Harry Potter and the Last Day Walker
/Wednesday 7th August 1996
21:55 pm Ottery St Catchpole Village,
The Burrow.
Ron Weasley was slumped across his bed. He was in a bit of a mood. His entire summer had mostly been him cooped inside his room. He had been able to get some quidditch practice in early July but when the attack, the killings and the reporters/fans all started showing up his mother had forbidden him and Ginny from practicing even though the burrow wasn't an easy place to find, even with magic.
Although some really persistent wizards had found the place and Ron suspected that Dumbledore and the order were making sure those wizards kept quiet.
The wards had kept those wizards out but that did nothing to ease anyone's fears apparently.
The wards on the burrow were good but Dumbledore wanted them better and only himself and Alastor Moody would be working on them. Professor Dumbledore had assured his parents that his family of course would be unaffected by the new wards in place and they would be able to come and go as they pleased, even Percy but anyone else who wasn't keyed into the wards without permission would be repelled although Dumbledore assured them that other than Death Eaters, the repelling aspect of the wards wouldn't be dangerous, much to Madeye's annoyance.
Permission only lied with Dumbledore and his parents. They had keyed most of the members of the order and his father had already given permission for Harry and Hermione if she changed her mind about coming to burrow.
They had put most of the new wards up already but they hadn't completely finished yet as these were extremely complicated wards so until then Ron had been told to stay inside every day.
Even Ginny was frustrated by this.
His little sister had last year been the Gryffindor seeker to replace Harry after Umbridge had banned him for life. Ginny was an amazing seeker but she preferred playing chaser and she had wanted to get her practice in for a chaser position this year after doing so many seeker drills last year.
However, she like himself was on lockdown. Being the babies of the house, neither of them could go outside at least while their mother was around.
His mother wouldn't even let them tend to the growing gnome problem in the garden.
His mother's paranoia was getting worse every day and with his father working so much, there was no responsible adult to console her. Well Ron supposed his older brother Bill was around because of Fleur but he was working a lot too and while the other order members dropped by every now and again, it wasn't really enough to console her fears.
She was extremely worried about the coming war. Ron wasn't as insensitive to understand why his mother was so worried.
She had lost a lot of family during the first war including her own twin brothers. So, it wasn't surprising why she was so scared these days but it still frustrated Ron to no end.
His rebellious heart had taken to sneaking out at night.
Only three times a week at most. It was hard to sneak out when his mother would stay up like a hawk most nights waiting for his father to return from his late-night shifts at the ministry. She would in particular watch their special clock each night which told her to a degree the location of each member of the Weasley family unless the clock went on mortal peril.
She had taken to carrying the clock with her of late. With so many Weasley's out of the house currently she would keep the clock close, specifically when his father was apparating home from work.
After his performance last year in quidditch Ron wanted to do better. While his last game had been great, that was simply because of luck.
He also wanted to have as much fun as he could this year.
A war was on the horizon and after the events of the battle of department of mysteries, he knew he was going to be right at the front line alongside his best friend Harry Potter.
He didn't tell anyone because he didn't want to make anyone upset or guilty but he had been extremely terrified in the ministry but more importantly he'd also been ashamed.
Harry, Neville and the others had all fought and he'd let himself get confounded, only to bloody take himself out with a weird brain.
Ok that wasn't fair to himself. He'd also fought against the death eaters and the others except Harry and Neville had all been taken out too including Hermione, the smartest of all of them.
Still, he was the first to go down in the most idiotic way too and it had plagued him for weeks.
Not only that but they had lost Sirius, who was a good bloke and it was a reminder to him of how raw this war was going to get. That truly terrified him but he was determined to stick by Harry's side no matter what, which meant he could also very possibly die in the near future.
While that absolutely frightened him, he was also very determined to have all the fun he could and live the best life he could before all hell broke loose.
Quidditch would be his fun but he also wanted to practice for another reason. Harry had really upped Ron's skill set last year during the D.A sessions but he wanted to hone in on his reflexes.
He was only alive right now because the death eaters hadn't used darker curses and that wasn't lost on Ron.
Fate had given him the opportunity to hopefully lead another few years, so he wanted to try and protect the few years he had left before he went rushing into war.
He had actually already started.
His sneak out nights weren't completely about quidditch. He had started doing proper exercise like push ups, sit ups, star jumps and jogging on the spot.
It had been gruesome but stretching at least was mandatory before playing quidditch so luckily, he never pulled anything or was too achy and with enough sneak out nights he was getting used to the feeling now.
He noticed he was even starting to gain abs.
It was amazing.
He had secretly admired how well toned Harry had become over the years through quidditch, not that Harry had time to even notice that he wasn't the skinny drumstick he once used to be because of those blasted Dursley's but it felt good knowing that if they even died in this war, then at least they'd die looking good.
Then there was Hermione who always looked good. She wouldn't have to worry about dying and not looking good.
Hermione!
Even just thinking about her sent butterflies to his stomach.
What had happened to her at the ministry had infuriated him and it had scared him. He could've lost Hermione and of course the others but the thought of losing her was too much for him to bear.
She was a massive target in this war for two reasons and could also die in the near future but he if got his act together and became as skilled as herself and Harry then he would do everything in his power to protect her, to protect them both.
That was why he was once again sneaking out.
His father had a rare day off from his recent promotion as well as his order duties. Alaster Moody had wanted to go over some specific wards with him and so he had been home all day. Luckily his father's constant working and his mother's paranoia made them quite exhausted in general meaning they were fast asleep by ten o'clock.
Ron waited for half an hour before he got into action.
He had kept his clothes on and waited until he heard total silence. There was only five people staying at the burrow so it wasn't hard to sneak out. Ron had done it before growing up and knew all the right steps to avoid making creeks.
He put on his shoes, grabbed his wand, from his desk, his Cleensweep eleven from under his bed and a box of chocolate frogs stashed in draw with hip flask of water that had been a joint gift from Harry and Hermione. Harry had bought the flask and Hermione had used a special charm to be able to embryoid the flask with a picture of them from their third year.
It was a picture of all three them smiling in a tight embrace. It was one they had taken after the massive fight they had, had over the whole Scabbers vs Crookshanks/ Firebolt debacle but they were all just happy to be friends again.
He looked at the moving picture. The three of them were linked together with himself in the middle holding onto Harry on his left and Hermione on his right.
All three of them had the most massive smiles they had ever had in their entire friendship. One of the few times during their five years of Hogwarts that they just got to be normal to some degree, but it was definitely one of their happier years considering all the craziness and ironically with the soul happy sucking dementors around.
Ron stared at the picture hard before a determined look crossed his features. He would definitely do everything in his power to protect them.
With that Ron did his usual routine and snuck out of the house.
He had been flying around in the garden for about twenty minutes or so when he suddenly stopped.
He felt a tingling sensation run down his spine as he looked out into the open fields surrounding the burrow.
The moon was a full moon tonight and was shining brightly, lighting up the village quite beautifully.
Ron could see some lights in the far distance of the main village but otherwise couldn't see or hear anything.
It was probably his mother's paranoia rubbing off on him.
He started practicing another drill when he heard a familiar voice call out to him.
"Hello Ron, Uhhhh lovely flying." Said the dreamy voice of Luna Lovegood.
Ron was startled for a moment and had to calm his racing heart down.
Luna who was standing just outside the hedge of the back garden just a few feet outside of the wards was looking up at Ron on his broom.
Her long silver blond hair was lit up by the moon but what was strange was that Luna looked extremely normal for once in her life. She wasn't wearing any odd or eccentric coloured clothing or her cork necklace or weird plum earrings. She was wearing a simple outfit that was actually quite stylish and made her look normal and very pretty.
Luna lived just over the hill and while Luna had never visited the burrow before but she had told him last year that they were neighbours.
He could see her rook shaped house in the distance, so he wasn't surprised that she knew where he lived but he was a bit put out by her sudden appearance but Luna had become a decent if not weird friend over the last year and she had protected him and his sister at the ministry so he was happy to see her regardless and flew down over the hedge to greet her.
"Luna, I didn't see you there. I didn't realise you'd be back so soon from Sweeden and Figi. How were they?" Asked Ron casually as he landed on the ground and walked towards her, leaning his broom against the hedge first.
He walked past the wards and gave her a quick hug before she answered him.
'They were fine. Father and I had a lot of fun." Said Luna although Ron couldn't help but notice that she was bit jittery as opposed to her usual carefree state.
"Oh... well, um that's good. Did you guys find whatever it was, you were looking for? Asked Ron remembering that Luna had the uncanny ability to turn a conversation awkward at a moment's notice.
Still, she was the first not Weasley or order person he was talking to face to face in weeks.
"Oh um... I'm not sure. You'll have to ask father. How are you, W...Ron?" Said Luna strangely.
Ron now noticed that her voice wasn't as dreamy as it usually sounded.
Had something bad happened on holiday?
"Luna are you ok? You seem weirder than usual. No offence." Said Ron with an arched brow.
"Oh, I saw you flying and I thought I'd just come say hello." Said Luna and this time Ron could tell something was definitely wrong. She had a pained smile on her face and Ron now noticed she was trembling but it was hardly cold outside.
Ron suddenly grabbed Luna by the shoulders.
"Luna what's wrong? Luna talk to me!" Said Ron as he shook her.
Ron realised that Luna had started crying. He had never seen Luna cry before.
"I'm sorry Weasley, I'm so sorry." Whispered Luna in his ear.
As she began breaking down.
'Weasley? Luna never addressed him by his surname.'
Terrible dread began to fill Ron as he heard rustling from the woods behind him. Suddenly he looked at the sobbing girl and realised the horrible truth. This girl was not Luna Lovegood.
His wand was out in a flash as he pointed it at the imposter.
"Who are you and what have you done with Luna?" Asked Ron as the tingling sensation in his spine started again.
"He said he would kill my little brother and sister if I didn't do as exactly as he said. They already killed my parents and my aunt. I haven't done anything to Lovegood I swear but I can't do this. You've got to run Weasley. He made me lure you out here. He's here right now watching us. You've got to run Weasley. RUN!" Said the imposter still posing as Luna.
Ron's heart dropped as he suddenly heard a deep feral growl in the darkness. He had heard that sound before and it was no less terrifying than when he had heard it three years ago.
The imposter next to him began hyperventilating as she turned around and gasped.
Ron did too because in the woods just behind his house were a pair of amber glowing eyes that seemed to be enhanced by the darkness.
Ron's chest began to beat frantically.
He was only a few feet away from the wards and he would be safe but the fake Luna Lovegood wouldn't be, who was visibly shaking. She wasn't keyed into the wards, if he stepped into the safety of the wards, he was leaving this girl, whoever she was to die a vicious death.
He couldn't hold wanting to protect whatever family she had left when he in heartbeat would do the same if he was forced too.
She also clearly had a good heart if she was telling him to run. He couldn't leave this girl but what could he do?
She couldn't get in the burrow.
At this particular moment neither could he. He was standing outside the hedge and his broom was past the wards leaning up against it. A few steps back was all it would take but the creature that stood in front of them was a werewolf and werewolves weren't slow.
He had his wand but werewolves were resistant to most forms of magic and he wasn't allowed to do magic outside of school. He also didn't want the Harry treatment from the ministry for performing underage magic.
Ron's heart leapt as the creature began to stalk forwards.
The trembling girl who still had Luna Lovegood's face wiped her tears and stepped in front of him.
Suddenly Ron saw Luna's long blonde wavy hair begin to slither up the imposters back as the hair began to shift colour from blonde to red. It became straighter and shoulder length.
That wasn't the only change. The imposter was taller than Luna but shorter than himself. She took out a wand and Ron heard a whispered incantation and then the girl spoke.
"Weasley just go. I'll hold him off as long as I can but please inform someone about my brother and sister. They haven't been taken, not yet but I can't chance that right now." Said the girl and with a jolt Ron realised who was standing in front of him even with his eyes latched onto the creature in front of him.
While he wouldn't call himself friends with the girl, he had certainly spent enough time with her in the D.A to recognise her voice.
It was Susan Bones!
He knew for a fact that she was telling truth as he had heard about her aunt's murder but he hadn't known about her parents.
A million thoughts ran through his head including running away but he couldn't do it.
He edged his arm behind his back ever so slightly as the beast continued to stalk forward strangely enough at a slow but still terrifying pace as though it knew it was playing with its food.
He wondered if the creature had used the Belby potion.
He grabbed a hold of his wand and lifted it out of his back pocket as he took a hold of Bones and pulled her closer to him.
Regardless of whatever reason a werewolf wanted to eat him, probably under you know whose orders, he also wasn't going to leave a D.A member hanging.
Well unless it was Zacharias Smith but he wouldn't leave Bones.
The beast suddenly let out a very terrifying growl and Ron knew it was about to pounce.
Ron had only ever seen one werewolf before but he was now wishing that it was Lupin who was trying to eat him because this werewolf looked incredibly blood thirsty and a lot more dangerous than Lupin had and Lupin had been pretty terrifying.
The fur was as pitch black as night. The teeth were razor sharp and were a sickly glistening white and horrifyingly something that Ron hadn't seen Lupin do three years ago, the beast stood on its two thick hind legs as it scratched its razor-edged claws against a tree.
He'd have to risk it. Hopefully Dumbledore would save him from expulsion like he had Harry.
Just as the creature leapt out from the darkness, with his wand behind his back, he pointed it backwards without taking his eyes off the creature and shouted...
"ACCIO!"
He took his hand off of Bones and heard his broom sore and grabbed it with his free hand.
It took seven seconds exactly for the broom to come to him, then mount it, then pull Bones onto the broom and lift off into the air.
Unfortunately, that sequence of events wasn't without disaster because it took the beast seven and a half seconds exactly to charge at the two red heads and while the two had made it into the air, the creature had managed to swipe at Ron's left shoulder managing to create four deep cuts that began to bleed profusely.
Ron screamed in pain whilst Susan screamed in fear but luckily Ron was right-handed and managed to steer the broom higher out of the creatures reach.
Ron then flew straight into the woods with the creature below following them now on all four legs.
Ron knew it was a dangerous plan but Susan couldn't get into the burrow not without his dad giving her permission, so the only alternative Ron could think of was flying into the woods and trying to lose the beast and then double back and call for help.
It was completely risky but if he flew into the rest of the village, he'd be leading a werewolf to innocent civilians and there were muggles in that lived in Ottery St Catchpole.
Ron zoomed high through the trees thankful that Harry had gone over some manoeuvres with him last year before he was banned from quidditch. He zipped and swerved as he felt Susan Bones hold onto to him for dear life.
Ron dipped every now and again to try and get the creature to follow them and run into a tree or something but the beast was quick enough to avoid the mishaps.
Ron was panicking he didn't want to fly to far into the woods as the woods were a big place and more danger could be present but the creature wasn't letting up.
He would have to fly faster and double back now.
This plan would've been successful if it wasn't for two things.
One, Ron was starting to feel dizzy from the blood loss and was starting to dip uncontrollably.
Two, as he started to double back, a silhouetted figure dived from one of the taller trees towards them.
'WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?' Ron thought to himself.
Ron was able to swerve the figure but the sudden movement and distraction caused him pain and his broom jerked upwards. He wasn't able to control it.
The only good thing about this was that Ron and Susan crashed into a branch on another tall tree and his broom had survived this unlike when Harry's had flown into the whomping willow in third year.
The bad thing was, he was now hanging from near the end of a tree branch with a screaming Susan Bones hanging onto him, a bleeding shoulder that felt like it was going to drop off and a werewolf now underneath them.
"AAAAAHHHHHHHHHH! HEEEEELLLLLLPPPP!" Screamed Susan as her legs kicked out violently.
Ron wanted to scream at her to stop but she was closest to the creature and knew she was frightened.
The creature was circling them clearly waiting for them to drop. There was no sign of the other figure.
He needed to do something or they were both going to fall and be devoured. With his good arm he let go of the branch and felt it dip under his weight slightly as his shoulder strained in pain.
Quickly he held out his right arm and shouted...
"UP!"
His broom which was on a branch below them, shot up in front of him and Susan and hovered near her first thankfully and he grabbed back onto the branch with his right arm.
"Bones get on the broom!" Commanded Ron.
"I can't!" Replied Susan in tears.
"Bones get on the broom right now or we both die! Don't leave your siblings big sister-less too.!" Screamed Ron as the pain in his shoulder was starting to become unbearable.
Ron could feel the girl shaking but his words seemed to do the trick as he felt the weight of her body come off of him.
"Weasley, I done it but I'm not a flier." Said the shaken voice of Susan Bones.
"Just hover up to me, quick." Replied Ron.
Agonisingly slow, Bones began to hover the broom upwards but she was shaking and crying so much that started to steer away from Ron.
"Oh Merlin! Please, please, please, stop, just stop, no go the other way, oh god. Weasley it's moving away from you." Screeched Bones.
Just as Ron was about yell advice, he suddenly felt a large thud that shook the entire tree.
As he looked down, he saw the creature bashing into the tree. The creature did it three or four more times and it was enough to violently shake the branch that he was on.
"Susan, use both hands to grip the broom near the top and just steer it forwards. Remember what Madam Hooch taught us in our flying lessons. Go get help. Go!" Screamed Ron.
He was about to fall any second now and she wasn't gonna make it to him more or less fly them both out of the woods and he was losing too much blood to try again but if she was motivated to get help then maybe she could make it out of Ottery St Catchpole alive tonight.
"I can't leave you!" She screamed tearfully.
"If you go and get help then you've saved me Bones. Just get out the woods please!" Pleaded Ron.
Ron watched as her determination took over and she turned the broom with enough efficiency to fly back towards the burrow although it was still a slow pace but she was moving.
Ron used his good arm to shuffle as much as he could to the base of the branch but he was still feeling dizzy, his shoulder was straining and the creature ramming into the tree was making the branch still tremble.
Ron was sure that the creature could easily climb the tree if it wanted too and it was simply toying with him, waiting to rip him to shreds.
So, this was how he'd die.
He honestly thought it would be a bit more epic than this given the reputation he and his friends had and he had hoped it would be a little less painful than what was about to happen but he'd hopefully saved Bone's life and if she got help then everyone else could save the rest of the village from a raging werewolf, so he could die knowing he sort of went out fighting even if it wasn't in a blaze of glory.
He was just sad that he wouldn't be able to keep his promise he had made to himself about protecting his friends.
He was sad that he wouldn't be able to stand by Harry's side and help defend the light in the war against him!
He was sad that he would never see his family and friends again.
He was sad that he would never be able to tell Hermione how he felt.
He was sad that he would never be able to kiss her on her beautiful looking lips.
Just then the werewolf rammed the tree particularly hard and Ron felt the branch he was holding snap.
Memories of Ron's life flashed before his eyes.
He saw his mother and father cuddling him and tucking him into bed when he was three years old.
He saw his big brother Bill and Charlie play fighting with him, the twins, and Ginny as they splashed about in the pond in the orchard when he was five years old.
He saw Percy coming to his rescue when there was a spider in his room and he wouldn't stop bugging him until he got rid of for him when he was seven years old.
He saw himself the twins and Ginny sneaking cake from the ice cupboard and eating it in the twin's room when he was nine years old.
He saw himself meeting Harry on the train when he was eleven years old.
He saw himself, Harry and Hermione fighting the troll on Halloween night.
He saw himself and Harry flying to Hogwarts.
He saw Harry emerge from the chamber of secrets with Ginny.
He saw Hermione waking up from being petrified.
He saw himself embracing Harry and Hermione embracing at the Leaky Cauldron.
He saw Hermione walking down the hall looking beautiful in a periwinkle dress with her hair sleeked and styled.
He saw Harry teaching the D.A magic and him and his friends having a splice of happiness in a year of hell.
Ron smashed into the ground hard and cried out as his head and back hit the ground as well as feeling another pain in his leg which he was sure he felt something snap. If he even thought he might've had a chance to run, that thought was devoured as he felt an unholy pain ripple through his entire body.
He felt blood start rolling down his temple and could just about think.
His vision was blurry, his head was pounding and he could feel pain in five different places on his body but he could still hear the terrible growling that was mere inches away from him.
Even though he knew he was about to die, in his broken and bloodied state Ron somehow painfully managed to drag himself across the jagged earth beneath him and lean himself upright against the bark of a particularly thick tree.
In his blurry vision he could see the outline of the creature stalking closer towards him.
The blood loss from his body was enough to make him completely drowsy and he was a second away from passing out as he struggled to keep his head from drooping.
If he was lucky, he'd die from the blood loss before being mauled but no such luck was afforded to him because in a second the creature leapt towards Ron and his neck was being ripped into as his body thrashed violently at the assault.
Ron had never felt a pain worse than in this second. He couldn't even scream.
He just wanted it to end. He just wanted to die.
Suddenly the creature let go of him as he felt a massive jolt on his body but he couldn't see anything.
Ron could only hear a mix of rustling and ferocious growling but the pounding in his head was too loud and his vision was to blurred for him to make out what was actually happening around him.
All Ron knew was that his life force was about to give out as he felt all the different blood streams leave his body, making it difficult to breath.
He saw something walk towards him but Ron's vision began to finally go black and he knew he was about to die.
He let one final image fill his mind of his friends and family all sitting together outside in the beautiful orchard enjoying dinner, the night before the world cup. His memory lingering on Hermione's beautiful smile before he blacked out entirely.
/