A/N: Hello Everyone! I'm back from my vacation and I'm ready to Start putting up this fic again! I hope you're still enjoying it!

Disclaimer: J.K.Rowling and Warner Bros. Respectively own Harry Potter. I do not make any profit in writing these stories. Too bad isn't it?

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Chapter 16

"Parting"

Harry and Ginny were in shock. Draco looked about him as the minister members scattered into the room and cornered Lucius Malfoy. Behind Arthur came Percy running a fast as he could to the scene. He stopped in astonishment as he saw Harry and Ginny still disillusioned.

"I can't believe this! It wasn't a lie but why? And Ginny! How could you help him with this? I thought you were more sensible! Honestly! Helping a Death Eater to regain full strength?"

"It's not what - I mean - We…" Harry was at a loss for words and Percy's perception on the whole ordeal was on the dot.

They were committing a crime. They were going against the rules and this time they had no excuses to give. At least, that's what they thought until the shrill voice of an angry man was resonating around the room.

"Leave me BE! I have to time for this nonsense! Don't you know who I am? I'm Lucius Malfoy! I'm the one responsible for most of being in the ministry! Unhand me DOGS! You will pay for this!"

"Father…" breathed Draco as Lucius turned his silvery head towards his son.

"Draco?  What are you doing here? Wait… where… where am I?" he began to mutter confused.

It was then that Sirius Black rushed into the scene looking rather perturbed. He had been giving a job at the ministry as the Head hit wizard and was fearful that Malfoy may have been too much for the others.

"Is everything under control here? Oh, Harry! I really wished I wouldn't find you here,"

"Sirius! I…" words still failed him as Sirius went up to Malfoy.

"So, you've decided to walk on the footstep of Voldermort's protégé? Did you hope that maybe the same that happened to him would happen to you? The Dark Lord is DEAD! And unlike Pettigrew playing possum didn't work did it? With me as the head Hit Wizard did you really expect it would?"

"BLACK! You Mutt! What ARE you talking about? I've been dazed since that day in the castle! I was… I was possessed!"

"Did you really think I'd believe that?"

"It's true! What day - no… What year is it?"

"You can't fool me! Do you really think I'd believe such a stupid lie?"

"I'm telling you the truth! I have no idea what has happened to me! If you don't believe me then give me some Verithisium!!!" Harry and Ginny exchanged looks.

"Fine… if that's what you want," said Sirius as he snapped his fingers.

Suddenly a young wizard dressed in black came carrying the elixir.

"I was planning on getting a full confession out of you anyways Malfoy. At least this way it isn't so hard," he said as Malfoy willingly took a drink.

There was but 2 drops of clear potions in the glass yet the way Lucius jumped; it looked like he had taken a complete shock to the system. Arthur and Percy eagerly gathered around the scene to witness Lucius "confession". His eyes flickered madly and his head dropped heavily on his chest.  Sirius approached him calmly yet had a look of complete victory on his face. As the man's head lifted, Sirius began his interrogation.

"Now… Lucius Malfoy, Is it true that you have been affected by a curse in the past months?

"Yes…" he said emotionless.

Sirius looked around, shaken at what he heard. Did this mean that Malfoy really didn't have control over himself?

"You… you have?"

"Yes…" his pale eyes flashed. "That is correct…. I've been put under a curse and do not have any recollection of the past events… I just know that time has past… I have faint memories of it…"

"Faint memories?" breathed Sirius.

"Yes,"

Ginny gasped and Sirius suddenly turned his head. He saw Harry looking frightened and unsettled. It then dawned on him. Beyond his job, beyond his hunger for revenge, the thing he cared about the most was staring at him, green eyes starving for assurance. It was then that Sirius realized that he didn't want to ask what he knew he had to. He didn't want to know those memories, he didn't want the answer to be: "Harry Potter has been helping me the entire time," That would put Harry up for treason against the ministry for helping a suspected follower of Voldermort. It's a truth he didn't want to face and yet although Sirius was sure that Lucius was a Death Eater he had never acquired the proof for it… even now he doubted himself. He had seen Lucius at the castle briefly and had seen him obey the Dark Lord but what if that curse was…

He had to ask… he didn't have much choice.

"What are those memories?" he asked shakingly.

"The few images that pass through my mind… when I was under the curse… was… that of a boy…" Sirius' eyes thinned. "Yes… a young boy… with fiery-red hair… Yes… the youngest Weasley boy…"

Sirius stepped back as Arthur and Percy both shouted: "WHAT?" in bewilderment. Ginny and Harry both stared at one another unsure of what to do in such an uneasy atmosphere. It seemed that too many fingers would begin to be pointed at too many people and there didn't seem to be a way out of it.

"The letter never mentioned that Ron was involved in this!" said Arthur, his heart beating fast.

"Letter?" said Harry raising an eyebrow but no one took notice in his inquiry.

"You'd almost assume he would be if Harry's name showed up. But this time, it seems he has taken his act solo," said Percy dejected.

"Father-" began Ginny in a tiny voice until Sirius spoke.

"Minister, I think you should leave this up to me. We'll get this story straightened out," he said as he looked at Arthur.

"Maybe it's all for the best. This is even closer to me now then before. I'll wait for an escort at the door and then see you at the station," he said in a drab voice as he and Percy began to walk towards Ginny. "Sweetheart, go back to school. You shouldn't be out here. We'll have a serious talk soon and so will I with you Harry," he said as he walked out to leave but stopped at the door and turned his gaze to Draco, "I'll be seeing you too Mr. Malfoy,"

Within moments, he and Percy slid out the door and left Sirius staring at his feet.

 "So it was a mistake. Harry's not the one involved in this like the letter said; it was Ron," stated Sirius pensively.

"But Siri-" began Harry until Draco grabbed his shoulder and gave him a cold stare.

Draco eyes never seemed grayer. His expression was tense and hard. Harry knew that Draco had read his movements. He knew Harry had wanted to tell Sirius everything that had happened which would result in terrible repercussions for him and his father. Harry felt torn. He'd be getting Ron in trouble anyways, with the addition of everyone else.

"Do we dispatch the rest of the squadron for the boy sir?" said the same young wizard in black.

"I… I suppose we have no choice. Wait!" said Sirius eyes determined.

He hated doing this but he needed to know if the others were involved as well. He couldn't protect Harry by covering up for him and it would have been requested of him to ask this question anyways.

"A side from Ron… was there other people involved in your activities?"

"No," said Lucius coldly.

"Sir? Do we go?" asked the wizard again.

"Yes-yes. Prepare the units. I'll take care of Lucius and the children. Bear in mind there's no need to use force, I know Ron will come without a struggle," said Sirius in a croaked voice.

"Yes sir! All right! Unit four will dispatch on the school grounds, unit two will enter the castle as unit one continues to search Hogsmeade. Unit three will return with the minister to the train station. For those entering Hogwarts, remember that contact from within the school limits is inaccessible so to make your confirmed finds assure yourselves to have left the courtyard. We will reunite in 2 hours. Let's go," he said as the people began to spread out.

The large mass left the room as Sirius lifted him wand and stunned Malfoy. As the man fell limp, Sirius passed his hand through his hair.

"Mobilocopus," he uttered as Lucius body lifted into the air. "I still have trouble believing that he- that he was controlled,"

"What do you mean?" asked Harry his mouth dry.

"Well, you heard his confession. He said he was under a curse. I really thought that he was willingly working for Voldermort but if he didn't have control of himself then he must have been put under the Imperius curse during the attack on Hogwarts," he then looked at the floating Malfoy. "I'd have never thought him innocent. He'll be put under more questioning of course, but this isn't the place for it. I'll guide you all to the school after I've heard from the squadron,"

Ginny was grabbing Harry tightly now. She began to whimper within the folds of his robes. She wanted to desperately tell Sirius what was really occurring but had seen the face that Draco had made. Was concealing the truth the right thing to do this time?

***

Hermione continued to stare as the first visitor slinked into view with a little parcel tied to his neck. The other arrived with a similar one on its foot as it flew into sight. Both Pig and Crookshanks came onto the flowerbed and sat comfortably on the blanket.

"Thank you both, I didn't dare do this on my own. I think she might have gotten too curious," said Ron as he took the parcels from the animals.

They were wrapped in red wrapping paper and had golden bows tied around them. One of the parcels' bows had a red trim and the other was plain. Ron looked strangely nervous as he presented one of them to Hermione. He gave her the one with the red trim and took a breath.

"It's nothing special really… I mean, soon I'll be able to give you something nicer. I didn't want to take any money from my parents and…"

"Ron. We still have to open it," said Hermione smiling.

"Oh! Yeah, right!" he said as the both tore open the packages.

Hermione found inside her Order of the Pheonix ring as Ron took out his. She looked at him baffled and wondered why he'd give her back her own ring.

"Look on the inside," said Ron.

As she did, she noticed that something was different. She saw an engraving that shimmered brightly on the inside of the ring. It said: "Ron and Hermoine, one heart, one mind. Feb 14, 1998" The engraving moved so Hermione didn't have to turn the ring to read. Ron looked like he was greatly upset. He didn't think his gift was really good enough for Hermione and felt very self-conscious. It was only until he looked up that he realized that she wasn't disappointed at all. Her smile lit up the night far more then the floating lights and Ron suddenly seemed a bit more relived.

"Mine has the same. I mean… it's just an engraving. And one day, I'll be able to get you your own ring - A really nice one - and-"

"You idiot, I love it," she said her cheeks rosy.

"Really?" he said still doubtful.

"Of course! I mean… this ring represents the time we faced Voldermort together. This ring reminds me of the very moment that I had doubts about my feelings. The day that my heart knew that I really loved someone else, even if my mind couldn't comprehend it. This ring… is my rebirth," she said moved.

Ron blushed. He didn't realize that Hermione's feelings for him had begun back then.

"It's a promise you know.  It's a promise that I'll be with you no matter what or where I am. That we're one in the same,"

Hermione grinned and put on her ring. Ron did the same. She bent over to kiss him until there were sudden shouts.

"Weasley! You're coming with us!" came the sounds of the hit wizards.