Hey everyone. For this chapter, Ron might seem a bit OOC from the canon. And remember, I update a new chapter every first Saturday of the month. ^-^

Disclaimer: I don't own the Harry Potter series and I never will. Ideas something I just thought about while I was reading another Harry Potter fanfic.

Legend:

Thoughts

Conscience

Shouting

Normal

Chapter 3

~ ~ ~ ~ 3rd POV~ ~ ~ ~

Waking up, Ron at first doesn't know where he is, but then regained his bearings. Looking around, he realised that he's not at the Burrow. He spies a clock on a shabby bed side table and realised that it was around 3 in the morning.

"So it wasn't a dream. I really am Harry Potter."

At first, excitement crossed his face, then he remembers what happened before he was knocked out.

"Could Harry's life not be as brilliant as everyone thinks it is?"

Now, the logical part of a wizard or witches brain is most likely asleep for a majority of the wizarding world, so Ron's self-preservation instincts woke up from its long nap and decided to kick it awake for him.

Sitting there, Ron thinks back to all that he could about Harry when he first met him and during school. The times when Harry flinched away from touch, and when he was touched, with how awkward he looked. How he seemed to always be amazed at seeing food, and how he seemed to squirrel some away for later. As each thought passed, and from what he experienced being here, realisation and a look of horror dawned on his pale face when the implications set in.

The Boy-Who-Lived was being mistreated.

Remembering how Harry first looked on the train, Ron couldn't help but think how he could not have realised what was happening.

His face fell as he bitterly recalled that he was too amazed to be sitting with the Boy-Who-Lived to pay attention to anything else.

~ ~ ~ Flash Back ~ ~ ~

Stopping in front of the compartment Fred and George told him about, Ron took a deep breath to get rid of his nerves and squared his shoulders. When he opened the door, all courage fled and his question came out rather meek. "Is it ok if I sit here? Everywhere else is full". The entire time, Ron's eyes were focused on the tiny lightning bolt shaped scar under the dark fringe of hair trying to cover it.

~ ~ ~ End Flash Back ~ ~ ~

He shook his head as he thought about how scraggly and scrawny Harry looked in his too big clothes on the weekends.

~ ~ ~ Flash Back ~ ~ ~

Ron turned his head when he noticed Harry coming down the stairs. His jumper looked as though it was worn out and seen a lot of use. It was big enough for Harry to pitch a tent in, and his pants were no better. He looked as if though he was some urchin child from off the streets instead of the wealthy Boy-Who-Lived. And his hair looked as if though it had no idea what a brush was.

~ ~ ~ End Flash Back ~ ~ ~

Sighing, he closed his eyes. He, as a child could finally see that something was wrong, so how could the adults; teachers trained to take care of children; not know that someone was mistreating the Boy-Who-Lived. "I mean, come on. They're constantly watching him, so someone was bound to notice that the Boy-Who-Lived was being mistreated, right?"

Snorting, Ron remembered the look of upset and annoyance on Harry's face every time someone called him that. Shaking his head, he realised that because of that stupid moniker, no one would see pass the image they had erected for the poor child. Like with that greasy git Snape. "He wouldn't believe that Harry was mistreated even if it bit him in his slimy arse. He'd just say that Harry was an attention seeking brat."

He also remembered when he and the other boys thought that Harry wouldn't like sharing with them, then Harry made a comment about this being way better than a cupboard.

A sneaking suspicion told him to check out the cupboard under the stairs. Looking at the clock once more, he decided to do so later, remembering how mad uncle Vernon had been when he was downstairs.

Getting up of the ground, Ron got onto the bed and under the threadbare sheets, hoping to get some sleep before everyone else woke up.

As he stared up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but wonder,

"If I'm here, then who is sleeping in my room at the Burrow?"

~ ~ the Burrow, Ottery St. Catchpole, England ~ ~

A red-haired, blue eyed little boy was helping his mother clean up the table from dinner, when a horrible sneeze forced him to drop the plates he was carrying. Good thing mum put an unbreakable charm on them.

"Ronnie, are you ok sweetie?"

"I'm okay mum. Just a little sneeze."

Picking up the dishes, Ronnie carried them to his mother and then left to go finish his homework.

"I'm heading upstairs to finish my homework mum"

"Okay Ronnie dear, I'll come up to check on you later"

Climbing the stairs, Ronnie wasn't surprised when he encountered his twin brothers on the landing before he got to his room. They each got on either side of him, when the twin on the left began to talk.

"Well Gred, it looks like we weren't able to corrupt, ickle-Ronniekins before he got to Hogwarts"

The twin on the right shook his head and wiped away fake tears.

"It looks like it Forge. All our hard work, for nothing"

With that, they both broke down into false sobs, blubbering about kids not making their 'parents' proud.

Ronnie rolled his eyes at the twin's antics.

"Fred, George, if I finish my homework this early, that gives me the chance to incorporate any new skills I learn into my pranks, and the earlier my homework is done, the more time I have left to plan pranks."

Hearing this, the newly dubbed Fred and George stopped their weeping and looked at their little brother with a kind of awed look in their eyes.

"You know Gred"

"What Forge?"

"I think our little Ronnie here has a very good idea."

"I think you're right my dear Gred. And could you imagine the shock the professors would get when we start paying attention in class?"

"They'd be looking over their shoulders for weeks to come."

With new plans forming in their heads, the twin's made their way to their rooms.

Ronnie just shook his head, when he heard a voice behind him.

"I think you just caused the end of a lot of peoples teaching careers"

Turning, Ronnie found the source of the voice to be his little sister.

"Hey there Ginny. Not really, they were bound to come up with something worse, and I needed to get them off my back to do my homework."

Ginny giggled, "So you sacrificed someone else's sanity to save yours?"

Ronnie gave her a mischievous smile, "Yup"

This sent Ginny into gales of laughter.

~ ~ Number Four Private Drive ~ ~

Turning onto his side, Ron closed his eyes and tried to imagine that he was back home at the Burrow. His mum cooking her famous roast beef and his dad and Ginny laughing at something the twin's said with Percy shaking his head at them.

Squeezing his eyes shut to stop the tears, he had one final thought before drifting into a restless sleep.

"I wish I was back home"

~ ~ somewhere in a room with a big crystal ball ~ ~

A woman with a pixie cut hair style and fairy like wings on her back, lovingly caressed the crystal ball as she gazed into it.

"Soon little one, the time is nigh"