AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 28 is finally finished! Goddamn, this was a hard one to write!
1. It has EIGHT POVs! That's the most I've ever done in one chapter!
2. It takes place over a month! I've sped up the process a little, mostly coz I want to get to the Chamber already!
3. So many sub-plots...
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 28 – A Looming Threat
Lucius Malfoy's POV
September 10th, 1992
Lucius,
My old friend, it is my displeasure to inform you of your son's most recent actions. Draco has done an incredibly foolish thing, one that disgraces the names of Slytherin and Malfoy. He, and his two companions, attacked Ronald Weasley in a public bathroom. They beat the boy to within an inch of his life, and if it weren't for two older boys, the youngest Weasley son may have perished from his injuries.
I did my best to hide this, but Dumbledore discovered the truth nonetheless. It took a great deal of persuading and even, I'm ashamed to admit, begging on my part to save Draco's position at Hogwarts. Dumbledore will be watching your son with the keenest of eyes from this moment on, I advise you to instruct Draco to act accordingly.
As for myself, I have compromised my own standing with the old fool due to this debacle. I will no longer be able to defend Draco's actions, lest I lose this position that I have worked so hard to attain. If our Master ever returns… He would be most displeased…
Your Friend and Ally,
S.S
Lucius put the letter down, and he felt his forehead throb. Another blasted headache… His headaches were becoming more and more frequent over the last four months, far too many things had been going wrong. The Dark Lord was still alive, and he had attacked Draco within the Forbidden Forest. Those two facts alone had caused Narcissa and Lucius many sleepless nights… And then Draco had been cast out by the Triumvirate, which was nothing short of embarrassing for Lucius. After that, Weasley had introduced that disgusting law and Lucius had lost so many artifacts that he had collected over the years. And now… now his son had undone all of their careful planning in a fit of rage… Lucius rubbed his temples and groaned, a sound that he hated making.
How could everything go so wrong so quickly?! Why was the Dark Lord still alive?! Why was some Blood-Traitor child outshining Draco?! Why was the Ministry filled with so many Muggle loving fools?! Why was his own son such a complete idiot?! Lucius loved Draco more than anything, but that boy had a way of always disappointing him… No matter how many advantages Lucius provided, Draco squandered them all! And now, that Blood-Traitor Ronald Weasley was Slytherin's prized jewel… A miserable Blood-Traitor being more valued than the heir of the Malfoy Family?! The thought turned his stomach and made his head hurt even more, how could so many things go so wrong?
"Love, is everything alright?" came Narcissa's gentle voice, it soothed his nerves a little.
"No, Cissy…" Lucius replied softly, and then he handed his wife the letter from Severus. Both husband and wife were inside the Malfoy library. Narcissa read the letter with ever-growing shock while Lucius sipped his Firewhiskey. I spent a small fortune on those brooms, and he has ruined our plans… Now the Weasley brat is no doubt under Dumbledore's protective watch, and Draco cannot move against him.
"Oh, Draco…" Narcissa said, her voice was sad.
"I must write to him… before he does something like this again" Lucius said, he still couldn't believe this. What was that boy thinking?! Brawling is not the Malfoy way… It is beneath us!
"Please, Lucius… be gentle with him" Narcissa implored, she was far too protective of their son.
"Be gentle?" Lucius asked, trying his best not to sound scathing. "I have been nothing but gentle, but he never learns… I am done being gentle. He will either learn to fly, or he will fall to his doom." Lucius then stood up and marched to his study, he could hear Narcissa following him. Another fight… They had fought more times in the last four months than they had in their entire lives…
"Lucius, please don't do anything rash" she implored as she quickened her pace.
"Rash? Like nearly beating a class-mate to death?" Lucius frowned, he stopped his stride and stared at her for an answer. "He did something so foolish in a public place, Narcissa! What if that Weasley brat had died? Draco's life would be finished! If it weren't for Severus, Draco would probably be eating dinner with us tonight!" Lucius hated raising his voice, he saw it as a base act… But he was just so frustrated right now, it was like some higher power was directly causing him problems.
"He got angry and made a mistake, we have all done that at some stage in our lives" Narcissa said in Draco's defense, her eyes were becoming watery. Lucius felt the fire leave his body, he didn't want to see her in tears again.
"Cissy…" Lucius said softly, and then he held out his hand. She took it in hers and they both stared at each other for a few seconds. "I will try to be gentle… but he has to understand that he cannot do this again. Is that fair?" Narcissa nodded and smiled gently.
"He just wants to please you…" Narcissa told him. "Don't lose sight of that, that's all I ask." Lucius nodded, and then he went to his study. I must instruct Draco to keep his distance from the Weasley brat… Lucius had wanted to go after that boy to hurt Arthur Weasley, but now that option was off the table. Lucius smirked however, because there was still one Weasley child that Lucius had in play. That little red-haired bitch…
September 10th, 1992 (After Dinner)
"Cornelius, this wine is exquisite" Lucius complimented Nott Snr. Cornelius Nott smirked proudly as he took another sip. Say what you will about this bitter old fool, but no one knows more about good wine than him… Lucius had gone to Nott Manor for dinner, and he had gone alone. Cornelius wanted to discuss business, and Narcissa knew that meant she wasn't welcome. Lucius had not appreciated that…
"Thank you, Lucius" Cornelius said softly, his voice was rather sagely. He is getting on in years, so that is to be expected. Cornelius Nott was an elderly man, and yet he had a child who was the same age as Draco. Nott had married an extremely young witch, one who was twenty-five years younger than him. Many had frowned at this, but she loved Cornelius deeply. Her loss had taken its toll on the elderly man…
"And where did you procure it, may I ask?" Lucius asked politely.
"Tuscany, within Italy" Cornelius replied. "I will have a bottle sent to your Manor, I know both you and your wife enjoy good wine." He wants something…
"Thank you, Cornelius" Lucius said graciously. "First the magnificent dinner, and then the exquisite wine… Forgive me for thinking this, but I assume you need something from me?" Cornelius chuckled, and Lucius was instantly on guard. Why is he in such a good mood? He's the most bitter man I know… Something is wrong here… Why did he not invite Cissy as well?
"You are right, Lucius" Cornelius said, his voice almost giddy. It unnerved Lucius greatly, but Lucius kept his composure. "I have wondrous news my friend… Our Master lives!" Lucius felt the wind leave his lungs, but his body and face did not move an inch out of place.
"The Dark Lord lives?" Lucius asked with feigned intrigue, and Cornelius bought it. How does he know this?!
"He does indeed, my friend" Cornelius said as he leaned forward in his seat. "And not only does he live, he was at Hogwarts last year…" Draco! Lucius paled involuntarily, did Nott know about Draco's attack?
"At Hogwarts? How do you know this?" Lucius inquired.
"My son, and his friend Blaise… They were discussing the Weasley boy during the holidays, and I overheard them due to a Listening Ward. The boy was not injured in some experiment as Dumbledore claims… That little Blood-Traitor was attacked by the Dark Lord himself!" Listening Ward? He spies on his own son? This is not good… Lucius felt his head start to ache again.
"This is…" Lucius trailed off, he had to seem shocked. Or Nott would become suspicious of Lucius' true feelings on the Dark Lord. Lucius believed in his Old Master quite religiously, but now he had a family. He had a son… Lucius did not want Draco to grow up in a war, and if the Dark Lord ever returned, that is exactly what would happen.
"I know… I was shocked too" Cornelius said, his voice joyous. "And I know that we all left that life behind… but the Dark Lord lives! And if that's the case, then we need find him!" Find him…? This is not good at all…
"Where would we even look?" Lucius asked, trying to dissuade the older man. Nott had happily left the Death-Eater life behind for the sake of his wife and son… But then Iris Nott had been murdered by those Muggles, and her husband had come undone… If I don't impede him, he really will bring the Dark Lord back!
"I have already begun my search, Lucius" Cornelius said, a mad glint in his weathered brown eyes. "If the Dark Lord moves about, there will be signs! You were his most trusted, you must help me! Together, we can return our Lord to his former glory… And he will reward us, Lucius. He will make us kings!" Or destroy us for not finding him sooner… Lucius knew far too well what the Dark Lord did to those who failed him, and what he did to their families… Draco. Cissy.
"Have you found anything?" Lucius asked with fake enthusiasm. He knew that he had to 'help' Nott… If Nott ever succeeded, then Lucius' refusal would cause the end of the Malfoy line… And even if Nott failed, Lucius would still pay for refusing the man. The Dark Lord would return eventually, that much was obvious. And I need to appear loyal… More loyal to him than I am to my own family…
"So far, nothing…" Cornelius frowned, and Lucius smirked internally. "But I will, have no doubt about that. I have people searching the entire country… Discretely, of course" Nott added with a smirk.
"You have my help, Cornelius" Lucius said with a smile. Cornelius gave him a grateful smile.
"Thank you, my friend. To the Dark Lord!" Cornelius toasted.
"To the Dark Lord."
September 11th, 1992 (Past Midnight)
"You're home…" Narcissa sighed in relief, she was already in bed. Lucius walked over to his side of the bed and he sat down slowly. He went to undo his robes, but his were shaking too hard. That old man… He will doom us to another war… "Lucius? Why aren't you answering me?" Cissy asked, her voice growing concerned.
"Nott… he knows about the Dark Lord…" Lucius muttered, and Cissy gasped in horror.
"How?" she asked, her voice panicked.
"He overheard his son" Lucius explained. "The Weasley boy was attacked by the Dark Lord… His coma wasn't the result of an experiment gone wrong…"
"What did Cornelius want from you, Lucius?" Narcissa asked, her voice came out slow. She already knows…
"The old fool is searching for the Dark Lord" Lucius said. "He wants my aid…"
"What did you say?" Cissy asked as she held him from behind.
"I offered to help… It is the only way I can supervise his progress. I must… do something to stop him…" Lucius muttered, his head was about to explode.
"Why not report him to the Ministry? You could do it anonymously" Cissy advised, she did not want the Dark Lord to return. Her son was better off away from fighting a war. No matter how just it was…
"They would simply imprison him…" Lucius sighed. "You and I both know that the Dark Lord's return is imminent… Nott will talk, and we will all die…" He heard his wife give out a small whimper, and he quickly turned to hold her as well. "I will not lose you… or Draco… I will protect this family."
"Draco is just a boy, Lucius…" Cissy whispered, her voice was distressed. "The Dark Lord will mark him… He will be forced to fight…"
"No" Lucius said firmly. "No, I will not allow that to happen. If I serve him well, he will spare our son…" He will spare Draco… He has to…
Sirius Black's POV
September 15th, 1992
"Riddikulus" Sirius snarled at the corpse of his Godson. The Boggart turned into a cloud of Butterflies, and Remus then trapped those butterflies in a magical bubble. This fucking house will be the death of me… Sirius hated his childhood home with a passion, a passion that had redoubled ever since he and Remus had started cleaning this place up! This was their seventh fucking Boggart!
"Your parents…" Remus sighed as he bound the Boggart in a metal trunk. "They must have loved these horrid creatures…"
"They did" Sirius spat, frowning at the shaking trunk. "They thought Boggarts would make for good guard-dogs…"
"A pity considering they had you" Remus chuckled, and Sirius smiled softly. Things were finally becoming as they once were between him and Remus. His Werewolf friend no longer stepped on egg-shells around him, and they were working through their issues slowly. It was hard… considering how everything had turned out for the Marauders.
"Well Moony, you can be our new guard-dog" Sirius retorted, and Remus frowned. "Guard-wolf?" Sirius corrected sheepishly.
"Sirius… You know I don't wish to live here…" Remus said, and Sirius sighed in exasperation. This nonsense again!
"You will not return to that run-down shack you call a home" Sirius said in a fierce tone. "I will not allow it! You will stay here, and you will help me raise Harry!"
"I will not" Remus said, his voice taking on a sad note. "I cannot…"
"Yes, you can" Sirius frowned. "And you will! We owe that much to James!"
"Don't…" Remus warned, he hated emotional blackmail. Too bad… It's the truth!
"Why? Feeling guilty about something?" Sirius asked innocently. Remus didn't even bother replying, and he instead made to leave the room. "Good, it's settled. You will stay here and help me raise Harry." Remus turned around with an angry glare.
"I am a danger to him" Remus snapped. "Why can't you understand that? Every full-moon, I'll turn into…" Remus trailed off. "I don't want him to see me as some monster…" Remus said softly.
"He won't… James didn't, Lily didn't… So why would he?" Sirius countered.
"He isn't them… No matter how much you wish that he were…" Remus said bitterly, and then he left the room. Sirius growled to himself, Remus was being a coward! Harry would never turn his back on his family! He is James' son for Merlin's sake! Why can't Remus see that?!
Sirius spent the rest of the day cleaning up alone. Remus had disappeared somewhere, no doubt gone back to his run-down shack… That thought aggravated Sirius beyond measure! Sirius finally made his to Regulus' room, but he paused before he entered it. He hadn't walked into this room yet, not even once since he had been released. Sirius avoided this entire hallway if he could… His parents' bedroom was at the end of the hallway as well, and he hadn't entered that room either…
Sirius knew though that he had to, otherwise Harry couldn't stay here. This house needed to be purged of all Dark Artifacts, and Regulus no doubt had many within his room. Sirius slowly opened the door, and its hinges creaked. And then Sirius entered the room, his heart beating a little faster. The room was spotless, as if it had just been recently cleaned. Kreacher… Of course that little pest would keep this room immaculate…
Sirius closed the door behind him, and then he walked around the room. He looked at the emerald green wallpaper, the photos from Regulus' childhood and school days, and then Sirius looked at the Daily Prophet clippings about Voldemort. Sirius felt his stomach tighten with disgust… Regulus you damn fool. Sirius walked up to them, they were hanging above Regulus' bed, and Sirius tore one off of the wall.
"Lord Voldemort declares war on Ministry and Dumbledore…" Sirius read, and his heart ached a bit. Sirius despised his brother in life… Regulus was everything Sirius wasn't, the perfect son… Regulus worshiped Blood-Purity just like he worshiped Voldemort, and Sirius' parents adored Regulus for his 'true' beliefs. They pushed the youngest Black son to take the Dark Mark, and at the tender age of sixteen, Regulus had made them proud. Sirius hated the lot of them… He hated how Regulus praised Voldemort on the dinner table, he hated how his parents encouraged Regulus, and he hated that Regulus was stupid enough to believe them.
And now… now Regulus was dead. Another victim of the Great War, where were his 'loving' parents when their son died? Sirius had done his research on Regulus after he had been released, mostly because his brother had disappeared completely during the Great War. After a certain Blood Tracing spell, Sirius had learned that Regulus was indeed dead and gone… Sirius had always suspected, but the confirmation had felt like a cold bucket of water being dumped on him. It had left him… confused and agitated… Sirius knew that it had been Voldemort who had killed Regulus, or at least ordered his death! No Order member ever reported fighting against Regulus… It had to be that monster!
Sirius sat down on Regulus' bed, and he felt his eyes burn. Damn fool… Before Hogwarts, Sirius and Regulus had been inseparable. Sirius hid his disdain for Blood-Purity, and Regulus spent every moment with him. Sirius would put Regulus on his shoulders and run around the house, and Regulus would laugh and laugh… That fucking idiot! Sirius put his fingers over his eyes and sniffed hard, he crunched the Daily Prophet clipping in his other hand. Sirius did not mourn for Regulus the Death-Eater, Sirius mourned for the boy who had ridden his shoulders and lit up the house with laughter.
Sirius sat on that bed for almost an hour, doing his best to compose himself. Get up… You have a job to do, Padfoot. Sirius slowly stood up, and then he began looking for any Dark Artifacts. He didn't want to be in this room for another minute! Sirius looked under the bed, checked for any hidden compartments within the walls, and then he finally opened the cupboard. Sirius pushed Regulus' clean robes out of the way, and that's when he spotted a small jewelry box. That garnered Sirius' attention, Regulus wasn't into jewelry… At least I hope not… Sirius pulled the box out and placed it on Regulus' bed.
Sirius decided to check for any Curses or counter-measures before opening the box. Once he was sure that he was in the clear, Sirius opened the box slowly. His eyes widened at the golden locket inside. The locket had a serpentine 'S' on it, and the 'S' was inlaid with glittering, green gems. Whose is this? This can't be Regulus'… The locket looked ancient, and yet it was in perfect condition. Sirius muttered a few Detecting Charms on the locket, and he felt an unpleasant shiver go through his body. This thing is darker than anything I've encountered in this house! Why did Regulus have this?! Sirius shut the jewelry box quickly, and then he picked it up. He marched straight down to the 'Throw Away' bin, and he tossed the box inside. This thing had no place within this house… not anymore…
Sirius then sighed, he needed a fucking drink… As Sirius left the room, he failed to notice that an old House-Elf was watching the 'Throw Away' bin with blood-shot eyes. Once Sirius was gone, the old House-Elf created a duplicate of the jewelry box. And then he picked up the real one, and disapparated.
Pansy Parkinson's POV
September 18th, 1992
"Can you pass the bacon, Pansy?" Tracey asked, and Pansy passed the bacon over with a smile. Tracey smiled back at her before continuing her breakfast. Pansy felt her spirits elate more at this simple gesture, she was finally feeling like she was a part of the girls again. It had taken almost a year, but Pansy now felt confident enough to speak her own opinions and even argue with the other girls. Joining Ron's group had been the best decision she'd made so far in her life. She didn't feel like she had to watch what she said all time, and she certainly wasn't spending all of her time trying to impress a certain platinum haired boy.
If Pansy was being honest, she still had something of a crush on Draco Malfoy. Even after all of his terrible actions and horrible words, she still felt a bit giddy when he talked to her. Pansy would never admit that to anyone… not even to the other girls. She feared that they would turn on her if she did, and she didn't want that to ever happen. She may still harbor a crush for Draco, but she was happier now than she'd ever been.
"Where's Ron?" Daphne asked as she looked around the Great Hall.
"Still asleep, I think" Blaise replied. "He was just dead-weight this morning during our run, again…" This is becoming a habit of his…
"Why didn't you wake him?" Mille asked with a frown.
"Do we look like his servants?" Theo retorted with a smirk.
"Yes…" Tracey said with a straight face, and Theo looked aghast. Pansy giggled at his expression, Theo could pull the funniest faces when he wanted to. He was a lot more open now than he'd been when they were children, he made more jokes and even laughed more often. No doubt due to Ron's influence! Pansy had entered the group later than all of them, and she had instantly seen the changes in her friends. Though they claimed that they had 'tamed' Ron, Pansy knew that he had changed them far more than they had changed him. Ron just had that effect on people… mostly because he was stubborn and he didn't care what anyone thought of him. Pansy admired that trait enviously…
"Good morning" said a familiar voice, and they all turned to see Ron approaching. He had a soft smile on his face, and bags under his eyes. He looks exhausted… again!
"Where were you?" Daphne questioned Ron immediately.
"In my bed" Ron chuckled, but no one laughed. "What? What happened now?" Pansy frowned at that, why was he always assuming the worst? Anytime they showed him concern, he'd ask what was wrong…
"Nothing is wrong" Daphne sighed, clearly she felt the same way as Pansy. "You've been doing this a lot, you know… You're always late and you always look exhausted."
"That's not true" Ron chuckled again.
"It is…" Tracey argued. "So are you going to tell us what's wrong?"
"No…" Ron sighed, and then he turned to Pansy. "How are you this morning, Pansy?" Don't put me on the spot… Pansy shot a quick look to the girls, and they were frowning at her. Great…
"I'm fine, Ron" Pansy said softly. "Are you feeling alright?"
"Yes, for the love of Merlin…" Ron sighed. "Girls…"
"Tell me about it" Theo chimed in. "They called Blaise and I your servants!"
"Absurd…" Blaise muttered. "Me… a servant? Utter nonsense…" The girls rolled their eyes at Blaise, he was definitely the most vain boy in the group. Though he did take charge when Ron went missing, that was really amazing!
"Theo..." Ron started. "Did you bring my books down like I asked?"
"Yeah, I've got them right here" Theo replied happily. The girls started laughing at Theo's servitude, and his sudden change in mood.
"Theo!" Blaise exclaimed with a shocked look.
"What?! The man was tired!" Theo shot back, and the girls almost passed out from laughter. Joining them was definitely the best decision I made!
September 20th, 1992
It was a Saturday today, which meant that Ron wouldn't around until six 'o'clock. Ron would be at his job… his job! What kind of twelve year old worked?! Pansy shook her head at the thought, clearly Ron was insane… She was currently doing her homework in the library alongside Mille and Daphne. Tracey had run off with the boys again, no doubt lazing about the castle. Tracey understood that if she batted her eyes at Ron, he'd just give her all the answers to their homework. Pansy didn't fault Tracey for that, even she had done the same to Ron multiple times. He would turn crimson, and then he'd just give the answers up to avoid the attention being sent his way. Pansy giggled to herself at the memory.
"What is it?" Daphne whispered.
"Nothing…" Pansy replied quietly. "I was just thinking that we can ask Ron for the answers…"
"Have you ever heard of milking a cow dry?" Millie asked with a frown.
"Um… can't say that I have" Pansy replied. Millie's blunt nature still unnerved Pansy, she didn't like head on confrontations. "But I understand the gist of it. If we keep asking Ron for answers, he'll get annoyed and stop giving them."
"Exactly" Millie said with a smile. "Also if we don't try to learn ourselves, then Ron's answers don't really help us much in the exams." Pansy shot a quick look to Daphne, and the blonde girl was smiling quite happily. When did Millicent Bulstrode become so academic?! Oh wait… Ron…
"Shhh" came a shushing sound from an older Gryffindor girl, and Pansy frowned at her. Mind your own business, you short-haired bitch… Pansy shot a quick look to the grand-clock on the wall. Half past five… We've been studying for four hours! Ugh… I'm done…
"I'm going" Pansy whispered to the other two girls.
"We'll see you in the common room" Daphne whispered, and Pansy waved goodbye as she left. I'll just ask Ron for the answers… I hate History of Magic so much! Pansy then walked down towards the dungeons, humming to herself as she went. Once she was in her dorm, she placed her books on her desk with a thud. I don't ever want to think about the International Warlock Convention of 1289 again! Binns probably died of boredom… And now, he's trying to kill us the same way…
Pansy made her way back to the common room, and she looked around for the boys and Tracey. But there was no sign of them anywhere. I guess they're somewhere else in the castle… After a few seconds of debating with herself, she decided to go looking for them. She didn't want to sit around alone, Pansy was not a solitary person. That had been the biggest factor behind her approaching Daphne at the Christmas party last year, she was tired of being alone… Pansy was walking out of the common room when she was stopped by a familiar voice, a voice that made her feel butterflies in her stomach.
"No hello for me, Pansy?" Draco Malfoy said smoothly. Not now… I don't want to be alone with him…
"Hello, Draco…" Pansy said lamely, and then she kept walking forward. She heard Draco catch up to her quickly, and he lightly grabbed her wrist.
"Pansy, just stop…" Draco said, and they both stopped moving.
"Let go of me" Pansy said softly, and then she turned to face him. He immediately did as she asked.
"I just want to talk to you" Draco said with his usual smirk, but this time it didn't affect Pansy as much. She was still angry with Draco for hurting Ron like that…
"I don't want to talk to you…" Pansy said, it was harder to say that than she imagined it. Control yourself Pansy, he hurt your friend!
"Pansy… you wound me" Draco chuckled, but Pansy felt annoyed by that.
"Are we done? I want to go find my friends."
"I'm your friend too, talk to me instead" Draco said smoothly.
"I don't want to be your friend…" Pansy said softly, and Draco just blinked at her. "Not after what you did to Ron… It was cruel… You were cruel."
"Pansy… He's a…" Draco started but she cut him off.
"Don't call him that!" Pansy said, she felt her temper flare up. Draco was shocked at her tone, and he was even more shocked that she was defending that Blood-Traitor! They were both silent for a few moments, and then Pansy decided to leave.
"So he's turned you against me as well?" Draco said, his voice was bitter.
"He didn't do anything… You alienated yourself" Pansy said firmly. "Blaise and Theo tried their best to include you, and you spat on their offers… Don't try and play the victim here, because you're not…"
"What's he giving you then?" Draco bit out harshly, and Pansy blinked at him. Giving me? What is he on about?
"I don't understand, what do mean by that?"
"You know exactly what I mean" Draco sneered. "He's bought off Blaise and Theo's loyalties… He must be doing the same with you! What is he giving you in return for your friendship?" Pansy was quiet for a few seconds, she had no idea what Draco was talking about.
"He didn't buy me Draco… I'm his friend because he is kind to me. He doesn't treat me like some… some slave…" Pansy muttered, she was thoroughly confused by Draco's statement.
"That's a lie!" Draco snapped, and Pansy flinched a bit. He's starting to scare me… "I've seen it with my own two eyes! He's teaching Blaise and Theo powerful magic in return for their friendship, he's tutoring that cow Bulstrode with her classes, he's giving protection to that Half-Blood, and he's bought Greengrass off with a few trinkets! What's he giving you?!"
"You've been spying on us?!" Pansy shrieked.
"I've been spying on him! He's not what you think he is! I saw him give that Mud-Blood Granger a gift yesterday! He's probably buying her off as well!"
"It was her birthday yesterday, you're insane…" Pansy said, she needed to leave right now. Draco was scaring her with his anger, and she didn't know what to do.
"Don't walk away from me" Draco grit out as he grabbed her wrist again.
"Let go…" Pansy whimpered, her eyes were starting to sting. She hated confrontations, especially when they got physical.
"No, tell me what he's giving you!" Draco snapped. "Why else would you walk away from the heir of the Malfoy Family and join up with a traitor?!"
"Because that traitor doesn't put his hands on her…" came Ron's voice, it was colder than usual. "Let her go, or I'll make sure you spend the rest of the year vomiting up slugs." Pansy turned around to see Ron standing by the stairs, and he was not pleased.
"This has nothing to do with you, you Weasel…" Draco grit out. "Pansy is my friend, not yours…"
"Let her go, right now…" was Ron's response. He had a blank expression on his face, but Pansy could see that he was moments away from attacking Draco. Pansy jerked her wrist free and ran to Ron's side.
"Ron, don't… Snape will find out…" Pansy whispered to him, she didn't want a fight breaking out. It wouldn't end well for Draco… Ron turned to her and smiled softly.
"This isn't over, you scarred freak" Draco said menacingly. Scarred freak?
"It is… I will tell Snape that you are still going after me, he'll sort you out" Ron replied firmly. "Pansy, we're leaving." Ron then turned around and walked back up the stairs. Pansy followed after him, but not before she shot a quick look back. Draco looked absolutely livid. Ron and Pansy walked up to the Great Hall quietly, and Pansy rubbed her left wrist with her right hand. That hurt…
"Are you alright?" Ron asked.
"Yes… Thanks for your help back there…" Pansy replied.
"Does he do that often? Corner you and interrogate you?" Ron asked, his voice was cold. It didn't suit him…
"No… I think he's lost it. He was going on and on about you buying us off… It was insane…" Pansy muttered, she still couldn't believe it. And what did he mean by scarred freak?
"I thought he would stop after Snape's warning…" Ron sighed. "Where are the others?"
"Daphne and Millie are probably still at the library, and I have no clue where the other three are" Pansy replied slowly. "Ron… was he telling the truth? Are you teaching Blaise and Theo powerful magic?" When Ron didn't reply, Pansy's eyes went wide with shock.
"It isn't what you think, Pans…" Ron said softly. "When we go for our morning runs, I show them a few jinxes and hexes… That's all."
"Why don't you teach us?" Pansy asked, she didn't even try to mask her jealousy. Ron turned to her, and then he smiled.
"Do you have your wand?" Ron asked suddenly, and Pansy nodded slowly. Is he going to teach me something? "Want to learn how to become invisible?"
"Invisible?" Pansy gasped.
"C'mon, follow me" Ron chuckled. The two of them made their way down to the lake, the Sun was beginning to set. Once they finally got there, Ron put his wand on his own forehead and muttered some spell, and then he disappeared.
"Ron?!" Pansy yelled in fright. He's gone!
"I'm here" Ron laughed, and then he became visible again. Merlin! That was amazing!
"What was that?!" Pansy exclaimed. "I've never seen a spell like that! You have to teach me!"
"I will" Ron laughed. "It's why we're here… Now come over here, I need to show you how's it's done."
September 20th, 1992 (Before Dinner)
"Ugh… I still can't do it!" Pansy whined loudly.
"Don't worry, it took me a week of practicing to even turn a little invisible… You'll get it" Ron said with a smile. The bags under his eyes were easier to see now due to the Sun's positioning. It'll be completely dark soon…
"We should head back" Pansy advised, she could tell that Ron was exhausted. I shouldn't have made him come out here for me…
"Alright then, but this isn't over" Ron chuckled softly. "Tomorrow, we'll practice this spell again."
"Ron, you don't have to do that… I was being… selfish…" Pansy muttered, she felt a little guilty about her actions.
"Nonsense! You're finally making progress on this! You can't give up yet" Ron exclaimed, he looked genuinely annoyed at her comment. "Trust me, you'll get this! Don't give up, Pans…" He thinks I'm giving up? He doesn't get that I'm doing this for his sake… Pansy was once again befuddled by Ronald Weasley, why did he always put himself last?! It pissed her off! It pissed them all off!
"Okay…" Pansy sighed, she didn't want to fight with him on this. He was doing this for her sake, and she didn't want to ruin that.
"Good, now let's go to the common room" Ron said. "Dinner will be served in about thirty minutes, we can catch up with the others beforehand."
"No wait…" Pansy said as he was starting to leave, he stopped immediately. There's just one more thing… I need to ask him what Draco meant by 'Scarred Freak'…
"Ron…" Pansy started slowly.
"Pansy…" Ron imitated her voice, and she frowned. Ron chuckled at that. "What is it Pans, you can ask me anything."
"Draco called you a… scarred freak… What did he mean by that?" Pansy asked, and Ron's smile disappeared. He looked sad all of a sudden, and his face was turning red.
"Um… I don't… Um…" Ron stuttered, and then he sighed. "It's complicated…"
"Does it have something to do with your glove?" Pansy asked. "We've all noticed it… You only wear one…" Ron blinked at her, and then he nodded slowly. Pansy walked closer to Ron, and he just stared at her. "Show me…" she said softly. Ron blinked a few time, his face was turning scarlet.
"Pansy…" Ron whispered, he looked conflicted. And then he slowly took off his glove and presented his hand, and Pansy didn't make a sound when she saw it. But her insides had twisted, and her heartbeat was increasing by the second. It was badly scarred, especially the middle finger. "My ring…" Ron whispered, and Pansy felt his warm breath on her face. "It melted when I was attacked by you-know-who…"
"Why didn't you tell us?" Pansy whispered back, and then she held his hand with hers. "Why did you hide this?" Ron looked sadder than she'd ever seen him, and it made her heart clench. He was embarrassed… Why does he never let us help him? Ron then took his hand away and covered it, and Pansy sighed.
"We should go back…" Ron said, he sounded subdued. Pansy just nodded, and they both made their way back. When they were halfway there, Pansy grabbed onto Ron's gloved hand. He tensed a bit, but then he relaxed and tightened his own grip.
"I think your hand proves how amazing you are" Pansy said with complete honesty. "You fought the Dark Lord, and you came out alive… The only other wizard who's done that is Harry Potter, and he's the most famous wizard in England… I think you're amazing Ron…" Ron tightened his grip on her hand a bit more, and she saw that he was smiling faintly. She smiled as well.
"You can tell the girls… I don't mind… Theo and Blaise already know…" Ron said, though he sounded unsure.
"If they want to find out, they can ask you themselves… I won't give up any information" Pansy said.
"Thank you, Pansy" Ron said softly. I should change the topic, he isn't comfortable with this…
"Why haven't you introduced me to your sisters?" Pansy asked out of nowhere, and Ron looked puzzled. "You'd better do it soon, or I'll have to introduce myself!" Ron laughed at that.
"How about after dinner?" Ron asked.
"Perfect" Pansy replied. "Anything I should know?"
"No…" Ron smirked. "My sisters are completely normal girls…" He's definitely lying… Ron and Pansy walked back to the castle hand-in-hand, and Pansy laughed at Ron dodging her questions. I definitely made the right choice!
Neville Longbottom's POV
September 21st, 1992
Neville dropped his head down on his text-book, and then he groaned indignantly. I hate History of Magic… I hate it!
"Neville… stop that" Hermione whispered haughtily. "We're in a library, be more respectful." Harry sniggered at Neville being scolded. Neville looked up and stared at Hermione with a blank expression.
"Please help…" Neville pleaded, and Hermione huffed.
"No, Neville… I will not do your homework for you" Hermione whispered. "You should have done it with me on Wednesday."
"But we got it on Wednesday" Neville complained in a soft tone. "Harry, say something…" Harry looked to Hermione, but he didn't utter a word when she narrowed her eyes at him. And there goes my backup…
"Neville, mate…" Harry whispered, he had an odd expression on his face. "We can do this by ourselves… tomorrow…" Harry's voice was a bit sly, and Neville caught on. Ron is studying with us tomorrow! He can give us the answers!
"Don't think I missed that…" Hermione whispered furiously. "You will not cheat off of Ronald, I won't allow it…" She's so bossy! "At least he had the good sense to do his homework in a timely manner, unlike you two" Hermione whispered, and Neville frowned internally. Here she goes again, telling us how great Ron is compared to us… Neville hated when she got like this, it made Harry and him so uncomfortable. It was so obvious that she had a crush on Ron, but then again, which girl in their year didn't… Mr. Perfect! Neville felt bitterly jealous for a second, but then he controlled himself. It isn't his fault…
Neville decided to zone out and forego Hermione's 'lecture' on Ron's great qualities, even Harry just sat there quietly. The last thing either of them wanted was to be compared to Ron… again. Hermione had increasingly become more 'Pro-Ron' over the last couple of months, and now she openly defended him wherever she could. It was irritating to say the least, especially because she embarrassed Harry and Neville while she did it! If she tells anyone that Ron is better than us again, I will lose it! Neville didn't know about Harry, but he was utterly done with this new habit of hers. It was mean, and it was hurtful.
"I'm tired of studying" Harry jumped in, effectively stopping Hermione's rant. Thank you, Harry… Thank you…
"Lunch will start soon, let's go put our books away at the tower" Neville suggested, and he could see Hermione frowning from the corner of his vision. Sorry Hermione, but I'd rather not go through this again… Harry nodded and got up, and Neville followed suit. As they were leaving the library, Hermione caught up with them.
"I don't have any homework left" Hermione said with a defiant pout. Harry and Neville smiled to each other, but they didn't say a word. It's better this way anyway, the three of us being together. They marched up to the Gryffindor Tower, and Hermione approached the Fat Lady.
"Wattlebird" Hermione said clearly, and the portrait moved aside to reveal the entrance. Wattlebird! That's it! I completely forgot it again… Harry and Neville followed after her, and once they were inside they split up. The boys went to their dorms and dropped off their books, and Neville sighed in relief.
"History of Magic is the worst…" Neville complained to Harry.
"I know, mate…" Harry sighed. "Binns always puts me to sleep. I don't know how Hermione stays awake in that class!" She's a genius, and we aren't. "Did you hear what she was saying about Ron this time? Merlin… she's getting worse!"
"I just ignored it" Neville said. "She's always great, until Ron is brought up… When that happens, just think about something else mate." Harry frowned and shook his head, he was clearly annoyed. "We shouldn't keep her waiting, she'll get even more annoyed with us." Harry and Neville then made their way back down, and they spotted Hermione talking to Dean Thomas.
"Hello" Harry greeted Dean. "How's everything going, Dean?"
"Oh… everything's alright" Dean said, a massive smile on his face. Neville liked Dean, the dark-skinned boy was kind and hilarious. "I was just wishing Hermione happy birthday, I know I'm a little late…"
"No, that's fine" Hermione said, she was smiling quite happily. "Thank you Dean, it's very thoughtful of you." Dean smiled and nodded, and Neville looked at Dean staring at Hermione. Um… what's this?
"Anyway…" Dean said suddenly, taking the Trio by surprise. "I'd better get going…" But before he could leave, they were interrupted by another person.
"Um… excuse me…" came a meek voice from behind Harry and Neville. They both turned around to see Ginny Weasley, and she was crimson in the face.
"Oh… hello Ginny" Harry greeted with a smile.
"Hi…" she all but whispered. "Can I… have my… your broom… please…?" Wow, she's shy… She always gets like this around Harry, I know for a fact that he hates it.
"I'll go get it now" Harry said with a smile, and then he was gone. Ginny relaxed considerably.
"How are you, Ginny?" Hermione asked with a wide smile.
"I'm okay…" Ginny replied, she didn't look okay. She was paler than usual, and she looked exhausted. Hermione didn't buy her lie for a second.
"Are you sure?" Hermione asked. "You're looking a bit… peaky."
"I have a cold…" Ginny said quickly, and Neville jumped a little at her suddenness.
"Here you go, Ginny" came Harry's voice, he was holding a Comet 260 in his hands. Ginny took it from him and then she all but ran to her dorm. That was really weird… even for her!
"She's a bit… odd…" Dean said. "Just like her brother…" Oh no… Neville could already see a scowl forming on Hermione's face.
"What do you mean by 'odd'?" Hermione asked, an angry edge to her tone. Dean was a bit taken aback. You've doomed us all…
"Um… nothing bad" Dean answered sheepishly. "It's just that Ginny is… really shy… And as for Weasley…" Dean trailed off.
"What about Ron?" Neville asked, his own curiosity got the better of him. What was Ron doing that they didn't know about?
"Don't tell him I said this…" Dean started. "But sometimes I see him just staring at me… He looks so angry, and when I look back at him, he looks away like nothing's happening… It's just odd, that's all." Why would he do that? Is it because Dean is Muggle-Born? No… Ron isn't like that, I think…
"Maybe it's just in your head" Hermione said coldly. "Let's go guys…" With that, Hermione walked off. Neville saw Dean looking rather dejected, and Neville felt really bad for him. He just wanted to talk to us… Neville frowned at Hermione's back, this needed to stop! They were walking towards the stairway down to the Entrance Hall when they ran into an unexpected guest.
"Ron?" Hermione called, and the red-head turned around quickly. He looked surprised for a second, and then he put on a wide smile. His hair was messy, which was odd because Ron always kept his hair combed. At least now anyway, probably a Slytherin requirement to look like an arrogant ponce…
"Hi guys, how are you today?" Ron asked pleasantly. What is he doing on the seventh floor? No Slytherin would ever come up here! Neville looked to Harry for a second, and his best friend was also looking at Ron with a furrowed brow.
"What are you doing up here?" Harry asked, he sounded extremely curious. Thank you! At least someone else thinks this is weird! Ron blinked at Harry, and then his smiled widened a bit.
"Just exploring the castle, it's quite remarkable" Ron replied. Exploring the castle? Really? Does he think we're buying that?
"I know right" Hermione exclaimed, and Neville wanted to smack his own forehead. "I'm still amazed by so many things! I saw the Giant Squid again yesterday, it was enormous!" Ron laughed happily at that, and Neville frowned. He thinks he's so clever, doesn't he?
"Did you find anything interesting?" Neville asked politely.
"Just a tapestry of some guy teaching trolls how to ballet" Ron replied, smiling at Neville. Neville forced a smile back, Ron was lying again! And his friends were eating it up!
"That 'guy' is Barnabas the Barmy, Ron" Hermione said, and Ron's made a surprised face.
"Really? Tell me about him" Ron said as he guided Hermione to his side. The four of them started walking down to the Great Hall, Hermione was talking to Ron animatedly while Harry and Neville were walking behind them.
"You don't seriously believe him, do you?" Neville whispered to Harry, and Harry sighed quietly. C'mon Harry, there was no way he was up there for a tapestry!
"I don't know… maybe…" Harry whispered back, and Neville frowned in frustration. "Why do you think he was up there?" Harry asked, and Neville shot a look at Ron and Hermione. Hermione was laughing and talking loudly, while Ron was smiling and just listening.
"I don't know… but it wasn't for some tapestry" Neville whispered, and Harry sighed.
"Nev, you're doing it again… Ron is our friend" Harry whispered, he sounded annoyed. Neville frowned to himself, why couldn't they see that Ron was blatantly lying? Just because he's our friend doesn't mean that we should overlook that stuff! Friends don't lie to each other… But Ron lies to us all the time…
Severus Snape's POV
September 21st, 1992 (After Dinner)
"Headmaster, we truly do need newer brooms" Madam Hooch implored. "The current inventory can barely lift off of the ground, let alone fly as it should." Snape rolled his eyes at her request, wasting the budget on some brooms was foolish… They were currently holding a staff meeting, and Snape stood in his dark corner as always. This is where he preferred to be, out of sight and out of mind.
"I will ask the Board of Governors, Rolanda" Albus said with a kind smile, but Madam Hooch frowned. That means a no, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone as cheap as that lot…
"Might I make a suggestion" Lockhart said in his arrogant voice, and Snape rolled his eyes. "I could personally pay for the brooms… you'd just have to ask for permission!" Blatant brown-nosing…
"Thank you, Gilderoy" Albus smiled. "Your generosity will not be forgotten, I assure you."
"Please, think nothing of it" Lockhart smiled, showing the whole staff his pearly whites.
"Are there any other matters?" Albus asked.
"Headmaster…" Lockhart spoke again, and Snape clenched his jaw. "I was wondering if I could take some of the students out to the Forbidden Forest. You know, give them real experience. I myself learnt my trade during my travels" Lockhart finished with another wide smile. And who shall we sacrifice for your ego? Damn buffoon…
"The Forbidden Forest is off-limits" McGonagall scolded, she too was fed up with Lockhart's antics. "We cannot, in good conscience, send our students into such a dangerous place."
"Minerva is right, Gilderoy" Albus quickly agreed. "Though I have no doubt that they'd be in safe hands with you at their side." Lockhart smiled and nodded. Is he… is he blushing?! Merlin smite this fool! "Is there anything else?"
"One more thing, Headmaster" Lockhart interrupted, and Snape had to use Occlumency to calm down. "I was wondering if I could start a Dueling Club here at Hogwarts, for the students of course." That's… not a bad idea… "I think it would do wonders for the students! I would train them personally, teach them all my trade secrets" Lockhart chuckled to himself.
"That is an excellent idea, Gilderoy" Albus smiled, and Snape was left wondering how his mentor could be so patient with Lockhart. "When do you think you could start, and where would this take place?" Lockhart paled a little at that, but he kept his smile.
"I was thinking about… December" Lockhart said, losing his prior enthusiasm. "I haven't determined a location which would be suitable enough yet…"
"The Great Hall" Snape spoke coldly, and Lockhart turned to Snape quickly.
"My word… I didn't notice you there…" Lockhart chuckled. You must be a true asset to Dark Force Defense League…
"The Great Hall would suffice" Snape said to Albus. "It is large enough to hold the student-body, all we would need is a stage…"
"An excellent suggestion, Professor Snape" Lockhart smiled widely. "I was thinking the same thing…" Why did you hire this man, Albus? Was it just to taunt me?
"Then it's settled" Albus interjected. "We will begin a Dueling Club at the start of December. Gilderoy, you will be in charge as you are the Defense Professor. Severus, you will assist him." That's just cruel, old man…
"Very well…" Snape drawled.
"Anything else?" Albus asked the staff, and Snape prayed to Merlin that Lockhart was done. If he opens his mouth again, I'll Avada him right here… "Good, then we are done for the night" Albus said merrily when everyone stayed quiet. "Goodnight, Professors. Severus, stay a moment." All the professors left the room, and Snape just watched them leave. Minerva shot back a concerned look, and then she too left.
"Come, Severus" Albus said. "Take a seat, I hope you have information on our investigation." Snape did as he was asked.
"Lupin has made no progress so far" Snape said with a smirk, watching that Werewolf fail gave Snape a grim satisfaction. "He believes that the Dark Lord is no longer in London…"
"That is something, Severus" Albus said with a slow nod. "If Tom is indeed traveling away from London, I believe he intends to leave the country again."
"Albania?" Snape asked. That is where Quirrell found him, at least that's what we suspect… Quirrell never shut up about Albania.
"Perhaps… I will call Remus off, we cannot afford to send Order members on wild goose-chases" Albus said with a frown. Shame…
"Do as you please…" Severus said softly. You always do…
"Severus?" Albus spoke in a soft voice. "What is the matter?"
"Nothing, Albus…"
"This is about Gilderoy, isn't it?" Albus asked in a kind voice, and Snape felt his blood boil.
"Why did you hire that fool?" Severus asked calmly, Occlumency had many benefits. "He is clearly not capable in teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. So why hire him? It makes no sense… And now you have me helping him? Like some assistant…" Albus sighed at that, and then he smiled kindly at Severus.
"Gilderoy Lockhart is a fraud" Albus explained, and Severus wasn't even surprised. "I personally know two people who were actually responsible for his 'great feats'… Their memories were destroyed when I found them, but they had told me that they were behind those feats beforehand. This pattern has repeated multiple times with multiple witches and wizards…" That definitely shocked Snape a bit, who knew Lockhart had it in him?
"Then why hire this man?" Snape snarled, forgetting his calm demeanor.
"To reveal his true character" Albus answered calmly. "In a normal classroom, his failures will mount up. His incompetency will be evident to all, and then I will have the evidence I need to have him locked away in Azkaban."
"And what about the students?" Snape asked with a frown. "They won't learn a thing from him…"
"Even a bad teacher can impart knowledge" Albus said sagely. "Knowledge on how not to be…" Tell that to the fifth years and the seventh years… Snape decided to not argue, he had other things to discuss with Albus.
"It matters little now" Snape drawled, calming his mind down. "You have already hired him, and we have bigger problems." Albus looked at Snape with concern.
"What has happened?" Albus asked as he leaned forward in his seat.
"Lucius Malfoy sent me this today…" Snape sighed, and then he handed Albus a letter. "Cornelius Nott has learned of the Dark Lord's survival, he has also asked Lucius to help him in discovering their old master." Albus read the letter, and his complexion paled a bit.
"This is grave news, Severus… Truly grave news…" Albus said softly.
"I suggest we let them continue their search, I will offer Lucius my assistance" Severus said. "If they find him before we do, Lucius will tell me. Then we can move in and destroy the Dark Lord."
"Destroying Tom is impossible… For us at least…" Albus said in a tired voice. "Your plan however, is reasonable. Do whatever you think is necessary, I trust you completely." Snape gave a curt nod, and then he got up to leave. "Severus" Albus called, and Snape turned to his mentor. "Please be careful…" Snape turned around without a word, and he marched away to his own office. He had work to do…
Lord Voldemort's POV
September 29th, 1992
They did not know pain… None of them knew pain… Not real pain, anyway. But Lord Voldemort did… He had been humiliated, he had been left broken and in pieces, and now… Now he was forced to demean himself by possessing rats and other vermin. His enemies, and even his former friends, spent their days living in luxury, while he ate what the vermin of this world ate. He was nothing but a shadow now, a broken and tired shadow. But he would not die… He could not die… He rejected death, and everyone who was too weak to resist it!
The last four months had been even worse than the last ten years, Lord Voldemort had never been so weak. Creating that final Horcrux had taken every ounce of his strength, and that thing had all but flayed Lord Voldemort's soul in the process. Lord Voldemort was barely conscious during the last four months, though his pain hadn't ceased. The only way to avoid that pain was to possess other living things, but his vessels expired quickly due to the pain he shifted onto them. Every day he would possess another animal, and he would rest while his pain stopped. He was far too weak to possess another human being, and so he bided his time. He was slowly becoming stronger… But he would still be just a shadow of his former self. What he needed was a new body! Only then would he finally live again!
Ronald Weasley was meant to be that body, but Lord Voldemort knew now that it was never meant to be. Ronald was already possessed by some other being, and this being did not want to share… A pity, but it would not stop Lord Voldemort. There were other means of securing his own future, ones that didn't rely on something as pitiful as possession. No, there were darker ways… Older ways… In his travels during his youth, Lord Voldemort had uncovered secrets long forgotten. They would be his salvation, all he needed was time. And servants…
Lord Voldemort screamed in utter agony as he woke up from his slumber, his pathetic host had died. Pitiful creature! Damn you! Lord Voldemort glared at the dead dog, and then he shot up into the sky. The pain was unbearable, and he knew that he had to find another host quickly! Lord Voldemort spotted a cat on a lonely street, and he immediately attempted possession. It wasn't difficult, given the vermin's primitive mind, and once he had succeeded he felt the pain subside. He could hear the cat mewling and crying in pain, but he couldn't care less. Lord Voldemort had his own problems…
Traveling back to the Forests of Albania was taking far too long! He had to constantly stop and possess creatures to spare himself the agony, and then he would direct the creatures to limp towards his destination. Once they expired, Lord Voldemort would fly a short distance and then possess another. How long must I keep suffering?!
The only solace in Lord Voldemort's current life was that his Horcruxes were safe, and their existence was still a secret. They would keep him anchored to this world, and so his return to power was guaranteed. He already had everything planned out after he came back into power! He would restart the Death-Eaters. He would 'forgive' the traitors. He would free his true servants. He would take Ronald Weasley under his own wing, and then with Ronald's Seer powers, he would destroy Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore! And once he was Master of all of Wizarding England, he would turn his attention to the monster currently possessing his Horcrux!
Ronald Weasley is mine! And I will not share him with some demon! I will have my vengeance, I vow it!
Ginny Weasley's POV
October 5th, 1992
Ginny was doing her work alone in the library again, lately she preferred being alone. It was just easier that way, no one bombarded her with questions or fake concerns. She didn't need anyone, she had Tom. Tom was her closest friend, she'd only had him for one month but she felt so attached to him. He was kind, charming, and he made her feel like the most special girl in the world. She told him everything, and he listened to her. He gave her advice, he comforted her when she was feeling lonely, and he never bullied her.
Ginny was tired of being bullied by others! Her brothers were the worst of the lot, not counting Ron and Percy. Percy was more of an overbearing mother hen, and Ron… Ron was just controlling and overprotective. She couldn't believe that she had never seen it before, but Tom had shown her. She had told Tom everything about Ron, every single detail! And Tom had convinced her that Ron was controlling and manipulative! She didn't believe it at first, but all the things Tom had pointed out were true. Ron constantly questioned her when they were together, he lied to her when she asked him about Slytherin, he always glared at any boy who so much as looked at her, and he even had people watching her! Ron had Hermione Granger spying on her! How could he do that?!
Ginny had been in the library while her brother and Hermione were studying together… They didn't notice her behind the bookshelf, and she had heard everything. Hermione was reporting on Ginny's life to Ron, and Ron had told her to keep a closer eye on Ginny… Ginny had cried all night, and Tom had been her only source of comfort. Tom had been right all along, Ron was in Slytherin for a reason… Ginny felt so stupid about the fact that, for a moment, she too wanted to be in Slytherin just because Ron was. She was grateful now that she wasn't, because if she was, Ron would constantly be watching over her. Controlling her… She didn't need protection! She had Tom!
Ginny packed up her books when she saw Colin Creevey enter the library, he wearing a stupid grin on his face and his camera was dangling around his neck. Colin was under the impression that Ginny and he were friends, but Ginny only had one friend… She only needed one friend! Ginny walked right past Colin, and she ignored his greeting. She walked up to Gryffindor tower alone, and then she quickly went into her dorm. She put all of her books away, and then she approached her trunk. After looking around to make sure she was alone, she pulled Tom out of her trunk. She smiled widely as she sat down on her desk with him, she'd been waiting to talk to him all day!
"Good evening, Tom" Ginny wrote, and she watched the ink be absorbed by the page.
"Good evening, Ginny" Tom wrote back. "How was your day? I hope you got all of your homework done!"
"I did" Ginny wrote, a happy smile on her face. "I'm sorry I took so long, you must have been dreadfully bored…"
"I was, but I don't mind" Tom replied. "I'm just glad that you're doing so well in your classes! I'm very proud of you." Ginny blushed deeply, he always praised her.
"Thank you, Tom! It's mostly because of you, you're a genius!"
"Nonsense Ginny, your accomplishments are your own" Tom replied, he was so humble! "Tell me, how have things been with your brothers?" Ginny frowned a bit at that, she didn't want to talk about them…
"Percy forced me to drink a Pepper-up Potion yesterday, it was gross!" Ginny wrote quickly. "He was convinced that I'm sick… Can't he understand that I'm just very pale? The twins are still pranking all the boys around me… And now, none of them talk to me… Except for Colin! Ugh… As for Ron…" Ginny stopped writing, she hated talking about Ron. It always made her cry when she thought about how her favorite brother was spying on her!
"What about Ron? Is he spying on you again?" Tom asked.
"He never stopped!" Ginny wrote, and then she rubbed her eyes. "I don't understand, Tom… Why is he doing that? He can just ask me!"
"From what you've told me…" Tom wrote, but then the writing stopped.
"What is it?" Ginny wrote.
"I don't want to speak ill of your brother, Ginny. I know how much you love him…" Tom wrote, and that made her release a small sob.
"Tell me Tom, I don't know what else to do about this… I'm planning to confront him tomorrow…"
"No, don't do that" Tom wrote back immediately, and it took her by surprise.
"Why?" Ginny inquired.
"If he knows you're onto him and Hermione, he'll just ask someone else! You will lose the advantage of knowing who's spying on you… I suggest that you keep your distance from Ron, and your brothers. They will see the error of their ways on their own, I know it!" Ginny slowly nodded to that, it made sense.
"What do I do about Hermione?" Ginny asked.
"Keep your distance from that girl, and act happy whenever she's around." Tom advised. "Make sure you never approach her, or give her a reason to become suspicious. If she thinks you're acting odd, she will spy on you more often."
"I hate her! I've seen her in the common room, she is always bossing people around! She even bosses Harry around! Who does she think she is?!" Ginny wrote, she was now fuming. Writing about Harry caused another problem to spring up in her mind. "Harry still has my broom, I can't avoid Hermione when I want to practice… She never leaves his side!" Ginny felt a strong pang of jealousy at that, she really hated that bushy haired witch!
"He does, doesn't he? Why did your brother give Harry Potter your broom? I hope Harry isn't spying on you either…" Tom wrote back. Ginny felt panic and fear grip her, it couldn't be! Anything but that!
"No…" Ginny wrote. "Harry isn't like that! He is a hero! He saved the world from He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named!" Tom was silent for a few moments, and Ginny awaited his response with baited breath.
"Both your brother and Harry Potter survived the Dark Lord, didn't they? They must be powerful wizards…" Tom wrote back, and Ginny felt a bit let down.
"My brother is considered a prodigy, and Harry is famous the world over…" Ginny wrote, she felt saddened by this. "Harry will never even notice me… But he loves being Ron's friend…"
"Oh, Ginny… Forget them then. If they can't see how amazing you are, they don't deserve you. It's their loss, not yours!" Tom replied, and Ginny smiled involuntarily.
"Why can't my brothers be more like you, Tom? You're the best!" Ginny wrote happily.
"There's no need for that, Ginny. We're friends, I'll always have your best interests at heart. Now… Tell me more about your day, I want to know everything!"
Ginny wrote down everything she could think of, and Tom was kind and charming as always. Ginny ignored the headache she was getting, they were becoming far more frequent…
Ronald Weasley's POV
October 9th, 1992 (Past Midnight)
Ron landed on his arse with a thud, his chest was heaving and he was sweating buckets! Bloody hell… That was exhausting! He had finally managed to perfect the 'Brachium Colubrum' Curse, it had taken him two whole weeks! And this was supposed to be one of the 'easier Curses'… Ron was currently inside his Sanctuary, and it was the middle of the night. This had become a new habit of his… Every night, when he was sure that Theo and Blaise were asleep, Ron would sneak out to his Sanctuary. He'd spend hours practicing Curses from the Tome of Curses, and then he would sneak back to his dorm before sunrise. This left him with little time to sleep, and his exhaustion was evident to all…
Ron walked over to the Tome of Curses and he picked it up, and then he went and sat down on a couch. This tome is amazing… It has so many Curses that I've never even heard of! Ron opened the book and perused to the last page that he had read.
"Brachium Colubrum" Ron read aloud. "Summon an ethereal serpent from your wandless arm in-order to bind your victim…" Ron frowned at the word 'Victim'. Ron didn't want to have victims, this was for self-defense! That's why Ron was only learning the simpler Curses for now, the harder ones were all made to maim or kill… Ron sighed and flicked back to the 'Dueling Tips' page.
"Don't use shields as they drain your Magical Core rather quickly, instead dodge incoming attacks. Only use shields as a last resort!" Ron read aloud. Malfoy kept blocking Bellatrix's spells, that's why he got bogged down… That's why he died… I won't make that mistake! "Using a Curse at the right time can not only negate an attack, but it can also empower your own Curse. Make sure that you fire your own Curse at the incoming attack, your Curse will siphon the Magical Energy from your enemy's attack." Ron smiled at that, this was way better than Lockhart's ridiculous class. This tome is a better teacher than Lockhart! Ron turned his head and cracked his neck.
Ron closed the tome and yawned, he was barely managing to stay awake. I'll come back and continue this tomorrow… I need at least a few hours of sleep! Ron hid the book under the couch, and then he left the Sanctuary. Ron had realized that this room was always the same whenever he came back, everything he left behind stayed behind. It was the perfect place to hide a dark tome! No one knew of this room but him!
Ron walked to the Dungeons with a quickened pace, he was under the Disillusionment Charm but he didn't want to risk anything. But more importantly, he had come to fear the dark hallways of Hogwarts… Ron had heard that venomous voice three more times since his night in the Hospital Wing! That made it four fucking times too many! It was always saying the same things, the same horrible things. Ron shuddered and walked faster. Need to get back before I hear it again!
For some reason, only he heard this voice! The second time he'd heard it, he was coming back to the common room late at night. The third time he heard it, he was taking a damn shower! And the fourth time he heard it, he was with his friends and they were walking back down to the dungeons. But none of them heard it… That had terrified Ron! In Ron's experience, hearing voices was never a good sign! Especially because those voices could do you in, case-in-point, the Entity! Ron just prayed to Merlin that this voice wasn't looking to actually kill someone! Ron hoped that it was just Peeves being an arsehole as usual…
October 9th, 1992
"Wake up!" came Theo's voice, and Ron groaned.
"Piss off Theo, I'm trying to sleep…" Ron grumbled, and then someone shook his entire body. For Merlin's sake… Ron opened his eyes and sat up. "What?" Ron asked groggily.
"Important news" Blaise said in serious voice. "Theo got mail at breakfast…"
"Breakfast? You didn't wake me up?!" Ron asked, his stomach grumbled on cue.
"We did…" Theo said with a frown. "You took a swing at Blaise, muttered some nonsense about spiders, and then you passed out again…" Huh?
"It doesn't matter" Blaise interjected. "Theo got mail from the investigator looking into the Gaunt Family." Ron's eyes widened at that, and then he finally noticed that Theo was holding a report of sorts in his hands.
"This, my friend" Theo smirked as he held up the report. "Has all the answers we need… Care to join in?" You're damn right I do! I've waited an entire month for this!
AUTHOR'S NOTES: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! And I hope that you didn't mind me spending the entire chapter away from Ron... He may be the Protagonist, but the other characters are just as important. Next Chapter will give you all a backstory on the Gaunt Family, and a certain orphaned Gaunt...
I will do my best to be fast, but I have volunteering over the next three days. So please be patient, I don't plan to rush out a mediocre chapter.
See you guys soon!