TRADING PLACES
Harry stared at his 'best friend' in disgust. "You know, Ron, we both want what we have never had. You want money. I want family that cares about me. You want the disgusting fame of living when the rest of your family has been slaughtered. I want anonymity. Tell you what," he glanced down at the obscene amount of money left to him as the last Potter. "I'll sell it to you. You get my life, my fame, my money and I get your family and the life of a nothing special sixth son."
By now the silence of the Gryffindor table had spread to the rest of the hall. Everyone was staring at Ron and Harry in shock at Ron's ugly words and Harry's response.
"Bugger off, Potter!" Ron spat, red faced.
"I'm serious. You can have the Dursleys, the lies, the offensive stares and whispers. You can have the Prophet writing lies and the ministry shredding your reputation. You can have the disfiguring scar that is a daily reminder that your mum and dad were murdered by a half-blood psychopath. You can have my Firebolt and all the money left as the last remaining Potter for," Harry looked down at the family tree, "six removes. Last remaining because Voldemort and his enslaved minions hunted them down and murdered them…even the babes in the cribs. You can have the yearly attempts on your life and vicious rumours the kids at this school absolutely love to spread and wallow in. I get your family."
Ron was pale as a ghost now as he stared at Harry.
"You can even take my place in the tournament since you want glory so badly."
"Now, Harry," Dumbledore finally gathered his wits to say. "I think that is enough of that kind of talk."
"Oh, right, I forgot. You also get the headmaster of your school butting his crooked nose into your private life as if he actually has a legal right to you." Harry added bitterly. He held Ron's gaze. "Deal?"
Ron gaped a moment before anger and jealousy reared their heads. "Deal." He snapped and held out his hand.
"No!" Several people shouted as Harry grasped the freckled hand and shook it saying "So mote it be". Gold and silver lines of magic wrapped about the boys' joined hands. Wind kicked up about them ruffling their hair and robes while pushing the nearest people away from them.
Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape rushed toward them, but was blocked by a golden shield. They watched helplessly as the two boys rose in the air, hovering above the wooden trestle seats for several minutes before magic exploded outward knocking everyone unconscious.
When they woke the only two people that remembered what happened was Ronald Weasley who was now in a scrawny body with black messy hair, green eyes and a lightning bolt scar and Harry Potter who was now in a tall, sturdy red headed body.
The staff quickly got everyone sorted back to rights placing the blame on a prank gone wrong. McGonagall glared at the Weasley twins but couldn't prove they were behind it. Besides, they looked as dazed and confused as everyone else.
Harry/Ron finished his supper and stood up. "Seamus, wanna play a game of chess?"
"Sure Ron."
Harry/Ron glanced over at the stunned looking Ron/Harry. "Cheater," he muttered hatefully before walking off with Seamus.
It took less than a week for Ron/Harry to begin to regret the deal he made. He hadn't realized just how much Harry had to deal with on a daily basis from other people. No one had anything good to say to him. They all thought him a cheat and a liar and a glory hound. Other students pushed and shoved him in the hall; hexed him when they thought no adult was around. The professors ignored all the bad behavior and were cold toward him themselves.
He didn't know how much Harry's body ached from untreated injuries. His stomach so small from years of forced starvation that he couldn't even eat one plate full of food at a sitting. Ron/Harry went to Madame Pomfrey who gave him nutritional potions to take, but couldn't do more without permission from his guardians. The clothes Harry had were horrible. Then he discovered that the first task was dragons.
He went to Harry/Ron desperate to switch back. Harry/Ron was having none of it though. "You wanted my life. You have it. I suggest you start studying."
Studying. Something Ron had never been good at and didn't want to have to become good. Dragons! How was he going to learn to win against a dragon when he was barely able to pass the year end exams with Granger's help?
Ron/Harry went to Hermione and to Dumbledore but neither of them believed his wild tale of switching bodies. Twice he was taken to the infirmary in hysterics about the coming tournament task. It didn't matter that he now had sixty thousand galleons in his trust vault alone. No that didn't matter when he wasn't going to survive long enough to see it much less spend it. He begged Harry/Ron to switch back again and again, but the now redhead just smirked at him and said 'no'.
Ron/Harry had never realized just horrible Harry's life was. He had been too busy eating, playing around and being a jealous self-absorbed git and now he was getting just what he wanted…Harry's life…and now he didn't want it at all.
The day of the task finally arrived. Ron/Harry was a total wreck. He wasn't prepared to pass his fourth year exams much less outsmart a dragon and steal an egg from it. He was standing in the tent with the other champions when Ludo Bagman came in with the heads of the schools.
"Isn't this exciting?" Bagman exclaimed, bouncing a bit with excitement. He held out a small velvet bag. "Each of you will reach in and draw out one item. That is what you'll be facing. Ladies first."
Fleur Delacour stepped forward to draw out a dragon. Next was Victor Krum then Cedric Diggory. Ron/ Harry stepped up and thrust his hand in hissing a bit when whatever it was nipped at his fingers. He grasped it and drew out "A Hungarian Horntail!" He promptly fainted.
Harry/Ron sat in the bleachers and watched as the first friend he had ever made crept out into the arena. He was bone white and shaking. He didn't even try anything more than a wingdarium leviosa which did not work. He then hid behind a huge boulder until time was called.
The rest of the tournament was a disaster. No one wanted to go to the ball with him so Ron/Harry had to endure Professor McGonagall yelling at him about embarrassing Gryffindor and Hogwarts in front of international guests. During the second task, Harry/Ron had to be returned by the merpeople when Ron/Harry failed to rescue him. The third task came and he was surprised when he reached the trophy before anyone else. (They had been mysteriously stunned it was later discovered.) Ron/Harry nearly wet himself when he was portkeyed to a graveyard. He did wet himself when he was tied to a gravestone and used to resurrect Voldemort.
When Voldemort pressed his finger to the scar on his forehead, Ron/Harry's world erupted in pain and he screamed shrilly before passing out. Voldemort kept waking him up and torturing him for over an hour before he finally killed him and returned his body with the trophy to Hogwarts.
Everyone stared in shock at the mutilated corpse of Harry Potter. Dumbledore couldn't believe he was dead. He was the prophecy child. The one to finally defeat Voldemort!
Harry/Ron just stared at the dead body. He felt sorrow and guilt for a few minutes then he inwardly rejoiced. Harry Potter was dead. Harry/Ron had no expectations laid on him any longer! He was free. Free to live the normal life he always wanted. And look at the look on Dumbledore's face! The man was horrified and bewildered. Albus freaking Dumbledore had no idea what to do. His pawn, his weapon, was dead.
People were screaming in panic. The Minister was crushing his lime green bowler in his hands. The aurors were called and finally arrived not that they could do much. The trail of the portkey was finally traced and later it was reported about the graveyard and lingering magical traces and signs of a ritual and Potter's blood found on the ground.
There was no denying the magical evidence. Voldemort was back and had killed Harry Potter.
Apparently, Harry Potter had been worried about his life expectancy because he had managed to file a will with the goblins. A will in which he left his photo album to Sirius Black; two thousand galleons to Remus Lupin and the rest to his first friend, Ron Weasley. He had, of course, stipulated that his schooling had to be paid for and that he could only withdraw one thousand galleons a year for school supplies and spending money.
Ron generously gave the extra money to his family to help make ends meet ensuring that not only did he get new clothes and supplies, but his sister did as well. He also split the spending money with her so she could get treats and little bits and bobs during Hogsmeade visits.
With Potter dead, Dumbledore had no recourse except to hunt down and destroy Voldemort's Horcruxes himself. It took him only six months to destroy all but Nagini. Snape finally managed to poison the snake leaving Voldemort unknowingly vulnerable.
In a fit of rage at the death of his familiar and horcrux, Voldemort attacked Hogsmeade while the students were there. People were screaming and running in terror. They were screaming in pain from the curses death eaters were casting at them and dying from the killing curses Voldemort was sending out like candy at Halloween.
No one saw the piecing hex that flew from the shadowy alley that Voldemort had just passed. The hex found its target unerringly and Voldemort dropped to the ground; dead from a piercing hex straight through his shriveled heart.
In the confusion and panic no one saw a freckled redhead slip into the crowd. Prophecy fulfilled. He couldn't wait for his mum to arrive to hug him in relief that he was alive; to take him home for the weekend and cook his favorites and let him fly to his heart's content.
Harry grinned. Being Ron Weasley was great.