AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here is Chapter 17! Time for announcements...
1. This will be a fast paced chapter, so get ready for it.
2. This chapter sets up a lot of things to come in the next few chapters.
3. Only two or three more chapters before First Year ends! Then we go onto the Holiday arcs!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 17 – The Snake and The Lions
Ronald Weasley's POV
Ron was working on his homework alongside his friends, and he couldn't help but feel a small pang of guilt. Easter Holidays were just now coming to an end, and his friends were disheartened to learn that Lord Greengrass had not made Ron an offer. Daphne had been livid at first, and had run off to Owlery to send her father a piece of her mind. While the others just consoled Ron by telling him that he would no doubt get multiple offers soon. Ron hated lying to them, but he had decided to follow Lord Greengrass' plans. So he had pretended to be crestfallen, and in doing so, he had deceived his friends easily.
It had taken Ron by surprise to learn that Chess Masters were obligated to wait one week after the tournaments before they could send out their offers. Theo had told him that it was seen as 'unethical and unfair' to the competition to snatch up a promising apprentice without giving the others time to learn of said apprentice. Cleary Lord Greengrass doesn't care much for rules or obligations…
"Ron…" came in Pansy's voice, breaking him out of his thoughts. Ron looked at her and smiled.
"Yes Pansy?" Ron asked, happy with the thought that Pansy was making a bigger effort to fit in. She had always chosen to stay quiet most of the time, and never really brought up her own opinions. Even when they did homework, she wouldn't really ask for help but instead waited to be given help. But after Ron had given her a hug and told her that she was one of his closest friends, she had begun to open up even more. She even argued with Daphne just three days ago, which really showed that she wanted to be seen as one of the group, rather than just a person who spent time with them.
"What are the ingredients needed for the Herbicide Potion?" Pansy asked, looking at her answer sheet with annoyance.
"Those would be… Flobberworm mucus, Standard Ingredient, Lionfish spines, and Horklump juice" Ron answered, as if quoting from a book. Pansy thanked him with a smile and jotted down the answer. Ron also noticed his other friends jotting down the answer as well, much to his amusement. They all ask me different questions so they can get all the answers… That way they don't have to do a thing… Sneaky little snakes!
Once homework was done, they all relaxed around the empty common room. Tomorrow it would be filled with the other Slytherins, and they'd have to share this space. The girls were talking to each other animatedly about something that they had read in the 'Witch Weekly' magazine, while the boys played a game of Gobstones.
"I'm going to miss having this place to ourselves" Theo mused, and then he threw his gobstone and captured Blaise's gobstone. "We won't be able to play Gobstones anymore… It's not 'cool' enough…" Ron shook his head at that.
"I think it's cool" Ron argued, watching out for whose gobstones were the easiest to capture.
"Of course you do" Blaise said with a faint smirk. "You're the least 'cool' person I know." Hey!
"I'm cool… I've done some cool things…" Ron argued, frowning at Blaise.
"You have done cool things Ron" Theo jumped in, smiling at Ron. "But you yourself aren't very cool. You're kind of a nerd…" Wow… betrayed by Theo… Ron huffed loudly, imitating Daphne's go to move.
"Maybe I'm so cool, that you two can't even understand it" Ron argued back, earning a chuckle from his best friends.
"Girls!" Theo called out, getting their attention. "Is Ron cool?"
"Nah… he's kind of a nerd" Tracey said, smiling at Ron. WHAT?! I AM COOL!
"You are quite nerdy Ron" Millie said, giggling at Ron's hurt expression. Millie… Did they plan this? Are they trying to wind me up?
"Sorry Ron" Pansy said, shrugging her shoulders at him. Ron was shocked… Genuinely shocked! How could such a thing be possible? He wasn't the 'cool' one amongst his friends? HOW? Ron looked to Daphne, but she was smiling sadly at him.
"You are the nerdiest person that I have ever encountered…" Daphne said, her voice blunt. THIS CANNOT BE!
"Well if I'm so 'uncool', then you lot should sponge answers off of other people!" Ron said, genuinely annoyed. His friends broke into laughs and giggles, which drove him up the wall even more. He let out a grunt and decided to go to bed. As he stood up, Theo tried to grab his wrist while laughing at him. Ron quickly moved to the side and marched up to his dorm, grumbling about what was 'cool' and what wasn't. His friends laughed hard at the success of their 'plan'. They really did want to wind him up, and it had worked so spectacularly!
"Welcome back from your Easter Holidays" Dumbledore announced to the students in the Great Hall. "I hope you all had a refreshing break with your family and friends. But now I must ask you all to begin your preparations for the upcoming exams…" There were loud groans from the student body, and Dumbledore chuckled. These are going to be so easy… I already know what's going to be on the exams.
"Yes… I know that exams are unpleasant" Dumbledore continued, earning scolding glares from the staff. The students broke into giggles and laughter at that. "But… they are important to your education. So please… work hard for these next two months, and then you can enjoy a guilt free end of year holiday! Now before we all continue on with the feast, I have one more announcement to make."
"As many of you may have heard" Dumbledore said, smiling faintly. "Hogwarts is now home to a Junior League Chess Champion." The Slytherins broke into cheers and whistles at the sound of that, and Ron went beet-red. His friends were the loudest in cheering for him. I didn't see that coming… and why are the other Slytherins so excited? More sponging off of me, I guess… Dumbledore raised his hands and the Hall slowly became quiet again.
"I would like to congratulate Ronald Weasley, of House Slytherin, for bringing this honor to our school" Dumbledore said, a hint of pride in his voice. There were more cheers from Slytherin and even some cheers from the other houses. Dumbledore then flicked his wand and a trophy appeared on the podium. "Hogwarts has been granted the Junior League Championship Trophy this year thanks to his triumph. So from all the staff serving at Hogwarts, thank you Ronald." Ron smiled shyly at Dumbledore, and he noticed many of the staff smiling at him. And Snape is smirking… I guess that's as close as he gets to smiling…
"Now, without further ado… let the feast begin" Dumbledore said with a clap. The food appeared and the students dug right in.
"That was refreshing" said Blaise as he put a steak on his plate.
"What was refreshing?" Ron asked as he put two steaks on his plate.
"Dumbledore openly praising Slytherin like that" Blaise said, cutting into his steak.
"And them cheering you on" Theo said, smiling slyly at Ron.
"You're back in Slytherin's good graces again" Daphne said to Ron, giving Ron a faint smile. For a smart person, Ron was extremely slow… That's great! Let's see how long it takes before they turn on me again… I'm done trying to please them.
"Draco doesn't look very happy…" Millie provided in a whisper, and Ron groaned at the sound of that. Miserable git is never happy…
"Who cares if he is unhappy?" Pansy said firmly, earning shocked looks from the entire group. Did someone kidnap and replace Pansy? "What? He is being shallow and immature… Ron has earned Slytherin a good victory, and he can't seem to see that. It's rather pathetic." Pansy said to the group in a haughty voice. This new Pansy… I like her!
"Now that… was refreshing" Tracey said with a laugh, giving Pansy a pat on her back. Pansy glowed at the compliment from Tracey and resumed her meal. This is great… Good for Pansy!
Dinner went well, and Ron couldn't help but notice many of the older students giving him strong nods when he looked their way. When they got back into the common room, an older male student walked up to their group. Ron noticed that he was quite pale and tall, and he held himself with authority.
"Do you lot mind if I burrow Ronald here for a quick minute?" the boy asked, his voice was low and smooth. He had jet-black hair that were swept back, and his grey eyes were stormy. He was quite intimidating, and handsome. Who is this? Looks like a seventh year… Ron's friends looked to Ron and waited for his answer to the older boy.
"It's cute that you all look to him first" the older boy said with a smile, a smile which looked forced. "But my request… wasn't a request. Scatter now!" The boy glared at Ron's friends and they all slowly left, still looking at Ron worriedly. Okay… who is this tosser? When they were alone, the boy turned his attention to Ron. "Hello Ronald, my name is Victor Burke. And I wish to speak with you about something rather important. Care to give me a moment?" He sounds polite and even kind… but he clearly isn't.
"Let me guess" Ron began "that isn't a request either?" Victor smiled at Ron, this time it was genuine.
"Clever lad, and no it wasn't. Follow me." With that, Victor led them both out of the common room and then to a secluded corner. He then removed his wand, and Ron quickly reached for his own. "Easy Ronald… I mean you no harm. If I did… then you'd know, trust me." Victor then muttered a spell and flicked his wand at Ron. Ron felt the odd sensation of an egg being cracked on his head, and it travelled down his whole body. Victor then did the same spell on himself.
Ron looked at his body, and to his shock, it was almost invisible. He could faintly see himself when he moved, but only barely and because he was looking for himself. THIS IS SO WICKED! What kind of spell is this?!
"What kind of spell is this?" Ron asked excitedly, looking around for Victor. He heard a chuckle come from behind him. Ron quickly turned around and was met with nothing but air.
"It is called the Disillusionment Charm. Crafty, isn't it?" Victor said in a low and arrogant voice. Bloody hell… This isn't even in Charlie's journal! I have to learn it! But first things first…
"Why are we… invisible?" Ron asked, curious about this meeting.
"We aren't supposed to talk, Ronald. But I refuse to sit around like my fellow Triumvirate seat members." THE TRIUMVIRATE? Victor is… Bloody hell… I finally met one of them. "They refuse to approach you on the basis that you are still a first year, and therefore not to be hassled by us. But I don't agree, you are far more than just some first year. And I need your help…" My help? With what?
"What do you need my help with…? Don't you… sort of run Slytherin?" Ron asked, getting excited by this meeting. He had to admit, this cloak and dagger stuff really got him excited. Another Slytherin trait I've picked up…
"I do… but not really" Victor said softly, his voice sent a chill down Ron's spine. "The Triumvirate was formed because the first Slytherins believed that one person shouldn't hold all the power in the house. As such, three people were needed to vote on different matters concerning the house. And it was decided that the first-years, being the lowest year, would be left alone for the most part. There was no point in involving them with matters that were beyond their ages."
"And tradition being a Slytherin quality" Victor continued "resulted in first years becoming alienated from our rule over the years… As you can tell, I don't agree with the founders of the Silver Triumvirate. Especially when faced with a first year like yourself." This is actually really amazing… Slytherin has so many secrets. I can't help but wonder about the other houses… Are they like us?
"You still haven't explained what you need me for" Ron said in a whisper, getting caught up in the secrecy of the meeting.
"You, Ronald, are a gold mine of house points…" Victor said softly, and then he paused. "Let me tell you a story. It's about my journey through Slytherin house over the years. I found out about the Triumvirate through my father when I was a first year, and I was immediately obsessed with them. I knew that it my destiny to be a part of this… elite group. And so, I worked hard. Harder than anyone else in my year… all just get here."
"And as you know, Slytherin has been on a six year win-streak with the House Cup." Victor continued, his words enthralling Ron. "A win-streak that began in my first year. And now here I am, a member of the Silver Triumvirate, and our win-streak is under threat…" It is...?
"I thought we were ahead of the other houses?" Ron asked, getting worried at the prospect of losing the House Cup.
"We are…" Victor said softly. "But that will quickly change. You see, the secret behind Slytherin's victories over the last few years, has been our Quidditch team. The House of Salazar always aims to win the Inter-House Quidditch Cup. And that nets us a large sum of house points… but this year… Harry Potter has changed the game." Harry?
"What do you mean by that?" Ron asked, curious about Harry's part in taking away the House Cup from Slytherin.
"Gryffindor will win the Quidditch Cup… there is no alternative" Victor said, his voice venomous. "And my fellow Triumvirate colleagues… refuse to see it. They would rather boast about traditions, rather than about victory. I have worked far too hard to get here, and now I may lose the Cup in my year as a Triumvirate member… I will not be held responsible for losing this win-streak. And that's what has brought you and me together, Ronald." Ron gulped at the sound of that. What the hell does he want from me?
"And what do need me to do? I'm not on the Quidditch team… So I can't help you there" Ron said in a dry voice.
"I know" Victor said softly. "But you earn more points than anyone in this house… That's what I need from you." More points? How? The professors give me less and less points in every class. They expect me to answer everything already!
"Easier said than done" Ron said smoothly. "The professors don't exactly throw points my way anymore…"
"Then work harder…" Victor said, his voice was cutting.
"And what do I get out of this?" Ron asked icily, annoyed at being commanded around. Victor chuckled at that, losing the edge on his voice from before.
"Now that… is a very Slytherin thing to say" Victor said in amusement. "I must admit, you've come far because of your friends. Especially because of Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini…"
"You've been watching me for long then" Ron said, knowing the answer already.
"Of course, you are a Weasley who was sorted into Slytherin… We had to monitor you… In case you tried to betray our house to your brothers. But I was glad to see you learning from your friends. They have done a marvelous job with you. As to what you get out of our arrangement… well, name your price." Anything I want? There's quite a few things I want… Money, this invisibility spell, Draco Malfoy hexed to death… What should I choose?
"What do I want?" Ron said in a musing voice. "I want to learn this useful spell that we are under."
"Done. I will have the instructions of this spell sent to you, alongside my personal notes. What else?"
"I want Draco Malfoy put in his place… I don't want to see him go after my friends or me again… any of my friends" Ron said, feeling a grim satisfaction at that request.
"I will see what I can do…" Victor said, his voice was humorous. "Although getting involved in petty first year squabbles is beneath me. Anything else?"
"Is it possible for you to make sure that Malfoy never gets to be on the Triumvirate?" Ron asked, hoping that the answer was yes.
"No… I will be gone for far too long to make that promise. You must really hate him, to be going after him like this…"
"He started this fight…" Ron said coldly. "He attacks my friends behind my back, and tarnishes my name and standing within Slytherin every chance he gets… I just want… justice." Victor laughed at that.
"You have changed. I personally like this version better… you were weak when you first came to Slytherin. Prone to throwing fits like some idiot child, and now… now you are playing the 'game'. And playing it rather well." The game?
"What game?" Ron asked, smiling at the compliment. He thought Victor was rather cool, even if he was an arrogant git.
"The Game, Ronald. The game we all play in this great house. The game for power! You will make a fine member of the Triumvirate one day… Any more requests? So far you get one spell, and Malfoy will be taught a lesson he won't soon forget." A lesson…? He won't physically harm Malfoy, will he? Even he doesn't deserve to be… abused.
"When you say 'lesson', what do you mean by that?" Ron asked, hoping torture wasn't on the table.
"I mean exactly what I said" Victor said softly, and Ron felt his stomach turn in a knot. "I will have some students beat the arrogance out of him…" FUCK!
"I didn't mean physical harm or torture when I said that!" Ron said in a panic. Victor tutted at Ron when he heard that. Perhaps Ronald was still weak… That was a shame.
"Then I will have to… persuade him by other means… I will need more time then" Victor said, his voice was cutting again. "This concludes negotiations… You will get your spell, and I will do something about that arrogant little pest… As for your part, you will earn more house-points and put us even more ahead. Do we have an agreement?" Merlin… I almost got Malfoy hurt because I got caught up in this shady business… Need to be careful with my words…
"Yes, we have an agreement" Ron said, breathing a sigh of relief.
"Excellent, I expect that this will stay between us. Never mention this meeting to a soul… Or I will have someone break your legs" Victor said in a kind voice, and Ron felt sweat in his armpits. "That includes your little friends, Ronald… Don't make me do something that you will all regret." With that, Victor became visible again, and then he muttered something and flicked his wand at Ron. Ron looked at his now visible body, and then looked up to Victor. The boy was gazing right at Ron with a rather sadistic smile. "Good night… Ronald" Victor said, and then he walked away.
Ron stood there for a few moments, regaining his composure. He had almost gotten someone hurt because he had stopped being careful for one minute… How could he be so damn stupid? And by the time Victor had shown his true colors, Ron had already agreed to everything. I need to work on getting us more house points… I have to! Ron then made his way back to the common room and sat down with his friends, a cold sweat on his brow.
"Is everything alright Ron?" Tracey asked, putting her hand over his.
"And what was that about?" Theo asked, looking worried as well.
"Everything is… fine" Ron said softly, and then he looked at all of his friends. "I need you lot to forget everything that just happened. Do you understand?" The group looked to each other in confusion, and then they turned to Ron.
"Ron…" Daphne said quietly. "You aren't in trouble, are you?" She already knew he was… She knew the boy that had just spoken to him, and she could see that Ron was worried.
"No" Ron reassured them with a smile. "But I will be if this is ever brought up. So please, don't ever speak of this again." The group nodded firmly at that. They owed him that much at least.
"We won't" Theo said firmly. "We promise."
Ron spent the next week working his arse off in his classes. He jumped at the opportunity to answer every question, he volunteered to perform every spell first, he made sure that the professors saw him helping his house-mates and even other house-students, and he made damn sure to be careful not to lose any points. It was paying off, because his eagerness was earning him house-points at a steady rate. The house point earning Ronald Weasley was back, and he was back with a vengeance.
His new attitude had awed his friends, and even many of the older Slytherins. They would give him firm nods and smiles when they saw him, and he returned those gestures. Victor had held true to his word, and had managed to smuggle him the notes on the Disillusionment Charm without anyone being the wiser. Now all Victor had to do was 'persuade' Malfoy to back off. Ron had also spent the week sneaking away to the lake during lunch breaks to practice the charm. It was… difficult. More difficult than anything he had tried before.
He had failed quite a lot of times, but by the end of the week, he could perform the spell adequately. He learnt that he needed a lot of focus and concentration to do the spell, and he was awed that Victor could do it with such ease. Either way, Ron was glad that he had another powerful trick up his sleeve, even if he needed to perfect it still.
On the Saturday of the first week back, Ron found himself doing some research into the last war. If there was going to be another one, then he needed information about the previous one. Ron was reading a book about the most recent wizarding war in the library when he was approached by Hermione. She sat down in front of him, and smiled softly at him. "Hello, Ronald" Hermione whispered. Ron smiled at his favorite Gryffindor friend.
"Hi Hermione. And please, just call me Ron. All of my close friends do" he whispered back. She smiled widely and nodded at that.
"Thanks… Ron. Can I… talk to you about something? Somewhere more private…" Hermione said in an even more quiet whisper. What could this be about? She has never asked me to go somewhere private for a chat before.
"Of course" Ron replied, and then he got up and placed the book back in the Records Section. I'll come back to you later! Ron then followed Hermione out of the library, and she led him to an abandoned classroom. Ron felt butterflies in his stomach and he couldn't help but become more alert. Why did she bring me here? Hermione then opened door and walked in, and Ron slowly followed. Harry and Neville were inside the room as well, and Ron relaxed a bit at seeing them.
"Hey Ron" Harry greeted with a smile. Ron smiled back before replying.
"Hello Harry" Ron said with a nod. "Hi, Neville." Ron couldn't help but notice that Neville held a small frown on his face.
"Hi" Neville replied curtly. Is he being bullied again by Malfoy? He tends to take it out on me… by moping around whenever I spend time with Harry and Hermione.
"What's with the secret meeting?" Ron asked with a chuckle, deciding to ignore Neville's poor mood. When is Victor going to hold up his part of the bargain with Malfoy?
"You might want to sit down for this…" Hermione said, giving him a reassuring smile. Okay then… Ron nodded slowly, and sat down on a chair even more slowly. His mind was racing with questions about this odd development. It reminded him greatly of his meeting with Victor, all cloak and daggers…
"Guess I should tell him…" Harry said, earning a nod from Hermione. Neville sighed and just shook his head slowly. And then he too nodded at Harry, giving his friend a faint smile. Now I'm really curious!
Harry sat down in front of Ron, and began his tale. Harry told Ron about his trip to Gringotts, and of how he had learned that there was a secret object being kept at Hogwarts. He then told Ron about the attempted break-in at Gringotts, and how that object was the thief's main objective. Harry told Ron that the object was the Philosopher's stone, and that it could make someone immortal. He told Ron that the stone could turn any metal into gold, and that whoever possessed it would be able to live a rich and immortal life. Ron was quite bewildered by the tale… It seemed far-fetched to say the least.
And then Harry had said something that had simply jarred Ron. Harry claimed that Snape was after the stone, and that the Potions Master was looking to become rich and immortal. And then Harry had claimed that Snape was coercing Quirrell to help him gain possession of the stone. By the time Harry had finished, Ron was staring at Harry with an open mouth.
"Are you… serious…?" Ron muttered, staring at Harry in utter disbelief. "Snape… trying to steal a magical stone that makes you immortal…?"
"I know it sounds… barmy. But it's the truth Ron" Harry said, looking at Ron a bit sheepishly. And why would he tell me this… this insane lie? No way would Snape be after this stone… He is clearly already quite wealthy, considering the restaurant we ate in… But he isn't immortal! Wait! Am I really going to believe this nonsense? It sounds like something out of a fairy tale!
"Yeah… okay then" Ron said slowly, and then he looked to Hermione. "Is this a joke?" Hermione looked at her feet sheepishly at that, and Ron heard Neville sigh again.
"I told you that he wouldn't believe us" Neville said to Harry. "I mean, it is a barmy story…" You got that right, mate…
"Ron, please…" Hermione said, and then she sat down next to him. "We're telling you the truth… and we need your… help." That seems to be a recurring theme lately… Are they going to break my legs if I refuse? Ron chuckled at that thought, earning a glare from Neville. Hermione looked quite crestfallen, and Harry was looking at her sadly.
"Sorry…" Ron said, feeling guilty for laughing in such a serious conversation. "If I believe you guys… and that is a massive if… what do you need my help with?" Hermione looked up and smiled at Ron, and Ron couldn't help but smile back.
"We need you to um… keep an eye on Snape for us" Harry provided, looking at Ron in a hopeful manner. An eye? He wants me to spy on the scariest professor in this school? What do I even get out of this? And then a thought sprang into his mind. A stone that can make you immortal…? An object like that… could start wars! What if this damn stone is behind everything I've seen in my visions?! What if Snape… or someone else… is planning to start a war to gain possession of this thing? That would explain why Hogwarts was destroyed. I could stop the war if I find it first… If I destroy it! And these three could help me get to it, if they are to be believed… I shouldn't risk not believing them. Not when it could help me save Fred and my family… and my friends… Ron decided then that this was a necessary step. For all he knew, he could be saving all of Hogwarts by helping these three.
"Alright… I'm in" Ron said with a practiced smile. Time to weasel in… "I'll help you guys out to the best of my abilities…" Harry went wide-eyed at that, and Hermione beamed at him. Neville was just staring at him with confusion written all over his face.
"See!" Hermione exclaimed to Harry and Neville. "I told you two that he would come through for us!" She then turned to Ron with a huge smile. "Thank you Ron! You're the best!" Ron blushed from the compliment, but deep down he felt like a filthy snake… He was tricking them, and they were his friends. He was tricking Hermione, and abusing her trust in him. It's necessary… Fred is my blood, and I love him! I can't fail my own family… I just can't.
"One problem though…" Ron started, and all three Gryffindors looked at intently. "Snape isn't poor… trust me. If he is after the stone, it might just be the immortality thing… But he doesn't strike me as the type to go looking for something like that." Deep down Ron didn't want Snape to turn out a villain, he quite liked Snape. Even if Snape was a bully to other students, he had helped Ron a great deal this past year.
"How do you know he's rich?" Neville questioned. "And what do you mean he isn't the sort of person to go looking for immortality? Snape is nothing but a mean bully to everyone… Everyone that isn't one of his Slytherins." Ron couldn't help but hear the bitterness in Neville's voice, and it annoyed him. For someone who owes me their life, he sure seems to think that talking to me in that manner is fair… Then Ron realized what a terrible thought had just crossed his mind. He didn't save Neville in order to lord it over him… What's wrong with me lately?! I keep thinking these terrible things! It's all this Slytherin business… It has to be!
"I know he isn't poor because I've spent more time with him than you have" Ron replied in a calm voice. "As for the immortality thing, would he really be working at a school if he was that ambitious?" Harry and Hermione pondered that, while Neville frowned at Ron's reply.
"Maybe he is working here to steal the stone?" Neville argued, and Ron let out a sigh at hearing that.
"He has been working here for a long time from what I know…" Ron replied. "And the stone was only brought here this school year… Isn't that right Harry?" Harry nodded at Ron, and he looked rather conflicted. "But I will keep my eyes on him… just in case…" Ron added, which earned him a grateful smile from Harry.
"That's all we're asking" Harry said, his voice sounded relieved. "Just let us know if he does anything suspicious! And we will handle it from there. You won't get in any trouble!" No… no I need to find that stone myself! Find it and destroy it… I can't be kept out of the loop on this!
"If you move to get the stone, or to tell the Headmaster… I want in" Ron said clearly, earning him confused looks by his Gryffindor friends.
"Ron…" Hermione said slowly. "You could get into real trouble over this… are you sure?"
"We're friends" Ron stated. "If I can help you guys solve this mess, then I want to help." Please agree to this! Or else I'll have to make an effort to spy on all of you as well! Hermione and Harry smiled warmly at his words, and even Neville smiled a little.
"I'm sorry, Ron" Neville said softly. "I had my doubts… but you're a good bloke…" No I'm not… I'm the bloke who lies to his friends and uses them… Ron felt a strong pang of guilt for all the lying he had been doing recently. He was lying to his Slytherin friends on the orders of Lord Greengrass. He was lying to these three for his own plans. He was always lying about his 'gifts' and hiding things about himself from everyone. When did I become so… deceitful? Mum and Pandora would be ashamed of me if they knew… Everyone I love would be ashamed… But if it saves Fred… then I don't care.
"What are friends for?" Ron said with a smile.
Ron was forced to redouble his efforts over the next two weeks when it came to earning house points. His Gryffindor friends and he had become closer over the last two weeks, joined by a similar goal. As such, they had been inspired by Ron's hardworking nature and were doing their best to compete with him. Neville was thrashing Ron in Herbology overall, Harry was destroying any team he went against in Quidditch, and Hermione was chasing Ron down in all the other classes. And the fact that they got more points for answering the same things he did irked him greatly. He cursed his prodigy status for the first time since he got it because it was hindering his own efforts now.
And to make everything worse, Malfoy was making sure everyone in Slytherin knew that Ron was losing to the Gryffindors. Most of the older students ignored Malfoy's bratty behavior, but there were a few people who had begun to listen. Ron found himself wishing that he had Victor take care of Malfoy as he had first intended… Though how Victor could get away with that was beyond Ron. Malfoy was still… well he was still a Malfoy. That alone earned him sway over the younger students in Slytherin.
Then there were Ron's Slytherin friends… They had noticed his detached behavior quite quickly. He was always sneaking around in order to speak with the Gryffindors, and he was clearly stressed out. Blaise and Theo had actually approached Malfoy and tried to get him to stop, but Malfoy had called them 'Blood-Traitors' and just sneered. Daphne kept thinking that her father rejecting Ron was at the core of everything, and she had sent a fair amount of angry letters home, all of them going unanswered. This didn't help Ron in the least, he didn't need all this attention! He needed more house points!
It was on the first day of the last week of April that Ron met with his Gryffindor friends once again, in the same abandoned classroom. "Hermione told me that you need to ask me for a favor" Ron said as he entered the classroom after Hermione. "What do you need?"
"Hello to you as well Ron" Harry said with a smile. Ron sighed, and then smiled at Harry.
"Sorry mate… that was rude of me" Ron said sheepishly.
"I was just joking, and yes we do need your help… again" Harry said, looking a bit sheepish. Stop looking at me like and just ask the favor… Who do you need me to spy on now? Dumbledore? Ron was already on edge, and this wasn't helping his nerves. It had thrown Ron off guard when he had noticed the glares Snape was sending Quirrell all the time. What if they were right about Snape? What if he had been fooled by a few kind words Snape had thrown his way? He felt like a fool, now more than ever.
"The twins mentioned that you brother Charlie works with dragons…" Hermione said, smiling at Ron. Charlie? What's he got to do with this? "We have a… um… dragon problem on our hands…" she finished lamely. What… the hell?
"A dragon problem…" Ron muttered, once again bewildered at the three Gryffindors. They seemed to be living a far more interesting life than him that was for certain!
"It's Hagrid" Harry quickly added. "He has a dragon… a baby dragon! And we need to find a way to get rid of it…" Get rid of it? "I mean send it away… safely" Harry added, smiling reassuringly at Ron.
"And you want me to…?" Ron asked slowly.
"We need you to ask your brother for his help" Hermione said, smiling hopefully at Ron. Why didn't they just ask the twins?
"Why didn't you just ask the twins about this? They're also related to Charlie…" Ron said calmly, genuinely curios as to why they hadn't.
"Well, we aren't exactly in their good graces right now…" Hermione all but whispered.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"We were caught talking about their most recent prank by Percy…" Neville said, he looked rather subdued. "He told McGonagall and the twins are now serving a week worth of detention… And they know it was our fault…" These three are doomed… They don't know my brothers like I do, the twins will exact their revenge for this.
"Damn…" Ron muttered, trying not to laugh at his friends. "I will contact Charlie as soon as I can. He'll help me." He always does.
"Thank you Ron" Harry said, breathing out a sigh of relief. "You have no idea how relieved we are to hear that… Especially after Malfoy…" Harry trailed off, while Neville and Hermione went wide-eyed at his slip up. Malfoy? Did he say Malfoy? What does he have to do with all of this?
"What about Malfoy?" Ron asked, irked that they were hiding this from him. They want my help and they can't even be honest? It's like I'm talking to Theo and Blaise!
"He um… saw us" Hermione said softly. "He saw us with the baby dragon… And we think that he is going to tell on Hagrid… and us." That complicates things… If I help them, I'll be going against that git. I can't expect him to leave me alone if I'm the one getting in his way…
"You ask for my help" Ron started, doing his best to stay calm and not lose his temper. "But you hide things from me… You don't trust me? Is that it?" Ron then looked at Hermione with a mask of indifference. She shrunk at his gaze, and even Harry and Neville seemed to go dead quiet. If they hide things from me, I might lose the chance to destroy that stone! Fred could get killed! Calm down Ron… they don't know about all that… Just calm down.
"Sorry…" Hermione muttered, her voice was meek and Ron felt a bit of guilt at that.
"Sorry Ron" Harry also apologized. "I know we're asking a lot from you… but Hagrid is our friend. We don't want to lose him over this…" Ron felt like a proper tosser at that… Who was he to lecture people on hiding things? He was the worst of the lot!
"It's ok…" Ron said, smiling faintly at his Gryffindor friends. "I'm just… under a lot of pressure. I shouldn't lose my temper with you guys. I will contact Charlie right now. And when he replies, you'll be the first to know. I promise." With that, Ron turned around and left the classroom. He didn't like seeing his friends like that, especially with the knowledge that he was the cause behind it. I'm still a hypocrite… nothing's changed since I promised Daphne a month ago…
Dear Little Brother,
I must admit, your letter threw me off quite a bit. I wasn't sure if you were joking or not, but I know that you would never joke about something so serious. You aren't Fred or George!
As for your request, I am more than willing to help. What are Big Brothers for? Hagrid was a close friend of mine during my Hogwarts days, and I can see him getting in way over his head with a baby Dragon. I've spoken to my supervisor, absolute twat by the way, and he has agreed to help us. He and a couple of my friends from the Preserve will sneak into Hogwarts with Hagrid's help, and they will take the Dragon from you! I wish I could be there… But I have only just started working here and I don't have as much experience as the rest of my colleagues. Also my supervisor forbid me… the tosser.
Now here's the plan, take the Dragon to the Astronomy Tower at Midnight, on the nineteenth of May. You will meet my friends there. Hand the Dragon over to them, and they will take care of the rest. Be careful, and don't get caught. You'll get expelled if you're caught roaming the halls with a Dragon… trust me on that! I'm very proud of you Ron for helping your friends like this, and for helping Hagrid.
Your Big Brother,
Charlie
Ron put the letter down and sighed in relief. That's one problem solved, I need to get this to Hermione as fast as I can. And then hope for the best… "Ron, is everything alright?" came Theo's calm voice from beside him. Ron turned to him and nodded.
"Yeah, mate" Ron replied. "Everything is fine… just another Chess offer…" Theo nodded slowly at that. He and Ron were at the breakfast table alone, Blaise and the girls weren't down for breakfast yet.
"Are you going to accept?" Theo asked.
"No…" Ron replied. "I told you Theo, I just want to focus on my studies right now, and I am aiming to win us that House Cup." Theo smirked at that.
"You'd better accept one of these offers…" Theo started. "Or Daphne is going to end up killing her father on your behalf. She thinks that… your recent behavior… is because of him." Ron sighed at that.
"My recent behavior?" Ron asked.
"Don't get angry Ron" Theo said, and then he raised his hands in a surrendering pose. "But you've been… distant with everyone… You barely spend any time in the common room, and when you do, it's just to help us with homework. After that, you disappear again… Not to mention your 'secret' meetings with the Gryffindors… We're worried mate, that's all. The girls especially…"
"How do you about my meetings with the Gryffindors?" Ron asked, taken by surprise. Are they following me? Bloody hell, how could I be so careless?!
"Millie saw you… She told us that you were spending time with Granger in an abandoned classroom, and that you looked quite stressed. Daphne almost exploded with rage and nearly marched down there…" And why would she react like that? I'm not plotting against Slytherin here… Just the Head of Slytherin House… That is if he is after the stone…
"Look" Ron began, breathing in to remain calm and alert. "I want us to win this House Cup… I need us to. And if we do, we could have Malfoy off of our backs for a long time… Do you understand? I'm doing this for us." Theo looked at Ron with a confused look, and then his eyes widened.
"You've made some sort of deal…" Theo whispered, trying to not be overheard. "That seventh year… How didn't I see that? That's why you're working so hard in the classes, and why you're always away from the common room… Bloody hell… Ron why didn't you tell us this?"
"Because that was part of the deal, Theo. I'm telling you because I need you to stop the group from interfering…" Ron said, hoping that Theo joined him in helping him secure the House Cup. If I can get my friends to give me some space, then I can work with Harry to get that stone… That stone's destruction should be my main focus… As for the House Cup, I just have to keep working harder and harder… Imagine a Slytherin without Malfoy being on my case…
"I'll… see what I can do" Theo said with a slow nod. "It's the girls who I need to convince then… they're the most concerned. Especially Daphne… This won't be easy, I could use Blaise's help." Ron sighed at that and then nodded. As long as they don't fail or tell anyone about my meeting, it should work out.
"Fine… but no one else" Ron said, and then he saw his other friends entering the Hall. "They're here, act normal." This is getting out of hand… I have too much happening at once…
"This is amazing Ron" Hermione beamed at him as she finished reading the letter. Ron smiled happily at her.
"I told you I'd do my best" Ron said, scratching the back of his head. It feels good to help out again… It feels really good. Hermione gave him a hug and then instantly jumped back, her face red with embarrassment. Ron was just stunned into silence.
"Sorry…" Hermione said quickly. "I got really excited…"
"No… no it's okay…" Ron muttered, feeling his ears burn. "My other female friends give me hugs too… I don't mind it…" Hermione looked a bit put down at that.
"Oh… I see…" Hermione said softly, and then she shook her head and smiled at Ron. "Thank you for this Ron… It means a lot that you're helping Hagrid out like this. You don't even know him…"
"My brother did… and they were friends" Ron provided, feeling a bit awkward. "And I agreed to help you… You should probably let Hagrid know about this. He should prepare his dragon… I don't know how long you guys have before Malfoy makes his move on you lot." Hermione nodded at that, but didn't leave.
"How's your exams prep going?" Hermione asked, trying to not sound awkward. But she did. What exams prep? I'm so busy jumping through hoops and helping everyone else… Millie still needs help with her exams prep…
"It's going well" Ron lied with a smirk. "Worried about something?" Hermione snorted at that.
"Yeah, I'm worried that I'll beat you too easily!" Hermione retorted, forgetting her awkwardness quite quickly.
"Sure you will" Ron said slyly, smirking a smirk that would make Malfoy jealous.
"Oh, it's on" Hermione challenged. "We'll see who gets higher marks overall!" Ron grinned at hearing that.
"Is that a challenge I hear?" Ron asked, pretending to be highly intrigued.
"Yes."
"Alright then, Hermione. Prepare to be destroyed."
"You should prepare to be… to be destroyed" Hermione retorted back, clearly terrible at wisecracks.
"Nice" Ron said, giving her a thumbs up, and she smacked him lightly on his arm.
"We'll see who wins" she said, her voice full of laughter. And then she handed Charlie's letter back to him and turned around to march out of the abandoned classroom, leaving Ron behind. She is going to destroy me at this rate… I mean I have everything memorized, but what if they change things up… What if the professors give her better marks for the same answers as mine, all because they expect me to be better? Bloody hell…
Ron then made his way down to the common room, and as soon as he entered the Slytherin Dungeons territory, he was cut off by none other than Malfoy. "If it isn't the Weasel himself?" Malfoy sneered at him, and Ron quickly noticed that Malfoy was alone for once. What does he want now? And why are his bodyguards not with him?
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Ron asked bitterly. Malfoy just sneered more at him.
"You think you're so brilliant, don't you Weasel?" Malfoy spat. Hardly…
"Are you jealous?" Ron asked, putting on a smirk. Malfoy went red-faced at that.
"Why would an heir of the Malfoy Blood-Line be jealous of you? You're just a Blood-Traitor! And one that sneaks around with Gryffindors…" Malfoy finished with a sly smirk of his own. Ron felt his heart stop for a second when he heard that. Fuck! Did he follow me to my meeting with Hermione? Does he know of our plan for the Dragon?!
"What are you on about?" Ron asked, keeping his composure as best as he could. Blaise makes this look easy…
"Don't bother… I've been following you around you rat" Malfoy said smoothly, but the venom was clear in his voice. "You've been sneaking around with those pathetic Gryffindors, no doubt to betray our noble house…" So he is following me… When is Victor going to handle this idiot?!
"Betray our noble house? I've done more for this house than you have…" Ron retorted, feeling satisfied at Malfoy's smirk falling off of his face. "Everyone with a shred of common sense can see that. And the older students do have quite a lot of common sense… Why do you think they side with me every time you make your pathetic little attempts to tarnish my name?" Oh yeah, that had to sting… "Why do you think your friends chose me over you?" Malfoy's went red from anger, and Ron smirked in response. That's how it feels Malfoy… To have someone spew filth to your face.
"I'll make sure you regret that…" Malfoy said menacingly, making Ron lose his smirk and frown at Malfoy.
"What? You're going to turn the house against me again? You're going to go after my friends behind my back again? What are you going to do next? I offered you my hand in friendship once… I won't make that mistake again. Stay out of my way, or I'll go through you." Ron then pushed past Malfoy, shoving him to the side. Ron marched straight for the common room, his mood blackened by his encounter with the Malfoy heir.
Ron walked into the common room and immediately went into his dorm, not eager to talk to his friends. All they will do is question me with things I can't give answers for… When is Victor going to uphold his end of the bargain?! I've made us an extra one hundred and fifteen points in the last month! Bloody hell, why is everyone in this house so incompetent?! Why is all of this house-point business on my shoulders?!
Malfoy had wasted no time in revealing Ron's 'treachery' to the rest of the house. And unsurprisingly, the older students didn't believe Malfoy because he had no proof. But the second, third, and fourth years were somewhat swayed. Ron was under watchful eyes now, and that hindered him terribly. He was forced to step away from the Gryffindors and their barmy adventures. So he instead focused on his studies and earning house-points. Victor still hadn't done a damn thing to help with Malfoy, and Ron had come to the conclusion that that broom had flown. He was on his own…
His Slytherin friends had rallied around him, and had started earning house-points as well to the best of their abilities. Theo managed to outdo Neville in most Herbology classes, Blaise was a whiz in Astronomy, while the girls did their best in every class. Millie had been especially helpful in earning points, as she had never answered questions before this. The professors were quite impressed with her efforts, and decided to bestow many points on her. Ron felt so full of gratitude because of his friends, that he just couldn't express how happy he was. They had come to his rescue, without any questions.
It was on May the nineteenth that Ron decided enough was enough. He needed to help his Gryffindor friends, and they needed his help. After dinner ended, Ron gave a subtle nod to Harry as they crossed paths out of the Great Hall. Hopefully he gets it… Harry nodded and smiled at Ron.
"Hagrid's hut, eleven…" Harry muttered as he walked past Ron. Ron smiled faintly and kept walking. He went down to the common room with his friends, talking happily to them about the impending House Cup victory for Slytherin. Ron couldn't have been more thankful to his friends, and he felt quite stupid for not involving them sooner. I should have more faith in them. They've really turned things around for me! All the Houses are fighting like rabid dogs over this Cup! If we win, my efforts will be rewarded. I could finally stop having to fight for my place here…
Ron and his friends did their exams prep in the common room, and it was eerily quiet in the common room. All the students were under pressure from the upcoming exams, especially the older students. Even Malfoy was doing his best to teach his gorillas, trying to make sure that they didn't fail the year. Ron couldn't help but think of Blaise's words to him from so long ago, 'Malfoy isn't evil… He is loyal to those who stand by his side'. Ron grimaced at that memory, why did it feel like it was so long ago? Will Malfoy and I ever stop fighting? This needs to end one day…
His friends bid him goodnight at around ten, and he made up an excuse to stay awake for longer. They didn't question him, and went to their respective dorms to sleep. Ron went over his exams prep, and waited. When it was ten-minutes-to-eleven, Ron closed his books and exited the common room. Once he was outside, he removed his wand and did the Disillusionment Charm on himself. I bloody love this spell! This spell alone is worth having made that deal with Victor. Ron then carefully made his way out of the castle and ran down to Hagrid's hut, excited about his newest adventure.
Once he was close enough to see the hut, he undid the spell. No need to give away my tricks to them… I know they're my friends, but I like having the element of surprise… Forgive me mum and dad! I'm a snake through and through at this point! Ron quietly walked to the hut, and knocked on the door. He heard heavy thuds, and then the door opened. Hagrid stood in the doorway, looking absolutely terrifying. And then he smiled at Ron pleasantly.
"'Ello there, Ron!" Hagrid said, his voice sounded a little sad. "Come in, quick…" Hagrid then stepped out of the way, and Ron quickly slid inside. It was horribly hot in the hut. Bloody hell… it's like being inside of a furnace in here!
"Ron!" Hermione exclaimed, standing up to greet Ron. "You came!" Hermione beamed at Ron and he gave her a wide smile.
"Of course" Ron said, genuinely happy to see her again. He'd missed her these past two weeks. "Hello Harry and Neville" Ron greeted the two smiling boys as well.
"Hey Ron, thanks for doing all of this again" Harry said, giving Ron a thankful nod.
"I'm not doing much… This is all my Brother Charlie's plan" Ron said modestly, blushing at the compliments and attention being sent his way.
"Ah, Charlie" Hagrid said happily. "Fine lad, yer brother… fine lad" Hagrid said, his voice nostalgic.
"He is the best" Ron said happily to Hagrid, earning a warm smile from Hagrid.
"We've got a long time 'fore mi 'night" Hagrid said. "Take a seat Ron. Welcome to me humble home" Hagrid said, gesturing for Ron to sit down. Ron thanked Hagrid and sat down next to Hermione. He looked around the hut, and it reminded him faintly of the Burrow. It was cluttered, but the clutter was part of its charm. The furniture was weathered, and quite large. There was a cozy fire-place, and a modest dining table for one. All in all, Ron felt like he was back home. And it made him smile in joy. This beats any luxurious house in my opinion…
"'ere Ron, 'ave one" Hagrid said, and then he offered Ron a rock cake. Ron took it with a massive smile.
"Thank you Hagrid, you have a lovely home" Ron said, remembering his lessons from Daphne. "It reminds me of my parents' house, the Burrow."
"Thank ye, Ron" Hagrid said, smiling at Ron genuinely. Hermione beamed at Ron's good manners, Harry and Neville could learn a thing or two from Ron. Ron bit into the rock cake, and he winced in pain. My bloody teeth! This thing is made from actual rocks! Hermione chuckled at Ron, while the boys laughed at him outright.
"Sorry abou' that…" Hagrid said, smiling sheepishly. "Should've warned ye…" Ron forced a smile at the half-giant. Too late now… Bloody hell… Ron then proceeded to eat his rock cake slowly, it wasn't half bad in Ron's opinion. "'ere Ron, 'ave some tea." Hagrid then put a cup of hot tea in front of Ron, and Ron smiled at Hagrid's hospitality. Hagrid's a good bloke…
"Thank you Hagrid, for your kind hospitality. I would love some tea" Ron said, thanking Daphne deep down. Maybe I should get her a gift… to thank her for looking out for me. Hagrid beamed at Ron, as did Hermione.
"Yer a well-mannered lad, Ron" Hagrid said. "Ye remind me of yer brother, Charlie. Speakin' of… Is everything ready? For… for Norbert?" Who's Norbert?
"He means the baby Dragon" Neville provided, smiling at Ron. He knew now that he'd been wrong about the Slytherin. He had really come through for Neville and his friends. And Ron hadn't asked for a single thing in return.
"Oh" Ron said, finding the fact that a Dragon was named Norbert insane. "Yes, everything is in place. You need to let them in after we leave, they'll meet us in the Astronomy tower. And then Norbert will be safe and be with his own kind" Ron finished strongly, and he noticed Hagrid looking quite sad.
"This is for the best Hagrid" Hermione said softly.
"I know…" Hagrid said, feeling sad for his little Dragon. "I'll go and open the gates now, I think… for yer brother's friends." Hagrid then got up and smiled sadly at his little friends. "Be careful…"
"We will be" Harry said firmly, smiling at Hagrid. Hagrid then left, and Ron quietly ate his rock cake and drank his tea. Harry went over the plan for Norbert, and Ron was impressed by Harry's strong aura and charisma. Hermione and Neville are listening to every word intently… Gryffindors…
"Okay… it's time…" Harry said, standing up. He took out the invisibility cloak from his book bag, and Ron marveled at it once again. What I wouldn't give to have that! I know I have a spell that makes me kind of invisible… but that cloak would make me completely invisible…
"I'm glad you brought your cloak, Harry" Ron said, glad to see that things were planned properly. Hermione and Neville looked at Ron with wide-eyes.
"How do you know about the cloak?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron in shock. Ron remembered the night with the Mirror… and the voice… His blood got cold for a second and he shuddered. It's still there… in my head… waiting…
"We… went on an adventure" Ron said lamely, pointing at Harry. Hermione and Neville turned to Harry, who looked at them sheepishly.
"It was at Christmas… I'll tell you after…" Harry said softly. "Right now, we need to get Norbert out of Hogwarts." Hermione and Neville slowly nodded at that, focusing on the mission at hand. Looks like my friends aren't the only curios people around… Awful isn't it, Harry?
Harry collected a cage from the corner of the room, and Ron finally saw the Dragon behind all of this mess. A Norwegian Ridgeback… Bloody hell! Where did Hagrid get this thing? Harry then put the cloak around himself and the cage. Hermione and Neville moved under it as well, and Ron just stood there.
"C'mon Ron" Harry said. "We need to go now." Four people and a dragon under one cloak… Really… Ron let out a sigh, and walked up to them and then went under the cloak. It was… a tight fit, and it was barely covering them. Ron pushed in tighter next to Hermione, who quietly shifted closer to Harry.
"Snug… I like it" Ron joked, earning a chuckle from the other two boys. Hermione was quite though and was looking quite sheepish. "Hermione… you all right? I didn't step on your toes, did I?"
"No… no I'm fine" she muttered. "We should go… now. We can't be late." Fair enough, she's right.
They walked up to the Astronomy tower slowly, Ron's body kept showing because the cloak wasn't big enough to cover all of them. So they had to opt for caution instead. "Ow… Neville that was my foot" Harry groaned.
"Sorry Harry…" Neville apologized in a whisper. Bloody hell… I'm out in the open for most of this! Ron squeezed in tighter next to Hermione.
"Ron… what are you doing?" Hermione asked slowly. Trying to not get seen…
"Sorry Hermione" Ron whispered. "My arse is showing…" Neville and Harry stifled their laughs while Hermione gasped.
"Ronald!" Hermione scolded. "That wasn't very appropriate…" It's true though!
"Yeah well… it's the truth…" Ron muttered. "If Filch comes around the corner, he'll see a floating arse in the middle of the hallway…" Neville and Harry started laughing, while Hermione shushed them.
"Be quiet you two" Hermione scolded Harry and Neville. "You'll get us caught. Ronald stop making them laugh."
"Sorry" Ron apologized, but he wasn't really sorry. This was a funny situation. And then all of sudden, it wasn't.
"It's true Professor McGonagall!" came a familiar voice from around the corner. All four of them stopped dead in their tracks, eyes-wide and terrified. Was that… Malfoy?
"Hush, Mr. Malfoy" came McGonagall's stern voice, and Ron's stomach dropped. We're so done for! Ron squeezed in closer to Hermione, and this time she didn't say a word. She even helped him by pulling him closer.
"Please believe me! Potter has a Dragon! And Weasley is helping him move it around the castle! It's the truth" Malfoy pleaded. HOW MUCH DOES HE KNOW?! And how does he know all of this?! The three Gryffindors were thinking the same thing, because they were looking at Ron with wide-eyes. Ron shook his head at them.
"I have no idea how he knows that, but we need to move" Ron said, breaking them out of their thoughts. "Now!" Ron hissed. They slowly looked around the corner, and saw McGonagall and Filch dragging Malfoy and his gorillas away. Oh Merlin… that was too close.
They moved quickly after that, and Ron decided to step out of the cloak and stick to the shadows instead. It actually provided better concealment, in his opinion. At least my arse isn't sticking out in the middle of the hallways… When they finally reached the Astronomy tower, Ron let out a relieved sigh. Harry and the others stepped out of the cloak, and were visible once again.
"How did Malfoy know about your involvement?" Neville questioned, frowning slightly at Ron. Is he… insinuating that I told Malfoy?
"Oh… I told him" Ron said, sarcasm lacing his tone. Neville and the others went wide-eyed from shock. "I thought it'd be a great idea to get caught smuggling a Dragon. Then Dumbledore could expel me and I'd never have to study again…" Ron then shook his head at Neville and sat down on the floor. Idiot… Neville and the other two Gryffindors were quiet for a few seconds, but then Neville sighed and broke the silence.
"I… I didn't mean to imply that you…" Neville muttered, looking regretful.
"Well that's what it sounded like" Ron bit out. I'm risking my neck… and all I get for it is them deeming me a snake… Neville flinched at his words, and sat down quietly. Harry sat down next to Neville and whispered something to him, but Ron didn't hear it. Hermione then sat down next to him, and then she smiled at him softly.
"Neville didn't mean it Ron…" Hermione whispered. "He doesn't think of you like that… anymore…" Anymore? When have I given him reason to doubt me? "He's had it tough with the Slytherin boys… They always bully him and… Harry and I aren't always around to stop it." Boohoo… Everyone has their own problems… You don't see me throwing dirt on him for Fred calling me a Death-Eater!
"It doesn't matter" Ron whispered back, deciding that starting a fight now would be stupid. We have a job to do.
"It does matter Ron… You're our friend" Hermione smiled at him, putting her hand on his shoulder. Ron looked to her and smiled. And that's why she's my favorite Gryffindor. Besides my brothers of course.
They heard the sound of brooms zipping through the air, and were instantly alert. And then three people flew into the Astronomy tower, landed softly near the kids. This must be Charlie's rescue team! Ron approached them, and they all took off their hoods. One was an older man, with greying hair. There was one younger woman who was quite pretty, her black hair was tied in a ponytail, and she beamed at Ron. The last one was a man around Charlie's age, he was grinning, and he had light brown hair and light brown eyes.
"You must be Ronald" the pretty woman said, and then she pinched his cheeks. "You're so cute!" she cooed a little loudly, earning a quick shush from the older man. Ron felt his ears turn red, and he smiled at her. This made her smile even more, and she pinched his cheeks a little harder. "I've been really keen to meet you, Ronald!" She has?
"Thank you, may I ask your name?" Ron asked politely, and she pulled him into a hug. Ron's face felt hot at all this cuddling from a pretty stranger.
"I'm Kirsten Domitor" she introduced herself. "Your brother is a… friend… of mine." A friend? Why did she say it like that?
"Thank you all for doing this" Ron thanked them all, which earned him a firm nod from the older man and a wide grin from the younger man. Kirsten just cooed at him again. "Harry bring the cage, quick." Harry did as he was told and presented the cage to Kirsten, who looked at it intently.
"A Norwegian Ridgeback" Kirsten told her two companions.
"Where does a groundkeeper for a school get a Dragon like that?" the older man questioned, he sounded agitated.
"It doesn't matter where he got it" the younger man said. "All that matters is that we get out of here without being spotted." The older man just grunted at that, and then mounted his broom. The younger man followed his lead, and did the same.
"Guess this is goodbye, huh" Kirsten smiled at Ron. "Wasn't much of a meeting though."
"I hope we meet again… under less stressful circumstances" Ron said, giving her a wide smile.
"Aw" Kirsten cooed again. "You even talk in an intelligent way! Are you sure Charlie is related to you?" Ron chuckled at that, and then he nodded firmly. "He misses you dearly" Kirsten said in a whisper, catching him off guard.
"I miss him too… can you please tell him that? Tell him that I'm really grateful for this… He came through for me again" Ron said in a whisper. Kirsten cupped his cheek with her hand and then nodded. She then took the cage from Harry, gave the boy-who-lived a wink, and then mounted her broom.
The trio then flew off into the night, hopefully taking Norbert to home where he would thrive. Ron turned to his friends and smiled. "Guess that's that… Hagrid should be safe now" Ron told them.
"Thank you Ron" Harry said. "We don't know what we would've done without you… It was either the twins or Percy… and neither would've helped us like you did. Thanks." I'm just glad we didn't get caught… Now I have to figure out how Malfoy knew everything? I didn't tell anyone about this… And he can't have gathered all of that by just following me around… Another mystery to solve.
They then made their way out of the Astronomy tower, and something clicked in Ron's brain. We left the damn cloak behind! "Harry wait…" Ron said, stopping the group. "Where is your cloak?" Harry went wide-eyed at that, and then he smiled sheepishly. They went back inside and collected the cloak, and then they all hopped under it.
They were making their way back to the stairways, and Ron was struggling to stay under the cloak. It was either him who was showing, or it was Neville. The cloak wasn't made for four people to travel under. Harry then stopped dead in his tracks as they were turning a corner, and Ron was taken by surprise.
"Filch…" Harry let out a panicked whisper. Ron's blood froze, and his hands started shaking. This is a one-way hallway! How are we going to get past him without being seen?! The moment we turn the corner, he'll spot one of us!
"He'll definitely see us" Ron told the others in a whisper. "We can't all fit under this cloak…" There was a short silence. Someone has to leave the cloak… It isn't even a question of who… Ron then stepped out of the cloak, and he felt Hermione grabbing his hand.
"No Ronald, you can't… you could be expelled if he catches you" Hermione said in a haughty, and panicked whisper.
"Hermione… someone has to" Ron whispered back.
"It should be me Ron…" Harry whispered.
"No…" Ron whispered. Guess I should show them my trick… not much choice at this point. Ron took out his wand and muttered the incantation to the Disillusionment Charm, and then he flicked his wand on himself. He felt that odd feeling again, and when he heard all three Gryffindors gasp, he knew it had worked.
"He bloody disappeared" Neville muttered. Haha this is wicked!
"I'm right here" Ron whispered, and he got three more shushed gasps.
"What kind of spell is that?" Hermione asked. "Where did you learn it? Is it hard to do? Can you show me later?"
"Hermione" Harry whispered. "Later… Ron, that was bloody brilliant… are you still there?"
"Yeah, Harry" Ron whispered, smiling ear-to-ear at impressing the boy-who-lived. "Now let's go. We should split up from here, and head to our own common rooms. I'll see you lot at breakfast tomorrow."
"Okay" Harry agreed. "Good luck Ron." With that, Ron moved slowly into the corridor with Filch. Once he was sure that Filch hadn't noticed him, Ron slowly made his way past the old man. He soon lost track of his Gryffindor friends' footsteps, and he knew that they had gone ahead of him. He had to be more careful than them because he wasn't completely invisible. Eventually he found himself inside the dungeons, and it was smooth sailing from there. He made it all the way to his dorm before lifting the charm, and becoming visible again.
"What… the fuck…?" came a shocked whisper from behind him. Ron went wide-eyed, and slowly turned to face where it had come from. There, in front of the bathroom door, stood a shocked and wide-eyed Blaise Zabini. Oh for Merlin's sake… I made it all the way home and got caught…
"Um… hello" Ron whispered, grinning sheepishly at Blaise. Blaise didn't say a word for almost ten seconds, he just stared at Ron.
"Ron… you just… showed up…" Blaise mumbled. I've never seen him like this, but then again… this must be quite jarring to see…
"I will teach you this spell if you never mention this to anyone…" Ron said firmly. Bribes are a good way to earn loyalty! That's what you taught me Blaise… Blaise then slowly smiled and nodded, still surprised at seeing his friend just… appear in the middle of the room.
"Deal" Blaise said, and then he walked to his bed and slowly lay down. Guess that worked… Ron then did the same thing. What a night!
"Wake up" came a voice, and then Ron felt someone shaking him. "Come on, get up!" Ugh… Go away Ginny… I'm trying to sleep. "Get up, Ron!" Ron opened his eyes and looked around, his vision was still groggy. "Finally" said Blaise, coming into Ron's vision. "C'mon, let's go for a run." Blaise then over walked to his own bed, he was already wearing his running gear. Ron slid out of his bed and walked into the bathroom. He washed his face with cold water, and looked at his reflection.
There were bags under his eyes again… He sighed at the sight. I'm so tired… Need sleep… Then he took a whiff of himself. Need a shower too… He let out a dry chuckle at that. After my run. Ron walked back into the dorm and opened his trunk, and he froze. His trunk was a mess, things were tossed around and his journals were left torn into shreds and were scorched. What? What is this? Someone did this? WHO WOULD DO THIS?! Ron let out an angry bellow and threw things out of his trunk, panic taking over. MY JOURNALS! MY NOTES!
Blaise was taken by shock at this, and he stared at Ron with wide-eyes. "FUCK! BLOODY FUCK!" Ron screamed, and Theo shot out his bed, panicked as well.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Theo asked in a panic. He then reached over and grabbed his wand from his side table. Then he looked at his red-haired friend in absolute panic. Ron's face was tightened in anger, and he had tears running down his face. And then he just stopped. Ron slowly pulled out a broken chess board from his trunk, and stared at it with wide-eyes.
"My… board…" Ron muttered, feeling his chest tighten. Pandora… gave me this… Who did this? Then it all clicked in his head. Malfoy knew about his involvement. Malfoy was following him around. Malfoy knew when the drop was happening. Malfoy knew where it was happening. Filch was waiting for them right after. Malfoy did this... He read Charlie's letter… Ron looked at and counted his destroyed belongings. His journals from Charlie. His notes from Percy. His book on Curses from Theo and Blaise. His book on Magical Creatures from Xenophilius. His chess board from Pandora. His Muggle Pen from the Granger family. His Slytherin sweater from his mother. If my vision journals were in here… The Sorting Hat saved my life…
Blaise and Theo slowly walked up to Ron, and gazed at him and his destroyed things. They were wide-eyed from the horrible sight. Someone had broken into their dorm, and destroyed their ally's most treasured items. And they had destroyed them magically judging by the scorch marks on the books and the sweater. The books and the sweater were lost, but the other things could still be saved. Neither one of them knew what to say, this was bad. And Ron was about to explode. His face had gone red, and there a vein popping out on his forehead.
Ron then stood up and marched towards the door, wand in hand. Theo quickly moved into his way. "Don't Ron… Stop and think please" Theo started but was cut off by Ron.
"Get out of my way" Ron snapped, his eyes were red with tears and anger. Theo had only seen Ron like this once, and a Mountain Troll had died that night.
"Ron we don't know who did this. Don't turn the house against you" Blaise said firmly, jumping next to Theo and holding his ground.
"I know who did this" Ron hissed, spit flying out his mouth. "It was your precious Draco…" Theo and Blaise were shocked to hear this, and just looked at Ron with worry.
"Ron you don't know that for certain…" Theo said, trying to calm him down. Oh I do… I fucking do.
"YES, I DO!" Ron bellowed, making both of his friends flinch. "That fucking tosser has been following me around for a while! Last night he tried to get me caught while I was sneaking around! He knew where I was going to be and when! HE READ MY DAMN LETTERS! HE DESTROYED MY THINGS!" Blaise knew right then that Ron was right. Ron was sneaking around, and he himself had noticed Draco being quite devious lately. "Who else would go after me like this?! HUH?!"
Theo and Blaise just looked at Ron with shocked and sorry looks. He was in pain, and he was going to hurt someone. "We can't let you leave like that…" Theo muttered. WHAT?!
"What did you say?" Ron gritted out. Repeat that… I DARE YOU!
"Ron, you're about to make a mistake… just calm down" Blaise said firmly, deciding to protect Ron from himself. A mistake? They just want to protect theirfriend, don't they?! Look at what he did… and they still want him to come around?!
"Get out of my way you two…" Ron said menacingly, he could feel the rage burning his heart out. When Theo and Blaise didn't move, Ron tightened his grip on his wand. Theo and Blaise noticed this, and did the same.
"Ron don't, we're on your side here" Theo said, starting to sweat. He didn't want to go up against Ron, he didn't have a death wish. But he wasn't going to back down here. He had made a vow to be a true friend for once in his life. A vow to his beloved, dead mother.
"If you're on my side, step aside now" Ron hissed, glaring murder at his best friends. But they didn't budge. Fine then… Let's see what they've learned so far…
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! It was one of my favorite ones to write so far, and I enjoyed writing it's fast pace. Also, sorry for that cliff-hanger... Next Chapter will be up tomorrow morning, at Six sharp! I promise! See you all soon!