It had taken all the members of the Core to subdue Ron. Once Dent had announced that Ron would be separated from Hermione, Ron had flipped out. He thrust Hermione into a corner of the room and he had made a desperate lung for Dent's throat, but had been caught mid-air by Jared Langford, the newest addition to the Core. Jared had tried to knock Ron unconscious, but Ron had fought back fiercely. Ron had struggled out of Jared's grasp and grabbed hold of the man. Ron slammed Jared, cracking the marble floor.

At this point, Nia Larivey, who had been Brotherhood member to originally captured Ron, jumped in. The fight should have been over before it started. Ron was a child compared to those others in the room. He had had his first Release only a few days prior, and should have been like putty to the older Sentinels. Unfortunately for the five people around him, it hadn't been like that at all. What Ron lacked in skill, he more than made up for it in pure power.

So, when Nia Larivey jumped on Ron's back, she had an unpleasant surprise. She had expected to drag Ron easily to the ground. She was quite shocked when she found herself flying across the room towards a wall. With reflexes honed over years of training, she was able to roll her shoulder enough not to break anything when she hit the wall.

When she cleared her head, she saw that the Weasley boy was surrounded. Not that it made any difference to him. He kept fighting.

Ron had picked up the entire table that sat in the middle of the room, spilling the bowl of water that had been sitting on it. Using the table as a barricade, Ron separated himself from the rest of the room. This forced the older Sentinels to attack only two at a time, not all at once.

Jared had recovered and Nia had made back over to the fight, so Ron was up against four older Sentinels. Dent hadn't joined the fight, content to watch. At least, until he saw how easily Ron was dispatching the most powerful Sentinels in the world.

With barely a thought, Dent had launched himself over the large table. He had landed right next to Ron. Ron threw a punch that would have cracked stone. Dent caught the punch in one of his large hands. With a squeeze, Dent shattered every bone in Ron's right hand. With a yell, Ron fell to his knees. He heard Hermione screaming from across the room, but once again, he couldn't protect his love. Once again, he had failed.

Dent dropped Ron with a quick punch to his temple. The boy slumped over and fell to the cold, marble floor.

The other four members of the Core looked on with astonished eyes. In all their years they had never seen Dent fight. The members, who had believed the man had grown weak with age, readjusted their thinking. With a single punch, Dent had finished a foe that had been successfully fighting off the other four.

Hermione had tried to get to Ron, but Jared had stopped her. With strange compassion in his voice, Jared said, "I'm sorry, but you can't do anything for him. It's time for you to leave."

Hermione struggled, but the man's grip was like a vise. "I don't want to leave without Ron!" she screamed desperately.

"You have to." Nia had said, coming around Hermione's other side. She gently pulled Hermione from Jared and began leading her out of the room. Hermione tried to get free, but while gentle, Nia's hands were strong.

"What are you going to do to him?" Hermione had asked in a shrill voice.

If Nia answered, Jared never heard it because Nia led Hermione out of the room. Jared spun around to face Dent. "I wouldn't mind knowing that myself!" Jared yelled. "Why are we keeping the boy? He should be leaving with his bond-mate. He passed the test!"

Dent calmly returned to chair he had been sitting in during the test. "Yes he certainly did pass the test."

"So why he being held here?"

"I want him Trained." Dent said simply.

Jared couldn't help gasp. "Trained? No one's been Trained in decades. Your predecessor, Master Hunt, found it to be brutal and over all unnecessary."

Jared saw a flash of anger pass over Dent's face. "I don't need a history lesson, Mr. Langford. Yes, no one has been Trained in decades. I was the last one to be Trained, over forty years ago."

This news came as a shock to Jared. But it did explain a few things. "I don't think this is a good idea, Master Dent. Training was found to have some adverse effects. The last thing we need right now, is an insane Sentinel on the loose."

Dent brought his fist down on the armrest of his chair. It broke, but Dent didn't even spare it a glance. "Times are changing, Mr. Langford. Voldemort is on the loose, again. The last time he was around was sixteen years ago. Even he tossed me, the most powerful Sentinel in centuries around like a rag-doll. I was a mosquito to that man. His magic was too strong. I doubt he even remembers it. Voldemort could have taken down the world. But guess who was the one to stop him. A baby, less than a year old, forced Voldemort to flee for eleven years. Voldemort came back, but time and again, the same boy defeated him. Harry Potter. In the end, only Harry Potter will be able to stop Voldemort. I know it."

"How do you know it, Master Dent?" Jared asked. "As far as I know, Potter's been more lucky than anything."

Dent shook his head. "I don't know how I know, damn it. I just do. Potter is the only chance we have. But what if Potter doesn't make it. He has enough enemies to make anyone shudder. What if he's killed by a Death Eater or a Dementor or a giant? Or what if he's hit by a God damned car, crossing the street. Without Potter we're finished. He needs someone to watch his back, keep him alive until the final battle. Not only does Ronald Weasley have more power than the rest of you combined; he also is the best friend of Harry Potter. Weasley gets Trained. For the fate of the world, he get Trained. And if the Training leaves Weasley with a few unwanted side effects, so be it. I see the look on your face, Mr. Langford. You think I'm a monster."

Jared saw weariness pass over Dent's face. He realized how much this decision was taking a toll on Dent.

But within a heartbeat, Dent's expressionless look was back. "Maybe I am a monster. But I'm looking out for the world, here. Think of the lives this could save. Think of the children, Mr. Langford, that you hope to have with your bond-mate some day. Do you want them born into a world of death?"

Jared thought of his wife and bond-mate, Katie. She was pregnant with their first child. Jared would gladly give his own life for his child's. But would he be willing to give another's life for the life of his child? Would he sacrifice Ronald Weasley for the welfare of his wife and child? After a moment, he came upon the answer. Absolutely.

Jared nodded sadly. "Where do you want him?" he asked, gesturing to Ron's still form.

"Basement." Dent said. "I had it modified when we brought Weasley in. I had a spell put on it. It will make the separation easier. Make sure Anne sees him and fixes up his hand."

Jared nodded and lifted Ron's limp body easily onto his shoulder. Quietly, he and the two other members of the Core walked out the door, leaving Dent alone in the room.

Now that he was alone, Dent let the consequences of his decision wash over him. He felt tears flow down his cheeks and onto his coat. He wondered what kind of man he had become. He had sworn he would do anything in his power to prevent any one else from being Trained. It had been the worst time of his life, and it had nearly killed him. And now he was giving that fate to another. If Weasley survived the Training, he would be more powerful than anything the Brotherhood had ever seen. With that power, Weasley could greatly help in the struggle against Voldemort.

At least, that's how he rationalized it. That night, it was long hours before he fell asleep.

***

Hermione's return had been very emotional. The meeting that she had interrupted was called off for the rest of the day and Harry, McGonagall and Hermione all went over to Harry's room. There, Hermione explained what had happened to Ron and her over the past two days. She broke down once again, when she got to the part where the Brotherhood decided to keep Ron. As she explained, Harry kept an eye on McGonagall's face to see if anything unexpected was happening. He had seen her eyes widen when Hermione described the fight and how it had taken all five members of the Core (whatever that is) to take him down. But what really seemed to bother her was the fact that the Brotherhood was keeping Ron.

When Hermione was finished, Harry gestured to McGonagall with a nod of his head. She followed him to the opposite corner of the room.

"What's going on, Professor?", he asked.

McGonagall forced a smile on her face. "Oh, it's probably nothing. The Brotherhood probably just wants to speak with Ron. He'll be home before you know it."

Harry brought his face down to a whisper. "I don't want to be comforted, right now, Minerva. I want to know what's happening to my best friend."

McGonagall sighed. "You sure have grown up, Harry.", she said with a smile. "When did you start using my first name, really?"

Harry felt himself blush slightly. "I-I'm sorry, Profess-"

McGonagall cut him off. "Don't worry, Harry. I'm not offended.", she said with a wave of her bony hand. "I guess 'Professor' doesn't really fit, anymore. You're the only one that could really pull it off. But, then again, you've been through so much more than the others. In a way, it's refreshing to have a student look me in the eye. But, the answer to your question is 'I don't know'. I have no idea what's going on. Ron should have been released with Hermione. The only thing I can think of is...No, that's ridiculous."

"What is it?" Harry asked.

"There are some very old reports that say that Sentinels use to undergo a rigorous Training. But that was disbanded over forty years ago. They stopped doing it."

"Well, whatever it is, we have to get him out."

"Don't be ridiculous, Harry. We have no idea where he is. Even if we did know, he's surrounded by Sentinels. Do you remember what Ron did to that Kyle boy? That nothing compared to what experienced Sentinels can do. No, we have to wait this out, Harry."

"No, Minerva. I'll wait a few days. If nothing happens, I'm going to look for him. Ron would do the same thing for me."

"Well, let's hope it doesn't come to that." McGonagall said. "Don't mention any of this to Hermione. It would probably be better if she thought that everything that is happening is normal. If things get out of hand, she might go looking for Ron on her own."

Harry nodded. "People do weird things when they are in love.", he said, thinking of Susan.

McGonagall saw the love sick look on Harry's face, but didn't say anything. There had been a day when she might have teased him gently about it, but that was over now. Harry had become a man, in spirit if not in body.

Harry shook his head to clear it, and looked back to McGonagall. "I'll stay with her. You should probably leave. She might think something's not normal if you're in here, flittering around."

McGonagall nodded and was halfway to the door before she realized that Harry had practically given her an order. When she turned around to reprimand him, he had his arms around Hermione and he was rocking her back and forth, slowly.

I'll yell at him later, she thought.

But she never would. In fact, her days of yelling at Harry Potter were pretty much over. It just didn't feel right anymore.

***

Harry held Hermione for about an hour. She had stopped crying a while ago, but they were comforted by each other's presence. Hermione had fallen asleep about fifteen minutes when Harry started to drift off himself. His head was spinning slightly in pre-sleep when he heard a light tap at the door.

"Yeah." Harry said quietly, trying not to wake Hermione.

The door swung inward and Quentin was standing in the doorway. When he saw Hermione in Harry's arms, he blushed slightly and said, "Sorry. I'll leave."

Harry shook his head. "No, don't worry about it. Come in." He almost laughed at the expression on Quentin's face. He actually thought me and Hermione...then again, Harry thought, I probably would too if I didn't know the real situation. He smiled down at Hermione fondly. She would only love one person in her lifetime. Which made the fact that Ron was MIA even worse. If he was hurt or...dead, Harry knew that Hermione would be affected even more than he would. Ron was Harry's best friend, but Ron and Hermione's souls reached out for each other.

Quentin sat down on the bed opposite of Harry. He offered Harry a slice of pizza that he had brought in. Harry shook his head. Quentin nodded and nibbled on his own slice. Every so often, Quentin would open his mouth to speak, but then seemed to think better of it and shut it again. This happened a dozen times before Harry finally said, "What is it?"

Quentin smiled slightly before he whispered, "I grew up in a pretty bad neighborhood. Friends were really hard to come by. There were kids that I hung out with all the time, but I always knew that they would look out for themselves before they ever thought to think of me, you know. But when I got my letter, from Stillwater, and I went to school, all of that changed. I made friends. Real friends I would do anything for. And they would do anything for me. I can tell just by the way you're holding her that you know what I'm talking about."

Harry glanced down at Hermione. Yes, he knew what Quentin was talking about. He would gladly give his life if it meant saving the lives of Ron or Hermione. He looked back to Quentin and nodded.

Quentin nodded too. "All I want to say is that I meant what I said at the banquet. I want to be friends. Not just acquaintances, real friends."

Harry's voice cracked slightly as he asked, "Why?"

Quentin's face looked puzzled as he thought. Finally he said, "I don't know."

People flock to you don't they? They follow you. That's what Susan had said.

Quentin continued. "I guess the real reason is because I saw your face when Hermione came into the room. It was joy...relief...pure happiness. I don't know how to explain it. But when I saw it I thought 'We can all use more friends like that.' So now I'm here, offering my friendship to you."

Harry knew what Quentin meant by friendship. Harry knew that Quentin would do anything within his power for him, whenever, where ever. Harry was honored beyond belief. Harry extended his hand and Quentin shook it. Harry's hand looked minuscule in Quentin's shovel like hand. It was a comforting sight.

"Friends." Harry said, a lump forming in his throat.

"To the end, man." Quentin said.

Harry nodded. "To the end."

Suddenly a sob erupted from Harry's lap where Hermione had been laying her head. Harry looked down and saw that she was crying again. But it was a different kind of crying. She looked happy. She pushed herself up off the bed and stood in front of Quentin. She leaned down and kissed him lightly on the cheek. "Harry doesn't have any friends that I don't approve of.", she said. "It's a good thing I like you. Ron-" Almost as if saying the name was the trigger, tears began forming in her eyes. "R-R-Ron would like you, too." she said.

Quentin's smile widened. "Yeah? Where is he? I'd like to meet him."

With a sob, Hermione threw her arms around Quentin's neck and buried her face in his shoulder.

Quentin threw a distressed look at Harry and awkwardly patted Hermione on the back. "What's going on, here?" he asked Harry seriously.

Harry shrugged. "It's not really my story to tell. It's being kept secret."

Hermione's voice was muffled slightly when she said, "Tell him, Harry. He's our friend."

Not really knowing where to start, Harry began at the very beginning. With the taunting and the mountain troll. Even as he told the story of the trio's friendship, he realized how much the three of them had been through.

Quentin laughed loudly at the funny parts (he especially liked the part where Ron puked up slugs in defense of Hermione's honor), he looked depressed at the sad parts and he shared in their triumphs over Voldemort. When Harry told of more recent event like the Sentinel and the Brotherhood, Quentin gasped. Hermione filled him in on what happened at the Brotherhood compound.

When the story was over, Quentin practically trembled in anger. "If the Brotherhood doesn't let him go, you're going to go after him, right?"

Harry nodded. "Definitely. But it doesn't look good. McGonagall said the place is probably crawling with guards not to mention dozens of Sentinels. It's going to be hard."

Quentin nodded. "Count me in."

"Are you sure? It's going to be dangerous."

"Hell, yeah! I'm getting bored around here anyway."

Harry couldn't help but smile.

"We'll probably need more than just us three, though." Quentin said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, probably." Suddenly a thought occurred to Harry. "Holy shit! I got it."

"What is it, Harry?" Hermione asked.

Harry almost laughed out loud. "The twins!"


This chapter is important for two things: (1) To shoe that the Brotherhood isn't completely heartless. They are having second thought about keeping Ron, but have to keep the fate of the world firmly in their mind. (2) To show the growing friendship with Quentin. This will come into play later on when they try and free Ron. Review!