Author Name: artificially flavoured
Author Email: scarred_lipgloss@hotmail.com
Category: General
Keywords: Ron Weasley
Spoilers: PS/SS, CoS, PoA, GoF [Just in case. Vague references to the Triwizard Competition, Cedric Diggory, the Chamber of Secrets, Buckbeak and Sirius's escape as well as the Philosophers Stone maybe made.]
Rating: PG-13
Summary: A selection of P.O.V's on how Ron's death affects dream team. A reflection of the past in which he was a big part, how are they to manage without him? My first fan fiction to date, please R/R!
Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created by J.K Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast books, and Warner Brothers. No money is being made, and no copyright infringement is intended.
Authors Notes: Hey! The final installment is out. This is the last chapter, of what has been a wonderful journey. This story is/was very special to me, and thank you to all my reviewers for encouraging me to keep writing. In some ways this was an expression of my own emotions, my own pain of loosing a loved one. I'm sorry I've taken ages over this chapter but I hit a major block and I've been digging around it. I'm sorry this isn't everything I wanted it to be; but perhaps I shall be able to make a better version and put it up sometime. All errors made are my own. Without anymore babbling, I would like to present you: Chapter Five.

Now That You're Gone
by artificially flavoured
Chapter Five: Best I Am.

I had always wondered what happened to the souls of people once they had died. I wondered if there was heaven or if there was a hell, sometimes I had even wondered if there was a God. I had wondered that if there was a God, then why did He let Voldemort come down to earth and wreck the havoc that he has? Is God even in control? or is the idea of a superior being just created so that people would fear eternal damnation? Is the idea of Heaven and Hell just a figment of someone's imagination? Does it exist? Does it hurt to die? What is the after life like?

I now knew all the answers to all my questions. It was my time to go. I know I was only 18, but; I had fulfilled my life's purpose, what was the point of going on? What was meant to be, will be. To quote a line from a song my mother used to sing me "Que Sara Sara." -Whatever will be, will be. But knowing that, does not make it any easier to say goodbye, to know that you are about to die. You will always crave that one last moment to say goodbye and that one last hug and kiss and the one last 'I love you.' Unfortunately you don't have that one moment in which you can stop time and say all that you want to; and I have accepted that.

Though I have accepted it; it doesn't mean I don't regret things or wish I could change them. I do.  I do wonder if I was the best friend I knew how to be; if I had done everything I could. I do wish I could take back some things I've said. I wish I knew if I had done enough as a friend and I wondered if they missed me. I now know that they do. It's in everything they do. Yes, I watch over them. They watched over me a number of times, and they loved me. Now it's my turn to take care of those that I love.

How come some people die to go on the other world? And some remain ghosts? It's the tie that holds them to the living world. Someone who is mourning your death; or perhaps your death was never avenged. I know mine shall be. I know Harry will avenge my death and soon; the time will come when I will go on to the 'other world' where I shall be judged for my sins. But I'm not afraid. Not anymore. I have done all I can. I see that. The constant reassurance that I needed when I was alive is now pointless. I can see for myself. It hasn't made me big headed or proud. Just melancholy. I wish I were there to see Ginny and Draco getting married and see Harry and Hermione finally get their act together. I also wish I could have been there to see my first nephew. Sure; I'd always known that Harry and Hermione would get together; it was just a matter of time. Why then did I date Hermione? It was destiny; fate whatever you want to call it. It was meant to happen and I don't doubt it. Everyone expected it; even Harry. So I went for it. And no regrets.

I watch over the people who made me who I was. I was who I was thanks to them. I watched Harry battle his guilt and his emotions; and I tried to help in every way that I could and I hope that I did. He always did wonder if he was doing the right thing. He blamed himself for Cedric's death and for the rising of the Dark Lord. Those shadows still haunt him; though he keeps a tight hold on his fears. Harry needs his friends. He draws his strength from them; he seems to be sure and strong; but he is still fighting the demons of his childhood. Harry will do what he deems to be right; and I know his friends will be behind him every step of the way. He blames himself for my death; but it was not his fault. He is slowly accepting that. There was nothing he could do. The Boy Who Lived is STILL my best friend no matter what. He showed me that I was special by myself. I wasn't JUST Harry Potter's best friend or Fred and George's younger brother. I was Ronald Weasley. I was special just as I was; I didn't need to try.

Hermione; she always seemed to be the strongest of us all; but she has her own fears. Who'd have thought that she was as unsure and as terrified as we were? We never knew if we'd made the right choice; if we'd done the right thing. We'd gone with our instincts and our impulses; we did what we had to. Some people had wondered why she had been put in Gryffindor and not Ravenclaw. Hermione wasn't just about books. She has spunk and she has intelligence. The kind of intelligence that comes from being naturally smart. It's natural. She didn't need to try as hard as she did; but she did; to do her best. Us Gryffindor's were taught to try our best no matter what and she did. Hermione had plenty of spunk. She wouldn't shy away from doing what she had to. She was the one that stole the stuff from Snape's office in Second Year because she had to. She was the one that was with Harry when they rescued Sirius. She was the one that figured out about Rita Skeeter being an animagi. She was the one that dueled Lucius Malfoy while Harry fought Voldemort to rescue Draco. Yet; despite this she is riddled with uncertainity. Harry finds his strength in Hermione and Hermione finds hers in Harry's certainty that they have to do what they have to, if it means hurting and killing people then so be it.

Ginny was always my favourite sibling of all. We'd always been there for each other. She was my rock and I was her pillar. I never did forgive myself for what happened in her first year at Hogwarts. To know that she never did hold me responsible has allowed me to forgive myself. Even though I teased her mercilessly; I loved her. How could I not? She was my sister. She'd been there for me when I'd been dumped by Parvati; she'd been there when I was wondering about the whole affair with Hermione. She was there when I was terrified of Lavender refusing my proposal. I still remember the time when we were on our toy broomsticks and I pushed her into the creek. I thought she'd drowned. I have never cried as much as I did that day. She is fiercely proud of who she is. She once said that us Weasleys might be poor but we were honest and we had dignity which was more important that anything else in the world. I hope she knows we were all proud of the sweet, stubborn and naughty little girl she was and the amazingly beautiful woman she is today. She is my best friend in a way that only a sister can be. I hope Ginny is happy and I hope she knows I love her. She always will be my favourite Weasley.

Draco Malfoy and I have never been good friends. We have never been friend's end of story. If anyone had ever told me that I would think of Draco Malfoy once I was dead; I would have clapped them on the back and said Good Joke or something along those lines. I will never forgive him for the things he's done; but I've come to accept him. If he is worthy enough of my sisters love than he is worthy of my tolerance. But; he has gained my respect and towards the end I did think of him as a friend. If he hurts my little sister I will make his life a living hell. I have useful contacts in this world.

Goodbye my friends. This is not the end. I shall watch over you until the end of time.

The End.

Thank you for your encouraging reviews and for sticking through w/ this story till the end [if you have that is!] and thank you for putting up with my constant BS.
This was just my perspective on how important Ron is to the dream team, and without him what would have happened to them. It got me thinking after I read PS/SS for the nth time, and I wondered what would have happened to Harry, Hermione, The Weasley family and the Hogwarts Community as a whole, if Ron had died playing chess w/ the giant chessmen.
Ron as a character is very interesting to write, he has so many conflicting moods and even though he has a developed personality, he is overshadowed, unknowingly, by Harry. The affect he has on people is never truly known. Would Harry have been in Gryffindor if he hadn't met Ron? Would Harry have befriended Hermione? Would he have become who he is now? I don't think so. As one of the reviewers had said, Ron provided Harry with a steady rock to find himself. He gave Harry everything he had, poor though he may have been, he still shared what was precious to him- his family.
Most fan fictions authors end up killing Ron, but we never do know how much it affects Harry, Hermione and the dream team. I hope I have brought to light the influence he has over people, even if it is unintentional. He is a truly amazing character. I have grown to love him and understand him and some of his actions in the books; rash though they may seem and I hope I have done justice to a lovely character; and I hope you love him as much as I do.