A/N: Happy Christmas and Happy New Year to everybody in advance. I wish the New Year will bring all the happiness you deserve, and as usual thanks to rhmac12.
As soon as Ron saw Voldemort, he stumbled back knocking down the goblets causing them to fall down and they started multiplying and burning Ron's skin causing him to cry in pain. Voldemort laughed menacingly making Ron flinch and making him knock down some more goblets. With a swift flick of his wand, Voldemort lifted the curse which was causing everything to multiply but not the burning. Ron tried to take cover behind the nearby shelf but even before he tried to move, he heard a shout of 'Crucio' and he fell down on the floor crying with pain.
The spell lasted for 10 seconds and Ron felt like it had been ages as he dealt with unbearable pain as he fell down on his knees. Then he heard the cold and menacing voice of Voldemort for the first time in his life causing him to shudder.
"Bellatrix, Bellatrix, Bellatrix, did I give you permission to curse that boy?" Voldemort asked twirling the wand expertly and pointing towards Bellatrix.
Ron couldn't help the surprise when he saw Bellatrix's legs shaking with fear as she answered. "My Lord, this is the same boy who let Harry Potter escape from the Manor." Bellatrix explained, her voice trembling and fear evident in her words. Ron heard the stories about Voldemort and his cruelty, but he also heard Bellatrix was close second to Voldemort in terms of cruelty; but by seeing Bellatrix shivering in fear he didn't want to imagine how much more crueler Voldemort can be.
Voldemort gave a cold smile and said, "He didn't do anything as it was your inability that let Harry Potter to escape. Now let me familiarize with this boy." Bellatrix immediately backed away as Voldemort turned towards Ron who was still struggling to get to his feet.
"Hello my boy, I heard so much about you in just a few days time. I am getting updates about you more than Potter from these past few days." Voldemort said watching Ron like a wild animal ready to pounce on its prey. Ron slowly got to his feet and pointed his wand towards Voldemort causing him to laugh out loudly bringing chills to Ron.
"I will give it to you boy. You are either brave or stupid enough to point your wand at me. Let's see." Voldemort shouted 'Legilimens' before Ron even opened his mouth to cast a spell. The spell hit straight into Ron's head. Ron could feel Voldemort in his head seeing his private memories that included his time in the tent, his betrayal, his insecurities, his fears, his training with Bill, his plan. Voldemort was extracting the random memories as Ron tried very hard to get out of the spell but lacking in the basics of Occlumency, he knew it was futile. To Ron's horror, Voldemort was able to know about everything...even about the Horcruxes and Deluminator. The spell lifted as soon as Voldemort had seen him destroying the Locket.
Ron cursed under his breath, wiping the frustrated tears which were rolling down his cheek, angry that he was unable to control his mind. Now that Voldemort knew that Harry was trying to destroy his Horcruxes, he would definitely need to safeguard them and this time Harry and Hermione would never be able to get them. This was his mistake and because of him everybody was going to die. Harry, his mother, father, brothers, sister and… and Hermione. He couldn't let that happen, he just couldn't. Ron lifted his eyes to look at Voldemort whose eyes just flicked towards his back just for a millisecond but Ron had seen it. He immediately knew the Horcrux was there in the vault. He had to do destroy it at any cost. Ron's mind started working immediately; knowing Voldemort would not go into his mind again.
"You stupid boy, you destroyed it. How dare you? You don't know what you have done...you will now suffer the consequences. You thought you could enquire about all my servants' vaults and I will not know about it. I know about your plan and I waited for you to enter the trap. I expected the whole Order to show up so that I can finish them all. But now I know the Order has no knowledge about my little creations. Dumbledore was the biggest fool to give this stupid mission to three teenagers. I give him the credit more than he deserves." Voldemort said menacingly as he transfigured two goblets into giant spiders. Ron immediately crawled back as if in fear but he made sure he crawled towards the Horcrux. He turned his back towards them and then he saw the cup on the top. Ron knew even with his height he would be unable to reach it.
Voldemort, not knowing Ron's intentions continued his rant. "You are pathetic, just because you got rid of some useless snatchers you thought you could fight me. You tabooed unforgivable curses so that you can track down my loyal followers. You cast memory charms on the snatchers and made them useless." Voldemort who appeared to be enraged started laughing. "You thought I will lose my head by knowing you were hunting Horcruxes. Tell your best friend that he can never kill me. I am immortal. Oh I forgot you are no longer friends' right? You are fighting for a Mudblood scum like Granger." Voldemort said laughing at him.
"Let me set you free from your misery my boy, Avada kedavra ." A jet of green light unleashed from the wand but at the last movement Ron rolled down and hid behind the shelf.
Voldemort laughed again loudly as he clearly enjoyed playing with his prey. "You really think you can escape from me. No doubt the Mudblood didn't choose you." Voldemort taunted but he immediately stopped when he saw the fire behind the shelf where Ron rolled down.
Before Voldemort could react, Ron threw his wand towards the cup and the fire consumed the cup within seconds. Voldemort quickly realized that it was not a normal fire...it was fiendfire.
Voldemort was beyond angry now; he blasted the shelf behind where Ron was hiding. Ron anticipating this took out his spare wand and casted a shielding charm. He quickly ran behind another shelf for cover, but Voldemort blew that also. The fire quickly spread around the vault. Voldemort had to quickly move out of the vault. He shut down the vault door and locked it. He then quickly ordered Bellatrix to follow him and left Ron to die in the vault.
Harry knew there is no use of fighting back. They got caught and had to face two wands pointing straight at their heads. Harry tried to look to Hermione to see if she had any ideas. But the person who was pointing at him pressed his wand at his forehead causing Harry to flinch.
"Grab their belongings." One of the cloaked figures told the other one. He grabbed Hermione's beaded bag still pointing his wand on her.
"Look what we got here? Undesirable No.1 and No.2, who would have thought they are stupid enough to come straight to us." One of the cloaked figures sneered at them.
"We should check first whether they are really Potter and Granger. Now Potter, how about you drink this potion?" One cloaked figure thrust a suspicious looking vial into Harry's hands.
Harry looked at Hermione helplessly, but to his dismay she was not even looking at him. She appeared pensive watching one cloaked figure after another. Harry looked at the vial and the cloaked figure to and fro thinking hardly to escape from this situation. He opened the cork and poured the suspicious looking liquid down his throat. He waited for some sort of reaction but nothing happened.
He looked at Hermione and to his amazement and horror, her expression changed to suspicious to furious as she grabbed the heads of the cloaked figures and banged them together as she shouted furiously.
"How dare you? How dare you both to do this? What did you give to Harry?" Hermione shouted furiously. Harry felt a strange sensation on his back but he ignored it and quickly rushed towards Hermione before they cursed her.
"Hermione, what the hell are you doing? They will curse you." Harry tried to hold back Hermione as she furiously tried to free herself to rush towards the cloaked figures who were holding their wands pointing towards them.
"Harry, you still didn't get it? They are Fred and George. I can recognize their wands." Hermione said as she lunged forward towards them as Fred and George removed their hoods as they ran for their lives throwing Hermione's and his wands at them. Hermione grabbed both wands and gave one to Harry as she checked Harry and gasped.
Harry quickly checked his back where Hermione was seeing and found that he had grown a dog's tail.
"Fred and George, give me the antidote now." Harry shouted but they already crossed the protective enchantments.
Hermione tried to do counter charms on Harry's tail but of no use, then Arthur came rushing towards them dragging them towards the protective enchantments and waved his wand before the enchantments, dragging Harry and Hermione inside the protective barrier. Harry felt a chill while he crossed the enchantments.
"Follow me." Arthur said and rushed inside the house in a hurry, his face full of worry. Harry and Hermione followed without question.
As soon as they entered the house they saw all the family members glancing tensely at the family clock. Harry heard Hermione gasp from his side. He quickly checked the clock and saw that Ron's hand was pointing at 'mortal peril'.
"What happened? Where is Ron?" Hermione asked frantically.
Fred and George who were pulling pranks on Harry were now casting worried glances at each other. Fred answered,
"We don't know... Bill knows and he is coming to the Burrow shortly." As Fred was answering they heard the sound of flooing. Bill appeared dusting off his clothes.
"Where is Ron?" Molly rushed towards Bill and began shaking him violently.
"Ron is in Shell cottage. What happened? Why are you asking?" Bill asked looking around.
"Don't lie to me; his hand is pointing towards Mortal peril. Tell me where he is?" Molly asked glaring at Bill.
Bill cringed at her glare, "He… he went to…" Bill groaned inwardly seeing all the faces looking at him accusingly.
"TELL US WHERE IS HE?" This time it was Hermione who shouted at him.
"He went to Gringots with the Goblin." Bill answered looking a bit scared.
"What? Why did he go to Gringots?" Hermione asked not taking her eyes from the clock.
"You should know, he told me it has to with your secret mission." Bill said looking at Harry and Hermione.
Harry and Hermione looked at each other and then they both simultaneously asked, "What did he tell you?"
Bill looked at his family members uncomfortably. As he opened his mouth to speak, the floo activated and Kingsley came out looking worried.
"Kingsley, what happened?" Arthur asked coming forward.
Kingsley frantically searched the Weasley family clock where he found Ron's hand pointing at Mortal peril.
"I don't know what happened exactly but Ron entered Gringots vault and within no time you-know-who came to Gringots along with Bellatrix. They were saying You-know-who burned Ron alive in the Lestrange vault. But if the clock is still showing he is in Mortal peril, then I think he is alive...but I don't think he can make it through." Kingsley said with a note of sadness evident in his voice.
Hermione dropped to her knees crying as Harry immediately came on her side holding her. Molly too started crying and Ginny held her.
Bill immediately dragged Kingsley to the other room and silenced it.
"Ron is still alive...we have to plan a rescue mission immediately...we have to call the Order."
Bill said frantically, not wanting to involve any of his family members. His guilt was killing him for letting Ron go along with the Goblin.
"No Bill, we can't. If Ron is still alive then You-know-who must be using him as bait for us. If we do anything rash...then we all will be finished." Kingsley said regretfully.
"What about Ron? Are we just going to wait until You-know-who kills him? Like hell I will." Bill said angrily.
"Calm down Bill, don't do anything just yet. Just tell me this... why did Ron go to Gringots in the first place? How did you let him?"
"He told me it was something regarding You-know-who, only Harry and Hermione can tell us about the mission Dumbledore gave them."
The women then returned to the room where all of the Weasleys and Hermione were frantically waiting. Bill then asked Hermione about the mission, but Hermione shook her sadly.
"We can't tell you anything about the mission Bill, but tell us what did Ron say before he went to Gringots?" Hermione asked worriedly.
"He told me it was something to do with your mission. We both even went to Hogwarts to bring Basilisk fangs but he never told me why they are required. Please tell us about your mission so we can help you guys...the Order can help you." Bill said pleadingly.
Harry immediately understood the hidden meaning, Ron knew about one more Horcrux and he went after it. The basilisk fangs can be used to destroy the Horcruxes. He looked at Hermione; she too quickly put the pieces together.
"Tell us everything that happened since Ron came here." Hermione asked looking determined.
Bill started telling what he knew and Harry knew his lies would be out soon, but to his immense relief Bill didn't say anything related to his lies. This meant that Ron didn't say anything and now he is about to die which means he is safe for now. Then he remembered Luna, Dean and Olivander. He had to do something about that and take care of it as soon as possible.
Hermione was crying as soon as Bill finished telling his story. She felt very proud of Ron. She quickly wiped her tears, thinking 'it is not the time for crying'...they have to rescue Ron before it is too late.
"We have to act now, they don't expect us. This is the perfect time for us to act." Hermione said looking at Harry to back her up. Harry was not looking at her.
"I don't think it is that easy Hermione. If I am right, You-know-who should know about your mission by now. Either he should have tortured the information out of Ron or he would have used 'Legilimens'." Kingsley said.
"Nobody is going anywhere." Molly said entering the room. "I already lost one son; I don't want to lose one more child." Molly said clutching Harry's hand.
"You don't worry Mrs. Weasley, we are not going anywhere." Harry said carefully not looking at Hermione and immediately left the room leaving a dumbfounded Hermione behind, ending the conversation there.
Ron tried every unlocking spell he knew on the vault's door but nothing worked. The fire raged towards him destroying everything on its way. He casted a shield charm around him which was barely holding the fire. He cast one more cooling charm around him but the effect immediately had gone when the fire aggressively reached him. Ron knew he was going to die as his skin started burning; the fire was about to consume him when the vault door clicked and somebody dragged him out before closing the vault door. Ron tried to look at the person but he lost consciousness.
Any guesses who saved Ron? Feel free to review and answer….