AN: Sorry that updating took this long. Personal life and all, you know…

It has become clear to me that some of my readers would like to Ron and others have a happy ending and some don't. This of course means that I'm unable to make you all happy with my decisions. It's a sad thing for me as an author but can't help it. So I need to now already apologize that some of you won't like the ending, but will it be happy or sad ending…you just have to keep reading.

Disclaimer: I do not owe any HP characters or Dumas novel.

BARON RÖNNSKÄR

CHAPTER 15 PERCY'S SENTENCE

Percy Weasley was not having a good day. In fact the entire month had been hell.

Percy cursed himself of being stupid enough to recommend other clients to buy stocks of the damned American potion which had been pulled of from the markets. In order to make goods of loses so that Gringotts bank wouldn't loose its reputation Percy had been forced to pay from his own pocket. The sum had been terribly high but Percy had calculated that in a couple of years he would have them all back. He would just have to work harder and eat less for a couple of years. Percy had been grateful of the scandal concerning Victor Krum. That had kept newspapers busy so they didn't give any unwanted publicity to the bank.

That is until yesterday…

"Mr Weasley! Mr Weasley!" shouted small goblin as it appeared to Percy's office.

"What is it now" asked Percy, not really ready to face another catastrophe.

"There are seven clients here who all want to end their accounts".

"WHAT?" Percy shouted, jumping from his chair.

"They say that they can't trust in this bank. Something in Daily Prophet, they say" goblin stuttered.

Percy quickly snatched the copy of Daily and started to read through the headlines. First he didn't see anything particularly interesting and then-

Percy would have probably cursed if his mouth wouldn't have been so dry suddenly.

There was nothing wrong with the American potion. It was working wonderfully with no complains. It had never even being pulled out of the markets. From what Prophet knew it seemed that someone had successfully managed to send wrong information to the Britain's Magic ministry. Who and how, nobody knew.

And it certainly didn't matter to Percy anymore then. Another goblin appeared informing that there were now ten clients ending their business relationship to this bank. And they demanded that Percy should be questioned by ministry. They though Percy had made good of loses and sold their stocks in order to get more for him. Percy felt like jumping from the window; if he hadn't sold those stocks the clients would be happy now and he still would have his entire fortune.

Percy was not going to clean up the mess this time. Enough was enough.

Percy quickly apparated to his home and collected his "savings for a bad day". About five million in cash and more could be arrange later. Just now he needed to get as far from London as possible.

And that is exactly which had now led Percy here on this private train section he was sitting in. Last afternoon and evening he had made all necessary arrangements for his escape and now he was going to Liverpool and from there maybe to America. He had left London behind before dawn and was now starting to read The Daily Prophet, expecting to find a mention of his absence in his troubled bank as the headline. Instead he found something that took the entire colour from his face:

"MALFOY CONFESSED: RONALD WEASLEY INNOCENT!"

After taking a few minutes to recover from the shock Percy thank what ever forces for making him leave a day before this happened. For Merlin's sake, how one Earth could this have happened? Percy read the paper throughout. Ginny and Harry are going to dig old cases and files back to daylight. Could they find out that it was I who made the accusing letter? Oh, it doesn't matter now. I'm leaving; they can give Ron a rightful burial for all I care.

It was then when something extraordinary occurred to Percy.

There have been happening rather too much strange things lately. I was having my own troubles so I didn't pay attention to what happened to Victor Krum. Strange coincidence that, that should have happened at the same time as my own problems. And now Ron is proved innocent, reputation cleaned and Malfoy is taken to Azkaban. Is it even humanly possible for so many scandalous things happen in less than two months? Unless these things are not c-

Percy was pulled back to reality when the door of his compartment suddenly opened and a tall man dressed in black entered. Though he had aged ten years since Percy had last seen him and he had black beard and moustache now Percy still recognised him. Those black eyes, greasy hair, long nose…it wasn't hard to recognise his former potion professor Severus Snape standing in front of him…with his wand pointed at him!

Before Percy had time to do anything a flash of light filled the room and then darkness.

Percy didn't know how long he had been blacked out or where the hell was he when he woke up. He seemed to be on a cold stone floor in a pitch black room.

"Ah, awake I see" Percy heard Snape's deep voice coming from the darkness.

"What do you want from me, Snape?" Percy dared to demand, though he was terrified.

"Me? Nothing at all. I really don't even want to be here. The only thing why I'm the one to "pick you up" is because my wife is pregnant and needed rest. She has already done enough for the man who hired us. It was my turn to do something. But what do I want, you asked? Nothing at all, the man who hired us wants to have a chat with you".

Percy felt cold sweat run down his temple. Who has hired Snape and his wife-Snape is married?-to get me? One of the more powerful clients who found out that I was running?

Percy's questions were soon answered when a knock of the door was heard in the darkness. Percy heard footsteps and then a door opening. Suddenly a light appeared to the room and Percy saw that it was sort of a prison cell with stone walls and no windows. Snape was leading to the wall of the room and Baron Rönnskär stand watching Percy silently.

"Herra parooni, surely there must have been some mistake" Percy hurried to say. "I don't know why you are doing this but I'm sure we can make some sort of a deal".

A small smile appeared to baron's lips. "You don't know why I'm doing this to you? Well, let me enlighten you then".

Baron circled Percy and suddenly Percy would have like very much be again alone with Snape.

"Ten years ago then you made a letter saying that your brother Ronald had stolen a letter from the ministry. What on Earth made you do that?" Baron asked.

"H-how do you know that?" stuttered a very pale Percy.

"I ask questions here. Why did you make that letter?"

"B-because it is true, that's why! I saw my brother take a letter from-"

Baron interrupted him. "Was that the only reason? I am trying to figure out what makes a man betray his own brother. Could it be the fact that you envied him, maybe? That your youngest brother had become celebrated hero of the war? While you were only somewhat known in the better circles, right?"

Anger suddenly took hold of Percy. "He didn't deserve to be better than me! I worked and worked and worked to gain position in the society but it was always he who everyone talked about! It was always he who the family was most proud of! When I heard he had been executed I shed few crocodile tears and smiled! And now that I know Malfoy didn't kill him but send him away to Azkaban I don't feel bad at all!" he shouted, cried and raged.

Baron stood silent and looked Percy somewhat sadly, as if pitying him. Suddenly baron spoke. "You gave letter to Krum who took it to the ministry. There it ended up to Malfoy who send your brother to Azkaban. Both Krum and Malfoy have both paid already. Only you are left".

Percy's eyes where suddenly shinning. He tried rapidly to blink his tears away. "Why are you doing this" he asked, his voice suddenly so low.

Baron pulled out a wand and Percy stiffed. But he pointed it to himself and muttered a spell. And there, right before Percy's eyes, baron's face became filled with freckles, his dark blue eyes turned to sky-blue clear and his dirty blonde hair became flaming red. It didn't take long for Percy to recognise man before him but finding his voice again took couple of minutes.

"Ron?"

"I never aimed to be better than you, Percy. I never aimed to be known in the entire wizarding world. I became a war hero because I fought for the peoples I love. You took everything from me, Percy. My family, my career, the woman of my dreams and my freedom, you took them all. You even took the feeling of the wind on my face. But there was something you couldn't took from me Percy. Something that gave me will to live and make the impossible of returning back to life. You couldn't take from me my hate, Percy. And that hate has burned me for years, driving me on to this day".

(AN: Thanks, eckles)

Baron kneeled close to Percy. "What am I suppose to do with you? Should I kill you or let you commit suicide like Krum? That would be too easy way out of this. Should I give you to Ginny and Harry? Life in Azkaban is an experience with no match. But even that is not what I'm going to do to you. I'm going to let you live as a free man. And do you know why? Because I'm not like you, Percy, I won't take another child from my mother".

Ron stood up and looked at speechless Percy, whose red hair had turned somewhat white. Ron stand aside as Snape muttered a spell and Percy blacked out again.

"What will happen to him?" Snape asked.

"I have arrange it that he will be taken to a Muggel town in North. His wand will be taken as his millions. He will live the rest of his life as a muggel" Ron said, never taking his eyes of from his brother.

"What if he tries to get back to the wizarding world?" elder man asked.

"I have men to keep an eye on him. If he tries something I'll have authorities after him" Ron said and silenced for a moment. "My mother will come to see him for time to time. I know she wants to see him, even if only for a few minutes in a year. I can't deny that from her" Ron said.

Snape stood silent. He gathered now wasn't the right time to say anything.

"Did you get the money?" Ron asked.

"Yes, I gather that our business together will end here".

"Yes" Ron said and turned to Snape. They shook hands. "Give my regards to Natasha. I can only fear what kind of child you two will be having".

Snape smirked and watch as Ron Weasley let himself out of the room.

AN: Next, Ron will face his family and friends.

Sorry for any grammatical and spelling mistakes.

And you've probably already figured that chapters won't be much longer than this.