Godric's Hollow
Chapter 10 Riddle me This (pg13)
By Tracev/WittchWay

***

1st of September

Harry was so excited he could barely hide his joy. He simply wanted to put this summer behind him and move back to the dorms. To see his friends Ron and Hermione and the other boys in his year. He made his way down to the great hall, just as the front doors opened to the returning students. Harry waited on the bottom step watching for his friends. He finally saw the group of redheads and moved toward them. George grasped him as he made his way through the crowd. Ginny instantly had tears in her eyes. Hermione grabbed him and gave him a big hug, tears came to her eyes as well.

He was glad they had missed him but really tears! The girls clung to each other heading for the great hall. Fred grasped his other arm. "Where's Ron?" Harry tried to wiggle out of their grip. Which was hard to do with the amount of students pushing passed them.

"Didn't you receive my owl?"

"Yeah, ha ha Ron's a Death Eater."

Ron took this moment to enter the great hall, Draco Malfoy was whispering in his ear. Ron walked right past him with out a glance and headed for the Slytherin table. He was currently being introduced to the other Slytherin's, shaking their hands, laughing with Malfoy.

Harry couldn't believe it, this was Ron Weasley his best friend. After all that had happened this summer with Lupin's death, his parents house, the inter turmoil he felt. All Harry had thought of all summer was talking to Ron, seeing his best friend. There were so many things Harry wanted to tell Ron, things a letter just couldn't express. This couldn't be real, this couldn't be happening. Ron was not a Death Eater, joke, this had to be an elaborate joke from Fred and George.

Harry turned to face the twins, he tried to force a laugh "How.. how did you get Malfoy to go in on your joke?"

George hung his head, his twin stared down Harry and whispered "no joke." Harry heard the words, it was as if they were floating in air. As if he was watching the words spin toward him, entering his soul.

"Dad kicked him out."

"He offered to get him help."

"He refused."

"Moved in with the Malfoy's..."

Breathe Harry. They were talking to fast, it was making his head spin.

The Slytherin's were making a big show of sitting down at their house table. Harry stared in disbelief, this was Ron. The Professors were trying to get students to take their seats. There seemed to be more commotion then usual. Though there were obviously fewer students than in pervious years.

Blaise Zabini at the Slytherin table looked at Harry starring at them. The boy smiled and stood raising his shirtsleeve and bared the mark of The Dark Lord. The hall went silent. Everyone turned their attention to the Slytherin's. Other boys at the table stood, each turned to face Harry, each raised the sleeve of their robe, each baring the Dark Mark. Each boy and a few girls stood in defiance baring the mark. Some marks were so new they shined red, others were faded with age. Draco stood and showed his mark, but Harry wasn't looking at him, he was watching Ron.

Ron sat silently gripping the edge of the table, he had turned a crimson red Harry had never seen before. Ron rose slowly and raised the sleeve of his robe. There it was, the mark of membership. Harry stepped forward the twins grabbed his arms. Ron was a Death Eater, they hadn't been joking his best friend was betraying him. Ron looked right in his eyes, Harry saw the hatred splash across Ron's face. On instinct Harry took a step forward and pulled his wand.

Dumbledore yelled for silence. McGonagall rushed forward in front of him. Snape stood by his house telling them 'now was not the time.' If there were a battle the Ravenclaw table would be caught in the crossfire. Dumbledore yelled again for silence commanding everyone to put his or her wands away. Dobby ran forward to stand by Harry. The wands slowly receded, with the Slytherin's the last to put theirs away, though most didn't.

Fred and George dragged Harry to the table, sitting on either side of him. He watched the Slytherin's table. He watched Ron, enjoying himself with the Slytherin's.

Harry shook his head, this was Ron. Ron who had been through so much with him. Harry's eyes bore into Ron willing the boy to turn and face him. Harry was half-aware of the people around him, of Dumbledore's speech, of the sorting of the first years. He slammed his fist into the table, few people looked at him. He couldn't sit here any longer. He couldn't be in the presence of these people. He stood on week knees and left the great hall.

He tried to think if there had been any clues that would have indicated that Ron would become a Death Eater. Harry supposed it had always been there on the surface, Ron's rage and temper, his jealously of Harry. Harry thought back to their first year and how when they had looked in the Mirror of Erised, Ron's image was self indulgent, had showed himself as an individual, to out shine his family, and Harry supposed this meant him as well. Then last year his refusal to speak to Harry, and not stand by him like a true friend. Perhaps Ron's whole life had been building to this moment.

Perhaps that was the mistake his parents had made. Their refusal to believe that a friend would betray them. The refusal that someone so close to you, who you had been through so much with, who you went to school with, who acted as if you were brothers, someone that you had a bond with, would stab you in the back. At least Ron hadn't sneaked around like Wormtail did. At least now he knew that his best friend wouldn't silently in the night have him killed. Ron wasn't a coward like Wormtail, Ron was open about his betrayal, he had shown his true colors.

Harry slammed the door to the dorm room, reopened it and slammed it again. He stood there in the room he shared with Neville, Seamus, Dean, himself and Ron, eyeing each bed. The boy's trunks stood at the foot of each bed except Ron's. His bed stood empty, there was no indication that his bed would be occupied this school year. Harry paced the room, round and round, his face grew increasingly hot. Dobby entered and sank into the shadows by the door. George and Fred hurried in, Harry tore into them, "Where the hell is Ron staying?" pointing to the empty bed.

"Slytherin dorms,"

" we guess."

"You know Crabbe and Goyal..."

"...died over the summer"

Harry didn't know anything. He felt exhausted, this was just too much. He climbed into bed, sleep, much needed sleep. "Harry" George came over pulling Harry's shoes from his feet, "you want one of us to stay with you."

George brushed the hair from Harry's eyes, setting the boys glasses on the bedside table. Harry nodded weakly, it would be nice to have the comfort of someone nearby. The twins had always treated him like family. Made him feel welcomed. He felt the weight of George sit on the bed, stroking his hair, it felt nice.

Harry drifted in an out of sleep, George stayed with him throughout the afternoon.

*******

That night forward one of the twins slept in Ron's empty bed. Harry found it slightly comforting, yet disturbing. he'd wake in the night to see the red hair and want to cry. Other times it just made him angry and he thought of stomping down to the Slytherin dorms and pounding Ron's head in.

Yet school continued on. Harry was forbidden from all Hogsmead visits encase Voldemort appeared or a student Death Eater attacks. Dobby was always a few passes behind him, which got him some lighthearted teasing. Quidditch was canceled, as was Care of Magical Creatures.

Harry headed toward potion class, his mind never was free of the thoughts of Ron. How could it be? How can you forget someone who you had shared so much with? At least Harry knew whom his true friends were now, Fred and George, Hermione, Ginny, and all the other Gryffindor's. For no Gryffindor's had joined the Death Eaters, save for one. Only one Hufflepuff and three Ravenclaws, but nearly all the older Slytherin's had joined, or so it was rumored.

Potion class had turned into a joke. Ron had instantly partnered up with Malfoy. They seemed to get along well. Harry watched Ron's movement, he tried to think of anything else that would have told him of his best friends betrayal. Ron looked over his cauldron straight into Harry's eyes. Harry's knees buckled the pain exploded across his scar, his head felt like it was on fire. It was worse than when Voldemort had touched him in 4th yr. Seamus grabbed his arm trying to steady him. Harry yanked his arm from the boys grip, grabbed his bag and left. He was over this...this life. Being chased by Voldemort, being stuck in this school. He wanted out of here, maybe visit Sirius Black. Hell, at this point he would be happy to return to the Dursley's if they would have him. He walked the school, finally finding his feet in front of Dumbledore's office. Dobby came forward and mumbled the password.

Dumbledore was sitting at his desk waiting for him. Harry wondered vaguely what the man did all day. His desk was clutter free as it always was. Harry sat with out waiting for an invitation. Dumbledore flexed his fingers. They sat in silence. Harry emptied his mind, he did not want to think now. "Well Harry."

"I need to leave, perhaps visit Sirius... or."

"I'm sorry that's really out of the question. you'll be safest here."

Harry looked at the Headmaster, he hated to be rude, and he trusted Dumbledore with his life. The man had done everything in his power to trust Harry, when no one else had done so. He had believed his story at the end of last year and all pervious years and had even helped him over the summer. "Professor..." Harry said the words as delicately has he could "I'm leaving this school. Maybe temporally, maybe permanently. But I am leaving."

Dumbledore hung his head, "Harry, I ask you not to do this, not at this time."

Harry stood ignoring Dumbledore last response. He slowly walked to the door, "Sir, may I take Dobby with me,"

Dumbledore smiled "He's a free elf ask him yourself." Dobby ran forward and tackled Harry around the middle, nearly knocking him over. "I guess that's a yes."

*********

Harry returned back to the dorms to pack his backpack with as much as he could. He wasn't even sure yet where he was going. He thought perhaps his families home or back to the Dursley's. Though he doubted that they would want him back. Uncle Vernon had spent a week in St. Mungo's hospital after being hit with the Crucio curse, mostly for just observation, but they were probably still mad.

Harry turned expecting to see Dobby returning with his broom from the shed. Instead he found Ron standing there.

"Heard you're leaving school, Potter."

Harry shook his head, "bastard" he muttered, and turned to continue packing.

"Going to the muggles."

"I'm not telling you… you rat" Ron smirked he dragged his finger across the footboard of Neville's bed, then Deans, Seamus, and then his own. He inched forward "I will hand deliver you to Voldemort. Make no mistake of that Potter."

"It would be the finest moment of your pathetic little life Weasley."

"Yes, it will Potter. I will be rewarded beyond my dreams." Ron's eyes gleamed with a glee Harry had never seen before. This was not his friend Ron, this boy who stood before him was a new Ron, possessed with greed. Harry's stomach was in a knot he didn't know how he had ever become friends with this person. The very sight of Ron repulsed him.

"It's not over Potter, the Death Eaters will be triumphant in their goal." He leaned over and poked Harry in the chest. Dobby ran into the room, "ya get away from my Harry Potter" he shrieked. Ron laughed a way that confirmed that this was not Ron, it was pure evil. "Nice, your army's a house elf" Ron thumped Dobby on the forehead as he turned to leave. Dobby in return sank his teeth into Ron's shin. Ron shrieked half of Gryffindor tower appeared in the doorway. The newest member of Slytherin broke form the commotion and dashed through the door and down the stairs, leaving Gryffindor tower, perhaps forever.

******

Harry arrived on the doorsteps of Molly and Arthur Weasley. It was like a family reunion. Bill and Charlie were both there, Percy was the only one still at work. Mrs. Weasley pulled Harry into a big hug, one she seemed reluctant to let go of. He understood, he needed this just as much as she did, he in return clung to her like a son. She started to cry, muttering "Oh Harry, were so sorry." over and over again, finally Bill had to pry him from her grip.

He didn't speak for fear that he would also break down. He just let his ex best friends mother hold him giving him tea and cakes. He didn't know what he had expected to find in coming here. He really wasn't in the mood to talk. It was sort of like returning to the scene of a crime. He listened to the friendly rap of the extended family, he didn't follow the conversation, he was to involved with his own thoughts.

"I'd like to see Ron's room" he finally whispered, maybe there was some indication of what was going through Ron's mind in there. Molly kissed the top of Harry's head "of course dear."

Harry slowly made his way up the three flights of stairs. He had forgotten what it was like in this house. The creak of the steps, the lived in look, comfortable, friendly, inviting, why Ron would want to give this up was beyond him.

Harry entered the violently orange Ron. The quidditch pictures and posters were peeling from the wall. A bed and desk stood empty, one bookshelf toppling over with sets of childhood books and other broken toys and games. Harry looked at the titles of the books pulling each from the shelf and shook them out. Nothing on the dark arts. He searched through the desk drawers, looked in the closet and the chest of drawers, nothing.

Harry shut the bedroom door locking it with his wand. He got on his hands and knees and crawled under the bed. He stripped back the carpet and pulled up the pre-cut plywood to revel a 1-foot by 1-foot deep hole. Ron had shared his secret hiding place with Harry the second summer he spent at the Burrow. They had swiped Percy's journal and needed a hiding place while they read the book. Since then they had hidden all their treasures here. Many a nights they had sat here going through all the past objects and artifacts.

Harry pulled his wand "lumos" it lit the under of the bed. The hole was empty except for a scrape of parchment. Harry sighed Ron had cleared it out of everything. Harry ran his hands along the edge of the box to see if there was anything he was missing. He even stuck his wand in there to see, nothing. "Nox" the light went out. He put the lid back and replaced the carpeting.

Harry crawled into Ron's old bed, it still smelled like Ron. He shut his eyes and drifted to sleep. Please don't let me dream, he whispered.

When he woke Charlie was gently shaking him awake. "Harry, Harry" Charlie smiled down at him. "You've been a sleep for hours. You want some dinner." Harry sat up his head was throbbing. He scrambled out of bed to follow Charlie downstairs, as he did so the parchment fluttered to the floor. Charlie picked it up and turned it over.

Trust me

Was all it said. "Where did you get this?" Harry took the parchment it was Ron's messy handwriting.

"It was here in Ron's room."

"Dad and I searched this room, looking for spells and hexes. We didn't see this."

"It was in our secret place."

"It could be a trap?"

"Yeah."

"you don't still trust him, do you?"

"I... don't know, it's hard to. I have the thoughts of Wormtail in the back of my head, of his betrayal. But then I think this is Ron." Harry turned the parchment every which way, half expecting more words to appear.

"If he knew something about Voldemort he could have just told me. We always had our adventures and there was no secrets." Harry mumbled to himself, trying to work out this message, if it was that. Was this a clue, or was it just a random piece of parchment. Ron after all would never had expected him to leave school and come here.

Harry fixed his eyes on the parchment, was history doomed to repeat itself? Was he about to betrayed by his best friend? His parents had never suspected Peter, just like Harry would never have suspected Ron.

"Don't tell anyone about this okay Charlie."

Charlie eyed him, it almost reminded him of Dumbledore. "Okay, for now." he smiled.

Dinner was a quite affair, Molly had tried to keep the conversation flowing. But had soon given up. Harry had every intent of returning to Hogwarts at the end of the week. Charlie said he would accomplish him, along with Dobby.

******

By the time Harry returned to school September was past and October was mostly over. Fred and George continued to sleep in the empty bed when Charlie wasn't at the castle. The tension in the school seemed to be mounting. It seemed that the school knew a battle was coming. Rumors were flying freely of Voldemort, of the Death Eaters, of the battle that were yet to come.

Harry saw Ron in Potion class only. Harry couldn't quite stomach lunch and dinner with everyone else just yet and avoided it all together. Ron and Draco seemed to be great friends, they were always in each other's company, just like Ron and he had once been. If Ron was playing a game he was playing it well. He harassed the other students just as well as all the other Slytherin's did. He even seemed to building a friendship with Snape, enough to improve his grade in class.

Harry spent long hours starring at Ron. Ron never went out of his way to avoid Harry's eyes or stares but he rarely met them. Harry carried the parchment from the Weasley home with him, he pulled it out of his pocket at all times of the day to stare at it. No magical words appeared, even when he had touched it with his wand nothing happened. He had showed it to no one. He thought about showing it to Dumbledore or Professor Snape, but he didn't.

He just couldn't deal with Snape right now. The man was going out of his way not to be alone with him. Harry had tried numerous times to talk to him since his return to school. Snape wouldn't have it, Harry thought of writing a letter to express his desire, or perhaps his apologize. He caught Snape looking at him at all times of the day. He seemed to follow him everywhere. Harry though long and hard about that last night in his bed, the hands that had wandered over his body. He was still confused about why Snape had left in the middle of it all.

Perhaps it was because he was a teacher and Harry a student. Maybe it was to soon after Lupin's death. Harry just shook his head, maybe Snape didn't find him desirable. He would get his questions answered, he knew he just had to wait it out.

*****

31 October

Like every year on Halloween the 3rd years and above were allowed to go to Hogsmeade. Harry was one of the few to be left behind, though he was quite all right with that. He walked the castle feeling how lonely and what an outcast he had become. Few people wanted to be his friend for fear they would be the next target of Voldemorts attack.

Harry considered sneaking out, but his heart wasn't in. He stood now at the foot of the statue Gregory the Smarmy. His mind fought with thoughts, to stop him from going, there was no reason to go to Hogsmeade, Ron wasn't there to spend his time with.

Finally Harry turned to head back to Gryffindor tower, when he heard it, "Stupefy."

Harry fell to the ground, footsteps rushed forward. Harry felt his robes being lifted, the vial around his neck snapped, and Harry passed out.



TBC

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