediate."

"So that's how you do it?"

"Hush, Mr. Weasley. You didn't see that."

"Yes, Headmistress." Ron waited painful seconds, making his knees ache, before the slim Professor land inside of the office."You sent for me, Headmistress?"

Professor McGonagall wove her wand in the complex incantation again, securing the school oncemore. "Mr. Weasley firecalled and urgently needs to speak with you."

The quiet witch turned and knelt before the fire. "I apologize for this but you're needed at St. Mungo's. Hemera's been hurt."

Professor Sinestra turned back to McGonagall and saw her nodding. "Leave approved. I'll cover your classes the next couple of days. Owl me to let me know when you are returning."

"Yes, Professor."

Ron pulled his head out of the flames and scooted out of the way before Aurora stepped out of the fireplace, looking slightly disheveled and worry-filled. "Thank you for calling, Auror Weasley." She smiled before the smile melted off of her face. "How bad is she hurt?"

"I dunno but we'll go find out now."

Ron lead the way towards the receptionist window. "Excuse me, but have the healers come out of Aurors Potter and Jones yet?"

"They did and will be back in a tic."

Ron took the professor across the hallway to the painful plastic chairs. He was aching from being blasted off his feet but he'd not thought of Harry or him being injured. So many times they'd been here and so many times, scraping from permanent injury by Luck or happenstance or maybe some divine protection he had now clue about.

"What happened? She's been quiet last few weeks, working too much, but when she'd talk, it wasn't about work. It's almost like she's been hiding secrets from me."

Ron leaned forward and felt his breath hitch. He had to tell her, regardless of whether she slapped the shit out of him. "She was protecting you. Someone in the Auror corps was trying to blackmail her, and you. It failed but she found out who it was and they kidnapped her. She's been roughed up quite a bit but she was sitting up when she was brought in."

"Blackmailing her? Her integrity is second to none."

"I know and that's why it failed."

"Was there anyone else hurt?"

Ron put his head down, nodding, before he could stifle the flood of emotions overflowing his emotional tea kettle. He couldn't talk but he wept, silently, at the three juniors he taught.