A/N Occasionally I Google my author name to see who's been talking about me. This chapter is for AJ on hpana, who has been pimping me without me ever knowing it until now.
Back From the Dead
Lee lay hunched in a darkened corner of the cellar, watching Ron sleep in the pool of light cast by the flickering torch on the other side of the door, and thinking to himself.
Polyjuice would have worn off long ago. He had been suffering grogginess and was considerably weakened by the curse that had hit him. If this was indeed Ron, then his protection was failing and the Death Eaters knew it. If the Death Eaters knew it then the Puppet Master would know, too.
Godric, what if this really was Ron and he was still in line for who knew what at the Puppet Master's hands?
Lee didn't know if he hoped Ron was alive or not because of that horrific encounter looming over him. He had seen Ron apparently drowned and Lee himself had died a little inside. He had given up and refused to believe that the familiar red head before him could possibly be the real Ron, his Ron, his brother. Lee shuddered and drew his knees into his chest tightly. What would be worse, he asked himself, losing Ron for a second time or the fact that he'd given up on him in the first place?
But still there was that niggle at the back of his mind. That feeling that he could never hope to be that lucky. Ron couldn't be alive because that would mean Lee wasn't alone, hadn't failed the twins, and still had a job to do. He would still have a purpose in this struggle. He would still have a promise to keep and a brother to fight for. He would have a reason to go on as the hope in that place just kept on dwindling.
"It can't be you," Lee whispered to himself.
Everybody else was either sleeping or trying to rest, conserve some energy for a fight Krum was planning the next time somebody appeared on the other side of that magically barricaded door. Lee hadn't been involved in the planning, neither had Ron...if it was indeed Ron. The huge Bulgarian, Ernie Macmillan and Sam Robbins had agreed to coax the next Death Eater into the cellar with some kind of ruse and attempt to disarm him and make themselves a Portkey.
Despite Ron's protestations that he was fine and his dizziness was passing, he'd still fallen back into a deep sleep very rapidly with both Fergus Finnigan and Colin Creevey sitting with him for both comfort and protective reasons.
Marcus Belby snoozed beside Jack Sloper with Dean Thomas in another shadowed corner grunting and huffing as he tried to dig underneath the wall. He was already eight feet down but the wall still stood between the tall black boy and possible freedom.
Lee squinted through the darkness at the sound of a soft moan and saw that Ron was stirring and neither Fergus nor Colin had woken up to see to him. Lee bit his lip and wondered if there was a problem. He glanced around at the other figures in the cellar. Nobody else was alert enough to go and see to Ron...or not Ron. Lee huffed at his own inner confusion. His suspicions and paranoia were battling with his logical, yet empathetic, side and neither part of his psyche was winning.
All he knew was that he didn't like the redhead being neglected by the others in his present state. Plant or no plant, he really had taken the Cruciatus curse and it had done some harsh damage.
"Dean," Lee whispered over to the deep hole beside the wall. "Pst! Oi Thomas."
The sound of the digging and Dean's puffing and grunting continued without a pause. Lee didn't really want to raise his voice and wake everybody else up. He looked back to see the body that looked and sounded so much like Ron sitting up. The pale freckled face winced and let out a groan before slumping heavily against the wall behind him, rubbing his eyes with the heel of his palms.
Lee watched and held his breath. Ron looked around at his fellow prisoners and shifted into a different position. It was as if his bones were grinding together painfully with even the slightest movement. Ron's sunken eyes were searching into the darkness, probably trying to work out if anyone was missing, looking for Dean, most likely.
"Lee?" Ron whispered, frowning about six feet to Lee's right and then turning his head to look into the light.
That was when Lee saw it.
Ron saw it, too, and suddenly Lee felt the need to run to him and reassure him that everything was going to be fine. If this was really Ron this would be terrifying him; he'd be a nervous wreck. Lee also knew that if the Puppet Master discovered how to get such a reaction of terror from Ron with such a simple thing, he would use it and use it with relish.
How would an impostor know that Ron was scared beyond measure of spiders?
Lee watched the person who might be Ron pressing his back flat against the wall and breathing rapidly as his whole body tensed. Was he putting on a show for Lee? He hadn't been able to see him. Lee hadn't spoken to him when he called. For all Ron knew, Lee was sleeping just like the rest of them.
"Sh...sh...shi...oh shit!" Ron began to pant through gritted teeth and his legs tried to push him up to his feet but the loose soil beneath simply gave way and churned at his feet.
Lee found himself standing up and realised that he had been about to run to Ron and calm him down. No, this might not be Ron. This might just be the next cruel trick.
Ron's chest rose and fell as if he was in the middle of a sudden sprint but he was still doing nothing but squirming against the wall, trying to push himself through it. Lee saw Ron's sore fingers fumbling for clods of earth to throw at the spider but his panic caused him to grip them so hard they disintegrated before he could raise his hand to throw.
"Getthefuckawayfromme!" Ron garbled as both his legs coiled inwards and the panicking wizard was now in the foetal position and on the verge of total hyperventilation.
Oh Merlin, what if it was Ron?
Lee was striding forward now, coolly, calmly into the light and he didn't pause to look at Ron or the spider as it scampered over the slight mountain of earth Ron's legs had churned up during his terrified scramble to get to his feet. Lee looked straight ahead at the flaming torch visible through the small opening in the cellar door and 'accidentally' stepped directly on the spider as he passed Ron.
There was a strangled yelp from the ground to Lee's left but he simply peered out through the opening, tested it with his hand and then sighed as if he'd genuinely got up to try out a theory before turning and heading back to his darkened corner.
He didn't meet Ron's eyes as he set off back into the shadows and something in his chest hurt as he heard Ron's voice, nothing more than a choked squeak, garbling his name. He sat back down on the still warm earth and looked back to see if Ron's panic-attack was any better now the spider was dead. He saw his friend, staring right at him but not able to see him staring back, shaking and holding his knees to his chest.
"Go back to sleep, Ron," Lee heard himself calling out. "I'll stay awake and make sure there aren't any more."
"P-Promise?" Ron stammered in shock at being spoken to in a kind way again.
"I swear. Go to sleep, mate." Lee watched for almost ten minutes before Ron had managed to settle down enough to lie back down. He curled up tightly into a defensive ball between Colin and Fergus. Soon Lee couldn't hear his staccato breaths and knew that Ron had managed to relax enough to drift off to sleep again. There was thesound of a throat clearing and a grunt as Dean Thomas pulled himself out of the deep hole he'd dug against the wall.
"Any luck?" Lee asked, not taking his eyes off Ron, despite only being able to see his shoulder and a shock of red hair illuminated by the torchlight.
"Nah," Dean said, crawling along the ground and slumping beside Lee wearily. "I'll have another crack at it in a couple of hours or so. I'm knackered."
Lee nodded but knew it was too dark to be seen. He decided to take a chance and close his eyes. Now that Ron was sleeping, he didn't have to worry about staying on the alert.
"Oh and Lee?" Dean said tiredly.
"Mmmm?"
"Welcome back, mate."
Lee smiled to himself and closed his eyes.
As soon as his feet thudded heavily onto the ground, Harry had his wand out and threw himself to the ground beside Tonks and Percy. There were spells whizzing not far away followed by more grunts and thumps behind him, letting Harry know that Moody and the others were also diving for cover to avoid the stray curses.
"Everybody stay as low as you can!" Moody ordered, as Harry watched his face as his magical eye scanned the landscape thoroughly. "Right, it's two Death Eaters duelling with a witch, looks like the Jordan woman. There's nobody else around."
"Let uz ztop le fight zen," Fleur said as she drew her wand and prepared to jump out from behind her cover.
"Hold yer horses, Frenchie!" Moody said before rotating his eye one more time, as slowly as possible and then nodding confidently to himself. "Right we're definitely not expected.Either that or they didn't expect Mrs Jordan to put up such a good fight. We're not going to barge out bellowing our heads off."
"Indeed," Percy said with a nod. "The second the brute realises he's outnumbered he'll just Disapparate. If we ambush him from behind we could question him and find out what all the red herrings are in aid of."
Harry stared at Percy as if he was a different person to the wizard he once knew. "You sounded like Ron just then." Harry said blankly.
Percy seemed to take this as a compliment, which was how Harry had intended it but not how he imagined Percy would react to the statement. "Ronald had to learn chess from somebody, didn't he? Even if he did surpass me alarmingly quickly."
"So, we are closing in on the Death Eater from behind?" Damocles Belby asked Moody.
"We will take up positions directly behind, you and Geoffrey can do that. Off to the left, that can be me and Potter. To the right I want Tonks and the Weasleys. Shacklebolt and Finnigan, I'd like to remain here to give us all cover."
"Good plan." Tonks nodded. "Who attacks first?"
"I do, of course," Moody snorted. "It's my bloody plan!"
Floella Jordan was duelling amazingly well but she had no back up. Fortunately, neither did the Death Eater so they were equally matched apart from the fact that the witch was sending hexes to seriously injure while the Death Eater was on the defensive.
Everybody moved within the trees to get into their positions before getting down low and moving forward.
"Right, Potter," Moody said in a low tone. "When I immobilise the two of them you advance and shield Mrs Jordan." Harry nodded. "Finnigan will be shielding you from the verge over there. I've briefed him already, and as soon as the both of you are covered, the rest of us will snare the Dark Scum and drag him back to the Embassy for some of our own questioning."
"How do you mean?" Harry blinked as he stared at Moody.
"I mean, Azkaban and the Ministry aren't getting any information their way so I'll keep this little victory a secret and have a go at extracting the information the old fashioned way."
"Sir, you aren't going to torture..." Harry began to ask, startled at being privy to such a break from protocol.
"I am going to get the location out of that swine and I am not going to be hindered by red tape, boy. You know what they've done to your mate Weasley. You think they deserve compassion and restraint from us?"
Harry suddenly felt the desire to hear the Death Eater screaming in agony for all he had been a part of. He should suffer for Ron's pain and degradation. Harry wanted to be the one to inflict that pain on him. Then he felt a little sick inside and wondered what Hermione would have to say about vengeful fantasies like that. "I think we're better than they are sir." Harry said to Moody. "I don't think you're mad and I don't want to see you live up to your name."
Moody nearly smiled as he clapped Harry firmly on the back, almost knocking him flat on his face into the mud, drawing his wand. "Don't you worry about me boy. Just you cast a good strong shield over that good strong woman and let's get this business over with shall we?"
Harry nodded and gripped his own wand tightly.
"Right, let's go, Imobulus!"
"But I don't want to alert the bastards to the fact I'm digging!" Dean protested as he stood before his ten-foot deep hole defensively.
"Dean, there's obviously no way you are ever going to be able to tunnel out of here without a cave-in," Belby said diplomatically.
"How is it obvious?" Dean said, his feelings severely hurt.
Well, Ron guessed, so would his have been if he's worked himself like a House Elf for hours on end only to have somebody dismiss it as a waste of time.
"I hate to say it Dean, but Marcus is right," Jack cringed as he spoke. "We're already underground and you're just digging further down to get past the foundations. By the time you start tunnelling upwards there's going to be a hell of a lot of weight pressing down on any hollow you create. All you'll do is crush yourself to death."
Dean looked thoroughly annoyed and folded his arms across his chest.
"Go on then. Do what ya want with it," he said sulkily.
"So, as many as possible fit down hole," Krum said, "and when Death Eater come he sees people missing. He comes in."
"We jump him," Sam said almost as if he was talking about partaking of a blood sport.
"Take wand, escape," Krum finished.
"Easy as that, eh?" Fergus said with cynicism.
"Easier than waiting to die here." Krum said without emotion.
"Well, he's blunt and to the point isn't he?" The Irishman smirked down at Ron on the floor, cheerfully. "Think he can get us out, Ron?"
Ron lifted his eyebrows and looked at Krum as he very nearly broke into a blush. "I've seen him play Quidditch. He can do anything." Ron smiled.
"So, Ron down hole, you not strong enough to fight yet," Krum began.
Ron feigned hurt feelings while Fergus chuckled and Dean rolled his eyes. "See what I get for taking his side?" Ron nodded towards Krum.
Krum actually smiled before spotting Lee standing off to one side, his arms folded and head bowed as if he was ashamed of himself about something.
"Lee," Krum called out to him, Lee looked up. "You want to fight or take care of brother?"
Ron gulped before holding his breath and looked at Lee. Everybody else seemed to turn and stare at the dreadlocked wizard as well.
"I'll um..." Lee shifted uncomfortably under everyone's gaze. "I'd like to look after my brother if that's alright Viktor."
Colin almost squealed and began to bounce on the balls of his feet happily. Dean seemed to swell and the whole room seemed to relax and gain confidence in the plan now that the atmosphere had changed so rapidly.
"Good," Krum nodded before gathering some of the others together to go over the amended plan, which now incorporated Dean's hole on the corner of the cellar.
As the gathering moved away from Ron, Fergus lingered until Lee crouched down at his side, and Ron saw that old familiar look of trust in his friend's eyes again.
"Hello, stranger." Ron smiled.
"Hiya, Ron," Lee said as he ruffled Ron's hair stiffly. "So how've ya been?"
Ron laughed as Lee sat down heavily at his side. Ron watched as Lee's face crumpled and dropped into one of his hands.
"Look there's nothing wrong with being careful. I'm not angry with you," Ron said as he pulled Lee's hand away from his face and lowered his head to force their eyes to meet.
"But you should be," Lee said weakly. "You needed me."
"Tommy needed you more and you were there for him." Ron said strongly.
Lee snorted derisively. "Fat lot of good I did him."
"You looked after him." Ron said fiercely.
"I really…" Lee began before stopping and swallowing down his emotions. "I really thought he had more time."
Ron gave Lee a pat on the back. "Tommy was really sick before all this even happened. This wasn't about anything you did or didn't do okay?"
Lee shook his head and let out a short laugh of disbelief. "You're incredible, d'you know that?" He looked at Ron and broke into a wider grin. "After everything, you're still looking after me."
Ron shrugged. "'S a two way street being brothers, ain't it? You helped me with that thing, that problem I have. You killed it and I know you meant to do it. Thanks."
Lee slung his arm around Ron's shoulders and gave him one of those jerky, one-armed manly hugs; they were back to awkward physical contact apparently. The closeness of their brotherly bond still requiring repair.
"I trod on a bleedin' spider. You came back from the dead." Lee mumbled.
"I didn't die. Cally saved me."
"You died for me. I saw you dead and I believed it for so long." Lee spoke into his chest in a low rumble, "I grieved for you and now...now you're back. Now you're back and I'm fucking shitting myself that I'll lose you again. That fucker will take you away from me again and you'll be dead for real. I don't want to feel like that again, Ron."
Ron looked at Lee and finally understood why he had been so adamant that Ron couldn't be who he claimed to be. He returned the one-armed manly hug and Lee looked up at him and smiled apologetically.
"Lee I..." Ron began but there was a loud crack outside the cellar door and Krum ran to block the view from the opening while everybody made a mad dash for the hole in the ground.
Lee heaved Ron up to his feet and they stumbled over the uneven earth to the edge of the hole while Krum's voice boomed out aggressive insults to the Death Eater and refused to let him open the door. Fergus jumped down the hole and reached up with both arms.
"Jordan, lower him down teh me."
Lee grabbed Ron's wrists and Ron climbed down the sides of the hole until he felt Fergus take his weight, arms curling around his waist until his feet dropped to the gritty earth at the bottom of the pit. Ron lifted his arms up.
"C'mon, now you," he whispered.
Sam Robbins lowered down Lee. Fergus told Ron to step aside and he helped Lee down to the bottom of the ten-foot deep hole. Lee turned to Ron and smiled.
"Y'okay?" he asked.
"Yeah fine," Ron nodded back.
"Not feeling woozy?"
"Nah, that's all passed. I'm okay. I mean it."
"Got room for another one?" Dean called down into the hole.
"Yeah, c'mon down Thomas. You can give us the tour!" Fergus grinned.
Both he and Lee reached up to help Dean down while Ron steadied him as he lost his footing in the crowded hole in the ground.
"Well, welcome to my hole," Dean said with a shrug. "If I'd known you were all coming I'd have dug outwards."
The four of them laughed and Ernie Macmillan shushed them urgently before disappearing from view. Ron guessed he had run to assist Krum at the door. Sam was out of sight, too.
Ron looked around and realised there wasn't space for another person standing, but if the four of them worked together, they could carry somebody Colin's size.
"Pst," Ron hissed upwards, "we got room for a little one."
Before Colin could say anything, Marcus Belby was lowering him down the hole by his wrists.
"Agh, mind me head Col!" Fergus grumbled as Colin's flailing legs connected with the sandy-haired wizard's skull.
"Here, sit him on my shoulders," Dean said as he crouched down a little.
"I'm not a toddler!" Colin exclaimed.
"Shut up down there!" Belby snapped before turning to Jack. "Stand in front of the hole with me so he can't see it right away."
The five down the hole listened anxiously.
There was a loud booming noise and Krum yelled furiously while Sam swore while several brightly coloured flashes illuminated the cellar. Ron guessed that the Death Eater was trying to fight Krum and Sam off with hexes but the two strong wizards were wrestling him for control of his wand.
Then there was another crack and even more flashes.
"Oh shit, another one!" Jack hissed and Ron heard running footsteps that he could only guess was Jack jumping into the fray.
"Keep your heads down." Marcus ordered before he too ran off to join the fight.
"Two against five. That's still good odds right?" Dean asked them nervously.
"Hold on, I'll stand on your shoulders and have a look over the edge," Colin said as he fidgeted on top of Dean.
"Colin, you twat!" Fergus whispered. "You heard yer man there, head down ya bloomin' eejit."
There was an almighty bang and Sam roared "No!" before a second explosion went off and the only sound was of falling debris.
Ron and Lee stared at each other, eyes wide and dusty air stinging the back of their throats. They heard slow steady footsteps approaching and everybody huddled together, perfectly still. Ron blinked away some falling soil that toppled over the edge of the hole before seeing a huge silhouette peering down at them.
"My dear jongens," the Puppet Master's voice said, sounding utterly delighted, "I didn't expect you to have missed me so much you would fashion a torture for yourselves in my absence."
"Oh, fuck," Dean exhaled fearfully.
"Now, I will know where to look for my Firebrand when I come to continue our game tomorrow."
"No," Lee whispered.
Ron took his hand and gave a squeeze."It's okay," he said just low enough for Lee to hear him.
"Enjoy your new sleeping quarters, jongens," the Puppet Master said, pointing his wand down at the opening to the narrow hole. "Occludo profundum!"
Thick iron bars criss-crossed over the top of the hole and fused together magically, sealing themselves against the soil and setting like metal cement. The Puppet Master stepped onto the barred mesh and looked down at the five trapped wizards with a twisted smirk.
"Thank your friends for your newfound privacy." The Puppet Master stepped off the bars and began to walk away before calling out to everyone, "Oh and jongens, don't ever attempt to escape again. Avada Kedavra!"
"No!" Ron yelled.
"Bastard!" Fergus bellowed.
"Oh fuck!" Dean whimpered.
"What?" Colin gasped shakily.
"Merlin, what happened?" Lee shuddered.
There was a dull thud as all those trapped in the hole exclaimed at once. Krum seemed to snarl against a gag. There were protestations from two separate voices that cancelled the other out and Ernie Macmillan spat the word 'coward' at the Puppet Master as his slow measured tread departed.
The cellar door banged shut followed by cracks of Disapparition before the cellar was plunged into stunned silence.
There was not a sound for quite some time before Colin squeaked out timidly. "Who...Who...Who did he...?"
"Jack," Sam Robbins hollow voice answered. "He killed Jack."