Time seemed to lose its meaning while Ron and Hermione waited for any sign of Harry or a chance to escape the hall. Ten minutes became fifteen, fifteen became thirty and so on until a whole hour had passed.
The only break in the monotony had been about twenty minutes after Harry had been taken away; maniacal laughter had echoed through the school sending chills to the bones of every seated student. Even those that seemed to be the most loyal of the turncoats shivered and Ron felt a small amount of sadistic glee when that a brief flash of regret appeared on many faces. This was their fault, he thought to himself. It wasn't so much that they had made their bed and should lie in it, but rather that they hadn't made it at all, only dumped wet towels on the covers and been surprised when they returned a week later to discover a spread of repulsive, green mould.
The passing time had helped the situation though- the longer Voldemort took doing whatever he was doing then the less attentive the Death Eaters in charge became. Wands had started to droop and there was no longer complete silence as a small wave of whispers had trickled out from the tables without reprimand.
But most importantly it had given them chance to think up a plan. Whether by chance or design those Griffindors in the seats surrounding Ron and Hermione were those still loyal to Dumbledore. On the seats to the side of them sat Neville, Dean and Parvati, all of whom Hermione knew they could almost certainly trust. Across from them were Lavender and Seamus, she hadn't been so sure of them before but now, judging by the look of outrage on their faces, they had chosen the side of the Order. The only problem was really two seventh years she didn't know very well who had trained their wands on the group as soon as Voldemort had entered.
She felt her throat constrict at the memory. The Dark Lord was here- now- and Harry was god knows where with him. Silently she prayed that he was all right and, after taking a deep breath to calm her nerves and checking that no one was watching, she readied her wand in her hand and tried to draw Neville's attention as he was sitting the closest.
"Neville," she whispered.
The shaking boy turned at the sound of her voice and dipped his head so as to allow them to talk secretly. Ron was the only one on the table that could hear what they said.
"Neville," she repeated quietly, "I need to get Robert out of here." She placed her index finger on his lips before he could interrupt with questions. "Don't ask me why but it is really important that I get him away and I need help to do it. Will you help us?"
Her eyes pleaded as she stared at him, a look filled with desperation and a hint of hope. Ron watched in awe as the stumbling boy he was used to seeing in this world took on a look of confidence that he vaguely recognised from his own. Here Neville had never stood up to anyone- this was his chance.
He glanced around nervously and then nodded his head, "Okay Hermione I'm in but I have no idea what you're going to do."
She checked again for any eavesdroppers, "I need a distraction. Just enough to give Ron-b time to get out."
Neville's face crinkled in confusion, "But no distraction would give him the time to get out the door. L-look at it," he stumbled, motioning towards the guarded exit and paling slightly at the desperation of the situation, "no one has a chance! One unexpected step and you can bet that killing curses will go flying!"
"Shush," Hermione hissed at his rising voice and dropped her own volume even lower so that even Ron had to strain to hear her words, "We're not getting out that way. There's a hidden passageway behind us. We just need something small so that we can slip away."
"Hermione you're not going to be able to pull this off," Ron hissed in her ear. But she ignored him and carried on giving rushed instructions to Neville. "It's not worth the risk!"
This caught her attention and as she gave her last commands she turned to Ron with an angry expression marring her features, "Not worth it! Not worth it! Ron you dingbat it isn't just my life at stake here, or just my world, it's yours as well. Now you know what to look for: how to spot the apathetic, how to notice all the little things that creep in when no ones looking, how to stop this from happening."
"I'm no Harry Potter," he said back harshly as he retaliated against the responsibility she had placed on him.
Hermione took a breath and stared him in the eyes, "No you're not. You're Ronald Weasley and I have the same amount of faith in you as I do Harry. We all do."
He was certain that she was wrong but before he could argue his point her concentration was drawn back to Neville as he had finished with his first task, namely informing those they now knew they could trust of the distraction needed.
"They're fine with it Hermione," he spoke emphatically gesturing to those Hermione had noted earlier.
"Do they know what could happen Neville?" Ron questioned, truly frightened to hear the answer- were they really willing to die for him? He swallowed nervously and a feeling of guilt washed over him.
Neville's determined nod was the answer he didn't want, "Look Robert, or whoever you are, a fair few of us have noticed something odd about you." He held up his hand before Ron could interrupt. "Oh come on, you waltz in and immediately become best friends with two people who make hedgehogs look friendly," he glanced sympathetically at Hermione. "Harry and Hermione haven't been close to anyone since Ron died and they accept you straight away? No, that just doesn't sit right." He smiled slightly at his friend's pale faces. "Don't worry I won't ask what's going on. I don't think we should know anyway- we might say something later… u-under d-duress," he stuttered over the thought of torture and truth potions but shook them away with a shake of his head. "Better we don't know."
"That isn't the point anyway," Neville continued to a stupefied Ron and Hermione. He gained confidence through a new feeling of resolution, "the point is that we aren't going to survive this, at least not in any way I'd be proud of, and if getting you out of here could make the slightest difference somewhere then… then it's worth the risk."
But Neville never got the chance to prove his worth. The children of Hogwarts were not to play a part in their own redemption- maybe, Ron would wonder later, they didn't deserve it. Maybe it was bad karma that brought Voldemort back at that precise moment or maybe it was fate. Whatever it was, the colourless, unmoving corpse dropped unceremoniously on the floor in front of the crowd was distraction enough.
Hermione gasped at the sight of Harry's soulless eyes unknowingly staring in the Griffindor's direction and flew backwards off her seat, hiding from the unforgiving sight in front of her.
In contrast Ron couldn't move. His eyes were glued to the unmoving figure that his heart refused to register as his dead best friend. His breathing stopped and his eyes watered, refusing to blink.
Deathly silence fell around the hall. Ron heard Hermione scrabbling behind him, choking back tears, but ignored her as he dealt with his own grief by refusing to feel anything. Instead he watched the reaction of the hall. There was complete silence. Then the screaming started.
Ron wasn't able to tell where the ear-piercing screech came from but soon it was joined in a symphony of yells, cries and curses as students and teachers realised what they'd done. What they had allowed to happen.
"This is it." He heard Hermione's voice quavering by his ear.
"What?" His thoughts were still not up to speed; they were still dealing with the familiar dead body at the front of the room with dried blood etched into its front.
"Now Ron. You have to leave now. There are only five minutes left until the doorway connected to your world closes."
Time- it hadn't even crossed his mind that it was slowly running out. First with being brought to the Hall and then Harry. Harry. Suddenly going home didn't seem very important.
"What's the point?" he found his voice asking.
Hermione spun round from her frantic tampering with the wall and grabbed the front of his robes. She stared into the dying embers of his eyes and he saw the deep wells of loss in hers. "The point is Ron that Harry will have d-d… left us for nothing if you don't go home! He's saved you- now go back to your world and save him."
She was angry. Angry at Ron for leaving her at the end of fifth year, mad at her fellow students for siding with a corrupt faculty, irate at the wizarding population of Britain for doing nothing, fuming at Harry leaving her when she needed him most and now, ironically, she was angry at this Ron for not leaving her.
Instead of arguing with him anymore and wasting time Hermione simply dragged him off his seat. She tapped her wand on the inscribed brick and muttered the incantation normally associated with revealing the Marauders Map.
For a moment nothing happened and Ron, now finally recovering his wits, felt his stomach tie in knots- had they misunderstood the coded message from Dumbledore?"
His worries were shown as groundless however when a group of bricks writhed into themselves to show a dark tunnel just wide enough for them to crawl through. With one last look back at the body on the floor the last parts of the broken trio wriggled away- Ron first so that Hermione could prod him whenever he'd still at the feeling of overwhelming guilt at the fact that he'd left people at the mercy of Voldemort and was now going to leave his best friend alone in the escalating madness.
As they left Voldemort and his followers regained full control of the hall.
"This will not be tolerated," the Dark Lord hissed. To prove his point he waved his wand at an unsuspecting, trembling Ravenclaw, "Crucio!"
After having his fun Voldemort cast his eyes over the Griffindor table. The Hall became truly silent as they felt his rage.
"Smith," he hissed.
The icy witch cowered under her leader's gaze as she bowed at his feet, "Yes master."
"You did say, did you not, that every student was accounted for?"
She nodded her head, brow creased in confusion.
"Then would you care to tell me where the mudblood girl and her new friend are?" his silky, sarcastic tone did little to hide the threat in his voice and Smith felt her knees buckle with dread as she too spotted their absence.
"I will secure them directly sir," she managed to squeeze out of her lungs before scurrying to the door and dragging a couple of the Death Eaters with her. The quicker she ran the less likely she would feel her Lord's wrath- and if she failed… well she wouldn't let that happen. Soon the search group was running down the corridors of Hogwarts and now, with the school now working for them, they were hot on the trail of the two missing students.
Ron and Hermione had made it to the doorway. They didn't know about the hunters on their path but they guessed that it wouldn't be long before someone noticed that they were missing. The tunnel had been tight but it had got them where they needed to be and right on schedule- the timer laying forgotten in Dumbledore's, or rather Voldemort's, office had barely sixty seconds left on its timer.
There, in that dusty corridor with the footsteps of Death Eaters echoing behind them and a gradually appearing doorway in front Hermione and Ron had their last conversation in this world.
"Come with me. Please! I can't lose you too!" his voice filled with desperation.
"No Ron. This is my world and this is my time."
"But-"
"Go home Ron. Make sure that this never happens there."
The footsteps in the distance were getting closer, every footfall counted down another second.
5
"Go on it's almost time," Hermione's eyes were awash with tears. Her hair a mess, her robes creased and marked. Yet Ron couldn't think of a time when she had looked more beautiful.
4
"I'll never forget you," he whispered drawing her into a hug.
3
"I know," she whispered back. He didn't feel her hand slip something into his pocket.
2
The Death Eaters had arrived, Smith in the lead. There wands were outstretched and voices primed
1
"Avada Kedavra"
0
The green flash that hit Hermione's body and sent it crumpling lifelessly to the floor became enveloped by the familiar white blaze of the Doorway.
"No!"
In the blindness caused by the flash Ron could here someone yelling and realising it was his own voice and abruptly shut his mouth. Breathing heavily he opened his eyes and feasted on the first person he saw- Hermione. His Hermione. Looking worried, tired and fairly high-strung but most importantly safe.
Suddenly he leapt at her, wrapping her into his arms in a bone-crushing hug. Hermione was startled at the burst of emotion but was happy to relish in the close comfort.
"You're okay, you're okay," She heard him whisper over and over into her ear, "I am so sorry. I'm not ever going to let that happen. Never. Never. I love you so much."
She gasped at his revelation but that lost all prominence in her mind as grudgingly she pulled back at his obvious distress, "Ron what's wrong? What happened to you?" She reached up and softly caressed his cheek with one hand, making sure that this truly was her Ron. The mix of pain and relief that shone through his eyes made her own water and she tightened her grip on his arm.
He couldn't answer. The words got stuck in his throat when he lifted his eyes to see another ghost back from the dead.
"Harry bloody Potter!" he yelled at his messy-haired mate, leaping out of Hermione's arms to confront him, "What the hell were you thinking!"
Hermione was about to call him on his language when suddenly his arm shot out and sent Harry flailing to the floor nursing his cheek.
"What was that for?" Harry shot back from the cold floor.
"That was for being an idiot. That was for lying to us. What were you going to do? Go after Voldemort by yourself! You know that that won't work!"
Harry didn't answer, he was still too shocked from being thumped by Ron and the fact that his friend had actually said the Dark Lord's name, "What… I don't…" he mumbled.
"The prophecy Harry."
"Oh." He stared guiltily at the floor.
"Yes 'oh'. Next time you find out something so bloody important don't keep it to yourself!"
The stress of the day had taken its toll on Ron. He was erratic and emotional. Torn between grief at his friend's deaths and relief that they were alive and well. But they weren't alive. They were dead and being laughed at and lorded over by Death Eaters. He collapsed to the ground, leaning against the cold stone wall, his hands tearing through his hair in effort to hold back the tears.
"Ron? Ron what happened?" he could vaguely hear Harry and Hermione's worried voices calling him but he was to numb to respond. His eyes blurred and he couldn't see or feel his friends as they crouched next to him, Hermione trying to draw his rocking body into a hug and Harry hovering next to her unsure of what to do.
"I think that it would be best for Mr Weasley to spend some quiet time in the infirmary right now." Again Ron recognised the voice, this time of Dumbledore, but was powerless to respond and felt immensely grateful for the reprieve.
He felt the hand of the old wizard, he hadn't known was there before hearing his voice, firmly grasp his shoulder, "Come on Ron," the Headmaster spoke softly, "your family want to make sure your back home safely."
Ron choked on hearing the word home. He was home. Safe. Secure. His dad was alive, Ginny was fine, Percy wasn't a…
That thought spurred him into action. With sudden speed that surprised the others in the corridor he hurried to the infirmary, guessing that it would be there that his family would be waiting for him. He ignored the calls imploring him to slow down.
Upon reaching the door he paused for breath and sought to compose himself. Behind him he could hear the hurrying footsteps of his friends. Cautiously he opened the door, terrified that all wouldn't be as it should be, that something might have happened whilst he was away.
He sighed in relief when he saw a mass of red hair turn towards him at the sound of the opening door.
"Albus is he alrig-" came the distressed voice of Mrs Weasley as she turned, "Ron!" At the sight of her son she ran forward and wrapped her arms around him in a torrent of emotion. He felt no sense of embarrassment as he returned the desperate hug but reluctantly pulled away to make sure that everyone else was okay.
His breath left him as he took in every worried but unharmed face. He counted his brother's relieved faces and smiled slightly as he could see that the twins were embarrassed about showing, so obviously, the fact that they cared about their brother.
He then saw the grinning face of his sister, pulled out of his mother's arms and rushed towards her. She giggled lightly as he looked her over in a very mothering manner and pulled her into a hug. "Merlin Gin, I'm never letting you out of my sight again." She quailed slightly at his proclamation but pushed the worry aside attributing it to a stressful month away.
Ron pulled back and glanced back towards the door, noting that his friends and the Headmaster had finally caught up. He returned his gaze to his family. "What are you all doing here?" he choked out.
His father- his safe and very much alive father- stepped forward and placed a strong hand on his shoulder. "We were worried about you of course. As soon as I got the news from Dumbledore I notified the rest of the family." The 'just in case' hovered at the end of the sentence unsaid but everyone heard it. As much as everyone would have liked to think that Ron would have opened the doorway to a utopia it was much more likely, knowing his colourful history, that he would meet the exact opposite.
The dragon-breath burnt Charlie and cool-looking Bill made forward to check that Ron was indeed back, live and well but were cast back by a very busy Madame Pomfrey.
"Lie down please Mr Weasley," she ordered, "Why on earth Albus wouldn't let me in straight away I'll never know," she complained under her breath and Ron bit back a laugh as she continued muttering even when he was placed safely on to a hospital bed.
The other world now seemed a very, very long way away as he lay back propped up by pillows. Here he was: safe, surrounded by his family and friends and under the watchful gaze of Dumbledore. He knew it was selfish to want to forget about the last month but right now he just wanted to revel in the luxury of home. He gave a lingering look over Harry and Hermione making doubly sure that they were really there. He smiled when he saw that they were still recuperating from their dash down the Hogwarts corridors.
That feeling however was not to last as, though distracted by his mother's and Madame Pomfrey's nagging, "What have you been doing", "Does it hurt if I do this?" and the twins jokes, "What did you do to your hair Ron! Ashamed of your own family. Despicable", he managed to spot the Headmaster turn his Father to the side. Ron wouldn't have been bothered at all about what they were discussing until the name Smith was heard.
"Malevolous Smith?" at the sound of Ron's voice the room silenced with curiosity. Dumbledore looked at him appraisingly.
"You know of her Mr Weasley?" he asked.
"Know of her! Well, that's certainly an underestimate," the bitterness in his voice set everyone on edge.
"The minister is pressing for her to be given the post of Defence Against the Dark Arts next year," Dumbledore informed them whilst watching carefully for Ron's reaction.
The violent response from the young man took all of those in the room by surprise. "You let that- that monstrous, traitorous… snake anywhere near this school and I promise that I will personally throw her out again!"
"Ron!" Mrs Weasley admonished at her son's ill-mannered behaviour.
"No that's alright Molly," Dumbledore smoothed, "I take it that you have some experiences the rest of us now lack Mr Weasley?"
Ron reined his temper back and sighed leaning against his pillow, "Can I talk about this later sir? Please. I don't want to think about it… right now." His eyes were drawn to Harry and Hermione and he had to turn away quickly to hide his reaction to seeing their lifeless bodies once again flash in front of him. "I need to…"
"I understand, "Dumbledore finished drawing attention to himself as Ron surreptitiously wiped away a disobedient tear. Hermione noticed though and reached out cautious fingers to grasp her friend's hand to give whatever comfort she could and returned the weak smile her gesture invoked.
"Well if there's nothing else," the school healer prodded, "I want my patient to actually get some rest now." With heartfelt groans a sea of red hair was pushed towards the doorway and Ron's face broke into another smile.
"Can Harry and Hermione stay?" he asked, pleading with the nurse and offering a consolatory look with his family.
Madame Pomfrey surrendered to the request and the Weasley family gave there last hugs- before coming back in an hour of two of course.
However, before Mr. Weasley could leave Ron cast his sight around his family one more time and came to a decision, "Owl Percy Dad," he called, "and don't take no for an answer. It's really important. Believe me." He ignored the scowl that crossed his sibling's faces and focused on his father who nodded before leaving.
Lying back down Ron slept more soundly and securely than he had since the ministry rescue attempt of last year, friends by his side, family at the door and darkness still stuck firmly outside the walls- and by Merlin he would make sure it stayed there.
AN: Epilogue next. Fluff, humour and hope; you deserve it.
Thank you to Nattieb and all my reviews as usual. I'm sorry if I lost anyone last chapter but, in the words of JK herself, I had to do it.
pureangel- i hope this clears things up
supernova8610- give me a bit more info and I'd be happy to
