Chapter 10
Of Guilt, Guts and Ron's Return Home
Harry looked out the window of History of Magic Class. Of course, he wasn't playing the slightest attention to what Professor Binns was saying. Even Hermione didn't have the patience to listen to the boring ghost. She just sort of...stared.
He had come to a conclusion. It was obvious that Ron's disappearence was the work of Voldemort, but why would he want Ron? Ron was Harry's best friend, that's why. It was all Harry's fault. Harry was beating himself up, and Hermione was his only comfort. But now he was afraid. If Harry had led Ron to being kidnapped, maybe Hermione was next.
Before Harry had time to even consider this the bell thankfully rang. But the idea was still there, in the back of his mind...
Harry wasn't the only one who blamed himself for Ron's disappearence. Ginny Weasley ran into the girls bathroom, crying. It was all her fault! She closed her eyes to try to make it all go away, but the scene replayed in her mind.
~~~"Ginny, I don't know what you want from me!" Ron screamed.
"I'll tell you what I want." Ginny snapped threateningly. "I want you out of my room, out of my house, and OUT OF MY LIFE!"
"That can be arranged." Ron yelled. The back door slammed behind him...~~~
Ginny snapped her eyes open. She had caused Ron to leave. It was that simple. She wept quietly for a moment before pulling herself together.
"C'mon," She told herself. "I'll just go back to Transfiguration and ask for a new ball of yarn that's not maroon."
It wasn't until she left that Hermione Granger stepped out of her stall.
"Where have you been?" Harry asked Hermione as she slid into her seat for dinner a couple minutes late.
"Bathroom." Hermione replied. "Look, I think something is really wrong with Ginny.
"Why? I mean, why more today than yesterday?"
"She was in the bathroom, crying and saying something about 'not maroon.' I'm really worried about her." Hermione bit her lip.
"I have an idea..." Harry said.
The Basilisk swallowed Ginny whole. It's poisoness green stood out against the fire and red rock which surrounded it. Voldemort laughed mercilessly.
Hermione was suddenly in this hell, her wand poised. Before she had a chance to so much as react, the Cruciatus curse was sent her way. She lay, screaming as if she were dying, which she probably was.
"Dessert?" Voldemort hissed to the giant serpent. Soon Hermione had followed Ginny's footsteps to death.
"I will not let you get away with this." Harry said, raising his wand against his enemy.
"I have waited long for this." Voldemort said, smiling. "Moltres." The spell sent white fire through Harry, almost as excruciating as the Cruciatus Cusre. Voldemort lifted the curse just before Harry ceased to be.
"Avada Kedavra." He hissed, laughing as the green light of death killed the legendary Harry Potter. The poor man watched, helpless. Then Voldemort turned, headed his way.
Yet, it was not the man to which he was headed. But who was left? The man watched in horror as Voldemort pulled out a silver dagger with emeralds in the hilt. He turned and saw Harmony trying desperatly to get away.
"NOOOOOOOO!!" He yelled as Voldemort plunged the dagger through her heart. Blood, screams, horror, mortifying confusion--
Ron sat straight up in bed panting, sweating, and covered in blood.
Harmony was drinking hot chocolate and reading in her bedroom when Sirius came in and sat down. She smiled and set her book down. She waved her wand and produced a cup of hot chocolate for Sirius.
"Hey, what's up?" She asked, looking at the very un-Sirius serious look on her friends face.
"Harmony, you have to tell him." Sirius said quietly. Harmony's face hardened.
"NO, Sirius. I want him to know me for who I am!" Harmony exclaimed, her eyes widened.
"How can he get to know you if he doesn't even know your name?" Sirius asked angrily.
"He does know my name." Harmony shot back defensively.
"You know what I mean." Sirius replied, giving her a very hard, nearly paternal look. Harmony sighed.
"I know, but...can't you just give me a little more time?" Harmony questioned.
"It's up to you." Sirius answered, draining the rest of his hot chocolate and getting up to leave.
"Just remember, he's going to find out eventually." He said as he shut the door.
"Not if I can help it." Harmony whispered after him.
"All right, people, settle down." Harry said. Ron's friends, and his sister, were sitting in a secluded corner in the Gryffindor common room. Harry cleared his throat and looked at Hermione nervously. She nodded encouragingly.
"Okay, I have an idea. We have done nothing but think about Ron since the year started. And he...wouldn't like it. I thinnk we should just try to, uh, not talk about the subject. I'm not saying forget about him, just not let it completely ruin our year." He added quickly, seeing the looks he was being given. "We just need to, ya know...move on."
The group started whispering, consulting with their neighbors on this new plan. Eventually there was a general murmer of agreement. With that they left, determined to follow this new plan of not mentioning Ron's name.
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said, coming up behind him. "You did the right thing." Harry sighed.
"Then why do I feel like I've betrayed him?" Harry asked.
"C'mon, no more mentioning Ron, remember?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know how!" Harry replied, frustrated.
"Maybe I can help..." Hermione said, flashing him a devilish smile. She leaned over and kissed him.
Harry closed his eyes, maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all...
Ron walked into his bathroom and washed the blood and sweat away. He had been having dreams like this since he arrived here for the testing. They were like a parellel universe of his worst nightmares. Once he had been stabbed in a dream, and for the rest of the day he had the scar, which slowly ebbed away.
The sun rose and Ron went out to the feild where, for the last two weeks, his fears had become realities. Had it only been two weeks? It seemed like an eternity, and his life was now forevermore split between his life before and after this horrific experience.
Yet today hope seemed to sing in the clear blue skies. Testing was finished, the animal communication skills he needed would be granted to him, and later that afternoon he would be going back to Marigold. Thank God.
"Mr. Weasley, I presume?" Came a voice from behind him. Ron whipped around in less than half a second and had his wand out. Over the last few weeks he had developed extremely fast reflexes.
The voice belonged to a spindly old man. He reminded Ron of Mr. Crouch, except that Ron had never been happy to see Mr. Crouch.
"That's me." Ron said. The man raised his gray eyebrows.
"My name is Mr. Opture." He said. "I will be giving you your animal communication skills."
"All righty then." Ron replied, anxious to get a move on so he could get back to Marigold. Mr. Opture raised his wand.
"I'll be putting you into a dreamless sleep." He explained. "Serify."
Ron knew nothing more for several hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Ron woke up the first thing he noticed was that he had been out cold several hours according to the position of the sun. The second thing he knew was how very uncomfortable his current position was.
"You're awake now, I see." Mr. Opture said.
"Yeah," Ron replied, getting to his feet.
"Now whenever anybody, including an animal, speaks to you, you will speak it right back as if it were English." Mr. Opture explained.
"What language are we speaking now?" Ron asked in earnest curiousity.
"Flobberworm." He replied nonchalantly. Ron's eyes widened.
"FLOBBERWORM?!?!?" Ron yelled. Mr. Opture looked slightly taken back.
"It's the last language in the developement." Mr. Opture explained impatiently. "Now calm down so I can see what animal you identify with for your record!" Ron stopped yelling and stood still. "Laiceps," Mr. Opture hissed.
"Okay then, say something." Mr. Opture said.
"Like what?" Ron asked. Mr. Opture shook his head and sighed impatiently.
"Not jibberish!" He said. "Just say say something normal.
"I AM talking normally!" Ron explained desperatly. Mr. Opture was starting to look angry.
"Look, I can't figure out what language you're talking if you talk like there's no spaces in between your words!" He yelled, very red in the face.
"But I'm not." Ron said slowly trying not to panic. Mr. Opture, looking as if steam were going to come out of his ears, removed the spell.
"If you MUST be so difficult I will just put 'unknown'" He said angrily.
"But I wasn't doing anything!" Ron argued, just as heatedly.
"NOW you decide to talk normally!" Mr. Opture said.
"But--" Ron started, but at that moment Mr. Opture appartated away, leaving Ron to head back to Marigold with the two gaurds that came to take his place.
Harmony glanced out the window yet again. Sirius was pretending to be reading a book, but he was betrayed by the fact that it was upside down. Ron was already late, and Harmony was worried sick. Sirius wasn't worried about Ron, as he had seen Ron in action and knew he was a lot tougher than people gave him credit for. However, Harmony looked like she might have an ulcer if Ron didn't show up in the next couple minutes.
"Harmony," He said. "Calm DOWN! Worrying yourself senseless isn't going to bring him back from testing."
"Sirius, YOU know what the testing is like!" She said in a voice a little higher than usual. "It's horrible." Sirius had to agree with her there, and shuddered slightly in the warm day as he remembered the trials of two years ago.
Sirius sparked a conversation to keep her occupied. Yet still she checked the window every thirty seconds or so. It was obvious to Sirius that in the few days they had known each other they had become close friends and shared a deep bond. Sirius was reminded of James, and how after only a few days they were sticking up for each other and knew they shared an unspoken friendship.
Harmony was worried sick about Ron and what might've happened to him. Their friendship had bloomed very quickly. Maybe somewhere in Harmony's secret heart of hearts she wanted it to be more than that. But being a princess teaches you to keep yourself hidden to keep people from panicing, and to listen to your reason more than basing every decision on your emotions, and Harmony had learned well. So whatever thoughts of anything other than friendship with Ron were hidden so well that not even Harmony knew they existed. Yet. They were trying to push through to the surface.
She was checking the window yet again when she suddenly screamed.
"There he is! THERE HE IS!!!" With that she flew down to the gardens, Sirius in pursuit.
Harmony threw her arms around Ron and Sirius followed her example. Ron looked dead tired, but he was happy.
Ron was so relieved to be with Harmony and Sirius. When the reached the Entrance Hall they found King Shinra waiting to welcome his newest subject. Ron sighed; he was so glad to be home.
NO! Something in his mind screamed as they headed for dinner. No, home is the Burrow with your family. Home is at Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione. Home is not here with these people you hardly know! But somehow Ron felt very at home in this copy of Hogwarts in this hidden city. Maybe even more so than when he WAS at the Burrow or at Hogwarts. It was somewhat unnerving.
Mrs. Weasley sat alone, knitting a sweater for Ginny. She was really thinking about her missing son. She glanced the large grandfather clock on the wall, her only consellation. Ron's hand was not on mortal peril. She went back to her knitting.
Then she looked up again, and her heart lept. Ron's hand was no longer on 'lost' but on 'home!' He had come back! Mrs. Weasley lept up and searched the house thoroughly, but to her confusion and disappointment Ron was not there.
"Why?!" Mrs. Wealsey yelled at the clock. "Do you say that he's home just to torture me?"
Of Guilt, Guts and Ron's Return Home
Harry looked out the window of History of Magic Class. Of course, he wasn't playing the slightest attention to what Professor Binns was saying. Even Hermione didn't have the patience to listen to the boring ghost. She just sort of...stared.
He had come to a conclusion. It was obvious that Ron's disappearence was the work of Voldemort, but why would he want Ron? Ron was Harry's best friend, that's why. It was all Harry's fault. Harry was beating himself up, and Hermione was his only comfort. But now he was afraid. If Harry had led Ron to being kidnapped, maybe Hermione was next.
Before Harry had time to even consider this the bell thankfully rang. But the idea was still there, in the back of his mind...
Harry wasn't the only one who blamed himself for Ron's disappearence. Ginny Weasley ran into the girls bathroom, crying. It was all her fault! She closed her eyes to try to make it all go away, but the scene replayed in her mind.
~~~"Ginny, I don't know what you want from me!" Ron screamed.
"I'll tell you what I want." Ginny snapped threateningly. "I want you out of my room, out of my house, and OUT OF MY LIFE!"
"That can be arranged." Ron yelled. The back door slammed behind him...~~~
Ginny snapped her eyes open. She had caused Ron to leave. It was that simple. She wept quietly for a moment before pulling herself together.
"C'mon," She told herself. "I'll just go back to Transfiguration and ask for a new ball of yarn that's not maroon."
It wasn't until she left that Hermione Granger stepped out of her stall.
"Where have you been?" Harry asked Hermione as she slid into her seat for dinner a couple minutes late.
"Bathroom." Hermione replied. "Look, I think something is really wrong with Ginny.
"Why? I mean, why more today than yesterday?"
"She was in the bathroom, crying and saying something about 'not maroon.' I'm really worried about her." Hermione bit her lip.
"I have an idea..." Harry said.
The Basilisk swallowed Ginny whole. It's poisoness green stood out against the fire and red rock which surrounded it. Voldemort laughed mercilessly.
Hermione was suddenly in this hell, her wand poised. Before she had a chance to so much as react, the Cruciatus curse was sent her way. She lay, screaming as if she were dying, which she probably was.
"Dessert?" Voldemort hissed to the giant serpent. Soon Hermione had followed Ginny's footsteps to death.
"I will not let you get away with this." Harry said, raising his wand against his enemy.
"I have waited long for this." Voldemort said, smiling. "Moltres." The spell sent white fire through Harry, almost as excruciating as the Cruciatus Cusre. Voldemort lifted the curse just before Harry ceased to be.
"Avada Kedavra." He hissed, laughing as the green light of death killed the legendary Harry Potter. The poor man watched, helpless. Then Voldemort turned, headed his way.
Yet, it was not the man to which he was headed. But who was left? The man watched in horror as Voldemort pulled out a silver dagger with emeralds in the hilt. He turned and saw Harmony trying desperatly to get away.
"NOOOOOOOO!!" He yelled as Voldemort plunged the dagger through her heart. Blood, screams, horror, mortifying confusion--
Ron sat straight up in bed panting, sweating, and covered in blood.
Harmony was drinking hot chocolate and reading in her bedroom when Sirius came in and sat down. She smiled and set her book down. She waved her wand and produced a cup of hot chocolate for Sirius.
"Hey, what's up?" She asked, looking at the very un-Sirius serious look on her friends face.
"Harmony, you have to tell him." Sirius said quietly. Harmony's face hardened.
"NO, Sirius. I want him to know me for who I am!" Harmony exclaimed, her eyes widened.
"How can he get to know you if he doesn't even know your name?" Sirius asked angrily.
"He does know my name." Harmony shot back defensively.
"You know what I mean." Sirius replied, giving her a very hard, nearly paternal look. Harmony sighed.
"I know, but...can't you just give me a little more time?" Harmony questioned.
"It's up to you." Sirius answered, draining the rest of his hot chocolate and getting up to leave.
"Just remember, he's going to find out eventually." He said as he shut the door.
"Not if I can help it." Harmony whispered after him.
"All right, people, settle down." Harry said. Ron's friends, and his sister, were sitting in a secluded corner in the Gryffindor common room. Harry cleared his throat and looked at Hermione nervously. She nodded encouragingly.
"Okay, I have an idea. We have done nothing but think about Ron since the year started. And he...wouldn't like it. I thinnk we should just try to, uh, not talk about the subject. I'm not saying forget about him, just not let it completely ruin our year." He added quickly, seeing the looks he was being given. "We just need to, ya know...move on."
The group started whispering, consulting with their neighbors on this new plan. Eventually there was a general murmer of agreement. With that they left, determined to follow this new plan of not mentioning Ron's name.
"Don't worry, Harry," Hermione said, coming up behind him. "You did the right thing." Harry sighed.
"Then why do I feel like I've betrayed him?" Harry asked.
"C'mon, no more mentioning Ron, remember?" Hermione asked.
"I don't know how!" Harry replied, frustrated.
"Maybe I can help..." Hermione said, flashing him a devilish smile. She leaned over and kissed him.
Harry closed his eyes, maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all...
Ron walked into his bathroom and washed the blood and sweat away. He had been having dreams like this since he arrived here for the testing. They were like a parellel universe of his worst nightmares. Once he had been stabbed in a dream, and for the rest of the day he had the scar, which slowly ebbed away.
The sun rose and Ron went out to the feild where, for the last two weeks, his fears had become realities. Had it only been two weeks? It seemed like an eternity, and his life was now forevermore split between his life before and after this horrific experience.
Yet today hope seemed to sing in the clear blue skies. Testing was finished, the animal communication skills he needed would be granted to him, and later that afternoon he would be going back to Marigold. Thank God.
"Mr. Weasley, I presume?" Came a voice from behind him. Ron whipped around in less than half a second and had his wand out. Over the last few weeks he had developed extremely fast reflexes.
The voice belonged to a spindly old man. He reminded Ron of Mr. Crouch, except that Ron had never been happy to see Mr. Crouch.
"That's me." Ron said. The man raised his gray eyebrows.
"My name is Mr. Opture." He said. "I will be giving you your animal communication skills."
"All righty then." Ron replied, anxious to get a move on so he could get back to Marigold. Mr. Opture raised his wand.
"I'll be putting you into a dreamless sleep." He explained. "Serify."
Ron knew nothing more for several hours.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Ron woke up the first thing he noticed was that he had been out cold several hours according to the position of the sun. The second thing he knew was how very uncomfortable his current position was.
"You're awake now, I see." Mr. Opture said.
"Yeah," Ron replied, getting to his feet.
"Now whenever anybody, including an animal, speaks to you, you will speak it right back as if it were English." Mr. Opture explained.
"What language are we speaking now?" Ron asked in earnest curiousity.
"Flobberworm." He replied nonchalantly. Ron's eyes widened.
"FLOBBERWORM?!?!?" Ron yelled. Mr. Opture looked slightly taken back.
"It's the last language in the developement." Mr. Opture explained impatiently. "Now calm down so I can see what animal you identify with for your record!" Ron stopped yelling and stood still. "Laiceps," Mr. Opture hissed.
"Okay then, say something." Mr. Opture said.
"Like what?" Ron asked. Mr. Opture shook his head and sighed impatiently.
"Not jibberish!" He said. "Just say say something normal.
"I AM talking normally!" Ron explained desperatly. Mr. Opture was starting to look angry.
"Look, I can't figure out what language you're talking if you talk like there's no spaces in between your words!" He yelled, very red in the face.
"But I'm not." Ron said slowly trying not to panic. Mr. Opture, looking as if steam were going to come out of his ears, removed the spell.
"If you MUST be so difficult I will just put 'unknown'" He said angrily.
"But I wasn't doing anything!" Ron argued, just as heatedly.
"NOW you decide to talk normally!" Mr. Opture said.
"But--" Ron started, but at that moment Mr. Opture appartated away, leaving Ron to head back to Marigold with the two gaurds that came to take his place.
Harmony glanced out the window yet again. Sirius was pretending to be reading a book, but he was betrayed by the fact that it was upside down. Ron was already late, and Harmony was worried sick. Sirius wasn't worried about Ron, as he had seen Ron in action and knew he was a lot tougher than people gave him credit for. However, Harmony looked like she might have an ulcer if Ron didn't show up in the next couple minutes.
"Harmony," He said. "Calm DOWN! Worrying yourself senseless isn't going to bring him back from testing."
"Sirius, YOU know what the testing is like!" She said in a voice a little higher than usual. "It's horrible." Sirius had to agree with her there, and shuddered slightly in the warm day as he remembered the trials of two years ago.
Sirius sparked a conversation to keep her occupied. Yet still she checked the window every thirty seconds or so. It was obvious to Sirius that in the few days they had known each other they had become close friends and shared a deep bond. Sirius was reminded of James, and how after only a few days they were sticking up for each other and knew they shared an unspoken friendship.
Harmony was worried sick about Ron and what might've happened to him. Their friendship had bloomed very quickly. Maybe somewhere in Harmony's secret heart of hearts she wanted it to be more than that. But being a princess teaches you to keep yourself hidden to keep people from panicing, and to listen to your reason more than basing every decision on your emotions, and Harmony had learned well. So whatever thoughts of anything other than friendship with Ron were hidden so well that not even Harmony knew they existed. Yet. They were trying to push through to the surface.
She was checking the window yet again when she suddenly screamed.
"There he is! THERE HE IS!!!" With that she flew down to the gardens, Sirius in pursuit.
Harmony threw her arms around Ron and Sirius followed her example. Ron looked dead tired, but he was happy.
Ron was so relieved to be with Harmony and Sirius. When the reached the Entrance Hall they found King Shinra waiting to welcome his newest subject. Ron sighed; he was so glad to be home.
NO! Something in his mind screamed as they headed for dinner. No, home is the Burrow with your family. Home is at Hogwarts with Harry and Hermione. Home is not here with these people you hardly know! But somehow Ron felt very at home in this copy of Hogwarts in this hidden city. Maybe even more so than when he WAS at the Burrow or at Hogwarts. It was somewhat unnerving.
Mrs. Weasley sat alone, knitting a sweater for Ginny. She was really thinking about her missing son. She glanced the large grandfather clock on the wall, her only consellation. Ron's hand was not on mortal peril. She went back to her knitting.
Then she looked up again, and her heart lept. Ron's hand was no longer on 'lost' but on 'home!' He had come back! Mrs. Weasley lept up and searched the house thoroughly, but to her confusion and disappointment Ron was not there.
"Why?!" Mrs. Wealsey yelled at the clock. "Do you say that he's home just to torture me?"