Fate

by TheTrueSpartan

When Ron discovers that he can see the future, his entire fate is thrown off of its course. A story about adventure, friendship, growing up, and pushing forward through hardships. This story will get darker as it progresses, just like the original Harry Potter novels. It will cover all Seven Years of Hogwarts, but mostly from Ron's perspective. No Mary Sues, no Character bashing.

39. Chapter 39 - Chocolates and Basilisks

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 39 is here! And it is the biggest chapter so far in the story!

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.

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Fate

Chapter 39 – Chocolates and Basilisks

Harry Potter's POV

February 9th, 1993 (Gryffindor Tower)

"What do mean it's gone?" Neville asked in a shaky voice.

"I mean that someone took it" Harry replied as he put his hands on top of his head. It was important! It was so important that someone broke in here to steal it.

"Who would want it?" Neville asked. "It was empty… There was nothing special about that Diary…"

"Then how do you explain this, Neville?" Harry asked in frustration. "We missed something important… That Diary clearly had something that no one wanted us to find…"

"You think the Heir did this?" Neville asked, and Harry frowned.

"I… I don't know…" Harry muttered. How would Weasley break into our room? Even he isn't capable of doing that. The door suddenly swung open, and Harry nearly ripped his wand out.

"Woah!" Seamus exclaimed with a shocked look. Dean looked over the Irish boy's shoulder with widened eyes. "What happened to our room?"

"Did you guys do this?" Dean asked.

"No…" Neville sighed. "Someone broke into our room and… thrashed it…"

"Why would anyone do that?" Seamus asked with an angry look. "Was this a prank?" We can't tell them about the Diary.

"I think so" Harry lied. "Maybe the twins think that this is funny."

"Those two…" Dean frowned. "I'm telling McGonagall about this. And I'm not cleaning up this mess…" Harry felt a pang of guilt for throwing the twins under the bus, but keeping the Diary a secret was more important.

"What are you two doing up here anyway?" Neville asked Seamus and Dean.

"We live here…" Seamus frowned. "And Hermione asked us to come and get you. She's waiting in the common room." Harry and Neville exchanged quick looks, and they knew that they had to tell Hermione about this. Both boys left for the common room with a quickened pace, and they found Hermione sitting in front of the fire.

"Hermione" Harry called to her, and she turned to face him. Her eyes dimmed a little when she saw that neither boys had their books with them. Harry and Neville quickly sat down around her.

"Where are your books?" Hermione asked haughtily. "You promised that we'd study together…"

"Hermione, someone broke into our room" Neville told her bluntly, and Hermione blinked at him. "They thrashed the entire place, and…"

"And they stole Riddle's Diary" Harry jumped in.

"What?" Hermione asked with shock. "Are you sure?"

"Positive" Harry nodded. "It was important, Hermione. And someone else knew just how much."

"Who could it be?" Hermione pondered to herself. Even I'm not so sure… I want to suspect Weasley, but I know that he can't break into Gryffindor Tower. Not without being seen.

"It had to be the Heir" Neville whispered.

"The Heir?" Hermione frowned. "You mean Ron…"

"Nev… How would Weasley break into our common room?" Harry asked slowly, and Neville frowned.

"He was late to lunch, remember?" Neville reminded them. "He was extremely late, and he just stared at us for the rest of it…" That was… odd.

"He doesn't know the password" Hermione sighed. "And even if he did, how would he get past the Fat Lady? She'd never let a Slytherin student enter the Gryffindor common room." Neville slowly nodded as he sank back into his seat.

"Hermione's right" Harry said softly. "Only a Gryffindor student could break into our room…"

"You don't mean…" Hermione whispered in a horrified tone. "Are we really going to suspect one of our own?"

"It's the only thing that makes sense" Harry told his best friends. "Weasley might've been late to lunch, but even he isn't capable of breaking into our common room. It had to be someone from Gryffindor…"

"Then you believe me?" Hermione asked with an ever growing smile. "You believe that Ron isn't the Heir?"

"I don't know…" Harry sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. "He might've gotten someone to help him…" Hermione's smile died immediately, and Harry put up his hands in surrender. "Look… I don't have the answers, alright."

"Who would help Weasley?" Neville asked. "None of the Gryffindors like him, and I doubt that his siblings would help him steal from Gryffindor… Maybe…" Neville stopped and sighed. "Maybe Weasley isn't…" I don't believe this!

"Really, Nev?" Harry asked his best friend. "You're going to say that he isn't the Heir? You're the one who convinced us to look into him." Neville shifted in his seat, and Hermione scowled at Harry.

"I didn't say that, Harry" Neville said meekly. "I said that I'm not sure on what to think about this… None of this makes any sense. Who would try and steal an empty Diary? And if it was a Gryffindor, then how can Weasley be involved?"

"Could the Heir be a Gryffindor student?" Hermione muttered to herself, and both boys went wide-eyed.

"Hermione, are you crazy?" Harry asked.

"They're the Heir of Slytherin…" Neville said slowly. "They couldn't possibly be in Gryffindor…"

"Whoever stole the Diary was clearly helping the Heir" Harry added on.

"Then we have to find out who stole that Diary" Hermione nodded. "They can lead us to the Heir."

"Easier said than done…" Harry sighed.

"We don't have any other choice" Hermione rubbed her forehead. "And Harry… If they knew that you had the Diary, then that means that the Heir is watching you." She's right. Someone saw me holding that Diary, and they told the Heir. We can't trust anyone in Gryffindor anymore.

"This just got a lot harder, didn't it?" Neville asked, and both Harry and Hermione nodded. The Trio completely missed the fact that a certain red-haired girl was pretending to read a book near them.

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

February 9th, 1993 (Dinner)

"He's back in the Sanctuary, isn't he?" Tracey asked softly. Daphne looked at her best friend, and she flinched internally. I've never seen Tracey look so… sad. She's usually always smiling.

"Give him time" Blaise sighed as he cut into his steak. "He just had his world knocked upside down."

"I've never seen him look so… defeated" Pansy muttered, she too looked out of sorts. The news that Ron would be leaving soon had affected everyone differently. Blaise had shut down emotionally, Theo was scheming away in his own head, Tracey was just sad, Pansy was fearful for the future of this group, Millie was looking for a fight with anyone, and Daphne… Daphne was already plotting. She had no intention of losing Ron to one of the other houses. Especially to Gryffindor… She knew that's where he would end up.

"Daphne, did you send an owl to your father?" Theo asked her suddenly.

"I haven't…" Daphne sighed.

"Why?" Theo asked with a furrowed brow. "We need to get help on this, or Ron will be removed from Slytherin." No, he won't. I won't let that happen.

"And how will Ron react if we do something like this behind his back?" Daphne shot back. "His parents just made a decision behind his back, and I'm not going to do the same thing. I want to talk to him first."

"Daphne's right" Blaise said aloofly. "You'll just anger him by doing this. He needs some time, so we'll give him some time."

"Time?" Millie scowled. "We don't have time to waste. We need to fight this."

"And how do we do that without Ron?" Tracey joined in. "It's his parents that we have to do something about…"

"But he isn't fighting" Pansy sighed. "He's just given up… We saw him for ten minutes today, and then he disappeared again. I think… I think Ron's given up…"

"No, he hasn't" Daphne defended Ron. "When does he ever just give up? Never. He hasn't given up, and neither should we." He can't give up. We can't just lose him like this…

"I know that you guys don't want to hear this" Theo started, and Daphne frowned at him immediately. "But if Ron does leave… We need to be prepared."

"Prepared?" Tracey asked hotly.

"Theo, how can you even say that?" Pansy added.

"It hasn't even been a full day yet" Millie snarled.

"Just listen for once" Theo shot back. "Malfoy and his flock will come after us, I know it. He'll want us to become his allies again, and he'll make sure to make our lives miserable. We do need to be prepared. We need to have allies amongst the older students."

"Those three girls…" Daphne said slowly, and Theo nodded.

"They like Ron, and they aren't stupid" Theo continued. "If we can show them that we're valuable, they'll keep Malfoy off of our backs."

"Ron isn't the only reason that Draco keeps his distance" Pansy told Theo. "We can always do what Ron does… We can just ignore him."

"Pansy's right" Tracey added. "Daphne's father is wealthier than Lucius Malfoy."

"But Lucius Malfoy has more influence" Theo told them. "He has a long reach within the Ministry, and he is the Chairman of the Board of Governors. Ron keeps people off of his back because he is a prodigy. A prodigy that has shown everyone that no one should make him their enemy. We don't have that shield…" Daphne stayed quiet, but she was starting to get irked. They're already acting like Ron has left. But she also knew that Theo was right… Not being prepared would just be stupid.

"Then this is what we do" Blaise said aloofly. "We give Ron some time to process his situation, and in the meantime, we start making our own connections with the older students. Especially Carey Ductu, Clara Martyris, and Samantha Selwyn. And we keep this thing about Ron to ourselves… We can't let anyone know that we're vulnerable."

"You're all forgetting one important thing" Millie sighed, and everyone looked to her. "The Heir is still out there… All of this scheming and plotting won't even matter if the school shuts down." The Heir… Wait! An idea clicked in her head, and she smiled broadly.

"The Heir can save Ron" Daphne told her friends excitedly, and they blinked at her. That sounded more sane in my head. "What if we, the Slytherins, catch the Heir? That'll show his parents that Ron is in a house that isn't… evil."

"That's a great idea, Daphne" Theo said sarcastically. "I wish I thought of that…" Daphne frowned at Theo.

"We've been looking for the Heir, Daph" Tracey smiled softly. "But we still have nothing. Our suspect list hasn't changed in ages… We don't know where the entrance is… And the attacks have stopped."

"Then we look harder" Daphne snapped. "We have to… It's the only way that we can keep Ron. We haven't explored so much of the castle yet, there have to be more clues."

"And we will" Blaise sighed. "After Ron has had some time to collect his thoughts." Why is he so adamant about leaving Ron alone? He's up to something. The bell rang suddenly, and there was mass movement in the Hall. Everyone started making their way out, and Daphne spotted the Golden Trio. These three… Merlin, I hate them so much! Especially that bushy haired bitch. Daphne felt a strong pang of jealousy towards Granger, why did Ron have to become her friend again? A horrible thought popped into her mind suddenly, and she went a little pale. If Ron gets Re-Sorted into Gryffindor, she'll never leave him alone. A sudden sense of dread engulfed Daphne, and she barely managed to keep her composure.

As they were making their way up the steps leading out of the Entrance Hall, Daphne decided she had to do something. She had to talk to Ron! She had to push him into action, or she'd lose him to Granger! Daphne slowed down as her friends neared the steps leading to the dungeons, and Pansy turned to face her.

"Daphne?" Pansy asked softly. "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to go talk to Ron…" Daphne sighed, she had to wake him up.

"Daphne, give…" Blaise started but Daphne cut him off.

"No. I won't" Daphne said firmly. "I'm going to go talk to him alone, and if you want to stop me, then you'll need to hex me." Her friends exchanged looks, and then Pansy broke the silence.

"Let her go, Blaise" Pansy told the dark skinned boy.

"Just let her, Blaise" Theo sighed. "What's the worst that can happen?" What does that mean?! Blaise stared right at Daphne, and Daphne didn't back off.

"Fine" Blaise said in a disinterested tone. "Just don't make him miserable like you've been doing for the past few days." Daphne just blinked as Blaise turned around and left. What? I haven't been… Daphne's thoughts stopped as she realized that Blaise had a point. Daphne and Ron had been fighting before Ron read that letter with her. All of Daphne's friends left slowly, expect for Millie.

"Good luck, Daph" Millie gave her a weak smile, and then she left as well. Daphne drew in a sharp breath, and then she headed up for the seventh floor. I completely forgot that I was angry with Ron… Angry because he didn't teach me that spell.

Daphne sighed to herself as she remembered why she was so angry. She was jealous. Jealous of Theo, Blaise, and Pansy. And then, she was too proud to go back. He had offered to teach her, but she kept refusing. She wanted him to understand why she was upset. She wanted him to know that their Yule Break together was important to her, and that she believed that there would be no more secrets between them. I was really stupid, wasn't I? Ron loves his secrets, and I've always known that. But he still chose to tell me about that letter. And he said those wonderful things beforehand.

Daphne paced back and forth, and the door to the Sanctuary appeared. Daphne quickly opened it and entered, and she then closed the door shut behind her. She looked around the room, and she spotted Ron sitting in front of the fire. He was holding the letter from his mother in his hands, and he turned around to look at her.

"Daphne?" Ron asked in a soft voice. "Where are the others?"

"I came alone" Daphne replied as she approached him.

"That's not safe, Daph" Ron sighed as he turned back to stare at the crackling fire. I'm no wallflower.

"You're here alone" Daphne shot back. "Are you saying that I can't take care of myself?"

"Daphne…" Ron sighed again. "If you're here to fight me again, please leave. I don't have it in me…" Daphne blinked at him, and then she fought the urge to smack herself. What am I doing?! Why do I act so stupid around him? Calm down, Daphne… Just breathe. I need to take control of this conversation first, and then I'll make him listen.

"I'm not here to fight, Ron" Daphne said softly, and then she sat down beside him. It was a single person chair, and Daphne squeezed herself in beside Ron.

"Daph?" Ron looked to her as she made herself comfortable. Daphne smiled a little when she saw a blush creep onto his face. "What are you doing?"

"I'm taking a seat" Daphne replied innocently. She shifted her buttock a bit, and then she sank into the chair. They were now both squeezed together in between the chair's armrests.

"Can't you grab another seat? There are almost a dozen in this room…" Ron shifted a bit, and Daphne felt his hip collide with hers. This is fun, he's letting his guard down.

"But I want to sit next to you" Daphne smiled at him, and his ears turned red. "And we've been closer than this before" Daphne hummed, and Ron went scarlet.

"What… what are you…?" Ron stuttered, he was no doubt thinking about the night he showed her his scars.

"We've hugged loads of times, Ron" Daphne smiled innocently, and Ron blinked at her. He's so cute!

"Oh… yeah…" Ron looked back to the fire. They sat together for a few seconds, and Daphne could swear that he was holding his breath. Just like that night. I didn't say anything, but I know that he was having trouble breathing that night. Daphne felt her lips twitch upwards, it felt good to know that she had this effect on him. But he had an effect on her as well. She was starting to feel extremely nervous, and she wasn't sure on how to go about talking to him.

"Ron…" Daphne said softly. "Why aren't you fighting this?" Daphne felt him stiffen, and she cursed her own idiocy.

"I don't want to talk about it" Ron replied. Too bad. I'm not letting you give up.

"I want to talk about it" Daphne said firmly as she turned to face him. Their faces were quite close, and that made her heart flutter.

"Daphne… please…" Ron muttered. "I don't want to think about this."

"Well you have to" Daphne told him. "This is important Ron, and if you ignore it, it'll come back to haunt you."

"Come back?" Ron chuckled mirthlessly. "It's already haunting me… I'm buggered, Daph. And I can't do anything about it."

"You're wrong" Daphne huffed. "You have friends, Ron…"

"Do I?" Ron cut her off, and she blinked at him. "You're not angry with me anymore?" Daphne felt her face flush, and she sighed.

"Ron, I was just being… stupid" Daphne admitted, and Ron's eyes widened. "Don't give me that look, Ronald. I'm only human…"

"Could've fool me" Ron smiled softly, and Daphne huffed in indignation.

"Don't be rude, Ron" Daphne said as she elbowed him in the ribs. Ron grunted, and then a laugh broke out of his throat. It was like music to her ears, her plan was working.

"I'm sorry, Daph" Ron said as he calmed down, and she was taken by surprise. "I'm sorry for not teaching you that spell." I have to show him that it wasn't his fault…

"Don't apologize" Daphne said softly. "I wasn't angry about the spell… I was…" Daphne stopped. She didn't want to admit to being jealous, that would show weakness.

"Was what?" Ron asked her, and she felt his breath on her cheek. It made her fidget with her hands, and it sent a shiver up her spine. Control, Daphne. I have to control this conversation.

"I was angry that you kept it from me" Daphne said elusively. "I thought that after Christmas we'd be… closer…" Daphne's face burned as she finished, she had finally said it!

"Closer?" Ron muttered, and Daphne just kept looking forward.

"Like… no more secrets…" Daphne said meekly. "But then you told me those wonderful things, and I realized that I was being unreasonable… I'm sorry."

"Merlin…" Ron smiled a little. "I never thought that I'd see this day… Daphne Greengrass just apologized to me." Excuse me?!

"Shut up" Daphne growled as she turned to glare at him, but he was smiling at her pleasantly. Daphne felt her breath hitch in her throat, and she blinked over and over again. We're sitting too close.

"What's wrong, Daph?" Ron asked. I didn't think this through, that's what's wrong.

"Nothing…" Daphne said as she stared into his bright blue eyes. Talk to him about the Heir right now. "Ron, I was thinking about something. What if we caught the Heir?"

"I'm pretty sure we already planned to do that" Ron smiled and cocked his head.

"I know" Daphne nodded softly. "But if we catch the Heir, then we can show your parents that not all of Slytherin is bad. We can…" Daphne continued but Ron cut her off.

"You don't know my parents" Ron sighed as he sank back into the chair. Daphne's body shifted a bit due to his movement, and her left shoulder found itself resting on top of his right shoulder. It didn't seem to bother Ron as he focused on his parents, but Daphne felt her face burn. Mother and father sit like this sometimes! "Daphne, are you listening?" Ron asked her, and she nodded. What did he say?

"Can you… repeat what you just said?" Daphne asked him, and he frowned a little. Nice going, Daphne.

"My family is quite prejudiced against Slytherin" Ron repeated. "I was prejudiced too… We all believed that Slytherin was the house that had all the Death-Eaters, or Dark Wizards in general. It took me almost a year to learn that I was wrong… But my parents… They'll never understand that. They're doing this because they thinks it's the best option for me."

"Well, they're wrong" Daphne frowned. "Slytherin has served you well, Ron. Even they can't deny that."

"Do you remember when I told you that my mother doesn't really care about that?" Ron sighed, he looked hurt. "They don't want me to turn my back on the things that they raised me to believe in."

"And you haven't" Daphne said firmly.

"I know that, and you all know that" Ron sighed. "But they don't know that… I've tried telling them, but they hate that I'm in Slytherin. I can see it in their eyes… Even my own brothers chose to side with Potter… I can't see a way out of this, Daph. They are my parents, and I might lose them if I don't do as they say." Ron's shoulders slumped after he finished, he looked done in. Daphne relaxed and leaned back on Ron's shoulder, and he didn't say a word. Daphne knew that he had too much on his mind right now, and she also knew that he needed help. She also knew that Ron was too proud, and too stubborn, to ask for help. But he has it anyway.

"Can I tell you something, Ron?" Daphne whispered, and she felt him move a little. "When we were all growing up, and this is before we met you, we all talked about Blood-Purity often. Malfoy was always at the head of the conversation, and Pansy would laugh and just agree with him. Theo… Theo really hated Muggles, and he probably still does. Blaise was the same as he is now, he only talked when he was questioned. Crabbe and Goyle would just listen to our conversations with rapt attention. And Millie… Millie was the punching bag of our group…"

"Is this before you all met Tracey?" Ron asked in a whisper, and she felt his breath on the back of her neck.

"Yes, this is when we were around seven or eight" Daphne replied as she stared into the fire. "We all got together twice a week, maybe more. And we would just talk about Blood-Purity, Muggle-Borns, and Muggles. We used to say some really disgusting things, Ron."

"We? You joined in?" Ron asked.

"I joined in" Daphne admitted. "It seemed like the normal thing to do at the time. After all, we always overheard our parents talking in a similar fashion. And we all wanted to be like our parents… But before I started Hogwarts, my father told me something that stuck with me. My father told me that he didn't care if I believed in Blood-Purity, he only cared if I believed in what made sense to me. And now I think I understand what he meant. He didn't want me to be just like him, he wanted me to be my own person. He wanted me to be me, and not just his clone."

"What are you saying?" Ron asked in the faintest of whispers.

"I'm saying that if your family can't see you for the amazing person that you are, then they shouldn't have any say in what you do" Daphne replied, and then she turned her head to face him. Ron's cheeks were slightly red, and he wore a serious expression. "I think you're amazing… We all think that… And we don't want to lose you." Their faces were mere inches apart, and Daphne's stomach was doing summersaults.

"I don't want to lose you either" Ron said, and Daphne couldn't help but smile.

"Then stop sitting up here" Daphne told him. "Stop giving up without a fight, because we aren't giving up on you. Not yet." Daphne then leaned forward and kissed his right cheek. When she slowly pulled back, she came face-to-face with a scarlet Ron Weasley. He was just looking at her, his face showing both confusion and slight shock. Daphne thought that he looked far too cute, and so she leaned forward again and pecked his lips. They were much softer than they looked. It was a short kiss, but she'd never forget it. And judging by Ron's bright red face, he'd never forget it either. Daphne then stood up and turned to face him. He looked to be in complete shock, and he just stared at her as he lightly touched his lips with his gloved hand.

"You can take tonight off" Daphne said, it was taking everything in her to not burst out into a happy dance. "But starting from tomorrow, we are going to fight this in every way that we can. Is that understood?" Ron gave a meek nod, his face still as red as a tomato. "Good, then I will see you tomorrow at breakfast." Daphne then left without a moment's hesitation. Once she closed the door behind her, she let out an excited squeal. I kissed him! I did it! Daphne then broke into a sprint towards the Slytherin common room, she felt like she could conquer the entire world tonight. She had just shared her first kiss with a boy, and that boy was Ronald Weasley!

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

February 10th, 1993 (Breakfast)

Ron stepped out the Sanctuary, and he shot quick looks around to see if he was alone. Once he was certain that no one was around, Ron began making his way down to the Great Hall. It was still early, but he wanted to make sure that he didn't run into any Gryffindors. He knew that there was no way that he could explain being on the seventh floor so early in the morning.

As he made his way down, his mind drifted away again. Daphne had kissed him last night… And he had no clue on how to react to that. He was used to getting kisses on his cheeks from members of the opposite sex, but none of them had kissed his lips before. Why would she do that? Uncertainty clouded Ron's mind, and he had no idea on how to act around Daphne now. Did she like him in a romantic sort of way? She had to… Why else would she kiss him like that? And what was Ron supposed to do about this? He liked Daphne a lot… And he did get that strange, fluttery feeling around her… Did that mean that he liked her too? He was certain that her opinion of him mattered a great deal to him. He wanted her to like him, but did that mean that he liked her romantically too? I have no fucking clue about this sort of stuff.

Ron entered the Great Hall, and it was mostly empty. His friends hadn't even arrived yet, and a small part of Ron was glad. He wanted to think about last night some more, he needed to. He didn't want things to get weird between him and Daphne, but he also wanted to try it again. It had felt nice, but in a strange kind of way. Her lips were really soft, and she had bumped them against his. It had lasted for around a second, but it had floored him completely. He couldn't even think after it had happened, but Daphne was in a perfectly normal state of mind. Had she done this before? Or was she just better at keeping her composure than him? Or did she think nothing of it? I really have no idea about this sort of thing, but Charlie does. He can help me. The thought of telling Sirius occurred to him, and he quickly decided that that was a bad idea. Sirius would turn this into a joke of some sort, and Ron didn't want that. He wanted clear, concise answers.

Ron sat down and began putting food on his plate, but his mind was still miles away. What do I do when they get here? Daphne wouldn't tell the others about the kiss… Would she? I'll act like it didn't happen. I don't need Theo and Blaise taking the piss out of me. Or Tracey for that matter. But Daphne knows that it happened… How do I act around her? Ugh… Why did she do that to me?! I need to talk to her alone when I get the chance. In the meantime, I need to tell them all my plans. I'm not going down without a fight, Daphne was right about that.

"Ron?" came Pansy's voice, and Ron looked to his right. His friends had shown up, and he hadn't even noticed. "You're here early" Pansy smiled as they all began taking their seats. Theo and Blaise sat down beside him, and Daphne and the girls sat down across them. Ron looked at Daphne for a quick second, and she looked like she always did. Ron quickly looked to Pansy as he felt his face get hot. How is she so calm?! She kissed me last night!

"I wanted to get an early start on the day" Ron told Pansy. The girls all smiled at him happily, but Ron could see his best mates narrow their eyes on him.

"That's great to hear, Ron" Daphne said with a happy smile, and Ron managed to give her a sheepish smile. Merlin, how is she so calm? Did she tell the others? Ron felt a cold sweat in his armpits, and he ignored it.

"So you're done moping around?" Blaise asked bluntly, and the girls glared at him.

"Don't be so rude, Blaise" Pansy frowned.

"You're a jerk" Tracey growled.

"It's alright" Ron chuckled softly. "And yes Blaise, I'm done moping around. I'm not giving up so easily. I'm going to fight this in every way that I can." Ron felt his cheeks burn as he repeated Daphne's words from last night, and he shot her another quick look. She was smiling to herself and buttering her toast, and Ron didn't miss the rosy blush on her cheeks. I really need to talk to her.

"I think that's great" Millie jumped in excitedly. "What are you planning? We'll help in any way that we can."

"I'm going to go to Snape" Ron started, and his friends blinked at him. "Then I'm going to go to Dumbledore. I'll send letters to Charlie and Bill, my older brothers. I'm also going to owl Pandora and Xenophilius Lovegood. And I will also owl Sirius Black and Remus Lupin. I want to have as many people behind me as I can. One of them is bound to know how I can fight this."

"What about my father?" Daphne asked him.

"I was planning to tell him in person…" Ron fidgeted with his hands under the table. Stop acting like a little girl, Ron.

"That isn't a good idea" Daphne smiled softly. "My father will want to know about this beforehand so he can think of a strategy. I can send him an owl on your behalf, if that's alright with you?"

"Please do" Ron said with an ever growing blush.

"Ron, are you alright?" Tracey asked him.

"Yeah mate, you're looking a bit flushed" Theo added. Ron looked at Theo, and Theo wasn't grinning. He looked genuinely concerned.

"I'm fine. Everything is just fine. Like it always is" Ron replied quickly.

"Alright…" Theo said slowly. "Weirdo…" They don't know, do they? Good. Ron looked back at his plate, and he could see Daphne smiling to herself again. She's enjoying this?

"What about your parents?" Blaise asked.

"What about them?" Ron asked, he couldn't stop himself from frowning.

"You should write to them as well" Blaise told him.

"And say what?" Ron asked curtly. "They already know that I don't want this. That's why they're giving me this ultimatum. They don't care that I don't want this…"

"I think they do care, Ron" Pansy said softly. "They are doing this because they care about you."

"Why are you defending them?" Ron asked hotly.

"I'm not" Pansy replied. "I'm just making sure that you don't hate them for looking out for you…" And why would you do that? Ron took a deep breath to calm himself down a little, he shouldn't take out his anger on Pansy. She was just trying to be a good friend.

"Either way" Ron started. "They won't listen to me, but they might listen to everyone else. If enough people tell them that this is the wrong decision, they might change their minds."

"And if we catch the Heir" Millie piped in. "The chance of them changing their minds increases."

"This could work" Theo mused. "But you need to talk to them, Ron. We need to know why they came to this decision so we can prove it wrong. Whatever their reasons are, we need to be able to argue against them."

"Theo is right" Daphne said firmly, and Ron looked at her. His stomach tightened, but he kept his face from changing. "You need to owl them…"

"Fine" Ron sighed. "I'll owl them when I'm ready."

"Now that we've decided about Ron's parents" Millie said. "What do we do about the Heir? They've all but disappeared."

"Ron, have you heard the Basilisk lately?" Blaise asked, and Ron shook his head. "Damn, that complicates things. What if the Heir is finished with whatever their goal was?"

"How?" Tracey asked. "There are still Muggle-Borns all over the school. Isn't the Heir supposed to 'purge' them all?"

"Maybe they got scared?" Millie provided.

"Or maybe they are biding their time?" Pansy asked.

"We can't wait to find that out why they aren't attacking" Ron said firmly. "We need to get them before they attack someone. I think we need to refocus on our list, and we need to learn more about the plumbing system."

"I had an idea" Theo jumped in. "When the attacks happened fifty years ago, there was one fatality. Myrtle Warren… And she haunts the girls' bathroom on the first floor." Myrtle Warren! How did I forget about her? She might know where the entrance is.

"That's a great idea, mate" Ron smiled at Theo, and Theo shrugged his shoulders arrogantly.

"Someone has to use their brain in this group" Theo smirked, and everyone frowned at him. Tracey scooped some porridge on her spoon, and then she flicked it at him. "Oy! I just had these cleaned!" Theo snapped as he looked at the porridge stain on his robes.

---

February 10th, 1993 (After Classes – Common Room)

"We should go speak with Myrtle Warren" Blaise said as he dropped his books on his bed.

"And then I'll go to Snape" Ron added on. He always says that his door is open, now I need it to be.

"He'll help you, Ron" Theo said as he stretched. "I don't know of a single Slytherin that he has refused in the past."

"I'm not worried about if he'll help me" Ron sighed. "I'm worried that he won't be able to."

"We have to try" Blaise shrugged. "C'mon, let's go get the girls." The girls… Daphne… I still haven't talked to her yet. I'll talk to her after dinner. The boys made their way to the common room, and they ran into the girls as soon as they stepped inside.

"Oh, that was lucky" Theo smirked. "We're heading up to talk to Myrtle Warren's ghost. Want to tag along?"

"Obviously" Millie said in a dead-serious tone. They all began making their way up to the girls' bathroom, and Ron dreaded talking to Myrtle again. She had made him really uncomfortable the first time they had talked, and then she had seen him crying after he had found out the Trio's plans. Merlin, I hope she doesn't tell them what she saw. That'll be embarrassing.

"I should warn you boys" Daphne said suddenly. "Myrtle Warren's ghost is infamous for being the most annoying ghost in Hogwarts. No girl ever uses her bathroom because of it."

"Isn't Peeves the most annoying ghost in Hogwarts?" Blaise asked with an indifferent expression.

"Actually, Peeves isn't a ghost" Theo told them. "Peeves is a Poltergeist, a tangible manifestation of the students' mischief."

"Really?" Ron asked, and Theo nodded. "Wow, I didn't know that. That's neat."

"Neat?" Pansy frowned. "He's the worst… He threw an egg at me once…"

"He locked me in a broom closet for an hour" Blaise sighed.

"I caught him floating out of the girls' bathroom near the dungeons" Daphne huffed.

"What?!" Tracey exclaimed. "He spies on us?!"

"Probably…" Daphne shuddered. Damn, I haven't really run into him much. When did he lock Blaise away? And why was Blaise in a broom closet in the first place? They all quieted down as they neared the haunted bathroom, and Daphne stepped in front of the group. "I'll go in first, I want to make sure no girls are currently using the bathroom" Daphne told them, and then she entered the bathroom. They all waited for a few seconds, and then Daphne called them in. They entered the bathroom quickly, and Daphne was its only resident.

"Where's the ghost?" Theo asked Daphne.

"Not here" Daphne sighed. "She tends to move around the different bathrooms, but this is her main place of haunting."

"Now what?" Tracey frowned. "Do we just wait for her to come back?"

"That's a waste of time" Blaise said curtly. "Ron needs to go and see Snape. We can just come back tomorrow."

"I don't mind waiting here" Millie said.

"Well I do, this place is creepy" Theo frowned. "And I don't want to get caught snooping around a girls' bathroom. Imagine the damage that will have on my reputation."

"Your reputation?" Tracey chuckled.

"A lot of people look up to me, Tracey" Theo smirked at her, and Tracey giggled. Ron ignored his friends as he stared at the cubicle that had the Polyjuice Potion in it. That's where they betrayed me… And that's where I decided to do something really fucking stupid. And now… Now I could lose my place in Slytherin because of it.

"Ron, are you alright?" Pansy asked, and Ron blinked.

"I'm fine. I have to go to Snape's Office" Ron replied, and then he turned around and left. As Ron was making his way towards the moving staircases, he heard his friends catch up to him.

"Ron, are you sure you're alright?" Daphne asked, and Ron kept his eyes forward.

"I'm fine. I just need to talk to Snape" Ron lied. "Don't worry about it."

"Do you want us to come with you?" Millie asked him, and Ron thought about it.

"No" Ron replied. "I want to do this by myself." Ron and his friends separated as they reached the dungeons, they went to the common room while Ron went to Snape's Office. Once Ron reached Snape's door, he took in a sharp breath. Here goes nothing. Ron knocked on the door three times.

"Come in" Snape called, and Ron entered the Office. "Mr. Weasley? What may I do for you?"

"Sir, I just needed…" Ron started but stopped. Draco Malfoy was sitting in a chair in front of Snape's desk, and Ron just stared at him.

"Take a photo, Weasley" Malfoy sneered. "It will last longer…"

"Mr. Malfoy, there is no need for that" Snape said in a low voice. What is Malfoy doing here?

"I was leaving anyway" Mafloy bit out, and then he got up.

"Goodbye, Mr. Malfoy" Snape drawled.

"Goodbye, Godfather" Malfoy replied, and he emphasized his last word. It was no doubt an attempt to show how close he was with Snape, but Snape didn't seem amused. The Potions Master just stared at Malfoy as he left. Once Malfoy was gone, Ron slowly took a seat.

"What can I do for you, Mr. Weasley?" Snape asked in a cold voice.

"Why was Malfoy here?" Ron asked before he could stop himself. Shite, not a smart move. Snape frowned, but Ron quickly jumped in to salvage the meeting. "I'm sorry, Sir. It is none of my business."

"Indeed" Snape said as his frown disappeared.

"I need your help, Sir" Ron told the Professor, and Snape sat forward a bit. "My mother and father sent this letter to me…" Ron said as he handed Snape the letter. "Please read it, and then we can talk more about it." Ron waited patiently as Snape read the letter, and Ron felt his stomach floating around. What if he can't help me? What do I do then?

"Mr. Weasley…" Snape sighed. "I am truly sorry, but there is nothing that I can do about this." Ron felt his heart drop into his stomach.

"Oh…" Ron managed meekly as he looked down at his feet.

"Let me explain why, Mr. Weasley" Snape said as he handed the letter back to Ron. "I am your Head of House, and I am your Professor for Potions. But they are your parents, and also your legal guardians. I have no right to interfere directly with their decisions." Ron looked up at that.

"Directly?" Ron asked, and Snape smirked a little.

"We will go to the Headmaster right now, Mr. Weasley" Snape said as he stood up. "We will convince him to speak with your mother and father. They both respect the Headmaster greatly, his words might alter their decision. Come." Snape then billowed out of his Office, and Ron followed after him quickly. They walked up quietly, like they always did, but Ron decided to break the silence this time.

"Do you think the Headmaster will help me?" Ron asked Snape, and the Potions Master kept walking.

"He will, I can assure you of that" Snape answered. "Whether your parents listen to him or not, that is the thing that I am uncertain about. Tell me Mr. Weasley, when did you get this letter?"

"I got it around four days ago…" Ron answered softly.

"And you are only just now coming to me?" Snape asked as he shot a quick frown at Ron.

"I didn't open it… until recently…" Ron replied in a meek voice. I should've kept my mouth shut. The last thing Ron wanted was for Snape to start shouting at him again, the first time was more than enough.

"I see…" Snape said softly, and Ron blinked at the man's back. That's it? They walked the rest of the way in silence, and Ron was glad for it. "Acid Pops" Snape said to the gargoyle as soon as they reached it. Snape then led them both up, and he knocked on Dumbledore's door.

"Come in" came the Headmaster's voice. Snape opened the door and ushered Ron inside.

"Headmaster, we have a problem" Snape said in a calm tone, and Dumbledore looked up from his desk. Dumbledore's eyes went straight to Ron, and then back to Snape.

"What has happened?" Dumbledore asked.

"This" Snape replied curtly as he handed Dumbledore the letter. The Headmaster gestured for them to sit as he began reading the letter. Ron and Snape sat down, and Ron shot a quick look to Fawkes. The gold and scarlet Phoenix was staring right at him, and Ron gave him a smile. The Phoenix seemed to nod his head at Ron, and Ron was awestruck. That is the coolest bird on the planet, not counting Helios.

"This is… unexpected" Dumbledore sighed as he removed his half-moon spectacles. Ron looked at the Headmaster, and Dumbledore gave him a soft smile.

"Can you talk to them, please?" Ron asked, he didn't want to beat around the bush. Please say yes, you're my best hope.

"You want me to change their minds?" Dumbledore asked, and his eyes began twinkling.

"I do" Ron nodded. "I don't want to be Re-Sorted, and they will pull me out of Hogwarts if I refuse."

"Headmaster, I would like to say something" Snape started, and Dumbledore gave him a nod. "Mr. Weasley's parents are clearly doing this because they believe it to be in his best interests… But I believe that they are wrong. Mr. Weasley's life will be negatively affected if his education becomes home-based. So I implore you to speak with them, tell them that they are making a mistake."

"I see…" Dumbledore smiled at Snape. "What would you like me to say to them, Ronald?"

"Tell them what Professor Snape just said" Ron replied. "Tell them that they are taking me away from my friends. Tell them that if I change houses now, I will never be accepted by my new house-mates."

"Mr. Weasley is correct about that" Snape jumped in. "He is a Slytherin student, and we are not overly-liked by any of the other houses. If he gets Re-Sorted, he will always be an outsider."

"And I don't want this Re-Sorting" Ron said firmly. "They can't do this to me."

"No, they cannot" Dumbledore said as he rubbed his bearded chin. "Technically speaking, only a student can request for a Re-Sorting. And your parents are no longer our students. The real problem here is the ultimatum they have given you, and I know that they will follow through with it. Arthur and Molly Weasley never go back on their words."

"Then you have to help me, please" Ron pleaded, and Dumbledore gave him a reassuring smile.

"Of course, Ronald" Dumbledore nodded. "I will go to the Burrow and speak to them, personally. And I will do my best to convince them that this is not the right way to help you." I don't need their help. I need them to not fuck me over.

"Thank you, Headmaster" Ron smiled at the old man. "This means a lot to me, and I won't forget it."

"It is quite alright" Dumbledore chuckled merrily. "I am more than happy to help. It will take me a day or two to set up a meeting with them, and I believe that you should focus on your school-life in the meantime. After all, Valentine's Day is coming up." Valentine's Day? Oh no… Daphne. Ron gulped loudly and forced on a smile.

"Thank you again, Headmaster" Ron said as a blush creeped onto his face.

"Oh, I sense a secret" Dumbledore chuckled again, and Ron went crimson.

"Ahem…" Snape coughed, and then he stared at Dumbledore.

"Just having some fun, Severus" Dumbledore smiled at the Potions Master, and Snape was not amused. "You are dismissed, Ronald. And I will be keeping this letter for the time being. I wish to go over it again."

"That's alright" Ron said quickly as he stood up. Ron then began making his way out, and Snape didn't follow him. As Ron opened the door, he heard Dumbledore call out to him.

"Ronald, send my greetings to Miss. Greengrass" Dumbledore chuckled, and Ron almost broke into a sprint.

"Headmaster…" Snape growled as Ron left the room in a hurry.

"Crazy old man" Ron said after he shut the door behind him. Does he know about our kiss? And what was that about Valentine's Day? Oh shite. I promised Daphne that I'd buy her chocolates last year. Merlin, what do I do about her? I can't even look her in the eyes…

---

February 12th, 1993 (Sanctuary)

Ron was a bloody coward, he knew it for certain now. He was the most cowardly Weasley to ever be born! He had backed out of talking with Daphne, and it had been almost three days since she had kissed him. Ron had sent all of his letters, including the one asking Charlie for help. He had also sent Astoria a letter via Marty, asking the little girl about what her sister's favorite chocolates were. If there was one thing that Ron knew about Daphne, it was that she always had favorites. She was a girl with refined tastes, and she knew what she liked. And Ron really didn't want to disappoint her. The need to please her baffled Ron himself. Why was he trying so hard to make her happy when he didn't even have the courage to talk to her alone?

And she wasn't making things any easier on him… She was acting like she normally did, and that was driving him insane. Was he just a moron for thinking about this so much? He just wanted some answers, but he also didn't have the courage to talk to her. What if it didn't mean what I think it meant? What if I'm just overreacting? I don't want to say something stupid. Ron let out a tired sigh as he looked over the brochure Astoria had sent back with Marty, at least she had encircled the chocolates that Daphne loved most. The only problem was that these chocolates cost five Galleons a box, and they were only sold in Paris. And then there was the fact that Astoria was a little demon sent from hell itself… Trusting that little girl was a risk that could leave Daphne disappointed, and Ron really didn't want that to happen. Ron was ripped out of his thoughts when he heard the door open suddenly, and he quickly hid the brochure in his inner robe pocket. Ron turned to see Daphne walking in with a happy smile.

"Hello, Daphne" Ron managed a weak smile. "Where are the others?" Just talk to her, you twat.

"They'll be up shortly" Daphne hummed as she approached Ron, and Ron felt his heartbeat increase steadily. "I wanted to talk to you alone first."

"Alone? Talk?" Ron muttered, he could tell that his ears were turning red. Daphne's happy smile turned sly, and that worried Ron.

"My father sent a letter" Daphne said as she pulled it out of her inner robe pocket.

"Oh…" Ron said, and then he sighed. She's still acting normal, and I'm being weird.

"Ron, what's the matter?" she asked in a mischievous tone, and then she squeezed herself in beside him on the single person chair again. Not again, why is she doing this?!

"Daphne…" Ron managed, his throat suddenly felt tight. "What are you doing?"

"Sitting next to you" Daphne smiled as she wiggled a little, making herself more comfortable. It had the opposite effect on Ron… "I want to read my father's letter with you."

"But this is just like…" Ron started and then stopped.

"Just like what, Ron?" Daphne hummed, an 'innocent' smile on her face. Ron felt his face burn, and he bit his tongue to regain his focus. But that didn't stop the butterflies in his stomach, or his ever increasing heartbeat.

"We kissed…" Ron managed to whisper. Daphne's cheeks became a little more red, but she kept her smile.

"We did" Daphne whispered back.

"And you're acting like it didn't happen…" Ron whispered.

"Do you want me to tell everyone?" Daphne asked with a small chuckle.

"No… But you could at least tell me why you kissed me" Ron said as he gazed into her dark blue eyes.

"I kissed you because I wanted to" Daphne replied. "Didn't you like it?" Daphne asked, her voice sounded a little shaky.

"I… I did…" Ron admitted. He did like the kiss, and he wanted to try again. But he was never going to admit that, it was too embarrassing. What if she refused?

"Good" Daphne beamed at him. "I liked it too."

"Good…" Ron said lamely. There was a short pause between the two, and Ron could tell that Daphne was waiting for him to say something. She was just looking at him with her dark blue eyes, and he was starting to lose his focus again. "Let's read the letter that your father sent" Ron broke the silence, and Daphne blinked at him. Her smile just fell a little.

"Alright" Daphne replied as she turned her attention to opening the letter. Ron felt his stomach flip around as he watched her open the letter. She is really pretty. Prettier than any girl in our year. The Patil twins are her only competition. But they don't have her… elegance. Daphne put the opened letter between them, and they both read it together.

Dearest Daughter,

I have received your letter, and I must admit, it has bothered me greatly. I am already looking into finding a solution, but I will need time.

Tell Ronald that I will speak with him more about this when he comes over on Saturday.

Best Regards,

Your Father

Ron blinked at the short, and businesslike, letter. Who writes to their children like that? Lord Greengrass, that's who.

"This is good" Daphne turned her head and smiled at Ron.

"Does he always…" Ron started but then he stopped. I don't want to offend her.

"Does he always write letters like that?" Daphne asked for him. "Yes, my father is extremely formal."

"He said 'Best Regards'…" Ron muttered.

"Are you worried about me, Ron?" Daphne chuckled, and he immediately felt defensive.

"No" Ron replied curtly, but it didn't seem to bother her.

"You're so sweet" Daphne cooed, and Ron felt his cheeks flush.

"Whatever" Ron said coldly as he turned to face the fire. Daphne started wiggling around again, and her hips pushed into his. "Daphne, what are you doing?"

"I want to get more comfortable" Daphne said playfully as she wiggled a bit more.

"I have an idea" Ron said in a dead-serious tone. "Sit on a chair that isn't occupied."

"But I want to sit next to you" Daphne smiled mischievously. She is enjoying this too much.

"Why are you doing this?" Ron asked, enough was enough. "Why did you kiss me?"

"I already told you, I kissed you because I wanted to" Daphne replied. "If you want to do something, then you should do it." What's that supposed to mean? And why is she looking at me like that? Like she is expecting something. And then it clicked in his head, did she want him to kiss her? Ron immediately felt his heart skip a beat, and he became extremely nervous. He wanted to do it… Just one more time… Ron slowly began to lean forward, and Daphne's smile encouraged him. She closed her eyes and waited patiently, but just as their lips were about to touch, the door to the Sanctuary began to creak open. Daphne shot out of the chair so fast that Ron was left utterly stunned. They both looked to the door guiltily, and they saw Blaise slowly enter. Good, he didn't see us. Merlin, my fucking heart was about to give out. We were about to kiss again. And she wanted me to kiss her.

"There you two are" Blaise said as he approached them. "We have a damn problem."

"What happened?" Daphne asked, her voice was a little shaky.

"Sprout's Greenhouses are burning…" Blaise replied, and both Ron and Daphne went pale. "They suspect the Heir to be behind this."

"What about the Mandrakes?" Ron asked as he stood up.

"Burning to crisp along with everything else" Blaise sighed. Fuck.

"This is terrible" Daphne said in a horrified voice.

"That's not all" Blaise frowned. "Someone killed the last of Hagrid's roosters."

"Because a rooster's cry is fatal to a Basilisk" Daphne nodded, and then she looked at Ron. Fine, I was wrong about the roosters!

"Don't say it" Ron frowned at her. "Don't fucking say it…"

"I was going to say that we should go back to the common room" Daphne huffed indignantly. "If the Professors start looking for the Heir, we shouldn't be missing from any role call."

"That's why I came here" Blaise told them. "Let's go."

---

Albus Dumbledore's POV

February 12th, 1993 (After Dinner)

Albus waited behind his desk, and he stared at the report Pomona had just submitted. Some had meticulously disarmed her safety Charms, and then they had used a Fire-Making spell to set the Greenhouses ablaze. The Mandrakes were destroyed in the fire, and it was a miracle that no student was harmed. It had taken Severus, Minerva, Sprout, and Filius to put out the magical blaze. But the Greenhouses were already destroyed by then. Everyone already knew who was behind it, the Heir. Just like it was the Heir who had slaughtered the last of Hagrid's roosters. And Albus knew why. They're trying to protect their Basilisk. Albus had figured out what the monster was the day the first rooster was slaughtered, but he had kept his silence. He knew that the Slytherin students would become even greater targets once it was revealed that their house's emblem was behind the attacks. Albus had begun to wonder if the silver serpent on the Slytherin banners was indeed just a serpent…

"Albus, we're ready" Minerva said as she came in without knocking. Albus was pulled from his thoughts, and he put on a welcoming smile.

"Headmaster, is it wise to leave the castle tonight?" Severus asked as they both approached Albus' desk.

"We are only leaving for half-an-hour at the longest" Albus told his two Heads of Houses. "I already told the Weasley family that I would be dropping by, and they are expecting me to."

"But Albus, the Heir…" Minerva started but Albus stopped her by a raising his right hand.

"The Heir will not strike tonight" Albus assured her. "They will not risk being caught like that. They know that everyone is on high alert tonight. Come, we must be off." Albus then moved to his fireplace, and he took some floo powder from a connected pot. "The Burrow" Albus said clearly as he threw the floo powder into the fire. Albus stepped through the green blaze, and he was suddenly inside the Burrow. He cleared the way for his companions, and they both came in one after the other.

"Ah, you're here" Arthur Weasley smiled at them as he entered the living room. "Come, please. Sit down, Molly prepared you some food." Albus walked up to Arthur, and the man shook his hand firmly. Why do people keep forgetting that I'm old? My bones aren't what they used to be. Albus then made his way into the kitchen, and he spotted Molly Weasley putting 'some' food on the table. Merlin, that's too much for five people.

"Welcome" Molly beamed at Albus and his companions. "Please take a seat."

"It is good to be inside your home once again" Albus smiled at Molly, and then he breathed in the homey smell of the Burrow. Albus then took a seat at the table, and Severus and Minerva sat on either side of him. Arthur took his seat at the head of the table, and Molly sat to her husband's right side.

"Please, dig in" Molly beamed at them, and Albus nodded as he began putting food on his plate. Minerva followed suit, but Severus didn't. Of course, he won't. Albus lightly kicked Severus under the table, and Severus growled at him. Molly and Arthur waited patiently, and Severus sighed as he began to put food on his plate. That's a good lad.

"Molly, Arthur…" Albus started but Molly shushed him.

"We can talk after we've eaten" Molly smiled, and Albus nodded. It is her house, and she did prepare all this food. And we all know that our conversation isn't going to be pleasant. Albus ate his food and talked to Arthur about the Ministry, Minerva spoke with Molly about the Weasley clock, and Severus ate quietly. After they had finished their meals, and seconds, Albus filled to bursting. I've eaten three dinners in one night.

"Now that we've eaten" Albus started. "I would like to talk to you about Ronald, and his future at Hogwarts."

"We've decided that Re-Sorting him is the best option" Arthur said firmly, and Albus blinked at him.

"It was your idea" Snape said in his cold voice, and Arthur nodded. I made a mistake. I thought that Molly was driving this decision, but it was Arthur.

"And I stand by my husband" Molly interjected. "This is for his own good."

"Molly" Minerva said. "I personally don't believe in that. Ronald has achieved a great many feats within Slytherin, the House of the Cunning has served him well."

"No, it hasn't" Molly argued. "My boy has changed for the worst over the last year and a half."

"And how is that?" Snape asked coldly. "He has become a respected member of my house, and he has earned a great deal of allies in that time. He has made connections with wealthy, powerful people. Connections that serve him well, and will continue to serve him well."

"I will not deny that" Arthur nodded. "Ron has amazed us with his actions over the last year and half, but those actions have changed him. Albus, after his attack, he told me that he wanted to kill the Dark Lord himself. He is only twelve, and he meant every word of it. And now he's using the Dark Arts? This would have never happened if he was in Gryffindor."

"Is that so?" Severus asked bitterly. "If he had entered that house, then he'd turn into a dunderhead like the rest of them." Molly and Arthur both looked appalled, and even Minerva was irked.

"Severus didn't mean that…" Albus started, but Severus cut him off.

"I did mean that" Severus told them. "Slytherin has helped him hone his ambitions, and we have tempered his talents. Slytherin demands excellence from its students, and without that constant expectation, Ronald's mind would have slowly deteriorated. And he would have never made those connections in any other house. For Merlin's sake, Ronald has become the apprentice of the wealthiest wizard in all of Britain."

"And now he hates how we all live" Molly growled, and all three Professors blinked at her. "He wanted to buy his siblings new robes and books, but when we told him not to, he started screaming at us. I did not raise my son to yell in my face. I did not raise him to beat other children bloody. I did not raise him to use the Dark Arts. He picked that all up in Slytherin."

"But what about the good things that he's picked up in Slytherin" Albus argued. "I'm sorry that Ronald acted that way, Molly. But he has made good friends in that house. Friends who are starting to think like he does. Ronald could help us overturn Slytherin house's ill reputation."

"But what about him?" Arthur asked. "Every day we leave him in that house, there is a chance that he gets more influenced to be like them."

"Like them?" Severus asked.

"Yes, like them" Arthur replied hotly. "Your house didn't earn its reputation on just rumors. Most of the Dark Lord's Death-Eaters came from your house."

"Arthur, there is no need for that" Albus interjected.

"My son is alone in that house!" Arthur bellowed. "And every single day that he is in there, his future is in jeopardy! He started learning the Dark Arts, Albus! And you didn't even know?! How could you not know that?! You promised us that you'd keep an eye on him… And you broke that promise." All Albus could do was stare at Arthur's enraged face, he had no answers to that.

"Arthur, please calm down" Minerva jumped in. "Ronald has shown us that he will not travel down that path anymore. He made a mistake, and he regrets it. Don't punish him any further."

"We are not punishing him" Molly argued. "We are protecting our son, because none of you will. And as for regretting his actions, why is he still torturing poor Harry?"

"Torturing poor Harry?" Severus asked in a sarcastic tone.

"He is not letting Harry play Quidditch out of spite" Arthur frowned.

"It is not spite" Severus hissed. "It is a strategic move that benefits his own house. Ronald owes no allegiance to Potter."

"And there it is again" Arthur glared at Severus. "My son didn't used to think like that. He was a sweet boy who wanted nothing more than to be kind to others, and now he is cold and calculating. He is turning into them…"

"This again…" Severus sighed.

"Arthur, Ronald is changing" Albus jumped in. "I will not deny that, but change is a part of growing up. The Sorting Hat placed him in Slytherin because that house was the best fit for Ronald."

"No" Molly shook her head. "No, it made a mistake. My son is not a Slytherin…"

"He demonstrates their qualities" Albus started, and both Arthur and Molly glared at him. "And I am not talking about Blood-Purity or anything like its ilk, I am talking about Slytherin's traits. Determination, cunning, ambition, strong leadership, and fraternity. These are good, admirable traits to have, and Ronald demonstrates them. He is loyal to the people that he cares about, he has a drive to be better than he was yesterday, and he has established himself as a leadership figure in Slytherin. The first and second years look up to him…"

"I don't want him to be leader in Slytherin" Molly cut Albus off. "I don't want my son to be affiliated with that vile house." Severus was about to say something, but Minerva beat him to it.

"Molly, you are being unreasonable" Minerva said firmly, her lips tightening into a frown. "It is the individual that determines what the house stands for, not the other way around."

"That isn't entirely true" Arthur argued. "There is a reason why so many Dark Wizards come from Slytherin, and it's all because the founder of that house was an evil man. Salazar's beliefs poison the minds of the children in Slytherin, and I will not let my son become like them. I will not have Ron turn into one of those Pure-Blood sympathizers."

"So you will rip that choice from his hands?" Minerva asked hotly. "Arthur, you are not doing your son any favors by removing him from Slytherin. His friends are all Slytherins. He has lived in that house for nearly two years. And if you two take all of that away, you will break his heart. He will never forget it… And he will never forgive you."

"And he certainly won't be better off in any other house" Severus added. "He will always be treated as an outsider… You will ruin his school life by doing this."

"Do you have children, Snape?" Arthur asked, and Severus blinked at him. "No, you don't. I would rather my son hate me then him turn into whatever he is turning into. I am his father, and it is my duty to protect him. Even from himself. You've known him for less than two years, but I've been with him since he was a day old. And now, I don't even recognize him. He sits differently, he eats differently, he talks differently, he thinks differently, he dresses differently, and even his hair is different. He cares about his appearance more than he cares about other people… What he did to Harry, I cannot allow that to happen again. I will not allow it. And this meeting… it's finished. He will either accept being Re-Sorted, or he will be home-schooled." Arthur then stood up, and he gestured them to the living room. Albus and his companions rose out of their seats, and they walked to the living room. After Severus and Minerva flooed back to Albus' Office, Albus looked to Arthur and Molly again.

"Will you not reconsider?" Albus asked one last time, and both parents shook their heads.

"No, this is our decision to make" Arthur said firmly, and Albus gave him a slow nod. Albus then walked through the green blaze, and he knew that his mission had failed. Ronald was on his own…

"They are making a mistake" Severus growled.

"I must agree with Severus" Minerva said as she paced the room. "This will only push Ronald away from them."

"Either way, we have no more say in the matter" Albus sighed as he walked up to a sleeping Fawkes.

"So that's it?" Severus asked. "We just give up on this?"

"They are his legal guardians, Severus" Albus said as he rubbed Fawkes' chest. The Phoenix hummed in his sleep, and Albus smiled softly at him. I failed him. Forgive me, Fawkes. "Even if we don't want to let this go, we must. They need his permission to Re-Sort him, but they don't need his permission to pull him out of school. Many witches and wizards are home-schooled, so even the Ministry will not bat an eye at this."

"And what about his future?" Minerva asked hotly. "He is a brilliant boy, and that brilliance will fade if he does not have professionals helping him along the way."

"I know" Albus sighed again. "But we are his teachers, not his blood. Arthur and Molly are in their rights to do this… And we cannot legally interfere. Which means only one thing…"

"The boy is on his own" Severus said in a cold voice, and Albus nodded. I'm sorry, Ronald. I tried my best.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

February 13th, 1993 (Sanctuary – Before Dinner)

Ronnie,

This is Charlie, but you already knew that because I signed my name on the letter. Anyway, I got your letters. Both of them. And I'd like to congratulate you! Well done, Ronnie. Landing your first kiss before thirteen? You've outdone both Bill and I, probably every Weasley. So well done you sly dog you. As for the girl that kissed you, she clearly likes you. Girls don't just kiss blokes at random, trust me. Unless they're slags… but I'm sure that your little girlfriend isn't. She is a proper Lady from what you've told me, and I'm so fucking proud of you!

But before I say another word on this, I need to make sure that you know how important this is. Kids around your age generally start experimenting with members of the opposite sex. And then there's puberty… You're probably really confused about the changes happening to your body, but there is nothing to fear. It's perfectly natural. This Daphne girl is probably going through the same things as you, and you two can help each other. But Ron… Don't do anything stupid. A few kisses are fine, but if you do something that endangers your future, I'll break your fucking legs! Namely: No sex, no sexual acts of any sort (Other than kissing), and you must respect her decisions! If she doesn't want to do something, don't even ask her. Consent is the most important thing between two people who are intimate, and you both need to consent. This is important, Ron. Make sure you know that through and through.

Now, about your second letter. Fucking hell, what a mess. Dad sent me a letter a few weeks ago, and he told me what you did. And I am really disappointed in you, Ron. The Dark Arts are no joke, and you will abandon this path at once. Or I will feed you my fist! As for their ultimatum, I don't agree with taking things that far. I will send a letter to them right after I send this one, and I will ask them to stop. You have my word on that. But I want you to know that you dug yourself into this situation. So no more Dark Arts, and for fucks sake stop acting like an arsehole. Just sit tight, and I'll do my best to get you out of this.

Your Favorite Brother,

Charlie

Ron put down the letter and sighed, Charlie was always the blunt one. But Ron was overjoyed that Charlie was going to help him with their parents. And he at least got some answers about Daphne. She does like me in the romantic sort of way. Woah. What do I do now? I mean, I like her too. But is it in the same way? I do want to kiss her again… Ron quickly pocketed the letter as he heard the door creak open, and his friends marched in.

"You spend a lot time in here, Ron" Pansy pouted. "Let's go outside and watch the sunset."

"This place is way better than sitting outside in the dirt" Theo grinned at Ron. "You have my blessing, mate."

"Thanks" Ron chuckled. "But don't get comfortable, I was just about to leave."

"What?" Daphne pouted miserably. "We just got here…" That pout is really cute. Get a grip, Ron.

"I know" Ron smiled at her. "But we still haven't spoken to Myrtle Warren, and we need to get on to that."

"Ron's right" Blaise said aloofly. "We should go before dinner starts." Ron and his friends began making their way down, and they were fortunate enough to not run into any Gryffindors. As they neared the first floor however, they began to hear a commotion.

"What's going on?" Tracey asked as they rounded the corner, and they all stopped dead in their tracks. A massive group of students was gathered around the entrance to Moaning Myrtle's bathroom. No, don't tell me… Ron started making his way towards the crowd, but Blaise stopped him by gripping his left arm.

"Those are all students from different houses, we need to leave" Blaise told him, and Ron blinked at his friend. Ron then looked at the group of students, and Blaise was right. Ron couldn't spot a single green tie.

"Ron, let's get out of here before we get spotted" Daphne pleaded, and Ron immediately moved into action.

"We'll go up to second floor, and then we'll take the moving staircases down" Ron instructed, and they all bolted immediately.

---

February 13th, 1993 (Dinner)

The school was once again set ablaze by rumors and speculation. And Ron listened to these rumors with a keen interest. The Heir had struck once again. Moaning Myrtle's ghost was found in a similar state to Sir Nicholas' ghost, she was found floating around in her bathroom in a black and smoky state. The staff were talking to each other animatedly, and so were the students. Ron felt more than a few stares being shot his way, and he also saw Potter ducking a few glances as well. We didn't even get a chance to talk to her. Why would the Heir target her? She's already dead.

"This is bad" Blaise sighed as he swallowed his food. "If this keeps happening, they'll shut the school down before long."

"And we'll be separated" Theo grimaced. "What do we do now? Our only lead just got taken out of the picture."

"She was a Muggle-Born, wasn't she?" Tracey asked. "Even the Muggle-Born ghosts aren't safe… That must've be the Heir's message."

"The Heir…" Ron grit out. "What a cunt…"

"Ron" Daphne frowned a little, and Ron sighed.

"I'm sorry" Ron muttered. The truth was that he kind of liked Myrtle. Sure, she was annoying, but she had been there for him. She comforted me when I was in pain… She didn't deserve this. Ron rubbed his forehead with his gloved hand, he could feel a headache coming on.

"May we have your attention?" McGonagall's voice boomed, and she tapped her wand on her glass. All the students turned to face the staff table, and Dumbledore rose out of his seat.

"I am sure that you have all heard the rumors about Myrtle Warren" Dumbledore said clearly. "And I regret to inform you all that they are true. She was attacked, just like Sir Nicholas, and we suspect the Heir of Slytherin to be behind this." The Slytherin students ignored the sudden glares being sent their way. "Please, do not turn your anger on your fellow school-mates. This is the work of an individual, not a collective group. In any case, we have decided to enact extreme safety measures."

"From this moment on" Dumbledore continued. "No student is to travel the castle alone. You must always be in a group of two or more. Furthermore, you will all have a new curfew from this day onwards. No student is to be found roaming the castle after six 'o'clock in the evening. Failure to comply with this new curfew will result in an immediate detention. And… Quidditch is hereby cancelled for the remainder of the year…" There was a sudden uproar from the students, and Ron was taken by surprise.

"That's rubbish!" Ron heard one of the twins shout.

"You can't do this to us!" Marcus Flint bellowed.

"What about the Quidditch Cup?"

"We were ahead in the Quidditch tournament!"

"This is ridiculous!"

"My father will hear about this!"

"SILENCE!" Dumbledore shouted over the students, and everyone shut up immediately. Dumbledore's expression had hardened, and he looked like completely different. "These new rules are not up for debate" Dumbledore said in a calmer voice. "They are for your own safety, and we will not change our minds. You Heads of Houses will escort you all to dinner every night, and there will be name-calls. Any student found missing will be subject to interrogation. Now… Eat your dinner, and then you will all be escorted to your common rooms." Dumbledore sat down, and looked visibly tired.

"This school is done for" Theo muttered, and Ron couldn't agree more. Merlin damn the Heir for ever being born.

---

February 14th, 1993 (Breakfast)

Ron marched along with the rest of the Slytherins, the prefects were leading them all to the Great Hall together. Ron shot quick looks around himself, and he could see that the house was unhappy about this. The older students looked annoyed, and the younger ones looked scared. The first years were all but quaking in their boots. They're scared about being blamed for this.

"We have to protect our first years" Millie suddenly whispered to Ron, and he looked to her with a faint smile. "I know that we have a lot of problems right now, but we can't leave them on their own. The third years don't really care for them, and the older students are far too self-serving. It has to be us, Ron."

"You're right" Ron nodded, and Millie smiled widely. "We will protect them… Tell the others." Ron turned his attention forward as Millie began telling the girls.

"This is ridiculous" came Draco Malfoy's voice from behind Ron. "It's like we're in Durmstrang." Is he talking to me? Ron slowly looked back at Malfoy, and the boy sneered at Ron. "What are you looking at, Weasel?"

"I thought you were talking to me…" Ron sighed as he looked forward again. What a tosser.

"I would never lower myself in such a manner" Malfoy hissed.

"You're doing it right now, you idiot" Ron hissed back. When Malfoy didn't retort, Ron smirked to himself. Ron then spotted the Gryffindors marching down the steps with their own prefects at the head of the pack. Figures. We're all being put through hell together. The two houses marched towards the Great Hall, and the tension between them was palpable. Ron spotted a few Gryffindors glaring directly at him, and he gulped. Things were finally starting to settle down a little, and now it's all gone to hell again.

Once all four houses were lined in front of the Great Hall, the prefects opened the door. The students moved inside in an orderly fashion, and Ron began to hear loud gasps coming from them. What now?! As Ron and his friends entered the Great Hall, Ron was stunned into silence. The walls were covered with large, lurid pink flowers. There was heart-shaped confetti falling from the pale blue ceiling, and there were pink balloons floating around the Hall. What the bloody hell happened in here?! The students slowly sat down in their usual spots, and everyone was just stunned. Most of the girls were smiling in awe, but the boys were looking to each other for an explanation.

"Who did this?" Theo asked Ron, and Ron shook his head.

"I don't know…" Ron muttered.

"Ahem…" Blaise coughed, and both boys looked to him. Blaise was pointing at the staff table, and Ron cringed when he saw Lockhart. The man was wearing lurid pink robes to match the Great Hall, and he was grinning ear to ear. On either side of Lockhart, Ron saw the teachers looking stony-faced. McGonagall was just staring at the students. Snape looked like he was about to kill Lockhart. Flitwick was looking ashamed. And on it went… Wait, where is Dumbledore?

"Happy Valentine's Day!" Lockhart suddenly shouted, and Ron just blinked at the man. "And may I thank the forty six people who have so far sent me cards! Yes, I have taken it upon myself to arrange this little surprise for you all! And no, it doesn't end here!" Lockhart then clapped his hands loudly, and the giant doors flung open. Around thirty surly-looking dwarves marched in, and Ron's eyes almost popped out of his head when he saw their attire. They were wearing fake golden wings, and they were carrying harps. This can't be real… Lockhart is pulling everyone's leg.

"My friendly, card carrying cupids!" Lockhart beamed in pure joy. One of the dwarves spat on the ground, and Ron just blinked at Lockhart in shock. "They will be making the rounds around Hogwarts today in order to deliver your Valentines! And the fun doesn't end here! I am sure that my colleagues will want to enter the spirit of the day! Why not ask Professor Snape for a Love Potion?! And if that isn't your cup of tea, why not ask Professor Flitwick for an Entrancing Enchantment?! He knows those enchantment quite well, the sly old dog! Now enjoy your breakfast children!"

Ron saw Flitwick bury his face in his hands, and he had to stifle a laugh. Ron then looked to see Snape's reaction, and it did not disappoint. Snape was shaking with quiet rage, and Sprout was holding his right wrist firmly. Lockhart is going to die today.

"This is amazing" Pansy said in awe, and all three boys frowned at her.

"This is disgusting" Theo muttered. "This is not the right time to be celebrating Valentine's Day…"

"Why not?" Tracey frowned at Theo.

"Maybe because there is a psychopath on the loose?" Blaise asked sarcastically.

"Lockhart is a fucking clown…" Ron shook his head, and he felt a strong kick on his shin. "Merlin…" Ron grit out in pain. Ron looked up to see Daphne smirking at him.

"I think this is a wonderful idea" Daphne said with a smirk.

"He wants us to forget all the bad things that are happening" Millie provided.

"This is a bad thing…" Theo shot back. "And please tell me that you four weren't a part of those forty six Valentine cards that he got…" Ron looked to Daphne immediately, and she looked down at her plate. All four girls did…

"Wow" Blaise frowned. Ron felt a strong pang of jealousy, and he glared down at his plate. Why did she send him a Valentine card?

---

February 14th, 1993 (Heading to Lunch)

"I can't believe this is happening" Theo chuckled. "The school is being invaded by angry dwarves!" Ron chuckled as he thought about the events of the day so far. Lockhart's dwarves were bursting into classrooms, hounding students, and they were not gentle. Most of the male population was walking around in fear, while the female population was extremely embarrassed because of it. At least the dwarves are gentle with the girls. I heard one of them pinned Potter down and sang him a limerick. Ron and his friends had been safe from any attacks so far, and Ron couldn't be more glad.

"So…" Tracey muttered. "Did you boys send out any Valentines?" Ron looked to Tracey, and she was fidgeting with her hands.

"I didn't" Blaise shrugged. "Saw no need to."

"Me neither" Ron joined in, and he saw Daphne's expression change immediately. Trust me, you should be grateful that I didn't.

"Boys…" Daphne huffed in disgust, and Ron flinched. He had actually managed to get her those chocolates that she loved most, and it was all thanks to Marty. But he wanted to give them to her in private.

"Don't lump me in with them" Theo sighed, and everyone looked to him in shock. "I sent one…"

"You did?" Tracey asked excitedly.

"To who?" Millie asked in disbelief.

"I'm not telling…" Theo frowned at Millie. "Now drop it, please." Absolutely not.

"Who was it, Theo?" Ron smiled slyly. "You can tell me, I'm friend."

"Stop it" Theo said, but his lips were twitching upwards.

"C'mon mate, let us in on the secret" Ron hummed. "Who's the lovely lad?" Everyone suddenly broke into a laugh, and even Theo was laughing.

"It was you" Theo wheezed.

"I knew it" Ron smiled.

"OY! YOU!" came a shout from behind them, and they all slowly turned around. Five angry looking dwarves were marching towards them. "Blaise Zabini! Hold it right there!" one of the dwarves yelled as they all started running.

"Fuck!" Blaise yelled as he threw his book bag at Theo, and then he broke into a sprint. Ron and his friends just stared in utter horror as Blaise ran off into the corridors, and two pissed off looking trolls ran after him.

"Did that just…" Theo started but then he stopped. Ron looked at Theo, and his weedy friend had gone pale. Ron looked to where Theo was looking, and he saw a pale dwarf grinning at Theo from the end of the hallway.

"Theodore Nott!" the dwarf yelled with a creepy smile. "I have a message for you! A message about love!" The dwarf suddenly broke into a sprint towards them, and Theo screamed as he dropped the book bags he was holding.

"Are you serious?!" Theo yelled as he broke into a sprint for the moving staircases. The dwarf ran past Ron and the girls, and Ron was disgusted by his creepy smile.

"Oh no…" Tracey muttered as they lost sight of Theo.

"This can't be happening" Ron muttered, his friends were doomed. For the first time in his life, Ronald Weasley was glad that someone else got something that he didn't. Ron picked up the book bags, and he shuddered. Those two are probably running for their lives right now… Merlin help them. "Let's go to the Great Hall, yeah?" Ron asked the girls.

"Yeah…" Pansy muttered, her cheeks were bright red. Why does she looked so embarrassed?

"Poor Theo…" Tracey sighed, her cheeks were also bright red.

"Ron… maybe we should go to the common room instead?" Daphne suggested, her cheeks were also bright red.

"I'm really hungry…" Ron said slowly as he stared at her. She looked genuinely worried for Ron, and Ron could hear the alarm bells in his head going off. What did you do Daphne?

"Okay…" Daphne muttered with a faint smile. They all made their way down slowly, and Ron was starting to feel scared. None of them were talking, and Ron wanted to know why. As they entered the Great Hall, Ron saw ten dwarves sniffing around where he usually sat. No… NO!

"THERE'S THE LITTLE BASTARD!" a dark skinned dwarf yelled as he pointed an angry finger at Ron. "GET HIM!" The whole student body in the Great Hall was dead silent as they watched Ron drop his book bags.

"Run, Ron!" Millie bellowed as she jumped in front of him. Ron did as he was told, and he bolted for the courtyard. Oh Merlin! Ron shot a quick look back, and he saw the dwarves push the girls out of the way and charge at him.

"Stop right there!" one of the dwarves yelled. "Stop!"

"We're just doing our jobs, you little shite!" another dwarf yelled, and Ron picked up his speed.

"Get away from me!" Ron screamed as he bolted past a few fifth years. Ron ran straight into the courtyard, and his pursuers were still giving chase. They had short legs, but they were dead set on getting him. No one has escaped them today! I'm so fucked! Ron grit his teeth as he cut his way through a few bushes. He ignored his shallow breathing as he spotted the Clock-Tower, he could hide in there! Ron ran straight towards the massive entrance, and he shot a quick look back. Every single dwarf that was chasing him was still on his tail. FUCK!

Ron ran through the Clock-Tower and he knew that he couldn't hide in here. Those evil dwarves were hot on his tail and they'd know where he was hiding. What do I do?! Ron kept running, and he could feel his stamina begin to fade. But he clenched his jaw and kept running, he was not going to get caught today. As Ron ran into a deserted Hallway, he spotted Cedric Diggory running right towards him. The Hufflepuff boy had almost twenty dwarves on his tail, and Ron wasn't even surprised. They both ran past one another, and they exchanged terrified looks. Good luck, brother. Ron hugged the wall as he ran past the army of dwarves chasing Cedric. After Ron got past them, he shot a quick look back. The dwarves chasing him had crashed into the dwarves chasing Cedric. The Slytherin and the Hufflepuff exchanged grateful looks with each other, and then they parted ways.

Ron ran a bit more slowly as he made his way back into the castle. I'm on the third floor now, I need to get to the Sanctuary. Ron picked up his pace as he ran towards the moving staircases, he had no intention of letting those dwarves catch up to him.

"Not again!" Ron heard a familiar voice yell from around the corner.

"Harry, run!" came Longbottom's yell. As Ron rounded the corner, he saw Potter bolting towards him. There were five dwarves chasing him down, and Ron decided to ignore this. He had his own problems right now. Ron ran past Potter, and straight towards Longbottom and Hermione.

"Ron?!" Hermione called to him, but then her eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. Ron shot a quick look back, and a scream tore its way out of his throat. They fucking caught up to me! Ron bolted right past the two Gryffindors, and they were both shoved against the walls as the dwarves charged at Ron. Ron ran as hard as he could and he managed to reach moving staircases. Luckily for Ron, he ran almost every morning, and therefore he had stamina to spare. The dwarves however were beginning to wear down, and the stairs weren't helping them. Their little legs were becoming the bane of their mission to get Ron. As Ron managed to make it onto the seventh floor, he saw an unholy sight before him. It was Theo… His friend… And he was pinned down by four dwarves, and one of them was holding the weedy boy's head to the ground.

"Your beautiful curly hair" the pale and creepy dwarf sang, and Theo let out a groan.

"Theo!" Ron yelled, and that seemed to wake Theo up.

"Ron! Help me, please!" Theo yelled, and Ron ran towards his friend.

"Back off you little twat!" the dwarf holding Theo's head bellowed at Ron.

"Get them off me!" Theo screamed at Ron, and Ron felt stared in utter horror as the creepy dwarf glared at Ron.

"HE'S RIGHT HERE!" the creepy pale dwarf yelled, and Ron turned to see his own pursuers. NO!

"I'm sorry, Theo!" Ron yelled as he broke into a sprint.

"Weasley, you son of a bitch!" Theo screamed as Ron rounded the corner. Ron was almost there, he was almost inside his Sanctuary. Ron turned another corner and ran towards the tapestry.

"Ah, my little prodigy!" Lockhart suddenly popped into view, and Ron almost broke into tears. He was so fucking close, and now Lockhart was standing in front the entrance.

"Sir, help me!" Ron decided to beg. "Those dwarves…"

"Ah!" Lockhart laughed. "Say no more, come with me." Ron actually smiled as Lockhart led him towards a broom closet. "Get in, quickly. I will send them elsewhere!" Lockhart grinned, and Ron ran into closet.

"Thank you, Sir" Ron gasped for air. My legs… My lungs… I just need to sit down for a minute.

"He's in here boys!" Lockhart suddenly yelled with a grin, and Ron's heart fell. Ron quickly tried to escape, but Lockhart blocked his way. And then… Then the dwarves showed up. They looked so pissed off, and Ron felt his eyes sting.

"Please…" Ron muttered, and then they charged him. He was pinned to the ground by rough hands, and he couldn't even move. Ron tried to flail about, but those hands tightened around his limbs. Ron let out a pained cry as a dwarf started playing his harp. Ron heard the door close, and he knew that it was over for him. The dwarves then began to sing their Valentines at the same time, and Ron squealed in pain as they held him down more tightly.

"You're beautiful blue eyes!"

"Red locks of fire!"

"The beautiful Heir!"

"Purging the unworthy!"

"I love your rings!"

"I want to take off your glove!"

"Kill those Mud-Bloods!"

Ron screamed in shame as they kept going, this was hell.

---

February 14th, 1993 (Hospital Wing)

"There, you should feel much better now" Pomfrey smiled sadly at him. Ron covered up his arms and legs, and then he put on his glove.

"Thank you, Madam Pomfrey" Ron said softly. He had been left bruised all over his arms and legs by those fucking dwarves, and Ron wanted to murder Lockhart. But that wasn't even the worst part… The worst part was the cringe-worthy things that those dwarves had sang to him. He felt ashamed of himself, and that was worse than anything.

"Alright, run along now" Pomfrey said as she ushered him through the curtains. "Next!" Pomfrey yelled as Ron stepped out. There was a line of male, and few female, students. All of them were supporting their own bruises. Afternoon classes had been cancelled due to the massive number of students being admitted into the Hospital Wing, and Lockhart was hopefully paying for this. Ron walked past the students still waiting in line, and he spotted his best mates waiting for him.

"There you are" Blaise sighed, his robes were torn up. "Let's go…" Ron quietly walked with Theo and Blaise, and none of them wanted to say a word.

"You left me" Theo said suddenly, and Ron looked to the weedy boy. Theo was frowning at him, and Ron sighed.

"Mate, I had ten of them on my tail" Ron defended himself. "And you were already caught…"

"That sounds reasonable to me" Blaise said in bored tone.

"How did you get caught?" Theo asked Blaise.

"I was almost safe, but then three more dwarves showed up" Blaise shuddered. "One of them kicked my legs out from under me, and that was that."

"At least Lockhart didn't lock you in a damn broom closet" Ron grit out.

"What?!" Theo laughed. "He locked you in with ten dwarves?"

"I'm going to kill him" Ron hissed.

"Let's just never talk about this again…" Blaise sighed.

"Agreed" Theo and Ron said together. The three boys made their way down to the common room, and they sighed gratefully as they entered the safety of their home.

"You guys are alright!" came Pansy's happy voice. Ron and the boys turned to see the girls walk up to them, and Ron frowned at Daphne. She sent one of those Valentines, didn't she? That's why she wanted me to go to the common room.

"Are you alright?" Daphne asked Ron slowly, and Ron calmed down his features.

"I'm fine" Ron replied curtly. "I need to go change." And just like that, Ron walked towards his room. Ron spotted Malfoy supporting a haggard look as he limped towards the entrance to the boys' dorms. Him too? Merlin, what a day. Once Ron entered his own room, he closed the door behind him. Ron then sat down on his bed and sighed loudly, he wanted to forget that this had ever happened. There was a sudden knock at the door, and Ron looked at the door in surprise.

"Can I come in?" came Daphne's voice, and Ron just blinked at the door.

"Yes" Ron called out, and Daphne slowly entered the room. She closed the door behind her, and then she locked it. Ron's heartbeat started increasing, what was she doing? "Where are Theo and Blaise?" Ron asked her as she turned around.

"They're talking with the girls" Daphne replied with a frown, and then she began to approach him. "Are you angry with me about something?"

"No" Ron lied. "I'm not angry with you…" Daphne narrowed her eyes on him as she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Yes, you are" Daphne huffed.

"No, I'm not" Ron retorted childishly.

"Does this have something to do with this morning?" Daphne asked haughtily, and Ron blinked at her. This morning? What happened this morning?

"I don't know what you mean by that" Ron replied honestly.

"So you aren't jealous that I sent Lockhart a Valentine?" Daphne smirked arrogantly. Ron suddenly remembered that he did feel jealous, and that annoyed him greatly.

"I'm not jealous" Ron said as he stood up.

"Whatever" Daphne huffed.

"What do you want, Daphne?" Ron asked her bluntly. Daphne just stared at his face, and then her cheeks started becoming rosy.

"You promised me something last year" Daphne said softly. "Remember?" The chocolates. Ron sighed at her as he nodded. Ron then opened his trunk and pulled out the box of French chocolates.

"Here" Ron said as he walked right up to her. Daphne looked down at the box, and then she released a happy squeal.

"You got me my favorites!" Daphne laughed as she clapped her hands, and Ron felt his anger fade away. Thank you, Tori.

"Yes" Ron couldn't help but smile, she looked so excited.

"How did you know?" she asked as she looked at Ron in awe.

"Your little sister helped me" Ron replied truthfully. "I asked her for help a few days ago, and she sent me a brochure with your favorite chocolates already marked."

"Thank you" Daphne blushed deeply as she accepted the box from Ron, and Ron gulped. Now what? "Ron, what's wrong?" Daphne asked with a wide smile, and Ron managed a meek smile back. His stomach was doing flips again, and they were standing rather close.

"Nothing" Ron lied poorly, and Daphne blinked at him. But then her smile suddenly turned mischievous. Shite.

"Nothing, eh?" Daphne hummed. "Were you expecting a reward, Ron?"

"No…" Ron whispered as he shook his head slowly.

"What if I want to give you a reward?" Daphne asked slowly. Ron felt his heart pounding in his throat, and he felt a little lightheaded. This is just like the time with my scars.

"What reward?" Ron asked slowly, and Daphne took a step closer to him.

"I'll leave that up to you" Daphne said softly, and then she closed her eyes. She wants me to kiss her! Ron gulped again, and he felt the pressure. He didn't want to leave her hanging, and he also wanted to kiss her again. He just wanted to try it a little… Ron slowly leaned forward and gave her a quick peck on the lips. He felt a shiver run through him as he felt her soft lips, and he quickly pulled back.

"There…" Ron muttered, his face felt like it was on fire. Daphne opened her eyes and smiled at him.

"You didn't enjoy it?" Daphne asked, but she knew that he did.

"I did…" Ron shuffled his feet. "Did… did you?"

"I did" Daphne said softly. "We can try again… if you want?" Ron looked into her dark blue eyes, and he nodded slowly. The both leaned in again, but there was a sudden bang on the door.

"Ron, why is this locked?" came Blaise's annoyed voice, and Ron and Daphne flew apart from each other.

"Sor… Sorry" Ron called as he walked up to the door. His hands and legs were shaking a little, and he knew that his face was bright red. Ron unlocked the door, and Blaise walked in.

"Um… am I interrupting something?" Blaise asked slowly as he looked between Daphne and Ron.

"No" Ron lied blatantly.

"Ron and I were… arguing" Daphne lied more convincingly as she hid the box of chocolates behind her back.

"About what?" Blaise asked.

"I want to ask my father to talk to Ron's parents, and he keeps refusing" Daphne sighed. Wow. Ron was awed by how convincing she sounded.

"Ron, don't be an idiot" Blaise frowned at him. "Daphne's idea is quite decent, and you should go for it. What happened to fighting this in every that you can?"

"I'm just waiting to hear back from Dumbledore" Ron jumped on board. Why hasn't he gotten back to me? "After that, we'll see…"

"Fine" Blaise shook his friend at Ron's stubbornness. "I'm going to go take a shower…" Blaise walked up to his trunk and began to pick out his outfit. Ron shot a wide-eyed look to Daphne, and she smiled at him. Ron couldn't help but return her smile, they'd manage to trick Blaise.

"I'm going to go" Daphne told the boys as she slowly slipped out of the room. Ron noticed that she was still hiding her chocolates, and she gave Ron a quick wink before she disappeared from sight. Ron shook his head clear, and he let out a breath of relief.

"You need to listen to her, Ron" Blaise said as he turned around with his outfit picked out. "Her plan could help us keep you around." I'm not going anywhere.

"You're right…" Ron smiled faintly. "I'll listen to her from now on."

---

Hermione Granger's POV

February 15th, 1993 (Gryffindor Tower)

Hermione sat in front of the fire alone, and she waited patiently for Ginny Weasley. It was the crack of dawn, and there was nobody else in the common room. Yesterday had been quite hectic, especially with those mean dwarves running about. Hermione felt her cheeks burn as she thought about Ron, one of those dwarves had been sent by her… She hadn't meant for that to happen of course, none of the girls and boys did. Professor Lockhart had somehow gotten his hands on everyone's Valentine cards, and he had used the dwarves as the delivery system instead of the owls. Poor Ron, and poor Harry. One of the dwarves had broken Harry's spectacles in the scuffle…

"You're here" came Ginny's voice from behind her, and Hermione quickly turned around.

"Ginny, why did you want to see me so early?" Hermione asked the pale, red-haired girl. Something is off about this. Why did she ask me to meet her alone in the morning last night? We have a new curfew to follow.

"Ronald asked me to set this up" Ginny smiled, but her smile looked forced.

"Ron asked you to meet me this early in the morning?" Hermione asked slowly, and Ginny nodded.

"He asked me to give you a message" Ginny replied. "He wants to talk to you in the library before he leaves for work this morning. He couldn't get to you yesterday because of those dwarves and the new curfew."

"What does he want to talk about?" Hermione asked. What she says makes sense, this new curfew is a massive hindrance to everyone.

"He said something about your mutual goal to find someone" Ginny shrugged. "I didn't really understand what he meant, but he said that you would." The Heir! Ron must finally be ready to share his knowledge on the matter.

"Well, we can't leave right now" Hermione sighed. "It's too early."

"Ronald will be gone for the entire day" Ginny told her. "And he won't get back until after the curfew starts. He told me to tell that it was extremely important, that he knew what the secret weapon was…" The monster?! Ron knows what the monster is!

"I need to go get Harry and Neville" Hermione said as she stood up.

"Why?" Ginny asked suddenly.

"Because we aren't allowed to roam around alone" Hermione told her.

"I'll come with you instead, and then we can come back together after you've spoken with Ronald" Ginny smiled at her.

"I don't know about that…" Hermione said softly. Ron won't like it if I drag Ginny along with me.

"Please" Ginny implored. "I actually need some help with my homework… And Ronald told me that you're the smartest witch in his year." Hermione felt her cheeks flush at that.

"He said that?" Hermione asked with a soft smile.

"He did, and I want us to make… peace" Ginny shuffled her feet. "I want to make more friends…"

"Of course, Ginny" Hermione beamed at Ron's little sister. "I'd love to be your friend. C'mon then, let's go talk to your brother." Hermione then led the way towards the library, and Ginny followed after her. When they were on the fifth floor, something clicked in Hermione's head. She doesn't have any books… Hermione stopped walking instantly.

"What's wrong?" came Ginny voice from behind her, and Hermione turned around slowly.

"Ginny, where are your books?" Hermione asked Ginny, and the little girl smiled at her. It was a cold smile, and it scared Hermione a little. "Ginny… Why are you smiling at me like that?"

"You're quite clever, aren't you?" Ginny spat out, and Hermione flinched. What's wrong with her?

"Ginny…" Hermione blinked at the little girl.

"I overheard your little theory the other day" Ginny smirked coldly. "You were on the right track when you suspected the Heir to be a Gryffindor." Hermione felt the blood drain from her face, this couldn't be happening. "But those two fools shut you down immediately. They can't look past their own blind faith in your disgusting house."

"You… you…" Hermione stuttered as she shook from fear. She can't be the Heir, she's Ron's little sister…

"I wonder what they will do after I kill you" Ginny hummed, and Hermione felt her eyes sting. I have to fight back! Hermione quickly ripped out her wand, but Ginny slapped the wand out of her hand with wandless magic.

"Please…" Hermione muttered as tears fell down her face. "You can't do this… You're Ron's little sister… I'm his friend…"

"Ronald and I share no relation" Ginny smiled cruelly. "I was intrigued by him, I must admit. But I have changed my mind. After I get rid of you, I'll get rid of him. And then, I'll get rid of Potter." None of what Ginny was saying was making any sense because Hermione's mind had stopped functioning properly. She was going to die, wasn't she? Ginny then began to hiss in a foreign tongue, and it made Hermione's skin crawl. She really is the Heir…

"What are you doing?" Hermione whispered, and then she let out a meek sob.

"Ending you" Ginny grinned, and her eyes gleamed red. Hermione heard something moving behind her, and a large shadow was cast over her and Ginny. The monster… Hermione slowly began to turn around, her entire body shaking with fear. Her eyes fell on a shiny armor that was serving as a decoration, and Hermione saw the horrific reflection of Slytherin's monster behind her. Her eyes landed upon the two bright yellow orbs in the reflection, and everything went black.

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Holy shit this was a big chapter! And a lot of big things happened! Tom is on the fucking warpath!

Now, I just quickly wanted to say something. I know that a lot of you are fearing that I might abandon this story, and I can understand those fears. A lot stories that we like tend to get axed, and Ron stories are especially guilty of this. I want to dispel those fears when it comes to my story! I have spent way too much time planning this all out for it to just get axed. That's why I made this chapter extra massive! I want you all to know that I won't just leave halfway! Sure life gets busy, but I will always make time for this. You have all shown me an amazing amount of support, and I won't let you down.

That is all.

See you guys soon.