Chapter 11 – A matter of trust
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AN: rant # 3) - - does anyone remember this -from chapter one; "the opening scenes in this story were heavily inspired by 'Those Four Last Days of the War' - as originally written by; oscarpaz00 - - Fanfictiondotnet id #:7192398. I recommend it for those who like uber-powerful Ron's. - - and the last few chapters Ron has moved up to ancient God status powers.
I took Oscarpaz00 story almost verbatim up to the point that Ron first speaks to Harry and Hermione because the premise intrigued me. A Casual sex betrayal of Ron instead of being love based was Oscarpaz00 concept and I foolishly thought I'd give a go at writing another redemption story. My attempts to write HJG as admitting her mistake and moving from a meaningless relationship and not knowing what real-love was - to risking something she was unsure of - with a boy she knew loved her beyond reason - has not come off as intended. For this I apologize. I will try to do better from here on.
Hermione in my tale is not a calculating shrew – Harry is, but he's just channeling his inner Slytherin - - she did something wrong because of outside interference with her normal inhibitions, (yes the above was a spoiler) - Nor is this story about religion per-say. But as our western concept of right and wrong is based in Jewish/Christian religious beliefs - I wanted Ron to share that moral system, - it's a good philosophy to live by – believe me. If I have offended any hedonist in my readership by promoting romantic fidelity – do I again apologize – oh HELL NO.
I'm not a great writer, I'm not even a good one; I'm just a humble story teller using lousy pose with a tall-tale to tell. I won't hold a gun to your head and force you to read this. I write this stuff - because there are so little adult relationship 'Hp' stories out there. If I have to read one more fifteen year old first kiss story, I'll lose my lunch. - - Basically - I write what I'd want to read. The writers of Lord of the Rings and Narnia felt the same way
Pant – pant, - - got that out of my system, good. And now for the few of you still reading - -
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Back to the matrix
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"Is that your main issue with Miss Granger now, a lack of faith that she can be faithful to you?"
"Of course it is, Master - - All relationships are based on trust, Hermione gave lie to my face for six solid months she played shy and modest girlfriend with me, and then snuck off to play slag with Potter. That was treachery – on a scale that goes beyond my ability to measure. It wasn't a case of misunderstanding or withholding the fact that they were lovers. I asked them dozens of times - seperately and when we were all together - what they were doing during Quidditch practice or house matches and she gave lie to my face by saying revisiting. She gave me her word of honor at the time that nothing was going on between them – her word.
"But if she and Potter aren't together anymore," Abe argued.
We're as different as day and night – as lie and truth, Master, what common–ground is there for the three of us anymore – the less than truthful heroes and a cold blooded killer.
You are not a killer boy.
"To their way of thinking - I've committed huge war-crimes during this conflict - - we have no territory to retreat too – no sanctuary zone to set up P.O.W. camps, - I have no extra resources to waste on guarding prisoners. So I've killed DE's rather than fight the same prisoners over and over again. I've made bargains of life and death with a murderous enemy - - sold freedom to others for Intel or gold. Under magical law I am a horrible criminal - and yet; Narcissa Malfoy felt that my word of honor could be trusted.
"When I say something to the lads - they know I telling the truth - partially because they know from Hogwarts that I'm a terrible liar - but mostly because it's easier to be honest with people. I may withhold part of truth from the enemy – for tactical reasons - - but what I do say out-loud to my people can-be fully trusted. Harry and Hermione word of honor - can no longer be trusted in my mind – precisely because I feel that too them - honesty is pliable - as a means to an end and the truth is a flexible thing to be bent or twisted to suit a momentary need. They are as casual with the truth as they are with their lovers. You have no idea how disappointed I am in both of them.
"Then you can't really trust what they told you about their relationship ending - - can you?
"I honestly don't know - I've been struggling with the teachings of my youth since I visited their camp. I was taught to give a bloke the benefit of the doubt to believe I'm hearing is the truth - - unless I caught them in a bold face lie. How do you rebuild that trust once it's gone – is there a scale for liars – one lie a week - - two lies a month?
"On that scale you couldn't trust either of them again for one hundred years.
"Even a normally easy to forgive bloke like me; can't help but wonder - - can I or any member of my family ever trust - ever again, a self-confessed hedonist - like Harry? That self-righteous Prat just called me a cold-blooded murder with fresh Malfoy blood on my hands, and he's right. – I am a heartless killer - - of DE murders of children.
But to heroes like Potter and Granger - all the innocent Muggle's that Lucius Malfoy killed for sport - - pales in comparison to my crime of killing him unarmed. I'm not supposed to judge him –be he's sure as hell judged me. How come this huge Prat - a special child of destiny – who's sat on his arse doing nothing for the last five odd months - - this unrepentant liar - will get more respect from history than me and my resistance lads.
"You're not a killer -you are a soldier fighting in a war against Muggleborn genocide;" Abe said in exasperated frustration for the ten thousandth time. "I agree with you though - - Potter and Granger with their clean hands and unrealistic ethics - will take the majority of the glory for all the raids you've lead, the battles we have fought and the lives we have saved - - and that's regretful - but History is often the world biggest liar – look at the glory they showered my brother Albus with – until just recently.
Potter getting the credit for your deeds, however - - shouldn't make you regret what you've done – because everyone in this camp is alive today because of what you've been doing.
"I have no real-regrets, Master, I'm just venting against fate – waxing poetical - howling at the moon so to speak," Ron bemoaned while staring at the tent were Hermione laid at deaths door. "Fate must truly hate me – Master. Honestly - I didn't set all those prisoners free just to create a resistance movement. They should be living peacefully in exile not getting their hands bloody, going on raids with me.
"Resistance to tyranny requires one man to stand up and fight – that man then becomes the leader of others.
"Well that's you - - as my Master – that makes you my leader – doesn't it? Ron said half-jokingly.
"Oh Sweet Merlin - no - Ronald, I was your teacher for a-bit - - and then your first military consular, and only when it was just the two of us against all of the DE. These late-comers – these goodie-two-shoes party crashers, took all the fun out of fighting Riddle. - So I handle the money and logistics for you now - for I'm far too old and frail to lead troops in combat.
"Then it's lucky for both of us that I brought-back the Great Potter, they'll elect to follow him from now on.
"I wouldn't count on that, Ronald - - a lot of the public has been wondering for a-while now - why Potter hasn't done anything else since the Ministry raid. The Daily Prophet bemoans that fact every-day – calling him a coward in hiding - while others die in his place. There have been zero sighting of him at the Snatcher attacks either – or - the blood-status bigot's house burnings - and the French Wizarding Press took extra pains to establish that Harry wasn't a-part of the Azkaban operation. They don't know who leads the 'KW' resistance but they know it isn't Potter.
"Don't use that nickname - please?
"Why not, it's the troops themselves that picked the name - - not you. No – my boy - unless you want them all killed, you should give up the idea of turning over command to Harry. Not that Dean, Dirk or the other squad leaders would go for it anyway. Potter was always far too much a lone-wolf to be a leader of more than two other people - and my older sibling actually said as much; many times. "Harry" - - Albus said to me - - "is not the centurion type."
"And I am," Ron replied.
"It's your true calling - Chess-master and deep down you know it - - our very-own magical Wellington. It is a pity there isn't another way; our side will not see your-equal again. You'll be sorely missed when you're gone. If you could purge yourself of your sole weakness - - -
"- - the bushy-haired deceptive-witch, yes Master - I know that all too well – but tell me what I can't figure it out on my own - how can love and hate for the same woman – beat within a single heart.
"It was the heart that she broke that made your core magic accessible," Aberforth said knowingly, "just think of where all those Muggleborn inmates of Azkaban would be now - - if Granger hadn't betrayed you. I see the hand of fate in all of this.
"What a crock, don't waste good blarney on me; Master," Ron said with an ironic chuckle. "I don't have a fragile ego to inflate anymore. I know my place in the scheme of things and don't need the false flattery of counterfeit friends - to do what needs be done.
"All the same," Abe continued – "had not Granger broken your heart there wouldn't be the core power available to bring down Voldemort's Death Eaters. The plan is a brilliant one; and unless she has somehow convinced you of her undying love – given you a reason to live beyond your last battle?
"No, Master, when I left them in the forest of dean - she was still a casual sex advocate just like Potter, I doubt either of them will come to grasp the true meaning of love anytime in the next decade.
"Then I see no reason to change your little scheme. It's ironic really, but my meddlesome brother Albus was right after all, love will bring Voldemort down; it's just not Harry Potter's love.
"Potter's days are numbered, Master and will soon die – just as you always predicted. I sensed it in him the moment I arrived, - he doesn't have the killer instinct - and in the end that might be a kindness – considering the other thing he has inside him. In battle today with three to one odds against him, he still could not bring himself to kill even one of his opponent's, - which means he can't kill Tom." Ron reported in a resigned monotone.
"That's my peace-loving brothers doing - I'll wager. A pity really – from all you've told me - - I'd say that Harry Potter is rapidly developing into a conceited-hedonist, especially since my brother's death – he's full of himself without doubt - - but that in itself is not a crime. However, I've just had a thought that I want to bounce off of you.
"I'll need you to take a step back and consider the Potter change in personality in a more detached and objective context. Isn't his new behavior more consistent with members of a Hogwarts house known for their, me-first attitudes? Didn't you tell me that the sorting hat wanted to sort Potter into a house that wasn't Gryffindor.
Ron's head snapped hard right as he stared in horror at his mentor, the unspoken implication obvious.
"And speaking of the Slytherin behaving 'Chosen-One'," Aberforth said casually pointed at the listless teenager standing some twenty feet away from where Ron sat staring off at the distant ocean. "have you noticed you ex-friend has been hexed, or to speak more properly - - he's coming out of a multi-year curse, that looks like one of my elder brother's favorites - - for I recognize the withdraw symptoms.
"Albus put a protective hex on Harry? Ron asked, so stunned he used his first name.
"Perhaps - but it's been so long since I've seen one of Albus's spells come apart - I'm not sure. My manipulative sibling certainly did something to your two best friends before he died - - which only recently began to unravel.
The Chosen One as you can plainly see - - appears only casually interested in Miss Grangers current near death condition or anything else going-on around him. I highly doubt that if a Death Eater was torturing his parents in front of us - right now, that the sight would generate any emotional response from Potter.
"Destiny hates me master;" Ron protested a little to loudly. "I need Potter fit and ready to face Voldemort in the next couple of days.
"Hey, I can fight, but I'll need a new wand," Harry said in semi-daze as he wandered back over to where Abe and Ron sat. Harry was behaving very-very strangely now - as if he had no cares in the world - - - speaking up for the first time in nearly a hour - in spite of the fact that he had been indirectly-discussed for the last twenty odd minutes.
"Pettigrew's wand resisted ever spell I tried to cast - and Bellatrix broke your old wand, right from the off - so all I have left that works for me is Draco's. By the way - - have you seen Hermione? She's wandered off somewhere.
"Look at him Aberforth", Ron said disgusted. "Can you do anything?
"I'll try Ronald, but first I must determine what Albus actually did. Harry is connected to Granger's health somehow and if she recovers, perhaps Potter will bounce back as well?
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- end tran. (See the original 'Tron' for the story behind my chapter ending sign-off)
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An: I'm on vacation starting tomorrow and going to a place with little or no Wi-Fi, as this story is housed in my desktop PC back-home, my updates are going to slow to a crawl. Besides, although I have been accused of rushing this story - -in actuality, most of it was written ahead of time for my own enjoyment, before I received permission from; Oscarpaz00 to publish this. And you readers have just about caught up to me – sitting in front my keyboard with a blank screen in front of me, - so stay tuned. Yes Buck I have a complete outline – want to see it?
This tale is not being abandoned, anyone who has read my other stories know I always finish what I start. See y'all later - BB