AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 22 is here! The weekend was busy but I got it done!
Please enjoy!
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 22 – The Rescue!
Ronald Weasley's POV
Ron finished dressing in one of his new semi-formal robes, and then he smirked at his reflection. He still looked a little gaunt, but his hair was combed and it gave him a rather sophisticated look. I look sharp… and I look good! Satisfied with his clean look, he picked up his crutch from beside the sink and walked out of the bathroom. It had been just over two weeks since he had woken up from his coma, and his muscles had gotten most of their strength back. He still needed the crutch though because he would still get tired easily, especially if he moved around too much. He walked down to the kitchen, and then he grinned when Pandora made a cat-call at him. Stop… Okay don't! This is great! I love these new robes!
"Who's that handsome young man?" Molly cooed, and Ron blushed heavily. Pandora and Molly were making lunch for everyone, everyone except for Ron who was heading to Longbottom Manor for Neville's birthday. Ron's siblings were sitting around the dinner table and they too smiled at Ron approvingly.
"You look sharp Ron" Percy said with a smile. "I have to admit, this look…" Percy was cut off by Ginny.
"Ronnie" Ginny cut in, making Percy frown at her. "Why are you wearing gloves again?" Because my right hand is horrid to look at…
"It's a bit cold…" Ron lied lamely. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him, and then she looked out of a window to see a bright sunny day. Then she looked back at him like he was an idiot, and Ron smiled at her sheepishly. The rest of his siblings were now looking at Ron suspiciously as well, and he cursed Ginny's curiosity. I don't want them to see my scars, or even know about them… The last thing I need is them treating me with pity and mollycoddling me to death!
"It's to match his robes, dear" Pandora provided, though she looked quite sad as she said it. Pandora has been acting way too weird… I need to talk to her alone and find out what's bothering her!
"Oh" Ginny said. "That makes sense, sorry Ronnie." Ron's brothers and Luna weren't too convinced but they let it go, and Ron was more than grateful.
"I left your presents for little Neville by the fire-place" Molly said, glad that her children weren't pushing Ron. "Now, do you know how to get there? And make sure you come back once the sun sets! And don't push yourself!" Ron rolled his eyes at that. She's been fretting over me non-stop… How does Ginny deal with all of this?!
"Yes, mum" Ron replied. "I know how to get there, and I know how to get back. Neville told me that his Gran fixed up the wards so that I could enter by floo. I'll be fine, I promise!" Molly smiled at him sadly and nodded her approval.
"Make sure you behave" Percy added in. "Lady Longbottom is a prestigious woman, and a force of nature from what I've heard." The twins scoffed at that.
"She sounds like a prune from what I've heard" Fred said mockingly, and then he grinned at his scowling mother.
"Okay!" Ron decided to cut in, he didn't want to be lectured by his mother. "I have to go… bye!" Ron then walked into the living room, and he could hear Fred getting an earful from their mother. Poor bastard…
Ron then took some floo-powder into his gloved hand tossed it in the fireplace as he called out 'Longbottom Manor'. The fire blazed green, and Ron turned around and picked up his gifts. This is going to be a problem… The pot plant was heavy, and Ron had to squeeze his crutch in between his chest and right arm. Not to mention the fudge that his mother had made for Neville was also hard to juggle. Damn the trace, this would be so much easier with magic…
Ron quickly stepped through the fire-place and he stuck his landing as he entered Longbottom Manor. The moment he stepped through the fire-place he heard a familiar voice shout his name.
"RONALD!" Hermione exclaimed, her smile threatening to split her face. "He's here, Neville! Come quick!" Ron beamed at her and she rushed over to him. Ron could tell that she wanted to hug him, but he was holding too many things. "Here… let me" Hermione said as she took the pot-plant from him, which she then put down on the ground. Then she stood up and hugged him tightly. Ron's face burned because of the tight hug, and then he pictured Sirius' grinning face and he almost passed out. Damn him! He's ruined this for me! Hermione then let him go and let out a wet laugh, her eyes were teary and her smile was faltering.
"I'm alright now" Ron assured her with a soft smile. "Please don't cry…" Hermione shook her head and wiped her eyes. Ron noticed that Neville and his Grandmother were standing by the door, and they were respectfully waiting for their turn to greet him.
"It's all my fault…" Hermione muttered, her voice cracking at the end. "I got you involved… and then… then you got hurt" Hermione sniffled, and Ron felt his chest tighten at seeing her like this.
"I chose to be there" Ron said honestly. "It wasn't your fault… it wasn't even my fault… It was the Dark Lord's fault… So please don't say that. Please…" Hermione sniffled and nodded, but she was still crying in a subdued way. Ron rubbed her left arm in a comforting way and gave her a kind smile. Ron looked over to the Longbottoms for help, and Mrs. Longbottom slowly approached.
"Come, dear" Mrs. Longbottom said as she put an arm around Hermione. "Let's go freshen up and then we can rejoin the boys…" Then Mrs. Longbottom sort of guided Hermione out of the room, leaving Ron and Neville behind. Not even here for a minute and I made someone cry… Good work Weasley, good work…
"Welcome back" Neville said with a faint smile, and then he approached Ron. "Sorry about Hermione… She spent the whole day waiting by the fire-place…" Then Neville sighed. "Where are my manners? Welcome to Longbottom Manor, Ron. I'm glad that you're here." He is?
"Thanks Neville" Ron said, putting on his best smile. "Happy Birthday by the way, here…" Ron then picked up the pot-plant and handed it to Neville who took it with a smile.
"A Wiggentree?" Neville laughed, studying the plant intensely.
"It's still a baby" Ron explained. "But once you plant it in your gardens, it'll grow quite quickly."
"Thanks Ron!" Neville beamed, still looking at the plant happily. "Did you know that Wiggentrees are protected by Bowtruckles? Or that they repel Dark Magic?" Good, he likes it! I wasn't too sure he would when Pandora suggested it.
"I knew about the Dark Magic protection… but not the Bowtruckles" Ron replied. "Also my mum made you fudge." Ron then showed Neville the box of fudge, and Neville gave him a wide smile.
"Thanks Ron, come on" Neville said, and then he guided the two into the living room. They put Neville's presents on a table designated for them, and Ron noted that there was a book on Herbology already there. Hermione's gift? Probably. Then a thought occurred to Ron.
"Is Harry here?" Ron asked, and Neville seemed to slouch a bit. Guess not…
"No… um he hasn't really been…" Neville muttered, losing his good mood a bit.
"He isn't replying to your letters?" Ron asked with narrowed eyes. I can understand him ignoring me… but Neville too? Why?
"How did you know that?" Neville asked with widened eyes.
"He is ignoring mine as well… and Sirius'…" Ron said, musing on what was wrong with Harry Potter.
"Oh…" Neville whispered. "That doesn't… sound like Harry." Ron and Neville were musing on Harry's actions when Hermione and Mrs. Longbottom entered the living room. Hermione was looking much better, though her eyes were a bit puffy. The two of them approached the boys and Ron smiled widely at Hermione, and she gave him a sheepish smile.
"I'm sorry crying…" Hermione said in a subdued voice, she still kept her sheepish smile.
"Stop apologizing Hermione" Ron said with a chuckle, and Hermione smiled more widely. "Everything is fine now." Ron then looked over to Mrs. Longbottom, and he found her studying him with a faint smile. Ron approached her and decided to use Daphne's training. "It is an honor to meet the Lady of the most ancient and noble house of Longbottom" Ron said politely, and she extended her hand. He took it and kissed her knuckles lightly, and then he gave her a practiced bow. She seemed quite pleased with that.
"You honor the old traditions" Mrs. Longbottom said approvingly. "You are very different to the other Weasleys I've met." Ron gave her his best smile, though he felt a little insulted at that comment. Neville and Hermione were quite surprised to see Ron's more formal side, but Hermione decided that she liked how polite he was. "Come Ronald, I would like to speak with you before the other guests arrive" Mrs. Longbottom said, and then she turned around and began walking out of the living room. Ron gave Neville a questioning look, but he urged Ron to go silently. What other guests? And what does she want?
Ron followed Mrs. Longbottom through the manor and he had to admit, it was a beautiful home. It was spacious, and it decorated with marble statues and crystal chandeliers. Not to mention that it was spotless… They probably own an army of House-Elves judging by the size of this place! Mrs. Longbottom led Ron into a study, and then she gestured for him to sit. Ron sat down in the leather chair, and she took a seat in front of him. She studied him for a few silent seconds, and Ron started feeling uncomfortable.
"I've heard a great deal about you" Mrs. Longbottom started. "And I must admit, even I am impressed with your achievements."
"Achievements, Lady Longbottom?" Ron asked slowly, trying his best to keep his polite smile.
"Winning the Junior League tournament, being labeled a prodigy, winning Slytherin house their seventh House Cup in a row, setting an innocent man free from Azkaban… defeating a fully grown Mountain Troll" Mrs. Longbottom listed, and Ron felt a bit tense. I suppose I've done all that… sounds quite impressive. But I know I lucked through most of it… "I owe you a great debt on behalf of my Grandson, you saved the Longbottom heir from that troll."
"Thank you, Lady Longbottom" Ron said softly, feeling his ears turn red at all this attention.
"No, child. I should be thanking you. On behalf of the Longbottom Family, I thank you Ronald Weasley. You will forever be hailed as a friend to this family." Mrs. Longbottom then gave Ron a kind smile, and it looked quite odd on her. It was like she didn't smile often, and that her face was fighting her.
"I humbly accept" Ron replied, smiling formally himself. Was that the right thing to say? Why didn't Daphne teach me this?! I need to ask her for more lessons… Mrs. Longbottom seemed happy enough to hear that.
"Tell me Ronald, who taught you the Blasting Curse?" Mrs. Longbottom inquired. The question took Ron by surprise, and he knew that he had to answer honestly. This was the Head of the Longbottom Family that he was speaking with, and he couldn't afford to be disrespectful.
"My older brother Charlie taught me" Ron answered honestly. "He taught me every spell I know." Mrs. Longbottom nodded at his answer, seemingly satisfied about it.
"Then I should thank him as well, is he at the Burrow?" Mrs. Longbottom asked. She knows of the Burrow?
"No, Lady Longbottom. He is currently in Romania, working with Dragons" Ron answered.
"An admirable occupation" Mrs. Longbottom praised, and Ron smiled more widely at the sound of that. "I myself adore Dragons, and fund many projects to help the poor creatures. It is revolting what the Ministry is doing with them… Butchering the magnificent beasts and taking their territories. Shameful" Mrs. Longbottom finished strongly. Ron was taken aback by the sudden rant, but he chose to ignore it.
"Certainly" Ron agreed out of politeness, he didn't really know much about the Ministry. Please don't call me on it!
"What are your thoughts on the Ministry?" Mrs. Longbottom asked, glad to see him agreeing with her. SHE CALLED ME ON IT! Ron felt a bit of panic rise in his stomach.
"I don't really know much about the Ministry, Lady Longbottom. Though I do agree that their mistreatment of Dragons is abhorrent" Ron answered honestly, making sure to sound as convincing as he could. Mrs. Longbottom nodded at his reply again.
"I advise you to learn more about those… politicians. All witches and wizards in England are, after all, under the 'care' of the Ministry" Mrs. Longbottom said, her voice had a tinge of bitterness. The Ministry… Dumbledore… How would they react if I told them about the war I've seen in my visions? Probably lock me up on the grounds of me being insane… That is if the Entity doesn't murder me… "Come, we should rejoin the others" Mrs. Longbottom said. "My curiosity has been sated."
"Curiosity?" Ron asked as he stood up.
"Yes. You are an intriguing young man, even you must realize that" Mrs. Longbottom said, and Ron gave a sheepish smile. "Now come, the others must be here by now."
Ron followed her back to the living room, and he was surprised to see a few more people inside. They were all Gryffindors from his year, and they were standing around Neville and talking animatedly. Ron approached the group slowly, while Mrs. Longbottom slipped back out.
"Hello" Ron greeted them all with a smile, and they all turned around to look at him. Hermione and Neville were smiling at him, but the others locked shocked and went wide-eyed.
"Weasley?" Seamus Finnegan asked, surprised to see a Slytherin at Neville's birthday. He wasn't too surprised about Weasley not being in a coma anymore, his mother had read him that particular headline.
"Guys, this is Ron Weasley" Neville introduced, even though they all knew his name. "He is a friend of ours… Harry, Hermione, and me that is" Neville clarified. "Ron, these are our Gryffindor friends."
"Ahem" a brown skinned girl coughed.
"And Ravenclaw" Neville said with a sheepish smile. Ron smiled politely at all of them, and the girls smiled back. The boys were just staring at him with guarded looks. Guess I'll be sticking with Hermione for this whole thing…
"Ron" Hermione said. "This is Lavender Brown, Padma Patil, Parvati Patil, Seamus Finnegan, and Dean Thomas." She had pointed them all out, and Ron was jarred at the last person introduced. Dean Thomas… Ron blinked at the dark skinned boy who was still looking at him with a guarded look. DEAN! Ron had to fight the urge to tackle the bastard who was going to be snogging his sister in a few years! Instead Ron barely managed to keep his polite smile.
"A pleasure to meet you all" Ron said, calming himself down. If only Theo and Blaise were here to see my self-control… The girls greeted him rather kindly, and Ron was glad about that. He didn't want to make things awkward. The boys though… were less than polite.
"What is he doing here?" Seamus asked rather curtly, and Ron blinked at him.
"Seamus don't be rude" Lavender Brown scolded the Irish boy. "Don't listen to him, Ron. Can I call you Ron?"
"Only if I can call you Lavender" Ron smiled at the girl who had blonde wavy hair and wore a bright pink dress. She burst into giggles, which confused Ron a bit and he could see Hermione rolling her eyes. At least she isn't rude like Finnegan.
"I'm Padma, and this is my twin Parvati" Padma introduced herself and her sister. "I'm glad that I'm not the only non-Gryffindor here. Tell me, what's Slytherin like?" Ron gave her a smile and was about to answer when Seamus Finnegan scoffed. Okay, now he's pissing me off… Ron turned his head and cracked his neck, displaying his new odd habit to everyone. It's something that he just did now without even realizing, and he had no clue why.
"Stop it Seamus" Dean Thomas said with a frown. Damn you Dean… I don't need your pity! "We're here to enjoy a birthday party, leave Hogwarts business at Hogwarts." Huh? Ron decided to ignore this for now, he didn't really care about what had Finnegan in such a mood. So instead Ron smiled at Padma and decided to answer her question.
"Slytherin is… political…" Ron said, thinking hard on how to describe his house. "Everyone has a place and it's like a hierarchy of sorts. But the older students are very helpful to us younger ones… Did you know that fraternity is a Slytherin trait?" Padma shook her head, listening with interest. "Well it is, and every Slytherin is taught to stick together. We're a rather close house, I'd say."
"Wow" Lavender said, looking surprised. "You make it sound… nice. NOT THAT IT ISN'T" she quickly blurted out. Ron chuckled at that, and Lavender went red with embarrassment.
"I know we don't have a good reputation… but that's just because of a few bad apples" Ron said, but he knew that he was lying. Most Slytherins were bigots who thought themselves better than anyone around them. Sure they were a close house, but everyone had agendas… It was tiresome to determine what everyone wanted.
"Like Malfoy?" Hermione asked, already knowing the answer. Ron remembered the platinum haired git and frowned.
"Yes… like Malfoy" Ron said. "Sorry about him, by the way. I'm sure he has bothered all of you in some way." This is going well, if I keep this up then they won't antagonize me. Merlin I'm getting worse and worse…
"Not your fault, Ron" Neville said with a faint smile. "Though he is a git." Ron laughed lightly at that.
"That he is" Ron agreed, and he noticed the atmosphere becoming less awkward. Though Finnegan still seemed a little put off.
The party progressed rather smoothly, and Ron learned quite a bit about Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. Gryffindors were all rather emotional, and spent most of their time talking about Quidditch and other hobbies. Studies weren't a priority for them, except for Hermione, and they seemed to be a very close house. The Ravenclaws were the opposite of Gryffindors it seemed. Ron spent a lot of time talking to Padma, hoping to learn about Luna's future house. The Ravenclaws were studious, and spent very little time talking about Quidditch and other hobbies. They all spent their time studying new things, and sharing their knowledge amongst each other. Ron was also fascinated to learn that each Ravenclaw had their own pet-projects to take care of, and that Professor Flitwick often helped his students with their homework. Ron also found Hermione's look of longing towards Padma rather amusing, it was clear to see that she should've been in Ravenclaw. That Sorting Hat is a proper menace…
"Ron, can I talk to you?" Hermione asked, tearing Ron away from his conversation with Lavender. "In private?" Hermione added, and Ron slowly nodded.
"Excuse me, Lavender" Ron said to the girl in the bright pink dress.
"Oh… it's okay, I'll go find Parvati" Lavender said with a smile. Ron gave her a respectful nod which made her giggle wildly again, confusing Ron even more. That's rather… irritating… Lavender then trotted off to find her best friend.
"Is everything alright?" Ron asked Hermione.
"Yes… no… maybe?" Hermione muttered, and Ron sighed tiredly.
"Hermione, what's bothering you? You can tell me, and I promise I'll try my best to help fix it" Ron said, speaking to her like he would to Ginny when she was in trouble. Hermione smiled at Ron widely at that.
"I'm worried about Harry… He isn't replying to my letters… Or Neville's, and we think that he's angry with us. He didn't even come to Neville's birthday!" Hermione said quickly, and then she took in a sharp breath. Her too? What the hell is wrong with Harry? Is he actually mad at everyone? No… No he wouldn't ignore people. That isn't like him… Is it?
"He is ignoring my letters too…" Ron said, thinking hard about Harry. Hermione was taken aback by this.
"What? Really?"
"Yes… Neville and I spoke about this just before. Something isn't right… He won't even respond to Sirius' and Remus' letters! That doesn't sound like him at all…"
"You don't think he's in trouble, do you?" Hermione asked, her concern showing.
"No… no I don't think so. Sirius told me that Dumbledore sent Harry to his Muggle family" Ron explained. "So I don't think he is in any danger. Dumbledore wouldn't let Harry get hurt…" Or would he? That old codger didn't mind covering up what happened to me… And he refuses to let Sirius be Harry's guardian… Something is happening here but I can't even begin to guess what! Why would Dumbledore do these things?
"How do you know about Sirius' letters?" Hermione asked.
"He is always at our house, the Burrow that is. He and I have been spending a lot of time together" Ron explained, remembering Sirius fondly. Hermione smiled at the sound of that.
"That's wonderful Ron" Hermione said softly. "He asked about you when we met him on Platform 93/4. But we couldn't tell him the truth…" That caught Ron's attention immediately.
"Dumbledore told you all to lie as well?" Ron asked, feeling his stomach do a flip.
"Yes…" Hermione said softly, looking a little guilty. "I didn't want to… but he is the Headmaster and the greatest wizard alive… I'm sorry, Ron" Hermione muttered. Oh shite… Don't cry again please!
"Hermione, I'm fine now…" Ron said reassuringly. "Let's not talk about this, please. I'm sorry for bringing it up… Now, tell me your thoughts on Harry's Muggle family!" Change the subject politely, and then push through!
"I think his family is horrible!" Hermione said, feeling her righteous anger flare up. "Harry has told us the worst kind of stories about them! They gave him a toothpick for his birthday last year!" Ron was shocked to hear that.
"Really?!" Ron asked, bewildered at Muggles. Is that a normal thing to gift? If someone gifted me a toothpick, I'd hex them in the face!
"It's true! Why couldn't Sirius take care of Harry? He was so loving and kind to Harry when we met him…" Hermione shook her head, confused at grown-ups and their odd actions. But she knew that she had no right to question them or their authority. Rules were important, and the adults made the rules!
"Because of Dumbledore" Ron snarled. "The old codger won't let Sirius take custody of Harry!" Hermione looked scandalized by Ron's words.
"Ron! Don't talk about the Headmaster like that! It's rude!" Hermione scolded, frowning at him. But Ron didn't care, Dumbledore was a liar in Ron's books. Dumbledore was the reason why Sirius always left the Burrow in a foul mood. Ron had overheard the arguments that Sirius would have with the adults. Sirius begged them to listen to him, but they would all tell him to listen to Dumbledore. And then Sirius would lose his temper and storm off… He would only come back because he wanted to spend time with Ron, and Ron hated seeing Sirius mope about. Not to mention that Sirius would constantly ask Ron about Harry, as if Ron knew everything about his godson…
"Maybe Dumbledore isn't all that great" Ron said in a whisper. "I mean… the Dark Lord broke into the castle… and Dumbledore didn't even notice… And then I got…" Ron trailed off, feeling bitter again. Hermione looked at him sadly.
"That wasn't Dumbledore's fault…" Hermione whispered. "It was Professor Quirrell… He was possessed by you-know-who. Harry told us everything."
"And who hired Quirrell?" Ron argued, and Hermione didn't seem to have an answer for that. "Let's not fight…" Ron muttered, trying to calm down again. I shouldn't ruin the party… Mum would go mental if I did. "Right now, let's just… enjoy the party, okay?"
"Okay…" Hermione nodded but she looked a bit put off. Ron cursed his temper once again, and wished that he was born without it.
"Hey guys" came Neville's voice, and Ron turned to it. Neville was approaching them alongside Dean Thomas. Dean… ugh… "Is everything alright?" Neville asked Hermione, and she nodded too enthusiastically. Ron frowned at her inability to lie.
"We were talking about Harry" Ron told Neville, and Neville seemed to understand completely.
"What about Harry?" Dean asked. "Also, why isn't he here?" Shut up Dean…
Ron said his farewell to the others and went through the fire-place. He had decided to leave a little earlier than he had originally planned. All that standing up and walking around had tired him out quite a lot, and he had to start using his crutch again. The others didn't say a word about it, but Ron could see the pity in their eyes. Even Finnegan had started being nice to him, and that annoyed Ron greatly. He didn't need their pity! He was fine… all he needed was to rest his legs…
Ron hobbled into the Burrow, and he was immediately jumped by Ginny. "You're back!" Ginny exclaimed, and then she hugged him from his right side. "Come on, let's play now! Luna and I've been waiting all day!" Ginny grabbed his left hand and crushed it in her monstrous grip. Ron winced and followed after her, doing his best to keep up.
"Ginny, please slow down… I can't keep up" Ron said in a tired voice. Bloody hell my legs hurt… I just want to sit down. Maybe sleep a few hours as well.
"Oh… sorry Ronnie" Ginny said, and then she slowed down a bit. "We can play chess again! You can pick the color too!" More pity… Ron felt annoyed at that, but chose to ignore it. This was his Ginny, and she would never try to make him feel bad on purpose.
"How about we play some exploding snap instead?" Ron suggested, and Ginny beamed.
"Okay!" Ginny exclaimed, and then they came upon the stairs. Ron groaned internally at the sight of them. Give me a damn break…
Ginny quickly started making her way up, but Ron wasn't so fortunate. His legs began hurting and shaking after taking a few steps up, and he leaned against the wall. Fuck… I'm so tired… Ginny turned around and saw Ron leaning against the wall, and he looked like he was in pain.
"Mum!" Ginny shouted, making Ron jump. "Mum, Ron is hurt!" What?! No! I'm fine… Pandora came running out of the kitchen and she was looking frightened. She looked at Ron leaning against the wall, and then to a scared Ginny. "Where's mummy?!" Ginny asked Pandora. "Ron needs help!"
"No, I don't" Ron said tiredly. "I'm fine Gin, stop worrying other people…"
"Your mum went to Diagon Alley for some shopping" Pandora told Ginny, and then she walked up the stairs and stopped next to Ron. "You looked exhausted Ron, here let me help…" Pandora then took out her wand, and Ron felt his anger flare. I don't need help! I'm not some fucking cripple!
"Don't" Ron gritted out, taking Pandora by surprise. "I'm not crippled! I can go up some damn stairs without help…" Ron hated feeling like this, like he was some injured little boy in need of rescuing. He had taken on a Mountain Troll, and even fought the Dark Lord twice now! And he had lived through it! He didn't need anyone's help! Or their pity! They all didn't show any care before, but now… Now they won't stop mollycoddling me! At least Sirius and Remus take me seriously!
Ron then pushed himself off of the wall and began to go up again, but it was pointless. He took three steps, and his right leg lost its strength. He fell onto the wall again, and then slid down and sat on his arse. Like the useless cripple he was… His siblings had shown up now, no doubt because they had heard Ginny shouting. And Ron felt them all gazing at him, and they all had pity and sadness in their eyes. It boiled his fucking blood!
"What are you all looking at?!" Ron shouted at them, feeling his eyes burn. "FUCK OFF!" His siblings flinched hard, and the girls ran off. His brothers just looked like they had been slapped across their faces.
"Go back up" Pandora told the boys. "Upstairs… NOW!" His brothers left slowly, and Percy was the last to leave. Pandora then looked down at Ron with teary eyes, and Ron just glared murder at his own legs. Useless… That's what I am! Can't even go up these stairs! How am I going to save Fred?! Neither of them said anything for almost a minute, but then Pandora broke the silence. "Your brothers and sisters didn't deserve that, Ron" Pandora said softly. "They only wanted to help you…"
"I don't need help" Ron grit out, keeping his eyes on his legs. "I'm not crippled…" Ron then sniffled, he refused to cry in front of her.
"No one says that you are" Pandora said.
"Really?! Because you all keep treating me like I am! Everyone keeps acting like I'm about to break any second!" Ron said, now glaring at Pandora. She flinched slightly at his red eyes, and angry face. "Mum won't even let me play outside with the others! WHY?!"
"We're just worried Ron…" Pandora said in a whisper. That answer annoyed the hell out of him. He was doing his best to come to terms with his scars, but the adults weren't helping at all. They all constantly hovered over him, like he was some sick puppy that needed coddling… And Pandora… She wouldn't even stay in the same room if his scars were mentioned. It fucking hurt! It hurt so much…
"Worried…? Is that why you won't even look at me when my scars are mentioned? Why?! Why do you always run away whenever they're mentioned?" Ron's voice cracked, and he sniffled loudly. Pandora's mouth hung open and tears fell down her face. "I can never wear short sleeved shirts… or shorts… No one will ever want to look at me…" Ron cried. "Even you won't look at me… and I can't even blame you. Even I don't want to look at me…" Ron broke down crying, and he just didn't care.
Fuck being strong and silent, it was just burning him up from the inside. His friends, his family, and even strangers… they all pitied him. And the worst part was that he pitied himself. He knew whose fault it all was… it was his own. He had decided to go after the stone alone even though he knew that the Dark Lord wanted it. He didn't trust Dumbledore, and he had payed the price. And now that old bastard was making sure everyone knew that it was Ron's own stupidity that had turned him into this hideous thing. That was the real reason he hated all this lying about 'a spell gone wrong'. It was so close to the truth… It was his own fault. Everything was his fault and it fucking hurt… Why was he so pathetic? Why couldn't he do a damn thing right for once?!
Ron didn't notice in his hysterics that Pandora had wrapped him up in her arms. And that she was sobbing too. They stayed like that for a few minutes, and then Pandora picked him up and took him to his room. He didn't argue or fight, he was too exhausted and he just didn't care at this point. Once they were inside, Pandora put him on his bed and sat with him. She hummed softly and rocked him, and he was asleep before he knew it.
Ron woke up on his bed, and he immediately felt his headache. Ugh… My life gets worse… Ron slid out of his bed, and then he walked to the door. He needed water… and food. But he stopped at the door, he didn't want to go outside. He had taken his frustrations out on his siblings and Pandora, and he felt a strong pang of guilt for being so selfish. What was I thinking…? I'm so stupid… Ron sighed and walked back to his bed. He sat down and rubbed his temples with his hands, and he noticed that he wasn't wearing any gloves. Pandora must've taken them off… Ron looked at his right hand, and studied it in detail. His middle-finger was scarred horribly right above the knuckle, and those scars traveled down the back of his hand and down his palm. Pandora's ring melted on my hand… That's what Sirius told me… And then it clicked in his brain. Pandora blamed herself for his right hand… And he had thrown that in her face last night!
"Bloody hell…" Ron moaned, feeling horrible. "I'm such a damn git! Why didn't I see it before?" Ron fell back on his bed and rubbed his temples with force. He had been making good progress with his scars, and then last night he had lost it out of nowhere. All that progress went out of the window… But he knew one thing now, he had to apologize to Pandora. She didn't deserve to be treated like that, she only wanted to help… As he was thinking on how terribly he had acted last night, his door slowly opened. Ron immediately went to hide his right hand, but he sighed in relief when he saw that it was Pandora who had entered. She smiled at him sadly, and he noticed that she was carrying a tray of food.
"Good, you're awake" Pandora said softly. "I brought you some food. You didn't eat last night…" Last night…
"Pandora…" Ron started. "I'm so sorry about last night… I was out of line…" Pandora shushed him and then she quickly put the tray on his desk. Then she walked up and sat down next to him.
"No… no don't apologize" Pandora said with a sad smile. "You were right… I shouldn't have acted like that around you. It was unfair to you… I just couldn't deal with it. I just couldn't handle the pain of seeing those scars. I was a coward."
"No you weren't!" Ron argued. "I understand why you were acting like that now. And… and it wasn't your fault Pandora. That ring melting wasn't your fault." Pandora looked at his right hand and her eyes became wet again.
"Yes it was" Pandora croaked. "It was supposed to protect you, and it did that…" she said, looking directly at his scarred hand.
"It did protect me…" Ron said, and Pandora looked up at him. "It protected me when some fourth years tried to attack me in the Dungeons, it protected me when my friend threw a curse at me… And I felt it protect me against the Dark Lord as well. You helped me" Ron finished strongly, and he smiled when he saw her calming down. "And I… I want another one. I felt safe with it on… like you were with me the entire time…" Pandora let out a wet sob and hugged him tightly. She pressed his head against her bosom, and Ron went beet-red. But he didn't say anything, he didn't want to ruin this moment. Pandora held him there for a long minute, and then she broke the silence.
"I'll make a new one… a better one… No one will ever hurt my boy again…"
The next five days passed slowly for Ron, and things in the Burrow were horribly tense. And it wasn't because of his siblings as they had forgiven Ron the very next day. Percy had convinced everyone that Ron's reaction was a normal thing for someone who had gone through what he had. And his siblings had readily accepted that, mainly because they didn't want Ron to be angry with them. The horrible tension inside the Burrow was because of the adults. It turned out that Harry's birthday was a day after Neville's, and Sirius and Remus had gone over to Harry's Muggle family's home to pick up the boy-who-lived. But Harry wasn't home at the time, and the Muggle family wouldn't say where he was. When Sirius and Remus asked to wait for Harry inside, the Muggle family had refused to let 'freaks' inside their home.
Sirius had understandably lost his mind with rage… and Remus was forced to drag his wild friend back to the Burrow. Sirius had thrown a fit of rage at every adult in the room, and the children had heard most of it from upstairs. Sirius was fuming about Dumbledore and his 'Hippogriff-dung', and every other adult in the room had jumped to Dumbledore's defense. They explained that having faith in Dumbledore was the wisest policy, and that Dumbledore would never endanger Harry. This had been the wrong way to go about convincing Sirius, and the man had lost it even harder. He had stormed off again, but not before punching a hole through one of the walls in the living room.
No one saw Sirius for four straight days, and all the adults took turns in looking for him. The children were all worried as well, they all loved Sirius and his funny personality. Remus and Arthur eventually found their friend passed out in a bar in Knockturn Alley… And upon Arthur's insistence, Sirius had been brought back to the Burrow to sleep off his horrid state. Sirius had been put in the attic, along with the ghoul… And the children were forbidden from entering. But Ron decided to ignore that order, he was going to be there for Sirius. Just like Sirius had been there for him.
It was now August the fifth, and Ron was currently sneaking into the attic with a Pepper-up Potion. Dad always has one when he goes drinking with his mates from work, so it should work fine for Sirius as well. Ron opened the attic door and climbed up, and he immediately found Sirius sitting in a corner with his head in his hands. It was a rather pathetic sight if Ron was being honest.
"Sirius, it's me" Ron said, walking up to the man. Sirius looked up and stared at Ron.
"Sorry kid…" Sirius muttered disinterestedly. "I'm not in a good mood right now, go play with your siblings." Ron frowned at Sirius, annoyed at Sirius' tone with him. Don't take your anger out on me…
"I brought you a Pepper-up Potion" Ron said as he offered the potion to Sirius. "It's from dad's cupboard. He always has one when he goes out drinking." Sirius looked up and smiled, and then he accepted the potion. Sirius drank it down quickly, and then he sighed out in relief.
"Ah… I think it's already working. Thanks kiddo, you're a gem" Sirius said slowly. Ron beamed at hearing that. "What can I help you with?" Sirius asked with a smile, but Ron remained silent. Ron wanted to know what was happening with Harry, and he knew that he had to approach this carefully. Last thing I need is him punching down another wall and then running off…
"Sirius? What happened to you?" Ron asked innocently. "I was so worried…" Sirius' expression softened a lot and he looked almost sad.
"Pup… I'm sorry to hear that I worried you…" Sirius said softly, and then he gestured Ron to come closer. "Come, sit with me." Ron did as he was told and sat down next to Sirius, and Sirius put his arm around Ron. Ron could smell the faint scent of stale drink on Sirius. Ron didn't like that smell… "I got some bad news, and I didn't take it very well. It was a… childish reaction on my part. I'm sorry…"
"What bad news?" Ron asked softly, but he knew what it was. The whole damn house knew what it was… Sirius was silent for a few moments, and then he sighed tiredly.
"Harry…" Sirius said softly. "I missed his birthday because of… because of those Muggles that he is staying with. Horrible people… Harry wasn't even home for his own birthday… Can you believe that?" Oh I can… We all heard you shouting about it. Still, Sirius raises a good question. Where was Harry?
"No… Where do you think he was?" Ron asked, looking intently at Sirius. Sirius scoffed bitterly.
"I have no clue! He was nowhere in the house, I would have smelled…" Sirius trailed off, and Ron was left confused. Smelled? Smelled what? "It doesn't matter now… I just can't believe this is happening… I promised to take care of Harry, Ron. I promised his mum and dad, and now I can't even see him on his birthday… I missed so many of them, and now I've missed another…" Sirius said sadly, his mood becoming somber. Ron put his gloved hand over Sirius' and gave the man a kind smile. Ron didn't like seeing Sirius like this, Sirius was supposed to be the funny and mischievous adult.
"You're his Godfather, aren't you?" Ron asked, and then he continued. "Maybe if you go back today, and ask those Muggles for permission, they might let you take Harry… From what I've heard about them, they don't like Harry very much." Sirius smiled softly at Ron, and then ruffled his hair gently.
"It's more complicated than that, pup…" Sirius said softly, his voice laced with regret.
"What? Dumbledore says that you can't?" Ron asked, and Sirius just sighed again. "Maybe… Dumbledore is wrong about this…" Ron muttered, and Sirius frowned a little.
"Ron, Dumbledore is… a prick. But he is also the greatest wizard to walk the earth since Merlin… Everyone keeps reminding me of that… So I don't know if I should reject his advice. He's made some… good points about keeping Harry with those Muggles…" Sirius finished lamely, looking exhausted. What good points? They hate Harry! What could be so important as to keep Harry in a place where he is hated?
"Sirius, they hate Harry! They gave him a toothpick last year for his birthday…" Ron said, and Sirius looked at Ron with a furrowed brow.
"What?" Sirius snarled, and Ron felt a little scared.
"Hermione told me… They hate Harry… What could be so important as to keep Harry in a place where he is hated so much?! I think…" Ron trailed off, he was about to reveal his fantasy of bringing Harry to the Burrow. Ron had been thinking about it for the last few days, ever since Hermione had told him about the toothpick present…
"A toothpick?" Sirius muttered darkly. "Petunia you loathsome, vile bitch…" And then Sirius turned to Ron and stared at the boy. "What were you going to say before you trailed off? What were you thinking, Ron?" Ron looked down sheepishly, worried that Sirius would laugh at his 'plan'.
"I was thinking… that we should maybe… I don't know, bring Harry here?" Ron stuttered, hoping Sirius took him seriously. Sirius looked at Ron for a few moments, and then he smiled sadly.
"I would love that… but it isn't practical…" Sirius muttered.
"Why not?!" Ron argued. "We can go and get him, and then we can hide him here in the attic! Or in my room! At least he would be cared for here! Unlike with his Muggle family…" Sirius looked at Ron, and Ron could see that the man was conflicted.
"Dumbledore would never…" Sirius started but Ron cut him off.
"Who cares about what he says?!"
"The whole world cares about what Dumbledore says!" Sirius said, raising his voice a little.
"The same Dumbledore that let a troll into the castle without even realizing? Harry was going to die that night if I wasn't there! Or what about the fact that Dumbledore kept an artifact at the school that endangered his students?! Or what about the time that he let the Dark Lord in and didn't even notice?! He isn't above making mistakes! What if he is wrong about this?! Harry is all alone!" Ron said loudly, pouring his own frustrations into his rant. None of my problems last year should've happened in the first place! Dumbledore was supposed to protect the school, not me!
Sirius was just quite for a long minute, and he was staring at Ron with wide-eyes. Ron made some strong points for his case, and Sirius really wanted Harry to stay with him and Remus… What if Ron was right? What if this was all a big mistake? Dumbledore wasn't a God… He was a man, and men make mistakes! And then Sirius remembered being dragged off to Azkaban, and the look of disdain that was on Dumbledore's face during that. It made his chest burn with fury, and he knew that he was done listening to everyone else. He wanted Harry, and he was going to get him! Sirius owed James everything! And Sirius had to protect his brother's son, and he was going to do it no matter what obstacle he had to cross!
"Tonight…" Sirius said in a hushed whisper, and Ron felt a smile crack onto his face. "We need a plan…"
"I have one" Ron said, and Sirius looked to Ron with a sly smile.
"Do share, pup" Sirius said.
"Dad's car… it's enchanted to fly… We can take that, and bring Harry back here before morning. Then we hide him in my room or up here!" Ron explained.
"That sounds great, but let's not hide Harry… I will take custody of him instead…" Sirius said, his resolve becoming strengthened.
"Alright… meet me near the shed at midnight…" Ron said, feeling his stomach do flips with excitement. Things were getting too boring… This is so much better!
Ron waited by the shed, and he was growing more and more worried. Where in the bloody hell is he? I've been here for twenty minutes! Ron and Sirius had been on their best behavior all day, and the adults were quite surprised. More surprised about Sirius anyway… The two of them made sure to raise no suspicion whatsoever about their plans for tonight. And now Sirius was nowhere to be found!
"Pup…" came Sirius' hushed voice from behind Ron, and Ron quickly turned around.
"Where were you?" Ron hissed. "I've been here for twenty minutes…"
"Sorry about that" Sirius said quietly with a sheepish grin. "Bloody Remus wouldn't go to sleep…" Ron frowned at that.
"Come on, we need to go now…" Ron muttered, and then they both snuck into the shed. Sirius let out a whistle at the sight of the light blue Ford Anglia, and then Sirius grinned.
"So this is our ride, eh?" Sirius asked with excitement.
"Yup… Sirius meet dad's flying car!" Ron said with a proud grin. This car was probably the coolest thing that the Weasley Family owned. Ron and his brothers used to take turns driving it around the Burrow sometimes. Ron then walked towards the driver's seat but was stopped by Sirius.
"Kid, what are you doing?" Sirius asked.
"Going to sit in the driver's seat…" Ron said slowly, looking at Sirius like he was daft.
"I'm the adult here…" Sirius said with a sly smile.
"Oh you are? I didn't realize…" Ron retorted with a grin. Sirius' smile grew wider by a bit at the familiar banter.
"That's cute, wise-ass" Sirius said. "But I'll drive, it's safer that way."
"Do you know how to drive this thing? Because I do" Ron said, maintaining his grin. Sirius frowned at the car.
"It can't be that hard… I had a flying motorcycle…" Sirius said, looking at the car warily now. "How hard could it possibly be?" A flying motor-cycle? Wicked!
"Look either I can drive us there and you can navigate us… or, we can spend the night teaching you how to drive this car…" Ron said plainly. "Just remember that Harry is still stuck with his horrible family…" That's right… give in to the emotional blackmail… Theo would be so proud of me right now…
"Fine…" Sirius said, his frustration evident. "But if you crash us… I'll throttle you!" Ron grinned at Sirius who went and sat down in the passenger seat. Ron sat down in the driver's seat and looked to the ignition. YES! The key was in here the whole time. Ron had spent the entire day looking for this damn key… Ron turned the car on, and drove it out of the shed. Then he sped up along the long dirt road and pulled the gear stick back. The car lifted off and Sirius let out a loud laugh.
"Woohoo!" Sirius shouted, looking out of the window. Ron smiled ear-to-ear at Sirius' reaction. "This is bloody amazing! I've missed this feeling so bloody much!" Ron let out a laugh at that, and he felt his skin breakout into goosebumps. We're coming Harry!
"Does this thing have an invisibility booster?" Sirius asked. They were just flying over London now.
"Yeah it does" Ron said, and then he pushed the button on the dashboard. An odd feeling washed over the duo, and they knew that they were now invisible to Muggles.
"Remember, we're heading to Surrey. So take a left from here and follow that big cloud" Sirius instructed, and Ron followed his directions.
Ron looked down from his side window at Muggle London, and it was a breathtaking sight. There were so many lights beneath them, and they illuminated the shape of the city. Ron then looked ahead again, and smiled at the thought of his latest adventure. This is definitely they most fun one yet… I mean look at us, we're flying over a city in a car!
"So, what's our plan?" Sirius asked. "I was thinking that'd we'd sneak in using magic, and steal Harry in the dead of night. I'd rather not run into the Dursleys…"
"I was thinking the same thing" Ron said, happy to note that he was thinking just like Sirius. "I can't do magic, but you can. Just make sure you don't hex anyone… Or we'll both be done for!"
"I can't make any promises, kid. Those bastards had better be treating Harry right…" Sirius snarled.
"Even if they aren't… it stops today. So don't make things harder on us, all right?"
"Whatever" Sirius muttered, and Ron couldn't help but feel like he was the adult here. Sirius can be really immature… It's bad enough that we are going against Dumbledore's wishes, if he hexes a Muggle, we'll end up in Azkaban! Then Harry will end up with the Muggles again…
They flew towards Surrey, and both of them planned their 'heist'. Sirius instructed Ron to park the car a little ways away from the Dursley home. That way, they could sneak to the house without alerting the Muggles. Their plan was to use 'Alohomora' on the back door, and then sneak up to Harry's room. Ron didn't know how they would find Harry's room, but Sirius told him not to worry about that. Ron decided to not argue, and he figured that Sirius was probably just going to use some spell. They eventually came close to Harry's house, and Sirius told Ron to park close-by. Ron did as he was instructed, except the car landed with a bit of a thud.
"Sorry…" Ron apologized with a sheepish smile, and Sirius frowned at his landing.
"Let's just hope no one heard that…" Sirius said, and then they both got out of the car. Ron made sure to take the keys with him, he didn't want so Muggle stealing his dad's car. "Quick, follow me. Their house isn't too far away from here." Sirius and Ron then walked through the dark Muggle neighborhood quickly. Ron noticed that all the houses looked the same, and he wondered if that was a Muggle trend of some kind. Muggles are so odd…
"This is it" Sirius said, looking at the house. "C'mon, we'll jump the fence go in through the back…" Sirius and Ron then tiptoed over to the fence, and then Sirius helped Ron over it. Ron landed as softly as he could, and his face broke out in a grin. This is so wicked! Sirius landed softly behind him, and Ron noticed that Sirius was also grinning. They walked into the back yard, and looked up at the bedroom windows. Ron was shocked to see that one of the windows was barred, and he couldn't help but think that it was Harry's. Sirius, unfortunately, thought the same thing and he wasn't so subtle with his reaction.
"Those… those filthy little…" Sirius snarled and stuttered. Oh shite…
"Sirius calm down, we don't know if that's his room…" Ron started but he was cut off by Sirius.
"We do know!" Sirius exclaimed, and Ron shushed him hard.
"Are you mad? You'll wake up the whole neighborhood" Ron hissed, annoyed with Sirius' actions.
"I don't care… Dumbledore will answer for this! And so will the Dursleys!" Sirius said, and then he walked up to the back door and unlocked it.
"Sirius wait! What are you doing?!" Ron said, getting worried. He is going to end up getting sent to Azkaban at this rate! Sirius opened the door and just barged in, and Ron ran in after him. "Sirius stop! You're going to get us caught!" Ron hissed, and then he heard thuds from upstairs. Both Ron and Sirius stopped, and Ron felt his stomach tighten from the fear of getting caught. Sirius just snarled some more and then he started walking up the stairs. Ron followed after him, and then they both ran into a rather large man. He was looking terrified and he had a wooden weapon of some sort in his hands. A Muggle? A really fat Muggle…
"Who're you?!" the fat man yelled. "I'll call the police!" Police?
"Hello, Vernon" Sirius snarled, and Ron felt a little scared. This could turn sour really fast, more than it already had that is.
"You…" the Muggle named Vernon muttered.
"Where is your whore of a wife?" Sirius gritted out, and Ron put his hand on his wand. If Sirius attacked these Muggles, then Ron was going to stun him from behind.
"How… how dare you?!" the fat man yelled, but he shut up immediately when Sirius pointed his wand at the fat man's face. Fuck! He is going to attack them, isn't he?!
"Sirius stop it! Think of Harry!" Ron implored, getting ready to draw his own wand. He knew that he would have to stun Sirius from behind, he'd never win a fight against the older wizard head on.
"I am…" Sirius said. "Ron, go and find Harry's room. Tell him to pack his things, and tell him that he is coming with us…"
"He'll not go anywhere with you freaks!" Vernon spat out, and Sirius snarled.
"Vernon stop!" came a woman's shrill voice. Then a blonde and thin woman rushed to the fat man's side from behind him.
"Ah, Petunia…" Sirius greeted darkly. "We meet again… Ron, go find Harry. Now…" Ron exhaled loudly, and then moved past Sirius.
"Don't do anything stupid" Ron grit out as he passed Sirius. Then Ron walked up to the Muggle couple and smiled sheepishly. "Hello… move out of the way please…" The couple stared at the red-haired boy with trepidation, and then they moved out of the way slowly. Ron walked past them, and then he turned the corner. He could hear Sirius talking to the Muggles, and he ignored it. What a damn mess… Should've asked the twins for help instead… Or Remus! Ron then came upon a bedroom door, and he opened it.
"Agh!" came a loud scream and Ron actually jumped in fright. A fat boy ran past Ron screaming for his parents, and Ron just stood there in confusion. What was that?! I guess this isn't Harry's room then… Ron then left the room and found himself in front of another one. The door was fitted with multiple locks and chains, and Ron grimaced. This can't be… They've been keeping him here as a prisoner…
Ron then ran back to Sirius and the Muggles, and then Ron told Sirius about the door. Sirius nearly lost his mind with rage and ran to the door in question. Sirius pointed his wand at the door, and used 'Alohomora' to unlock all the locks and chains. Then the older wizard opened the door, and both Sirius and Ron looked inside. There, in the middle of the room, stood Harry Potter with his wand aimed at them.
"Sirius?!" Harry exclaimed, shocked to see his Godfather. Sirius ran up and hugged Harry tightly, and Ron let out a relieved sigh. Now we can get out of here! I'm so dead when mum and dad find out about this…
"Pack your things, Harry" Sirius said as he let Harry go. "We're taking you away from here."
"We?" Harry asked, and Ron coughed. Harry looked over to Ron and went wide-eyed. "Ron…?"
"Hey mate…" Ron said with a smile. Harry ran up and hugged Ron tightly.
"You're not in a coma!" Harry exclaimed with a loud laugh. "I've been going mad with worry!" Ron wasn't big on hugging other blokes, but he did his best to return the hug. Ron looked to Sirius and saw the man smiling widely.
"We'll fill you in on the way back…" Ron said. "Get your things."
Ron turned on the ignition with a turn of the key, and then they flew off. Harry and Sirius were sitting in the back seats, and Ron was driving everyone back to the Burrow. Sirius was fretting over Harry, and Harry was doing his best to calm down his Godfather. They had managed to leave before Sirius injured Harry's Muggle family.
"Why were you locked away like that?!" Sirius demanded. "Who locks a child away?! Damn Petunia to hell!"
"Sirius, please calm down" Harry implored. "I'm fine… I promise."
"Fine?" Sirius asked. "How? How could you possibly be fine?! I'm such a moron! Why didn't I act sooner?! You weren't returning our letters, I should have known that they were holding you captive!"
"They only locked me away a couple of days ago…" Harry muttered, looking sheepish. "I ruined a dinner that was important to Uncle Vernon…"
"And locking you away was a normal reaction to such a thing?" Ron asked, annoyed at Harry for defending his Muggle family. "Are all Muggles this insane?!" Ron asked Sirius.
"Just that jealous bitch!" Sirius snarled, and Harry flinched at that.
"Please… I'm fine…" Harry muttered. "Don't be so angry…"
"Harry, mate…" Ron said, his voice annoyed. "Forgive us but why shouldn't we be angry?! Do you have any idea how stressed everyone was about you? Bloody Neville and Hermione think that you were angry with them, and that's why you were ignoring their letters. Can't say I'm very different…"
"I never got any letters…" Harry said softly.
"They hid away your letters?!" Sirius asked, getting angry again.
"No…" Harry said quickly. "It was some House-Elf… He made sure I never got my letters… He said something about me not going to Hogwarts this year."
"A House-Elf?" Sirius asked with a furrowed brow. "Who's House-Elf? And what did it mean by you not going to Hogwarts?" A House-Elf… Only wealthy families own one… It's quite prestigious to have one. Wish we had one too… then I wouldn't have to do any chores…
"He didn't say" Harry explained. "Just something about Hogwarts being in danger this upcoming school year…" AGAIN?!
"Now what?!" Ron asked in anger, remembering the stone debacle.
"I don't know" Harry answered. "But Hogwarts is my home, and I'm going back!"
"Your home will be with me now as well, Harry" Sirius said strongly, putting an arm around his godson. "I'm taking custody over you, and I don't care what anyone says." Harry beamed at that, and he hugged Sirius tightly. Ron looked back with the rear-view mirror, and he smiled at the sight. This is right… Sirius and Harry should be together…
Ron drove them back to the Burrow, and during the ride both Ron and Sirius grilled Harry about this House-Elf. But there just wasn't enough to know about the Elf. Its name was Dobby, and he was apparently betraying his family by warning Harry. Ron felt dread at the thought that some powerful family was making a move against Hogwarts, and he couldn't help but wonder if the upcoming war had something to do with this move. Something was definitely going down, and Ron felt panic at the thought of it. Especially with the Dark Lord still being alive. Was this family allied with the Dark Lord, and if so, what was their move? Kill the Headmaster? Conquer the school? Destroy the school? Ron knew that whatever the answer was, it was something that he had to stop from happening. His little sisters were attending Hogwarts this year, and Ron would be damned if he didn't protect them!
Ron managed to land the car with much more grace this time, and he drove it into the shed. Once he had finished his parking, he turned off the ignition and all three of them stepped out. Sirius got Harry's trunk out of the car's boot, while Harry got his pet snowy owl out from the passenger seat. Ron waited for them outside the shed, and he frowned at the rising sun. That took way too long… Merlin I hope no one is awake yet…
"Let's go" Sirius said, dragging Harry's trunk behind him. Harry had his hands full with Hedwig's cage, and Ron decided to run up ahead to check if they were in the clear. Ron slowly entered his house, and walked into the kitchen. Empty… Ron smirked in relief, and then he traveled to the living and found it empty as well. Thank you Merlin…
"WHERE. HAVE. YOU. BEEN?!" came a deafening screech from behind Ron, and he almost passed out from the fright it gave him. Ron slowly turned around and came face-to-face with Pandora, Xenophilius, and his mother. His red in the face mother who was glaring murder at him. "YOUR BED WAS EMPTY! NO NOTE! CAR GONE! EXPLAIN YOURSELF RIGHT NOW!" she shrieked, and Ron felt his hands tremble. He had never seen his mother so angry with anyone… Even Pandora and Xenophilius looked mad with anger… Ron then saw Sirius and Harry standing behind the three adults, and he prayed to Merlin that they would save themselves. Unfortunately, Hedwig let out a loud hoot and gave away their position. All three adults turned around, and the sight of Harry and Sirius made them gasp.
"YOU?!" Molly shrieked at Sirius. "This was all your doing wasn't it?!" Sirius went wide-eyed and he slowly took a step back. Harry looked pale with fear…
"It was my idea, mum" Ron said loudly, deciding to admit his fault. It was indeed his idea, so why should Harry or Sirius pay the price for it? Pandora and Molly turned to face Ron with confusion on their faces, while Xenophilius just sighed and shook his head. "They had bars on his window, mum… They had him locked away in a room with chains! What was I supposed to do?! Leave him there to rot?!"
"You'd best pray I don't put you in a caged room, Ronald Weasley!" his mother yelled, her anger was monstrous. How could he endanger himself like this again?! Why did he keep doing these things?! Ron went wide-eyed at that, and his hands shook quite violently. Pandora noticed his hands, and sighed. Then she whispered something in Molly's ear, and his mother looked down at his hands. Ron hid them behind his back quickly, the last thing he wanted was to show off his weakness… "You could have died! You could have been seen!" his mother yelled in frustration. Ron looked down at his shuffling feet, and he felt his exhaustion quite clearly now. He had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours now…
"Molly, the boy is telling the truth" Sirius jumped in. "They were starving Harry! They had him locked away like some prisoner! Ron helped me save him… so yell at me! Don't take it out on the boy…"
"Oh, I'll get to you in a second Sirius Black!" Molly promised, and then she turned to Harry. "Of course, we don't blame you Harry…" she said a bit more calmly. Wow… what the hell?
"I think we should have a spot of breakfast" Xenophilius said suddenly, sounding quite different from his usual barmy self… Pandora looked at her husband, and then she smiled faintly.
"He's right Molly… we can talk about this after we feed Ron and Harry…" Pandora advised, and then she put a calming hand on Molly's shoulder. Ron's mother huffed at Sirius, and then she looked at Harry.
"Come Harry, let's get some food in you…" Molly said as kindly as she could. Sirius slowly prodded Harry forward, and Harry went to Mrs. Weasley with some trepidation. She quickly put a gentle hand on his back and guided him to the kitchen, but not before shooting Ron a look that meant that 'this isn't over yet'. Ron sighed at that, and shook his head. So much for sneaking Harry in… Damn I'm bad at this espionage stuff…
"What were you thinking, Ron?" Pandora asked in a pleading voice. "You've only been up and about for three weeks… You are still underweight and weak… Why do you keep doing these things?" Ron felt a pang of guilt for making Pandora and his mum worry so much. But he also felt annoyed at being called weak. He wasn't weak, he just didn't leave people behind to rot away in prisons!
"They had my friend locked away…" Ron said stubbornly. "I couldn't walk away from that." Pandora just looked at Ron, and then she was about to say something but Xenophilius stepped in.
"Love, let him eat… Then you and Molly can question him" Xenophilius said. "None of you are in a place to discuss this with civility…" Civility? What happened to the Xenophilius I know and love?! Who the hell is this?! Pandora looked at her husband, and then she nodded and agreed with him. "Come Ron, let's get you some food" Xenophilius said with a smile. Ron followed the silver haired man closely, preparing himself for the awkward breakfast that was just ahead.
The breakfast was indeed awkward, and no one spoke. Molly piled food onto Harry's and Ron's plates, but she did it with a frown for Ron. Things were awfully tense for Sirius as well, as Molly and Pandora were both shooting him murderous looks the whole time. But none of this compared to the wave of exhaustion that was washing over Ron. He'd been up for a full day, something that he couldn't manage even in his normal state. But now, with saving Harry, he had somehow managed it… And now the toll was showing…
Sirius Black's POV
Sirius took another bite of eggs, and he looked up to see Pandora shoot him a murderous look. Fucking Merlin… if looks could kill, they'd have to lock her up in Azkaban. Sirius looked to Harry and smiled at his godson reassuringly. Harry sheepishly smiled back, and Sirius thought he was looking at James again for a second. That had happened a few times during his last encounter with Harry, both father and son looked so alike. Except Harry's eyes… those were Lily's eyes. Being near Harry felt like he was with his old friends again, and it made him feel so happy. Back when the Marauders were still together… Sirius frowned internally at the thought of the Marauders, Peter was a Marauder… And his membership ruined so many of Sirius' best memories. Remus felt the same way, at least that's what Sirius thought anyway. Remus had yet to mention Peter by name or even as a passing note…
Sirius mused over how one person could ruin so much, but he was taken out of his thoughts when he heard cutlery fall down and clatter. Sirius looked at the direction of the sound, and his heart skipped a beat. Ron had passed out on the table… KID! Sirius immediately shot up from his seat, and so did the other adults.
"Ronnie!" Molly yelled loudly, and she rushed to his side. Pandora was already casting diagnosing charms on him, and Sirius put an arm around his frightened godson.
"What's wrong with him?" Harry asked aloud, and Sirius waited for the answer. His stomach doing flips from dread. What the fuck happened?! He was fine a minute ago!
"He's just exhausted…" Pandora sighed in relief, and then she helped Ron up. "He shouldn't have been pushing himself like this… He's too weak…" Sirius' chest tightened from guilt, he hadn't even thought of the kid's poor health… Fuck, I'm so stupid! Pandora then shot Sirius a glare and was about to say something when Xenophilius stepped in.
"Pandora, help me take him to his room…" Xenophilius said, and then he picked Ron up from the seat like a baby. Pandora kept her eyes on Sirius as she followed her husband up the stairs, and Sirius rubbed his forehead with his right hand. Damn it… He drove all night as well….
"Harry dear, go upstairs and put your trunk in Ronne's room…" Molly said, trying to keep her voice calm. "Go on…" she added. Sirius prodded Harry to do as he was told, but he couldn't bring himself to smile reassuringly at his godson. Harry then picked up his trunk and walked up the stairs, shooting one last look to Sirius. And then he was gone… Sirius turned and looked at Molly apologetically.
"Molly I'm so…" Sirius started but he was cut off by Molly immediately.
"He's just a boy!" Molly shrieked, her eyes wet with tears. "Just a boy…" her voice cracked, and then she too left to go upstairs in a hurry. This left Sirius as the only person in the kitchen, and he slumped down on his chair ungracefully. He put his hands over his face and groaned, cursing himself back to Azkaban.
Molly was right… Ron was just a boy, something that Sirius and many other adults couldn't help but overlook. It was just that Ron was so different from the other children around him… so much more mature… No, mature wasn't the right word… Ron was just different... It was so hard to pinpoint Ron, especially due to his feats. What other twelve year old could boast such feats?! None… Sirius knew that he and his friends were brilliant in Hogwarts, but Ron was on another level… And Sirius couldn't understand why. Arthur had told Sirius so much about Ron, including the fact that Ron one day just became like this… He was just like any other kid, and then he wasn't. That stumped everyone who spoke about Ron, and this included Sirius.
That's why Sirius had listened to Ron's plan so easily… It was like he was talking to another adult, and not just a young boy. A boy who was in a horrible state, both physically and emotionally… Sirius smacked himself for being such a duffer. Ron never should have been there, he wasn't in a healthy enough state to be there… Sirius wasn't going to lie to himself, and he had to admit that Ron's skinny body greatly upset him. He looked so… feeble. Like he'd snap in two if someone touched him too hard… Sure he was gaining more and more weight, but he still looked so weedy… I should've refused his help. What am I going to tell Remus?
Remus was pissed… More pissed than Sirius had ever seen him… Remus had lost his level-headed nature, and he had just exploded at Sirius for his 'lack of common sense' and his 'childish and foolish behavior'. Sirius didn't say a word and just copped the abuse silently, and Remus eventually tired himself out. Even Arthur hadn't made a sound during Remus' fit of rage… The three men were now sitting in the Burrow's living room, none of them saying a word.
"Dumbledore will come here soon…" Arthur broke the silence, and Sirius frowned at that bit of news. "I had to tell him, Sirius. If Harry is to stay here, then Dumbledore must know…" Sirius just sighed at the fact that Harry couldn't actually stay at Twelve Grimmauld Place with Sirius and Remus… Not yet anyway. The house was filthy, filled with dark artifacts, and all sorts of other nasty surprises. Remus and Sirius were still trying to make that house livable…
"I'm sorry about this, Arthur" Sirius apologized. "I didn't mean for it to get this far out of hand…" Arthur silenced Sirius by raising his hand.
"No, no it's alright…" Arthur said. "Pandora and Molly both told me that Ronnie is going to be fine, he just needs to sleep. The thing that's bothering me is that Harry looked so… different from what I imagined… He's as skinny as Ron." Arthur then looked to Sirius with a regretful look. "Is it true then? The boy was being mistreated?" Sirius nodded firmly.
"They had bars on his window, Arthur" Sirius said, and Remus leaned forward in his seat. "They had his room locked up with chains and locks… I swear it. I will even give my memories to prove it…" Remus let out a tired sigh at that.
"I can't believe Petunia would do this to her own nephew…" Remus muttered, shocked at the way Harry was being treated. Shocked, and angry! He should've listened to Sirius…
"She was always jealous of Lily" Sirius grit out. "And she has been taking it out on Harry! She probably starved him too, judging by his appearance… I know what I did was wrong, but I'm taking Harry. Albus Dumbledore be damned!"
"Sirius…" Remus started but Sirius cut him off.
"Don't defend him!" Sirius snarled. "Don't you fucking dare defend him, Remus! He told us to our faces that Harry was safest with the Dursleys… Do you remember? Blood-wards from Lily's sacrifice…" Remus and Arthur looked down at that. "And yet, his own 'blood' was treating him like a prisoner! Keeping him locked away like those damn Dementors! I don't care what any of you say, I will take this to the Ministry if I have to! I'm done waiting for Albus to see reason, so either help me or stay out of my way!" Sirius finished strongly, and silence once again descended upon the trio. Harry is my responsibility! Not Petunia's… not Remus'… not Dumbledore's… MINE!
Sirius smiled happily as he opened the door to Ron's room, and then he entered quietly. Sirius immediately saw Harry stand up from his bed and look to him hopefully. "Are the adults done talking?" Harry asked in a hushed whisper. "What did they say? Was Dumbledore really here?"
"Easy there, Harry" Sirius said softly, amused by Harry's inquisitive nature. He's just like his parents… "Yes, the 'adults' are done talking and yes, Dumbledore was here. And I got custody…" Harry beamed and ran up to Sirius, hugging his Godfather tightly. Sirius closed his arms around Harry and squeezed the boy. "You will stay here until the end of the holidays, but next year you will start living with Remus and I. How does that sound?" Harry looked up to Sirius, but he didn't break his hug.
"Why can't I stay with you now?" Harry asked.
"My house is… not safe yet…" Sirius answered lamely, but then he gave Harry a comforting smile. "The Weasley Family is as good as a family can get, Harry. You will love it here! And Remus and I will visit every day, I promise. Molly and Arthur insisted that you stay here as well, so make sure you thank them. And also thank the kid… it was his idea to break you out…" Harry smiled sadly at that.
"Is Ron alright?" Harry asked, tightening his grip around Sirius' waist.
"Yes…" Sirius answered, feeling another pang of guilt. "He just needs some more rest…"
"He's been asleep all day…"
"I know, but he went through a lot…" Far too much…
"Are you leaving now?" Harry asked, worried about being left here alone.
"I have to, just for a bit. I will be back tomorrow morning, I promise" Sirius answered honestly. "Dumbledore and I are going to the Ministry to sort out this guardianship business…" Sirius added, deciding to tell the whole truth.
"Is he… Is he angry?" Harry asked, worried about offending the Headmaster. Harry liked Dumbledore more than he could say, the old wizard had been nothing but kind to Harry. That was something Harry hadn't felt much from the adults in his life.
"No… no he isnt angry" Sirius replied, squeezing Harry. "He actually gave me custody very quickly. All the grown-ups were on my side, and even Dumbledore apologized. When he learned about your imprisonment, he told me that I was right all along. He… he was quite sorry…" Sirius shuddered at the memory of a 'sorry' Dumbledore. The old man looked heartbroken… What the fuck was Figg even doing?! Why didn't she fucking tell him anything?! Harry let out a wet laugh, and Sirius realized that Harry was crying softly.
"Harry?" Sirius asked, and then he crouched in front of Harry. "Harry, what's wrong?"
"Nothing…" Harry sniffled. "I'm just really happy…" Sirius felt his chest tighten, and he embraced his godson.
"I'm not going anywhere… Remus and I… We'll watch over you" Sirius said, feeling his eyes burn. I'll raise him right… I promise, James and Lily… I promise.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you all enjoyed the Rescue Arc! Sirius got custody of Harry, and Dumbledore gave it up... Mostly because he knew that it couldn't be helped anymore. Sirius has all the power in this situation, and so Dumbledore can only trust Sirius to do right by Harry!
Now only one chapter remains before Second year officially starts! THE CHAMBER OF SECRETS?! We'll see... Next chapter will focus on Daphne's birthday, Pure-Bloods, Lord Greengrass vs. Ron in chess, and even an appearance from a certain Lavender-clad 'hero'... Get Keen!