A/N: Hello, hi and how are ya? Alright then, just to let you know, there's some reeeeaally bad characterisation with Voldemort in this chapter. My excuse? He had to have some of the White Witch's personality, too, being a parody and all. So don't blame me!
Disclaimer: If I were JKR I wouldn't have to rip off other people's stories. If I were C.S.Lewis, I'd be dead.
"But this isn't my school!" protested Ron. "I get home schooled! And anyway, it's the holidays!"
"Do you mean to say," said the Evil-looking man, "That you aren't a student of Hogwarts?"
"No, sir," said Ron, suddenly feeling a little frightened. "I'm not even exactly sure where I am. I came through the cabinet." He indicated the cabinet behind him.
"The Vanishing Cabinet?" asked the first man.
"Quiet, Wormtail." said the Evil-looking man. He looked in deep thought. "You say you come from the world of muggles?" he asked finally.
"What?" asked Ron.
"You have never done any magic?" he asked, looking a little impatient.
"Uh… no."
There was a pause in which the man called Wormtail looked nervously from Ron to his 'master'. Then, suddenly, the Evil-looking man stretched his lips into what looked like a very painful smile.
"You must be cold without a cloak." He said. He pulled what looked like an ordinary stick out of his pocket, gave it a wave, and a cloak appeared. Ron stared.
"Well, put it on!" said Wormtail. Ron, quite scared of what else the Evil-looking man could do with his wand, pulled it on.
"You still look cold," started the Evil-looking man through gritted teeth. "Would you like something warm to drink?"
"Oh no, your Lordship." said Ron.
"Oh, please. It's only 'your Lordship' from my servants. It's…" the man paused for a second, then; "Voldemort."
"Um… OK, Voldemort, I'm fine. I was just going to go back home, actually."
"Oh, but I insist." said Voldemort. He waved his wand and a golden goblet appeared in mid
air, floating next to Ron's head.
"I'll be OK." said Ron hastily, taking a step backwards.
"Drink it." said Voldemort, fairly viciously. In fear, Ron obliged and took a sip of the drink.
It was delicious, and tasted foamy and creamy and warm all at the same time.
"What is this?" asked Ron.
"Butterbeer." said Wormtail with a nod. "Good, hey?" Ron nodded. He felt his distrust for Voldemort melt away like the drink in his mouth.
"What would you like to eat?" asked Voldemort with another forced smile. Although Ron didn't mind nearly as much as he had the first time.
"Chocolate Éclairs?" suggested Ron hopefully. Chocolate éclairs were his favourite food. Voldemort waved his wand lazily and a dozen of them appeared. Ron dug in. They were delicious, like all éclairs, but somehow even nicer. They were also extremely addictive. Ron polished one off in a heartbeat, and started on the second one.
"Now, how did you get here?" asked Voldemort.
"The cabinet at Professor Dumbledore's house." said Ron thickly. He thought he saw Voldemort's eyes flash momentarily with… was it anger? But the next moment he thought he must have imagined it.
"And are you the only one who's been here?"
"No." said Ron between mouthfuls of chocolate éclair. "My sister, Ginny Weasley, came here last week, and had tea with a giant. I'm Ron Weasley, by the way."
"I see." said Voldemort. "And are you two the only ones who know about Hogwarts?"
"Nah, my sister told my two best friends, too. They're staying at Dumbledore's with us."
"What are their names?"
"Hermione Granger and Harry Potter."
"Harry Potter?" asked Wormtail.
"Yeah, why?"
Voldemort gave a little sneer. "No reason."
Ron reached out for another éclair when he saw that he had eaten them all. Disappointed, he turned to Voldemort.
"Can I please have some more éclairs?" he asked as politely as he could.
"I couldn't possibly conjure you some more right now." said Voldemort. "But, perhaps if you bring your friends and your sister to me I could give you some more."
"Can't I have some more now?" asked Ron.
"No." said Voldemort coldly. "I'm afraid not."
"OK, where do I need to bring them?" he asked. He knew deep down that he probably shouldn't agree, but he was aching for more éclair.
"Up to the castle." said Wormtail, pointing at the tips of a tower above the trees. "Ask for the headmaster."
"And do not tell them about me." said Voldemort. "If your sister has indeed had tea with a 'giant', she may have heard false, horrible tales about me."
"OK." said Ron again. Voldemort laughed a high-pitched, cruel laugh, and he and Wormtail disappeared away into the forest.
Almost as soon as they had gone, Ginny appeared.
"Ron?" she asked disbelievingly.
"Hi, Ginny." said Ron dully.
"You got in too?" asked Ginny.
"It looks like it, doesn't it? Where've you been?"
"With Hagrid again. How about you?"
"Oh, nowhere. I just got here." lied Ron. "So how was the giant?"
"He was alright. I was a bit worried he was hurt by You-Know-Who on my account, but thankfully he hasn't found out."
"Who's You-Know-Who?"
"He's the Dark Lord. He says he's headmaster of the school, but really he only got to be by forcing the real headmaster out. He's usually accompanied by one of his Death Eaters. His followers." she added, seeing Ron's blank look. "All the students hate him. Well, at least all the good ones. The Slytherins don't mind that much."
"Slytherins?"
"One of the houses of Hogwarts. There's Gryffindor, the good ones, Hufflepuff, the nice ones, Ravenclaw, the smart ones and Slytherin, the bad ones."
"Um, Ginny? Maybe we should go back home."
"We probably should." agreed Ginny. "And we can tell Harry and Hermione the truth! They'll have to believe us if both of us have been to Hogwarts!"
At this point Ron realised that he would look extremely stupid if he told Harry and Hermione the truth. He would be confessing that his little sister had been right all the time, while he had just been a git and not believed her.
"Come on, Ron!" said Ginny, pulling on his arm. "Let's go tell Harry and Hermione, and then we can all go to Hogwarts together!"
A/N: Yes… I promise the chapters will get longer when they all go to Hogwarts! What else is there to say but my usual begging for reviews? REVIEW!