Chapter 6 – Ron vents some more

AN: Also Filled with colorful metaphors and blunt vulgarities, so be warned

this one is a bit big - sorry.

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"Look I've clearly wasted enough time here, take the food and just carry-on with your camping holiday. Apparently you two really believe that you can win this war without getting your hands dirty. A simple Exspeliamus and old Tom and the rest of his Death Eaters will all drop there wands and give up. But no worries - - I'll take care of the core at … uh, - I mean, - - - things."

"Exactly - what do you mean by, - "Things?", inquired Harry quickly noticing that Ron had just made a Freudian slip-up.

"Have you been Confunded recently?," Ron quickly-countered with a-bit of insulting mockery. "Because you seem a-bit dumber than the last time I saw you. Well – I don't know - - Maybe that happens to blokes when they let their birds do ALL their thinking for them." Then he paused for a moment to let the insult fester – hoping it would trigger Harrys anger and cover his slip of tongue.

"We've been trying …we've looked in loads of places… Harry retorted hotly – as expected.

"All the wrong places, - going to Godric Hallow was plain stupid - - for Merlin's sake, what were you thinking? You were born there Potter, Tom Riddle wasn't. He was born in an orphanage that was torn down twenty five years ago, it's an office tower now …by the way. It didn't take a bookworm genius for the DE to figure-out that you'd go to the Hollows or Hogwarts." Ron repeated as if speaking to a pair of dimwitted children.

"You're a very bitter man these days Ron," Hermione said sadly

"Ya-think, golly – I wonder… 'Who' could have made-me into one of those?" Ron replied with heavy cynicism

"Ron there is no need too - -

Ron interrupted at once; "as I said already, - - we in the resistance have decided to put things right; and I volunteered to find you all by my lonesome - - do the task you still haven't done. By that I mean, finishing off Tom's Horcruxes? The only skill you've shown so far on this quest is in hiding - - so carry-on with that and let a real man take care of the important stuff.

"You're going to Finish off Voldemort'?" repeated Hermione in enough astonished disbelief enough for her to say the forbidden name – her tone thickly laced with mockery and skepticism. "What do you mean? That you are going to kill him - - You?"

Ron frowned. "There it is again - - the clear doubt concerning my abilities coming out of your mouth - - Granger. You once said different - but that was a lie too, wasn't it - - like so much of the other deceptive rubbish you feed me, last term - about being in love with me and other such nonsense - - so no big surprise there. But kill him? No - not exactly," he explained bitterly, as a dangerous gleam flashed behind his eyes. "I do remember the prophecy; 'surprise-surprise'. I know your lover-boy has to do the actual deed. And he'll get all the recognition for wining this war too - - almost single handed. Oh hell yes, all the glory will go to your hero, and you'll be right there; as Potter's woman …to share the credit.

"RON!"

"Potter and Granger, without help - disarm thousands of DE'; I can almost see the headlines. Not that I really care who gets the glory for ending this war; in fact - you'd be surprised how much you can get done if no one involved gives a shite about who gets the credit. But that's your problem Potter – not mine - - you should realized this flaw in your bunk-mate; she's an overachiever determined to be the best – in everything she does - - get it? She's only with you to get the glory - - top marks in the class of killing Voldemort.

So share the glory - - I don't care, but we mere mortals can't wait anymore - - for you two to take your good sweet time getting the job done. While you're out here writing your post-victory speeches - - there are loads of innocent Muggle-born and half-blood families being murdered every day - - while you and lover-boy do nothing but lounge-about and shag.

Ron we aren't - - we haven't in - -"Hermione began only to be interrupted.

"- - What's surprising you so much, Granger?," Ron spat back - - his growing resentment - feeding fuel to his long repressed anger – which in turn – undid the mental barriers around his trapped feelings of rejection – these dangerous emotions – resulting in his visibly growing rage. It was a vicious circle that a hot tempered – stubborn Hermione - natural urge to argue with him on intensified.

"I know you believe that I'm ruddy incompetent; not able to tie my shoes without Felix-Felicis. Can't ever be as good at anything as your beloved Chosen One? Remember the load of rubbish you spun on me, trying to convince me that I might-be just as good as him. But the truth was you were both playing me - a cruel prank on a love-sick fool - and immature silly me fell for it - - hook line and sinker.

"I meant what I said about you - - you're just as good as Harry in many things - - and in some categories - - loads better. You are a good man Ron, and far more honorable a person than I turned out to be. I regret every-hate filled word, I spat - without thinking - at our break-up, and wish more than you know for a way to take them back - - " Hermione half-whispered so low only Harry heard her - - for he too was feeling horrible regret for what he'd done.

"- - For no mere wizard… like me, - -" Ron retorted hotly – continuing on in his rant unabated - - having not heard any of what she had said in a whisper, - "would dare-hope to challenge the fate of those being killed every day by people such as the Malfoy's. But it's a funny thing, it's the average blokes like me that are doing the fighting and the dying in this war. Not-you demi-god Heroes!

"THANK_GOD - - that judgment day for the Malfoy's and all the other Death Eaters is coming - I'm happy to say that it will soon be at hand - and they'll pay for their crimes. Perhaps not all at my hands - but someone will get them, of that I'm sure. The old Ron wasn't as good as you-are with spells Granger - - nor did he have destiny behind him like Potter here does, he didn't even have the stones to try? - - But the NEW RON is going to give it a go - - I know I might die fighting - - probably will die, but at least I perish doing something instead of sitting on my arse like you two.

"You'll be dead in a week without us," Harry spat back in mocking contempt.

"I'm already dead …you dolt. I've been in a more-or-less - running battle since November; Potter. You're setting too much store by the bumbling idiot that Granger thinks I'll - always be. I've been on my own camping trip and it changed me - - I've learned some hard hands-on lessons and they weren't about sex. Or do you really think I've found you here by accident, here in the middle of nowhere? Have you also forgotten that I've broken your oh so special charms without you noticing? How do you think I learned to avoid the taboo on Voldemort's name?

Hermione didn't know how to answer. Undoubtedly, those were interesting questions.

"Your good with a wand Potter, but your magic isn't uber powerful. Even you must know this. Tom has decades more in wand-combat experience than you - and Dumbledore didn't teach you squat. Ever ask your-self why?

"So tell me - - what will be your overwhelming tactical advantage when you face him? Dumbledore's power of Love - - your great love for Granger is how you intend to win …are you going to have a shagging contest with Tommie and Bellatrix? To prove who is the best fuck in England?

"Ron - - about that - -" Hermione began only to be interrupted yet again.

"- - I know you and the full extent of your magic. I also know you couldn't beat Snape in a running battle and the end of last term, you gave it your best shot and he toyed with you. In the four months I have apprenticed to my master, I've learned more about wand combat than Dumbledore taught you in six years. Think on that - - for Merlin's sake.

"Ron - - that's not true.

"Yes it is Hermione and deep down you know it too," Ron said slipping-up and calling her by her first name as his Occlumency shields began to break down completely – once again.

"I've come to understand magic at its primary, raw level." He spat - his pain filled emotions now rushing to the forefront of his mind – as Ron's torment became visibly obvious to Harry and Hermione. "I've learned spells that go so far beyond seventh year Newts level - - channeled magic so strong your charms are nothing against me. They're easy to detect, and even easier to dismantle. No offence," he added, looking at Hermione

"Alright-alright - - for the sake of argument, I'll concede that we've had rotten DADA professors over the years - but otherwise you're not making any sense," said Hermione, trying extra-hard to be reasonable while staring at Ron disbelievingly and becoming increasingly concerned by his growing rage.

She hadn't retorted to any of the insults Ron had hit her with before this - precisely out of fear of his notorious temper. She and Harry had learned from long experience to let Ron' angry rants run their course and lose steam - before trying to reason with him.

His language was far cruder than ever before, coarse enough to make a royal marine blush. And worse yet - he'd claimed to have killed people - In cold blood – and the possibility that it might be true scared her more than anything else – did she do this to him – had her rejection begin his transformation into a heartless killer? That realization made Hermione's already deep feelings of guilt increased a hundred fold.

Suddenly she felt that she truly deserved everything he was shouting at her and more. For this tongue lashing contained her own words and actions thrown back into her face. His verbal reaction to their break-up was eight months overdue, and fully justified - - However; her intended goal remained unchanged – she was determined to fight her instints to row with him and instead - try to calm Ron down and keep the conversation calm and rational.

"Magic at its primary level' what does that mean?" she asked softly, trying to redirect the topic away from personal issues.

"I don't have time to explain to you-lot magic that goes beyond even the Unspeakable's level; spells that Dumbledore should-have been teaching Harry twenty-four seven since third year." Ron roared in a fresh bout of red-hot anger and frustration as he suddenly took his wand out from inside his cloak.

Hermione flinched again at the speed he had employed, and fearing getting hexed - she reluctantly pointed her wand back at him in a more menacing manner. Ron raised an eyebrow at her futile gesture of defiance and snorted – his face twisting into an ironic half-smile - - the first genuine smile she had seen on his face since the break-up.

"Don't bother," he advised with thick scorn. "I've told you that if I had wanted to kill you, you'd be dead already."

"That's not Ron's wand," Harry abruptly pointed out eagerly in warning - as if that proved that Ron was an imposture - while Hermione stare at the wand in Ron's hand. It was slightly longer than Ron's former wand, thicker, and it was also of a dark reddish color, it had what seemed like strings of silver bands at intervals across its length from tip to hilt.

"Yes, it is," Ron replied easily sidetracked off topic - - another of his weakness's, that he would later mentally kick himself for. - Along with the repeated failures of his allegedly uber powerful Occulmency skills that his master had assured him would keep his anger firmly in-check. But Ron should have known better – there was No-one else on the ruddy-planet, who could get him distracted enough to wander off topic – as often as these two did.

"It's made of walnut - eleven inches long - pliable - - with a Minotaur heartstring core," he said the new subject calming him a bit. "A new wand - - that my master had me make for myself to channel the extra power I handle now."

"You made that wand?" Hermione automatically sardonically sneered - unintentionally undoing the calming effects of Harry's off-tangent subterfuge. "You must be kidding. Since when did you –of all people - - become a wand-maker?" she added contemptuously, deliberately speaking to Harry about Ron as if he wasn't there.

"I am a lot of things I wasn't before," he retorted - once again furious beyond description, as his self-control now completely vanished – while Harry glared a look at Hermione that conveyed the unspoken message of ; - - "You idiotic bint - - Why did you undo the calming-chat I started?" as he saw Ron's eyes glow red and his voice become hoarse with anger. "But I'm growing tired of this." Ron spat and moved the wand lazily, the next moment Hermione felt the protective charms surrounding them both and their campsite, abruptly disappear.

"WHAT?" she shrieked, astonished and more than a little afraid? "How did you do that? You lifted all of my complex charms without effort. We're exposed!"

"What's the problem?" Ron shouted his body trembling in fury, his hands glowing with white light magic. "You were going to lift them, anyway. You were leaving, moving to somewhere in the south - - weren't you? And as for being exposed - - I'd not worry about it. If all the Death Eaters in the United Kingdom find us right-now, none of them would leave this grove alive."

"Ron - - please - calm down," she begged becoming seriously worried, for she had never seen his temper this out of control.

"We haven't agreed about turning anything over or to come with you," replied Harry recklessly - but also in a worried tone. "As Hermione has explained, we aren't sure you're the real Ron as you're not clarifying any of our questions."

"Dam-you girl," Ron abruptly spat as he saw the growing fear on their faces and realized the significance. "Hold-on a second, while I regain my composure". A slight wave of his hand and Harry and Hermione were frozen in place - and then bending over at the waist - and putting his hands on his knees; Ron took a series of slow calming breaths.

He closed his eyes and mentally pushed all the crippling emotional pain he now felt - back into the cerebral container in his mind where he kept them bottled-up. Clearing his mind was an major struggle this time and focusing his magic; with an all but audible click his Occlumency shield slammed back into place.

Ron kicked himself intellectually for allowing this conversation to wander off topic so many times, onto subjects that he knew dam-well would set him off emotionally. 'Some super powerful wizard you turned out to be – you're a ruddy joke. In and out quickly - yeah-right that worked so-well too - -didn't it – Weasley'? He said to himself.

His master had warned him that speaking to her would be his undoing, and Ron hated it when his master was right. Well he wasn't a hero - like them –- he was just an average bloke doing a dirty job. Deep down he'd known that bushy haired deceiver would always be his Achilles Heel - 'but you couldn't pass on the change to see her again - - could you? He thought. Oh well I've mucked-up, but a mistake isn't total if you learn from it - - and the sooner you get your lovesick arse away from her the more self-control I'll regain. With that small thought of comfort he Straightened-up again and resumed speaking in a far more confident emotion free monotone.

"I didn't ask either of you to come with me. We in the resistance figured that you should just carry-on doing what you do best …hide. You can put up the Charms again once I leave, I suppose, and Harry can cook you both a fine meal, or move south and do it there," he retorted now perfectly calm.

"And then," he added, casually canceling the wandless spell that had them petrified, "When all the Horcruexs are gone, I'll come back and find you again and take you to a place where the Chosen One here can try to kick Tommie's butt. But, as I am already here, before I depart - I think it's best if I destroy the Horcrux you already have."

Harry and Hermione retreated at once, her wand hand aiming again and ready to strike. "What do you know about the locket?" Harry asked.

"I know you got the locket off of Umbridge on the second of September - - lord knows she was punished heavily for the attack on her courtroom - and the prisoners that escaped. Also, as I said, more than once - I know Hermione is right-now wearing it. And just by knowing that I think it's obvious that I'm not a Death Eater in disguise, isn't it? Only the three of us and Voldemort know about them."

"Okay," Harry accepted the point. "But how do you know it's a real Horcrux?"

"I've told you," Ron sighed in frustration – try to keep up with the program, Potter – okay? I have means that neither of you would approve of - - concerning their whereabouts. I also told you I'm playing by Death Eater rules now, and gaining information their way - - isn't pleasant.

"You two want to keep your hands clean - I get that - - so let's cut to the chase here. I know you have it, and you're going to give it to me. It's just that simple. So, can you both stop playing at being daft so I can destroy the locket and get out of here? The sooner you turn it over the sooner I'll be gone and you can then go back to your do-nothing honeymoon."

"We cannot destroy it," said Hermione in despair. "We have nothing so destructive —"

"I can destroy it," cut in Ron.

"How?" asked Hermione, confused. "Horcruxes only can be —"

"- - destroyed by something so destructive that they cannot be magically repaired, yes," completed Ron, wearily. "I know what Horcruxes are and exactly how they work. My master and mentor unlike your Albus Dumbledore does-not withhold information from his protégé for some obscure greater-good. He tells me almost everything, I think, in fact, that I know more about Voldemort and his ruddy-Horcruxes than you two combined, so please …spare me the lecture."

Hermione couldn't answer, astonished as she was. "How do you - - ?"

"- - This is getting us nowhere," said Ron, interrupting her. "Sorry, about this" he added and then he gave a tiny flick with his wand, its tip flashed briefly, and Hermione's wand flew out of her hand towards Ron, while at the same instant they found their feet stuck to the ground.

"Will you stop doing that?" yelled Harry very irrated.

"How did you - - ?" screamed Hermione, suddenly very afraid.

"I really didn't come here to harm either of you," explained Ron sadly, catching Hermione's wand mid-air. "Now you're both disarmed, so I could do anything to you. But honestly the only 'thing' I intend to actually attack are Horcruxes." He was going to say something more, but-instead, he suddenly changed subjects. As off he went on another side-tangent; "Where's your wand Harry?

"It's broken," Harry glanced briefly at Hermione, and she felt her face turn pink. "Well, mine — mine got broken - - by accident, during our visit to Godric's Hollow," he said.

"Broken?" Ron asked mildly surprised. "You didn't try to mend it?"

"I tried, using Hermione's wand but it didn't really mend," Harry answered, dejectedly. "It broke again the first time I tried to use it again."

Shifting Hermione's wand into the one that held his own wand, Ron reached into his robes and pulled out a foot long narrow wooden box. Inside was about a half-dozen wands of different types including his old one made of Ash. He laid them out on the rock bench side by side and said.

"I've acquired most of these off of fallen enemies, but they've been purged of dark-magic, so they are okay to use. Always good to have spares, eh,? Okay - Mister high and mighty Chosen-One, I need you to look hard at these wands very-very- closely - and then close your eyes, - look through your eye lids and tell me if any of the six glow more than the others?

"The one on the left - - the very first one," Harry said, indicating Ron's old wand.

"Figures", Ron mumbled, putting his own walnut wand down and picking-up his old Ash one of approximately the same length.

"Come over here and take it away from me," Ron said getting into a combat stance and waving his hand to free Harrys' feet. "Be warned - you're going to have to fight me for it.

Harry thought that Ron had been joking - but he wasn't, Harry did have to semi-fight for Ron's wand, finally, after a few minutes of serious struggling - by unexpectedly stomping on Ron's right-foot - Harry got the wand a-way from Ron.

"Good …you defeated me in combat, which means according to wand lore, my old wand will change allegiance from me to you and should work for you; loads-better than any borrowed wand. Go ahead - try it out

"Yeah I can see that." Harry said smiling big - as red sparks flew out from the tip -as he waved his 'new' wand about for a-bit. "It does seem to work much better for me than Hermione's wand.

Shifting Hermione's wand back into his free hand Ron then canceled the spell holding the girl immobile - and then walked up to her and reversed the wand and handed it back… hilt first.

"You need to work on your hand grip, Granger - - had this been an actual duel with a DE you would be defeated or dead. And the only way I ever want to remember defeating you is at wizard chess. Now give me the locket you're wearing and I'll leave you both in peace.

(End-tran)

AN; you see - my Ron is not super powerful, in fact he still has his weakness – a Weasley temper and irresistible attraction to - - well - - you know.

Well I've caught up with what I prewrote so updates may come slower

Please review; I haven't been abused as a writer for ages.