Chapter 24

Ron, in the past, would have regretted his decision, but this time. He couldn't afford to. Mad-Eye had three invisibility cloaks, but they weren't nearly as perfect as Harry's. Still it was better than nothing. It wasn't difficult to dress as a Death Eater as well. Severus even used a glamor to apply a fake tattoo to his forearm. What he did notice was that the prison was not heavily guarded. That meant that there was not a valued prisoner here. It didn't mean that there wasn't a prisoner here. He could hear screaming from whoever was here. Sneaking around corners would get him captured much more quickly than he intended too. He was surprised at his own memory of the place. When they had rescued Severus and Draco, there were so many nerves that Ron could hardly breath. It was the adrenaline that pushed them through. The moment that they stepped through the door in Harry's flat, he could breathe again.

Ron peaked in through a window of one of the prison cells. One of the Death Eaters was raping a prisoner. That was where the screaming was coming from. Ron had to stop himself from bursting in there. He had to take a deep breath. His goal was to get captured. He didn't look to see who the prisoner was but based on his arms and legs it was a man. In truth, there were a lot less people than there had been previously. It wasn't until he turned the corner when he was ambushed. The moment that he was captured, Draco and Severus would know. His capture would bring a lot more Death Eaters to the prison.

A horrible sinking feeling hit his stomach when he realized what was about to happen. He was dragged into the same cell as the other prisoner who was being raped. Ron recognized the prisoner as Marcus Flint, the old Slytherin Quidditch captain. A look of pity washed across Ron's face as Marcus tried to turn his abused body away. Although he had prepared for what was going to happen, he felt sick when his clothes were stripped away. His arms were shackled to the wall and his legs were spread wide for everyone to see his private area. Ron closed his eyes and tried to pretend like it wasn't happening. He didn't want this, but Harry was what mattered. This violation could potentially save thousands of people.

"Well what do we have here?" The Death Eater pulled out of Marcus. "The Weasleys really are full redheads."

Ron was horrified. He struggled to close his legs; he struggled to move his arms. He nearly cried when the man touched his member. This must have been how Draco felt when he was tied to his family's tomb. He remembered when Rodolphus was touching Draco in an intimate place. Ron nearly screamed when the Death Eater put his finger inside Ron, "Oh, this isn't your first time. How convenient! Now then, if you tell us where Potter is. I will stop."

"I'm not going to tell you anything" Ron cried out.

"Very well, I am going to thoroughly enjoy myself, tonight." The Death Eater put his member at Ron's entrance. He was going to go in raw and barely prepped. Ron was terrified.

"Please no" Ron's cries were futile. Even Marcus Flint couldn't bare to watch.

"Avada Kadavra" A cry from the doorway hit the Death Eater right before he was about to change Ron's life forever. Draco came rushing into the prison with Neville behind him. As relieved as Ron was to not be violated, he couldn't help but be angry.

"What are you doing here? You're ruining the plan." Ron still had tears dripping down his eyes.

"I'm the only one who's allowed to touch you." Draco released Ron and used a spell to dress him.

"Marcus, can you stand?" Neville asked pulling the other prisoner down. Marcus reached down with his arms to cover his body. Neville used the same spell to dress Marcus, "I'm sorry we can't treat your wounds right now, but we need to go."

"I thought we were trying to find Nott" Ron asked.

"Theo is dead" Marcus said weakly, "He had taken a hit for me shortly after we arrived."

A knot formed in Draco's stomach, but there was no time for grief in that moment. They ran out of the prison cell. Neville had plants growing all along the walls that had the Death Eaters trapped in vines. Draco handed Ron his wand which he had found earlier.

"Crucio" Ron was suddenly writhing on the ground in pain. Draco disarmed whoever it was. Neville was ahead of them trying to get Marcus out of danger. He turned around to see Ron on the ground and Draco trying to protect him. Ron finally caught his breath and had just enough time and strength to throw Draco toward Neville who caught him. A flash of green light, and Ron's lifeless body was all that Draco could see as Neville dragged him out.

"NOOO" Draco cried sobbing, "I have to.. I have to get his body"

"We can't right now. What's the point if you get killed?" Neville was trying to drag Draco away and carry Marcus, "I can't carry you both. Draco, you need to run"

"It was all my fault. I got him killed." Draco repeated over and over. There was no way that he could apparate. Neville apparated with both of them to Grimmauld place. He was shaking has he walked through the door. His teeth were chattering. Severus was there to catch Marcus and lead him into a spare bathroom. Neville was taller than Ron, and his arms seemed stronger. He held Draco tightly.

"What happened?" Mad-Eye asked. Neville shook his head and put a finger to his lips to stop the older man from asking questions.

"There was no good way to go about this." Neville finally spoke. Ginny stood in the doorway and watched Draco. Her face was white as a ghost. Her tears were silent. The number of deaths was going to continue to grow. Severus walked out after healing Marcus's wounds. He gave him a dreamless sleep potion to give him some rest. He barely had time to catch Ginny before she collapsed.

"Nott is dead, according to Marcus" Severus told Mad-Eye, "I think that we were right. The prison should be our first attack. I'm wiling to bet that there are a lot more prisoners than just Marcus."

"I agree, but we can't storm the place, or we will lose a lot more than one boy." Mad-Eye, spoke.

"We should probably contact Arthur, and someone needs to notify the ones in France." Severus spoke, "Although, we don't really have the time to grieve, and its too dangerous to retrieve his body"

"So that mission was a fail," Neville stood up after Draco finally stopped shaking, "Now we need to do things my way."

Neville rolled out a piece of parchment and began drawing on it with his quill. He was beginning to draw a map of the prison. From where they had been, Neville drew the map accurately in less than an hour. Severus was watching to young man go through possible scenarios of what could happen, "We need someone who is agile and quick"

"That person needs to be me. Just don't tell my father," Ginny spoke, "Despite my appearance and my very older big brothers, I am the quickest at firing spells."

Neville looked at her. His instinct was to follow what would have been Ron's wishes, and protect his sister. Yet, he knew that she was smart and what she was capable of. In that past even Harry had acted like she was a princess that needed protecting, but she was in some ways smarter than they were, "I agree."

"I don't" Draco stood up, "Ron would not want you anywhere near this fight."

"Ron isn't here anymore" Ginny's eyes welled up, "I have to do something. I'm not a child. I'm only a year younger than any of you. For merlin's sake, I've been of age for a few years now."

"Actually, I need a day or two." Neville spoke quickly, "There's something I have to do."

"Who was the contact in the prison?" Draco thought in his head, hoping that Neville would receive it, but he made sure to focus on the map.

"It was Marcus" Neville answered, "I will be back tomorrow with help. I think I have a better idea, but I need one person's help."

Severus sat up that night thinking of Harry. He wasn't even here to know that Ron was dead. That last night when they were together, he wondered if Harry had intended for that to be a goodbye. Did he really think that they would have been protected if he weren't around? Severus would have loved to tell him that he was wrong. Having him here gave them strength to beat their enemies. Draco and Severus didn't want to return to the manor that night. In fact, after Draco was asleep, Severus went to Harry's flat.