A/N: The Wizarding world of Harry Potter belongs to J.K Rowling.
Sorry for the delay in updating. Hope you enjoy.
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'Something like that? What do you mean something like that? What exactly are you playing at Harry?' Chief Jones asked angrily.
'I need, well we need to talk to him. I need answers from him before I leave the ministry and if I can give him an incentive then I'll get the answers that I need.' Explained Harry
Jones countered with 'and you think offering him a full pardon will get you your answers, do you?'
Harry shook his head and said 'He's not getting a full pardon; I only want him released to my custody for one day.'
'Next time' Jones replied 'start with that, I was beginning to question your sanity for a moment Harry'
Harry blanched at this comment, Jones had no knowledge of Harry's break downs but this was a little too close to home for his liking.
'What's happening that is so important that you want him released?' asked Jones. Harry explained the memorial and the significant role that Wood played in Harry's role as the youngest seeker in a century and Ron's almost pathological hero worshiping of Wood saw Ron try to emulate Oliver when Ron became the Gryffindor Keeper.
'Ok Harry, I'll approve it but don't think that you can get something similar for Molly, it's not going to happen.' said Chief Jones.
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The snoring could be heard three floors away; it was so loud that other prisoners were complaining. When Harry explained what he was there to do, the gaoler grinned and shook his hand saying 'much obliged to you Mr Potter, much obliged.' Harry and Hermione walked a few feet behind the gaoler and smiled at how excited the man was to get a day of peace and quiet in a couple of weeks.
They finally got to Ron's cell door; the noise was painfully loud at this point. Harry said to the gaoler 'I'll wake him of you open the door and stand aside' the gaoler did as he was instructed and opened the door.
Harry conjured a bucket of ice cold water and threw it of the sleeping Weasley, how sat bolt upright on his bed gasping for air. Hermione was leaning against the wall in floods of tears at how funny it was.
Ron barked 'What the blood hell was that for?'
Harry said 'for the snoring' before continuing to laugh at his friend's discomfort.
'Next time shout or just shake me' grumbled Ron
'Where's the fun in that? Smirked Harry 'Get up and changed, we will meet you in interview room 3' and with that the pair walked away. Ron looked down at himself and said 'I'm fucking soaked.' The gaoler smiled, it was really beginning to be a good day.
Fifteen minutes after he was awoken, Ron was lead in to the designated room. Harry and Hermione sat across facing him. He stood on the threshold of the interview room, almost reluctant to face his oldest friends. They watched him intently, registering his discomfort; Ron took a deep breath and stepped into the room.
'Thank you Mr Hawkins, we'll call you should we need you' said Harry
'Very good, sir' Replied Mr Hawkins as he closed the door behind him.
The trio sat in silence for a moment, Harry and Hermione stared at Ron. Ron looked down at the table, unable to meet their eyes. His guilt weighed heavily on him.
Without looking up Ron said 'I know what you're going to ask, it's the same question I've been asking myself for years, but I don't have an answer.'
'Do you remember Oliver Wood?' asked Hermione.
'Of course I remember Wood; he was the best keeper we had had for years. I always said that if I got on the team I wanted to play just like him.'
'Oliver passed away about three years ago' said Harry
'Are you serious?'
'We found out a few days ago from his widow, we don't know how it happened.' explained Hermione.
Ron was stunned, Harry reached into his robes and pulled out an envelope and slid it across the table to the silent redhead.
'We have a proposition for you, Ron.'
Ron looked up and saw the same determined look in Harry's eyes that he had every time he played Quidditch.
'You give us answers and you get what's in that envelope' Harry answered the unasked question'.
'And what if I don't want what you have to offer?'
'Then we'll go now and we'll see you at the end of your sentence.' Both Harry and Hermione motioned to stand up.
'Wait, wait.' Ron held his hands up as he spoke, the desperation evident in his voice.
'Please don't go' begged Ron 'you don't know what it's like in here, I don't see anyone, I'm locked in my room all day, and they bring me next to nothing to eat.'
'I don't know what it's like?' questioned Harry 'For the first eleven years of my life my bedroom was the cupboard under the stairs. I didn't even know my own name until I was five, at least you've done something to deserve being in here. What the fuck did I do that was so bad I had to be beaten and starved and treated piece of filth?' Harry bristled with indignation. Ron sat open mouthed
'You've had a taste of what being Harry Potter is really like; tell me is it all you had hoped it would be?' asked Harry 'you've had the fame, you've had the gold and now you've experienced a tiny bit of what my childhood was really like. Tell me something Ron, do you get it now?'
'I...I never-'Ron started to say
'You never realised? Is that what you were going to say Ron? You never thought to ask, not once did you even bother to ask why I was wearing clothes that were five times too big for me, or why I lost so much weight during the summer, or were all the bruises came from. Well know you know.' Harry stood up so fast that his chair was propelled across the room behind him.
Harry paced the room trying to calm down; Hermione looked at Ron and shook her head and said 'all he ever wanted was friends and a family to love him. What you; Ginny, and your mum did to us was unforgivable Ronald.'
Ron screwed his eyes closed and put his head in his hands and said 'I never knew that you grew up like that mate, I promise you. I had read all those stories about you being this adventurer wizard that fought the Cynolycus and rode everywhere on the back of a Griffin. When I met you on the train I we relieved that you looked like a normal bloke just like me.'
Harry stopped and turned to the table and said in a businesslike tone 'in that envelope is a deal signed off by Chief Jones and Minister Shacklebolt agreeing to release you into my custody for thirty six hours. You will be magically tethered to me; the farthest you will be able to go from me is one hundred feet. During the period of your release into my custody, if you commit any crime your sentence will be doubled, you do anything that displeases me, and your sentence will be doubled. You talk with your mouth full and first I will knock your teeth in and then your sentence will be double. Are any of these rules unclear to you Mr Weasley?'
Ron shook his head, 'I need to hear the word Ron or the deal is off before we even get started' bellowed Harry, causing Ron to jump.
'Yes Mr Potter, I agree to those conditions.'
'Good now what we want from you is remorse, contrition, tears and general begging for forgiveness as well as a full and frank explanation.' said Harry.
'I saw you two getting closer during the hunt, at first I thought it was just because you were working on finding the Horcruxes. Then I started to notice little looks or little touches that suggested that there was more going on. Every time I wore that locket I noticed it more and more. That night I left something in my head snapped.
'I couldn't take it any longer so I blew up at you and then I left. I wanted to come back to you as soon as I Disparated. That night when I pulled you out of that pond, when you told me that you loved Hermione like a sister it gave me hope that I might stand a chance.'
Ron took a moment to wipe his nose before continuing 'It wasn't until you met up on the staircase that I realised that I never had even the faintest glimmer of hope. As soon as she said "I'll go with you" I knew. I won't excuse my actions and while my mother had a massive part to play in what I did to you both, ultimately it was me that did it and I will regret it forever.'
Hermione stood up and went over to Harry and whispered in his ear before returning to her seat before saying 'We believe that you are genuinely sorry which means that you will get 36 hours as a free man, but Harry has something else to tell you.'
Harry cleared his throat and dragged his chair over to the table and leaned on the back of it and said 'I got Draco and Narcissa a full pardon.' Ron stood to his feet. Hermione draw her wand and said 'sit down before I do something you'll regret'
Ron stared at the wand that was lazily pointed at his chest and considered his immediate future; he recognised the look in her eye and sat down.
'You got that bastard and his mother a full pardon after everything that he did, why?' asked Ron.
'I had to know why Narcissa risked everything to help me; I had to believe that if he could change after all that hatred then maybe someone that was supposed to love me could stop hating me.' offered Harry.
Hermione put her wand away and turned to Harry; who was gripping the back of the chair so hard that his hands were white. His eyes were closed and his lips were moving as though he was muttering.
She asked 'Harry, are you ok?'
Ron, confused, looked from Hermione to Harry 'What's going on?'
Hermione stood up and quickly got hold of Harry and sat him on the chair, 'Ron, get Mr Hawkins, now' Ron blinked at her 'NOW RON!' she roared at him, Ron shot off his chair like a scalded cat and half ran half stumbled to the door.
'Mr Hawkins!' shouted Ron as he pulled the door open 'Mr Hawkins we need you'
The gaoler ran into the room 'wha's going on in 'ere then Miss Granger?'
'Mr Hawkins, I need you to floo Hogwarts and get Madam Pomfrey here immediately. Tell her that Harry needs her.'
Mr Hawkins rushed out to the interview room to get to the nearest floo.
'Hermione, w...What's happening?' asked Ron.
'He's having a massive panic attack, Ron. You, Ginny and your fucking mother caused this, so have good look Ron. See what you did to the man that saw you as his family.'
Ron paled visibly as he watched Harry struggle to control his rising panic; his eyes darted from Harry to Hermione as she fought to calm him down.
The door of the interview room opened startling Ron, Mr Hawkins had returned with Madam Pomfrey. Hermione barely registered the mediwitch when she entered the room.
'How long has he been in this state?' Poppy asked
'Roughly about five minutes, as soon as it started I sent Mr Hawkins to fetch you.' replied Hermione.
'You've done an excellent job, dear but let me take over now.' Poppy took over from Hermione; she cast a diagnostic spell over him to gauge his heart rate and blood pressure.
'It's a good thing that you called for me when you did' remarked Poppy as she pulled a small vial from her robe pocket 'if we don't get him to sit down, his blood pressure will drop and he'll collapse and that could open a whole different can of worms.'
With the help of Mr Hawkins, they got Harry seated and Poppy gave him the contents of the vial 'After my last episode with Mr Potter, I took it upon myself to come up with something that isn't as addictive as the dreamless sleep potion he'd been self medicating with.' Poppy answered the unasked question in Hermione's eyes. 'It's an infusion of Valerian root, Camomile and Lavender. It's simple but effective and has the benefit that it will also help him to sleep.' As she spoke all their eyes were on Harry, the infusion had helped his breathing to become normal. The lines on his face softened as he unclenched his eyes. Finally he opened his eyes and sought out Hermione, his anchor.
'Poppy, I can't thank you enough for coming so fast.' said Hermione
'Think nothing of it my dear, I will send over a few vials for you to keep in emergencies.' She said to Hermione, before turning to Harry and saying 'However I would recommend seeing someone that specialises in the mental arts. You were lucky this time Mr Potter.' She fixed him with her usual matronly stare.
'I'll do that, Madam Pomfrey, thank you for everything.' said Harry, before he caught the mediwitch unawares by giving her a firm hug. Poppy blushed slightly and smiled at Harry before turning to leave to head back to Hogwarts.
'If that's all Miss Granger, I'll be outside' said Mr Hawkins before leaving them alone again.
The trio sat in an awkward silence, Ron looked at both Harry and Hermione but chose not to speak. Harry broke the uncomfortable silence by saying 'What's invisible and smells like Carrots?' both Hermione and Ron looked puzzled and said 'I don't Know?'
Harry grinned and said 'Rabbit Farts.'
Peals of laughter echoed round the room and for the briefest of moments they could have been back in the Gryffindor common room before the second war caused so much pain and heartache.
'Ron, it's going to take a long time for us to forgive you. We might never be as close as we once were but the first step is accepting my decision about Draco and his mother. Can you do that?' asked Harry after the laughter died away.
'I'll do my best mate, I really will.' Ron responded
'Good, that's all we can ask. I'll get the details of the memorial for Oliver to you as soon as it's all arranged.' Harry said as he stood up, Ron took this as his hint that the meeting was over. Harry held out his hand, Ron took it and both men shook before Ron walked to the door and knocked on it. Mr Hawkins opened the door.
Before the gaoler took him back to his cell, Ron turned to Harry and said 'make sure that you look after her Harry, she always deserved far better than me.'
