Through The Eyes Of Ron
Chapter Fourteen
The Storm
(Once Again Not Entirely Through Ron's Eyes)
Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot to this story. This is just fan fiction, I'm writing this for fun and for free. Any characters you recognize belong to J.K. Rowling, and all them smart, rich people.
Author's Note: This is fan fiction, a story idea from the brain that's mine entangled with J.K. Rowling's world and characters. I'm writing this for me, and posting it on Fanfiction.net so I have it saved. I'm not trying to impress anybody I'm just writing and saving that's all. Don't flame me if y'all don't like it, but if somebody should happen to enjoy it, please feel free but not obligated to leave a review. ~*Carey*~
Thank You: I would like to thank didders, Nugristiel08lg, Jenny, and curly29 for reviewing! Also thanks Jenny for adding me to your favorite author! And Nugristiel08lg, if you're sick, please don't apologize; I'm extremely grateful that you do review every chapter. I hope you're feeling better! But I'm very grateful for all of your reviews, after that last chapter, I wasn't expecting any, but thanks so much! I'm glad some of you liked it. Hopefully, this chapter will be better. Didders, I hope this answers your question about Malfoy, well not question, but I hope this satisfies your need to know! Also, to lordoftherats, if he's still reading after that last chapter, is this close enough to your idea? ~*Carey*~
There was a knock on the door of Ron's room. Ron rested on his bed thinking about anything and everything that wasn't Bridgeton. Headmaster Campbell interrupted those more pleasant thoughts by entering the room with dinner in his hand.
"How was your first day?" Headmaster Campbell asked.
Ron shrugged.
"Well I talked to your Professors and they all said you did well. Not great, but well, and that's a start. They said you didn't start any fights, and you were extremely quiet. However, a lot of the Professors weren't pleased with your inattentiveness." Headmaster Campbell said.
Ron sighed but didn't say anything.
"They also said you didn't eat your lunch." Headmaster Campbell said offering Ron a plate of dinner.
Ron shrugged.
"Still not hungry?" Headmaster Campbell asked with a bit of impatience in his tone.
Ron rolled over on to his side, to show the Headmaster he was ignoring him.
"Fine, if you're not going to eat, I'm not going to make you." Headmaster Campbell said. "Ron, do you remember Professor Lupin?"
Ron rolled over and nodded.
"Did you think he was a good Professor?" Headmaster Campbell asked.
Ron nodded again.
"Good, because he'll be tutoring you and counseling you." Headmaster Campbell said.
"Counseling? Why do I need a counselor?" Ron asked defensively.
"Your temper, for one thing." Headmaster Campbell said.
"Fine. I don't care." Ron sighed turning away from the Headmaster again.
"You should care, Ron. This is for your own good." Headmaster Campbell said.
Ron shook his head.
He heard the Headmaster walk towards the door, and he heard the door unlock, open and shut. Ron rolled on to his back again to see that he was gone.
"Counseling, right… I need a counselor." Ron said rolling his eyes in annoyance.
The next evening at six o'clock, the students were let out of their classrooms, but the hallway's door had yet to be unlocked.
There was some whispering behind Ron. Ron took his watch off protectively and held it in his fist tightly.
"So, possum…" A kid behind him called. "Rodent boy!"
Ron was pushed forward. He turned around. The student who he had fought with at breakfast the other day was there, and he had a smug look on his face. Of course he had his friends to back him up, it seemed that all of the students who attended the school were his friends as they either laughed at Ron or glared at him dangerously.
"What? You're not going to answer me? You think you're better than everybody else?" The student asked.
Ron laughed and rolled his eyes. He went to turn around, but saw the kid's fist out of the corner of his eye, just before it hit him. Blood streamed down the side of Ron's face, but Ron didn't care. The fact that the kid had hit him again, was enough to make his annoyance turn to anger and then to rage in under a minute.
Ron turned around and slammed the kid into the wall, not caring who was standing behind him, he punched the kid's face until he screamed and other students started hitting at him. Every fist that flew at him, Ron broke. And Ron punched every student around him, not caring that he was being hit back. Ron had lost all control over his temper and there was no stopping him. Professors' doors started opening as there was more yelling, and when one tried to stop Ron, Ron hit them. At one point, Professor Clayton grabbed him to where Ron couldn't move, and the students all got free shots at Ron. This wasn't the Professor's intention, as he screamed at the students who hit Ron. He finally couldn't hold Ron any longer and let go. Ron turned around and slammed Professor Clayton into the wall. Professor Clayton's head hit the wall so hard, he was knocked out!
Finally the hallway door opened and students hurried out. Ron and a few other students remained, continuing to fight.
"Stop this at once!" Headmaster Campbell yelled helping Professor Beaumont get Professor Clayton to his feet.
The four students Ron was fighting stopped throwing hits, but Ron continued to hit them and throw them into the walls.
Headmaster Campbell grabbed the four students and pushed them quickly out of the hallway. He pulled out his wand, but Ron somehow saw that coming and took it from his hands. He broke it into pieces. The two big men, or prison guards as Ron thought of them, came running in, but Ron's rage took them by surprise, and he actually knocked one of them down!
"Petrificus Totalus!" The guard, unhurt yelled.
"Headmaster, I'm going to hurt him." The guard on the ground said angrily.
"No, don't. Go get our backup." Headmaster Campbell said meaningfully.
The man who Ron knocked down almost looked sorry for Ron, but nevertheless the two guards left the hallway.
"Ron, you've left me with no choice, but you've earned this." Headmaster Campbell said.
"Earned what?" Ron asked angrily turning red as he fought against magical binds.
Headmaster Clayton left the hallway.
"You're going to let all of them stomp on me? Are you crazy? If they don't kill me, I'll kill every last one of them!" Ron yelled.
An eerie chill came over Ron, and a dementor glided down the hall to him. Ron felt sick to his stomach. A wave of depression came over him. The dementor didn't stop there. Ron saw the dementor reach its hand out, and everything went dark, before bad memories played through his mind, like a scrambled or broken television program or movie. (Ron had only learned about television programs and movies in his two lessons of Muggle Studies.)
Headmaster Campbell watched as the dementor bent down and its gray, scaly hand touched Ron's arm. Ron started to shake and jerk violently and a muffled scream came from his mouth. It was as if Ron were having a seizure. Headmaster Campbell hated having to use dementors, but the students would do anything to not be punished in such a way again.
Ron was still shaking violently even after the dementor had been made to leave, and even after he was carried to a bed in the hospital wing. This hadn't happened to the four students in the past that he had used this punishment on.
"I think you left it there a bit too long. The poor dear." Madam Moore said softly as she strapped him down to the bed, so that he wouldn't fall off, as she feared he would.
"The dementor was there no longer than it had been with the others." Headmaster Campbell said.
"But this boy isn't the same as the other students. If you remember, all of the other students were seventeen, and this student is only fifteen and I reckon he's been through more Hell than any student in this school. To not care when somebody hits him, and hard at that, means he's been through so much pain that he's numb to it." Madam Moore cried.
Clink.
Ron stopped shaking, though he did twitch, but it was at a slower rate. At the slowing of his convulsion, he dropped something that had been in his hand, and it fell to the ground.
"What's that?" Madam Moore asked.
"A weapon." Headmaster Campbell said showing her the watch. Part of the glass cover had broken off when it fell.
"It's a watch." Madam Moore said.
"He's been using it as a weapon. You're bound to punch somebody harder if you have something in your fist, than nothing at all." Headmaster Campbell said throwing it away.
"That was his watch, you can't do that." Madam Moore said.
"It was broken. When it hit the floor it broke." Headmaster Campbell said. "I'm sure he won't notice."
Ron woke up the following morning.
"Have some chocolate dear, you need it after your incident with that horrible creature." Madam Moore said.
"Not hungry." Ron mumbled.
"Dear, you haven't eaten in almost a week." Madam Moore said.
"I haven't been hungry." Ron said.
"You haven't been hungry at all in all of this time you've been here?" Madam Moore asked.
"No. I'm used to not eating." Ron said.
"Why is that?" Madam Moore asked with concern.
"Being in California, there were some days when there wasn't any money to pay for food or anything else for that matter, and I was raised better than to steal, though that's not what my dad thinks." Ron said.
"What do you mean? Your father thinks you steal?" Madam Moore asked, interested. Ron was opening up to her, more than he had to the Headmaster, but the Headmaster was determined to understand Ron, Madam Moore would tell him this conversation later.
"He thinks I stole from my cousins. They set me up; he could've even asked Jack, my aunt Erin's youngest son. He didn't tell her, because one way or another they were going to get me kicked out, and if that plan didn't work, the next one would've been worse, and Jack would've got hurt by them for telling. But no, my dad received an owl from my aunt Erin saying she's sorry she can't keep me, but she won't encourage stealing, and maybe that Bridgeton school was right for me. But as soon as I got to America my aunt Elizabeth told me that Erin sent her an owl that said that my cousins confessed to setting me up. They didn't want me there, because I was ruining their reputations by fighting with bullies. I just thought it was wrong for a sixth and seventh year to be picking on a third year, especially when the third year's your cousin, and their brother. I may be poor, but that doesn't mean I steal." Ron said.
"So is that the reason you had to leave one of the schools?" Madam Moore asked.
"Yea, but I didn't like Ballycastle anyway." Ron said.
"What about Cork?" Madam Moore asked. "Why did you have to leave there?"
"Er… Wait, where's my watch?" Ron asked changing the subject.
"The Headmaster threw it away, it was broken." Madam Moore said.
"It's been broken for a few months now, but that doesn't mean its garbage! Which trash can did he throw it out in?" Ron asked.
"I hope it doesn't matter that much. The garbage was incinerated this morning." Madam Moore said.
Ron went wide-eyed at the thought before looking very angry. "No it doesn't matter. Nothing bloody matters anymore." Ron said angrily.
"Ron, Professor Lupin is here to teach you. I trust you to be on your best behavior; otherwise I will supervise your tutoring session with a dementor close by. Do I make myself clear?" Headmaster Campbell asked.
Ron nodded. "Headmaster?" Ron asked.
"Yes?" Professor Campbell asked.
"If I'm good today, can I please send out an owl on Sunday?" Ron asked. "I just want to write my sister, to let her know I'm all right. I didn't have a chance to let her know before I came here."
"That sounds reasonable, we'll have to see how today goes first." Headmaster Campbell said.
"Thanks." Ron said sounding surprised.
As Headmaster Campbell opened the door to leave, Remus Lupin stood on the other side ready to knock.
"I hope you don't mind teaching in here, Ron's on restriction, and we don't have any spare classrooms." Headmaster Campbell said. He pointed his wand at the bed and muttered something so that Ron couldn't hear. Ron's bed turned into a desk. Headmaster Campbell levitated Ron's original desk into the center of the room.
"Not a problem at all." Remus said.
"All right then, if you find you have any trouble teaching a certain subject let me know. I'll be up here to check that everything's all right every half hour. If Ron starts to yell or tries to hit you, hit this button on the wall, and we'll send up somebody to control him." Headmaster Campbell said pointing to a red button on the wall.
"I'm sure there won't be any problems. Thank you." Remus said.
Headmaster Campbell left the room and Remus pulled out his copies of Ron's books.
"How have you been Ron?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I could probably think of worse situations to be in, but haven't been through any of them yet. How about you?" Ron asked.
"I've been well actually. So, why are you on restriction?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Because I knocked some teacher out." Ron said.
"I couldn't imagine you hitting a teacher Ron, unless it was Professor Snape, but I've met all of the Professors here, they're quite the opposite of him I think." Professor Lupin said.
"I got into a fight and he grabbed me to stop me from hitting anybody else, and because of him some jerks got free hits at me, and I was already outnumbered." Ron said.
"Why did you get into a fight?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I wasn't even going to fight. This one jerk, started with me, and we had it out the other day, I broke his hand, because he tackled me to the ground, because I called him a nosy git, because he butted into my business. Anyway he was making fun of my name, calling me possum and rodent boy, and I didn't really care. I was tired. Anyway, he hit me, and nobody hits me and doesn't get hit back. But the whole school happens to be friend with this jerk, so they all started taking hits at me." Ron said.
"So…" Professor Lupin said, not opening a book.
"Which subject did you want to start on? And what page?" Ron asked. "Can you believe this school is making me take muggle studies, arithmancy, and the study of ancient runes? I've got five years to catch up on, and I'm supposed to study for my O.W.L.S. as well, but that's not going to happen, so I guess the learning the three courses are better than having to study for them and the other nine."
"Actually, Ron I'll be helping you to study for your O.W.L.S. The students in this school have received the most O.W.L.S. They don't accept less than perfect. If you can't keep up with all twelve subjects, you may only learn everything you missed including the five years of the three new subjects, but you won't be in your sixth year next year, but don't worry, you're here in the summer, aren't you? They said you'd be here until at least November. That's when the year started from the contract with Lucious Malfoy, but since you didn't start until this month, you'll probably be here until next March." Professor Lupin said.
"Wait, I have to be here during the summer? I don't get those sixty days off? I thought it was only a school year I had to be here, not a whole year!" Ron said.
"I've read that contract it said a whole year, and since your parents signed custody to the school, you aren't allowed home for the holidays." Professor Lupin said.
"Well that bloody sucks." Ron sighed keeping his temper under control. He wanted to write to Ginny.
It turned out Headmaster Campbell was right about tutoring. One session could cover more than what Ron would've learned in a whole week at Hogwarts, and he had nothing better to do than listen to Professor Lupin explain how muggle electricity worked, or how to make a potion, or the consequences of illegal Animagi, or even the history of magic, and Ron took notes for all twelve subjects, for they worked an hour on each subject, with Professor Lupin summarizing chapters, but making sure Ron knew the material before moving on.
At six o'clock when they were finished with the tutoring session, dinner magically appeared. Professor Lupin ate his, while Ron massaged his hands from writing so much.
"So Ron, what made you become so angry?" Professor Lupin asked, trying a direct approach, it was worth a shot.
"I've always been this way. I'm not angry, but if somebody hits me I'll hit them back. That's really not unreasonable." Ron said.
"Was it your Grandfather's death that made you angry?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I just told you I'm not angry." Ron said.
"Well were you close to your Grandfather?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Yea." Ron admitted.
"So you were upset, naturally, when he passed away, weren't you?" Professor Lupin asked with an eyebrow raised.
"Yes." Ron said. "But I wasn't really angry. It's not like anybody killed him. It's not like he chose to die so that I would have to leave Cork."
"You liked that school?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Yes, there wasn't a teacher there like Snape, and Professor McGonagall's husband is a much more lenient person than his wife, though he gives out more homework assignments, and teachers there actually cared about your personal life." Ron said.
"You don't think any other Professor cared about your personal life? What about this school?" Professor Lupin asked.
"This school cares too much about my personal life, but at Cork, there was this one teacher who always wanted to know about relationships, and always asked why we did things, and then we'd think about it and realize it was stupid. If you hung yourself at Hogwarts, the only person who would care would be Filch, because then he'd have to find a way to get you down from the ceiling, and he's a squib, so I doubt he could fly on a broom." Ron said.
"You don't think Professor Dumbledore's concerned about you? Or Professor McGonagall?" Professor Lupin asked.
"They get concerned when somebody gets in trouble." Ron said. "But they don't care now, I'm not in their school anymore."
"That's not true Ron." Professor Lupin said.
"How long is this counseling thing?" Ron asked.
"I leave at seven." Professor Lupin said. "Unless of course, you're discussing your feelings, then I'll stay until you're finished talking."
"So I'm not going to talk about the schools that I don't go to anymore this whole hour remaining." Ron said. "Can we make this time useful and continue with schoolwork?"
"If you want, but then once you're finished, I stay an hour and talk to you about why you're upset. So do you still want to start on another subject, or do you want to talk and get it over with?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I'm not wasting an hour of studying if we're going to have to talk anyway, so I guess we'll talk, but I'm not saying a word. So you can leave at seven, and I won't have made a fool out of myself." Ron said.
"First of all Ron, time spent studying is never wasted, but I can't make you talk if you don't want to. If worse comes to worse I'll talk." Professor Lupin said.
"Fine. Talk." Ron said.
"I have a question for you. Did you feel betrayed by your cousins when they planted their Quidditch souvenirs and watches in your trunk, or were you too mad to feel betrayed?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I was angry. I didn't feel betrayed, because I didn't trust them to begin with. It's not like I liked the Ballycastle school anyway, but I was mad, because they made me look bad. I mean, nobody knew why I had to leave Cork, I was forced out of Hogwarts because of a fight with Malfoy, and then I'm kicked out of Ballycastle because of family problems. That's one school too many to be kicked out of, and- Wait… how did you know what they planted in my trunk?" Ron asked suspiciously.
Professor Lupin was silent and thoughtful.
"No, don't lie to me, if I'm being completely honest with you, I want you to be completely honest with me, otherwise I won't trust you. The only person who knew what was actually planted in my trunk was me, my aunt Erin, my cousins, and Ginny because I wrote to her. Tell me how you know about the letters I sent to Ginny." Ron said angrily but he seemed to have his temper still in tact.
"We got them from her to try and help you Ron. We need to find out what's making you so angry every time something little bothers you. We thought we could understand you better in your letters." Professor Lupin said.
"Those were letters to her, to her, not to anybody else!" Ron said outraged.
"I understand that, we understand that, but we need to understand you. Tell us what the problem is, so we don't have to guess." Professor Lupin said loudly.
"Which problem do you want to hear?" Ron asked. "You want to hear a problem; here's one. I can't trust anybody anymore, because the one person I trusted just betrayed me, all right? There is your problem. That's what's making me very mad right now."
"Why do you only trust your sister when there's Harry and Hermione, who are your best friends, and your many brothers, as well as your mother and father to trust?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I can't trust Harry with my problems, because he's got enough problems of his own defending the dark lord without my crap to add to it. I could trust Hermione, but she wouldn't care! I need somebody who will care to trust. Hermione's too busy preparing for her O.W.L.S. to care about anything else! Fred and George would make a joke about anything I said, Percy hates me because I ran away and upset my mum, and my parents are the ones who sent me here, so how am I supposed to trust any of them?" Ron asked irritably.
"What about Bill or Charlie?" Professor Lupin asked.
"They're working worlds away. I bet Charlie will be concentrating on a charm to calm down a fire-breathing dragon, trying to burn him, and Bill will be trying to break a curse in a pyramid filled with gold when they think, hmm I wonder how Ron's doing." Ron said heatedly.
"So why don't you try trusting me?" Professor Lupin asked.
"Because you've already betrayed me by reading my letters rather than asking me straight up front." Ron said seriously.
"Well then who are you going to trust?" Professor Lupin asked with concern.
"Nobody." Ron said.
"How about Snuffles? Would you trust him?" Professor Lupin asked.
"No. I'm not trusting anybody anymore. The biggest mistake Harry's dad ever made was trusting somebody, and look where it got him. Dead." Ron said.
"I'm cutting this hour short." Professor Lupin said standing up. "It's been good seeing you Ron."
"What? You're not coming back?" Ron asked with some concern.
"I don't know yet." Professor Lupin said.
"I'm glad I'm not trusting you, because if I had trusted you to come back, I would've been wrong." Ron said.
Headmaster Campbell knocked and opened the door.
"I'm leaving early, I hope you don't mind." Professor Lupin said.
"What did he do?" Headmaster Campbell asked.
"I didn't do anything but say the truth!" Ron said defensively.
"It wasn't him." Professor Lupin said.
"Will you be back tomorrow?" Headmaster Campbell asked.
"Tomorrow's Saturday, sir." Professor Lupin said.
"You wouldn't come back even if it was Monday." Ron said bitterly.
"If you're not quitting, I need you teach on the weekends as well. Ron will cover more lessons that way." Headmaster Campbell said. "But if you don't want to teach him anymore I can go get your pay for tonight's session."
Professor Lupin looked at Ron who was looking down at the ground sullenly.
"No, I'll be back first thing tomorrow morning." Professor Lupin said.
Ron looked up with surprise.
"I just think maybe I made him talk too much for one night." Professor Lupin said.
"Very well." Headmaster Campbell said smiling encouragingly at Ron as Professor Lupin crossed the room to leave. Headmaster Campbell transfigured Ron's desk back into his bed before leaving, and Ron hoped he was great at Transfiguration; otherwise he'd wake up with a stiff back.
Ginny Weasley came down to breakfast in the Great Hall with Colin Creevey. Malfoy walked just behind her, and stared at her dangerously while she ate her breakfast.
Owl post arrived, and Pigwidgeon dropped a letter in front of Ginny before landing on her shoulder waiting for praise, which the poor little owl hadn't had in such a long time.
Ginny petted Pig several times and allowed Pig to eat her toast, while she read Ron's letter. Ron wasn't very happy at all.
Ginny,
Just so you know, but I'm sure somebody already told you that I'm back in the country and am attending Bridgeton. Now that that is said, HOW DARE YOU BETRAY ME! YOU HAD NO RIGHT TO GIVE THOSE LETTERS TO ANYBODY! I WROTE TO YOU, NOT TO ANYBODY ELSE! IF YOU DIDN'T WANT TO READ THEM YOU SHOULD'VE BURNED THEM, NOT GIVEN THEM TO SOMEBODY ELSE LIKE THE HEADMASTER OF MY SCHOOL! HOW ELSE DID PROFESSOR LUPIN KNOW ABOUT WHAT WAS PLANTED IN MY TRUNK? YOU KNOW WHAT GINNY, FORGET IT! I'M NOT MAD AT YOU, I'M NOT. I'D HAVE TO KNOW YOU TO BE MAD AT YOU! BUT OBVIOUSLY YOU AREN'T THE SAME LITTLE SISTER I KNEW AND LOVED! NO GIN, YOU'RE SOMEBODY DIFFERENT, AND YOU'RE SOMEBODY I ALREADY KNOW I DON'T WANT TO KNOW. BECAUSE ALREADY YOU'VE BETRAYED ME, AND I HATE YOU FOR THAT! I HATE YOU FOR THAT AND I WILL NEVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER, EVER FORGIVE YOU FOR THAT!
Your former brother,
Ron
Tears came to Ginny's eyes and she ran out of the Great Hall. Hermione looked to Malfoy who had been standing up, and ran after her.
Ron was surprised to find mail on Tuesday morning. He was only supposed to receive it on Sundays. Ron picked up the letter and read.
Dear YOU STUPID IDIOT Ron,
You are so incredibly stupid, it's not funny. They said you've changed, but obviously that had nothing to do with your intelligence. Ginny has been crying all day yesterday! Do you think she wanted to give Professor Dumbledore those letters to give to your Headmaster? She was very adamant about not letting anybody see them! Only Fred or George, I forget which one, urged her to give those letters to him, because apparently your only way out of there is through therapy. You could get out sooner if you admit you have a problem, but because you're so stubborn you won't do that! Ginny wants you to come back Ron. She's missed you so much, and she thought that you were dead when you ran away. Ron, you may think you have it bad right now, but I want you to know this.
Ginny doesn't want you to know this, but she's having a terrible time right now. She's as stubborn as you and would never admit it, but she is having a problem right now. Its name is Malfoy. She can't even walk down a hall alone without looking behind her; Malfoy's been stalking her Ron. The other day when she was getting your box of letters to give to Professor Dumbledore, if I hadn't come down to check on what was taking her so long, I reckon Malfoy might've raped her. I'm serious Ron. She's scared without you here, and she wants you to come back so badly, but then you go and write to her telling you that you hate her, and that you don't care about her anymore.
Tell yourself you're glad Ginny's scared. Tell yourself you wish Malfoy would've raped her and gave her what she deserved, because doesn't she deserve it after she's betrayed you? If you can tell yourself any of those things, that you don't care about your only sister, then you deserve to be in Bridgeton the rest of your education.
If you can't tell yourself that, and you're furious at Malfoy, but more at yourself for writing Ginny that terrible letter, then please write me back, or write Ginny back apologizing. It only takes two words Ron; I'll even spell them for you. I'M S-O-R-R-Y. It's really not that hard to write, and maybe it won't be that hard for Ginny to forgive you.
Love From,
Hermione
"DAMN!" Ron yelled punching the wall in anger. How dare Malfoy look at Ginny, let alone stalk her! Oh he'd pay… as soon as Ron got back to Hogwarts, and it was only a question of when, not how. The timing couldn't have been more perfect.
Ron didn't mention anything about the letter or Ginny all day, and he was as calm as he could act and as good as he could behave.
That evening Professor Lupin was preparing Ron's work for when he'd be away during the next three evenings, as the full moon would be appearing soon.
"Okay, so I put the chapters and the essays on the top of your parchment, so you know what to write, and-"
"Professor Lupin, I'm sorry sir, but I'll forget which parchment is for which subject, and I'll end up writing an essay twelve inches long for Potions and an essay twenty inches long for Divination. I'm really that dumb, not purposely, but I think you could make things a lot easier if you got one of those paperclips from the muggle studies room. Those things can separate five different essays, and if I don't keep all my papers together, I'll lose them like I lose everything else, and it is possible, because I can lose anything anywhere, but anyway then I'll have to do it again, and it'll put us behind, and I think it would just help me out if I was a little more organized." Ron said.
"That's not a problem, whatever helps you out works fine by me." Professor Lupin said.
He left the room, but came back with a few paperclips. He organized papers. On the top of each pile he wrote the subject.
"There you're all set. Is there anything else? Did you want to trust me yet and talk?" Professor Lupin asked.
"No, you're good to go." Ron said.
"Behave while I'm away, all right? And do your work please, otherwise they'll have to replace me, and you won't get three days away from your counselor, all right?" Professor Lupin asked.
"I'll try my best." Ron said.
"Take care, Ron." Professor Lupin said before leaving.
"Oh I'll take care, I'll take care of killing Malfoy." Ron whispered to himself taking one of the paperclips and straightening it out.
That night at three A.M. as Ron knew it was by the clock on his wall, Ron tiptoed out of bed in his pajamas and walked over to his door. He pressed his ear hard against it and heard that nobody was in the hall. He stuck the straight paperclip in the keyhole and started fidgeting with it like he had seen his brothers do. It took him a few minutes, but finally he heard a click and his door was unlocked.
His next obstacle was the door at the end of the hallway, which was easier than his bedroom door to unlock. Then he looked carefully for anybody in the entrance hall or on the stairs. Nobody was awake. Ron crept quietly down the stairs.
Under the stairs, Ron had noticed a closet door. Ron prayed his trunk was in there. He was going to escape, but he needed some tracer free clothes first. He unlocked the closet door, thankfully not waking anybody, and he opened it to find his trunk as well as everybody else's. He shut himself inside the closet, not wanting to be caught if anybody had heard him, and he opened his trunk. He pulled out a pair of jeans, his maroon sweater, a pair of underwear, a pair of socks, and his sneakers. He changed inside the closet, and then he went out to face his final challenge.
Ron tiptoed over to the door and played with the lock until it clicked. He opened that door, and unlocked the second door just as quickly and quietly. He shut both doors and ran to the gate. He put his foot outside of the gate without actually opening the gate doors. Nothing beeped and nothing flashed.
Ron ran a few miles and pulled out his wand. He signaled for the Knight Bus.
The Knight Bus pulled up and Ron met Stan Shunpike once again.
"Aren't you supposed to be in school?" Stan asked.
"Yea, I'm trying to get there. Can you tell me the directions to Hogsmeade? I'm kind of lost." Ron said looking around making sure nobody was following him.
"Do you see those train tracks over there?" Stan asked pointing in the distance towards a mountain.
"Yea." Ron said just barely seeing them.
"Follow them around that mountain. They'll take you to Hogsmeade." Stan said pointing.
"Hey kid, do you want a lift?" Ernie Prang, the driver of the Knight Bus asked.
"I don't have any money on me." Ron said wishing he did. He wanted to be there before the sun rose.
"As it's so close, we can make an exception, do you want a free ride or not?" Ernie asked.
"I'd be so grateful." Ron said climbing aboard the bus. "Thanks!"
"No problem, hold on." Ernie said.
The Knight Bus took off with a bang, and in under a minute in landed with another bang just in front of the shops in Hogsmeade. "Thanks again!" Ron said.
Ernie waved before the Knight Bus took off again.
Ron ran up to the castle gates and into the entrance hall. He went up to the Owlery and got a gray owl to deliver a letter.
Malfoy awoke to an owl biting the back of his neck. He rolled over and rubbed his eyes awake. He saw the letter and wiped his eyes again to see.
Draco – I have something you'd might like to have, outside of the common room. I can't give it to you in the common room, in case anybody's awake or wakes up. Hurry down! – Professor Snape.
Malfoy rubbed his eyes awake already wearing a smug grin as he slipped his feet into his slippers.
Ron hid in the shadows outside of the Slytherin Common Room entrance. Malfoy came out.
"Where are you?" Malfoy asked looking around.
"Right here." Ron said dangerously. "Did you miss me?"
"You can't, you're not supposed to be here, I could sue." Malfoy said.
"You could only press charges if I attend here, but if you want to press charges, go ahead, my parents won't get sued, Bridgeton will. And by that time, I'll be long gone, and there will be no justification to what I do to you." Ron said cracking his knuckles.
"You think I'm afraid of you Weasel? Stop kidding yourself. I beat your ass last time, and I'll do it again this time, but this time when you get sent away, nobody will be here to protect Ginny." Malfoy said.
BAM!
Ron punched Malfoy hard, and Malfoy yelled as he fell against the wall. He got up and went to punch Ron. Ron caught Malfoy's hand in midair and forced his fingers backwards, until he heard each one break, and Malfoy cry with pain.
Malfoy looked furious through the tears, and kicked Ron hard in the face. Ron fell back into a marble statue, and it fell to the floor, breaking into pieces. Ron picked up a broken piece that had to be the size of a rock and punched Malfoy with it in his fist. Ron punched Malfoy to the ground and got down and punched him in the face repeatedly even after blood covered his fist and Malfoy's face. Malfoy had been yelling for help, but suddenly he stopped, and Ron realized he had knocked him out, if he hadn't killed him. Ron got up looking around; he was truly surprised nobody had woken up.
Finally, he was finished, well there was only one more thing he had to do. He knocked a statue of Knight's armor on top of Malfoy, and there was no doubt in Ron's mind that Malfoy was dead. "You shouldn't have messed with my sister." Ron said before running out of the castle.
Ron was just leaving the gates, when the sun was rising. Suddenly, he jumped as he heard Professor Snape's voice very angry and loud. Ron was sure all of Hogsmeade could hear him.
"RONALD WEASLEY REPORT TO THE DUNGEONS IMMEDIATELY! RONALD WEASLEY REPORT BACK TO THE DUNGEONS IMMEDIATELY!" Professor Snape yelled.
Ron laughed, there would certainly be a lot of confusion, but Professor Snape didn't have any doubts about who had killed his favorite student.
Ginny jumped up awake, as did everybody in her dorm. "What?" Ginny muttered.
"RONALD WEASLEY REPORT BACK TO THE DUNGEONS IMMEDIATELY!" Professor Snape's voice repeated.
"Ron?" Ginny asked with confusion. She pulled on her robes and went to leave the dorm, but stepped on a letter. She picked it up.
Dear Ginny,
I'm extremely sorry for that last letter! Please forgive me. I wrote that letter when I was mad at everybody else, and I was furious that people would know things I only wanted shared with you, but I understand that you only gave them those letters to help me get out sooner, and I'm extremely sorry. I don't hate you. You should hate me, though, and I'll understand if you never forgive me, but hopefully, by the time you wake up, maybe there will be the tiniest justification for you to not hate me as much. I love you, Ginny, and write to me if you need me or if you just want to let me know how much you hate me, that's all right too. I'm really sorry Gin.
Your brother who is extremely sorry,
Ron
"RONALD WEASLEY REPORT BACK TO THE DUNGEONS IMMEDIATELY!" Professor Snape's voice raged again.
Ginny ran out of her dorm with the letter in her hand. She had to know what happened in the dungeons.
However, just as she ran downstairs to the common room, where she met Fred, George, Hermione, and all of the fifth year boys the portrait hole opened.
Professor Snape entered the common room.
"Where is your brother hiding?" Professor Snape asked Ginny glaring dangerously.
"I don't know." Ginny said nervously.
"He's not at Bridgeton?" Fred asked.
"He can't be." Professor Snape said.
The portrait hole opened again, and Professor McGonagall entered looking a bit tired but more upset.
"Professor Snape, what are you doing waking the whole school up at this ungodly hour to yell at a boy who doesn't even attend here anymore?" Professor McGonagall asked angrily.
"There was a fight at this ungodly hour. Mr. Malfoy is severely injured, who do you know that dislikes him as much as Weasley?" Professor Snape asked.
The twins scratched their heads while looking at Harry from the corner of their eyes. Ginny looked over at Harry before looking up at the ceiling. Even Hermione looked at Harry suspiciously.
"It wasn't Potter, he doesn't have the strength." Professor Snape spat.
"Well it certainly wasn't Mr. Potter, because he like the rest of the school appears to have just woken up! But Mr. Weasley is attending Bridgeton, so perhaps Mr. Malfoy had an accident." Professor McGonagall said.
The portrait hole swung open again and this time Professor Dumbledore entered looking concerned.
"Was he found?" Professor Dumbledore asked.
"Of course he wasn't found, he wasn't even here. Mr. Malfoy had an accident or somebody else attacked him, but Mr. Weasley is at the Bridgeton school." Professor McGonagall said.
"Not right now. Somehow, and they don't know how, Mr. Weasley escaped, and his uniform and shoes had tracers on them, but he doesn't appear to be wearing them." Professor Dumbledore said.
"Weasley should be sent to Azkaban for this! He nearly killed Mr. Malfoy." Professor Snape spat.
"Nearly, but he didn't kill him. As soon as he is found he will be punished, but if he's not found, because we're arguing about where he should be sent, then he can't be punished." Professor Dumbledore said.
"I think he should be sent to Azkaban." Fred and George said quickly.
"I'll search the dungeons again. Filch is currently guarding them. Madam Pomfrey has locked the Hospital Wing incase he realizes that he didn't kill him." Professor Snape said.
"All right. Minerva, please go check the Owlery. It might be in your best interest to use your Animagus form." Professor Dumbledore said.
Professor McGonagall quickly strode out of the room.
"If any of you hear from him, or know where he is hiding, it will be in yours and his best interests to tell us." Professor Dumbledore said before he too left the room.
Ginny read her letter again.
"Ginny, what is that?" Harry asked.
"A letter from Ron. But it doesn't say where he is. I wonder how he knew." Ginny said before turning to Hermione. "Did you tell him about…"
"Yes, but it was only because you were really upset, and I know he didn't mean what he said in that letter, and I thought that it might be in his best interest to know, and- Well at least he taught Malfoy to stay away from you." Hermione said hopefully.
"Hermione, I gave the Headmaster those letters, because I wanted Ron to come back sooner, I knew he'd be mad, and I knew he'd apologize for writing that terrible letter later, but since you went and wrote him, he broke out and nearly killed Malfoy. Now if he gets caught, he'll end up in that school longer, and if he doesn't get caught it'll be just like America, I won't know if he's dead or what, and either way he won't get back here sooner! Not to mention that when Malfoy recovers, as he is not dead, he'll kill me!" Ginny cried.
"Gin, if Malfoy ever bothers you, we're right here. Just let us know." Fred said.
"So when you fight him or even threaten him, the two of you can be off to that school too? Then what?" Ginny asked.
"I'm always here." Harry offered. He was after all, practically a part of the Weasley family. "They can't send me anywhere. Think about it, I have to go get something."
Ron was finally able to breathe. He had reached the cave where Sirius had hid last year so that he could talk to Harry. He could still hear the announcement being echoed all throughout Hogsmeade. He only hoped that Ginny was able to get his letter, and he hoped that she read it and would in time be able to forgive him.
Ron hugged his knees to his chest and rested his head on his knees. He stared at the cave floor. He had gotten himself into a lot more trouble now. If he ever did return to Bridgeton, which wasn't going to happen, he'd never be allowed back at Hogwarts, even if he were good, but it didn't matter because he wasn't going back to Bridgeton, not ever again, because he knew if he did they'd set a dementor on him again, and that was the worst punishment Ron ever remembered. He had seen so many faces, Professor Dumbledore's, Professor McGonagall's, Professor Snape's (more than once), Percy's, his mother's, and his father's all looking disappointed, and they were disappointed in him. He hated feeling so hated.
Suddenly Ron came out of his thoughts. Ron held his breath as he heard someone running towards the cave. He couldn't be found! Hedwig flew in, but there was no owl attached to her foot.
"Go back to the castle!" Ron whispered to the bird. The bird just stared at Ron irritably.
A pair of feet came to Ron's vision, and Harry bent down inside the cave.
"Hello Ron." Harry said grinning at his best friend. "Where are we headed?"