AUTHOR'S NOTES: Here is Chapter 32! And this one has some twists and turns!
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 32 – Betrayed
Ronald Weasley's POV
November 24th, 1992 (Quidditch Pitch)
Ron soared through the air at full speed, his Nimbus 2001 carrying him faster than ever before. Ron flew over the stands and circled back around, laughing maniacally as he did it. This is fucking amazing! I bloody love Sirius! Ron then came to a stop slowly, and he looked down at his friends on the pitch. It was a sunny Sunday morning, and they were having a picnic of sorts out in the sun. It was Pansy's idea, and Ron was quite happy with it. Marty had made them all sandwiches, and he had even delivered them with some butter-beer! Ron flew down and landed gracefully, smiling widely as he approached his friends.
"Have fun?" Theo smirked.
"Yeah, this thing is amazing!" Ron exclaimed, he was slightly out of breath. "Want to have a go?" Ron offered as he sat down next to Pansy.
"Maybe after" Theo shrugged. Ron then tried to grab a sandwich but Pansy smacked his hand away, his friends all chuckled at Ron's bewildered expression.
"I'm still setting it up, Ron" Pansy frowned. "I want everything to look perfect before we start eating…" Ron shot a look to the other girls, and they just smiled at him innocently. Okay then…
"Pansy" Blaise chuckled. "It's going to get messy anyway… So what's the point?" Pansy shot Blaise a dark look that stopped his sniggering.
"I want a nice looking picnic" Pansy said slowly, and then she got back to fixing up the plates and butter-beers. Ron shrugged at Blaise's confused look, and then he lay down on his back. The Sun warmed his face, and he couldn't help but smile. He was having a great morning with his closest friends, what more could anyone ask for? While Pansy fussed over her picnic, Ron thought about recent events.
It had been quite a few days since Colin's attack, and things were still tense amongst the students. The other three houses were avoiding the Slytherins as if the Slytherins were carrying a plague! But the worst part about that was that even the Trio were avoiding Ron. He was absolutely sure of it now. Hermione wouldn't even look at him, and she'd run off if she ever saw him approaching her. Neville and Harry looked at him with guarded looks, and Ron knew exactly why. They were suspicious of him… They thought that he was the Heir…
At first, Ron had been furious… But within a few hours, his anger had turned into hurt. He felt extremely wounded by their lack of faith in him… He was their friend, why couldn't they understand that? He had helped them more than a few times, and one of those times had left him permanently scarred! Ron pulled his mind away from the Trio, just thinking about them hurt…
His mind instead wandered to his Gryffindor family… To his Ginny… She was still ignoring him… She was ignoring everyone… Percy was going mad with worry, and even the twins were beginning to worry about her! They were doing their best to cheer her up, and they were failing horribly! They had covered themselves with furs and boils, and then they had started jumping out of corners to scare her… Why they thought that scaring her was a good idea was beyond Ron, and Ron wasn't surprised at all to learn that it hadn't worked.
"Hello! Ron!" Pansy called as she shook his leg. Ron jumped up and looked at her, and she furrowed her brow at him. "Where did you go?"
"Thinking about Ginny…" Ron sighed, and Pansy smiled at sadly.
"Well… the picnic is ready" Pansy said softly. She hated seeing Ron look so defeated, he really missed his sister… Ron smiled at the sound of that.
"Finally, was beginning to think that you'd starve us" Ron laughed, and Pansy cuffed him on the back of the head. The picnic was quite amazing, and they all laughed and ate together. Eating outside in the sunlight was doing wonders for them, and Ron knew now why Pansy had wanted to have a picnic. For one hour, none of them even mentioned the Heir or the attacks. The dangers inside the castle completely slipped from their minds!
After the picnic was over, Ron flew around for a bit more. Eventually, Ron's friends called him back because they all wanted to go back inside. Ron and the group made their way to the castle with wide smiles, their worries forgotten for the day. That is until they entered the Entrance Hall…
"There you are" came a familiar voice. Ron was surprised to see Padma Patil approaching him, but then his surprise instantly turned into dread… LUNA!
"Padma?" Ron muttered. "Is it Luna? Is she alright? Did the Heir attack her?!" Padma just blinked at him.
"Um… no" Padma said with a soft smile. "I just needed a… favor… from you" she finished softly. Oh thank Merlin! I almost dropped dead from worry… Ron smiled in relief.
"Sure thing, what do you need?" Ron asked her, but Padma looked at Ron's friends instead. "Guys, I'll catch up to you" Ron said to his friends, and they all nodded and left. Just like that? No fuss, no fighting… They probably like Padma or something.
"Things are really tense in Hogwarts right now" Padma started, and Ron nodded in agreement. "The first years are especially terrified… So the older Ravenclaws are throwing a party for the younger Ravenclaws, just to cheer them up…"
"Doesn't that include you?" Ron chuckled, and Padma giggled.
"It does… But I've elected to help out instead" she said proudly. "And that's where you come in…" she paused, and Ron looked at her expectantly. "We wanted to get some butter-beers… and other things… like sweets and treats… And the Slytherins are rumored to know their way around smuggling these things into Hogwarts…" I get it now… She didn't volunteer to help, the older students sent her to me… They don't want to associate with any Slytherins themselves…
"And so they sent you…" Ron smiled faintly, and Padma gave him a sorry look. She hadn't expected to be caught out…
"I told them that you weren't like the other Slytherins…" Padma confessed. "And they… they sent me to ask you for help…"
"Well, I do owe you" Ron smiled. "So I'll help, of course." Padma beamed at that.
"Thank you, Ron!" Padma squealed. "Thank you! We are going to have the party after dinner tonight…"
"Tonight?!" Ron asked in shock, and Padma smiled sheepishly. "A bit last minute, don't you think?"
"Sorry…" she said softly. "I was supposed to ask you yesterday, but you weren't here…"
"I was at work" Ron sighed. "Alright, I'll get it done somehow! I promise!" Marty can help me!
"Thank you so much!" Padma exclaimed as she hugged him. Another girl has hugged me… This is becoming a pattern… "We'll pay you back for everything" Padma said as she broke the hug. No, I can use this to make some Ravenclaw connections… What would Lord Greengrass do?
"No, it's fine" Ron smiled. "Consider it my thanks for everything that you've done for my little sister. My friends told me how well you look after her, I'm extremely grateful Padma" Ron smiled his best smile, and Padma blushed a bit. "I'll fund the whole thing…"
"Ron, that's…" Padma started with a slack-jawed look but Ron stopped her.
"It's alright" Ron chuckled. "I made a lot of money recently, I'm more than happy to help out the Ravenclaws! We're all students of the same school, right?" Padma just nodded in awe. "I'd better go and arrange everything, you'll have it all by six tonight!" Ron then waved goodbye, but Padma just stared at him in awe as he left.
Ron made his way down to the dungeons, and he smirked to himself. I wish Lord Greengrass saw that! He'd be so proud of me! Wait a second… Why don't we Slytherins have a party as well? That would actually help me out a lot… Bribes are a great way to earn loyalty, isn't that what Blaise said? Yeah… I'll fund two parties… One for Ravenclaw, and one for Slytherin… Ron smiled deviously, this was a genius plan! Ron went straight to his dorm, and then he closed the door behind him. Theo and Blaise were out in the common room… Good, I'll surprise the whole house!
"Marty, I need you" Ron called, and there was a loud crack.
"Master Ronald called Marty?" Marty asked with a bow.
"I did, I need your help!" Ron smiled at his servant.
"Anything, Master!" Marty exclaimed happily. Ron then told Marty about his plans, and Marty listened with baited breath.
"So, can you handle it?" Ron asked after he finished explaining his plan.
"Of course, Master" Marty nodded vigorously. "Marty helped the Greengrass Family with many parties! Marty will take care of everything!" Ron smiled happily, and then he got out his Gringotts pouch from his trunk.
"Here, Marty" Ron said as he handed Marty the pouch. "Use this… How much will it all cost?"
"That depends on you, Master" Marty squeaked. "Marty can buy the best, or Marty can try and save Master's money…" Slytherin demands the best! I can't afford to be cheap… If I'm doing this, then I need to do it right.
"Buy only the best" Ron ordered. "Give me a rough number…"
"Master wants to hold the parties after dinner, so Marty will buy kegs of butter-beer and other party foods…" Marty said, he was calculating costs in his head. "Nothing too filling… Mostly cakes and treats… Marty will also buy punch for the older students… Marty estimates around eighty Galleons, Master!" EIGHTY?! What kind of party supplies cost that much?! Ugh… I don't have a choice…
"Get it done" Ron nodded. "Also, deliver the supplies for the Ravenclaw party to their common room by six, leave a note that tells everyone that I supplied the materials… Something like 'Best Regards, Ronald Weasley'…" Marty nodded excitedly. "As for the Slytherin supplies, wait until dinner and then bring them to the common room. I'll need your help setting it all up."
"Excellent, Master" Marty praised. "Excellent! Marty will not fail Master!" And just like that, Marty was gone with a loud crack. Ron let out a long breath, and then he grinned. I should make a small speech about why I'm throwing the party… Something that tells the other Slytherins that I'm with them… That we're a… family…
November 24th, 1992 (Dinner Time)
Ron came down to the common room, and it was completely deserted. He had lied to his friends and told them that he was feeling sick, and so they went to dinner without him. It was now time to set everything up!
"Marty!" Ron called, and Marty appeared with a loud crack.
"Master, Marty have the supplies!" Marty said excitedly. "Marty has stored them in the kitchens!"
"Bring them here, we can start setting it up!" Ron said with a grin. Marty nodded, and then he was gone. Ron waited for a few seconds, and then Marty came back. He wasn't alone… About a dozen House-Elves had shown up with him, and Marty was holding a mug of hot chocolate.
"Master should relax, Marty and his friends will set up" Marty smiled as he offered Ron the mug. Ron was touched…
"Thank you, Marty" Ron smiled genuinely as he accepted the mug.
"Marty is happy to serve" Marty bowed. "Marty has also returned Master's pouch, it is within Master's trunk." Ron then sat down and watched the House-Elves work. By the time Ron had finished his hot chocolate, everything was in place. House-Elves are amazing... Marty is amazing!
"Marty is finished, Master!" Marty exclaimed. Ron looked around the common room, and it looked completely different. There were tables set up in front of all of the walls, and the tables were covered with platters of party foods. There were a dozen kegs of butter-beer, and multiple bowls of punch. All the furniture had been moved to the sides, and there was a lot of room for dancing. "Marty also found a record player, Master!"
"You're the best, Marty! I mean that!" Ron said happily. This is perfect! Marty looked so happy that Ron was actually a little bit disturbed. "They are coming!" Marty suddenly exclaimed. Marty and the other Elves suddenly left with loud cracks. What the hell?! Ron then heard the entrance open, and he quickly straightened up. Time to preach fraternity!
The Slytherin students entered the common room, and their conversations just stopped. They all just looked around the room in a daze, and then they looked at Ron standing in the middle of the room with a wide smile.
"Weasley… what's this?" asked Samuel Byrne, the Triumvirate member.
"I've decided to throw a party" Ron smiled at him, and he blinked at Ron. More students piled into the room, including Ron's friends. They just gaped in utter shock.
"A party?" Samuel Byrne asked slowly. "Why? And who is paying for this?" Speech time! I've got this…
"I am paying for this out of my own pocket" Ron started with a smile. "I've noticed that the other houses are outright ignoring us… They blame us for this Heir of Slytherin problem… So I decided to throw a party." Everyone just blinked at him. "We should be sticking together now more than ever, and this party will help us all bond. Fraternity is a Slytherin trait, and we should practice it. We need to be united!" There was utter silence, and Ron could see Blaise and Theo just smiling widely. The girls were just stunned by Ron's behavior. Please work… I paid a lot of money…
"You had me at 'I am paying for this'…" Samuel Byrne laughed, and the other older Slytherins joined in. "Well… I guess we're having a party!" Ron released a breath of relief as the Slytherins cheered in excitement.
November 24th, 1992 (Slytherin Party)
The music was blaring loudly, and there was a lot of movement on the dance floor. Ron was currently talking to Carey Ductu, and she seemed quite happy tonight. Ron knew that the party was a huge success because of her great mood. Even the first-years were openly introducing themselves to the older students.
"So, how did you do it?" Carey asked with a smile, she had a glass of punch in her left hand.
"I have an army of House-Elves at my beck-and-call" Ron joked, and Carey actually laughed. I made Miss. Prefect laugh!
"You know, with any other person… I'd think they were joking" Carey smiled. "But you… You are something else."
"I don't know what you mean" Ron chuckled as he drank some of his butter-beer.
"Yes you do… Smuggling Dragons… Playing chess in foreign countries… Saving House Cups at the last minute…" Carey smiled widely, her white teeth sparkling at Ron. He wasn't going to lie, his stomach did flips at getting this much attention from such a pretty girl. "You are something else, Ronald Weasley. Look, even Sammy is having fun…" Carey pointed out Samantha Selwyn dancing with Bloise McCarty. The dark haired girl was actually smiling as she danced with the Triumvirate member.
"I didn't think she was capable" Ron joked, and Carey just giggled.
"She can be… tough…" Carey said with a merry voice. "But she likes you, as do Clara and I. You have a sharp mind, definitely sharper than the current Triumvirate members…" Ron gave her a surprised look, and she just smiled slyly at him. "C'mon, everyone knows that the current Triumvirate is a massive let-down…"
"I wouldn't say that…" Ron laughed.
"And what would you say?" Carey asked, her voice was as smooth as silk. Be careful… Don't dig your own grave, Weasley…
"I'd just say that the previous Triumvirate set a very high standard…" Ron said with a polite smile. Carey laughed at that.
"See, a sharp mind…" Carey laughed. Ron was suddenly engulfed in a tight hug from behind, and Ron felt two soft breasts engulf his head. "Clara… stop smothering him with your tits…" Ron actually froze… His brain stopped working… He almost passed out… And then Clara Martyris let him go. Ron spun around slowly, looking utterly dazed. Clara laughed alongside Carey.
"I think I broke him" Clara giggled. She was a bit shorter than Carey Ductu, but she was definitely more filled out… in certain areas… Merlin! They were really soft… Are they meant to be that soft? Shite…
"I'm fine…" Ron cleared his throat, and Carey Ductu giggled.
"Come dance with me, Ronald" Clara wooed. She was clearly drunk…
"How much have you had to drink tonight?" Carey laughed at her friend.
"Just enough" Clara smiled widely, her eyes closed. "I love your hair!" Clara shouted at Ron with a smile, and Ron felt his cheeks flush.
"You do have nice hair, Ron" Carey laughed at Ron's slack-jawed face.
"Thanks…" Ron said, he didn't know what else to say.
"Aw! He's so innocent" Clara cooed. "Here, let me change that!" She put her hands on Ron's cheeks and pulled him in… Things slowed down, and Ron didn't even know what to think! Carey managed to pull Ron back before Clara snogged him, and then she took Clara's hand.
"I'm going to take Clara…" Carey shook her head. "She needs to go lie down…" With that, Carey took Clara away. Clara shot him a teasing wink, and Ron just smiled at her like an idiot. Oh Merlin… That was… Merlin… I almost kissed a sixth year… The twins would never believe me! And Clara is gorgeous… Why would she want to kiss me?! Ron shook his head hard, he needed to get back to his friends… Ron then made his way back onto the dance floor.
"RON!" Tracey yelled with a smile, and then she waved him over. "Come and dance with me!" She looked like she was having the best time in the world. Ron grinned and joined her, the rest of his friends were with Tracey.
"There you are!" Daphne yelled with a smile. "Where did you disappear off too?!" Ron barely made out what she was saying.
"Carey Ductu wanted to talk to me!" Ron yelled back, and then Daphne moved closer to Ron. Too close…
"What did she want?" Daphne asked, she was talking with a normal voice right into his ear. Ron turned his head to answer her, and their noses touched. Ron instantly felt his stomach do a flip, and she blushed crimson.
"Sorry" Ron said in her ear. "Anyway… She wanted to thank me for the party. Then she called me really smart… I think she caught onto why I'm doing this…"
"She definitely did" Daphne laughed in his ear, her breath was hot on his cheek. "This is an amazing party though, I even saw Malfoy having fun!"
"Really?" Ron asked with a chuckle. "Good… I'm glad he isn't trying to ruin this." Someone bumped into Ron, and Ron turned to see Theo smirking at him.
"The man of the hour!" Theo laughed, he had two glasses of punch in his hands.
"Theo!" Ron laughed. "That punch has alcohol in it!" Theo gave Ron a confused smile.
"And?" Theo chuckled. "C'mon, have some!" Ron didn't want to drink, he was underage… But Daphne was looking at him with a smile, and the rest of his friends were having a great time… I don't want to be a kill-joy…
"Fine!" Ron replied as he took one glass. And then he downed it in one go. All of his friends went ballistic with laughter. What?!
"Ron!" Daphne laughed as she leaned on his right arm for support. "Why did you chug it down?!" Daphne then laughed loudly. Theo was pissing himself with laughter, and Ron found himself laughing as well.
"It tasted nice!" Ron laughed, and his friends began laughing even harder. Blaise gave him a pat on the back.
"C'mon, mate!" Blaise laughed. "You need to eat something… Or you'll get really drunk! That punch is really strong!" Blaise then guided Ron towards some food. "Great party by the way!"
"Bribes are a great way to earn loyalty" Ron laughed, and Blaise grinned.
"So you do listen?!" Blaise asked humorously.
"Sometimes…" Ron shrugged his shoulders. "Why do you guys know how to drink alcohol?!"
"Us Pure-Bloods are raised on parties and social events!" Blaise laughed. "You learn by watching the adults!"
"You're twelve!" Ron yelled, the music was way too loud.
"And you're naïve" Blaise shook his head.
"What?! I didn't hear that!" Ron said as he cupped his ears.
"Never mind! Just have some shrimp!" Blaise said as he handed Ron a small plate of food that he put together. "OH SHITE!" Blaise shouted suddenly, he was looking at where the entrance was. Ron turned to see Snape, and his heart stopped beating. Snape was just looking around with an expressionless face. "Ron, this is your party!" Blaise yelled. "You deal with that shite!" And just like that, Blaise ran off into the crowd. Oh shite… I'm buggered… Ron slowly made his way to Snape, how had no one noticed the Potions Master?!
"Sir!" Ron yelled, he was still holding a plate full of shrimp. Snape looked at Ron with the coldest look Ron had ever seen. Oh Merlin…
"Come with me… NOW!" Snape seethed, and then he billowed out. Merlin help me! Ron followed Snape outside into the corridor, and the entrance closed behind them. "Talk…"
"Yes, Sir!" Ron yelled, and Snape blinked.
"You're yelling, Mr. Weasley" Snape sneered.
"Sorry…" Ron said, lowering his tone. His ears were actually ringing from the loud music. "We're having a party, Sir."
"I can see that" Snape drawled. "Who is behind this? Tomorrow is a Monday, and it is already past midnight…" IT IS?! Shite!
"Um… actually, Sir" Ron started, he was shuffling his feet. "I threw the party…" Snape just stared at Ron for almost thirty seconds.
"Why?" Snape asked.
"Um… I wanted to make the house feel more united" Ron replied, he was beginning to feel a little lightheaded. "The other houses hate us because of this Heir of Slytherin business… I thought that maybe we all needed to remember that fraternity is a Slytherin trait… That we don't need the other houses…" Snape just blinked at Ron… Was the boy telling the truth? Snape would find out soon enough…
"And who paid for this? Was it the Triumvirate?" Snape asked in a low voice.
"I paid for the whole thing… I have a lot of money saved up from my chess contract…" Ron shuffled his feet. "Am I in trouble, Sir?"
"I don't know, Mr. Weasley" Snape replied with a dead tone. "But as a Professor, I must stop this party at once…"
"Why?" Ron asked, people were having fun!
"Because you are underage" Snape grimaced. "And I can smell the alcohol on your breath…" Ron went crimson with shame. THEO! YOU BASTARD! "Now follow me…" Snape then billowed back into the common room. Ron followed slowly, and he couldn't stop the guilty giggle that escaped his throat. It was fun though! I almost got snogged by a sixth year!
November 25th, 1992 (Breakfast)
Ron and his friends walked into the Great Hall with wide smiles, last night had been amazing! Ron instantly spotted a lot of Slytherins smirking at him, and many others gave him thankful nods. Even though Snape had shown up and shut the party down, everyone had a great time. Not to mention that Ron's speech had earned him a lot of favor with the other Slytherins. As Ron sat down, he shot a quick look at the Ravenclaws. They were all smiling at him and sending him nods. Padma was smiling brightly and waving at him, and he returned the favor.
"Why are the Ravenclaws so happy with you?" Millie asked.
"I paid for a party for them as well…" Ron smiled at her. She just blinked at him, and then she chuckled and shook her head.
"How many parties did you throw last night?" Pansy giggled.
"Two" Ron smirked. "One for us, and one for the Ravenclaws."
"Why them?" Blaise asked. "Oh wait… Bribery…" Ron grinned at him, and Blaise nodded in approval.
"Our little snake is all grown up…" Theo mock-pouted. "I feel so proud…" The girls giggled at Theo's antics, and Ron frowned.
"Shut up…" Ron said softly, and then he began his breakfast. As Ron ate his breakfast, quite a few Slytherins thanked him on their way out. Ron gave them all his best smile and nodded.
"Great party, Weasley" said some fifth year, he was smiling widely at Ron.
"I had a great time."
"Throw another one soon…"
"Where did you get that punch?"
"I finally snogged my crush!"
"See you back at the common room, mate."
Ron was overwhelmed with how happy the Slytherins were with him. He was so overwhelmed that he completely missed Percy frowning at him from across the Great Hall. Ron also missed the twins looking at him as they licked their lips greedily… Word was already getting around that Ron had funded not one, but two massive parties last night. No one knew how he had done it, expect for maybe a select few older students. But they remained silent on the details… At least someone was trying to keep the somber mood at bay!
After Ron finished his breakfast, he headed down to Herbology. Ron didn't really like Herbology much, but it was a nice day out so he didn't mind. Once they were inside the Greenhouse, Ron quickly put on his dragon-hide gloves away from prying eyes. As he was walking back to his friends, Padma Patil stopped him by grabbing his left forearm.
"Partner with me?" Padma smiled.
"Of course" Ron smiled back. "How was last night?" If their party was half as fun as ours, then I'd say she had a great time!
"It was so amazing!" Padma squealed. "The Ravenclaws are really happy with you, Ron! And Luna… AW!" she cooed, and Ron blinked at her. "She was telling everyone about you! She is so proud to be your sister, though that did confuse a few people… But they all love you now! I didn't know you saved her mother's life…" Merlin Luna… Why did you tell people that?
"Yeah… that…" Ron smiled softly, he hated thinking about that day. He didn't know what he'd do if something happened to Pandora…
"Is it true you ripped off your own… fingernails?" Padma whispered, her face showed concern.
"Yeah… I don't like to think about that day…" Ron said, he was feeling uncomfortable discussing this. Luna shouldn't have told them that… It's a family matter… Padma just looked at him with absolute awe, she wanted to read Ron like a book! He was far too interesting…
"I think we're repotting those Mandrakes today" Padma changed the subject, she could see that Ron wasn't feeling comfortable discussing his past. She would just learn about him in her own time…
"Really?" Ron asked, he hated those things. "Merlin, those things bite!" Padma giggled at Ron's annoyed look.
November 25th (After Dinner)
It had been a bizarre day for Ron… The Slytherins and Ravenclaws were nothing but kind to him, and that was fine… It was odd looks that the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were sending Ron that had him stumped. Percy had given him a long lecture at lunch about 'wasting his money on pointless things', and Ron had no choice but to listen. Percy was clearly frustrated with his studies and Ginny, and Ron knew that his big brother needed to vent those feelings… After thirty minutes of tearing into Ron, Percy had hugged Ron tightly and then left.
This was nothing compared to the different looks that the staff were sending him. Filch truly hated Ron, but that was mostly due to the rumors of Ron being the Heir. McGonagall was horribly disappointed, and she frowned at him every time he saw her. Snape was indifferent as always, but at least he hadn't turned Ron in for drinking that glass of punch. Dumbledore had beamed at him all throughout breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Flitwick had actually gifted him a box of Every Flavored Beans after Ron's Charms Class. And then there was Lockhart… The grinning arsehole was looking at Ron with disappointment, but only because he hadn't been invited to either party…
As Ron made his way out of the Great Hall, he was stopped by two tall boys who slung their arms over his shoulders.
"Hello, Ronnikins" Fred said with a Cheshire smile.
"Our little bro" George added in with his own Cheshire smile.
"May we have a word?" they both said in unison. Ron's friends glared at the twins, but Ron nodded his consent.
"Go on, guys" Ron smiled at his friends. "I'll be down in a bit…" Ron's friends left slowly, and Daphne was the last to leave. The twins grinned at her as she left reluctantly.
"Such loyalty" Fred cooed.
"Such devotion" George sing-sang.
"Do invite us to the wedding!"
"We will wear our best robes, we promise!"
"Please stop…" Ron fidgeted. Things had definitely been… different with Daphne lately… We make a lot of physical contact now… Our noses touched last night, that's pretty much kissing distance… Ron's cheeks burned.
"He's blushing!" Fred laughed.
"Actually blushing!" George joined in.
"What do you two parasites want?" Ron grit out, even he didn't know why he was getting so defensive. Fred and George laughed as they dragged him into the courtyard, and it was a cool night out.
"We heard a wonderful rumor, Ronnie" Fred smiled.
"You have become a smuggler" George grinned.
"Welcome to the life…" they both said in unison.
"The life?" Ron asked.
"The life of breaking the rules, and doing as you damn well please!" Fred laughed.
"We didn't think you had it in you, considering how you follow Percy around…" George sighed.
"But we were wrong!"
"Oh, how wrong we were?"
"Can you two stop that?" Ron frowned. "What do you need from me?" Both twins smiled at him in a way that made his bones shudder. They are starting to scare me… The last time they looked at me like that, they almost made me into their slave…
"Filch has gone mental" Fred said softly.
"And we can't even operate in the castle anymore" George said grimly.
"Operate? You mean pull pranks and cause chaos" Ron frowned.
"Yes!" they both said merrily.
"So you do understand" Fred smiled. "We need your help."
"We need some products…" George added.
"And since we have Filch hunting us down like a rapid dog" Fred grimaced.
"We can't smuggle in our own products…" George sighed.
"Why is he hounding you?" Ron asked slowly. "I don't want him coming after me for helping you two…"
"Ever since his cat died" Fred sighed.
"Rest in peace, Mrs. Norris" George quickly added.
"He has been hunting down all the known rule-breakers with extreme gusto" Fred shook his head.
"There is a killer on the loose…" Ron said softly. "And you two want to play jokes? Are you seriously that twisted?" Fred and George flinched at that, and then they got serious.
"Have you looked around recently, Ron?" Fred asked with a dead serious tone. It took Ron by surprise. "This place is more depressing than a graveyard…"
"I haven't seen anyone in a good mood since before Colin's attack…" George frowned. "That is until today…"
"Your parties are the talk of the castle!" Fred smiled softly.
"You did something to cheer people up!" George said proudly.
"We want to do the same" they said in unison.
"And you need me to smuggle things in for you?" Ron asked. "Won't Filch just come after me?"
"Filch hasn't been down to the dungeons even once…" Fred said softly.
"He fears that the Heir of Slytherin will come after him…" George added with a nod.
"You'll be safe" they said together.
"What do I get in return?" Ron asked coldly. The twins blinked.
"Excuse us?" they asked together.
"I don't see any benefit in helping you" Ron said coldly. Why should I care about the mood of others? I didn't throw the parties to make people happy… I did it to earn favor with people! And I've already earned that favor!
"Don't you want people to be happy?" Fred asked slowly.
"Isn't that why you threw those parties?" George asked quickly.
"People are already happy…" Ron said, he decided not to reveal his Slytherin side to the twins. They'd never understand… They'd only judge him… Just like the Trio had…
"The snakes and the Ravenclaws..." Fred said with a frown. Snakes… That's all they see when they look at us… This entire school is biased against us…
"I'm a snake too…" Ron said softly. "And why should I care if the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors aren't happy? It's the Gryffindors who started the rumors about me being the Heir…"
"Ronnie…" George said softly.
"Don't be like that" Fred smiled sadly. "We've been going after everyone who calls you the Heir…"
"Look…" Ron sighed. "If you can offer me an actual incentive, I'll help you. But I'm not risking my neck to make the Gryffindors happy…" The twins looked to each other, and then they nodded.
"What if we gave you the secret to our success?" Fred asked slyly.
"Something that no other student in Hogwarts has!" George grinned. Ron's ears perked up.
"What is it?" Ron asked with a soft smile. Fred then pulled out a piece of parchment and showed it to Ron, it was blank. "Is this a joke?" Ron frowned at it.
"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good" George muttered, and then he tapped his wand on the parchment. Ron instantly recognized the map! I had a vision of this thing once!
"This little beauty has taught us more than any Professor at Hogwarts" Fred smirked.
"What does it do?" Ron asked slowly, he could see names and dots moving about.
"This map shows everyone, Ronnie" George smiled mischievously.
"Where they are" Fred said.
"What they're doing" George added.
"Every minute of every day" they said together. Ron was left in utter awe… Is this thing for real? With something like this, I'd know of everything happening within the castle! I could keep my eyes on everyone!
"Merlin's beard…" Ron muttered. "Wait… Why don't you just use this to avoid Filch?"
"We actually nicked it from Filch's office back in first year" Fred remembered.
"And alas, he knows our routes off by heart…" George sighed.
"And he checks our mail…" Fred smirked proudly.
"He actually got permission from McGonagall" George explained.
"Also, we've memorized the map completely" Fred grinned.
"So what do you say?" George asked.
"Do we have a deal?" they asked in unison. Ron looked down at the map, and he saw moving dots with a banner saying 'Daphne Greengrass'. She was pacing up and down in Ron's room.
"So that's Daph?" Ron pointed her out.
"Yep!" they said together, and then they sniggered.
"She sleeps in your room?" Fred grinned.
"What would mum say, Ronnie?" George laughed.
"She doesn't sleep in my…" Ron started but stopped. "So I get this map? And all I have to do is smuggle in your products?"
"Yep!" they said cheerfully.
"And I don't have to pay for them?" Ron asked.
"Nope" they replied.
"Done!" Ron smiled widely. AWESOME! Fred tapped his wand on the map.
"Mischief managed" Fred said, and the map faded away. It was just parchment now.
"Pleasure doing business with you!" the twins grinned. Oh no… The pleasure is all mine…
December 12th, 1992 (Sanctuary – Crack of Dawn)
Ron fell back on the black couch with a disgraceful grunt, he was utterly drained. Ron had just spent the last three hours practicing his dodging skills against spells. The dummies had shot weak stinging jinxes at him, and he'd taken quite a few body shots. But at least he had gotten better over time… In a one on one duel, Ron was sure that he'd be able to dodge spells rather easily. Unless they were shot back to back…
Ron groaned as he stretched, his whole body was stinging quite painfully. Ron then opened the Marauder's Map and began his nightly snooping. He'd been spending a lot of his spare time (which was limited to an hour or so a day) memorizing people's patterns. At first he did it because he felt like some all-seeing God, but after a while, he'd just become interested. For example: Ron now knew that Filch and Madam Pince were having a secret affair of sorts… Ron knew that Percy was sneaking around with a girl named Penelope Clearwater… And the Trio spent a lot of their time in Moaning Myrtle's bathroom.
Things with the Trio were at their worst… Ron's hurt had now become bitterness, and like a pouty child, Ron refused to even acknowledge their presence. Every time he saw Hermione, Ron's blood boiled in his veins. He had always been there for her… He had saved her life… And she had betrayed him the first chance she got… His Slytherin friends had been right all along, the Trio were just self-righteous arseholes… And Ron was done chasing after them… They had turned on him simply because he was a Slytherin, and that sickened Ron.
Ron had also begun using the Map to track Ginny around the school, for her own good. And so far, Ginny had been anything but suspicious. She spent her time alone, or at the library. She didn't socialize at all… Ron found that quite odd, but given her recent behavior, Ron figured that the other students wanted nothing to do with her. That irked Ron, but he couldn't do a damn thing about it. Ginny hated his guts… And Ron still had no idea why. Was it because he got Hermione to look out for Ginny? Was it because he yelled at her? Ron couldn't even start to comprehend what was happening to his little sister…
The twins had been quite a handful as well… They had a ridiculous amount of things they wanted to smuggle in, but with Marty's help, Ron had everything delivered straight to their rooms without anyone's knowledge. The twins had been awed into silence at Ron's 'smuggling skills', but Ron hadn't said a word about Marty. Marty was Ron's secret weapon at Hogwarts, and he would never reveal Marty to anyone but his closest friends.
Ron closed the Map after he had made sure that the hallways were clear, and then he left his Sanctuary. Ron had kept using the Tome, despite the Hat's warnings. It wasn't like he was learning any spells used to kill people, just enough to maim them… The Hat had no idea how bad the future was, and Ron wasn't going to let a few warning words stop him. This had to be done… There was no other choice! People like Bellatrix would utterly destroy him if he didn't learn more about their type of magic! And he had learnt quite a bit from that Tome… Ron entered the common room and he was instantly set upon by Theo and Blaise.
"Where were you?" Blaise frowned.
"And if you say you were 'exploring' the castle, I'll punch you in the face!" Theo growled.
"We looked all over the Slytherin territory for you" Blaise shook his head. Shite, they woke up for our run… I should have hurried back! Luckily for Ron, he had recently decided to tell his friends about his Sanctuary. The betrayal from the Trio had pushed Ron much closer to his Slytherin friends.
"I was exploring the castle…" Ron smirked, and Theo strode towards him with a clenched fist. OH SHITE! "WAIT!" Ron exclaimed as he protected his face. "I found something amazing…" Theo stopped at that.
"What?" Theo grit out.
"I found a secret room" Ron whispered. "A room that can act as our own little private common room…" Theo and Blaise just blinked at him. "Marty!" Ron called, and his servant popped in behind him.
"Master!" Marty bowed. "What can Marty for you?"
"Mart, please go wake up Daphne and the others" Ron smiled. "I don't want to get caught sneaking around the girls' dorms…"
"At once, Master" Marty smiled, and then he was gone.
"Are you serious about this room?" Blaise asked with an intrigued look. "How did you find it?"
"By exploring…" Ron smirked. Theo and Blaise just sighed at his blatant lie, but they didn't push him further. The three boys waited for the girls to arrive, and they did so after ten minutes.
"Ron?" Daphne yawned. "There better be a good reason behind this…"
"I'll shave your head if there isn't…" Pansy frowned, Ron had never seen her so disheveled.
"Come with me, and let me blow your minds!" Ron grinned. He led them all to the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy, and then he began pacing in front of the wall.
"Ron? What are you doing?" Millie asked slowly. Ron just smiled at her, and she gave him a confused look. Her look changed to one of shock when a large door suddenly appeared on the wall behind Ron.
"Tada!" Ron exclaimed to his slack-jawed friends. "Follow me!" Ron instructed as he pushed the door open. As they all entered his Sanctuary, Ron heard them all gasp in astonishment. "This can be our own little common room, away from everyone else!"
"This is… brilliant…" Blaise muttered as he looked around.
"Ron, how did you find this place?" Daphne asked with an awed expression. I can't keep saying that I just found it… Sorting Hat, forgive me…
"The Hat told me" Ron lied, and his friends nodded slowly. Ron had been using the Hat as a convenient excuse lately, and his friends always believed him. The Hat had a thousand years' worth of experience, it probably knew everything…
"This is amazing!" Pansy exclaimed as she ran towards the couches. The rest of them followed after her, Theo and Blaise were staring at the dueling dummies.
"This is like a secret hideout" Tracey giggled like a little girl. "We have a secret hideout!"
"It's a shame that it's on the seventh floor…" Theo sighed. "This is lion territory…"
"That makes it more exciting" Tracey laughed. "We're behind enemy lines!" Ron and the others laughed at Tracey's overexcitement. Ron knew that he had made the right call.
"We can practice dueling in here as well" Blaise smiled at the dummies. "This room is… its perfect!"
"You're welcome" Ron laughed, and Blaise actually laughed back.
"I'm going 'exploring' with you from now on" Millie grinned. "Do you always find places like this?"
"I've found a few…" Ron smirked. He had used the Marauder's Map to find a couple of passageways out of Hogwarts. One was behind a mirror on the fourth floor, and one was a passageway behind the statue of Gregory the Smarmy. "You're all more than welcome to come along!"
"I'll take you up on that" Daphne giggled, and Ron shot her his best smile.
December 12th, 1992 (During Potions)
"Is it one bat spleen, or two?" Tracey asked Ron. They were currently in Potions Class with the Gryffindors, and they were making the Swelling Solution.
"Just one" Ron answered, he enjoyed working with Tracey. They always partnered in Potions, ever since he had broken Malfoy's nose for her. While Ron waited for Tracey to prepare the bat spleen, he noticed something rather odd. Hermione was looking around in a panic, and Harry was doing something under his desk. What are they up to?
"Ron, I'm about to add the spleen" Tracey told him, and he nodded absent mindedly. What are the Trio up to?! And then, Ron's question was answered… Harry lobbed a firecracker towards Goyle, and it went straight into the boy's cauldron. FUCK!
"Tracey get down" Ron managed to say as he grabbed her and pulled her under the desk.
"Ow, Ron!" Tracey squealed due to the rough man-handling. BOOM! There was an explosion which was accompanied by yells and screams. Ron immediately stood up and looked around in horror, what the fuck was Harry thinking?! Malfoy's nose was expanding like a balloon, Goyle was screaming as he covered his eyes that were now the size of dinner plates, Theo was on the ground with a melon sized lump on his right cheek, Blaise was trying to cover up his ever-growing left hand, Millie was covering Daphne with her body so that the others couldn't see her, and Pansy was crying as her lips kept swelling.
Ron shot a furious look towards the Gryffindors, and even they were stunned silent. Ron spotted Hermione rush out into Snape's office while the Potions Master tried calming everyone down. Ron then locked eyes with a smiling Harry, and Harry's smile died on his face. They both just stared at each other, and Ron honestly wanted to attack Harry. Fucking imbecile! Someone could have been killed! You hurt my friends!
"SILENCE!" Snape roared, and everyone shut up immediately. "Those who were splashed by the Swelling Solution, come to me for a Deflating Draught. When I find out who did this…" Snape snarled as he made his way towards his desk. Ron just glared murder at a pale skinned Harry…
"Ron…" Tracey muttered, and Ron looked at her. She looked terrified. "What happened?"
"Um… Goyle's cauldron exploded" Ron lied, and she nodded slowly. Why did Harry do this?!
"Thank you…" she muttered, and then she spotted Pansy. "I'm going to go help…" With that, Tracey quickly walked over to Pansy and hugged the crying girl. Ron followed her example and walked over to Theo, his weedy friend was trying to get up.
"Give me your hand, mate" Ron said, and Theo did as he was told. Ron helped him up and guided him towards Snape's desk. Ron could hear the Gryffindors sniggering, and he felt his heart beat like a battle drum. I'm going to break Harry's fucking face! Ron then spotted Hermione enter the classroom and the front of her robes was bulging. What? She didn't get hit by the solution… She was too far away! What is going on here?!
When everyone had taken a swig of the Deflating Draught, and all of the swellings and panic had subsided, Snape billowed towards Goyle's cauldron. There was pure rage in Snape's eyes as he scooped up the burnt remains of a firecracker. The class went dead silent, and Ron contemplated whether to turn Harry in or not. I'm no tattletale… But I'll find out why he did this!
"If I ever find out who threw this" Snape said in a cold whisper. "I shall make it my life's goal to expel that person…" The school bell rang suddenly, and Snape looked around the room with utter hatred. "Leave… Now…" The students all but bolted from the class, and Ron was no exception. Snape was out for blood, and Ron didn't want to get in his way…
"What just happened?" Pansy whimpered, she was still crying a little. Tracey was holding her hand in a comforting manner, and Ron clenched his jaw.
"It was the Gryffindors…" Millie declared as helped a shaken Daphne walk in a straight line.
"Daph, are you alright?" Ron asked slowly. She just nodded and blushed crimson.
"Did you see…?" Daphne muttered, and Ron shook his head.
"No, was it bad?" Ron asked, and Daphne looked at her feet.
"Ron, leave it…" Millie warned. What happened…? Daphne's mortified expression did Ron's head in, and something just snapped. I'm gonna have a few words with Harry… Right now!
"I'll be right back, go to the common room without me…" Ron whispered in a cold voice.
"Where are you going?" Blaise asked.
"I'll tell you after…" Ron said with a dark look that surprised Blaise. Blaise then nodded, and the group split up. Once Ron's friends were gone, Ron quickly took out the Marauder's Map from his school bag. Ron unlocked the map and looked around for Harry, and he spotted the Trio walking towards Myrtle's bathroom. What are they doing in there?! Ron decided that he was done avoiding that place! He had to get answers right now!
Ron ran towards the bathroom at full-tilt, he had no intention of losing the Trio! Ron had been avoiding that bathroom due to Myrtle Warren's ghost, and so he had never thought about the 'Golden' Trio's activities in that place. But that was over… Ron was out of his mind with rage! They had hurt his friends! They had made Pansy cry! They had done something that hurt Daphne so badly that she had lost her usual spirit! Ron was going to break their bones for that! I'm done protecting those three traitors!
As Ron neared Moaning Myrtle's bathroom, he spotted the Trio walking towards it with a quickened pace. Ron cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself, and then he quickly snuck up to them. They seemed to be arguing…
"He knows, Hermione" Harry said with a worried voice. "He saw me!"
"Are you sure, mate?" Neville asked.
"Yes!" Harry exclaimed with a scared look. "If he tells on me, I'll be expelled for certain! Snape already has it out for me!" Maybe it's because you pull stunts like that! But no, it's okay… We're just some snakes, right?!
"Ron won't do that" Hermione said as she pushed the bathroom door open. "He won't turn you in…"
"He might…" Neville frowned at her. "How long are you going to keep defending his actions?" Hermione defends me… Ron glared at Neville as he snuck into the bathroom from behind the Trio. They had no idea that Ron was right behind them…
"What actions?!" Hermione shrieked. "He hasn't done anything 'suspicious'… We've been watching him for a month now, and we still have nothing!"
"What about his parties?" Neville asked. "He was clearly trying to buy the Ravenclaws and Slytherins!" Oh, I was you chubby fuck…
"We don't know that, Nev…" Harry sighed. "All we know is that he likes to sneak around, and that he's a Weasley who went into Slytherin. Oh, and that he snuck in here once…"
"He's in the same house as Malfoy" Neville frowned at Harry. "How can that be a good thing? Not to mention his friends…" Finish that sentence, you traitorous bastard! I'll fucking Curse you into oblivion!
"His friends are a bad lot, I will agree on that" Hermione sighed, and then she turned around and walked towards a closed cubicle. My friends… a bad lot… How dare she?! Hermione opened the cubicle, and then she pulled out a couple of jars from the front of her robes. Are those… ingredients? What the fuck are they doing in here? Hermione tossed the ingredients into the cauldron, and then she began stirring the potion within fervently.
"How long do we have to wait?" Harry asked her quickly.
"It'll be ready in two weeks, just in time for Christmas" Hermione explained.
"Finally, we've been brewing this for a month!" Neville exclaimed.
"You mean, Hermione has been brewing it…" Harry smiled sheepishly. Neville smiled and nodded. What kind of Potion is this?! C'mon, tell me…
"I think it's time we decide on who we're going to be…" Hermione sighed as she stirred the potion. What?
"Neville and I will become Crabbe and Goyle" Harry said firmly, his green eyes held pure determination. "I still think that it's Malfoy who's the Heir."
"Alright" Neville nodded. "So all we need is some of their hair, right?" Wait a minute… I know what this potion is… I've read about it before… C'mon Weasley, think! What was it called?!
"That's right" Hermione nodded. "I guess that means that I'll be questioning Ron… I know who I'm going to turn into… Daphne Greengrass" Hermione said, her voice was a little bitter. "They're extremely close… She probably knows everything about him…" Hermione's venomous tone nearly caused Ron to blow up with apoplectic rage, but he barely kept his composure. He needed more answers… Traitorous bitch! After everything I've done for you… You go after me and my friends!
"How do we get their hair?" Harry asked slowly. "Do we just… rip it out…?" I'll fucking kill you before I let you touch Daphne…
"I stole this" Hermione said as she turned around with a Sleeping Draught bottle. "We can use this to render them unconscious. Then, we take some of their hair and we turn into them. Just remember, the Polyjuice Potion will last for an hour or so… Make sure you get what we need quickly, and then we can get away!"
Ron's head began to throb from pain, he was about to hurt these three… They had betrayed him… All three of them… After everything he had done for them, they had still betrayed him… And all because he was a Slytherin… His eyes stung, and it took everything in him to keep his Disillusionment Charm going… They're going after Daphne… They're going after me! I'm their friend, aren't I? But he knew that he wasn't… He was just another red-haired Weasley… Nothing more and nothing less. Ron stared at the Trio as they left the bathroom, they looked so proud of themselves… It made him sick…
I saved her life… I saved all three of their lives… I broke the law and rescued Harry from his Muggle family! I took the fall for the Dragon… I was the one who got permanently scarred while they got away without a scratch! A terrible sob broke out from Ron's throat, and he felt his Disillusionment Charm break away.
"They fucking betrayed me…" Ron heaved, his eyes overflowing with tears. "My own friends…" Ron clutched his well-groomed hair tightly, so tightly that it hurt his scalp. Ron didn't even bother trying to stop his breakdown, he was utterly shattered. How long had he put up with the shite that came with being friends with the Trio?! How many times had his actual friends told him to stay away?! And yet, like some naïve idiot, he hadn't listened…
Ron was on his knees, weeping like a wounded animal, when Moaning Myrtle flew in. She stopped as soon as she saw him crying, what was he doing here? Myrtle had overheard the three Gryffindors plotting against Ronald… And then it hit her, he had just found out!
"Ahem… Are you alright?" Myrtle asked, and Ron looked up at her with blood-shot eyes. Myrtle Warren… She probably knows everything…
"No…" Ron muttered, and then he sobbed again. He was bent over, his knees and elbows holding him up. "They were my friends… I trusted them…"
"Oh…" Moaning Myrtle said, and then she floated down next to him. "I'm sorry… I know what's like to have no friends…" Ron tried to stop himself, but the tears wouldn't stop. If I had just fucking listened to Theo and Blaise… To Daphne… To Pansy… Even Tracey and Millie hated them… BUT I DIDN'T! And then I got scarred forever… Was that not enough?! Was nearly dying whilst helping them not enough?! Ron felt completely hollowed as he wailed his heart out, Moaning Myrtle was startled but she didn't leave. She stayed with him for the next ten minutes, cooing and shushing him softly.
"They wanted to go after my friend…" Ron grit out as he slowly stood up. His anger had returned with a vengeance! All of his pain had morphed into a venomous hatred for those three cunts! I will get them for this! Not today, not tomorrow… But I will get them! They are not better than me just because I'm a Slytherin! They aren't better than my friends! Ron's eyes fell on the cubicle that held the Polyjuice Potion, and he stared at the closed door with pure rage.
"Ronald… What are you doing?" Myrtle asked slowly.
"It took them over a month to brew that potion, right?" Ron asked in a cold voice.
"Yes… I saw them at the start of November" Myrtle nodded. "And then, that girl yelled at me…" Myrtle mewled. Ron ignored her mewling as he kicked the door open. Ron glared at the bubbling cauldron, and he knew exactly what he had to do! Ron took a few steps back as he aimed his wand at the cauldron.
"They want a fight! I'll give them a fucking fight!" Ron yelled, and he heard Myrtle laughing maniacally all of a sudden. "REDUCTO!" Ron yelled, and a blue light beamed out of his wand. The cauldron exploded, its contents flying out and covering the walls. Ron grinned like a mad-man, and he felt pure happiness as he destroyed all of their hard work.
"That was great!" Myrtle laughed, her voice was ear piercing. "Good for you! Do you need my help?!" Ron looked at her, his grin still in place.
"I will let you know, Myrtle…" Ron said coldly, and then he left the bathroom with a determined stride. I'm done being nice… Even after everything I did for them, they still betrayed me due to my house… How noble of them… Fucking Gryffindor scum!
Ron marched into the common room, his appearance was utterly deranged. His eyes were blood shot, he had tear tracks on his pale cheeks, his well-groomed hair was messy, and his clothes were dirty… But he didn't give a damn! He had to tell his friends about this first, he had to protect them! And then, he would tell Lord Greengrass! The Gryffindors seemed to forget that Ron's mentor was on the Board of Governors! If they picked a fight with Ron and Daphne, they picked a fight with the richest wizard in England! Ron was fully ready to destroy the Trio! He would show them the price for betraying him!
"Merlin, what the hell happened to you?" Tracey asked with wide-eyes.
"Come with me, now" Ron told the group, his voice was hoarse from his yelling and crying. Ron then turned around and walked towards his room. Daphne was the first to follow after him, and she grabbed his left hand. She always grabs my hands lately… Good, I need to keep her right next to me! If they go after her, I'll be right there to protect her.
"Ron, you're scaring us" Daphne whispered. "What happened? You were fine when you left…"
"I'll tell you everything, don't worry" Ron said coldly. "After that, I'll tell your father." Daphne went dead quiet at the mention of her father, what had happened?!
Daphne Greengrass' POV
December 12th, 1992 (Dinner)
Ron was glaring right at the Golden Trio, his eyes were hard and his jaw was clenched. Daphne could feel the rage radiating from him, and so could the others. They were all eating quietly, except for Ron… Ron wasn't even eating… He was just glaring. Daphne shot a quick look at the Golden Trio, and much to her relief, they hadn't noticed Ron yet. Tracey was shooting Daphne pleading looks, and Daphne knew that Tracey wanted Daphne to say something to Ron. Daphne wasn't so sure that she should… The last thing I want is him taking his anger out on me!
"Ron…" Daphne said softly, she was sitting in Theo's usual spot. "Ron, aren't you hungry?"
"No" Ron replied, his voice was still a bit hoarse. He cried, and he cried hard… I just know it! Damn those three self-righteous hypocrites! They claim we're all evil, and yet they're putting Ron through this much pain…
"Ron, eat" Blaise said firmly, and Ron looked to Blaise. The two boys stared at each other, and then Ron began eating. Daphne was awed by Blaise, why did he have more control over Ron than she did?! Stop that! I promised to control my… jealousy…
"We can't afford to make a spectacle…" Theo added in. "Ron, you need to control your anger." Ron looked at Theo with a dead-serious expression. "For now, at least…" Theo added with a faint smile. Ron looked back down at his plate and kept eating.
"I can't believe they were planning something so… insane" Pansy said. "Do they think that they're untouchable, or something?"
"They aren't…" Ron said coldly. "They will learn that soon enough…" Daphne wasn't sure she liked the sound of that, she didn't want Ron doing something that would get him expelled.
"What do you mean by that?" Millie asked him.
"Ron, don't be an idiot" Blaise sighed. "That's Harry Potter you're planning to go after… Dumbledore's Golden Boy… The Hero of Wizarding England…"
"And I have Lord Greengrass behind me" Ron said softly. "Just trust me, alright?" Ron sent father a letter right after he told us everything… I need to find out what they're planning!
"Good evening, my little prodigy" came Lockhart's voice from behind them. Daphne's heart seized beating, Gilderoy Lockhart was the last person who should be approaching Ron right now. Merlin! This day keeps getting worse for us…
"Hello, Professor Lockhart" Ron turned around with a polite smile. Daphne and her friends were floored… "Lovely day, isn't it?"
"It is, it is" Lockhart grinned at them all. "Ronald, I was wondering if you had signed up for the Dueling Club yet." Dueling Club?
"I'm sorry, Sir" Ron said with a genuine voice, Daphne was wondering if Ron had lost his mind. "But I will sign up straight away, as will all of my friends!" Lockhart looked at them all happily, and they all just nodded slowly. I guess we're all joining up… Ron, what are you up to?
"This is excellent!" Lockhart beamed.
"Sir, I think you should ask Harry Potter to sign up as well…" Ron said smoothly. "Harry and his two best friends, that is. All three of them would be perfect additions to add to your Dueling Club." What is he doing? I'm getting a really bad feeling about this…
"An excellent suggestion, my little prodigy!" Lockhart laughed. "I will go and ask him right now!" Lockhart then walked off happily. Daphne and the others all turned to face Ron.
"What was that?" Theo asked.
"Are you really going to duel Harry Potter?" Pansy asked, there was too much excitement in her voice. This is bad! He is going to do something really stupid!
"Ron, you can't do this…" Daphne said softly. "I don't know what you're planning, but I do know that it involves you hurting Potter…"
"Daphne, why do you care about Potter?" Millie asked firmly.
"I don't care about Potter… I care about Ron" Daphne replied with a strong voice. "If he does something stupid, they will expel him…"
"Daph" Ron said softly, he was smiling at her. But it was a cold smile, there was no joy in it… "Relax, and do as I say… Everything will be just fine…" This is going to get brutal… I just know it… If my father is involved, then Ron has something big planned… Daphne was pulled out of her thoughts when Ron grabbed her hand under the table, and Daphne looked to see Ron glaring at the Trio again… He squeezed her hand softly, and she squeezed back. Whatever does happen, I need to back him… Just like he would back us…
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Ron is pissed! Now I know that many of you wanted to see the Polyjuice Arc, but for me that was just too Canon! I always knew where I was going with that Arc, and it was in this direction. That Potion has cemented a deep a wedge between Ron and the Gryffindors! Next chapter, you will learn about Ron's plan and you will finally see the Dueling Club! Get ready for some action!
See you guys soon!