AN: Once again I'm glad to thank you all from the reviews. Hope to read them in future also.

Hehe, Klappa; they will pay, don't worry, they will pay…

Disclaimer: I do not owe any of HP characters nor Dumas novel.

BARON RÖNNSKÄR

CHAPTER 6 RESEARCHING AND TREASURE HUNTING

Back in Scotland Rubeus Hagrid stepped inside to Three Cauldrons in Hogsmade. He sat down to a table to drink his butterbeer. After all the years since the final battle he was still working in Hogwarts that was nowadays run by Headmistress Minerva McGonagall. Hagrid was about to raise his voice to ask who all were enjoying the hospitality of Three Cauldrons when a hand tapped his shoulder. Hagrid turn to look at a man in front of him. He was probably in his thirties but looked like could be fifty. He had a long black hair covering his ears and black piercing eyes. For a moment Hagrid thought he was looking at young Severus Snape.

"Good evening, sir, mind if I join you?" the man said, holding his own butterbeer. Despite his look there was something in his voice and face that made Hagrid forget everything else.

"Not at all" Hagrid said. The man sat down opposite Hagrid and took a sip of his beer. He looked outside from the window.

"Hard to believe isn't it?" he suddenly asked.

"What's that?" Hagrid asked.

"I'm just looking around and I see children going on streets, probably students of Hogwarts spending their day off. Sun is shinning and birds are singing. Hard to believe that here took the place one of the worst wars in the history of this land" the black haired man said.

"It most certainly was terrible business that war" Hagrid said.

"You fought there?" the man asked.

"Aye, I fought in it. I've been living in Hogwarts for longer than I can remember and I fought there, right beside Order and Harry Potter" Hagrid said, pride shinning from his eyes.

"You know Harry Potter?" man asked.

"Sure I know him. Have known him since he was eleven years old, I had to pick him to Hogwarts" Hagrid said, his eyes shinning even more. "Those were the days. I can't remember anyone who would have gotten themselves more in troubles than Harry and his two closest friends; Hermione and Ron".

"Ronald Weasley?" man asked. Hagrid nodded. "Didn't he die in war?"

Hagrid seemed to know get angry. "No, he survived, but little good did it do to him. He was arrested one day. For week or so no-one heard a word of him and then it was announced that he had been traitor and was executed".

"What? Didn't he get a trial or something?" man asked.

"Well hell no, he didn't!" Hagrid shouted and hit his huge hand to the table. "The entire ministry was in chaos that time. There was an election for the next minister of magic during then and all the ministers were trying to please peoples. Putting a war hero to a trial would have been too much so they used all kind of fancy political excuses of peoples own good why it was better to kill him in secret, they didn't gave us body later on".

There was a moment of silence before the man spoke again. "How did his family took it?"

Hagrid rolled his eyes. "His mother was a mess after that. Poor Molly had lost already one child in the war and now another to ministry. And poor Hermione…they were about to get married, you know. They had been in love for so long but didn't realise it until the brink of war. She was devastated. She cried and screamed and refused to believe it. She was in a deep depression for years. She kept living but the light of her eyes was gone. They didn't even light up again when she went married".

"To whom?" man asked.

"To this Bulgarian Quidditch captain named Krum, you've probably heard of him. They went married two years ago then. I doubt that from love but more because she was afraid of being alone for the rest of her life".

"Does she have a job, this Hermione?"

"They offered her a job in the ministry but after what happened to Ron she didn't want to come near to it. She is one of the healers in St. Mungos".

"So she and her husband lives in London and not Bulgaria" man asked, obviously surprised.

"Hermione had a condition that should they get married they would live in England".

"Do they have children?" man asked, bitter in his voice.

"No, not yet anyway" Hagrid said.

"What happened to other member of his family? Are they all alive still?" man asked.

"Aye, all alive; his father is some sort of an expert of muggles these days, wrote a book about them. Arthur and Molly are still living in Burrow, their home you see. One of his brothers is living in France with his wife and children. Two of his brothers, twins, are having a successful business company. One is having a rising career in bank and his only sister is an auror".

"Only sister an auror?" man repeated.

"Yes, she is, like her husband. She is to become a mother in a month of two. Harry is probably more nervous than she is".

"So she is Mrs. Potter now?" man asked curiously.

"Aye that she is" Hagrid said. "It was a beautiful wedding that they had, kept in Burrow".

There was a moment of silence.

"So..." man said "is the ministry in chaos still or…?" he left the question open. "I have abroad for some years" he quickly added.

"Fudge became minister of magic during the time Ron died. But now he is old and tired. It won't take long when he must resign and then I'm afraid that his successor will try to become minister".

"His successor?" man asked.

"Draco Malfoy. He may not have become a Death Eater like his father but he only thinks of himself. No matter how nice speeches he gives everything he does has a purpose".

Again there was a moment of silence. Then man ordered another butterbeer to Hagrid and rose up.

"Thank you for your time" he said. "It has been a teaching conversation. I hope in the future I can have another butterbeer with you. But now I must excuse myself".

As he was about to leave Hagrid called behind him. "What's your name, mister?"

"You can call me 'a friend'" he said and left.

Couple of days later in Finland…

Island of Rönnskär truly was like Snape had told him, just an island with couple of wood cabins, war time bunkers and a light house. Ron wondered what he was doing here; to make sure Snape had told him the truth? No, he was here to give his revenge a start.

Malfoy, Percy and Krum have all become powerful men. I can't fight against them as Ron Weasley. I need to be as powerful as they are! No, more powerful!

Ron thought about all the information he had heard from Hagrid.

Harry and Ginny are married. Good think. They deserve each others. And both are aurors, Harry probably is, or will be, a leader of some sort. And they are going to have a child! Ron was pissed off by this; he would not see that child when he or she will be born.

Hermione is married to Krum. Ron hoped that what Hagrid said is true: that Hermione wouldn't love Krum. Because Ron is about to destroy Victor Krum and as little pain as he could cause to Hermione the better.

Malfoy and Percy are both important citizens. Malfoy has political connections and power. He will soon probably run for the job of minister of magic. It was most probably he who made it look like Ron would have been killed. That's why there were no wanted posters; no-one can be expected to look for a dead man. Still if Malfoy knew about his escape he probably had Hermione, Harry and the Weasleys spied, so he would know if Ron tried to contact them. Ron took a deep breath. That meant that just in case he couldn't go after them immediately. But if there was one thing Azkaban and Snape had taught him it was patience.

He wondered if Percy thought hum dead also or if he knew more than told anybody. Percy was now a bank manager, having goblins work for him. Ron wasn't surprised; Percy had always been the one the poverty of their family affected most. He never wanted to be poor again. But Snape had thought something to Ron about finances and business world and Ron knew that one who is rich can quickly become poor.

Then Ron thought about his mother and father. Were they still poor? It seemed that every one of their children was earning a decent living so probably they didn't suffer from lack of anything. Ginny would not allow it and he doubted that Fred and George would either. Those twins were earning good. Ron had seen some of their products here in Finland. And even if Percy wouldn't be too excited about supporting his parents he would never allow his reputation to be harmed. So no, Ron thought, my parents aren't poor anymore.

Ron walked toward the light house, a huge grey stone building. From what he had heard this light house wasn't even working anymore but the island had some historical value to the muggles. Ron looked at the bunkers he saw. Why is it that the wars always make things more valuable?

He pulled out his wand and opened the door. Immediately he saw stairs going up. What was it Snape had told him? When you say Lord Voldemort's true name the secret door will open.

Ron took a deep breath before saying aloud very clearly the long forgotten name: "Tom Marvolo Riddle!" he shouted.

And just like that a noise was heard. Ron looked around the walls the see if any door would open and realised too late that he was standing on it. Typical Snape not to warn me about this! Ron thought as he fell.

The falling wasn't as bad as one would think but still falling down the stone stairs. "Why me…why me…why me…?" Ron muttered as he got up. When he was again at his feet he noticed the lights begin to appear. And then he noticed where he was and what was there with him.

For a moment Ron was afraid he had broke in to someone's bank vault. He saw gold coins in huge stacks, baskets full of diamonds and jewelleries shelve after shelve after shelve of valuable books and writing collections that would put Hermione to droll. Ron looked at this all realising that it was his and his alone. The most important Death Eaters who would have known of this were killed and Snape said he didn't want to have anything to do with this. This was all his to use.

Suddenly Ron started to laugh and he fell on his back to one of the piles of gold coins. "This will certainly help me in start" he thought aloud. "This is the beginning of my new life. I don't yet know what it will be and will I success but I will try my best. I will learn my enemies' weaknesses and dirty skeletons in their closets. I will create a new identity: someone who will be respected and full of power; someone who they will want as their friend". He remembered how Snape would have wished the money to be used for helping peoples. "That's it; a benefactor, a helper of those in need. That kind of person is respected and would not be suspected before it is too late".

And with that Ron put his hands behind his head, feeling the gold beneath him. And with the great pleasure he started to form a plan in his head. Snape, you were right. Revenge is sweet.

AN: Island of Rönnskär and its bunkers and light house are true. Everything else is not. Okay, not my best chapters but review anyway. Next one will be better.