~*hermione*~ harrys_brainy_bud@hotmail.com
Chapter 11
Ron?
Ron shook himself awake and stared up. Everything was all blurry. Where was he? Then he started to see black cloaks and masked faces.
"Hello young Weasley. Thank you for joining us," Glamazal hissed evily.
Ron gasped. "You..."
"Imperio!"
"Go back to Hogwarts, Weasley. And tell of the good news. You will put Potter right into my hands." Ron stood up and started walking back toward the castle followed by the Glamazal's evil laughter.
* * *
Harry awoke the next morning by the soft sound of snow on the roof above and the window. He pulled away his hangings and looked out. It was so beautiful. Like a freshly painted portrait with the colors brown and white. He sighed and jumped out of bed happily.
He looked over at Ron's bed which was empty but had been slept in so Harry just assumed Ron had been there. He dressed joyfully because he knew he wouldn't have to go to classes for another three days. It was nice to be able to just go and eat whenever you want, or just sit by the fire all morning doing nothing.
He went down the staircase to find Hermione by the fire reading a book that looked like it had at least 800 pages.
"Hey," said Harry as he approached her. "Have you eaten breakfast already?"
"Mm hmm," was all she said. She just kept on reading her book.
"Okay, thanks a lot," said Harry as he headed for the portrait.
"Oh, if you see Ron tell him that a letter came for him."
"From who?" asked Harry turning around.
Hermione paused. "Actually I don't know! It didn't say who it was from on the front of the letter and I didn't open it of course," she said.
"Okay, I'll tell him." As Harry headed to the Great Hall he wondered who would send Ron a letter without saying it was from. Any of his brothers would have. So would his mother or father. They were the only people Harry could think of who would send Ron a letter. He didn't worry about it though because he was too hungry. He hadn't eaten much the night before because of all the trouble.
He went in and sat down next to Ron at the Gryffindor table. "A letter came for you. It's upstairs."
"From who?" he asked buttering his toast.
"I don't know," said Harry. "It didn't say who it was from on it. I haven't even seen it, Hermione just told me to tell you that you got a letter."
"Okay, thanks."
"Hey, by the way, last night when everyone was going out the windows where were you?" Harry asked.
"Oh, I didn't go out I stayed in to help Dumbledore with the 1st and 2nd years," said Ron without looking at Harry.
"Okay," said Harry a little uneasily. He knew that there still was something very wrong with Ron but at this moment he wasn't going to push it. Maybe he was just tired from being up so late last night. "So, what do you want to do today?" asked Harry trying to change the subject.
"I've got some stuff to do. You don't mind do you?" Ron asked.
"Er, no. Of course not. Do whatever you need to do. I hope you don't mind me asking but what is the stuff you need to do?" asked Harry curiously. He didn't know what it could be that didn't include him.
"Well, I do mind." With that, Ron got up and walked out of the Great Hall.
* * *
"Harry, we don't know exactly what happened to him after we all got out last night but I think that we should trust him. He is one of our best friends after all," said Hermione who was still reading her book.
"I want to trust him but something is telling me that there is something wrong with his story. I don't know what though." Harry sighed. He had always trusted everything Ron had said. Besides, if Ron was lying he would be able to tell because Ron was a horrible lier. Especially to Harry. It just didn't feel right. He would just have to follow him when he went he went to "do some stuff". That was the only way.
But he wouldn't tell Hermione because he knew that she would object and say that he was invading Ron's privacy. Then she would keep a close eye on him to make sure that he wouldn't sneak out. He knew that routine oh so well already. He sighed and kept on studying for his potions.
* * *
Harry waited a few mintues after Ron left the common room to follow him. He knew he could catch up in time with the Invisibility Cloak, which he was sitting on. He stood up and grabbed it quickly. Hermione looked at him curiously but said nothing. He went to the portrait hole and pushed it open, threw the cloak over him, and took off at a fast walk. He walked for about a minute and finally saw Ron going out of the main doors. He followed him trying to keep as quiet as possible.
Ron walked out and over to the shed where the school's brooms were held. He grabed one of the old Comets and started off over the woods. Harry hadn't thought to bring his broom. He pulled out his wand.
"Accio Firebolt!" he whispered. Very soon his Firebolt came zooming toward him. But he didn't know how he was going to fly with his Invisibility Cloak off. If anyone saw a broom flying through the air with no person on it they would surely be amazed. He just had to be very careful not to be seen.
He took of his cloak and placed it beside a near by tree. He kicked off, and was soon soaring over the woods not too far behind Ron. He just had to be sure he wasn't seen. They road for what seemed like almost 20 minutes. Finally, Ron began to slow down and dive down toward a big opening. Harry knew that he should come down in the edge of the woods so he wouldn't be seen.
He landed as quietly as possible and sat down to watch. He wished he had brought his Invisibility Cloak with him. Ron walked over to a small, thin figure that was covered in a black cloak. "Nice work, Weasley," the voice said to Ron. "We shall soon have Potter at this spot thanks to our young friend here," the person said addressing all of the others that were standing behind watching. They, too, were dressed in black cloaks.
Harry could not believe his ears. Ron, his best friend in the world, had betrayed him?! Something was not right. But it fit with where he was last night. He conjured some kind of spell to make the red letters appear and then he had to go here, to their meeting place after his planned failed. No! No! Harry said to himself. This is wrong. Something is very very very wrong here. There has to be some sort of explanation! He finally realized that he was moving to much and was making some noise. He sat quietly again trying to hear what the person in the middle was saying.
"The Dark Lord will be here in three weeks! We must have Potter ready for him when he arrives. If we can get him here right before he comes it will be perfect but if we can get him here earlier it will be okay. You all know the plan." With that they all started to Apparate and Ron was getting back on his broom. The cloaked figure just stood there.
Now he couldn't get away because the person would see him! What was he going to do?! But he didn't have to ponder long for the person soon Apparated.
What to do first. Well, of course he had to go back to the castle without Ron seeing him, but then did he tell Hermione? Go to Dumbledore? Probably both. But if he told Quidditch would be re-cancelled. He certainly didn't want that. They had a game coming up three days after they got back from vacation. He mounted his Firebolt and took off back towards the castle.