The Dying of the Light
Part 3: Ron
A/N: Everything belongs to JK Rowling, many thanks.
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ron weasley flung out his wand hand, frantically scanning the empty room
~relax, you are safe here~
ron weasley jumped, who are you? he shouted, where am i?
~you are dead, ron weasley, you are safe here~
hermione? he asked harry? are they dead to? sirius and moony?
~they are all dead, ron weasley, but do not worry, you will soon be reunited with them~
what is this place, he asked quietly, slowly lowering his wand
~no place in particular, the voice said calmly, it doesn't really exist~
ron rolled his eyes slightly at this, but years of magic and strange experiences had made him accepting
what do i have to do to be reunited with my friends?
~good question, the voice approvingly, nothing very difficult, you just have to look over your life and decide if you are satisfied with it, if you regret anything about it~
i don't understand
~you will in a moment, just watch~
A tired looking wizard Apparated home, wanting to share the amazing news with his family, but unsure exactly what to make of it. His wife was in the nursery, putting their youngest in his crib. She straightened when she heard him coming up the stairs, running a gentle hand over the bulge of her stomach.
"Molly?"
"In here, Arthur. I was just putting Ron to bed."
Her husband appeared in the doorway. He beamed at his wife, his tired eyes lit by some joyous fire.
"Arthur?" his wife asked, "is something the matter?"
"No, Molly, nothing is the matter. Everything is amazing." He swooped into the room, wrapping arms around his very pregnant wife.
"Molly, the most amazing thing has happened."
"Arthur! What is the matter with you?"
The wizard backed away so he could look into his wife's eyes. He lowered his voice, as if imparting a great secret, when actually he wanted to shout his news from the rooftop.
"You-Know-Who is gone, Molly."
His wife goggled at him, speechless.
"He's been defeated, Molly, he is gone."
"HHHow?"
The wizard hesitated, glancing at his year-old son. Harry Potter was just his age. "You-Know-Who killed the Potters. Somehow he found out where they were staying and killed them. But, when he tried to kill their son, Harry….no one really knows how it happened….when he cursed Harry, it didn't work. The curse rebounded onto You-Know-Who and destroyed him."
"Tell me about Harry Potter, Dad. Tell me about how he defeated You-Know-Who."
The boy pulled the blanket tight around his neck, watching his father with bright eyes. The wizard laughed and brushed his son's fiery hair off his forehead.
"You already know this story, Ron. You've heard it hundreds of times."
"I want to hear it again."
"All right, Ron. Let's see, about seven years ago You-Know-Who came to the house where Harry Potter was living with his parents."
"How old was he?"
"He was about a year old, Ron."
"That means he is eight now?"
"That's right, he's just a few months younger than you."
The little boy's eyes went wide. "Do you think I will ever meet him, Dad?"
The father smiled down at his youngest son. "I don't know, Ron, you might."
"Maybe at Hogwarts, Dad? I mean, he has to go to Hogwarts, right? And if he's the same age as me, that means we will be going to Hogwarts at the same time, right?"
"You're probably right, Ron. I wouldn't be at all surprised if you went to Hogwarts with Harry Potter."
The little boy's eyes went wide, "Wow."
ron weasley laughed, wow indeed, he murmured
"Excuse me?"
With a silent sigh of relief, he turned to the person who was giving him a few moments reprieve. A boy about his age was standing there, looking embarrassed and uncomfortable. He was holding onto a cart with a trunk and an owl.
"Go now, before Ron," his mother was saying. The boy must be muggle-born, since he didn't know how to board the platform. Ron watched the boy take a deep breath, then run at the barrier, pushing the cart before him. He vanished.
"Ok, Ron dear, Ginny and I will be right behind you."
Ron boarded the train, glancing around nervously at the press of young witches and wizards. His brothers said that Harry Potter was on the train, that the dark haired boy in the station was Harry Potter. The most famous wizard in the world had walked right past them and they hadn't recognized him. Though, Ron admitted, he didn't look like a hero, like a wizard who could defeat You-Know-Who. The boy was short and skinny with unruly hair and glasses patched together with tape.
Ron pushed open the door to the compartment and glanced in. Harry Potter was sitting in one of the seats, staring out the window. He glanced around when he heard the door open.
"Anyone sitting here?" Ron asked, gesturing to an empty seat. Harry Potter shook his head, staring at him with bright green eyes.
~so that's how you met harry potter, the voice commented~
ron weasley just nodded, watching the two boys
man, we were young, he murmured
~you died young~
ron shrugged, watching harry tell off draco malfoy
~you could change that~
change what? ron asked absentmindedly
~you could live longer, if you hadn't become friends with harry potter you would have live longer~
not be friends with harry? ron asked incredulously, why would i want to do that?
~if you hadn't been friends with harry, you wouldn't have fought voldemort, you wouldn't have died so young~
ron just laughed, you're crazy, harry was my friend
~you died because of your friendship with harry~
ron nodded
i died because of harry, because i believed in him, in the light
i died for what i knew was right
Ron Weasley stood in the line of first years, trying to look brave and unconcerned, when inside he was about to shake apart from nerves. Harry had gone into Gryffindor a few minutes ago and Professor McGonagall's list was winding its way down to the W's. Any moment now she was going to call his name and --
"Ronald Weasley."
He walked to the stool, proud of the fact that his shaking knees hadn't dumped him to the floor. The hat fell over his eyes and he waited.
"Ah, another Weasley, eh? There are quite a few of you. Yes, indeed, quite a few. Well, now lets see what we have here. Not a bad mind, if you would only use it, a desire to become greater than your brothers, yes, very loyal, but this, this makes you something else. This bravery makes you a....GRYFFINDOR."
Suddenly Ron's knees were no longer shaking and he was calmer than he had been all day. He started towards the Gryffindor table, pleased and embarrassed to see Harry as well as his brothers applauding madly for him.
~wouldn't you like to live longer? the voice conjoled, you could live a normal life with hermione, if you hadn't become friends with harry potter~
ron shook his head adamantly, harry is my friend
~you died so young, you never had a chance to really live~
ron was starting to get angry at the voice, look, he finally said, harry was my friend
i don't regret dying when i did, i died for my friends, for what i believed in, for what was right
the voice was silent for a moment, then ~what about hermione?~
what about her?
~you didn't have much time with her~
not have time with her? what do you mean, we've been friends since we were 11
~but you only recently became involved with her, the voice said delicately~
ron paused for a moment, you're right, he said finally, but we made good on the time we had
i remember our first date, i made such a fool of myself
Ron Weasley stared into the mirror, tugging at his new dress robes, nervously smoothing the smooth fabric, trying to remember all the little things Ginny had said that girls appreciated. Hold open the portrait hole, his sister had said, hold her chair out, offer to get her punch, tell her she looks nice. Ask her to dance.
That last little tip was making his stomach feel fuzzy. He didn't know how to dance, not with a girl, not with Hermione.
"Hey Ron!" Harry called from the door, "you finished admiring yourself in the mirror? The girls are gonna leave without us."
Ron nodded, following his friend out the door and down the stairs to the Common Room. There were several people waiting for dates, talking about the ball, glancing now and then to the stairs leading to the Girls' Dorm.
Ron joined Harry in front of the fire, trying to bring some warmth to his chilly palms. Harry was facing the stairways and saw her first. He nudged Ron, who turned, and froze at the vision in front of him. Hermione was walking slowly down the steps. Ron stared gape-mouthed at her, then walked to her. Or tried to. He didn't notice the chair or the table in front of him. He stumbled over them, only to rise and continue on, until he reached her side.
"Beautiful," he said, staring into her eyes, causing her to blush a dark red.
Neither noticed the hushed whispers that followed them from the room.
i didn't know about that chair and table until harry told me about it later, i honestly don't remember anything but hermione, ron said with a groan, trying not to laugh
~you could be with her again, you could live with her until you are both old and grey~
now ron was really angry
i don't care, he yelled at the voice, do you understand me? i would rather have the time i had with my friends, than a million years without them
the voice chuckled ~you will have both, ron weasley~
The room began to glow; a soft breeze brought the bells, as well as laughter and well remembered voices.
"Ron! Over here!"
They were all waiting for him, all his friends.
A/N: That little thing where Ron fell over the chair and table actually happened to my little brother the first time he saw his girlfriend (now wife) dressed up for the prom.