Chapter 7: Halloween Horrors

A/N: Right, I am really sorry for not updating sooner, but exams exams exams. Also, this is one is a massive chapter, like really big (no double-entendres here). I don't know when I am going to update next, but I'm definitely not abandoning this. I still keep writing, but I have no idea about the next update. Also, do review and favorite please. Come on, its like a couple of clicks for the latter.

Disclaimer: I don't own HP, I only love it.

Enjoy the chapter!


"We can trust her"

"It's not about trust, it's about the bloody risk"

"No, it isn't. You are just getting overprotective of her. You always do tha-"

"This isn't about that, you idiot. None of us have done anything. We are 13 years old for god's sake and you still want to be a bloody hero agai-"

"Don't you dare pin this on me. I care about her too. And before you forget you do realize that just a year ago she illegally made an advanced potion that many people older than her can't even produce with stolen ingredients in a bathroom and we were like ok im gonna drink this and we trusted her. This is the best way to stop this and you know it. They can't be punished for planning it but they can be if we caught them. No..NO RON" Harry had enough. "Listen to me, you are not behaving rationally"

"If they are caught, I am going to punish them, not give them off to your snivellus and see them get scot free"

"WH-why are you referring to him as mine?"

"He was the bravest man I ever knew-"

"Ron-"

"Fucking git, god that hair, I tell you-"

"Tell him what?" Hermione asked as she entered the great hall and sat besides Ron. Ron poured out a cup of tea for her while she piled bacon on both their plates.

"Nothing, I'm telling him not to be a surly git, and if he wants to go to hogsmeade with us, to just simply contact dumbledore or something" Ron replies smoothly, "Tea?"

"Yes, thank you!" Hermione smiled as Harry snorted "I can't wait to go to…

"I thought you couldn't lie to her"

"Shut up, Harry"

Harry zoned off as Hermione prattled on, looking instead at Theodore Nott, who three tables away, was smiling. Snidely. At Hermione.

He controlled the urge to hex his bits as he bade both of them goodbye.


It felt nice to go to hogsmeade with her, Ron thought as he and Hermione walked also was nice since they were walking away from the twins. He had seen the look on their faces when Ginny had told them that he was going with Hermione and he didn't want to be near them, today of all days, because the previous reason was also coupled with the ridiculous idea that they had of Muggle Halloween. He had heard some titters in the hall and he knew their trick wasn't funny. Atleast, to the victims.

He thought of saying something to her but it was hogsmeade! True, that he had been here a lot of times in the days of the past future but he didn't actually remember it, did he? He didn't feel it.

Hermione was thinking too. She was conscious that Moon and her posse were planning to do something today with Ron. She tried to push what she heard last night out of her mind but she couldn't. She knew it wasn't true but what if Ron...it doesn't matter, does it. He is not Ron, not exactly the Ron you know.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked with concern evident on his face.

"Nothing...I just…"

"I wanted to tell you something. Well, it's not exactly a new thing but I reckon you were right, again, I might add"

"About what?"

"I am 13 and...even though I should feel bad, I can't" Ron was definitely nervous now.

"Explain it to me, Ron" She whispered.

"I was researching in the library. Yeah, don't give me that look, I can go there too without you, too. Anyway, timelines never loop over. The moment we did this, that timeline was erased, I guess. What I do know is that I can't ever go back there, not that I want to" he finished with a wry grin.

"I'm sorry" She didn't know what else to say.

"No, you are still not understanding. I belong here. I don't belong there. It feels like a bad dream. A dream, most of whose contents are fading away."

"But you miss the people there" She hoped, even though she should not, that it was not…

"Maybe a little. I miss my hermione but she is not mine, now. I mean the current my, gosh this is confusing. I am 13, I am here. It's just that I have a bit more idea of what can happen in the future. I am still the Ron you know"

"That...is brilliant" She finished with a flush.

"Yup, normal Ron Weasley with a bit of sight."

"tch , sight" She sighed.

"Widen your horizons, Hermione. Look beyond your eyes" He started laughing and she couldn't help but join in. Obviously, like every time at Hogwarts, they met someone who ruined her mood immediately, as they reached Hogsmeade and made their way to Honeydukes.

Mandy Brocklehurst. She was not a nice was rude and mean and bullied people, and Hermione strayed away from her. Evidently, she had a thing for redheads, Hermione thought, as Mandy grinned at Ron. Why was every girl in her year mooning after him? Maybe it was because of the different way he stood now, a confidence boost that was a result of his merger, a subconscious boost. Maybe he looked attractive because of that, because to her he looked attractive even without it.

She had a sudden desire to show her possessiveness over him, his best friend or something more when she saw the way Mandy was looking at him. She was cunning, smart, she was a Ravenclaw after all. She fixed her right arm around his left and, to his credit and her obvious delight, he didn't pull back but showed equal enthusiasm.

His previous sentiments were echoed by the red tint of his ears. No way a future Ron would be embarrassed by just hand-holding. It meant that maybe it was her Ron.

"Hey Ron. Hi Hermione" The difference in the way the two of them were greeted was obvious. Mandy was with one of her friends, it was someone from her year, but it was not Padma. She looked quite uninteresting to be honest but she wasn't focusing on her anyway. Mandy was sneering at her and she felt anger and a bit of fear.

Ron may have caught the sneering because he pulled her closer. He always acted protective when an outside force was threatening her. The slug incident was the prime example.

"Hello, Minty?" Ron asked, feigning politeness. He knew her name was Mandy, they were talking about claws three days ago. She giggled, albeit herself with surprise, because Hermione Granger never giggled.

Mandy was clearly irked by him not knowing her name. "It's Mandy, Ron. I know who you are, of course" She said with a grin. "So, you guys are friends? " the with her went unspoken.

"Best friends, since first year" Ron smiled and Mandy looked murderous at Hermione, which gave her the confidence to continue. She wasn't afraid of her anymore, She was just pathetic. She actually felt a bit of pity which was easily vanished at Mandy's blatant rudeness to her.

"Ron and I have this kind of easy chemistry where we finish each other's-"

"Sentences", Ron interrupted cheekily.

"Please don't interrupt-"

"Me" he continued with a feigned innocence. It would have been fun to bicker if the present company made themselves scarce. She still smiled at her and he smiled back.

Mandy gave it up as a lost cause but still half heartedly asked Ron if he would hang out with her but Ron indicated Hermione and they left Mandy alone.

After checking out Honeydukes, and buying lots of sweets, they roamed around and visited other shops besides it. It was a serene village and Hermione loved talking about its magnificent history while Ron listened, with a small smile.

"The sky is beautiful today" Ron muttered as they walked to three broomsticks.

"You know what else is beautiful?"

"Aww, Hermione-"

"Hogwarts: a history"

"You are brilliant, you are," Ron said when he finished laughing at her cheekiness. Hermione blushed. She wasn't the funny one, that was all Ron but she wouldn't deny that it felt awesome to make him laugh.

And speaking of laughing, here were the twins.

"Hermione, my dear, your idea has been marvellous. We owe you a lot"

"Yeah, do tell us when our ickle ronnie messes something, and we will put him straight"

He didn't pay attention to them. He realized that when he had endured them his entire childhood. It became extremely difficult most of the time, but his good mood was enough to carry him over. He just couldn't explain the twinge of bitter happiness he felt, when he saw Fred. And when he saw George laughing.

They were common occurrences as common as him taking a second helping of bacon at breakfast, yet to him, it felt, briefly, as though it was something that was yearned for. Probably, something of the future, he thought. Not the future, but a future. That doesn't exist anymore. He felt guilty. He couldn't explain it but he did.

"You know I sometimes wonder what will happen at Hogwarts in, say, 15 years?" Hermione asked, to break the silence, when they had each ordered a lager of butterbeer. He was too engrossed in self-recrimination, that he had missed even ordering something. And seeing Madam Rosmerta, though he wouldn't show Hermione that he wanted to do the latter. Something told him that it would be a very bad idea. He plunged on, providing the comic relief, one thing that he was definitely very good at.

"Probably education, since we three won't be there" Ron replied and they started chuckling together. It felt fantastic and natural. It felt right. Even though she missed Harry, some part of her was a little glad that he had decided not to contact Sirius and get a form. Even though she knew McGonnagal would not have accepted it.

Ron got up from the table and went to bring the butterbeers back when shit happened. She never used the word shit, but it felt like it because the last people she wanted to see had arrived. She saw Lavender and Lily move towards him as he took the two large mugs, full of butterbeer.

Lavender was giggling and patting his arm and Ron looked a bit..uncomfortable? His ears were red and he was trapped against the wall. Suddenly, Hermione could have sworn that Lily pushed her, but she wasn't sure because her attention was elsewhere. Lavender was kissing him. On his cheek, but still. And Hermione felt as if someone had punched her. She didn't want to be here and listen to her giggling. She felt angry at Ron, even though a small part of her was saying that he didn't do anything and it was all the fault of that dumb girl. She understood the pieces of conversation that she had overheard last night. She needed space from that stupid girl and her friends and..ugh. She needed to get out.

As if it had been the whole point, Lily Moon turned and smiled at Hermione, and she thought that she had never seen a more vile human being ever. She laughed, a mocking laugh that made Hermione want to tear her ears out. It was sadism. It was someone who loved hurting others and she loathed it.

She got up and without a backward glance, started to walk back to school, resisting the urge to run and failing to stop herself from bawling as she walked past the station and towards the castle.


Harry knew that he still had some time before the actual thing happened. They had thought of contacting Sirius today but Ron had barely listened to anything he said, after Harry had refused to not let her know about the 'thing'.

He knew that it was probably not the best idea to let Sirius go crazy and hunt pettigrew, because what if he does get caught? They had already changed a fair few things and he didn't want to break into Azkaban. And even if he could break into it, Sirius wouldn't be alive anyway since that moron Fudge had given permission for the 'kiss'.

He hated that bumbling fool but truth be told, he sometimes couldn't blame the portly man. Not because he was right, but because he hadn't done anything like what Harry hated him for. No doubt that he was a spineless flobberworm, but in his defense, that was nearly everyone in the wizarding world, or rather, the ministry of magic.

"What can you expect from a group, who sent kids to fight their wars?" Harry thought wryly. At Least the memories were not overwhelming anymore. They seemed like the notes he learnt before a history of magic exam. The difference was while the latter was of the past, this was of a probable future.

He thought of visiting Luna, he hadn't yet talked to her, but it would be really weird since he wasn't sure how to enter the Ravenclaw common room. Last time, or in some time, Luna had helped answer the riddle. He didn't want to spend the few hours before shit hit the fan, playing riddle-me with the eagle.

He walked towards Lupin's office though he took a path that would take him to the owlery. He needed to be very inconspicuous to actually do what he planned to do so.

He climbed a staircase, and was walking along another corridor when he heard his voice from inside one of the rooms say, "Harry?"

"What are you doing?" said Lupin "Where are Ron and Hermione?"

"Hogsmeade," said Harry, in a would-be casual voice.

"Ah," said Lupin. He considered Harry for a moment. "Why don't you come in? I've just taken delivery of a grindylow for our next lesson."

He followed Lupin into his office. In the corner stood a very large tank of water. A sickly green creature with sharp little horns had its face pressed against the glass, pulling faces and flexing its long, spindly fingers.

He didn't really like that creature. It had increased its infestation after the war. It was a right pain to deal with. Lupin was talking but Harry simply glared at the creature. The grindylow bared its green teeth in response and then buried itself in a tangle of weeds in a corner.

He indulged in a conversation with him, while drinking his tea, as he observed him. When he smiled, it wasn't that which Harry had seen in Shell cottage. It seemed teddy lupin was the only thing that could make Remus giddy with happiness. Harry remembered that he loved Teddy, even though he couldn't remember much of him.

He thought for a moment of telling Lupin about him and Ron and their journey but decided to wait till Snape gave him the he asked a question, which had been on his mind since Malfoy told them about it. He didn't want to ask Ron since he would have used it to argue about not using the plan.

"Professor, can I ask you something?"

"Sure, Harry. Go on."

"I read it in the A history of magic but it wasn't too elaborate about it. W-wh-what is the scalding maid's curse?" He finished in a rush, hoping that Lupin wouldn't question the lie.

"Oh." Lupin looked surprised and wary. "It's dark magic, Harry, not only in its way but also on its intent. It's a curse of the dark ages and a dangerous one. It was predominantly used on servants of the households. What it does, Harry, is simulate a binding pain whenever-. Wait, it would be better if I showed you the literal definition."

He got up and, from the bookshelves adorning one wall of his office, pulled a dusty and battered book, with brown hardcover titled An Antiquarie of Potions. He flipped it open and after searching for a while, gave it to Harry while pointing on a paragraph.

A medieval potion of very varying effects, scalding maid potion was used on those who were either under the permanent employment of the household (slaves) of certain families or their unaware enemies. It was predominantly used on females, since its binding capacity was higher for them than males. It was described as being 'effective every time a maid gives utterance in a tone or manner unsuited to her faire and gentle nature; thereupon the mouth shews effects similar to a draft of boiling water, causing the maid to cease forthwith her speech and weep in exceeding pain'.

It was also in a curse form, which was more intrusive but less lasting. The incantation was kept between only a few families, though the power required to perform it was very rare. It could also be complemented using other means, such as blood and soul, to increase its permanence-

He couldn't read it any longer. He tried to control the nausea he felt, remembering how exactly Ron felt yesterday. This was-

"Barbaric, I know," Lupin said kindly. "Thankfully, it is not common knowledge and the curse requires a lot of power"

"Power?"

"Magical power. Even dumbledore himself won't be able to cast it without requiring at least 3 pepper-ups"

"So, it wouldn't be casted then?"

"Oh no, its effectiveness would reduce, but it would still be casted. Think of it like a weak attempt at disarming"

"How does the curse work then?"

"If I didn't know any better, I would be apprehensive about telling you, Harry."

He continued before Harry could mutter something more than a shocking 'me?'

"The curse is more intrusive. It produces the same effects even if you are thinking about anything the caster warns you against"

"But how would the spell know-"

"Its limit?" Harry nodded." It doesn't. That's why it's horribly intrusive. Say, if the caster says not to say anything against the irish, even if the victim thinks something that can remotely be against them, it would be activated. Like I said, very dark. It cannot last more than a week if casted properly but the problem isn't that. You can understand, I presume, the effect even if it lasts a day?"

" would be subconsciously whipped into not thinking or saying anything"

Lupin nodded. "I'm glad you found it in history, rather than potions. You don't want anyone to have any ideas. I think.." He stopped, perhaps remembering that he had company.

"That certain families which followed Voldemort would still have it?"

Lupin said a very reluctant 'yes'.

He wondered if Snape knew that his students were doing this. He was still in shock, it seemed, because he couldn't believe that such magic existed.

Talk of the devil, Harry thought, as someone knocked on the door.

"Come in," called Lupin. The door opened, and in came Snape. He was carrying a goblet, which was smoking faintly, and stopped at the sight of Harry, his black eyes narrowing. Harry stared back, still surprised at how dead they looked

"Ah, Severus," said Lupin, smiling. "Thanks very much. Could you leave it here on the desk for me?" Snape set down the smoking goblet, his eyes wandering between Harry and Lupin. Maybe Ron was right. Maybe Harry did respect the man more than he should. He smiled at Snape, which made him startle a little.

Lupin said something to snape, while Harry inspected the Wolfsbane. Snape was an excellent brewer, though a horrible teacher.

"-Not at all," said Snape. He backed out of the room, unsmiling and watchful.

Lupin smiled. "Professor Snape has very kindly concocted a potion for me," he said. "I have never been much of a potion-brewer and this one is particularly complex." He picked up the goblet and sniffed it. "Pity sugar makes it useless," he added, taking a sip and shuddering.

"Prof — ?" Harry began, thinking this would be a right point to jump in.

Lupin interrupted, mistaking his gestures. "I've been feeling a bit off-color," he said. "This potion is the only thing that helps. I am very lucky to be working alongside Professor Snape; there aren't many wizards who are up to making it."

Harry waited as Lupin drained the goblet and pulled a face.

"Disgusting," he said. "Well, Harry, I'd better get back to work. I'll see you at the feast later."

"Wolfsbane," Harry said dramatically as Lupin froze. Harry knew that it was perhaps the worst time to say this since Ron was right and Hermione was in a lot of danger from those bastards, but he couldn't wait. He didn't think that he would have the courage to do this, to come to his office. He thought that he still had had at least 15 minutes before Nott and his group even started to move, so why not do it?

He continued, not sure on how long the silence would actually invite him to explain this 'exclamation'. "I know you are a werewolf. I know a lot of things, including that you probably have a lot of questions which I will answer. I need you to trust me, Moony."

Lupin, if possible, looked more shocked.

He repeated with more conviction. "I need you to trust me."

"I need you to trust me, for all times you think you see my dad and mom in me, for the number of years that we never met, for all the regret you face each time you remember your friends, please trust me." He knew it was morally reprehensible but he didn't know how else to actually say it.

Lupin, to his credit, nodded, albeit he looked very badly shaken.

"I'm going to explain to you a lot of things. Not all of it at once, but certain parts. First things first, I know your occlumency isn't that bad, though you keep it a secret. Though I'm sure the headmaster doesn't use legilimency that freely, it is added protection. You can't tell anyone anything. No one. At. All."

"Why?"

"Trust, Moony, trust. You can't tell the headmaster, nor even think about it in his presence."

"Harry, this is...are you all right? Is it stress? Is it-" Lupin stopped as Harry has started chuckling.

"You know it, Moony. You may think it's nigh impossible but you know it's true. Come on, it's on the tip of your tongue"

"You are from the future"

"Attaboy"

Remus, to his credit, didn't show much emotion, though he was feeling a bit flummoxed. Even though his mind...he couldn't think. He felt absolutely blank, because while he had seen magic do a lot of things, this topped the list. He considered briefly whether it was a strong confundus or fake memories or something, but it wasn't. He felt it. His mannerisms seemed like his age, his attributes from his eyes to his feet the same, but the way he talked, the emotion there made him feel that this Harry knew him very well.

Knew him well enough. He understood the reservations he had and the reactions he had when he looked at Harry, and even though it would have been quite easy to guess, it looked like something which Lupin himself would have told him, in the future.

As soon as his mind accepted the idea, a wave of nervousness struck him, because if he was from the future, something really bad must have happened. What could it have been? What danger was there in 1993? He reeled as a possibility came to his mind, but surel-

Could it have been him, the werewolf doing something, like infecting the whole castleful of students? Or, worse, killing them?

It was almost as if Harry had read his mind, and it once again reinforced the idea that this Harry Potter knew him really well. Harry shook his head and said "Voldemort" and Lupin blanched. Again.

Voldemort was the reason why everything bad had happened in his life. He could even go as far as blaming Voldemort in rising greyback, the bastard who infected him. Voldemort who killed James and Lily. Voldemort who made his right hand man, Sir-Black kill his best friends and Peter.

And he was now on a roll because while the world had celebrated his death at Godric's hollow, his world had ended on that night. All his friends were dead and Black had betrayed him.

He couldn't call him Black. He never could. He was Sirius.He was always Sirius. And he loathed himself for it but the hope came back, the need, the want, that maybe something else was the case, maybe Sirius- But no, he couldn't.

As much as he would have liked, he couldn't do anything about it. It was done. Two dead, Two alive. Could he even count himself alive? He wasn't living, he was existing. And what about Sirius? The Sirius they knew would never have done anything like what happened.

No, Sirius had died, way before he betrayed his best friends.

The marauders were dead, in essence.

He was sure his mind would have spiraled down more and more, and Harry would have not said anything, giving him space, for Lupin knew that he understood.

But he was saved. Or rather distracted, by a white ball of light which entered his office and became a dog besides Harry. It was a patronus, Lupin thought. But who could have done it? A corporeal patronus-And then the dog started speaking- which could talk. Wow.

"Harry, where is she? I can't find her, I don't think she is in hogsmeade, she may be in the castle. Do something, anything. I don't care what you have planned, tell me where I can find her. I don't want your apologies or explanations, meet me at the gate in a couple of minutes, I don't care if you have to jump off the astronomy tower to reach on time, be there"

Ron Weasley had performed that patronus. Lupin was shocked.

"All part of the explanation, Professor. I will explain it all to you soon" He was clearly highly nervous as he trembled as he ran out of the office, and even though a part of him said to follow him, that part vanished when he looked at the scrap of parchment on his desk.

Harry may have doodled when he was in his musings, because no explanation could be there.

Written in the corner, hidden among several doodles, were the clear words.

"He is innocent"


Where was she? Ron wondered, as he searched for her in the bar. He had pushed Lavender aside, even though it felt great. Lavender was pretty, after all, but something inside him, resembling the possible future Ron dismissed this surface emotion and went deeper. He didn't enjoy it. He liked Hermione. Not anyone else. He couldn't find her. She was not on the table they previously occupied. Nor was any of their shopping. They had crammed it into a bag, so that it would be easy to carry. He looked around and wondered whether she would be in the loo, but he had a feeling that that was not the case. She wouldn't have taken her bag or she would have at least told him.

A surge of fear surrounded him ,as he contemplated more reasons. It couldn't have been Nott, since Harry had told him, before Ron had told him to shut up and play puppet master himself, that the 'legacy' plan was to be done inside the castle and they had no intention of doing anything in Hogsmeade. That was partially the reason why he was so relaxed during the trip. He didn't need to watch their backs. But evidently he had been wrong, hadn't he?

Or what if, and it suddenly dawned on him and he was glad that the blonde bimbo had disappeared because he could have actually killed her. She saw him, and she must have been devastated. He wanted to think, even though he wanted to kill himself for thinking that, that she must have been a bit jealous?..No, the knife was pushed deeper by those fuc- Oh god, he was going to kill them.

And then panic settled in. He ran outside and tried to look for that instantly-recognisable-bushy hair but he couldn't find it. And he knew he wouldn't because she would have gone back to the castle. Obviously. Fucking hell!

He needed to know where she was, he had to assume that she had been captur- No, no, no. She must be on the way, if he could just wait where they were going to take her, he coul-Harry, Harry could help. He would help. There was no question about it. But where would he be?

He had started to run towards the castle, but he knew that he wouldn't find her with the headstart she had, after all he hadn't wasted five minutes calming himself down. He couldn't also just search the castle.

He tried to remember in vain where Harry said he would be, but he didn't know, because Harry himself hadn't decided. Fuck his morals, he should have asked Harry the plan, should have known, should have prepared contingencies. Fuck!

He needed to send a message to Harry but how? And suddenly, like he had known it along, he thought of a white dog running. Patronus. But how could he produce one?

He was Ronald Weasley, the sidekick, the comic relief, the daft joker, the slacker. He wasn't the bravest or the smartest. But he had to try. He stopped, partly because he needed to stay still to perform the already extremely difficult charm and partly because of the stitch in his side.

He focused on his good memories but it wasn't working and now he was panicking. He tried to calm himself down, but he couldn't.

What now? Fuck, fuck, fuck she was...He felt defeated, surely, he could do something, he focused, or atleast tried to, and somewhere a butterfly flapped right.

He thought of her. And him. All of them sitting together in the common room, and it worked. He also thought that the fact that he could do it in the future, made it easier for him. It made sense since one can rationalise that a part of the future was with him, so technically, he wasn't doing this the first time.


They reached their meeting place at the same time, both panting furiously.

"You know, I reckon we should start physical training now, this run killed me"

"Yes, by the way, that patronus cha-"

"Shut up. I want to kill you right now. Following which I will kill all those bastards and then I will kill myself"

"That's oddly specific"

They chuckled at that, nervousness replacing panic, at least for now. "I hope you have a fucking plan, Potter. This is going to be fucking mad, and-"

"Ron." The look in his eyes communicated everything that Ron wanted to know. "I won't let-We won't let anything happen to her."

"I'm scared, Harry. I know that being from the future we have seen a lot of things, but this? This is just sadistic and cruel, and we are still in school." It was the seriousness of the situation that they both didn't snigger at the unintended rhyme.

"Me too, Ron. You just need to stay calm." He nodded, knowing it was easier said than done. " Now, according to Malfoy, they were going to wait for her to come back from hogsmeade, and then they were going to bodybind her and then take her to the abandoned corridor on the first floor, through the former transfiguration department classrooms."

"What if she wasn't alone?" Ron asked. Harry knew it was a way of asking whether he could have changed something or not.

"Ron, they would have stunned you. No matter how good you are, 5 versus 2 is always mismatched, not even accounting for different skill levels and educational experience." They stopped talking as they reached their destination. "Right, beyond here, I'm guessing 15 met-"

"Shhh" Ron covered his mouth and draped the invisibility cloak over both of them.

"-thetic, sprawled on the floor. That's your place, you mudblood." A deep voice said.

"Lay down, Jugson. You are repeating yourself now" A suave voice responded, followed by laughter.

"Rosier, shut up. Jugson, down. We follow my plan. So, which of the curses should we use first? Should we start with Rosier's dementor curse or Jugson's familial curse? Or how about good ol' cruciatus from yours truly. We can also start with something else.." Nott leered towards the end. "Lets ask the mudblood here, after all, she won't be in any fit state after this to make any decisions." More laughter followed as he flicked his wand and he removed the body bind. He then flicked again, murmuring Incarcerous and she was instantly tightly bound.

"Ple-plea-please don-don't do this." She was quivering and the fear in her voice along with the will that she was showing to not cry spurned him into action.

"Accio. Depulso" and Goyle was pushed and pulled across the room. He confounded Crabbe as Harry disarmed him from under the cloak. Jugson went towards the wall to which Goyle crashed as the remaining two searched for the duo. Ron hid behind a pillar as Harry cried 'confundo' at Rosier.

"Wingardium Leviosa" Ron cried and Nott started rising up and he gave a short scream. Ron ducked as Rosier's stunner went over his head as Harry cried 'expelliarmus'. It rebounded off Rosier's shield but luckily hit Nott, whose wand went flying over their heads.

Jugson had joined them by this time. Ron bounded Crabbe and Goyle, both wandless, as Harry dueled the remaining two.

"Ron, DUCK" Harry cried as Ron rolled to the next pillar while Jugson's Reductor curse blasted off a part of a wall behind him.

This had gone long enough, he had no idea if someone had heard him but the two remaining 'bastards' were good at dueling while they were unprepared. They needed to double down. He motioned to Harry and they cried together 'Rictumsempra' as both of their opponents dodged it, but Jugson got hit by Ron's hastily murmured Incarcerous. Petrificus Totalus and down went Rosier as Harry disarmed both of them.

Only then did they realize that Hermione was there as she lowered her wand from Rosier's still form. She looked scared and so little, that Ron was swept by an intense feeling of protectiveness. He stifled the urge to hug her, with much difficulty, instead looking at her with concern.

He was brought back to the moment by a yelp from Nott. He felt anger, like never before. He flicked his wand, and to his surprise, all five of them rose and were stuck onto the wall in front of him. He was surprised by his ease of using non-verbal magic, but looking at Nott made his temper boil.

He must remain calm, he thought. "Obscuro" he pointed at Goyle and repeated it at Crabbe.

Harry was wondering what Ron was doing. He knew it was a danger sign that he was quiet. His temper and anger would burst spectacularly, the more he tried to control it. Or not, he thought wryly as Ron punched Goyle hard on his nose and with an audible crack, it broke. Goyle started to scream before Ron punched him on his jaw, which would unmistakably bruise, as Goyle merely whimpered. He repeated the same pattern on Crabbe and Harry felt his patience fraying. Ron was acting like a fucking crime-lord and he wasn't going to let him do something which he would regret or more likely guilt over. It turned out that he didn't need to.

"Ron, what are you doing?" Hermione hissed. To her credit, she was still standing firm, but Harry felt an impending nervous breakdown. "Don't do this, please"

Ron recognized the signs too and after giving a concerned glance at her, turned to Harry, "get her out of here. Maybe take her to the hospital wing and ask for a calming draught. I don't think we can exactly tell Madam Pomfrey what happened. Ma-"

"Would you stop talking about me like I'm an invalid" Hermione interrupted with a scowl. "I'm all right, Ron." They maintained their stare for half a minute, before Ron backed down and turned his attention back to the people stuck on the wall. He looked more calm and in control now, after his chastisement from Hermione.

"Right" Ron stared at Jugson, who to his credit was silent, after seeing the former's response to his 'partners-in-crime'. "Where's the tome from which you picked up the curse, Juggy?" Ron smirked at the end, because Jugson seemed eminently surprised at his knowledge.

"You think, I will give a nasty little blood traitor like you, the tome of my family. We are as pure as they come-"

"translation: centuries of in-breeding. You just decided your own destiny. I know you have the tome in your bag, I saw you reading it. Pity" He said as he removed the big black book from the bag sprawled on the ground." Wow, Jugson, this must be valuable in your family. See, only a blood member can view it. Lucky for me, that's not what I want to do"

Jugson started, "Listen to me, Weasley. You dirt-poor piss bags can go to hell. The book you hold is more valuable than 15 gener-NO,NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOIN-AHH"

He started swearing and trying to get out of his binds, to save his precious book because Ron had set it on fire. It burned up in a couple of minutes, by which Jugson had gone coldly angry at Ron.

Ron, however, had his attention on Hermione. He would have expected her to at least admonish him a little for burning a book, no matter how dark it was, but he was strangely unnerved to see her giving no reaction.

"You will pay for this, Weasl-MMPHF" Jugson went silent as Ron tore a piece of Jugson's robe and stuffed it in his mouth.

He turned to look at Harry, who had started with Rosier.. "Well, what do we do with you?" He removed the body-bind.

" Look, at you, filthy little children. You are going to regret this. Saving a mudblood like her won't save you from a term in Azkaban, when this gets in front of the Wizengamot. And when the dark lord will return, he is going to end you and your pathetic bloodline"


"Despicable. What have we done, Albus?" Minerva McGonnagal asked as she viewed what was happening from the top of the hidden parapet, giving them a front-row seat.

"Minerva, this is something which we have discussed plenty of times. You need to look-"

"No, Albus. Nothing justifies this. We had sworn to protect them in these halls. Letting this happen is blasphemy, to say the least."

Albus Dumbledore stared at her, trying to understand how to explain to her, the basic tenet of how he had maintained the equilibrium in Hogwarts, so that damage to the students could be prevented. "Minerva, do you not think that I, myself, do not like to do this. That, upon hearing of such plans and such actions, even after being accustomed to it since I have begun teaching, my blood boils and I want to stop it. But, however powerful, you seem to think I am, I, too, have limits to my actions. I have tried the method of punishing students and writing home, or actually reporting them, but it doesn't work. Within our system, it is extremely hard to punish most of the accused due to their familial connections. It would be painfully obvious that preventing the crime from happening has become my top priority rather than reforming the criminal, at least in most of the cases."

"Headmaster, I don't think that method had and has a high chance of success, did it? You could not stop all bullyi-"

"Severus. You, of all, people realize the practicality of my actions. I have to draw a line or else the Board of Governors, formerly led by , but still equally corrupt would try to take control. And if you are referring to the altercations you had with James and Sirius, I seem to remember you were not the innocent victim every time, you were equally the instigator and the person who 'bullied'. "

Snape just sneered and remained silent, observing the scene in front of them. McGonnagal, however, continued. "Albus, but surely, what would we do here? Should we just ignore it?" The way of asking was enough to ensure, in Dumbledore's mind, that she did not agree with the aforementioned sentiment.

"Minerva, dear, if I intervene here, I would have to punish both and too-"

"Once again, Hogwarts does not want to punish a Potter"

"Severus, you would be well reminded not to interrupt me again. And spare me that vindictive persona, you and I, both know…" He peered over his half-moon spectacles and Snape glowered at him again.

"We are here to ensure the limits. And so that no one is impacted perpetually." McGonnagal said, more to herself than the others.

"And to prevent a scandal within our halls" Albus said with a small grin as they continued to survey the scene before them.


"Bloodline, you say? I'm sure I know a spell to end your bloodline, want me to try Rosier?" Harry said with a glowing look in his eyes. Ron, however, grinned. He picked up Rosier's bag and started rummaging through it before flashing his teeth again and pulling out a flask with a transparently blue potion, with flecks of deep red in it.

"I knew it. You are good at planning, Rosier but just stupid in the creativity deparment"

"Absolutely shite at it" Harry smirked at Rosier. Only Hermione was confused and she tried to hide it, knowing that now was not the time to ask anything.

But, as usual, Ron caught her and with a laugh, said " It's alright. I know it must be shocking, that out of us three, you are the only one not to recognize a potion." Hermione blushed as Ron continued.

"This is Memoria Morbus. It's pretty rare and I think even greasy himself does not know about it. Ahh, here's the recipe, lost for centuries. Don't worry, I will absolutely make sure to lose it again, but right now, let's use it on our lil ded eaters, right Harry?"

"I like the way you think, partner. This is about 8 ounces, which means 4 doses. Who is the lucky sod that will remember this humiliation?"

"Remember?" asked Hermione.

"The potion is like a memory charm but instead of removing the memory, it scrambles it into a mess, making it hazy and 's sort of like being skunk drunk."

"It also has the unique property of being spell-activated. So, Ron here can give the four dunderheads the potion and then, while saying the incantation, think of the particular things he wants them to lose or forget." Harry piped up.

"Won't that be too dangerous?" Hermione asked , concern evident, and Ron felt momentarily stunned that she would feel concern for people who were going to break her. It felt ridiculously unfair and so like her.

He stifled a groan as he answered, " It's the least dangerous way to tamper with memories, and also the most expensive one. That's why this potion is valuable and its recipe not known to many."

As Hermione nodded and Harry conjured 4 vials and divided the doses, Ron rummaged the bag for the recipe of the potion and stuffed it into his pocket, unseen by his friends. He then set the bag on fire, as Rosier glared at him and started swearing.

Jugson started gagging and Harry removed the gag, and Jugson took this opportunity to open his mug "Weasley, you are dumb as a rock, we are of pure blood and noble families. One of us-"

He tuned him out as he thought of who to not give the potion. It would be obvious to give to crabbe and goyle since no one would check up on them thoroughly, after all they weren't known as the sharpest knives in the drawer. And of the rest? Nott. He seems the one who is most liable to be examined by someone competent. Surely, daddy Nott won't let his heir not be avenged?

"Oh god, shut up. The lucky sod, Nott, is the only one that will remember this fiasco of yours, and do you know why he won't say anything to the Wizengamot? Because-" He flucked his wand-"Accio Veri"

"What are you doing? Harry whispered furiously. "You can't just summon it. Snape will catch us"

"Ha, irony, you being scared of the bravest man, you know" Harry would have killed Ron but was saved the necessity to do so, since Ron only whispered this to Harry.

Hermione however, rummaged through Nott's bag and took out a vial of clear liquid as Ron started laughing. They both looked at him, one with concern and the other with apprehension.

"How perfect is this? Their plan has backfired so spectacularly, it feels like this was what they wanted all along.I mean, how utterly pathetic, is this Theodore? 5 against 3 and with your 'superior skills in the dark arts' and yet, here you are. Ahh, too perfect." At this even Harry chuckled and Hermione gave a small smile.

"So, Theo, you won't do anything because if you go to the Wizengamot, we will helpfully supply our upcoming memory of your confession and plans. You may think they won't do anything but when they realize Harry, here, is involved, the boy-who-lived is going to make you die. Daddy won't be able to help then, so I know this will be a secret between us."

Harry looked impressed at Ron's reasoning. But, then he looked at Hermione who was not looking good and he noticed the same thing, Ron did. She was bottling it up. He could not do anything for that, since he thought that Ron would be the right person for it, but he did notice something else. Fortunately, Ron read his mind and took matters into his own hand.

"I'm starving. Hermione, do you want to feast or should we get something from the kitchen, and eat in the common room?"

Hermione muttered "feast" and Ron gave Harry a look as he tentatively placed a hand around her shoulder, and she leaned into him. Harry nodded and started the interrogation and the subsequent end of the plan.


They reached the entrance hall and crossed into the Great Hall. It had been decorated with hundreds and hundreds of candle-filled pumpkins, a cloud of fluttering live bats, and many flaming orange streamers, which were swimming lazily across the stormy ceiling like brilliant water snakes. Harry came 15 minutes after them, and sat down in front of them. They both looked uncharacteristically silent but he noticed that Hermione was clenching Ron's left hand with her right. He was reminded of the day after the battle of Hogwarts, and he felt an odd sense of deja vu.

The food was delicious; even Hermione, who looked a bit sick, managed second helpings of everything. Harry kept glancing at the slytherin table, where Nott had walked to 5 minutes ago, very red and agitated. He ignored the rest of them, and he saw the slytherin trio glancing at him, the questions evident in their eyes. Malfoy looked a bit scared at seeing Nott like this.

He also gasped when Crabbe and Goyle walked in, 15 minutes later. They looked worse for wear, with their nose broken and covered in blood. He merely told them to go to the hospital wing after the feast as the rest of the slytherins started questioning them. They replied that they don't remember anything, and their housemates thought that they were drunk or something, but Draco knew better. He knew Harry Potter had something to do with it.

The feast finished with entertainment provided by the Hogwarts ghosts. They popped out of the walls and tables to do a bit of formation gliding; Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor ghost, had great success with a reenactment of his own botched beheading.

It had been such a pleasant evening that Harry's good mood couldn't even be spoiled by Pansy, who shouted through the crowd as they all left the hall, "The dementors send their love, Potter!"

"At least somebody loves him, Pansy. Don't be jealous " Ron retorted as the people around them started laughing. Harry was sure that Ron was not recalling that they just missed seeing Sirius after a couple of decades, as his mind was too focused on Hermione, who was still beside him and silent.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the rest of the Gryffindors along the usual path to Gryffindor Tower, but when they reached the corridor that ended with the portrait of the Fat Lady, they found it jammed with students.

"Why isn't anyone going in?" said Neville curiously.

"Let me through, please," came Percy's voice, and he came bustling importantly through the crowd. "What's the holdup here? You can't all have forgotten the password — excuse me, I'm Head Boy —" And then a silence fell over the crowd, from the front first, so that a chill seemed to spread down the corridor.

They heard Percy say, in a suddenly sharp voice, "Somebody get Professor Dumbledore. Quick." People's heads turned; those at the back were standing on tiptoe.

"What's going on?" said Ginny, who had just arrived. A moment later, Professor Dumbledore was there, sweeping toward the portrait; the Gryffindors squeezed together to let him through.

The Fat Lady had vanished from her portrait, which had been slashed so viciously that strips of canvas littered the floor; great chunks of it had been torn away completely. Harry refrained himself from laughing. Sirius was such a drama queen. But then again, the guy had spent 13 years in Azkaban. Even though the moment had gone, Harry couldn't help but wonder how easy it would have been to contact Sirius today, had Theo not planned anything.

"We need to find her," said Dumbledore. "Professor McGonagall, please go to Mr. Filch at once and tell him to search every painting in the castle for the Fat Lady."

"You'll be lucky!" said a cackling voice. It was Peeves the Poltergeist, bobbing over the crowd and looking delighted, as he always did, at the sight of wreckage or worry. Peeves was another mystery that Harry hoped to solve in this timeline. The guy had disappeared after Hogwarts was destroyed, along with the other ghosts.

"What do you mean, Peeves?" said Dumbledore calmly, and Peeves's grin faded a little. He didn't dare taunt Dumbledore. Instead he adopted an oily voice that was no better than his cackle. He nearly missed the end of the conversation as he tuned himself back in

-wouldn't let him in, you see." Peeves flipped over and grinned at Dumbledore from between his own legs. "Nasty temper he's got, that Sirius Black."

Well, it turned out Sirius wasn't the only drama queen at Hogwarts, Harry thought as pandemonium ensued upon Peeve's revelation.


As they were sent back to the great hall, Harry thought of sneaking off to find Sirius, but rejected it immediately.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" shouted Percy. "Come on, now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

"C'mon," Ron said to Harry and Hermione; they seized three sleeping bags and dragged them into a corner. Harry gave them a bit of privacy as he laid down and started wiping his glasses.

Ron nudged Hermione, "Are you all right?" She was still clenching his hand as she nodded. Ron took the middle bag and laid down, while Hermione tied her hair back.

They were interrupted as Percy and another prefect brought in Jugson and Rosier, both looking tipsy, and started ranting something regarding "-found them in compromising positions in a broom closet-" and all three of them started laughing. Harry gave Ron a smug look and took out his glasses, closing his eyes as Hermione, whilst giggling, settled down besides Ron.

The candles all went out at once. The only light now came from the silvery ghosts, who were drifting about talking seriously to the prefects, and the enchanted ceiling, which, like the sky outside, was scattered with stars. What with that, and the whispering that still filled the hall, they felt as though he were sleeping outdoors in a light wind.

Around three, after hearing what Snape and Dumbldeore were conversing, Ron looked at Hermione, who was looking at the ceiling. She seemed to be trying hard not to sleep and Ron had a good idea why that was.

He had been pleasantly surprised when she had held his hand, but his surprise had led on to fear as she said very little and kept holding it. She looked so tiny and scared, and Ron acted on impulse. He started rubbing his thumb on the back of her hand, which was joined together, and she turned towards him, her surprise etched on her face.

He knew that all this bravery was coming from a future part of him but he still felt scared. Taking the plunge, he pulled her closer, so that they were almost side by side.

Harry, for his part, quickly casted the muffliato charm, with a concerned glance at her, after which he turned to his other side.

Hermione suddenly hugged him. Her lower lip wobbled and as he placed his arm around her and murmured "its okay, let it go, its all right", the dam broke and she started crying. She just bawled loudly, tears streaming down her face and wetting his shirt, and she looked so frail. She didn't seem to want to say anything, so Ron just held her and patted her on her back, trying to not cry himself.

It was not a nice Halloween.

And he wanted to punch Harry Potter.


A/N This was a tough chapter to write, simply because god it was long. I didn't want to seem too emotion-y or something but not too abrupt. Things have been set in motion, and more revelations will follow. I hope you liked this.

Reviews of Reviews

ihatesandhmm: Thank you so much for your review, it actually motivated me to finish the chapter. Ron's my favorite character too! His different maturity is a balance I'm trying hard to establish, so that the character does not change much from canon.

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Some lines are taken from Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban.