Ron awoke close to the tomb, confused but not sore. He figured he had been confounded and wandered away. He slowly got to his feet, than started jogging back towards the battle The scene with Severus Snape had been a couple of minutes in a busy confusing battle. Ron soon forgot he was even missing some time. He also fired off a few powerful hexes at some death eaters, which had been beyond him previously. Ron chalked it up to the excitement of the battle, as a wizard he knew nothing of adrenalin.
His red hair draggled in his eyes, and he was covered in dust and sweat. Some inner voice seemed to warn him when he was the target of incoming hexes. A gaunt death eater suddenly appeared close to Hermione raising his wand in preparation to cast a spell aimed at Narcissa Malfoy. Ron was surprised at first at the choice in targets, but quickly stunned the man. Hermione placed a binding charm on him. While Lucius gazed at them both in a bewildered manner, then he tapped Draco. Draco looked up at his father and saw the direction he was starring. He murmured something to Lucius and was answered quietly. Then both Malfoys returned to looking intently at the fallen death eater. Draco grabbed his mother's arm and started pulling her into a hallway.
Ron heard sounds of the battle; one voice shrieked, " She's mine! Stay back!" it was his mother's voice. It had that imperious commanding quality that mothers everywhere employ when they insist on instant obedience. Neville saw him first, as he come upon the scene of his mother standing triumphant over Bellatrix's Lestrange. He heard Voldemort scream in rage and hurled a curse straight at his mother. For some reason she wasn't hit and someone cried " Harry!" It seemed as if Harry had saved another of his parents. Ron ran over to his mother, gathering her in his arms and dragging her to cover. Hermione joined them and suggested he take Molly back to Ginny.
Molly was flushed and quivering, her eyes full of tears that she refused to shed. Her eyes raced over Ron, making sure this child was safe. She looked towards the area where Ginny was, anxiously seeking her baby.
Suddenly desperate to reach her youngest child, to protect her and keep her safe, she started tugging on Ron.
Ron heard Voldemort scream for Harry again, or at least he thought that was what was screamed.
"Harry!" he screamed loud enough for his throat to bleed. He started to push through the crowd, Molly and Ginny grabbing at both arms. He saw Lucius pull up a dark hood, concealing his white blond hair. Draco pulled his mother down behind some debris. Voldemort started to rant about Harry running out on his friends. Ron jerked away and started weaving his way through the crowd, only to be stopped by Lucius.
"Wait." Lucuis hissed. " Now is not the time." Ron was shocked at the warning, and stared at the man a full second before shouldering past him, and being caught this time by his father. "Wait." said Author Weasley.
Neville was dragged forward and the sorting hat placed on his head. All the while both older wizards had death grips on Ron's arms. This was absurd; these two men hated each other, why were they working together now? Ron burst free when the hat went up in flames and once more pushed forward.
More outraged screams from Voldemort and the noise in the crowd around them swelled. The acid stink of sweat and fear combined with the sweet metallic scent of blood. Draco breathed " Damn it Weasel, Longbottom killed Nagini and royally pissed off the dark lord now. Can you believe it?" Ron started forward again, intent only on reaching Harry. Hermione flanked him and surprisingly farther back so did Draco. Luna slid out from behind a large witch and got in front of Draco, nervously glancing back at the slytherin boy who had tormented her as well as the ones he currently followed. Someone fired off a hex at Neville, and both Hermione and Ron blocked it. Ron glanced back at his father and saw him talking to both Percy and Malfoy Sr. Narcissa was quietly sobbing with her head against a dusty wall. All around people were discussing what they should do to try and help. Ron could see Voldemort speaking, he could even hear his voice, but the content was not registering. He was focused on two things; one was Harry. The other was the corpse of the thrice-damned snake. A voice echoed in the back of his head Longbottom killed Nagini. His thoughts wondered why Draco was behind him and not being the two faced prat he generally was.
Hermoine called his attention back to Harry who was speaking intently to Voldemort his voice was calm and clear in defense of Severus Snape. Ron was hit with a dizzy spell, which made his head swim and black spots appear before his eyes. Harry was defending Snape. Years of torment, mistrust and outright hatred were as not. Harry was stating with utter conviction that Snape was Dumledore's man. Hermione looked at Harry sharply and without looking at Ron "It is the Elder wand, that is the message Dumbledore was trying to send. He is missing the resurrection stone, but he has the cloak." she said this only loud enough for Ron to hear. Then wands were drawn and curses were flying and Voldemort was dead, from a rebounding curse hurled from his own wand.
Hermione and he both rushed forward and embraced their friend. Ron was strangely quiet looking into the face of his friend and seeing the torn and conflicting thoughts racing across a face, which telegraphed every emotion.
"It is over Ron. I have had enough of this for a lifetime." Harry looked down at Hermione " thanks for sticking with me through all this".
Ron felt almost as this was a dig for when he left them in the forest. Looking at his friends face there were no hidden meanings. " Come on then mate." Ron tugged at Harry. " Sit down a bit before you fall." Ron's knees were just as weak and as they sit down they looked at all the devastation surrounding them. " What a bloody mess." Ron murmured. " I am going to have to help them with Fred, and someone is going to have to make arrangements to let Tonk's parents know about her and Lupin."
Draco was just close enough to hear that and walked slowly over to the table. " I think my mum would like to see her oldest sister and tell her about what happened." he looked a bit unsure of his reception. " I should have said it earlier but I am indebted for your help and I appreciate the fact that neither of you had to save me." He earnestly met their eyes. " Malfoy's pay their debts." He quickly walked back to his mother and father.
Ron looked coldly at him, " They are already starting to cover their tracks. That bloody two faced prat, can you believe this shit?" Harry simply said," I was watching them while I was under the cloak and they did nothing against anyone, they were just trying to find each other and stay together. I can't stand Lucuis, but he lifted not a finger to help his former master. Maybe killing Snape was the final nail, or maybe letting him rot in Azkaban all that time turned him away from the death eater motto." He shrugged, " Snape and Malfoy were always close, Draco was constantly going on about how Snape would eat at their manor. I always thought he was just bragging, but now…" his voice trailed off as his gaze drifted over Lupin and Tonks.
The bodies were being lined up like cordwood. Poppy Pomphrey and Molly Weasley were directing the injured here and there and Horace Slughorn was bringing them salves and potions. Slughorn was still in his pajamas.
"We should help." Harry started to rise. Ron pushed him back down. "You sit down, you have done enough." Aurors were conferring over the corpse of Voldemort; Harry would have little rest today.
Luna came up and after a bit Ron noticed that Harry had disappeared. He wandered over to his mother; she was sniffling over the top of Fred and speaking softly to his father. She looked up at Ron. "I figured it would be you in the thick of things Ronald." she glanced down at Fred. "At least he was smiling." She started tearing up again " How will George get by alone?" She looked intently into Ron's face and told him." You should get some sleep son, you are about to fall over." Go upstairs and lie down.
Thinking Harry may have had the same thought Ron drifted up to Griffindor tower.Hermione , Ginny and Luna were making over Neville, bandaging his cuts and hearing his accounts. A sharp pang deep in his stomach knifed through Ron as he looked at his old friend.
The sun was just starting to set when he lie on his old bunk and pulled tight the curtains. As the sun set below the horizon the red hair lengthened to a silky black, his tanned complexion lightened up and his face became thinner and more angular. Ron Weasley had been replaced with a 20-year-old Severus Snape. No broken nose, no scars and no conscious thoughts as his body lay in repose in the alien Griffindor tower.
He didn't wake to the noise of Harry and Neville taking their old bunks and didn't move a muscle until the dawn came the next day and changed him back.
Ron had no idea of the change. He had just had a restful sleep after months of anxiety and a horrible nasty battle. He did what any growing boy would do after such a restful night. He went down early for breakfast.
Does anyone want to beta this? Contact me..I need help.