Thank you for reading this story after so many years! Happy Christmas to all of you!
Ron slowly regained consciousness.
Blinking his eyes for a few seconds, he couldn't make out his surroundings due to lack of light. He tried to move, but his ankles were chained, ensuring he wouldn't be able to escape. He also didn't have his wand. I must be in a wine cellar turned prison cell, he thought noticing the stock of expensive-looking wine stacked at the end of the room. He tried to remember the last thing that happened and the face Lucius Malfoy resurfaced.
"Bloody Malfoys," he growled.
But another thought came across his mind which frightened him. What do they want from me? Are they going to take me hostage against my family?
No, he didn't want any of them hurt because of him. His whole body tensed as he heard footsteps from above. "...be awake now," said an unfamiliar voice. The creaking sound echoed below and the footsteps grew pronounced with each step. Ron glared up to meet the wizard standing before him.
"Glad to see you're up and about, boy." sneered the stranger. "Get up and don't think of trying to escape, else something nasty will happen to you."
With a wand directed at him, Ron knew it was futile to do anything risky. He complied.
"Aren't you an obedient blood-traitor?" He had the chains vanish, and then grabbed Ron by shoulder roughly to move up front. "Now start walking."
"What do you want from me?" dared Ron to ask, moving slowly up the stairs with the wizard behind him.
"You will know soon when you meet with the Dark Lord."
Ron felt chills run his spine at the mention of the dark wizard. So he's a Death Eater, he thought to himself. As soon as they reached up the landing, he realised they were inside a spacious living room. Standing before him was no other than Draco Malfoy's father. He didn't need to mask his hatred for the wizard. "Malfoy," he snarled.
Lucius Malfoy responded with a sneer matching his. "Arthur Weasley's son. I expected you'd have better manners than any of your family combined since you're in Slytherin, but it seems I overestimated you." He said smoothly, his choice of words intent on insulting Ron's upbringing and his family.
"My father's a hundred times the better wizard than all of you Death Eaters combined." said Ron in his most controlled tone. "All of you are spineless cowards."
Lucius curled lips to a sneer. "Jugson, I'll take the blood-traitor from here." He told the wizard behind Ron. "I expect you behave while you're in my manor. I'd be disappointed if you dare to touch anything here with your filthy hands. I'll even have to make sure the House-elves clean the carpets." Brandishing his wand, he said coldly, "Now move. You do not wish for the Dark Lord to unleash his displeasure due to your tardiness."
Ron wasn't able to give a snarky response as he was shoved forward and began walking. He had wondered where the nearly immortal dark wizard would be hiding and he shouldn't be surprised that the Malfoys would be the one housing him. He tried his best to make out all the details inside the dark manor before they arrived in front of twin mahogany doors.
The doors swung open by itself, revealing both Ron and Lucius to those who were inside. The redhead just wanted to vanish on spot.
It was a spacious hall. Tall emerald-green curtains hung, century-old chandeliers were lit and glittered like diamonds, and on the very end was an elevated floor where he assumed a band of musicians would be stationed. Instead, a high chair was placed and sitting on it was someone Ron never imagined he would ever meet personally in his entire life…except from his visions.
"You are nearly late, Lucius." The same cold high voice Ron heard from his visions echoed across the hall.
He felt shivers all over his body the moment it reached his ears. Ron could feel both his hands shaking. This was the first time he experienced fear greater than his secret being revealed.
"My deepest apologies, my Lord." said Lucius respectfully, bowing before the most dangerous wizard of all time. "As you can see, I have successfully brought to you Weasley's sixth son as you tasked me with your utmost trust." He straightened up and hissed to Ron's ear, "Move."
Ron gritted his teeth and walked toward the dark wizard. Each step he took, the clearer he could see his face. Red eyes with pupils as slits, skin as white as skull, he was like a nightmare becoming a reality. He forcefully ignored the other Death Eaters standing on the side, feeling their glares boring on him. He stopped in front of him by a few feet with Lucius by his side.
"You did very well, Lucius. Lord Voldemort –" Ron couldn't stop himself from flinching upon hearing his name, "will reward you for your effort." said Voldemort. His snake-like eyes turned to Ron and the redhead Slytherin couldn't force himself to look away. "Ronald Weasley. That is your name, is it not?"
Ron didn't dare to confirm, opting to keep his mouth shut and building his Occlumency shields up. He only glared at the dark wizard.
Voldemort's eyes gleamed as his mouth curled into a cold smile. "I have heard numerous things about you, from Wormtail who graciously sacrificed his sanity for Lord Voldemort. Of course, having a follower who was no longer sane could be a burden so I mercifully sent him to the other side. I'm sure seeing his body made you think of me."
"You did it on purpose?" Ron shocked himself by speaking at the dark wizard.
"It is a message for you to know that Lord Voldemort knows your secret." A low hiss erupted and a huge snake slithered out from nowhere and draped over Voldemort's shoulders.
Ron felt his heart drop as he heard the exact words he didn't want to hear.
Lucius moved swiftly and knelt down as he said, "Forgive me my Lord for speaking against your turn, I and the others have wondered your interests for the blood-traitor Weasley's son."
"You are forgiven for your interruption, Lucius." hissed Voldemort, giving a sweeping look all those who were present with his gleaming red eyes. Before he could continue, the door opened and Ron discreetly looked behind. And to his shock, saw Professor Snape entering the hall. "Severus. You have finally arrived. Did the old wizard take your time?" At the mention of Dumbledore, the other Death Eaters jeered.
"Forgive me for my late arrival. I have come to bear you news that will..." he paused for moment as his eyes laid on Ron, "...please you greatly."
Voldemort responded. "Very well. Come forward." As Snape stepped in front, he continued. "As you can see, we have a guest tonight. The youngest son of the blood-traitor Arthur Weasley is here with us. He's under your House, isn't he Severus?"
Snape inclined a nod. "Yes."
The dark wizard stood up from the high chair. The huge snake seemingly slithered from his shoulders. "Lord Voldemort is certain everyone has wondered why I ordered Lucius to bring him to me." He placed a hand on Ron's shoulder (the redhead shuddered; his hands were cold as ice), and said in his voice, "As we attempt to attain the prophecy from the Department of Mysteries, there is another alternative to ensure our victory."
The Death Eaters looked genuinely interested while others still had doubt. "Wormtail had sacrificed himself to provide Lord Voldemort knowledge and Mr. Weasley here had done all he can to remove any trace of himself…all for the sake of his secret."
"And what did Wormtail reveal to me? That Mr. Weasley, our dear guest, is a Seer."
Ron went rigid as whispers broke out inside the hall. He was beginning to regret releasing Wormtail during the end of his Third year. He glared at Voldemort and all of Death Eaters he could lay his eyes on.
"But his Seer abilities are different from others. His can see events of those he touch," revealed Voldemort further with a cruel smile. "events that will change to our favour. Your abilities will be a great asset to Lord Volde–"
"Like I'm bloody hell will help you!" spat Ron. "You will be def –"
"Crucio."
Despite his voice low, the curse was anything but light. Ron fell unceremoniously on floor and writhed in pain, having failed to contain his screams. It was too much. His whole body felt as though a thousand hot knifes stabbed him relentlessly. Even if the curse was lifted, he could still feel his body burning.
"As all of you heard, Mr. Weasley has admitted to his secret. Such ability will be a great asset towards our cause for the whole Wizarding world." stated Voldemort as if he was lecturing in class. "Now stand."
Like chains connected to his limbs, Ron robotically stood up. He could tell the difference of power between Crouch Jr. and the Dark Lord with the use of the Imperius Curse.
"You will show me what you have Seen. Legilimens."
Ron felt his surrounding blurred as his own memories flew around him. He was under the ImperiusCurse and he struggled to free himself. Concentrate, said Ron to himself. He could hear a powerful voice, not his own, commanding him to stay still but he shouted, NO I WILL NOT BACK DOWN. It took nearly all his energy to finally free himself from the curse despite still feeling the after-effects of the Cruciatus curse. His memories were still being exposed and so he attempted to reinforce his Occlumency shields as he tried to locate Voldemort in his mind. Like a snake hiss, it was faint but it was there. Ron was able to find him. Before he could push him out, there was something he noticed:
Neither of the scenes being viewed were visions.
After a while, Voldemort himself ended it. "I see," he said, seemingly realising what Ron just figured out. "Your visions cannot be viewed."
"Tough luck on you then, Snakeface." breathed Ron, managing to smirk despite his weak state. "I told you. I will never help you. You can kill me, I don't care. I'd rather die than help you lot." In all honesty, he was very much scared of dying but he'd rather die than contribute to the madman's plans for domination and genocide.
Voldemort wore an angry look but it vanished, worrying him. "Yes, I can kill you, but that would be a waste. I can always convince you to join in other means." He looked at one of the Death Eaters and hissed, "Bring the other guest."
At Ron's questioning look, he said maliciously, "I'm certain you will recognize him when he is here."
Ron's heart began to beat fast. What does he mean? He can't mean -?
He heard a familiar voice shouting indignantly. The doors swung open and a wizard with flaming red hair was shoved to the middle of the hall. "I will have you arrested for this! I –" Percy protested as he scrambled to his feet, but stopped when his eyes landed to Voldemort then to Ron. "Ron? What's going on?"
"One of my insiders at the Ministry has graciously suggested bringing one of your brothers here, in case you...disagreed." he said with a sadistic smile.
"No." whispered Ron, his face turning white as sheet at the insinuation.
"Percival Weasley, you are invited here as your younger brother is unwilling to offer his services to Lord Voldemort." The wizard mentioned flinched upon hearing the name.
"W-whatever it is you're planning to my brother, I won't allow it!" stammered Percy as he tried to grab for his wand but realised it was no longer with him. He kept on a brave front, and somehow Ron could see he was really their brother.
"How admirable of you. However, you are only here to serve as an example to those who try to defy me. Crucio!"
The Unforgivable struck the third eldest Weasley and he cried in pain, twitching on the floor. His horned glasses were thrown off and one of the closest Death Eaters stepped on it as the others jeered and laughed at the sight.
Ron's blood ran cold. "No! Stop – stop hurting him!" he tried to reach but Lucius had cast an Incarcerous on him, roping him down. "Stop it! I said STOP!"
But no matter how many times he screamed, it fell to deaf ears. Even Snape didn't move as he watched from the side with an emotionless expression. "There's only one way to stop from getting your brother hurt, Mr. Weasley," said Voldemort maliciously. "and only you can save him."
Ron couldn't let his brother suffer too long because of him. Before he could speak, he had heard Percy speak. "...on't...a-ag..ree..." he groused not long until he got hit another Cruciatus curse.
He couldn't take it anyone. This was no longer about his secret. He had to protect his family no matter what. Slowly standing up, Ron faced Voldemort, his eyes filled with hate not just to himself but also against Voldemort, Lucius, and everyone else who wanted to hurt his family. He might have lost on this day, however, as he spoke the very words he forced himself to utter, he would get his revenge no matter what.
"I agree."
At his words, the Death Eater ended the torture on his older brother. The ragged breaths of Percy relieved Ron.
Voldemort waved his hand and Lucius unbounded the redhead. "I will agree as long as you never hurt my family, that you will not lay even a finger to them. Not even a hair." continued Ron bravely, his glare hardening.
"You dare -?" sneered Lucius while the other Death Eaters muttered angrily.
Voldemort raised his hand and silence reigned over the hall. "Lord Voldemort is merciful, and so I will consent on your condition." He said coldly. Lucius was seen seething in anger.
"Good," he turned away and approached his brother on the floor. "Are you alright, Perce?" he whispered, guilt washing over him.
"W-why?" was all Percy could say.
Ron managed to stop his tears from falling while his eyes scanned all over his brother's body. "Because you're my brother. And I'll do anything to protect you and the rest of the family." Then, he requested to have his wand back which he was surprised they returned it to him. He returned to Percy.
"What...you – do -?"
"I'm sorry. This is for the best. Obliviate!" The Memory Charm hit Percy and his eyes blinked as though he was seeing stars. He cast another spell. "Stupefy!" At least when you get back, you won't remember everything tonight. "I expect my brother will be brought back safely to where you took him." Said Ron with a steely voice.
"Of course. You are fine Slytherin in the making." said Voldemort in his high cold voice. "Now, before tonight will reach its conclusion, Lord Voldemort will make sure you will do your duty." On that moment, the Death Eaters surrounded Ron, forming a circle.
Ron could feel his heart beating faster, his eyes darting everywhere. "What are you planning?"
"Proof of your allegiance to me."
His whole body moved on its own, signaling he was under the Imperius Curse once more. He stepped forward and stretched out his left arm. Voldemort raised his wand and muttered a string of words unknown to his ears, all the while the searing pain of his left arm increased. A green glow emitted atop of his arm and the pain became more unbearable that Ron held himself back from screaming –
Like a hot object pressed on his skin, the green glow faded, revealing the ugly mark of a skull with a snake protruding from its mouth.
"Welcome to the family, Ronald Weasley. May your abilities contribute to Lord Voldemort's cause."
Ron was apparated in front of Hogwarts gates, stumbling and falling over the grassy ground under the starry night sky. His whole body was still sore from the torture he went through and his mind was all a blur. But the only thing that was on his mind was Percy's safety, hoping he'd be at home, no longer remembering what had transpired earlier. Standing behind him was no other than his Head of House, Severus Snape. "Get up, Weasley." He snapped at the redhead. He forcefully pulled him up by the arm before taking out a small bottle with blue liquid inside. "Drink this now."
Ron opened his mouth and drank the potion after uncorking it. To his surprise, the pain lessened considerably. "Sir, I –" he began.
"We will go straight to the Headmaster's office to discuss what happened at Malfoy Manor." cut across Snape with a glare. "After that, you will rest at the Hospital Wing –"
"No," Ron shook his head. "I don't want to raise any suspicion. I'll sleep at the dorm. Sir." He added, noting the older wizard's glare.
"You are not to make any negotiations with me, is that understood? You will not disobey me." snapped the Potions Master at the redhead. He clearly held on to his anger until they were in the clear. "Now move or I'll use other means."
It was evident arguing with him was pointless so he complied. Neither of them uttered a word until they entered the castle. The warmth inside enveloped him but it wasn't enough to reach his heart which right now felt hard and cold as ice. Surprisingly, no one noticed them. Was it because Snape had cast a Notice-Me-Not-Charm without him noticing? He didn't have much time to dwell on the matter when they reached the gargoyles entrance. Snape didn't waste any more time and disclosed the password 'Acid Pops'. The spiraling staircase was revealed and the two clambered up as quickly as possible (under Snape's force).
It was no surprise that the Slytherin Head didn't even bother knocking the door which oddly enough Dumbledore could be heard from inside saying "Come in."
Both Slytherins entered the handsome circular office and before Ron could say anything to the bespectacled old wizard, Snape interjected with a fierce glare, "Were you aware, headmaster?" No one spoke, even the portraits were snoozing away. "Answer me."
Dumbledore's response was calm. "Did Mr. Weasley inform you or did you find out by other means?"
"The latter. And to my surprise when I arrived at Malfoy Manor of all places, he was there." hissed Snape, slamming the mahogany desk to match the tone of his voice. "Lucius Malfoy was tasked to bring Weasley to the Dark Lord after breaking Wormtail only to find out he's a Seer."
"And since Wormtail was no longer functioning to continue his duties as a Death Eater, Voldemort decided to perish him?" remarked Dumbledore then turned to face Ron.
"So you knew."
"Mr. Weasley requested not to disclose it to anyone." admitted the headmaster, closing his eyes.
Snape was seething. "And you did not even think of informing me of this minuscule detail? He is my charge and responsibility as Head of Slytherin –"
"Sir, it's –" Ron tried to dispel the tension but the Potions Master wasn't deterred.
"- placed under Cruciatus Curse, forced to watched his older brother being tortured – the Dark Lord branded him with the Dark Mark!" Snape growled and Ron flinched at the mention, unconsciously holding his left arm. "The Dark Lord will make sure Mr. Weasley will do what he needs to accomplish for his gain!"
Dumbledore looked surprised and saddened at the information he had heard. "I have expected him to try and seek Mr. Weasley but I never expected him to force the young man to join his ranks. Mr. Weasley, will you relay to us what happened from the beginning?"
Having permission to speak, Ron told what happened. He tried to be as detailed as possible even if he was tired. As soon as he stopped, Dumbledore said, "I would like to apologise for not being to prevent this from happening. Your safety is our utmost importance as well as protecting the object Voldemort is focused on obtaining. I wanted to let you know you have shown great bravery and sacrifice for your family in the face of imminent danger. A true Gryffindor, if I say so myself." He paused for moment, contemplating, and continued. "Considering your circumstances, there isn't much we can do. The Dark Mark cannot be removed by any means until Lord Voldemort has been truly vanquished."
Ron's hopes sank upon hearing this. He hated the mark on his left arm.
"I understand your need for secrecy, but please do consider disclosing your secret to your family, at least with your parents –"
"No. I've already made my decision. It's better if they don't know anything." interrupted Ron stubbornly. "If they find out everything that happened to me and what I did for the past four years, they'll try and watch over me and I can't let them do that. They'll also be in a higher risk if they try to protect me. I know them." sighing, he continued, "I wanted to tell them but I...don't think it'll go well with them. I'm a Slytherin and them seeing this..." he raised his left arm and the hideous Dark Mark was shown as dark and grotesque as it was, "I just can't. They'll never understand."
Silence filled the room, with only the light snores of the deceased headmasters and headmistresses could be heard.
"I will respect your decision, Mr. Weasley. Everything that was discussed until now will be between the three of us." relented Dumbledore. "Although, I'm sure you will let Miss Greengrass and Mr. Nott know?"
Snape snapped his head and shot another glare at him and Ron. "You mean to tell me those students you mentioned are also aware of Weasley's secrets?" his right hand twitched slightly, as if itching to grab his wand and harm the old wizard.
Dumbledore's eyes twinkled behind his half-moon spectacles. "I believe Mr. Nott is the first to find out, followed by Miss Greengrass. Both are quite astute students."
"And you are aware, Mr. Weasley, of Mr. Nott's father and his involvement with the Dark Lord?" questioned Snape with his eyes narrowing at the redhead.
Ron had a rush of feeling to defend the dark-skinned teen. "We have an agreement. He invests on my ability while he provides me information I could not find myself. Same with Daphne." He said coldly.
Snape looked as if he wanted to question more but decided not to. "Very well."
Dumbledore watched the two before speaking. "Voldemort will want you to attend the meetings. He will use your abilities to gather information as well as avoid possible losses. Please do be careful of what you tell him. We will have to make sure you will be able to protect your mind with our continued lessons." He informed Ron. "If possible, try to make it as vague as you could. I assume he ordered you to watch over him here at Hogwarts?" He asked, and Snape gave a small jerk. "Excellent. I do expect you to guide him while he's under hostile territory."
"I'm sure you are quite exhausted so I will no longer prolong your stay here. Please rest well, Mr. Weasley."
Ron nodded. "Yes, sir. Goodnight."
"I'll escort him back to the dungeons." said Snape stiffly, and Ron couldn't believe what he had heard. "Let's go."
The two left the headmaster's office and paved way down the dungeons. Ron followed behind the Potions Master, his mind lost in his thoughts. Then, he heard Snape speak. "S-sorry, Sir?"
The hook-nosed wizard scowled at him. "You are expected to be alert with your surroundings, and that includes listening." He said irritably. "What have you Seen?"
Ron blinked and the two had stopped walking. It was obviously past curfew and the hallways were as silent as death. "Mostly horrible." He responded. "A battle will happen roughly in three to four years. A lot of people will die. But I know he will not win." He tried to choose the next few words he would use. "Potter is definitely the one even if I haven't Seen it. And everyone else will have to do their part. But…"
"You believe there are other ways to reach the end goal with less bloodshed?" finished Snape with a whisper. "Isn't it idealistic to think of it? If your assumption based on the...visions you have foreseen points to our victory, why change what's ahead? Isn't it a risk to meddle what's already laid when the goal is peace?"
"I've already made changes, sir." retorted Ron, his fists clenched tightly while reigning on his temper. "And I'm not going to stop. Diggory was supposed to die that night but I managed to change his. I've come a long way and if I do things correctly, then we'll be able to finish You-Know-You much earlier with lesser families who will suffer from his doing."
Snape watched him closely, debating. "I understand now why you're Sorted to Slytherin. Your ambition is far greater than you imagine and you need a lot of resourcefulness and cunning to pull everything off, whatever your plan is." He said softly. "But heed my advice: never give out all of what you know until they are trustworthy."
"I understand, sir. I trust them both." Ron looked at him, thinking, then bravely asked, "May I hold -?" his ears reddened as he spoke.
Snape arched one eyebrow and knew exactly what he wanted to say. "If you feel it's helpful, then so be it." He held out his right hand.
Ron breathed heavily and willed himself to make this work. Slowly, he grasped onto his professor's hand and immediately his surroundings blurred, successfully activating his ability the second time through his own will.
He got back inside the headmaster's office and saw both Snape and Dumbledore. Ron was shocked to see the old wizard looking tired and weak. His right hand was death-like and Snape hovered on it, muttering spells with his wand pointed at it while having Dumbledore drink a thick golden potion. On his left lay Gryffindor's sword and beside it was a small ringin which the stone was cracked.
"Why," began Snape, his eyes still focused on the blackened hand. "why did you put on that ring? It carries a curse, surely you realised that. Why even touch it?"
"I...was a fool. Sorely tempted..." uttered Dumbledore, grimacing.
"Tempted by what?"
Dumbledore didn't respond, causing Snape to scowl at him.
"It's a miracle you managed to return here!" continued Snape in his furious voice. "That ring carried a curse of extraordinary power, to contain it is all we can hope for; I have trapped the curse for the time being –"
Ron, curious, tried to look closer on the aforementioned ring. It wasn't fancy nor expensive-looking yet it looked somehow intriguing with a symbol engraved on the stone. He got distracted when Dumbledore spoke.
"You have done very well, Severus. How long do you think I have?"
Snape seemed hesitated but replied, "I cannot tell. Maybe a year. There is no halting such a spell forever. It will spread eventually, it is the sort of curse than strengthens over time."
On that moment, the scene soon faded, and his vision ended. "Well?" Snape's voice jolted Ron from his reverie, "Did you See something?"
"Y-yes." He nodded.
"What of it?"
"You and Professor Dumbledore are talking...he," Ron gulped down, not sure how to say it better. "he will be cursed by a ring he will wear sometime in the future, maybe next managed to delay the curse but the headmaster..."
"He will die, then." Snape surmised, his pale skin turning white.
Ron could only nod.
"Is that all you could make out of?" Snape sounded furious just like in the vision. He didn't seem to take the information well. "Where will he get the ring? What month he will eventually acquire it?"
"I-I don't know!" stammered Ron. "I don't have the answers to your questions. I could ask him but he might not know it yet."
Snape opened his mouth but stopped himself from saying what he had in mind. "You are right, Mr. Weasley. You do not have all the answers." He relented.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Do not apologise. One's death doesn't befall on your shoulders just because you have witnessed it." said Snape. "You will need to rest. Your body will have to recover from earlier."
Ron nodded once, wanting to stop the conversation. The two continued their way to the Slytherin dungeons. Finally reaching the entrance, Snape said something that caught Ron off-guard. "Do reconsider your stance. It isn't wise to hold things on your own. You will not survive."
Before Ron could say anything, the Potions master was far away and out of sight.
Not wishing to dwell on the words directed to him, Ron spoke the password and entered the common room. There were no students in sight and for some reason, he expected both Theodore and Daphne would be there waiting for him. They must be sleeping.
As soon as he took one step to the stairs, he heard someone speak to him. "If you think you can get away from us that easily, Ronald, think again."
Ron turned around and the common room suddenly had two students sitting on one of the sofas. "Disillusionment Charm, really?"
"It's to avoid prying eyes." said Daphne pointedly. "Where have you been? I've been looking all over for you at Hogsmeade! Even when I got back in the castle, I couldn't find you!"
"I got kidnapped."
Both Daphne and Theodore stared at him. "Kidnapped?" she repeated, her voice rising.
Ron nodded once as he sat down. "By Lucius-Bloody-Git-Malfoy."
"What did he want from you?" questioned Theodore then his eyes narrowed. "The Dark Lord found out, did he?"
Daphne snapped her head and looked gobsmacked. "No, he couldn't. I wiped out Pettigrew's memories –"
"He broke into Pettigrew's mind and after figuring out, killed him." informed Ron resignedly. "He ordered the ferret's father to bring me to him..."
"And what?" pressed on the blonde female Slytherin. "Did he force you to divuldge what we've been doing? What you already know? The Horcruxes?" when Ron didn't immediately respond, her expression turned serious. "Are you not telling us something?"
Ron's temper began to glare flare up once more. "You-Know-Who didn't get to find out what I've already seen even by means of Legilimency. He doesn't know we're aware of the Horcruxes he made. I've already told you enough." He stood up.
"Where are you going?" Daphne questioned, leaving her seat.
"I'm tired. I'm going to sleep."
Theodore gestured to grab his arm but Ron deflected it as if it stung him. Theodore gave him a steely glare. "He marked you." It wasn't a question.
Daphne's eyes widened in recognition, and she turned to the redhead in shock.
There was no use hiding it from them. "It's not because I wanted it." growled Ron. He hated the way they look at him. He felt quite disgusted on himself.
Without a word, Daphne stepped forward with her right hand outstretched. Slowly, she pulled up Ron's left sleeve up and saw the Dark Mark with her own eyes. Ron looked away, a wave of shame washed over him.
"It's not your fault."
"Might as well be!" said Ron angrily, pulling his arm away. "If I didn't follow Malfoy –"
"Then I should be blamed as well." said Daphne quietly, silencing him. "If I hadn't persuaded you into going to Hogsmeade, this would've never happened."
Ron stared at her, stunned.
"There's no use blaming, it's been done." said Theodore to the two. "Whether you like it or not, Weasley, you're now a Death Eater and we'll have to take necessary steps to make everything work to our favour."
"...you're right." Ron knew it was now pointless to sulk and blame on a number of things for what happened. He already made the decision to save his brother and he still wanted to keep his family in the dark about what he had been planning since he entered Hogwarts. "We'll have to turn this one to our advantage rather than a mishap."
"And you'll need us more than ever, Ronald." added Daphne firmly. Theodore nodded.
They talked a couple of more minutes until they decided to stop and rest in their dormitories. Before Ron entered the form, he heard Daphne telling him she'll do something about the hideous tattoo. He walked over to his four-poster bed, and look at the sleeping figures, particularly at the Malfoy scion. His blood boiled but Ron took a deep breath to cool himself down.
I'll make his father pay for this. All of them.
And he changed his clothes with haste and dropped himself on the soft bed with his eyes closing.
The following day, Ron woke up late, noting the time on the grandfather clock. He was glad Draco and his cronies were nowhere in sight. His stomach rumbled loudly and remembered he hadn't eaten anything in almost a whole day, so he took a quick shower. Every time he chanced upon the Dark Mark, his skin crawled and he hated it. As soon as he was done he got out of the bathroom and was surprised to see Daphne inside the Dorm holding a purse of some sort in her hand.
"What the bloody hell are you doing here?" He blurted out, staring at her.
Daphne tried to look elsewhere, adamant at not looking straight to his direction. "Maybe I should've knocked," she muttered, her cheeks tainted in pink.
Ron frowned at her odd behaviour then realised that he was only covered waist down with a towel. His whole face flushed deeply. "L-let me get changed!" He said defensively, feeling self-conscious all of a sudden.
Daphne was already out of the dormitory with Theodore entering in turn. "I can see why she left," he said amusedly.
"Shut it, Nott." scowled the redhead Slytherin as he began to wear trousers. "What is she planning, anyway?" He asked, grabbing a maroon pullover from his trunk.
"You'll find out soon."
Ron flipped him the finger in response. Finally dressed, he heard a soft knock from outside. "Get in."
Daphne let out a sigh as she got inside. "At least you're decent now." She remarked.
"If you didn't barge in like you usually do – what's that?"
"Pull up your sleeve." instructed Daphne. She sat down on his bed as unzipped the purse which happened to contain an assortment of make-up. Ron reluctantly pulled his left sleeve with the Dark Mark engraved on his left arm. She picked up a small cylindrical tube and opened it like a lipstick. It has a flesh-colour. "I'll put the concealer first on it before I'll add the foundation." She told him. "Your skin tone is lighter than mine but I think this will do for the moment."
And she set off to work. It took awhile before Ron realised what she was actually doing. "Daphne –"
"I know it can't be removed by magical means unless He took it off himself which I doubt. So I thought covering it with make-up will help." She rambled, dabbing the concealer onto the tattoo. "This is different from Muggle make-up since my family created the whole product line. It's also waterproof and will not rub on your clothes. Our make-up gives this matte look to make it more natural. This is actually beating the other Muggle brands, just to let you know."
Ron could only nod.
Once done with the concealer was the foundation. He was surprised to see it actually working. The Dark Mark was no longer visible although the part where it was looked uneven compared to his actual skin colour. The only thing left was the powder. When she was done, Daphne said to him. "If you want it removed, you have to use a special solution. It won't clog your pores by the way."
He looked at his arm and was amazed to say the least. "Not bad, Greengrass." remarked Theodore.
"It's Daphne, Theodore. We've known each other for years," corrected Daphne. "but thanks for the compliment."
"...thanks." was all Ron could say.
"I thought it wouldn't work but I guess You-Know-Who haven't thought of repelling make-up on his tattoo." smiled Daphne triumphantly. "Let's go have lunch now. You overslept, you're aware of that, right?"
Ron couldn't agree more. The three headed up to the Great Hall where students were already seated having lunch. They sat down on the edge of the table and began to pile good when and barn owl flew over to Theodore and handed out what seemed to be the Sunday Prophet. "Are you still subscribing that piece of rubbish?" He asked the dark teen.
"Just to check the current political climate," he replied shortly as he gave money to the owl which booted before flying off. But his eyes widened slightly on the front page and said, "Look."
Ron swallowed the food he had in his mouth, and then accepted the newspaper from him. His jaw dropped.
AZKABAN BREAK-OUT
Top fourteen of the most dangerous prisoners were broke free from prison after the Dementors having left the posts. Rumours are circulating that He-Who-Must-Not-Named is behind of the horrific event and have successfully recruited the Dementors on their side. This is causing fear and unrest among the wizarding community.
"We must remain vigilant on these difficult times." said Rufus Scrimgeour, the current head of DMLE after replacing Amelia Bones who is now Prime Minister. "We have reinforced Azkaban and added more security measures to prevent any further break-outs."
The fourteen prisoners who broke out as follows:
Antonin Dolohov
Corban Yaxley
Cyrus Avery
Walden Macnair
Augustus Rookwood
Bellatrix Lestrange
Rodolphus Lestrange
Rabastan Lestrange
Hadrian Travers
Barry Crouch Jr.
Thorfinn Rowle
Alecto Carrow
Amycus Carrow
Bruce Gibbon
Minister of Magic Amelia Bones assured to the public that the escapees will be caught and sent back to Azkaban. Sirius Black, framed by already late Peter Pettigrew, was the first to break out from prison but has denied any involvement from what happened.
Chills went down to Ron's spine as he read the article, especially when he read the crimes Bellatrix Lestrange committed including Antonin Dolohov who murdered his late uncles Gideon and Fabian. He looked around and just noticed the worrying looks on the students' faces. Others, mostly in Slytherin, seemed unperturbed. Draco Malfoy and his cronies, as expected, looked rather pleased.
"How did this happen?" whispered Ron furiously. "They would've done this right after –" he stopped, remembering the last night and it struck him.
"They must've planned this." said Daphne quickly.
Ron shook his head. This couldn't be happening. "We should be more careful from now on, I'm sure Malfoy will be ordered by his got of a father to spy on me." He growled. "I –"
A black hawk flew to their direction and dropped a letter on Theodore who managed to catch it. He unsealed the envelope and took out the letter, quickly reading what was written to him. "Tough luck on you, Weasley. Father tasked me to watch over you. Well, he doesn't need to tell me anyway but this makes it official." He said with a smirk. "More reason to 'watch your back'."
Ron snorted at this. "Right." After this, he's go straight to Dumbledore about the vision he had from Snape.
As they ate, sitting on the opposite end of the Great Hall was Harry who was watching Ron with narrow eyes. He had followed Ron yesterday at Hogsmeade, hoping to find anything suspicious about him, but when he went out to the Three Broomsticks to continue his spying, Ron was gone. Then he tried locating him using the Marauder's Map but Ron could not be located. He didn't want to press his suspicions to Hermione because they were friends and he didn't want to be nagged so he only told his theory to Neville who didn't outright agree but didn't reprimand him.
Then, last night past curfew, he saw Ron's dot form inside the castle with Snape and both went to Dumbledore's office. Quickly, he slid out of the Gryffindor tower and made his way toward the headmaster's office under the invisibility cloak but by the time he got, they were gone. But Harry didn't falter. He followed the two Slytherins, determined to find anything that might prove his theory and finally, he'd caught up with them.
"...will he get the ring? What month he will eventually acquire it?"
"I-I don't know!" stammered Ron. He had a panicked look on his face. "I don't have the answers to your questions. I could ask him but he might not know it yet."
Snape opened his mouth but stopped himself from saying what he had in mind. He was furious. "You are right, Mr. Weasley. You do not have all the answers." He relented, the angry lines disappearing.
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Do not apologise. One's death doesn't befall on your shoulders just because you have witnessed it." said Snape. "You will need to rest. Your body will have to recover from earlier."
Ron nodded once, not uttering another word. The two continued their way to the Slytherin dungeons. Harry followed them once again. Finally reaching the entrance to the Slytherin common room, Snape said something thatcaught Ron off-guard. "Do reconsider your stance. It isn't wise to hold things on your own. You will not survive."
The conversation between the two was confusing to say the least with something about a ring but one thing stood out: Someone died and Ron Weasley witnessed it.
And this is where I will end this chapter. I've made changes on the names who captured Ron since I realised I had Avery and Mulciber caught. I've replaced their names with Jugson and Crabbe.
IMPORTANT NOTE: I know there are others who may feel that making Ron into a Death Eater is stereotypical which, in a sense, is if the plot is the same (i.e. Evil!Ron) but this is a different take. We all know Wormtail joined because he feared of Voldemort's powers so he joined out of self-preservation; Ron, on the other hand, was only forced to join so that he could stop them from hurting Percy and potentially the rest of the family. The fact that Voldemort could not view his visions is already a set-back in capturing and obtaining information from him, so the best option was for them to force Ron to be compliant via blackmail.
Therefore, I feel with the way the story is going, this is still not going to be a stereotypical Death Eater!Ron. He's not turning evil in any way, however to any outsider he will be seen as one. But that will be tackled in the future.
And I've always wondered if the Dark Mark could be covered with something simple as make-up. The Greengrass family has a lot of business that targeted both the Wizarding and Muggle market. Not just the medical but also make-up line which they believe is a potential market to gain more money and prestige in their own cunning Slytherin way.
And Theodore is pretending to follow his father's orders. I think it perfectly described his own Slytherin way which he has no trust in anyone except for himself.
I hope you enjoyed the Silver Triad and their dynamics. Review if you like.
