--Beyond the Grave--

Disclaimer: Anything you recognise isn't mine – god bless JK!!!

Beta Reader: Sir Darlon – big thanks I couldn't do this without you!

Chapter 23 – Beyond the Grave

Reminder: In front of me in the doorway, just stepping down from a borrowed broom with extremely red ears and an even redder face was my brother.

-- Love, Death & Magic --

How could he? And to think I had almost fell for it, the wounded eyes, and the haunted face. I stood in dismay, as my brother slowly reached into his pocket and hand shaking drew his wand.

"get away from her" he yelled in a voice filled with deadly fury, Hermione, upon realising her hands were still pushed flat against Harry's chest took a step back, drawing away from him as if he were a contagious leper instead of one of her best friends.

Thinking back upon it later, many things could have been avoided that night, and perhaps Hermione wouldn't have got caught in the cross fire had my brother only been able to keep his temper. But Ron is a red head, a Weasley, and our tempers are notoriously bad.

He stood wand pointed at Harry, and Harry watched him, his green eyes filled with an emotion I had never seen there before, an emotion that he had certainly never directed at my brother. Contempt, cold and un-reproachful shined on his face and his lips took a mocking grin, reminiscent of Draco Malfoy.

"What is it Weasley?" He sneered, "Scared she's had a real man now, not one who hides behind his friends cloak tails?"

If it was possible Ron's face took an even deeper hue, and his blue eyes grew cold and steely.

He flicked his wand, barely a swish, and shouted clearly, "Stupefy"

The only other noise was Hermione's "Ron, No" as she pushed Harry out of the way and felt the full force of the spell reflect off her own back.

"Hermione no!" yelled Ron as she crumpled to the floor, barely breathing.

His hatred forgotten, overcome perhaps by a stronger emotion he knelt beside her and cushioned her head in his lap rocking her as if that could make it all better.

Maybe that's why he was caught unawares when Harry grabbed the fallen wand from where it lay and directed it at his back. Maybe that's why he didn't react when Harry uttered a single chilling word. "Cruciatius"

Ron screamed in pain, and Harry turned and fled the dormitory, whisking away his broom and dropping Ron's wand on the top stair.

How could I? how could I have thought for a moment that that murderous traitor could be anything but a cold blooded killer, how could I have believed that he cared about me?

He had murdered me, kissed Hermione, attacked my brother; I sat idly on top of a bookcase glaring at Harry in the stacks below as he practised his wandless magic as if nothing had ever happened.

I had found him here an hour earlier, and he looked like he was going to be in for the long haul, practising his magic, trying out curses and hexes, and he would need to.

Because Ron may have been hurt, but Ron was also angry, and while he sat helplessly as Madam Pomfrey fussed over Hermione's wounds he saved up every ounce of anger, I had seen him do it time and again, and he would come looking for Harry, And when he found Harry, well then maybe Lord Voldemort would no longer have to worry about the boy who lived.

And with a sudden burst of clarity it struck me, Harry had always had the support of his friends, the golden trio as they were known at Hogwarts, and what better way to attack Harry than through his friends.

I was right, if Ron took out Harry then there would be no need for Voldemort to ever be involved, at least not on the surface of matters. And by making Harry appear evil, it was a stroke of genius; take away all his credibility, all his support. They had planned this, planned to take him out.

It was as I watched Harry grinning as he had mastered the patronus charm without a wand that the final part of the puzzle fell into place.

If it had been Harry that attacked Ron he would have had no need to use Ron's wand, he could have done the spell with his mind alone. If it had been Harry he would have had his own wand in his pocket.

But if it was an impostor, that person couldn't bring their own wand for fear of discovery, and they couldn't bring Harry's wand because he still had it.

So there was only one question left,

Who was taking the Polyjuice potion?

A/N - Short Chappie but it needs to end here SilverMoonLuna