~*Chapter Ten*~ - The Minister of Magic
There was no mistaking him; the flaming red hair, the horn-rimmed glasses…Ron realized in horror why he had initially recognized his voice. He had always been very ambitious, and Ron had even once said that he never thought it out of Percy's capacity to throw any of his family to the dementors. But he never once thought that his thoughts would become a horrifying reality. Ron cast his eyes across the firm, calm face of his brother and foe, then down again to the broken form of Harry, who had opened his eyes slightly and was looking up at him with a gaze like he didn't really realize that he and Hermione were there. Ron clenched his fists again and closed his eyes, looking back up into Draco's sneering face and attempting to avoid the painful sight of his brother as a Death Eater.
"Why, Percy…why did you do this?" he asked quietly, dangerously. Percy offered him no reason, and at his silence, Ron looked up, forcing himself to look directly into his brother's eyes for any last semblance of reasoning, but all he found was an unnerving cold hardness.
"I'm sure Harry told you everything you need to know, Ron. We just want vengeance," Percy finally said evenly, the folds of his long black robes moving a bit with his slight movements. "Vengeance for the death of our master."
"NO! Percy, he's not your master!! He's dead! What about us, your family, Percy?!" Ron wanted to scream; he wanted to force Percy to see the err of his ways. But he could tell by the stony look in his brother's face, the glint of iniquity in his sapphire eyes, that he would not be persuaded otherwise.
"What will you do with us?" Hermione asked with a quavering voice, more so from shock than fear. Ron could see it in her trembling hands. Draco smirked, taking over the floor for Percy.
"We kept Potter alive just for that reason, we have to keep you all alive for a bit longer…then after that time is up, we can perform the ritual. Our master bids that we let you suffer as you have made him suffer…long and painful…but unlike The Dark Lord, you must watch your friends suffer as well, suffer until the life is almost gone from their minds and soul. Also unlike our master…your souls can be broken…his can only be strengthened by vengeance. You walked right into our conniving trap. You will join Potter; Percy and I shall see to your torture personally." With this, he turned to Ron and laughed evilly. "It's nice to see that one of your worthless siblings amounted to something, Weasley! I never thought anyone productive might come from your parents. I suppose I was wrong."
If Ron and Hermione wanted to attack Draco for such blasphemous sayings, they never got the chance. Almost as soon as these words escaped his mouth, the room began to vanish before them, phasing between the corridor and a cold, dim room. Water dripped from the unseen ceiling, and a faint sound of raspy breathing echoed through the dank place.
"Hermione…what just happened?" Ron asked, his voice still angry and fearful. He glanced in her general direction as she stood and pulled her robes closer about her body.
"I think they teleported us in here from the corridor…we're lucky it didn't go terribly wrong…"
"Well, Percy's a damn good wizard; I'm sure he could do it just fine," Ron replied bitterly. The haunting thought of his brother in those robes of malevolence was still almost too much to bear; even the thought of him calling Voldemort "Master" was revolting. "Why did he do this, Hermione? Why…Mum and Dad were never terrible to him; if anything, Mum favored him! How long has he been with the Dark Side? Has it been since before we graduated?" It was almost too much for Ron's weary mind to comprehend. "And now…we're going to be fodder for Voldemort's damned spirit…what a way to go…" He realized that it had been the first time he had ever said the Dark Lord's name and not flinched; it reminded him of Harry's reaction to the forsaken name. Harry really had more of an impact upon Ron than he had initially realized.
"There's got to be a way to escape this place, Ron; all we have to do is find it," Hermione evaluated, looking thoughtful. Ron put his hands upon her shoulders and looked her frantically in the eyes.
"Hermione!? Has it even crossed your mind yet? We're in a castle that reeks of dark magic, Death Eaters, and the spirit of Voldemort without so much as a wand to defend ourselves, and we're most likely going to end up dead!! There's not going to be a way out of this, Hermione…"
"I thought nothing was going to stand in your way, Ron…but now you seem resigned to your fate."
Ron looked at her through the dim light. "I also said that if they kill us all, then I have reached my goal…we're together again, just not in life…resigned to my fate, yes…but my eyes are never from my goal."
A soft shuffle came from the far end of the room, and it about then they the two new captives saw a crumpled form moving slowly in the far corner. They could make out a distinctly human shape under the tattered robes, and then a soft, tortured voice penetrated the air like an arrow.
"Ron…Hermione…you've come…"
It was Harry.
~*Chapter Eleven Coming Soon!*~
