Disclaimer: Harry Potter and everything in Harry Potter does not belong to me.

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High Serpent King – Don't worry about the trouble about reviewing. Also Ron/Fake Ron/Guy Masquerading as Ron (it's hard to answer these questions without spoiling) will decidedly be explained better. And as to Voldemort – well…

Alright guys, here we go with Chapter 33 (thirty-three?).

Chapter 33 – The Blood-Red Ring

Draco Malfoy was more nervous than he would have thought possible. Dumbledore sets him free and tells him to go and act normal, and then lo and behold he gets wind of a Death Eater meeting tonight and Draco has to go haring after and see what news is there. Just fantastic. Perhaps it's some kind of trial, though.

Draco came to the guarded gate of the Death Eater house that they were meeting at. The Death Eater recognized him, nodded, and allowed him to enter. Draco acted believably aloof and pretentious and started going up the stairs. Okay, act natural. I'm the hero of the Hogwarts attack, Voldemort's only successful attack on Dumbledore ever. I'm the reason Ronald Weasley died! Everyone will love me. Draco felt slightly calmer but also more ashamed. Why was Dumbledore letting him do this? Why hadn't they just kept him as prisoner. It would be all too easy for Draco to double-cross Dumbledore. He could even go worse and tell Voldemort what he was doing, then feed Dumbledore wrong, and potentially crippling information. Well, as I'm not doing that, why don't we – I – just get off the subject and focus! I'm going bloody crazy, talking – that is, thinking – to myself all this time.

Draco finished his trek up the long, decrepit, and unnervingly creaky wooden staircase and finally reached the top floor, where the meeting was. Another Death Eater guard was placed here, and the two nodded to each other. The Death Eater opened the door and then followed Draco inside – apparently he was the last one.

Draco looked around the poorly lit, musty room. A thin layer of dust rested on the floor. The chairs were arranged in a semicircular fashion, with one chair significantly more comfortable-looking than the rest placed at the center of the semicircle. All the chairs were full except for that one and Draco's, which was seated in between his father's and some obscure faceless Death Eater. Draco breathed in and out and sat down between his father, who nodded at him in greeting (speaking wasn't allowed until Voldemort came). Draco tersely nodded back in a manner which he hoped looked casual and sat down beside him. Draco saw his father's eyes widen as he noticed that Draco wasn't wearing the blood-red Malfoy ring. Uh-oh, didn't think about that. Hey dad, hope you don't mind that I threw my treasured family heirloom against the Hogwarts wall and broke it in two in a rage of hate against you! Whatever, I'll just tell him I, uh, broke it in battle. Right.

His father's eyes narrowed at Draco, who was staring determinedly in front of him, avoiding Lucius' piercing gaze. Draco suddenly felt a somewhat burning sensation on his forearm, and then he came – Voldemort.

"I apologize for the somewhat abrupt meeting announcement," Voldemort hissed, "but something rather pressing has come to my attention. If you would please present the Prophecy?" Voldemort said, turning to a shadowy figure that had previously been standing, hidden, in the dark. Draco was surprised to find that he could not recognize the Death Eater, and realized that he had never seen this man before – but he looked somehow familiar, still. The man brought out a dusty glass orb that Draco assumed was some kind of Prophecy. Voldemort took it in his hand.

"This is a Prophecy from the Department of Mysteries that my – associate has removed from the shelves for me. I will not allow you to hear the contents now, but rest assured that they are important. If anyone knows any information about a "child of Sterling" then if you would please bring it to my attention, you would be in a position to benefit. Lastly, has anyone seen that bumbling fool, Pettigrew?"

No one raised their hands.

"Very well."

Voldemort turned around, angry from an unfruitful meeting, and Apparated out with a crack, leaving the Death Eaters to disperse by themselves.

Draco tried to leave as fast as possible but it was a fruitless effort, as Lucius caught him anyway.

"Draco! Where is your ring?"

"It uh – it was lost in battle…"

Lucius' face twisted in rage.

"Do you have any idea how much that ring was worth."

"Oh I don't know – Two galleons? Or uh, three?"

Oh, this doesn't look good. I don't think I've seen him this angry…ever.

"Luckily our forefathers enchanted it in case a fool like you ever came along in the family – it can't be destroyed accidentally, so go back and find it!"

Draco gulped, remembering vividly how clearly the ring had split across the middle.

"What if Dumbledore picked it up?"

"Well then, he shouldn't have any trouble giving it back to you, right? After all, it's just a ring."

"Uh…right."

"Go. Leave, now."

Draco turned in a stately manner and walked out the door, his cloak flowing out behind him and leaving an enraged father behind him.

"Act politically? What does it mean?"

Harry, Lupin, and Hagrid were still waiting five minutes after entering Dumbledore's office for the man himself to arrive.

"Perhaps Albus will be able to tell us."

"That is if he ever gets here," Harry grumbled. "Where could he be?"

"Now hold your horses there Harry, I'm sure Dumbledore's got lots of stuff to do. He'll be here any moment now."

As if on cue, Dumbledore majestically swept into the room, banging open the doors and going to recline in his headmaster's chair. He didn't seem to be the slightest bit fazed that they were back in his office.

"I presume you three found something?"

Lupin and Harry looked at Hagrid, who nodded, took a deep breath, and started telling the story.

"You see Dumbledore I was out in the forest looking for tracks and I heard something. I looked around but didn't find anything. Then a message started appearing the snow, it said – "Tell Dumbledore to act politically – Ron" – and then I saw him escape on a Thestral. But what's going on here? Isn't Ron – isn't he?"

"Dead? Well, yes, he was, and we're not sure if this is him or really what's going on, Hagrid. I'm sure Remus will fill you in on the details later. Remus, Harry, I assume that you didn't make any new discoveries either."

The two shook their heads, and Dumbledore reclined back in his chair, thinking hard. Harry all of a sudden recalled words of Ron once, about a certain Daily Prophet.

"And they still haven't announced the candidates for Minister of Magic…"

"The elections! The elections for Minister of Magic!" Harry burst out, feeling very proud of himself. Dumbledore smiled and Harry took this as an indication that he was correct.

"Yes that's almost certainly what he meant." Dumbledore abruptly rose from his seat and started out the door, turning around and looking straight at Harry just before turning the knob.

"Harry," he started. "I think it's time you saw the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix."

Alright guys I'm really, really sorry about the late updates but things in school are really starting to cram. I have three projects on the run and exams next week, not to mention me playing through both Half-Life 2 and Knights of the Old Republic so I'm plenty busy. Anyway, here you go!