The Blood of Ronald Weasley
Hey guys! I'm sorry it took so long for me to get this up. It took awhile to write, and I hope you like it and review. I am not JK Rowling and all that jazz…
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: THE POLYJUICE POTION
It was the day before Halloween and the Polyjuice potion was ready.
Harry had asked Hermione if she thought Dobby could be of any use, and she had decided that it would be good if he collected the hair from the people they would become. But that raised another question: Who would they turn into?
"We have four people to spy on, but one of them is in our house, so we don't need to turn into anyone to spy on him. That leaves five on three," Hermione said. They were having a meeting in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom with the potion bubbling in the backround.
"Now, I've been doing a little spying on Dennis in my spare time," she continued.
"Do you, like, create more hours in the day Hermione?" Ron asked.
She ignored him. "He's been leaving dinner at quarter past six every Tuesday. I assume he's attending some sort of meeting. I've also seen Millicent leave around the same time, but about ten minutes after. It's the same for the other two. I would have never noticed except that Dennis stepped on my foot one night as he was leaving."
"What would we do without you, Hermione?" Ginny asked.
She grinned. "Anyway, I think we should do it tomorrow night. It's a Tuesday, and it's Halloween. They probably assume they won't be missed from the feast," she finished.
"Sounds good. And we probably won't be missed either," Harry added.
"And if the people we become stay at the feast, our way is clear," Ginny said.
"Exactly. The question is who? We have to become someone they'll trust. And of course, we have to figure out where they're meeting," said Hermione.
"What about Justin Finch-Fletchley? Ernie'd trust him," Ron said.
"And Terry Boot will trust Mandy Brocklehurst because she's his girlfriend." Harry shot a questioning glance at Ginny. "What? I walked in on them making out in an empty classroom once. Keep up with the gossip," she said.
"In that case, I could use Morag MacDougal. I think he and Millicent are an item," Harry said. This time, Ginny raised her eyebrow at Harry. "What? I never said I didn't keep up with the gossip."
"Isn't Lisa Turpin friends with Mandy? I'll be her," Hermione said.
"Who's left for me?" Neville asked. He was being very quiet. Hermione supposed he was still a little embarrassed about the Parvati incident.
"What about Hiram Moon? He's a Slytherin, right?" Ron asked.
"Okay."
"So, I'll have Dobby get hair from Justin, Mandy, Morag, Lisa, and Hiram. Wow, I'm really nervous about this. We are going to a Death Eater meeting." Hermione lowered her eyes and tucked her hair behind her ears.
Ron put his arm around her. "It's alright," he whispered. "I won't let anything happen to you."
Harry chanced a glance at Ginny. Her fair skin had paled a little, and she was staring into space. Why was he letting them do this? Hadn't they been through enough? They'd never revealed the major details of their stay at the Death Eater camp, but instead had put all of their memories in a Pensive. Dumbledore had helped them through the ordeal and they both seemed to be back to normal. But it was odd moments like these that upset Harry the most. He hated seeing Ginny upset, or Hermione for that matter.
He scooted closer to Ginny and nudged her with his elbow. She looked at him and smiled. "I'm okay."
"Are you sure you want to do this? You don't have to. You either, Hermione," Harry said.
"I have to," Hermione replied. There was a steel in her voice that impressed Harry.
"You don't have to, love. You brewed the potion and thought up the plan. Harry, Neville and I can do the grunt work," Ron said.
"No. I have to. You have no idea how much I have to, Ron. I have to do it for all those people, magic and Muggle, who lost their lives to Voldemort and his scum. And these people are coming in to do it all over again. I won't stand for it. I won't."
"I agree with Hermione," Ginny said.
They sat silent for a moment. Neville knew where the girls were coming from. All his life he thought he should have done more. Something to save lives. But his was just a kid. Now it was his turn to do his part in honor of those people who died to make Voldemort's reign come to an end.
Only recently had he found true happiness. Parvati was…amazing. She meant the world to him. She cared about him and respected him. She was a much different person than she was when they started school. He really thought she was the one. He wanted to fight. Fight for what mattered.
***
Harry had been keeping a sharp eye on Dennis since Hermione told him about the Tuesday meetings. He was in the common room alone with him Monday night, and Dennis had received an owl. He didn't think Dennis knew he was there because he was sitting low on the couch in the far corner. He watched as he read the letter and threw it in the fire, the go up the boy's staircase. Harry had immediately preformed a freezing charm and pulled the letter out of the fire. It was written in code. The parchment merely said: Ethe imet sngi otom wrro eats tven thir tyin iheh rsto myof cagi moor. He had raced up to wake Hermione, and she cracked it at once.
"Well, notice that all the words have four letters. So they took every four letters," she scribbled something on the paper, "and they, oh, it's so simple! They split it up into four letters and put the last letter in front! It says The meeting is tomorrow at seven thirty in the history of magic room!"
The next day, Hermione spoke to Dobby, and he delivered the hairs to her after the last class. The feast began at seven, and they decided to meet in the bathroom at quarter past. Harry had owled Dumbledore to let him know the plan and to have someone, like Sirius and Remus, on call for the arrests.
"Are you here again?" Myrtle moaned.
"Yes. Do you have a problem with that?" Harry asked. He was getting faintly annoyed with the girly ghost.
"No. I've been counting the Tuesdays since you first started coming is all," she said, and she sounded a little hurt.
"Oh. Well, this will be the last Tuesday we'll come Myrtle," Harry replied.
"Really? You hate me, don't you?" she whined, and with that, she disappeared down the U-bend.
Harry shook his head. "Whatever," he muttered.
Hermione had put each hair in a labeled vile and was now spooning the potion into five glasses.
She handed Ginny the one marked "Mandy", Neville the one labeled "Hiram", Harry the one that said "Morag", Ron the one marked "Justin", and kept the one that was labeled "Lisa" for herself.
"Okay. Here goes. Bottoms up," she said.
"Cheers," Ginny added sarcastically.
They imbibed the foul looking liquid and withdrew in pain. The searing of bone and the melting of flesh reshaped their bodies and soon they all stood straight again, this time looking at five new people.
"Wow, this is weird," said Neville, but the voice was deeper and…not his own.
"Yeah, it is. Oh my God, Mandy has a really annoying voice!" Ginny exclaimed in a high pitched squeal.
"And this Morag guy is really thick," Harry said wheezing. His robes were several sizes too small. "I feel like I'm having deja vou."
"Here are the extra robes I nicked from the laundry," Hermione, or Lisa now, said.
"Again, do you create hours in the day?" Ron asked.
"I haven't done that since third year," she muttered.
"We only have an hour, so let's get a move on," Harry said, pulling on his new robes and removing his glasses.
"Let's do it," Ginny replied.
In nervous silence, they made their way to the History of Magic Classroom. The corridors were dark, lit only by the flaming torches that cast eerie shadows on the walls.
They pulled the door open and to their surprise, Cornelius Fudge stood in the front of the room, behind Professor Binns's desk.
Harry looked toward Ron. What was this about? he wondered. Did Fudge get a tip from someone and was a step ahead of them? Or was he here for another reason.
They entered the room and got a second surprise. Draco Malfoy stood at the back, an evil grin on his face.
Terry Boot stood and walked toward Ginny. "I knew you'd see the light Mandy. I'm glad you came," he said.
"Me too, Terry," she said, in what she thought was a neutral tone. She didn't even glance back when she took a seat next to him.
"Come and sit, Lisa," Ginny said to Hermione.
Hermione glanced at Ron for the briefest of seconds, then went to sit next to Ginny.
Ron took a seat next to Ernie, and he smiled at him. Ron thought it looked like more of a grimace, but he didn't say anything.
Harry glanced at Draco, who raised his eyebrows at him, and sat next to Millicent. She beamed.
"I didn't think you'd come, Morag," she said.
"Well, here I am," Harry replied. Harry watched as Neville took a seat next to him, and winked ever so slightly at him and Neville winked back.
"Well, let's get down to business. I called this meeting because I believe someone is on to us, and I want to know who the party responsible for bringing this suspicion down on our heads is," Fudge said.
Harry's mind was racing. Fudge was the leader of this new order? As he thought about it, it made sense. He was afraid of Voldemort, so he played the part of the concerned wizard, biding his time. Then when Voldemort was out of the way, he dropped the bumbling façade and began to gain power. But why was Malfoy here?
"I think Harry Potter has something to do with this," Dennis Creevey said.
"As I do, Creevey. And I suspect Dumbledore put him up to it. And I suspect he is here tonight." His tone went from chilly to frigid, and his eyes swept over the room.
Harry checked his watch. They only had 38 minutes left.
"Maybe we should take a page from Voldemort's book and kidnap Granger and Wealsey again. Or better yet, Ronald Weasley. Potter obviously cares nothing for Granger and his girlfriend if he let them rot in the death eater camp," Terry said.
Harry prayed that Ginny would sit silent.
"I think that is child's play, Boot. Drastic measures must be taken, and so must innocent lives. I will have the blood of Ronald Weasley," Fudge said, pounding his fist on the desk. Harry shuddered, and hoped no one noticed.
"If you think Potter's here, minister, then why are you publicizing your plan?" Draco asked casually, as if her were asking about the weather.
"Because I want him to know what he is up against."
"But if Potter's here, then the rest mustn't be far behind," Ernie said, "Where he goes, both Weasleys go, and where Ron goes, Granger goes."
"You have a point, MacMillian. Now I ask you, why tonight do we have six new members? Coinsidence?" he asked icily. "I think not."
With a flick of his wand, the desks disappeared and the room was bear, leaving the group standing in the center.
15 minutes left.
Harry was starting to worry. How were they going to get out of here? And where was Dumbledore?
He looked at Ginny. Her face was pale, and Terry was looking at her with avid interest.
He looked to his right. Neville looked angry. His jaw was set and his eyes full of malice.
Fudge talked on for ten more minutes. He spoke of loyalty, justice, and the need and want of power. He sounded like Voldemort. Oh God, Harry thought. He'd led his friends into a trap.
He glanced at his watch again, and found that he couldn't read the numbers. His eyesight was going back to normal. He looked toward Ron, and his hair was starting to turn red. It wouldn't be long before they were really in trouble.
"I think the time has come for me to get the power I deserve, the power I never gained as minister of magic," Fudge said. "And I also know one life will be lost tonight."
Harry could feel his robes getting baggier and baggier, and saw Hermione's bushy brown hair emerging. This was it.
"Harry Potter," Fudge hissed all of a sudden, staring at Harry.
"Cornelius Fudge," Harry said back, keeping his voice steady.
"Creevey, Boot, bring me Ronald Weasley."
Harry stepped forward but he couldn't make a move. Creevey and Boot took Ron roughly by the shoulders and brought him to the center of the circle they had formed.
"Weasley. Ronald Weasley. I want your blood. You are the step I need to take to gain power. Your death will result in my rise to dominance."
"NO!" Hermione screamed. She made a move to step forward, but Millicent held her back.
"Go to hell, Fudge," Ron hissed.
"I suppose I will, but you'll get there first. Now, I could kill you the normal way, but I'm feeling particularly vindictive this evening. I want your blood to leave a mark here, and so I will dishonor you by killing you the Mudblood way."
Millicent was really working hard to keep Hermione back, and Harry was watching Fudge, waiting for his chance to step in. Ginny was being held back by Boot, and Draco was standing in the corner, paler than usual. No one was paying attention to Neville.
Fudge's wand was glowing red. Harry saw what was going to happen. Fudge was going to slit Ron's throat. He jerked forward, but MacMillian was there to stop him.
Fudge raised his wand and made a slash in Ron's arm, and Hermione and Ginny screamed. Then Fudge raised his wand again.
"Look at the blood. That is what I'm thirst for."
It happened in a flash. Neville jumped forward and took the blow meant for Ron. His blood spilled everywhere, and the girls screamed louder. Ron lay unconscious on the floor, and then the door burst open. Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, and Snape stood in the doorway, and then they seized Fudge. Everyone was tied up, and Ron was taken to the hospital wing. Dumbledore bent by Neville, and sighed heavily.
He stood, stroking his sliver beard, and tears glistened in his eyes.
"He's dead, Harry. Neville is dead."
Hermione and Ginny broke down in Harry's arms. He lowered his head to Ginny's and cried silently.
Lisa Turpin, Mandy Brocklehurst, Morag MacDougal, and Justin Finch-Fletchley were real. Moon was mentioned with only a last name, and so I gave him a house and a first name. I cried when Neville died. I'm so sad, but I had to do it. He died saving Ron's life, though. That's what consoles me…