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BrutalityThud.
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Draco Malfoy fell as Ron Weasley¡¯s clenched fist drove into his face. Draco tried to stand up with the support of the wall behind his back. This time Ron¡¯s elbow dug deep into his stomach, keeping him on the floor below him.
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Draco was leaning on the hard stonewall for the support that his back cannot give and breathed hard. His face was smeared with blood, and the bruises started to turn black which were clearly visible on his pale skin. The moonlight was leaking through the window, emphasizing the contrast.
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Draco couldn¡¯t fight back much, since Ron has grew so much taller – even taller than Percy used to be – while he didn¡¯t grow that much. And Ron had the position of a Beater as the twins used to be, so his body was quite built, while Draco had to keep himself light, to be suitable for the Seeker¡¯s position.
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All the sudden, Draco let out a small laughter. His pained but soft laughter rang through the empty hallway of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, which halted abruptly as Ron gave him a short, but hard kick.
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¡°Where is Harry?¡± Ron¡¯s harsh voice snarled at fallen boy.
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¡°Why are you asking me where Potter is?¡± Draco¡¯s weak, but still malicious voice answered back.
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¡°Because, I know you are involved in his sudden ¡®disappearance¡¯, Malfoy!¡± Ron snapped.
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Draco laughed once again, only to be silenced by Ron¡¯s punch across his face.
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¡°Why are you always so concerned about Potter?¡± Draco spoke as he massaged his bruised and swollen cheek with back of his hand.
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¡°For your information, he is my best friend and I have the right to be concerned about whether he is alright or not. Now, tell me where he is!¡± Ron was getting furious at the fact Draco continued to laugh and sneer even though he had been beaten up so badly.
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Draco snickered. ¡°Ah, yes. Friendship. That¡¯s what everybody says. But I know that this is not the case.¡±
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¡°What the hell are you talking about?¡±
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¡°I know your little secret, Weasley. The secret you haven¡¯t told your precious Potter yet, for obvious reason.¡± Ron was dumbstruck at that comment. His face turned pale and not believing Draco could possibly know about that.
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¡°You obviously ¡®like¡¯ Potter more than a friend should, don¡¯t you Weasley?¡± Draco¡¯s voice pierced Ron. He really didn¡¯t want anybody to know, especially anybody from Slytherin.
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¡°Ho¡¦ How did you know?¡± Ron stuttered in utter disbelief.
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¡°It doesn¡¯t take a genius to figure that out. You have quite poor skill are establishing a mask around his presence, and also in your speech as well.¡± Draco gave a pause for Ron to say something. However, Ron was still thinking hard about what to do with this situation, so Draco spoke.
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¡°You are pathetic, Weasley. You can¡¯t even tell friendship, affection and manipulation apart.¡± Before he could finish his sentence Ron clenched his throat and squeezed.
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¡°Now, listen to me, you git! I might have been an idiot to believe that his friendship was something more, but I know he will never manipulate me, or any of his friends!¡± Ron threw him towards the floor with his fury. Draco massaged his long white neck for a while, and gasp for a breath then opened his mouth again.
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¡°Clearly, you don¡¯t know how useful you are, Weasley. Potter can make you do his dirty work, making sure nothing happens to his reputation as The Boy Who Lived. You are the visible target for anyone who wants to get Potter. You are a shield covering him from danger. He has been using you all this time.¡±
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Ron was shaking with his own fury. He grabbed Draco by his collar and pulled him up to the standing position.
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¡°I will kill you.¡± By the manner he spoke those words, the sincerity of his intention was very clear. However, Draco was still keeping his cool.
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¡°Ha. What good will it do? Actually, that¡¯s not a bad idea. Potter might as well despise you for that. His once-a-best-friend is a murderer.¡± Ron clenched his fist so hard, that his nails dug into his palm, causing it to bleed. He drove his fist on to Malfoy¡¯s face, leaving a blood smear, which he wasn¡¯t sure if it was Draco¡¯s or his own.
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Draco now laughed out loud as if there was something very amusing right before him. That made Ron even more furious. Draco continued on with his poisonous speeches.
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¡°Alone. Did you realize that, Weasley? You are completely alone. You have nobody to turn to when you need somebody.¡± Every single one of Draco¡¯s words stung Ron like angry bees. They reminded him the most painful memories of which occurred over the last couple of years.
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His family.
His beloved family wasn¡¯t there with him anymore.
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Mr. Weasley, his dad, died two years ago. He was in a small Muggle shop, trying to learn more about them. Then a mad man with a gun entered and killed everyone in the shop, including his dad. Mrs. Weasley died of heart attack at the news of incident.
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Charlie and Billy were falsely accused on being You-Know-Who¡¯s supporters and were sent to Azkaban. No one listened to Weasleys¡¯ reasoning or pleas. For the time was dark with Voldemort alive and well, Ministry even neglected Dumbledore¡¯s request to reconsider. Ron heard that they received the Dementor¡¯s Kiss a few months ago.
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Percy, who was trying desperately to stay in the Ministry of Magic, refused to be connected with anyone of his family members who are alive and thinking freely, anyway.
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Fred and George graduated. But recent events that happened to their family and disgusted at the Ministry of Magic for their unreasonable decisions, caused them to leave the wizarding world. Ron only assumed that they¡¯d must be somewhere in the Muggle world, but he never heard from them.
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Ginny, the smallest member of Weasleys had gone insane after hearing what happened to her family. She was being treated in a far away institute, until she committed suicide by stealing a doctor¡¯s wand.
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Recalling what happened to them was very painful to Ron, but he still refused to say that he was alone.
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¡°I still have got the friends I can trust. I highly doubt you¡¯ll know the meaning of ¡®true friend¡¯, so I won¡¯t bother explaining. Hermione makes hundred times better friend than your two stupid goons!¡±
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¡°Oh. Do you think so? Do you think she tells you all her secrets?¡± Draco spoke mockingly.
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¡°Of course. And I know I can trust her with my secrets, unlike you Malfoy.¡± Ron answered confidently.
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¡°Oh yeah? Then you¡¯ll love this bit of information.¡± Draco sneered as he wiped some blood from his mouth with the sleeve of his robe.
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Ron thought whatever Draco says it won¡¯t matter. He thought that it would be just another meaningless rubbish about her being Mudblood and all. He didn¡¯t know how wrong he was.
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¡°As I¡¯ve said, you are incapable of hiding your emotion in front of Potter. Do you think Potter wouldn¡¯t know? Ha! He could be dense sometimes, but not that dense. He knows what kind of feeling you have fore him. But he¡¯s avoiding you, because...¡±
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¡°Shut up, Malfoy! If you don¡¯t, I¡¯ll make sure you do!¡± Ron felt this was going nowhere, until he heard next phrase.
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¡°... because he loves Granger.¡±
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Ron felt like someone just has given him a Full-body-bind. All the blood that rushed up to his head that gave him fury, drained away, leaving him pale and cold. He could feel his hands shaking involuntarily. His mind was numb. He couldn¡¯t think. Harry and Hermione? Together? How could it be possible? They¡¯d have told him if that was true.
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¡°No, it can¡¯t be true. They¡¯d have told me before they told anyone else. You are trying to play with my mind. It¡¯s you who¡¯s manipulating my mind, not Harry!¡±
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¡°Ah. Having hard time grasping the truth, Weasley? That¡¯s what makes you weak. You are so weak and always hung out with those Mudblood, you¡¯ve sunk even lower than a Muggle. You are a disgrace to the wizarding race. You are worthless, dirty, lower than Muggle, no, let me correct myself, you are Weasley.¡±
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All the bloods that have been drained from him rushed back up at the instant. He couldn¡¯t hold on to his temper. He let go of the last bit of humane he had held on to. He was as wild as a werewolf under the full moon. He drove his fist into already bruised and bleeding Draco. He didn¡¯t even care to aim anymore, as long as he hit him somewhere. Ron wasn¡¯t just using his fists. He used his legs, as well as head. He was beating Draco like a beast that never knew anything about civilization.
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Draco was already down on the stoned floor, trying to curl up to a tight ball, but Ron just wouldn¡¯t give him time to do that. In the midst of the rampage, both boys heard small footsteps from afar, breaking into a run and heading towards them. Ron stopped his movement all the sudden and turn around to see who has interrupted him.
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It was Hermione. She flinched visibly as Ron turned to glare at her. His eyes lost all the softness, and the emotions he used to have. Instead, all they contained was loath, hatred and wanting of blood.
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¡°Ron...?¡± Hermione softly called his name, not believing her eyes that his best friend could look this way. She could see that Ron was fighting down the urge to do something. She was suddenly very scared.
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¡°Ron, I was worried when you didn¡¯t come back after you ran out during dinner. I thought you might be here. This is where you usually come to when you felt upset, so...¡± Her sincerity and worry was radiating in her presence. Ron felt himself calming down. No, she couldn¡¯t have. She¡¯d have told me already, if that was true. She¡¯s really worried about me. She is the one person I can truly trust, other than Harry.
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Ron relaxed as he felt himself calm down at the presence of Hermione¡¯s care. All the nervousness he had to face while confronting Draco had disappeared. He felt his head getting very light and he fainted. Hermione rushed towards him, and caught him before his head hit the hard stone floor. She gently laid him down on the floor then she saw Draco and the state he was in.
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Draco was a mess. His silvery blond hair was soaked in crimson blood, and he couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. Hermione had to wince at that sight. No matter how bad he had treated them, she felt that no human being deserved that kind of beating. She hesitantly approached him.
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¡°Um, do you need help to get to hospital wing?¡± She carefully asked.
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Draco managed to sit up and spat out his words bitterly. ¡°I don¡¯t need help from a Mudblood.¡±
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She felt all her compassion for the battered boy fading away. She went back to Ron and looked him over. He didn¡¯t seem that hurt, physically at least. She put Levitation spell on Ron so she could bring him back to Gryffindor common room, since she couldn¡¯t carry him all the way. When she was about the leave the astronomy tower, Draco stopped her.
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¡°Granger.¡± That almost sounded like a whisper.
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¡°What do you want, Malfoy?¡± She managed to say that as cold as possible, as she turned around to face him. It was a miracle she didn¡¯t scream when she did so. Draco looked worse that when she first saw him not that he stood up and the moonlight from outside was revealing every detail about what has happened to him.
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It was the most horrible sight Hermione could recall. Bruises were covering every single bit of his pale skin, and some of them were busted open to reveal hideous wounds with dried blood clinging on top. His robes were torn in some parts and blood smearing almost every part of his body and robe. By looking at the line of blood down his cheek, she assumed that he¡¯s got a cracked skull. He seemed to have several broken bones as well by the way he was standing and the odd angle his arm was twisted in. She managed to hide her horror, but not completely. Draco was breathing harshly and was trying to sort out his voice.
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¡°Tell Weasel that I¡¯m not involved in Potter¡¯s sudden disappearance.¡± He choked out these words and turned around to hide his battered figure into the darkness of the corridor.