A/N - Warning: How to put this? Please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in the upright and locked positions, and buckle your seatbelts. ;)

Chapter 20

Ron made his way up to his room, grateful that everyone did indeed appear to be asleep already. He was especially quiet as he crept into his room, just taking off his shoes and robe. He knew his trunk's hinges would squeak quite loudly if he tried to get into it to get his night shirt since he still hadn't remembered to oil them, so decided he'd rather sleep fully clothed and a bit uncomfortable than risk waking one of his roommates. He slipped into his bed and pulled the hangings shut, then settled down. He was so exhausted that he fell asleep almost immediately.

As he drifted into a deeper sleep he began to dream... he was laying beside Blaise in the Room of Requirement. Blaise started to touch him. Ron let out a little sigh, pressing closer. Their lips met and he kissed him back unhesitatingly. As the kiss deepened, Ron suddenly started to feel like there was something wrong. Blaise had never kissed him like this... The lips were pressing against his almost painfully, the tongue invading his mouth roughly, having none of Blaise's tenderness.

Ron blinked his eyes open, then started struggling as he realized he wasn't asleep anymore. The dark figure on top of him backed off some and in the dim candlelight he saw, much to his shock, that it was Harry. "Stop struggling." Harry said irritably, untucking Ron's shirt and pulling it open, popping a few of the buttons in his haste.

"What the bloody hell are you doing?" Ron asked, trying to pull the shirt shut again, "Get off me!"

Harry chuckled. "Stop playing coy and get your clothes off!" He said, grabbing for Ron's zipper.

Ron quickly blocked him, holding his zipper firmly. "No!"

"Oh come on, Ron. I put silencing spells on the other beds, no one will hear us. Stop worrying..." He said, leaning down and kissing him roughly again.

Ron shoved him off. "That's not the point!" Ron said, scrubbing off his lips with the back of his hand. "I don't want you Harry! Stop it!"

Something changed in Harry's eyes, his expression darkening. "I thought you wanted to be friends again..." He said, his voice low.

Ron drew back a bit more. "That doesn't mean I want to shag you!" He said, pulling open his hangings and trying to get away off the other side of the bed.

Harry grabbed him and pushed him down against the bed with more strength than Ron expected.

"Do you want to be a complete outcast, Ron? You think you have it bad now? I guarantee it can get much, MUCH worse... I can make today look like a picnic if you cross me again..." He said menacingly.

Ron stared up at him in shock. He couldn't seriously be saying what he thought he was saying... Ron tried desperately to get away, but Harry grabbed him and tossed him back down effortlessly, crushing him to the bed.

The expression that came over Harry's face then was one of pure evil... He chuckled as he peered down at Ron, "In a way I'm kind of glad you decided not to cooperate... it'll make it that much more enjoyable for me..." He said in a strange, hauntingly terrifying voice.

Ron looked up at him, his mind filling with panic as he saw a blood red glow spring to life behind Harry's eyes... Ron let out a cry of pure terror and started jerking around, trying desperately to free himself from Harry's steel-like grip. Harry just laughed a low, inhuman laugh, watching his struggles with open amusement.

The glowing red eyes danced merrily as Harry shifted his grip to Ron's throat, pressing him down hard. Ron grabbed the hand, trying to pry it off as the grip tightened, cutting off his air supply. Harry brushed aside Ron's shirt, drawing his nails slowly across Ron's pale skin. "Yes..." He hissed in an inhuman voice, "This should be very entertaining... and please... feel free to scream..." He said, watching with relish as blood dripped from the deep slashes he left behind, chuckling deep in his throat.

Ron's eyes darted over as he heard something. Neville had drawn open his hangings, reaching for the pitcher of water on his bedside table.

Harry sprang off Ron instantly. The movement drew Neville's attention. "Ron?" He asked, squinting through the near darkness.

Ron glanced up at Harry, who was now standing beside his bed, glancing from him to Neville calculatingly, as if deciding what to do. The red glow was completely gone, but there was still a dangerous glint in his eyes.

Ron quickly assessed the situation. He was sure now that Harry... or whatever the hell that thing was... was planning on killing him... and if he said something to Neville it would just get the poor boy killed as well.

"Ya..." Ron said, quickly sitting up and pulling his shirt closed.

"What are you doing?" Neville asked, eyeing Harry curiously.

"Um... Harry was just reminding me that I have to patrol tonight..." Ron said, thinking quickly. He got up, yanking on his shoes and grabbing his robes. "Goodnight Neville..." He said, hurrying out of the room as Harry glared at him menacingly.

Ron practically flew down the stairs. He had no doubt Harry would be on his trail the second Neville went back to sleep. There was really only one place he could go...

He dashed out of the portrait hole, running headlong for the dungeons. At this point, he fervently hoped that Filch or one of the other teachers would catch him out of the dormitories. Unfortunately, the corridors were eerily deserted tonight.

By the time he started down the last flight of stairs he felt light headed from lack of oxygen, gasping desperately for breath. He knew he dared not slow, despite his muscles shaking with exhaustion.

As he rounded the corner into the corridor containing the entrance to Slytherin Dungeon he skidded to a halt. His heart seemed to stop in his chest as ice water rushed through his veins. Harry was standing there at the other end of the hallway, leaning against the wall and waiting casually, not even breathing hard.

Harry chuckled, the red glow springing back to life behind his eyes as he saw Ron's fear and confusion. "You didn't really think you could get away, did you?" He asked with sadistic glee, pushing off from the wall and walking slowly towards him. Ron's eyes darted past him, noting the broomstick leaning against the wall behind him. He'd never even thought about that! He glanced at the Slytherin door. It was halfway between them... but perhaps there was still a chance?

Seeing no other way out, Ron made a mad dash towards the door. Harry whipped out his wand, muttering in a dark, inhuman voice. Dozens of glowing red lights burst forth from the tip of his wand and darted at Ron. Ron tried to dodge aside, but several of them still hit him, searing his flesh like chunks of red-hot iron. He cried out, struggling to free his wand. He knew he had little chance against Harry at this point, but he wasn't going down without a fight.

Ron cast a spell at him that should have knocked him back at least twenty feet... but instead it seemed to only give Harry a slight shove. Harry chuckled, casting again, sending a beam of blinding yellow light rushing down the corridor. Ron dodged again, but the edge of it was enough to incinerate a good portion of his robe. If that had hit him dead on...

Ron sent a couple more spells at him. They were ones the twins had taught him... ones that were a bit on the dodgy side of the law. Despite their brute power, they barely phased Harry, who hadn't even bothered to avoid them. Ron kept trying to work his way closer, while dodging the spells Harry was sending at him. Harry's spells were unlike anything he'd ever seen before. They were muttered in that strange language that seemed to cling to his mind like some disgusting stain. The very sound of it repulsed him and made him feel sick to his stomach.

Ron barely got up a shielding spell as a wave of flame-like power surged down the corridor, searing it wall to wall, floor to ceiling. Ron felt the force of it ravage his senses despite the shield that he held with all his strength.

When it had passed, he made the last dash towards the door, pounding on it desperately. He wasn't sure even a whole house of wizards could help him from this creature, but his will to live took over, grasping at any chance of survival.

Harry growled and Ron suddenly felt himself lifted by a wave of suffocating magic and tossed against the opposite wall like a ragdoll. He crumpled to the ground as it released him, too dazed to move.

"I was going to make this easy on you... it was you who chose to go this way. Just remember that." He growled, raising his wand.

Ron shrieked in agony as Harry cast the Cruciatus curse on him, writhing madly as pain unlike anything he'd ever felt ripped through every cell of his body. Time seemed to stand still as wave after wave of pure hell flowed through him. He quickly began praying for death... for ANYTHING that would put an end to this agony...

And then it was gone. He lay there, basking in the sudden absence of the ceaseless pain... he knew Harry would cast his final spell and end his life at any second, but that didn't matter... the pain was gone. He just lay there, welcoming the end.

He felt hands on him, but all will to fight had left him. He just hung there limply in the grasp. A hand brushed his cheek and he vaguely heard someone saying his name. His senses were returning to him slowly... there was noise... a lot of noise... he opened his eyes and blinked to clear them.

For a moment, he thought he was seeing an angel... slowly he realized it was Blaise holding him, trying desperately to wake him. Tears of relief blurred his eyes as he grasped feebly at the front of Blaise's night shirt.

He became more aware as Blaise started to pull him. He wondered why he was dragging him... he blinked away his tears, trying to take in his surroundings... the corridor... he flinched as a bolt of light sped overhead, ricocheting madly off the walls as it made a high pitched wailing sound. He looked over, seeing a whole group of Slytherins casting down the corridor and dodging spells. Blaise was pulling him towards the door to the Dungeon, trying to keep low and out of Harry's range.

The group of Slytherins called out and parted as a huge pulse of crimson flew between them, winging several of them as it passed and passing within inches of Blaise's head, making him fall back a bit to avoid it. Through the gap, Ron caught sight of Harry. Their eyes met and a look of rage came over Harry. He cast again in the blink of an eye, sending a stream of ghostly blue-white light directly at him. Blaise jerked on him, trying to pull him out of the way, then dropped down on top of him, letting out a cry of pain as it struck.

When the light had faded, Blaise started moving again, dragging him towards the door without another word. Ron looked around dazedly, worried about the pained rasping sound that started deep in Blaise's chest, seeming to get a little bit more pronounced with every breath he drew. Through the door he could see his sister being physically restrained by Pansy. Once Blaise had pulled them close enough, Pansy released Ginny, who ran over, grabbing Ron and dragging him into the common room while Pansy seized Blaise and dragged him in as well.

The other Slytherins began pulling back, shooting spells down the hall in a volley, then all but diving back into the common room, closing and sealing the door behind them.

Ron looked over as a secret passage ground open in the middle of the common room wall. Snape came through, looking alarmed. He took in the sight of the injured students, then looked up sharply as a thunderous boom sounded at the door. The thick metal of the door actually had a dent in it the size of a grapefruit. He hurried over to the door in a swirl of black robes, pulling out his wand and beginning an incantation. As he spoke in an ancient tongue, the door began to glow, ghostly runes flowing across its seamless surface like smoke, radiating out and skittering across the stone of the walls , ceiling and floor. In moments, every exterior wall was shimmering with protective runes and the edges of the door began to glow brilliantly, then the light faded and he lowered his wand. There was no further sounds of attack from the other side of the door.

That done, he turned briskly, surveying the damage to his students. He walked over to where Ginny was holding Ron protectively. He knelt beside him, then after a quick check, he sighed in relief. "You'll live..." He concluded, then looked around for other injuries.

Draco came over, slumping down onto the floor and wrapping his arms around Ginny protectively, his bare chest marred by a number of scorch marks, his face smudged with soot. "What the fuck WAS that?" He muttered tiredly.

Snape looked up at him grimly, but remained silent. At the moment he only had theories... none of which he felt it would be good to share with his students right now... Very few creatures could have dented the six inch thick, magically reinforced metal of that door.

"Snape..." Pansy said worriedly, looking down at Blaise, who's head she held cradled in her lap, Blaise's hands were covering his face and he was visibly shaking, the rasping in his breath much more audible now.

Snape shifted over, checking him and having to force his hands away. There didn't appear to be any superficial damage, but his skin was draining of color even as they watched, his lips slowly turning white. "Open your eyes." He said in a commanding voice.

Blaise reluctantly complied. Snape drew in a sharp breath, seeing the thick, milky white film that covered his eyes. "Sweet Merlin... the White Wraith curse!" He hissed, quickly searching through his robes. After a moment he came up with a tiny green bottle with a dropper top. "I'll need help holding him down." He called out briskly.

Pansy tightened her grip on him. Snape snorted, "No offense Parkinson, but you'll be no match in a moment." He motioned over a number of the larger boys and quickly instructed them in how to hold him. When they were in place, Snape drew out the dropper, poising it over Blaise. "Brace yourselves boys." He said in all seriousness. Blaise was trembling fearfully, but kept his eyes open, trusting Snape without question. Snape reached over and quickly dispensed several drops into each eye.

There was a delay of a couple of seconds, then Blaise let out a shriek of pure agony and began thrashing around wildly. Even with four boys, each outweighing Blaise by quite a bit, they were barely able to hold him down. A number of the girls started crying fearfully, most everyone else looking on in horror as his screams echoed around the room deafeningly. Ron let out an anguished cry, trying to get over to him, but was still too weak to break free of Ginny's grasp. After a moment he gave up, slumping down and sobbing as he watched Blaise, the tortured cries cutting him like a knife. For several minutes it looked and sounded as if they had cast the Cruciatus curse on him. Then, slowly, the fight flowed out of him and he slumped down, falling silent except for soft keens of pain. He just lay there limply, tears streaming from his eyes as he gasped for breath, the rasping diminishing only slightly. Snape nodded and they released him.

Pansy, who wasn't even trying to hide her tears, was looking down at Blaise fearfully. "It didn't work!" She said, looking at his still milky eyes.

"That was only to stop the progress of the curse. Blindness is just the very beginning of the first phase. The drops I gave him work to block the progress of a number of the darker curses. It isn't a pleasant potion, but it's much better than the alternative. If I hadn't had that... trust me, you wouldn't have wanted to keep watching much longer. I should be able to brew the antidote, but it will take time." Snape said grimly. He looked around. "Anything else life threatening?"

Ginny finally released Ron. He got to his knees shakily and crawled over to Blaise as Snape went off to care for some of the other injuries. Pansy moved back, letting Ron gather Blaise in his arms. "I'm so sorry..." He said tearfully, clutching Blaise to him. "I shouldn't have come here... he was only after me..."

"Stop..." Blaise said in a drained voice, reaching up and finding his cheek, his hand shaking as if he had palsy. "I'll live... you wouldn't have if you hadn't come here... I'm just glad you trusted us..." He shifted up shakily, managing to find Ron's lips and kissing them. Ron kissed him back, closing his eyes as tears trickled down his cheeks.

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A/N - And THAT is what happens when you are seriously sleep-deprived and listening to "Get down with the sickness" by Disturbed on a loop ;)