Author's Note: I just thought I'd let all of you reader's know that this is nowhere near the end even though it seems like it may be! Yes, it's been a long time, but I assure you, the next installment won't take as much time! I already started the fifth chapter. This chapter is a little short, but the next will be quite longer. And by the way, your reviews and encourament are what made me decide to pick this story back up and keep writing it! Oh, and I don't own anything, yada yada yada...

Chapter 4

Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger's visit with Headmaster Dumbledore was quite different than the last one they had made. He sat them down as soon as they entered, offering them lemon sherberts to calm them. Hermione had to coax Ron into finally taking long breathes to cool down his temper. Once he had sputtered off all of the things said and done between themselves and Malfoy, Ron had let out a few words that made Hermione gasp out loud. Dumbledore raised his aged hands, crossing them and touching his chin as he gazed at the two students. "Unfortunately, I cannot disagree with Professor Snape's assigned detention," Ron's already red face went even more crimson and Hermione had to give his shoulder a firm smack to keep him from having another outburst. "I shall see to it that Mr. Malfoy is also punished for his instigation." At those new words, Ron eased a bit in his seat, Hermione letting out a breath of relief.

Albus suddenly changed the subject. "I've been hearing some peculiar things about the two of you. Care to elaborate?" Hermione and Ron both exchanged glances. Even though they knew exactly what the Headmaster was asking about, neither one of them wanted to reveal anything of their past few weeks. So instead, Hermione returned, "I'm not sure I know what you're talking about, Professor." Sending a twinkling eye at the young Gryffindor, Albus nodded his head slowly. "Of course. I wouldn't be inclined to believe that you would withhold information from me if it were of any importance." Hermione shifted nervously in her chair as Ron shot another glance at her, looking very much like he was chewing the inside of his cheek. After watching them for a few more moments, Albus finally leaned back in his seat. "Right then. Now you two ought to be off to supper. I suppose you are both famished after the long day you had."

The two Gryffindors barely had enough time to grab a few slices of roast beef and a glass of pumpkin juice before the food was magically whisked away at the end of dinner time. By the time they'd reached their house dorm, their common room was filled with busybodies, all of whom were chatting furiously about Ginny Weasley's accident on the Quidditch field. "It was the Slytherins!" One of the third years piped up from the crowd. As soon as people had noticed that Ron and Hermione had entered, they were rushed by the mob, questions zooming around them. "Is Ginny okay? Will she be playing this weekend? Was that a cursed bludger? Did they catch who did it?" Ron held Hermione close to his side, waving off the annoying first years who were at the front of the crowd, jumping at them with their inquires. "All right, that's enough! Bugger off! Give the two room to breathe!" Fred and George came to their rescue, clearing a path for the two of them so they could reach Ron's room without further interruption.

Once inside, Ron slumped wearily, falling back on his bed. Hermione took a seat on the edge of it next to him while the twins pulled up the chairs from Neville and Seamus's desks. "Ok." "Spill it." The two spout off, sitting opposite of the bed. "Spill what?" Ron asked, staring up at his ceiling and speaking with his eyes closed. "What really happened out there?" Fred returned, eyeing Ron with a mixture of curiosity and a bit of elder brother demand. "Yeah," George butt in. "I saw it with my own eyes, and I don't understand. Ginny should have…" He trailed off as Fred finished his sentence. "Been squashed like a watermelon." Hermione blinked quite rapidly, wide eyed as she searched for a quick answer that the twins would buy. "I cast a spell!" She blurted out without a second thought. "Really?" George asked, leaning over the back of his chair at her. "Which one?" As the two stared at her, Hermione found herself stumped for the first time in her life. "Uh… Levicorpus." She finally said, a look of stupidity dawning on her face as the word came out of her mouth. Fred and George cast a glance at one another, then sent their gaze back at her. "Nice try." "We've seen that one in action." "And that's not what it does." The two of them told her. Hermione glanced at Ron as if pleading for silent help.

Giving a grunt, Ron finally sat up and edged himself to the side of the bed beside Hermione. "Truth is, we know about as much as you do. I saw the same thing you gits did." He said simply. As his older brothers started to object, Ron waved a hand to silence them. "It's getting late. Hermione and I both have early classes tomorrow. We need to be getting some sleep so if you please?" He pointed to the door. The twins shared equally suspicious glances, getting up from their chairs and replacing them at their respective desks. "This isn't over, Ronny-kins." George commented as he followed Fred out of the room. "Yeah, we know something fishy is going on here!" Fred added, closing the door behind the two of them.

Hermione let out a long held breath, pushing her bushy hair out of her face with both her hands. "Ok, if we don't find out what's going on soon enough, I'm going to go bonkers!" Ron gave a bit of a snort, patting her on the back. "No worries, 'Mione. I'm sure you'll figure it out." She turned her head, giving him the snarkiest scowl she could. "Oh, and you're not going to help?" Ron made a face, blowing a mock raspberry at her. "Of course I'm going to help! He's my friend too, you know! I was just referring to the fact that you're still the smartest of the lot. Just that, you know, you'd probably be the one to figure this out." He said, his voice getting quieter as he blushed. Hermione's scowl turned into a shy grin. "Oh I see." She nodded her head, a few more times than necessary as she rose from her seat next to him. "Well, I suppose I better be off as well." She plucked her bag from his desk, tripping a bit over her feet as she walked backwards to the door. "See you tomorrow. You know. At breakfast. Ok. Night, Ronald." She said, waving as she closed the door behind her.

Ron stood from his bed as he gazed at the door. He shook his head, dismissing any thoughts of curiosity that might have entered his mind towards Hermione Granger and tossed his robes over his trunk. "You know," A voice from nowhere made Ron jumped and spin around. "You really shouldn't keep acting like that." Harry said, sitting calmly on his four corner bed. "Bloody hell!" Ron yipped, dramatically holding his chest. "Stop doing that!" Harry let out a chuckle, leaning forward on his knees. "What's so funny?" Ron asked, still rubbing his chest and sitting on his own bed again. "You and her!" Harry answered, motioning towards the door. Ron gave his friend a sarcastic eye, letting out a scoff. "Exactly what are you implying?" Harry rolled his eyes, sitting up straight. "You fancy her! I know you do!" Spinning around so fast that Harry was surprised he didn't hear any bones crack, Ron glared at him. "Hey… I… You… She… you don't know anything!" He finally managed to sputter, plopping on his mattress and rolling over to not face his friend. It was obvious from his reaction that he was not about to admit to what Harry was saying. Harry sighed, shaking his head. "Ron, if you feel something towards her, you should tell her." He turned, gazing thoughtfully out of the large window beside him. "You never know when it might be your last chance." With no answer, Harry gave a sigh and laid down in his bed. He switched the lamp off, covering himself with his blanket and laid his glasses on the stand next to him. Ron, on the other hand, was suddenly not tired. Harry's words had hit him quite hard. He closed his eyes, his mind lingering fondly on a particular clever bushy haired witch.

The next morning, Ron was awoken by a very loud commotion coming from the common room. It was still very early, so when he rolled over in bed, he was quite surprised to see that Dean and Neville were already gone. "Whaaa times it?" He asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and expecting Harry to answer him. When nothing came, he finally sat up. "Harry?" He called, and still no answer.

Ron had thrown on a robe over his maroon pajamas and jogged down the stairs to see what the big deal was. Before he even reached the bottom, Hermione clashed into him on her way up. "Oh!!" She gasped, falling backwards. Ron grasped her arm with one hand, his other holding tightly to the railing. He managed to keep them from going head first down the staircase. "Hermione, what the hell is going on?" Once she'd quickly composed herself, she grabbed him by his sleeve, dragging him the rest of the way to the common room. "Ron!" She said excitedly. "They've found it!" "What? Found what?" He asked as people rushed about their common room, Professor McGonagall trying to keep the commotion at bay. Hermione held Ron by both his shoulders, a triumphant grin on her pretty face. "His wand! They've found Voldemort's wand!"

Albus was pacing in his study, staring quietly at the sleek black wand and a pair of round rimmed glasses sitting on the middle of his desk. The last few members of the Order had left him alone at his request. Was this wand the answer to everything? Of what had truly happened to the Dark Lord and Harry Potter? Could it explain the secret that Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were hiding? Was there something more to the accident on the Quidditch field? For the first time in many years, Albus Dumbledore was unsure of how to go about this situation. Sure, he could use the Priori Incantatem spell; make the wand regurgitate it's previous spells. But what could that really tell him? That Voldemort had used the Killing Curse? He already knew that! What he didn't know was what happened after. It was an uncertainty that plagued him day and night ever since the moment the two mortal enemies had disappeared.

At first, he'd been convinced that they were dead, but as time passed, Albus's beliefs had begun to sway. Things were happening. Unexplainable things. The Death Eaters were still gathering, not disbanding like he had believed they would've after the loss of their master. Those people were cowards. He knew that. So if they were banding together, who were they following? He'd deduced the answer to being just another Death Eater. But as other things fell into place, that theory lost more and more sustenance. Or when Ginny Weasley took her fall from her broom. Hit by a bludger that, after a thorough investigation, showed to have been jinxed and sent straight for her. She fell nearly fifty feet. If the bludger hadn't killed her, the fall should've. But again, there was no explanation how she'd survived. How did she manage to slow down before she hit the ground? No spell had been used for that, he knew for sure. So what really happened? And of course, there had been the theft of Godric Gryffindor's sword. Someone, or something, had nicked it straight from his office right from under his nose. It had been there when he went to sleep one night and gone by the next morning. No alarms had been set off, no magical barriers had been degraded. Nothing. Not one damn clue.

After a few long minutes that had seemed more like several dark days, Albus settled at his desk and sat down. That wand daunted him and for some odd reason he couldn't place, he finally realized that Voldemort's wand held no further answers for him. As his eyes darted between Harry's glasses and the wand, Dumbledore let his mind linger on another possibility. If Voldemort's wand would show the Killing curse, then who's wand would show the other spell cast that night? In an instant, the answer came to him and he abruptly set off to find the owner of the other wand.