AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 36 is here! I decided to add a bit more history into this Chapter because someone suggested that I should. I thought that it was a wonderful idea! Now a couple of things:
1. The history is the same as Canon, but some more details are added in that may not be Canon (if that makes sense).
2. To those who are wondering if Ron is done with the Dark Arts, no he is not. A part of him (Tom's soul shard) is drawn to the Dark Arts. Let's not forget that in Canon, Harry was the only one of the Trio to use two of the three Unforgivables! Ron is only twelve, and he still trying to figure out who he wants to be...
3. The Dark Arts aren't just evil. I don't want things to be that simple minded in this story. A Hero's morality should be challenged, it makes the story more interesting. And life isn't black and white, it's often Grey! That goes for Magic too in this fanfic.
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 36 – Salazar's Legacy
Ronald Weasley's POV
January 5th, 1993 (After Dinner – Boys' Room)
"Okay, now can you tell us?!" Ron demanded, he was tired of waiting for the answer. Theo had insisted that they discuss this in private.
"Alright" Theo chuckled. "So I was going through some of my father's 'Darker' tomes, just for fun you know…" What the hell?! Tell us what the monster is!
"Theo!" Tracey shrieked. "Tell us what it is!"
"Hold on" Theo smirked smugly. "Let me have my moment…" Everyone but Blaise blinked at him, while Blaise just chuckled. "So I was going through some of my father's…"
"You already said that…" Millie growled. He is doing this on purpose, the bastard!
"Oh, yeah…" Theo chuckled. "Anyway, I thought to myself that maybe father might have some tomes on 'monsters'… And as I was perusing his library, I found a tome called 'Most Macabre Monstrosities' and it detailed the vilest monsters known to Wizard-kind. And one of them caught my eye… The Basilisk!" A Basilisk… I'm not sure what that is…
"What's a Basilisk?" Pansy asked slowly.
"The King of Serpents!" Theo exclaimed excitedly, and Ron gulped. King of Serpents? That sounds bad… "I found overwhelming proof that the monster of Slytherin is indeed a Basilisk!"
"Proof?" Daphne muttered, she had gone deathly pale. Theo smiled like a Cheshire cat as he pulled out a torn page from his robes.
"Of the many fearsome beasts and monsters that roam our land, there is none more curious or more deadly than the Basilisk, known also as the King of Serpents." Theo read in a clear voice. "This snake, which may reach gigantic size, and live many hundreds of years, is born from a chicken's egg, hatched beneath a toad. Its methods of killing are most wondrous, for aside from its deadly and venomous fangs, the Basilisk has a murderous stare, and all who are fixed with the beam of its eye shall suffer instant death. Spiders flee before the Basilisk, for it is their mortal enemy, and the Basilisk flees only from the crowing of the rooster, which is fatal to it."
"But no one has died from the attacks…" Tracey said softly.
"Mrs. Norris did…" Millie quickly added, she sounded rather sad. She loves cats, so it makes sense…
"Theo and I did some more research" Blaise joined in. "It turns out that a Basilisk can cause Petrification as well… If someone sees its eyes through a reflection of sorts, they don't die. They become Petrified instead. Think about the attacks for a second… Colin Creevey always used his camera! Justin Flinch-Fletchley was found in front of a ghost! I think that neither boys saw the Basilisk's eyes directly, they saw it through a reflection of sorts…"
"That isn't all!" Theo exclaimed. "Only a Parseltongue can control a Basilisk! That's why breeding them was banned in the Middle-Ages… They were too fucking dangerous, and they couldn't be controlled by any wizard or witch!" The excitement in Theo's voice was terrifying. "But the Heir is a Parselmouth, and therefore they can control it…"
"So it really is a Basilisk…" Ron said in an awed voice. King of Serpents… FUCK! THE VOICE I'VE BEEN HEARING! No one else can hear it but me! SHITE! Ron felt the blood drain from his face, and he sat down on his bed slowly.
"Ron…" Daphne said softly. "Are you alright?"
"I have something to tell you all…" Ron muttered. "I've been hearing this voice all over the castle for a couple of months now… None of you can hear it, or anyone else for that matter… But I can. I thought it was all in my head, or maybe it was the work of a ghost… But now… Now I think that I've been hearing this Basilisk…" Everyone was dead quiet, and Theo wasn't smiling anymore.
"Are you serious?" Theo asked softly.
"You've been hearing voices, and you didn't say a word?" Blaise glared at Ron. "Weasley, why are you so fucking stupid?!"
"Hey!" Tracey yelled at Blaise.
"Don't talk to him like that!" Pansy glared at Blaise. Blaise is right… I should've said something… But I was worried that this was another side-effect from my visions… Like the Entity… I can't tell them that though…
"If he had said something, we might have figured out that he was hearing Parseltongue…" Blaise frowned at Ron. "People were getting attacked, and he didn't say a word…"
"Sorry…" Ron muttered as he rubbed his forehead. He could already feel a guilty headache coming on… If I had said something, then maybe Colin or Justin might not have been attacked…
"Since when do you care if some Muggle-Borns get attacked?" Daphne snapped at Blaise.
"I don't" Blaise shot back. "But that thing could've hurt one of us too!"
"Blaise is right" Ron sighed, he didn't want them all arguing right now. "I should've said something, and I didn't. I'm sorry… But now that we know what it is… We should tell the Professors…"
"Should we?" Theo asked with a sigh. Everyone looked to the weedy boy, and he sighed again. "'Salazar Slytherin leaves behind a Basilisk to kill all Muggle-Borns'… That's how the Daily Prophet will report this. Do you understand?"
"You think the houses will turn on us?" Millie asked, and Theo nodded.
"They already have…" Theo shrugged. "But it'll get worse… A lot worse. Why should we be made to suffer for someone else's actions?"
"We have an obligation to bring this forward, Theo" Ron frowned. "People could die…" A heavy silence descended onto the group, all of them were weighing their options. We should tell the Headmaster at least… But what if Theo is right? Do I really want people turning on us even more? What about the girls? They don't deserve to be hated just because Salazar left behind a monster like the Basilisk… My own Gryffindor friends turned on me just because I'm a Slytherin, what will people do after they find this out? They'd chase us out of this school!
Ron's stomach turned at the thought, and he gazed around the room. All of his friends looked to be in deep thought, and that made him slightly angry. They didn't deserve this… They were all just kids! Why did they deserve to be hated just because of other people's actions? My own mother said that Slytherin was 'twisting me'… That is after she slapped in me front of every adult… But it wasn't the house that was responsible for my actions, I was. I let the Dark Arts get to me… Ron rubbed his forehead and sighed, this was too stressful. The fate of Slytherin house had fallen on their shoulders with this discovery…
"I say we keep this to ourselves" Pansy broke the silence, and everyone looked to her. "The whole school is already against us, but after this gets out… They will treat us like vermin…"
"I agree" Theo nodded firmly. "We don't owe the other houses anything! They've already excluded us just because we're Slytherins…"
"Can you blame them?" Tracey argued. "Our house is not known for being kind and gentle, you know. The majority of Death-Eaters came from this house, not to mention people like Malfoy who go around saying 'Mud-Blood' as if it's a greeting…" Theo frowned at Tracey, she knew that his father was accused of being a Death-Eater. And yet, she was throwing it in his face.
"Did you ever think that maybe they became Death-Eaters because people expected them to?" Blaise added in aloofly. "If everyone hates you, isn't it natural to hate them in return?"
"We're getting off-topic" Ron sighed.
"I don't think we are" Theo argued. "Some fucking Ravenclaw called me a Death-Eater on the train ride here…" What?
"Theo…" Tracey whispered sadly.
"Mate…" Ron said softly. "Who was it?"
"I don't know" Theo frowned deeply. "Some fifth-year… I have never once publicly used slurs like 'Mud-Blood', but they don't care about that. No, I'm a Death-Eater to them because I got sorted into Slytherin… Do you remember your own brother, Ron? You told us what he said to you after your sorting…" Ron flinched at that. Ron remembered all too well… Fred had called him a 'little Death-Eater' to his face. And their mother had called everyone within Slytherin 'little Death-Eaters' as well…
"I remember" Ron muttered.
"I think that if we are the ones who share this discovery, the other houses might not hate us as much…" Tracey said softly.
"That is a naïve way of thinking, Tracey" Daphne argued. "When have our accomplishments ever been celebrated by the other houses? Just think about Quidditch. Every time we play against a rival team, every house supports the team we're playing against. Or remember last year, when the House Cup was being announced. Everyone was happy that we didn't win the House Cup, it didn't matter if they lost… All that mattered to them was the fact that we lost. But after Ron secured our win, the other houses sulked for the entire dinner. They won't support us if we share this discovery, they'll find a reason to turn this against us…" Everyone quietly contemplated her words, and even Ron was having trouble digesting them. Everything she said is true… But still… If people get hurt now, that's on us…
"People could die…" Millie suddenly whispered. "What if this Basilisk attacks one our own? It can kill you with its stare… What if some first-year Slytherin happens upon it? Their death will be on our hands…"
"Let's take a vote…" Pansy offered. "I say that we keep this to ourselves."
"I agree" Theo joined her.
"Me too…" Daphne said softly, she gave Ron a sorry look.
"I say we tell the Professors" Tracey said firmly.
"I'm with Tracey…" Millie sighed.
"Me too…" Blaise said in a tired tone.
"Blaise?" Theo said in utter shock. I didn't see that coming…
"They are going shut this school down…" Blaise sighed. "Just like they did last time… It won't matter what house we're in if there is no Hogwarts. We'll all be split up… We'd lose each other…" The whole room went dead-quiet… Was this actually Blaise Zabini talking?
"You don't know that…" Pansy muttered, she was stunned by Blaise's words. He really did care, didn't he?
"I do know that" Blaise said softly. "We all know that… They would shut this school down for our own safety. Theo and I will end up in Durmstrang… You girls will end up in Beauxbatons… And Merlin knows where Ron would be sent. We would lose each other…"
"Ron… you're the deciding vote…" Daphne said softly. Three against three…
"Blaise is right" Ron said firmly as he came to a decision. "I'm not losing any of you! That's why I'm going to suggest something… I say we find the Heir ourselves. And then we tell Dumbledore about this Basilisk, let him take care of it."
"Well, we were already hunting the Heir down" Theo smiled softly. "Now we just have a clock…"
"We find the Heir for ourselves…" Ron said softly. "Not for the other houses, but for ourselves. We find the Heir so that we can stay together. All of us."
"I like that" Daphne smiled.
"Me too" Millie smiled widely.
"Aw!" Tracey cooed, and everyone groaned at her for ruining the moment. "Look at us… We're so cute!"
"Tracey…" Daphne sighed. As his friends started laughing and scolding Tracey, Ron's mind raced with his own thoughts. I don't care about the other houses… I care about my siblings, and my friends. But that doesn't mean that I'm going to let this Heir hurt people with impunity! I made a vow to myself when I freed Sirius… I'll protect everyone that I can! Whether I like them or not…
Harry Potter's POV
January 6th, 1993 (McGonagall's Office)
"I hate this…" Neville frowned as they marched towards McGonagall's office. They were on their way to get their daily detentions for the week… And it was all thanks to Weasley. Harry couldn't even use his new broom anymore, McGonagall forbid it! Wood had been furious when Harry was forced to resign, but at least that anger was pointed towards the actual cause. Ronald Weasley… Neville was always right about him!
"Let's just get this done quickly, I don't want to be late for breakfast" Hermione said in a tired tone. She had not taken her near expulsion well. She was always tired, stressed, and she barely ever laughed. Another thing that was Weasley's doing… Hermione then knocked on McGonagall's door, and the old witch answered.
"Come in" McGonagall called. The Trio entered the Office, it smelled of biscuits and tea. Harry loved the smell of this Office. "Ah, you three. Come and take a seat." Harry and his friends did as they were told.
"Good morning, Professor" Hermione greeted with forced politeness. She must be exhausted… Harry noticed the small bags beneath her eyes, and his fists clenched involuntarily.
"I imagine that you are here to collect your detentions" McGonagall said in her usual strict demeanor. The Trio nodded hesitantly. "Well there is no need, you will no longer be serving your detentions." Harry blinked at the Transfiguration Professor.
"Really?" Neville asked slowly.
"Indeed" McGonagall said with a tight frown. "Mr. Weasley told the Headmaster that he no longer wished for you three to be punished."
"He did?" Hermione asked quickly. "When did he ask that?" Why would he do this?
"I believe it was Christmas Morning" McGonagall smiled tightly at the sight of Hermione coming back to life.
"He did…" Hermione smiled faintly, her brown eyes regaining their usual fire. Wait! Does this mean I can play Quidditch again?!
"Professor, does this mean I can rejoin the Quidditch team?" Harry asked excitedly.
"No, Mr. Potter" McGonagall sighed. "Mr. Weasley made sure that you couldn't do that…" Harry felt his excitement rot in his chest, he was still being forced to resign. "But I suggest that you be grateful considering you will at least have your spare time returned." That is a small comfort… I love playing Quidditch in my spare time… But he knows that, doesn't he?!
"Thank you, Professor" Hermione smiled gratefully. "We are grateful." Harry frowned at her, and so did Neville. "Aren't we?" Hermione asked the two boys in a scolding tone.
"Yes, Professor" Harry sighed.
"Thank you, Professor" Neville smiled softly.
"You are dismissed, and aim your praise at Mr. Weasley" McGonagall said in a strict tone. "You three broke over a dozen school rules, you should be grateful that you weren't expelled." The Trio quickly got up and left before McGonagall decided to enact her own punishment on them.
"We're free!" Hermione exclaimed happily. "No more detentions!"
"Finally…" Neville chuckled, he was visibly relieved.
"I still can't play Quidditch…" Harry frowned.
"At least we don't have to do detentions, mate" Neville smiled sympathetically. Why did he set us free?
"See!" Hermione laughed, her happiness making Neville and Harry smile. "I sent him that present! And he forgave us!" Harry's smile fell at that… I highly doubt it considering that he made sure I couldn't play Quidditch anymore.
"That can't be all of it…" Neville sighed, and Hermione frowned at him. "All I'm saying is that we should think about this!" Neville quickly explained himself. "But you are right, Hermione… Sending him that present was a good idea…" Hermione lifted her nose into the air and smiled proudly.
"Why won't he let me play Quidditch?" Harry frowned as they started making their way down to the Great Hall.
"Isn't it obvious?" Hermione huffed, and Harry shook his head. "You're the seeker that Slytherin can't beat… He won't let you play because he doesn't want his house's team losing the Quidditch Cup."
"That's so… so…" Harry struggled to find proper words.
"Pathetic, shallow, conceited, and selfish?" Neville provided, and Harry nodded firmly. His team can't beat me fair and square, so he cheats for them!
"Cunning" Hermione corrected them. "He is in Slytherin for a reason…"
"He's in Slytherin because he's a snake who uses the Dark Arts…" Harry grit out. Why is she still defending him?! After everything he put us through! After he attacked me like that!
"We went behind his back first" Hermione said in a flat-tone as they entered the Great Hall. "Even Sirius agrees with me!"
"No he doesn't…" Harry argued, she had just hit a nerve with Harry. Why is Sirius still accepting Weasley's letters? And why was he so happy about it?!
"We didn't go behind his back" Neville joined in. "We were looking out for the school, Hermione. Muggle-Born are being attacked, and we wanted to help. You wanted to help…"
"I didn't want to betray our friend" Hermione said hotly as they sat down at the table. "But you two did…"
"It's not like that" Neville sighed. "None of us want him to be the Heir…"
"And he isn't" Hermione narrowed her eyes on Neville.
"Hermione…" Harry muttered in disbelief. Was she not there that night?! "We all saw him using the Dark Arts… He attacked me like a wild animal, and he laughed while he hurt me… He is not a good person, Hermione. Why can't you see that?! A good person doesn't enjoy hurting others… A good person wouldn't threaten their little sister and leave them with bruises… He was sorted into the same house as Malfoy, for God's sake. If that isn't a red flag, I don't know what is!" Harry drew in a sharp breath as he finished his rant.
"Even the twins are angry with him…" Neville provided.
"The twins?" Hermione scoffed. "Who cares about what those two think?! They treat life like it's a joke… Ron is ten times more mature than them…"
"He got Sebastian Greengrass to help him in strong-arming Dumbledore" Harry seethed. Why is she so blindly loyal to him?! Why does no one ever question him?! Harry felt furious with himself once again, he had been just like them. Neville had begged Harry to see what Ron was really like, but Harry had kept refusing. But now Harry knew that Ron was a liar, he manipulated people by saying things he knew that they wanted to hear, and he enjoyed causing people pain… In Harry's book, that made you a bad person!
"He did that to protect himself…" Hermione said softly, she was losing her resolve.
"It was Harry who needed protection, Hermione" Neville pleaded. "Not only did he get Lord Greengrass' aid, he also asked the Board to side with him. Lucius Malfoy is the chairman of the Board…" Hermione sighed tiredly.
"I'm done talking about this…" Hermione said. "I'm going to eat my breakfast, and then I'm going to go to classes. You two can either come with me, or you can keep making speculations without any facts. It's up to you…"
"We have facts…" Harry muttered. And they all point to Weasley being a bad person…
Ronald Weasley's POV
January 7th, 1993 (End of Classes)
"That was the best thing I've ever seen" Theo laughed as they left the D.A.D.A class. Ron was crimson with embarrassment and rage. Fucking Gilderoy Lockhart! His friends laughing behind his back wasn't helping him either.
"You have a lovely voice, Ron!" Tracey howled with laughter, and Ron's ears burned bright red. Lockhart had just made him 'sing' a limerick from his book 'Travels with Trolls'. Lockhart's reasoning for this was even more insane than the fact that he was making students sing limericks in class. Lockhart had chosen Ron simply because Ron was sometimes referred to as the 'Troll Slayer', a stupid title he had earned in first year.
"One day, I'm going to kill that bastard…" Ron grit out, and his friends laughed even more loudly. Blaise, Theo, and Tracy were in tears, whereas Millie, Pansy, and Daphne were doing their best to stop laughing. "Really, Daph? You too?"
"I'm sorry…" Daphne wheezed. "I can't stop, oh Merlin…" Daphne then let out a cackle that made Ron clench his jaw so hard that it hurt. Why can't this Basilisk kill Lockhart and save us all the trouble?!
"Nice singing in there, Weasley" came a voice from behind them, and Ron turned to see Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas sniggering at him. "Maybe you should work in a choir" Finnegan laughed.
"Maybe you should keep moving before I beat the shite out of you" Ron retorted with a menacing glare. Finnegan and Thomas stopped sniggering.
"Whatever…" Thomas spat out. "Death-Eater…" Ron was stunned at that, and so were his friends. But then Blaise grabbed Thomas by his collar, and Finnegan pushed Blaise off.
"BREAK IT UP!" came Lockhart's irritating voice. And then Lockhart split them all up. "What's the meaning of this? Why are you children fighting?"
"Weasley threatened us" Finnegan glared at Ron.
"They called Ron a Death-Eater!" Daphne yelled back. They were drawing a crowd made up of Slytherin and Gryffindor second years. It made sense considering they all just had a D.A.D.A Class together, but it still irked Ron. He could see the Trio looking at him with guarded looks, and that boiled his blood. Calm down! Don't do something stupid again! Just relax…
"Is this true?" Lockhart pouted at Finnegan. "That is not a nice thing to call someone… I myself have seen and fought many Death-Eaters, they are no joke…" FUCKING LIAR! Ugh! Why did Dumbledore hire this idiot?!
"He threatened to attack us!" Finnegan hissed. "He knows that Dean is a Muggle-Born! That's why he threatened us!"
"I'm not the Heir…" Ron grit out. "And I'm tired of being accused of it…"
"Mr. Weasley, please remain calm" Lockhart shot him a flashy grin. "I am here to help you! Mr. Finnegan and Mr. Thomas, come with me at once!" With that, Lockhart led the two Gryffindors back into the classroom as they growled their displeasure. This left the Gryffindors and Slytherins standing in the corridor, both houses facing each other with disdain. And Ron wasn't surprised to see Malfoy and his goons standing in the back, getting ready to bolt if a fight started.
"Are we going to have a problem here?" Theo asked the Gryffindors with a smirk. "Because I'll remind you that you're two year-mates short…"
"We aren't scared of you" Parvati Patil shot back. Shite… Lockhart just left us out here like some moron!
"You're all just bullies!" Fay Dunbar, a Gryffindor girl, shouted.
"Stop it" Hermione said as she jumped into the middle of the two groups. "We'll all get in trouble for fighting…"
"Then maybe you should tell that to your house-mates" Pansy said venomously. The tension was palpable, and Ron already had his right hand on his wand. If a fight did break out, he'd protect his friends.
"Weasley threatened Dean" Neville frowned. "Dean's a Muggle-Born, and Weasley knows it!" He called me a Death-Eater…
"So what?" Ron snarled. "His Muggle parentage means nothing to me. What makes him think that he can say whatever he wants?" And snog whoever he wants… Filthy bastard!
"Ron, stop it" Hermione pleaded as she stared at him.
"Don't talk to him, Granger…" Daphne snarled.
"Don't talk to her like that" Harry shot back.
"She can talk to her however she wants" Tracey glared at Harry. "Backstabber…" Harry flushed in anger, and Ron stepped forward a bit. If I see any sudden movements, I'll start throwing Hexes!
"Go on, give us a reason" Millie threatened. Ron glared at Harry, and the hateful look on Harry's face pissed Ron off to no end. Ungrateful swine… I saved his damn life! Ron could feel his rage coming back, the same rage that he had used to beat Harry into a pulp.
"You really want another rematch, Potter?" Ron glared back at Harry. "Because this time… I'll send you to Pomfrey in pieces…" The Gryffindors exchanged quick looks, but Harry kept his eyes on Ron.
"Ohhh…" came a familiar voice from the end of the corridor.
"What do we have here?" George laughed.
"A little death-match between the little ones?" Fred chuckled. Everyone turned to see the twins walking up to them with massive grins.
"Your brother threatened attack Dean Thomas" Fay Dunbar told them. "And now he's threatening to send Harry back to Pomfrey 'in pieces'…" The twins lost their smiles at that, and they both frowned at Ron. Great… Now I have to deal with these two…
"After you lot called him a Death-Eater" Pansy shot back.
"That's not how it happened" Lavender Brown argued. "Dean did that after Ronald threatened to attack him. I heard everything!" Did she just call me Ronald?
"Ronnikins" Fred said in a condescending tone. "Is this true?"
"Are you having trouble making friends?" George joined in. They looked quite pleased with themselves when the Gryffindors started laughing at Ron for being mocked by his own brothers. But Ron wasn't even surprised… Loyalty means nothing to these two, they only care about getting laughs.
"Don't be immature!" Hermione scolded the twins. "You're making things worse!"
"Why are you siding with them?" Lavender asked Hermione with a glare.
"I don't want there to be a fight" Hermione told her. "Fighting does not help anyone…" Ron had to admit that he was having trouble with not admiring Hermione right now, but he made sure not to show his admiration.
"Well, now you have us on your side" Fred grinned. "I think we'd win!"
"I doubt it…" Ron shot back, he was beginning to lose his temper. But he had no intention of calming down. "Neither of you would stand a chance against me… You're both as pathetic as your jokes…" Ron smirked when he saw Fred's face flush red.
"You little shite" Fred snarled.
"Fred, calm down…" George whispered to his twin. "Mum would kill us for fighting Ron…"
"Ron, stop it please" Hermione looked at him pleadingly. "Don't fight anyone…" Ron stared at her, and she looked extremely distraught. Her brown eyes met Ron's ocean blue ones, and Ron felt his anger ebb a little. She really is doing her best to stop a fight… A fight that won't help me in the long run… C'mon Ron, calm down… Calm the fuck down… Ron shot the twins a dark look, and then he turned around.
"We're leaving…" Ron told his friends, and then he began walking away. Hermione is right… I'm already on thin ice with my family… Fighting more Gryffindors won't help me at all! Not to mention that Snape will have me expelled…
"Now who's running scared?!" Fred called out, and Ron ignored his brother. This was the same brother that Ron wanted to save more than anything in the world… Why are they always against me?! Am I that bad of a brother to have?! Ron felt his eyes sting a little when he thought about being mocked by the twins in public, about Ginny ignoring and hating him, and then about his mother hitting him. Why are they all against me?! They don't even care that I'm being called a Death-Eater by people in their house!
Ron kept his composure and didn't say a word on his way down to the Slytherin common room, and his friends followed him quietly. They knew when he didn't want to talk, and they didn't want to upset him further. The moment they entered the common room, Ron went straight for his room. Theo and Blaise followed after him without making a sound. And they kept quiet as Ron threw his books onto the bed, glaring murder at "Travels with Trolls'.
"You alright?" Theo asked softly, and Ron turned his glare towards Theo. "Apparently not…" Theo muttered as he put his hand up in surrender. Theo didn't do anything to me… Actually, he stood up for me.
"I'm fine" Ron sighed as he began to calm down a bit. "Thank you for standing up for me. I… appreciate it…"
"Thomas was out of line" Blaise shrugged. "This is only going to get worse, mate. Quidditch starts on Saturday, and you took Potter from their team. The Gryffindors are playing against Hufflepuff, and they don't stand a chance without Potter."
"Good" Ron said in a dead-tone. "Let them lose…"
"Who am I supposed to bet on?" Theo chuckled, and Ron couldn't help but smile. Being with his two best mates was helping him forget what had just happened.
"Cedric Diggory" Blaise answered. "He's probably the best seeker after Potter."
"What about Malfoy?" Ron asked sarcastically.
"I'm not even going to dignify that with a response" Blaise said aloofly.
"I think you just did" Theo grinned. Ron chuckled as Blaise just stared at Theo with a dead-look. There was a sudden knock on their door, and then it flung open. Clara Martyris walked into their room with a happy smile on her face.
"Um… sure… Come right in" Blaise frowned at her.
"Thank you" Clara sniggered.
"We could have been naked!" Theo scolded her.
"Trust me, boys" Clara smiled seductively. "You have nothing I haven't seen before…" Ron blinked at her as he felt his cheeks warm up. I've felt her breasts… With my head… And then she tried to snog me! Ron shot a quick glance at her robust chest, and then looked away. STOP IT! "Ron…" Clara called out to him, and his blood froze. She caught me!
"Sorry" Ron apologized quickly as he looked at her face. She cocked her head and smiled.
"Okay…" she giggled. "Snape is in the common room, and he's looking for you." Oh… Clara then turned around and began to leave, and Ron quickly followed after her.
"Did he say what he wanted?" Ron asked her in a whisper.
"Why? You're not in trouble, are you?" Clara asked back in a playful voice.
"Of course not…" Ron said softly.
"Not even sure, are you?" Clara giggled. "You are adorable, Ron!" Ron blushed deeply, and he decided to stay quiet. He had no idea on what he should even say to that… They entered the common room, and Snape spotted them immediately.
"My Office, Mr. Weasley" Snape said in a cold voice. "Come along…" Snape then billowed out of the common room, and Ron made to follow him.
"Good luck, Ron" Clara smiled at him as he left. All he could do was smile at her in a bashful manner as he left. He then followed Snape quietly, his mind racing as it wondered what he could have done wrong this time around. They entered the Office, and Ron took his usual seat.
"Now, Mr. Weasley" Snape started. "I heard that there was a scene of some sort that took place outside of Professor Lockhart's classroom. What can you tell me about that?" Um… Shite…
"We got into an argument with the Gryffindors, Sir" Ron replied.
"Why?" Snape asked, his face an expressionless mask.
"Dean Thomas called me a Death-Eater…" Ron admitted, he decided to leave out the part where he threatened Finnegan and Thomas. I don't want him yelling at me again.
"Is that so?" Snape hissed, his expression becoming dark. "And what did you do after that?"
"I walked away with my friends…" Ron answered. "I didn't want to give the Gryffindors anymore reasons to hate me…" Snape stared at Ron for a few seconds.
"Well done, Mr. Weasley" Snape said in a low voice. "You did the right thing by walking away. It appears that I have some detentions to give out. Who else was involved in this? Was Mr. Thomas alone in calling you that?"
"Finnegan was there as well" Ron replied. He's on my side! Thank Merlin… "Professor Lockhart took them away, and then the argument broke out."
"What else happened during this 'argument'?" Snape asked.
"We all shot insults at each other…" Ron said softly. "And I may have… threatened… someone…" Snape blinked at him.
"Who did you threaten?" Snape asked slowly. Lying is not a good call anymore! He will find out the truth, one way or another…
"I threatened Potter after I saw him glaring at me" Ron replied honestly. "Then my brothers, the twins, showed up… They mocked me in front of their house-mates" Ron said venomously. "And that's when I decided to walk away…"
"I see…" Snape said softly as he leaned back into his chair. "I commend you for your restraint, Mr. Weasley. As for your brothers… I am sorry." HUH?!
"It's… okay…" Ron muttered, he was stunned. "Is there anything else, Sir?"
"No" Snape said softly, and Ron began to stand up. "But if you feel the need to talk, Mr. Weasley… My door is always open for the Slytherins." Ron looked at Snape, and he was looking back with a calm expression.
"Thank you, Sir" Ron smiled softly. Snape then gave him a curt nod, and Ron left the Office right after that. At least one person is on my side, even if he did tear into me a few days ago… Ron began making his way back to the common room, but an idea popped into his head as he was halfway there. "Marty!" Ron called out, and there was a crack behind him.
"Master Ronald" Marty bowed. "It is good to see you once again!"
"You too, Marty" Ron smiled at his servant. Marty is what true loyalty looks like… I should reward him soon! He deserves it so much! "I need you to come and collect me from the Sanctuary when dinner is about to start."
"Yes, Master" Marty beamed. "Marty will not fail you!"
"You never do" Ron beamed back, and Marty bowed deeply again. Marty then disapparated, and Ron made his way to the Sanctuary.
January 7th, 1993 (Sanctuary)
"Sorting Hat, I need you!" Ron called as he sat in front of the small fireplace.
"Good evening, dear boy!" the Hat spoke from beside him, and Ron smiled down at his friend.
"Good evening, Hat" Ron returned the greeting, and then Ron put the Hat on his head.
"Ah… this giant melon!" the Hat chuckled in his head.
"Come off it" Ron laughed.
"What can I help you with, Ronald?"
"I had some… questions… And I just wanted to talk…" Ron replied. "I've just been wondering about some things lately…"
"Hmmm… I can see that… You are conflicted… Those twins! Always the troublemakers… Ah, you spoke with Albus as well… And with Severus…" the Hat summarized. "My, my… A Basilisk, eh? That is grave news indeed, my boy…"
"Why did Salazar leave that thing behind?" Ron interrupted. "Did he truly hate the Muggle-Borns that much? Couldn't he understand that his legacy would haunt the rest of us?"
"My dear boy… You are truly troubled, I can see that. You've gone through some harsh lessons recently…"
"I showed my family that I'm as worthless as they've always thought I was… I lost three friends because I couldn't control myself… And I strong-armed a man I once admired above all others… Sorting Hat, I'm making mistakes after mistakes…" Ron admitted, and his eyes began burning. "I've been doing such terrible things… And even now, I can't stop myself…"
"Shhh, Ronald… It's alright, you mustn't forget that you are very young. Everyone makes mistakes, dear boy."
"But my own family is starting to hate me…" Ron rubbed his eyes, he didn't want to cry. But he was losing that battle… "The twins… they are angry with me, I know it. Ginny hates me so much, and I don't even know why! I've apologized so many times… My mum… she…"
"Ronald, I'm so sorry my boy…"
"Is it because I'm in Slytherin? Why did you put me in here?! I told you that they would disown me! And now… Now it's happening slowly…" Ron sniffled and rubbed his eyes even harder.
"I put you in Slytherin because you needed to learn these lessons. When we first met Ronald, I spoke to you about sacrifice. Do you remember?" Ron nodded meekly. "What you want to achieve, changing the future itself, it is not such a simple thing… It will take more determination than you currently have… More cunning, more recourses… But you are learning, my boy… Every day you are learning!"
"Learning what? All I do is fail…"
"Do you? You out-foxed Albus Dumbledore! You did that!" the Hat sighed. "The truth is that when we first met Ronald, you were a naïve and foolish boy… You viewed the world in black and white, and you would have never achieved such amazing feats with that mindset… Tell me, what would you think of Blaise Zabini if you had met him before your sorting?"
"I'd… think that he was a… bigot…"
"Exactly! And what do you think of him now?"
"He's strong, loyal… brave… And he never backs down if he thinks that someone has wronged him or his friends."
"You see, Ronald… A person who is set in their ways can never change the future… The future is malleable, it is what you choose to make it. Choices, Ronald… Choices are everything. But with a mindset like the one you had, your choices would be limited! And as a result, the change that you could make would be limited…"
"But I keep feeling like I'm making all the wrong choices…"
"You have made mistakes, no one can dispute that. But you have also done amazing things! You have friends who hold you in the highest of regards! You have an ally who followed your lead against Albus Dumbledore himself! That same ally cares about you deeply, even I can see that!"
"Lord Greengrass" Ron smiled as he thought of his mentor.
"It is not our mistakes that define us… What defines us is what we learn from them! And you, my dear boy, always come to the right conclusions! And that is something that you do! Not someone else, not me… But you! Please stop doubting yourself, it will not end well for you…"
"What about my family, Hat? I want them to… you know…"
"You want them to see you for who you are, and not just the house that I put you in…"
"They all hate Slytherins… And I've always be just that… The little Death-Eater…"
"I do not believe that, Ronald. I do not believe that for even a second… Do not lose heart, my boy. There will be many more struggles ahead… You must be strong! For their sake, if not your own." Ron nodded slowly, he was at least feeling less burdened than before.
"Was Salazar evil? You told me when we first met that he wasn't…"
"Salazar Slytherin was a…" the Hat sighed deeply. "He was a troubled man, Ronald. A proud, but troubled man…"
"He left a giant serpent behind in order to kill Muggle-Borns!"
"Yes, he did… And that is a terrible crime, there is no doubt about that. But you must understand, Ronald… The times when the Founders walked the Earth were much harsher than they are now. The hatred between Muggles and Magical People was deep. Muggles hunted down anyone who showed signs of magic with complete ruthlessness, and this created much fear amongst the Magical Community. The Four Founders founded Hogwarts with the hope that they could train young witches and wizards in a safe environment. All of them were the best of friends, Ronald. And Salazar loved Godric like a brother…"
"Then why did he leave?" Ron asked softly. "Why did he betray the other Founders?"
"Salazar feared the Muggles… He feared that they would discover Hogwarts, and that they would burn it to the ground… And so, he also feared the Muggle-Borns. To him, they were all potential spies… And that fear festered in his heart, until one day he finally decided to act on it. He brought his concerns to the other Founders, but they did not share his fear. Instead, they told him that he was being foolish and short-sighted. That is when the rift between them started…"
"Salazar grew more and more reclusive" the Hat continued, and Ron listened with rapt attention. "He was too proud to admit his fears again, and so he turned inwards. Things in the outside world were getting worse every day, and Salazar became certain that his fears would be realized. That one day, a Muggle-Born would tell the Muggles where the school was. And yet he knew that he could not act… His friends would never allow it. Salazar became bitter towards them, especially towards Godric who refused to even acknowledge Salazar's fears… All of that paranoia and fear eventually got to him… And he left… His last words were 'When this school burns, be it on your heads'…"
"You were there, weren't you?" Ron asked softly.
"Yes… The Founders were like my… parents… They created me, they gave me life, and they gave me purpose. I cherished them… And I was there when Salazar fled the castle… Helga wept for months on end… Rowena turned to her books and avoided anything that wasn't made of parchments… And Godric… Godric would just spend his days sitting in Salazar's chair… They never saw him again, and neither did I…"
"When did he build the Chamber?"
"I imagine he built it just before he left… And that is probably when he hatched that Basilisk as well…"
"Why? Why go that far?! He turned into the very thing that he feared! His school is in danger of being shut-down because of his pet…"
"Yes… I imagine that he would feel a amount deal of pain if he were here today. He loved this school, Ronald. He truly loved it… But that love became twisted because of his own fears… I believe that he hatched that Basilisk so that his Heir could one day protect the school from those who would betray it…"
"I have to stop this, Hat… I can't lose my friends… And we will need Hogwarts in the upcoming war… There is so much at stake! And on top of it all, my own family is slipping out of my fingers…" Ron rubbed his forehead firmly. "Where do I even start?"
"Start by clearing your own mind, my boy. You are being spread too thin… You must let some things run their course, which I know is difficult for you considering your power to see the future. You must focus on the biggest problem in front of you, and once it is dealt with, then you can act on the smaller ones."
"The biggest problem… The Chamber of Secrets" Ron said. "I have to find the Chamber… It can lead me to the Heir, and to their pet Basilisk…"
"There you go, my dear boy. You now have a goal set out… As for your family, let things run their course. They will see you for the brilliant boy that you are, I have no doubt about that." There was a sudden loud crack in the room.
"Master, dinner is about to be served!" Marty hurried towards Ron with a bright smile.
"Thank you, Marty" Ron smiled at him as he stood up. "Goodbye Hat, and thank you…"
"I will always come when you call, Ronald. Goodbye." And just like that, the Hat was gone.
"Is Master Ronald friends with the Sorting Hat?!" Marty asked in utter awe, and Ron chuckled.
"Yes, Marty" Ron nodded. "The Hat was my first ally in this school… Even when I couldn't see it. I know what I have to do now because of him…"
"How can Marty help you, Master?!" Marty beamed. "Just give Marty an order, and Marty will see it done!" Think… What can Marty do that I can't?
"Marty…" Ron said in a soft voice. "I need you to look for the Chamber of Secrets… Find any information that you can, and bring it to me."
"Marty will see it done, Master" Marty nodded firmly. "How long does Marty have?"
"Take all the time you need, Marty" Ron ordered. "And don't you dare put yourself in danger… Is that clear?"
"Master is far too kind! Marty will not fail you!" Marty promised, and then he was gone with a crack.
Ginny Weasley's POV
January 10th, 1993 (Library)
She was losing her mind, she was certain of it. At first it was the small things, like her belongings not being where she left them, and then it had escalated to her missing entire days… She would wake up and not be able to remember what she done the previous day… And then, she had woken up with blood on her hands and rooster feathers in her bed. That had been it, she had truly begun to go insane on that day… She also knew now that she was probably behind those attacks, but she dared not admit it. Tom had been her only source of comfort, but even he scared her now. There was something wrong with him lately…
All Tom ever did now was ask her questions about Ron… What Ron did in his spare time? What Ron liked to eat? What Ron's magic capabilities were? How much influence he held in the school? His relationship with Dumbledore? His relationship with her? The questions never ended, and Ginny was getting scared of them. When she would put her foot down, Tom would ask about Harry… He knew that she wanted to talk about Harry, and he was using that. Tom never asked her how she was anymore. Or how her day had been. All Tom wanted to talk about was her brother and her crush. And when she had told Tom what Ron had done to Harry, Tom had become obsessed with Ron. It frightened her… She was beginning to wonder if Tom was behind her missing days… Because every time she blacked out, she'd been writing to him…
So she had begun to ignore Tom… The last time she had spoken with Tom was on Christmas Eve, and she had blacked out that day. She had woken up on Christmas Morning, and her clothes had been torn and filthy… But despite all of that, she still kept him close. He knew things about her… Things that she never wanted him to tell others… And her roommates were busy-bodies.
"Ginny…" came a faint whisper, and it ripped her out of her thoughts. She looked around slowly, her bottom lip quivering. Tom… She'd been hearing him whisper to her lately, and that frightened her most of all. He was just supposed to be a book… "Ginny… Talk to me… I miss you…" Ginny looked at her school bag, and her eyes burned with tears of fear. There was a sudden compulsion in the back of her mind… A compulsion that wanted her to write to him, but she began to resist that compulsion.
"No…" she whispered meekly. "Please… just leave me alone…"
"Ginny… You don't have to be alone… I'm here for you…" Tom whispered in her mind, and she felt her hand reaching into her schoolbag. Ginny let out a soft sob as she pulled the Diary out. Please Tom… Stop it… "It's alright, Ginny… Talk to me… Talk to me… I can help you…" Ginny opened the diary, and her tears fell on the page. The Diary soaked them up, and Tom wrote back.
"I want to see Ronald… Take me to him… Hand me over to him as a gift…" Tom wrote, and Ginny blacked out.
January 10th, 1993 (Dungeons)
Ginny was standing in the Dungeons, and she had no idea how she had got here… And then it hit her, she had blacked out again! Ginny whimpered as she looked around, her hands tightening around whatever she was holding. It felt like a… book… Ginny's eyes widened in horror as she recalled what Tom had asked her to do. Ronnie! Ginny looked at the black leather Diary in her hands, and she let out a sob. She was about to give this Diary to Ron… NO! LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE, TOM!
Ginny tightened her grip on the Diary almost as if she was scared that it would grow legs and run off. But Ginny didn't even think about her actions, she only had one thought in her head. Ronnie was hers, and she wouldn't let Tom take him away! Ginny broke into a wild sprint straight out of the dungeons. She had to get this Diary away from Ron… She had to get rid of it! Ginny ran as fast as her legs could carry her, and she found herself on the first floor. Mrs. Norris died here… Ginny's chest tightened as her heart ached for that cat, Ginny knew that she was its killer. I have to throw it away! I can't take it anymore! Ginny saw the door to Myrtle's Bathroom, and she sprinted for it. This bathroom was abandoned, no one would come in here!
Ginny slammed into the bathroom door, and she ignored the pain in her right shoulder. The moment she was inside, she hurled the book towards a sink with all of her strength. The black Diary, Tom, went flying towards the sink. Before she could even see it land, she had already turned around and run for it! She ran towards the Gryffindor tower with tears in her eyes. Whether they were tears of joy, or tears of fear, she had no idea. She was both whimpering, and laughing… I'm free! I never have to see him again! I never want to see him again! As Ginny got closer to her common room, she slowed down. She rubbed her eyes clear as she gave the password for the common room, and she ran in once it opened. The moment she entered the room, she felt all her burdens fade away. The common room was warm, filled with laughter, and it smelled of sweets and biscuits. I'm safe… and I'm free…
Ronald Weasley's POV
January 11th, 1993 (Greengrass Manor)
Ron sat in his usual spot within Lord Greengrass' study, and Lord Greengrass sat in his. Lord Greengrass was sipping some Brandy as Ron sipped his freshly squeezed apple juice. Ron hadn't seen Lord Greengrass since before his Christmas Break, and the two were catching up.
"So you set them free?" Lord Greengrass asked Ron, his tone suggested that he was displeased. I figured that he would be…
"Yes, my Lord" Ron replied firmly, he had no intention of second guessing himself. "The point was to send a message, and I did. Keeping them in those detentions was alienating me from my own family, so I decided to stop them."
"I see…" Lord Greengrass nodded softly. "Let us hope that they learned their lesson, then. But considering their actions, I have to disagree with you. Sometimes showing mercy tells the people around you that you are weak."
"I am not weak" Ron said quickly.
"I know" Lord Greengrass smiled. "I meant no offence, it was just some advice. I am curious about one thing though, what did you do to Mr. Potter? He looked quite out of sorts when I saw him in the Hospital Wing." Ron felt his cheeks flush a little.
"I… beat him" Ron answered softly.
"In a Duel? I figured that…"
"No, my Lord" Ron stopped Lord Greengrass. "I beat him… physically…" Lord Greengrass blinked at Ron.
"I see…"
"I disarmed and overpowered him easily enough, but after that… I lost my temper… And then I restrained him with a Curse and beat him" Ron finished with a shameful sigh. They were both silent for a few moments as they quietly sipped their drinks.
"Ron, you shouldn't lose your head like that" Lord Greengrass broke the silence. "The point was to humiliate the boy, not turn him into a martyr."
"I know, my Lord" Ron nodded sheepishly. "It's just that I got so angry when I thought about what they were doing behind my back… How they targeted Daph… How they never trusted me, despite everything I did for them…"
"It's alright, Ron" Lord Greengrass said softly. "What's done is done, now you look forward and move on. Though I am glad that you care for my daughter enough to attack a fellow student" Lord Greengrass chuckled, and Ron blushed. Ron's blush deepened as he thought about how 'close' Daphne and he had gotten during that one night… I'm sitting in front of her father, and he has no idea!
"I do care about her, my Lord…" Ron managed to say, and it was apparently the right thing to say because Lord Greengrass smiled. They were both silent again for a few moments, but Lord Greengrass suddenly broke the silence.
"Tell me something, Ron" Lord Greengrass started. "How did you defeat Mr. Potter so easily? You must be quite decent at Dueling, and from what my daughter has told me, you seem to have a wide array of spells at your disposal."
"I know more spells than those around me…" Ron answered slowly, should he tell Lord Greengrass about Pandora's ring? No, I'll keep that to myself for now. "And I practice Dueling in my spare time." Well, that's not a total lie…
"Is that so?" Lord Greengrass smiled, he sounded rather intrigued. "And would you say that you are rather skilled at it? When compared to your fellow year-mates, of course."
"I would say that I am the best amongst them" Ron replied softly, he didn't want to sound arrogant. But he wasn't stupid either, he knew all too well that he could easily overpower most fifth years with his wide array of knowledge. Thank you Charlie!
"Hmmm…" Lord Greengrass hummed, and Ron gave him a guarded look. What is he up to? "Tell me, Ron, what would you say if I offered to hire you a tutor?"
"A tutor, my Lord?" Ron asked with wide-eyes. "For Dueling?"
"Yes" Lord Greengrass smirked. "Would you accept?"
"Of course, who wouldn't?" Ron replied. "But my Lord, I don't really have much spare time…"
"You will in the holidays, won't you?" Lord Greengrass asked. "After all, you'll be staying here for a quite a while."
"I will?" Ron muttered, he didn't know about this! What does he mean by that? Does he expect me to spend my holidays here? Mum would never let me…
"My daughter didn't tell you…" Lord Greengrass sighed.
"Tell me what?" Ron asked.
"I wanted you to spend some more time with us" Lord Greengrass explained. "I asked my daughter to inform you of this, and I assumed that she had. I asked her before the Yule Break…" Daphne!
"She did not mention it…" Ron sighed. "She probably planned to tell me at the last second so I couldn't think about it too much…"
"That does sound like my daughter" Lord Greengrass chuckled. "I'm sorry about her behavior, Ron. She can be quite… forceful…"
"I've noticed…" Ron blushed as he remembered the night he 'showed' her his scars.
"Have you?" Lord Greengrass teased, but his tone was slightly irked.
"Um… I meant that…" Ron started but Lord Greengrass raised his hand to stop him.
"I was only joking, Ron" Lord Greengrass smirked. "So it's settled then. You will spend more time with us, and I will hire you a tutor for Dueling. Excellent…" But I didn't even agree… "Now, let's get to work. I have a lot things planned for you today." And he called Daphne forceful…
January 11th, 1993 (Dinner)
Ron walked into the Great Hall with a quick pace, he was late to dinner. Lord Greengrass had made him work his arse off today, and then he had beaten Ron in four matches back-to-back. It was a humbling experience, but Ron could see that he was improving. As could Lord Greengrass, judging by his strong pat on Ron's back. Ron quickly made his way to the Slytherin table, and he took his seat in between Theo and Blaise as he greeted his friends.
"How was your day?" Tracey asked him.
"It was long… but I enjoyed it" Ron smiled at her.
"Well… That's good" Pansy said with a sheepish look. Is something wrong?
"The Gryffindors are out for your blood, mate" Theo said bluntly. Ron just blinked at Theo.
"Why?" Ron asked.
"Their team got annihilated without Potter" Blaise smirked. "They had some oaf named Cormac McLaggen as their new seeker, and Diggory destroyed him. Gryffindor lost 270-30… It was rather embarrassing."
"I thought it was great" Millie chuckled, but then she quickly stopped. "Sorry, Ron…"
"No, it's okay" Ron reassured them all. "Potter made his bed, now he needs to sleep in it. I don't care if Gryffindor lost, they aren't my house-mates."
"Good" Daphne smiled at him. "How is my father?"
"He is doing well" Ron smirked. "And he was extremely pleased when I 'accepted' his offer to spend the holidays with your family…"
"Oh…" Daphne blushed.
"Oh, indeed" Ron chuckled. But his chuckle died as he spotted the Gryffindors from the corner of his eyes. They were glaring at him, especially the older students. Well, I expected them to be sour… Guess I need to look over my shoulder from now on. Blaise saw Ron looking at the furious Gryffindors, and he frowned.
"Ron, you're to spend every minute with one of us" Blaise said as he cut into his steak. "Do you understand?"
"Aw… Blaise…" Ron cooed, and Blaise glared murder at him. The girls and Theo chuckled at Blaise's irritation, and his protective behavior. "Fine… Who wants to volunteer for 'Ron duty'?" Ron asked everyone sarcastically.
"I will" Mille answered immediately. Ron gave her a smile and a nod, she'd definitely have his back.
"We all will" Daphne said firmly.
"Count me out, mate" Theo chuckled. "I'd rather not get caught in the… OW!" Theo suddenly yelped, and Tracey gave him an innocent smile. "My shins…"
"We should all stick together" Pansy suggested. "We'll be safest that way… Things are getting worse for us Slytherins because of recent events, I caught two third year Hufflepuff boys bullying a first year Slytherin girl today…"
"Wait… Hufflepuffs?" Tracey asked her in disbelief. "Since when do Hufflepuffs bully anyone?"
"They're following the trend" Millie sighed. "According to the other houses, it's about time we Slytherins 'pay for our crimes'… And people like Malfoy aren't helping…" Ron rubbed his forehead and he sighed, when was Malfoy going to become the hero from his vision? Maybe he needs a small push in the right direction? Ugh… Sod it… Not my problem…
"Why isn't Dumbledore doing anything?" Daphne pouted.
"I'll ask him…" Ron sighed out.
"You'll ask him?" Blaise blinked. "Since when are you two so close?"
"We aren't" Ron shrugged. "But he did invite me to play chess with him whenever I want… I'll take him up on that offer."
"Building connections?" Theo smiled. "I'm so proud of you…"
"Thanks, dad" Ron grinned.
"Anytime, son" Theo replied in a deeper tone. Dinner proceeded like usual after that, they made jokes and had banter. And once dinner was done, they all moved towards the exit as a unit. Ron hated admitting this, but they were all ready for a fight. And all because Ron had turned them into targets… What's done is done, look forward and move on!
"Ron, we need to talk to you" came Fred firm voice, and all seven Slytherin turned to face the twins. They looked more than annoyed with Ron, even George was quite unhappy. Guess they took their loss to heart…
"Sorry, we have better things to do" Theo smirked at Fred.
"Are you Ron?" George glared at Theo.
"I don't think you are" Fred added in.
"But it makes sense that you think you are" George followed up.
"Considering that you're both snakes" the twins said at the same time. Yeesh…
"You think we'll let you talk to him after that" Millie glared at the twins.
"He's our brother…" Fred hissed.
"When it suits you" Daphne shot back. The twins flushed with anger, and their eyes glinted in a terrifying manner. Ron knew that if this little bout kept going, Ron's friends would regret it. They don't know what the twins are capable off…
"What do you want?" Ron asked his brother in a calm tone. "We can talk in the courtyard."
"Ron, no…" Tracey whispered in his ear. "It could be a trap…"
"My friends come with me though, just for safety reasons…" Ron added to the twins.
"Safety reasons?!" Fred fumed.
"We're your brothers, you git!" George foamed at the mouth.
"You burned a hole through my tongue with an Acid Pop when I was seven…" Ron reminded them. "And you laughed while I cried for hours…" The twins flinched at that, but Ron's friends were horrified.
"You fucking bastards…" Blaise grit out. "Ron isn't going anywhere with you two. Fuck off." Blaise then grabbed Ron's arm and dragged him off. Oi! Ease up! You'll wrinkle my robes!
"Blaise… what are you doing?" Ron asked as he followed his dark-skinned friend.
"There is no way we're letting you near them" Daphne scolded. "Is that story true?!"
"Yeah…" Ron admitted. "Believe it or not, that still isn't the worst thing they've done to me…"
"Merlin…" Pansy muttered. "Ron, I'm really sorry…"
"It's alright" Ron reassured them. "That's just what the twins do… It's no big deal."
"No big deal?" Millie asked with confused look. Yeah… It's just me and Percy anyway… The twins would never do that to Ginny or Charlie or Bill.
"It's now clear to me that Ron has masochistic personality" Theo chuckled, but he stopped when Tracey smacked his arm.
"That's not funny, Theo" Tracey scolded the weedy boy. "What do you think the wanted? Personally, I doubt that it was anything good…"
"Well, we'll never know now" Ron frowned as they entered the common room. "Seriously Blaise, what is up with you lately? You've gone full mother-hen on all of us!"
"Because none of you understand the danger we're in" Blaise frowned back. "There is a Basilisk on the loose, the Heir of Slytherin is still at large, the Gryffindors want to do you in, and the rest of the houses are following suit… We can't afford to make mistakes and be caught out. We've made a lot of enemies very quickly, and we're just second years…"
"We should go to the Triumvirate" Daphne suggested, and Ron nodded at that.
"That's a good idea, Daph" Ron agreed. "They could help us out…"
"They have their hands full with their N.E.W.T.S" Theo sighed. "And let's be honest… They are terrible leaders. They haven't given us one speech or edict since the start of the year… Their influence in this house only exists due to their titles, but no one respects them for who they are…"
"So we're on our own?" Millie frowned.
"What about the sixth years?" Pansy suggested. Sixth years… Carey Ductu, Clara Martyris, and Samantha Selwyn… They are bound to be the next Triumvirate, I should go to them instead.
"Let me worry about the sixth years" Ron smirked. "I have a plan…"
Neville Longbottom's POV
January 11th, 1993 (After Dinner)
"We should stop this…" Hermione whispered to Neville. They were just coming out of the Great Hall when they had spotted Weasley and his friends arguing against the twins. Harry had stopped Neville and Hermione, and then instructed them to hide around the corner and watch.
"No, we shouldn't" Harry whispered. "I want to see this…" At least Harry now sees Weasley for what he is! Everyone does… Everyone except Hermione.
"This is an invasion of privacy" Hermione hissed, and Neville sighed.
"Hermione, they're standing near the steps leading out of the Entrance Hall…" Neville whispered. "I doubt they care about their privacy right now." Hermione gasped as Blaise Zabini suddenly dragged Ron away from the twins, and Ron's friends followed.
"What happened?" Hermione asked, she had quickly forgotten her guilt. That's Hermione for you, she loves a good mystery!
"I don't know" Harry whispered. "But I think Weasley is at odds with his family… Blimey, the twins are coming." They all hugged the wall that they were hiding behind.
"You know what George" came Fred's voice, it was laced with anger. "I think it's time we teach Ronnikins a lesson…"
"Too true, Fred" George replied with a cold voice. "And to think I was trying to defend him…"
"Our 'Lord' brother is certainly getting a big head" Fred mused.
"Perhaps we should shrink it, for his own benefit" George added.
"A wonderful idea" the twins said together, their voices sounded rather sinister. Weasley is so done for… Good. Neville wanted to see Ron be kicked down a peg, or two… After what he had done to Harry, no one deserved it more.
"We need to warn Ron" Hermione whispered, and Neville frowned at her.
"Why?" Neville asked.
"Because he warned us about Malfoy last year" Hermione shot back. "Or have you forgotten the time when you and Harry were too stupid to listen to me?"
"She's… right…" Harry sighed, and Neville blinked at him.
"What? Harry…" Neville muttered in disbelief.
"We owe him for that, but once we warn him… He can go and rot for all I care" Harry said coldly. The Trio moved out of their hiding spot as the twins walked back into the Great Hall. As they started making their way up to Gryffindor tower, they spotted an angry Filch coming towards them.
"Damn ghost! Always crying…" Argus Filch complained loudly. Why is he soaked? "Now I have to mop all night, again! It's not like I have anything better to do! No… This is the final straw! I'm going to talk to Dumbledore right now! Move out of my way!" Filch yelled as he pushed the Trio aside.
"Yeesh…" Neville muttered. "What's his problem?"
"Didn't you hear him?" Hermione asked in a haughty tone.
"He was talking about Myrtle" Harry quickly answered. He was, wasn't he? Did she soak him? "We should go and see!" Harry exclaimed as he turned and ran towards the first floor. Neville and Hermione followed after him, as they always did. When they got to the first floor, they immediately noticed that it was flooded…
"Ugh… my robes" Hermione complained.
"It's coming from the bathroom" Neville said as his eyes spotted the water rippling at the base of the door. "C'mon…" Neville pushed the door open, and his friends followed after him. They could already hear Moaning Myrtle crying loudly.
"Myrtle, what's wrong?" Harry called out to the ghost, and she flew out of a cubicle.
"Oh… It's just you three…" Myrtle mewled. "What do you want? Plan to throw more things at me?!"
"What? No, never!" Hermione exclaimed. "Who threw something at you, Myrtle?"
"I don't know…" Myrtle replied with a cry, it was earsplitting. Her voice is so… hard to listen to… But I feel bad for her, why would anyone want to do that to her? Everyone knows she takes things to heart…
"Does it really matter if people throw things at you?" Harry asked slowly, and both Neville and Hermione frowned at him. Really, Harry? Really? "I mean, you're a ghost… It would just go through you…"
"Let's all throw books at her then!" Myrtle shrieked, and the Trio covered their ears. "So funny, HA HA! Let's see if we can get it through her chest, or her head! So much fun!"
"Myrtle, Harry didn't mean that" Hermione tried to calm down the ghost. "He just said something foolish, that's all…"
"Who threw it at you, Myrtle?" Neville asked with a soft smile. He didn't like bullies, and Myrtle was clearly a victim of bullying in her life.
"I didn't see them…" Myrtle sniffled. "I was just in the U-bend, minding my own business… And then it went through me" she wailed. "It… it got washed out though… It's over there, in the corner…" Myrtle then let out a pained sob and flew away. I know she soaked us in toilet water, but I still feel really bad for her…
"Hmmm…" came Hermione voice from behind them, she had already picked the Diary up. "It's empty…" Neville and Harry looked over her shoulders, and Neville was underwhelmed at the Diary. It was a simple, black leather Diary… There was nothing special about it. "WAIT!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, her voice extremely excited. What does it say?!
"What?" Harry asked her with wide eyes.
"This name… on the Diary's first page… T. M. Riddle" Hermione gasped. "I know it! T. M. Riddle received an award for Special Services to the School fifty years ago!" Huh?!
"How do you know that?" Neville asked in astonishment, did she know everything?
"Professor McGonagall made me clean the Trophy Room every day when we had our detentions…" Hermione said as she turned to face the boys. "I cleaned his trophy so many times!"
"Fifty years…" Harry muttered, and Neville looked at his best friend. Harry was in deep thought.
"He got it from Vauxhall Road, London" Hermione told them as she read the name of the newsagent printed on the back. "He must've been Muggle-Born…"
"Why?" Neville asked, he was getting lost.
"Because Vauxhall Road is in Muggle London" Hermione told him. "No wizard would buy a common Diary from Muggle London…"
"That makes sense…" Neville agreed. I know I never would.
"The Chamber opened fifty years ago…" Harry joined in suddenly. "And Riddle got his trophy fifty years ago… I think he saved the school from the last Heir of Slytherin fifty years ago. And if he was Muggle-Born, that would make all the more sense. It's too bad that it's empty…"
"Wait" Hermione smiled as she pulled out her wand and tapped it on the Diary three times. "Aparecium!" Hermione chanted, but nothing happened. "Harry… hold this for me" Hermione said as she handed him the Diary. Hermione then ruffled through her robe pockets, and she pulled out a red eraser. "This is a Revealer, I got it in Diagon Alley!"
"You just carry that around?" Neville asked in disbelief.
"You carry around a Remembrall" Hermione shot back haughtily.
"That's fair…" Neville sighed. Hermione took the Diary back from Harry, and she rubbed the Revealer on multiple pages. It did nothing…
"Ugh… There's nothing here…" Hermione pouted, she sounded extremely frustrated.
"Then why would someone throw it away?" Harry mused.
"They probably had a good reason to" Neville provided. "We should leave it… It could be dangerous…"
"Why would it be dangerous?" Hermione asked as she put her hands on her hips. "T. M. Riddle was a Muggle-Born who saved the school…"
"We're keeping it…" Harry said before Neville could even open his mouth. "Hermione, let me have it."
"Why?" Hermione narrowed her eyes on Harry.
"Because it could be trouble" Harry smiled at her. "You don't want to break the rules, do you?" Neville held back his chuckle as Hermione looked genuinely scared.
"Um… No…" Hermione muttered. "Here, take it…" Hermione said as she handed the Diary off to Harry.
"We should leave…" Neville joined in. "Filch is probably on his way back right now…" The Trio exchanged quick looks, and then they bolted out of the bathroom.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! The Trio found Tom... while Ron is getting ready to face the fallout from his actions. Things are picking up for the second years, and I still got plenty of twists and turns!
See you guys soon!