~*Chapter Twelve*~ - The Ritual

                Minutes turned to hours, and hours passed into days without word from neither Percy nor Draco. Ron was getting worse, but he had some control over his actions due to the lingering effects of Hermione's countercurse. No food was made readily available, and both had to make due with what Harry could conjure without a wand in his weakened state. Most of the time this was two small sandwiches and tiny cups of fairly cool water. But it was better than nothing, and many times, Ron was unable to down it due to the curse.

                God knows Harry didn't try to keep his love calm. He was by his side every hour of the day, keeping him wrapped in his warm and safe embrace. He ran his shaking fingers through Ron's soft copper hair soothingly, continuously telling that as long as he was there, he wouldn't let the creatures get him. This kept the room fairly quiet; the curse was less devastating.

                "I wish we could get out of this hell…I hope Hermione is alright…I only hope that she is better off than us…"

                Suddenly, the door slammed open, causing Harry to squint. When his eyes adjusted, he saw Percy standing there, flanked by several Death Eaters, their faces hidden by cloaks.

                "What do you want this time?" Harry spat out bitterly, pulling Ron closer towards him. Percy merely smiled, an awful, malevolent smile. He raised his wand and pointed it at Ron, and Harry gasped as his went limp in his arms. "What did you do to him?" Harry demanded, shaking Ron gently. Percy lowered his wand and continued to smile.

                "My master has grown impatient. He demands the ritual be performed now. I have merely broken Draco's previous curse on him so that he may witness his death to the fullest. Up!" Percy commanded, pointing to both of them. Ron was now awake and somewhat alert; glaring with fear and anger into his brother's face. Percy's command summoned them magically to their feet, and with his magical grip, he pulled them out of their containment area and into the hall, waiting as another flock of cloaked figures approached, Hermione in tow. She looked dirty and bruised; a black eye was beginning to show upon her pretty features. She wore long, heavy, magical chains on her wrists, and was looking at her captors with utter animosity.  She looked just as starved as her friends; there was a slight stagger in her step.

                "Hermione!" Ron cried out, but he was silenced by a deadly look from his brother.  He furrowed his brown angrily but knew better than to speak for fear of the reactivation of that terrible curse. Harry took his hand tightly, and they fell into the ranks, walking in between Percy and the Death Eaters, with Hermione bringing up the rear. They seemed to be going upwards on an incline, when they reached a spiraling staircase. Percy grabbed the nearest torch from its metal holder and led them upstairs until they reached a large, foreboding door at the top. It reminded Harry of the large door that led into the Great Hall at Hogwarts, but instead of peals of laughter emitting from behind the door, haunting shrieks leaked through the door into their ears, sending involuntary shivers up and down the three captives' backs. The Death Eaters seemed unshaken, and Percy shoved the door open with an air of superiority, letting it creak nastily as it revealed the chamber within.

                "Ah, I see you've brought them in," Draco's proud voice came as they entered, and Percy nodded, the firelight from the torch dancing about his features and casting a gleaming sheen about his red hair. He turned and faced the Death Eaters when he reached Draco's side and nodded to the lower minions, who began to shove Ron and Harry inside. The room was filled with several cloaked figures, and it was dim with the light of torches. It took a few moments for the three to realize that the shrieks were not coming from the room, but rather, a large, swirling mirror that hung against a wall behind Draco and Percy. Low moans and otherworldly cries sounded louder and louder with each passing instant it seemed, and as Harry, Ron, and Hermione came to a stop before the two leaders, those flanking the captives fanning out to join their ranks. "Our master grows hungry for vengeance…"

                Percy smiled at Draco in affirmation, then they both turned to the mirror, which perplexed Ron and Harry a bit. But Hermione's russet eyes were wide in horror. They both looked over to her and gave her a confused look.

                "Hermione?"

                "That's an Incripto Inferi mirror…its magical properties allow the owner to call on dead spirits, any spirit you wish, and speak to them. Rarely is it used to call upon goodly spirits…"

                "Master!" called out Draco, raising his robed arms in reverence, "We have brought them before you! As you wished, they have suffered much and seen the face of death several times, and still they live to witness your powerful wrath! What do you decree, my master?"

                "Only faithful…all present must be faithful…I can sense that only two of you have remained loyal to me…" came a hissing voice, a voice that Harry had heard many times. He winced and put a hand to her forehead, where the scar there had begun to burn again, more wild and lingering that he could've imagined. "Take all those who shamefully hide their faces from the presence of Lord Voldemort away; they do not have the right to witness my final victory."

                Percy looked around and saw what the Dark Lord meant. Take all those who keep the cowls of their cloaks over their faces and make sure they are taken care of. Percy smiled to himself; his plan was working more perfectly than he thought it would. He turned back to the mirror and bowed lavishly.

                "I shall take them from the chamber and show them the will of your mercy, my Master Voldemort. They shall go unarmed so as not to disrupt your will."

                Percy then turned quickly to the large gathering of Death Eaters and pointed his wand at them all, a stern look on his face. All of them tensed up.

                "Expelliarmus!" he cried, his booming command ringing throughout the hall. Immediately, several wands came soaring from their owners' hands and landed in a neat pile at Draco's feet. He lowered his wand then and nodded to Draco, then smirked at his subordinates. "Follow me."

                Percy turned, his robes fluttering domineeringly as he did so, and rigidly beckoned to the other figures, leaving Draco and his three captives alone and in peace with the vile mirror. The door slammed mercilessly shut as the last Death Eater left the room, and Draco smirked.

                "Now we wait for Percy to return…" He looked at his hostages with a mirthful, evil gleam in his eyes, and kicked the pile of wands aside, scattering them into a large mess. He chuckled softly, then paused. "Any moment now…"

                "Avada Kedavra!" came Percy's strident voice from beyond the door, and Ron couldn't help but jerk his head up at this, then lower his eyes in shame. His own brother…a murderer…if he were to be caught, he would head for a worse fate than death at the hands of the Azkaban guards.

                A few moments later, Percy walked back in, looking a bit shaky but firm and collected, and put his wand, still glowing a faint green, back into his pocket. Draco smiled knowingly, but obviously was planning on asking a question that needed no voicing.

                "Well, how did it go?"

                Percy looked at him with steely eyes. "They were taken care of."

                "Wonderful. Now, on with the ritual." Draco suddenly lost his glee and turned curtly to Ron, putting out a hand. Ron gasped, and suddenly he was lifted into the air, suspended by an invisible hand. Draco started to close his fingers in a fist, smiling evilly as he watched Ron raise his arms to his neck, trying to pry the invisible fingers from around his neck. He tried to gasp out Harry's name, then Hermione, but hardly anything came out. Suddenly, Draco released his invisible grasp, letting the nearly asphyxiated young man fall to the floor before the mirror.

                "Ron!" both cried in unison, but Percy stopped them and grabbed Harry roughly by the arm. Harry looked at him with a dangerous glare, but Percy silenced him.

                "Shh…your wands are both in the left pocket of my robes. Right before Draco begins to cast the spell, you must retrieve your wand and stop him. Do you remember the spell to call upon an object? You used it in the First Task of the Tri-Wizard Tournament." His voice was low enough so that neither Draco nor the mirror could hear him.

                Harry's look of animosity quickly faded to one of confusion. Percy was helping them? But why? It made no sense.

                "I remember it…But-"

                "Good, you must save my brother. I will explain everything if we get out of here; I have a surprise for Draco Malfoy…"

                With that, Percy let go of Harry's arm and turned so that the wands were visible in the pocket. He crossed his arms and watched as Draco, having binded him to the floor before the mirror, was now contacting Voldemort once again.

                "Master, we are ready for your advent! Your first victim!" Draco cried, and pulled out his wand, pointing it at Ron devilishly. He made Ron whirl around to face Harry and Hermione for the last time, with a determined and fearless look. He took a breath as he felt the tip of his wand touch his head, and let it out.

                "I love you, Harry. See you both very soon…" And he closed his sapphire eyes for what was sure to be the last time.

                "Avada-"

                "Accio wand!" came Harry's frantic voice, and both Draco and Ron looked over towards the other two captives just as Harry's wand flew into his hand from Percy's robes, and it was just enough time that Harry needed. "FORAS POTESTAS!" he cried loudly. The flash of light that occurred next caused Hermione, Percy, Draco, and Harry himself to recoil in surprise. It narrowly missed Ron, and when they opened their eyes again, they saw that Draco was pinned to the wall, seething in surprise. His wand was across the floor, and Percy went forward and picked it up.

                "Percy, I knew I could count on you! Set me free! Or better yet, kill your brother yourself!" Draco cried angrily, but his anger was shattered by surprise by Percy's next actions.

                "Me? Kill my own brother? I think not." And with that, Percy took the wand in his hands and roughly snapped it into two and tossed the pieces at Draco's feet without pretense. "I never had any wish to work with one as dark and evil as you. When I came to you many weeks ago claiming allegiance to the Dark Lord, you should've sensed that I was merely under that façade. I was here under Ministry orders of the highest priorities."

                Harry and Hermione heard all of this, but Harry rushed forward towards Ron, Hermione close behind. The mirror had begun to moan and vibrate, cracking the reflective glass around the edges. Percy turned suddenly, his eyes wide. Draco laughed maniacally as the castle floor began to shake distantly, and began to cry out in ecstasy.

                "My Lord! Come forward and exact your revenge! Only I remain faithful, my Lord!"

                "The mirror! Oh, God, the mirror! Voldemort's returning through the mirror!" Ron cried hazily, trying to stand and get out of the way. But his legs were not quite working, and Harry kneeled quickly and helped to prop him up. He pulled Ron away just in time to see Percy and Hermione rush in front of them, wand or hand raised to combat the evil forces.

                "Peracto Exitium!" screamed Hermione frantically, pointing her hand at the mirror. She not yet had retrieved her wand; and so the spell was futile. A form began to melt from the severed glass, a form of a human sized being in a cloak, coming closer and closer to the castle chamber. The power of the coming Dark Lord knocked her from her feet, leaving Percy the only one standing. He raised his wand as Hermione had raised her hand, but it too was futile, even for as strong a wizard as Percy. He too was knocked against the wall, grimacing but still conscious. Now that he and Hermione were out of it, it was up to Harry or Ron.

                "Ron!" Harry cried over the howl of the mirror. "Ron! It's up to us now!" He turned back to Percy, who saw this and fumbled into his pocket and pulled out Ron's wand. With a pained grunt, he threw it towards Harry, who caught it with Seeker-like reflexes. He handed it to Ron, gave him a serious look, and nodded. "Ready?"

                "As I'll ever be!"

                Quickly, both brought their wands to bear, and pointed them directly at the quickly solidifying image of Lord Voldemort. They hadn't much time left.

                "PERACTO EXITIUM!" they shouted in powerful unison. A jazzed line of golden yellow shot from the tips of both their wands and wrapped itself about the form, causing the form to writhe and scream out louder. The mirror began to crack deeper as the golden light engulfed it like the sun's rays, and suddenly, it shattered to pieces, a last ghastly shriek piercing the air as it fell into the dust.

                "NO!" screamed Draco, his icy blue eyes wide in fury. "I'll get you back for this, Potter! All of you! My master WILL return by my hand!"

                "Not if I can help it. Remember when I told you about those Death Eaters being taken care of?" Percy asked. He pointed his wand at the door and willed it to swing open. Draco's eyes went from furious to terrified as he viewed what his fate was to be.

                Seven tall dementors, their rotted hands protruding from the sleeves of their black cloaks, wafted in silently like ghosts. They glided past Hermione and Percy, who both looked repulsed and cold by their presence. Ron was watching Harry carefully; he remembered all too well the effects that these abominable creatures had on his love. But if Harry was affected, he showed no signs. He was watching as they came upon Draco with a grim look, and turned away as they put their horrid hands upon him and moved him out of the room, his screams of terror falling upon deaf ears.

                Percy closed his eyes as they came and went, thankfulness flowing through him as the last gruesome thing left the room, leaving them in peace. He straightened his glasses, one lens broken from the assault of the mirror, and looked over to Hermione and helped her up.

                "Percy?" came Ron's inquisitive voice. Percy looked over to his brother, whom was standing by aid of Harry, and smiled.

                "Ron, I know what you're going to ask, and here's your answer. I'm sure all of you want more of an explanation than what I gave Malfoy." Percy took a breath and began. "I came here right after you came for your Apparition license, Ron. You might have noticed that I was on edge because I was a bit nervous about coming here and trying to fool the Death Eaters, and ultimately, the Dark Lord's spirit. But it worked, and I received your owl saying that you were on your way to a supposed Dark Arts stronghold a few days after I had arrived there. This gave me little time to prepare things. I had arranged the dementors to arrive here much later than they did, and I could only move up their arrival date by a few days. This is why I tried to urge Draco to hold off your death for as long as possible. I was afraid that the dementors would not show up on time today, but luckily, they are punctual to boot."

                "But what about that Death Curse, Percy?? You know it's forbidden to perform those curses on a human…" Hermione said, looking at him seriously. Percy nodded.

                "Yes, I know. But that was all a ruse. The dementors arrived in the room where I took the lesser Death Eaters quickly, and as I was making my way back up to this chamber, I knew that Draco would see that my wand was not glowing green with the aftereffects of the curse. And I remembered how much my brother hates spiders…luckily, there was one nearby, and it happened to be a bit of a poisonous one. So I fixed that problem, and kept up my ruse."

                Ron nodded, although his ears and cheeks were pink with embarrassment at the mention of his near-arachnophobia.

                "It makes sense then…I found it a bit tough to swallow that you, a Prefect AND Head Boy, would've went to the Dark Side. I'm just glad this whole ordeal is over with.

                Harry smiled and nodded in agreement; he didn't think it would be wise to bring up the fact that Tom Riddle had been a Prefect and Head Boy over sixty years ago. Percy wasn't like Tom Riddle in any respects.

            "What do you say we all go home, eh?" Harry said instead. After a quick glance around the chamber, no one disagreed.

~*Chapter Thirteen Coming Soon!*~