AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 40! We just hit a mile-stone! We are now officially past 500K words! That's huge! Now a couple of things:
1. The first half of the chapter happens at the same time, but through different people's POVs.
2. I'm glad to see that many people are enjoying the latest chapters quite a lot. Makes me happy. So thanks.
Please enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.
I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.
Fate
Chapter 40 – A New Strategy
Ronald Weasley's POV
February 15th, 1993 (After Breakfast – Crack of Dawn)
The Great Hall was completely empty as Ron finished up his breakfast, and it was rather disconcerting. He hated the eerie feeling that he was getting from being the only person roaming the castle. Ron finished up the last of his scrambled eggs, and then he left the Great Hall. The walk down to the dungeons was done in dead silence, and Ron knocked on Snape's door. The sound of his knocking echoed through the dungeons, and Ron shuddered involuntarily. It's so creepy being the only one around. Ron waited for a response but it never came. Ron knocked again and he was met with silence again, was Snape not in his Office? Bugger it, I need to get to Greengrass Manor.
Ron pushed the door open slowly, and he entered when he saw that it was empty. Snape wasn't in the Office. That's odd. He is always here to send me off, so where is he today? Ron shrugged to himself as he made his way to the fireplace. He grabbed a handful of floo powder, and he tossed it into the fireplace as he called out his destination. The fire blazed green, and Ron stepped through.
"You're here!" came the sweet sound of Astoria's voice, and Ron felt his lips form into a smile.
"It's good to be back" Ron chuckled as Tori quickly clung to his right arm.
"I want to talk to you before you see my father" Tori beamed.
"Tori, I have to at least greet him first. It'll rude not to" Ron told her, and she pouted.
"Please" Tori whined. "I just want to know if Daphne liked our gift for her." Our gift? I don't remember you paying your half.
"She… liked it" Ron replied softly as his face flushed. We even kissed again.
"That's great news" Tori hummed as she dragged Ron along with her. "I had to raid her room in order to get that brochure."
"What?" Ron asked with shock.
"Don't be so surprised, Ron" Tori laughed. "Did you honestly think that I carry around a brochure with her favorite type of chocolate encircled? That's just silly."
"Tori…" Ron sighed. "I told her that I asked for your help… She'll know that it was you who raided her room."
"Don't worry" Tori grinned. "I got Spinny to clean Daphne's room. It's looks just like she left it."
"Spinny?" Ron asked slowly.
"My House-Elf" Tori replied in a fond voice. "She is the best! She even lets me cuddle her when I have bad dreams." Bad dreams? Ron stopped himself from moving, and Tori stopped too.
"Bad dreams?" Ron asked. Not visions, I hope…
"It's nothing weird" Tori blushed. "I've always had them… Everyone in the family knows, and now… So do you." Ron blinked at her, was she saying what he thought she was saying? "Anyway" Tori quickly changed the subject. "I just wanted to ask about the chocolates, and now I know that it worked out."
"Ron, welcome back" came Lady Greengrass' voice, and both children turned around to face her. She was wearing some sort of gardening outfit, and her hair was tied in a ponytail. Woah. No! Don't even think like that.
"Good morning, Lady Greengrass" Ron greeted her with a smile, and she gave him a light frown.
"Ron, just call me Mary" Lady Greengrass sighed. "You're a friend of our family, and my friends call me Mary." Ron went to open his mouth but she shushed him. "No arguments, young man. And if you call me Lady Greengrass when we are alone again, I will pinch your cheeks red." Tori giggled at that, and Ron frowned at her. Betrayed.
"You can pinch my cheeks" Tori laughed, and Mary did just that. Ron smiled at the happy mother and daughter, and then he felt his chest tighten. His mother used to pinch his cheeks like that…
"I'm going to go find Lord Greengrass" Ron said, and then he turned to leave.
"Ron" Mary said, and he turned to face her. She put a soft hand on his left cheek, and then she gave him a kind smile. "It will all work out…" Ron was stunned into silence, and he just stared at her for a few seconds.
"What will work out?" Tori asked, and Ron woke up from his daze.
"Don't worry about it, love" Mary told her daughter. "Go on, Ron. My Lord Husband is waiting for you." Ron gave her a slow nod, and then he left. He made his way to the study, and he knocked on the door lightly.
"Come in, Ron" came Lord Greengrass' voice, and Ron entered.
"How did you know that it was me?" Ron smiled at Lord Greengrass. His mentor was standing in front of the small fireplace, and he was gazing into the flames.
"My wife doesn't need to knock" Lord Greengrass replied. "And my little Tori doesn't understand the concept of knocking. So who else could it be?"
"Show off…" Ron pouted as he took his usual seat, and Lord Greengrass let out a small chuckle at Ron's comment.
"We won't be starting your work yet" Lord Greengrass sighed, and then he turned to face Ron. "We need to talk about your parents first." Ron nodded slowly. "Tell me, Ron. Do you want to leave Slytherin?"
"No, absolutely not" Ron replied firmly, and Lord Greengrass' lips twitched upwards.
"That is good to hear, Ron. My daughter sounded quite panicked in her letters to me."
"Letters?" Ron asked as his cheeks felt hot. I kissed his daughter… If he ever finds out… Ron shuddered.
"Yes, she sent me four" Lord Greengrass replied in a calm tone. "The first one told me of your situation. The next three were riddled with her plans and solutions. She is very… fond of you." Ron met Lord Greengrass' eyes, and Ron smiled meekly. But Lord Greengrass didn't smile, and that worried Ron a little. He couldn't possibly know, could he? "In any case, I looked into the matter myself."
"And?" Ron asked. "Can I stay in Slytherin?"
"I'm sorry, Ron" Lord Greengrass sighed, and Ron's heart fell into his stomach. "I am only your employer, and legally speaking, I cannot interfere. All I can do is talk with Arthur and attempt to change his mind on the matter. I wanted your permission before I do that."
"My permission?" Ron asked with wide eyes.
"Of course, Ron" Lord Greengrass replied as he sat down in his chair. "This is your family, and I do not to wish to overstep."
"Thank you, my Lord" Ron smiled, and Lord Greengrass smiled back. "You have my permission. Dumbledore actually went and spoke with them as well, but I don't know if it worked. He hasn't told me yet."
"If he hasn't told you, then he failed. People like him are quick to speak of their victories, but slow when admitting defeat." Ron's face fell at that, did Dumbledore really fail? How? Dad worships him. How will Lord Greengrass succeed when even Albus Dumbledore failed?
"And if they refuse you as well?"
"Then it will be out of my hands, Ron. You will have to take things into your own hands" Lord Greengrass replied.
"My own hands? What can I even do?" Ron slumped his shoulders.
"Ron, there is one thing that you can do…" Lord Greengrass said slowly. "Emancipation…" What? Ron blinked at Lord Greengrass, and his mentor held a calm look.
"No" Ron said curtly.
"It was just a suggestion" Lord Greengrass smiled softly. "I will speak with Arthur on Monday, at his workplace. And then I will owl you to let you know how things went. Is that alright?"
"Yes, my Lord. Thank you for doing this. It… means a lot to me…" Ron said softly.
"Think nothing of it, Ron" Lord Greengrass smiled. "Now, let's get started on your training. The Junior League Tournament is approaching, and this time, it's being held in Beauxbatons."
Severus Snape's POV
February 15th, 1993 (Crack of Dawn)
"Wake up, Master" came a House-Elf's voice, and Snape flew out of bed. He immediately grabbed his wand off the nightstand and aimed it at the terrified Elf.
"What are you doing in here?" Snape snarled. "I have forbidden your kind from ever coming into my room."
"Forgive Spots, Master" the Elf bowed his head. "But the Headmaster sent Spots… There has been an attack on the fifth floor…" Another attack? The Heir! Snape quickly put on some robes that were laid out on his chair, and then he bolted out of his room and into his Office. Snape shut the door to his Office behind him as he ran full tilt towards the stairs leading out of the dungeons. Snape prayed that it was another ghost that was attacked, but he knew that wasn't the case. The Heir was getting bolder by the day, and they had every right to be. None of the staff had a clue on who it could be. Snape quickly ascended up the moving staircases, his legs burning slightly due to being pushed so hard so suddenly.
"Ah, Severus" came Albus' voice as Snape was about to reach the fifth floor. Snape quickly turned to see Albus, Poppy, Pomona, Minerva, and Argus Filch marching towards him. There was a floating stretcher behind them, and Snape saw a female student's hand sticking out from the side. A girl? Which one?
"Who was attacked?" Snape quickly asked his mentor. "Are they dead?"
"She is petrified, Severus" Albus replied, and Snape visibly relaxed. Good, thank Merlin for that. "And the victim is Hermione Granger…" Granger? The know it all… The Heir attacked Potter's friend? Was it just because she was a Muggle-Born? Or was there a more personal reason behind this attack?
"Why was she out alone?" Snape asked Minerva as they began to descend down to the Hospital Wing.
"I don't know…" Minerva muttered, her eyes were wet. "She would never be so irresponsible… Something is not right here."
"We all know how responsible Potter and his friends are" Snape said bitterly. Foolish girl. Why couldn't she just stay with her friends? She's a Muggle-Born for Merlin's sake.
"This was different, Severus" Albus interjected.
"I found her wand" Filch suddenly piped in, and then he handed the wand to Snape. Snape inspected the Vinewood wand with a grimace, why did she have it out? She must've seen the Heir coming, that's the only reason I can think of.
"Hermione would never break the rules on her own" Minerva said. "She may follow Potter and Longbottom into breaking them, but she has never broken them on her own. This isn't sitting right with me, Albus."
"I know" Albus sighed as he pushed the Hospital Wing door open. They quickly got Granger onto a bed, and Snape gazed down at her. She held a terrified look on her face, and it made Snape curious. Did she know that she was about to be attacked? If so, then how did she know? Did she see the Heir?
"Poor girl" Pomona sniffled, and Snape blinked at Granger. Indeed. "Headmaster, what are we going to do? The Heir has petrified three Muggle-Born students, attacked two ghosts, burned down my Greenhouses, and even slaughtered Hagrid's roosters. This is getting out of hand…"
"I agree, Pomona" Albus said in a sad voice, he was also looking down at Granger. "But I believe that the Heir has finally made a mistake…"
"A mistake?" Minerva asked. What are you talking about, old man?
"I believe that the Heir lured out Miss. Granger" Albus replied, and everyone was stunned. Does he seriously suspect a Gryffindor? "And I believe that she realized that the Heir meant to harm her, and so she brandished her wand in defense. She was overpowered, and then she was petrified."
"You suspect the Heir to be in Gryffindor?" Poppy asked as she closed the curtains around them.
"I do now" Albus rubbed his chin.
"Albus…" Minerva muttered. "This is the House of Godric Gryffindor we are talking about… How could Slytherin's Heir be in my house?"
"Don't let your fondness for your 'lions' fool you" Snape told her bluntly. "We must be vigilant, and we must investigate every house equally." I just sounded like Mad-Eye… Better to be paranoid than to be dead.
"I agree with Severus" Pomona sighed, and both Minerva and Snape looked to her in shock. "We have looked into every Slytherin student, and we have found nothing. Maybe it's time we broadened our pool of suspects."
"Well…" Minerva sighed, she looked exhausted. "If that's the case, and if Albus' theory is correct, then the Heir might be someone that Hermione knew and trusted. Why else would she follow them out into an abandoned hallway?" Snape wanted to point the finger at Potter, but even he knew that Potter would never attack his own friends.
"I just heard about the attack" came Filius' haggard voice, and Snape turned to see the Charms Professor walk through the curtain. He looked just as haggard as he sounded, and he went pale when he saw Granger. "Merlin, no… She was one of my brightest students…"
"We have to tell the school" Pomona sighed in defeat. "And we have to tell her fellow Gryffindors…"
"I will do that" Minerva said softly as she gazed at Granger.
"All of you must come to my Office before breakfast begins" Albus said in a calm tone. "We must discuss the future of Hogwarts…" And just like that, Snape's mentor turned around and left. There is no future for Hogwarts if we don't capture the Heir. Snape shot one last look at Granger, and he sighed internally. Foolish girl… Minerva then sniffled softly and began to leave. Snape waited for a few seconds, and then he followed after her.
"Minerva" Snape called out as he caught up to her. She turned around with a sad look, and Snape frowned a little. "I… I'm sorry… for Granger…" Snape then shot a wary look around to see if anyone else had heard him, and he was glad to see that no one had.
"Thank you, Severus" Minerva responded with a faint smile, and then she left. Snape watched her leave, and then he too left for his own domain. Snape walked down to his Office first, he need a shower and a fresher set of robes. As he reached his Office, he noticed that the door was already open. I closed that when I left this morning. Snape quickly brandished his wand, and he slowly entered the Office. When he spotted the fresh soot marks upon the fireplace, he knew that Ronald had gone to work for the day.
"Idiot boy" Snape growled as he slammed the Office door shut. "Doesn't even understand the notion of closing doors."
Harry Potter's POV
February 15th, 1993 (Gryffindor Tower)
"Harry, wake up" came a familiar voice, and then Harry's body was shaken roughly. Harry was immediately fully awake, and he hopped out of his bed.
"Neville?" Harry asked, his vision blurry. He reached over to the side table and grabbed his glasses. Once he put them on, he noticed that Neville was already trying to wake up Seamus. What's going on? What time is it? Harry let out a yawn as he approached his best friend. "Neville, what are you doing?" Harry asked as he tried to pat down his own unruly hair. I should buy a comb.
"McGonagall is downstairs" Neville said as he shook Seamus awake. "She has an announcement to make… Percy just woke me up, and he told me to wake you all up."
"Ugh…" Seamus groaned as he got out of his bed. "What's the fucking time?" Both Neville and Harry frown at Seamus' language. He's been swearing a lot recently.
"Early, I'd say" Neville replied.
"That's a terrible answer" came Dean's tired voice, he had woken up due to the commotion.
"Let's go downstairs and find out what McGonagall wants" Harry said firmly. "It's got to be important if she's waking us up this early."
"Do you think there was another attack?" Dean asked as hopped out of bed. Harry felt his stomach tighten at the prospect, he was so sick of this Heir business. Everyone will just blame me or Weasley. Harry didn't want to admit this to Neville, but he had been thinking hard about what Hermione had said. What if the Heir was actually in Gryffindor? What if it was them that stole the diary, and not their 'accomplice'? Weasley may be a prick, but there was literally no hard proof against him.
"Merlin, I hope not" Neville sighed, and then he left the room. The boys followed after him, and Harry quickly caught up to his best friend.
"Nev, are you alright?" Harry asked, and Neville gave him a faint smile.
"Yeah, mate" Neville muttered. "I'm fine…" He's lying to me. Harry decided not to push Neville any further, Neville would tell him what was bothering him when he felt ready. They all stepped into the common room, and it was packed with students. All of them were wearing their pajamas, and they all looked groggy.
"Good, everyone is here" McGonagall said after a few more seconds of waiting. "I have some terrible news… There has been another attack…" Whispers immediately broke out, and Percy clapped his hands loudly for silence. "Thank you, Percy" McGonagall sighed.
"Who got attacked?" Angelina Johnson asked loudly, and every student stared at McGonagall.
"Hermione Granger…" McGonagall replied, and the entire room went dead silent. Harry's head began to spin, and he had to put his hand on a chair to steady himself. No… No, this isn't happening. How? How could this even happen? She was with us all day yesterday. I even saw her leave for her dorm early. Harry shot a quick look to Neville, and he saw his best friend just standing there with a vacant look. "She was found petrified on the fifth floor" McGonagall elaborated. "If anyone has any information, I invite you to step forward." The fifth floor?
"When was she found?" one of the twins asked.
"This morning" McGonagall replied. "We believe that she was attacked as the sun was still rising. If anyone knows why she was roaming the castle so early in the morning, step forward now." No one said anything, and McGonagall let out a tired sigh. "Potter, Longbottom… Come with me." Harry slowly got up to follow her, but Neville didn't even move.
"Nev…" Harry whispered as he pulled his best friend. Neville's eyes were already going red from unshed tears, and he just blinked at Harry. "C'mon, mate. Let's go…" Harry then pulled Neville behind him, and he ignored the sympathetic looks that they were getting. All he could think about was Hermione… Nothing else mattered.
They followed after McGonagall quietly, and she began to lead them down the moving staircases. Harry's mind burned with a million questions as marched down silently. Why was she out there so early? What was she doing? And how did the Heir know where to find her? This doesn't make any sense… Hermione didn't deserve this. Harry's mind wandered to Weasley, and he frowned to himself. No, not even he would do anything to her. He saved her life back in first year… Our lives… And how would he even know that she left Gryffindor tower so early? Unless… Unless he asked her to. But he never spoke to her yesterday. We were with her the entire day, and he never approached her. Why were you out there Hermione? What were you thinking?
"Go on" McGonagall told them as they stood in front of the entrance of the Hospital Wing. "I will give you two some privacy, and then we need to talk."
"Thank you" Harry managed to croak out, was his throat really that dry? Harry and Neville walked into the Hospital Wing, and they saw Pomfrey pacing in front of some potions. She turned to face them, and her face fell a little.
"Her bed is behind those curtains" Pomfrey told them softly. Harry gave her a thankful nod, and then he led the way. As he pushed the curtains apart, a soft gasp escaped his lips when he saw her. She had a terrified look on her face, and her pale skin looked as hard as stone.
"No…" Harry whimpered as he slowly approached her, and then he grabbed her stone-like hand. It was cold, and lifeless. His eyes burned at the sight of her, she didn't deserve this. Harry could hear Neville crying softly, and he blinked away his own tears. I have to be strong… For both of them. I will find this Heir myself, and I'll make them pay for this.
"Harry, what do we do?" Neville asked with a sob. "They got Hermione…" Harry tightened his grip on her hand, and fresh tears welled up in his eyes.
"We get the Heir" Harry grit out, his sorrow turning into wrath.
"We don't even know who it is" Neville sniffled as he sat down beside Hermione. "And… And I don't think that it's Weasley…" Harry was stunned at that, did Neville just say that?
"Nev…" Harry started but Neville cut him off.
"I know that I've always suspected him…" Neville muttered, he was just staring at Hermione's terrified face. "But what Hermione said about the Heir being in Gryffindor stuck with me… And I've been thinking about it constantly… They stole the Diary, I know it in my heart… And Weasley… we have no proof that he's the Heir. He used the Dark Arts, I know, but maybe that's just because he is a bad person. But being a bad person isn't proof of being the Heir…"
"Nev…" Harry sighed in relief. I wasn't the only one with doubts. "I agree with you" Harry smiled softly, and Neville looked at him with a stunned expression.
"You do…" Neville muttered. "After everything that I've said?"
"Yes" Harry nodded softly. "I've been thinking about what she said as well, and I agree that we have no proof on Weasley. And even he wouldn't attack her… Not just because they're friends, but also because that would point the finger right at him. Weasley isn't the Heir… Someone in Gryffindor is." Both boys just stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Neville rubbed his eyes clean.
"Then we have to find them" Neville said, his voice was still a little shaky. "We have to get them for what they did to her." We will, I promise.
"Let's go and talk to McGonagall" Harry said as he let go of Hermione's hand. "We should try and learn more about her attack."
"Okay" Neville sniffled again as he stood up. "We'll get them, Hermione" Neville whispered to her with a faint smile. "I promise." Both boys left the Hospital Wing after that, and they walked straight over to their Head of House.
"I'm sorry you two" McGonagall gave them a comforting smile. "But I have some questions that need answers."
"So do we, Professor" Harry said firmly, and McGonagall blinked at him.
"Very well" McGonagall responded after a few seconds of silence. "Do you two know why she was roaming the castle alone so early in the morning?"
"No" Neville replied as he shook his head. "Hermione would never break the rules like that. If she was out there, then she was out there for something important."
"Do you know what?" McGonagall asked, and both boys shook their heads. "I see…"
"Professor, why do you think that she was out there?" Harry asked.
"I don't know, Potter" McGonagall responded. "But I will doing my best to find out. Now tell me, who are her friends in Gryffindor besides you two?" Her friends in Gryffindor? Then it clicked in his head, they suspected the Heir to be in Gryffindor as well! Someone must've lured Hermione out, someone that she trusted enough to follow! But who? She only ever talks to Neville and me.
"She doesn't really talk to other people much" Harry replied truthfully. "But she isn't on bad terms with anyone in Gryffindor, or any other house. Besides Slytherin, of course."
"So there is no one that she was fighting with?" McGonagall asked. "None of her dorm-mates? Or any other girls?"
"No, not that we of anyway" Neville responded.
"Very well, you two are dismissed" McGonagall sighed. "And be careful, understand?"
"Yes, Professor" both boys replied together, and then they left. They both began making their way up to Gryffindor Tower, and neither of them said a word until they reached the moving staircases.
"Did you hear that?" Harry asked Neville. "She asked us about Hermione's friends in Gryffindor! They must also suspect the Heir to be in Gryffindor, just like we do now."
"Just like she did when the Diary went missing" Neville said shamefully. "We should've listened to her, Harry."
"I know…" Harry said as a pang of shame hit him. "But now we know where to start looking, and it isn't anywhere near Weasley."
"We owe him an apology" Neville said softly. "I owe him an apology…" We'll get to that soon enough, but right now we need to focus on the Heir. But even as he thought that, his mind drifted to his former red-haired friend. Their friendship was completely eviscerated by now, but Harry still felt the need to apologize. If not for Weasley's sake, then for his own. He didn't want this feeling of guilt gnawing at him anymore.
"Hermione knew her attacker, Nev" Harry said firmly as he shook his head clean of any thoughts related to Weasley. "She knew them, and she trusted them. They must've lured her out of the tower, and then attacked her."
"Damn them…" Neville grit out as he clenched his fists. "Damn them to hell." Hell isn't a bad enough place for them… They deserve much worse.
Sirius Black's POV
February 15th, 1993 (Grimmauld Place - Morning)
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" Remus asked in a worried tone.
"Of course it is" Sirius frowned at his brother in all but blood. "I won't let them do this to him, I refuse to. This…" Sirius grit out as he tightened his grip on Ron's letter. "This is despicable."
"Sirius, calm down" Xenophilius sighed.
"My husband is right" Pandora chimed in. "You being this angry is not going to help our case."
"How could they even think about doing this?" Sirius asked in an appalled tone. They are no better than my own parents!
"They are scared for their son, Sirius" Remus sighed. "And fear is the catalyst for poor decisions."
"Just take a deep breath" Pandora said softly, and Sirius did as he was told. They were going over to the Burrow right after this. Their plan was to blindside Molly and Arthur, and then talk some sense into them. I'll tie them both to a fucking chair if I have to. Sirius took a few more deep breaths, and then he looked at Remus.
"Let's go" Sirius said firmly. Remus went over to the fireplace, and he opened a floo network between the two houses. They each stepped through one by one, with Sirius being the last one through.
"Molly is in the house, but Arthur isn't" Remus said as he sniffed the air.
"Remus? Is that you?" came Molly's voice, and then she walked into the living room. Her eyes popped open at the sight of them, and Sirius felt his temper flare. "Oh my… What are you all doing here? I haven't had a chance to clean, or prepare anything…"
"We aren't here for food" Sirius frowned, and Xenophilius put his hand on Sirius' shoulder.
"Molly, we want to talk to you and Arthur" Pandora said with an airy smile. "Can we please sit down in the kitchen?"
"Of… Of course" Molly shook her head clear. "Come on then, I'll go and get Arthur." Sirius and his companions sat down on the dining table, while Molly went out to Arthur's shed.
"Sirius, calm down" Remus frowned at him. "Being angry doesn't help the cub."
"You will just antagonize them if you speak in anger" Xenophilius added. "This is about Ron, and not your own personal issues." Sirius shot a glare at Xenophilius, but the strange man held a certain firmness in his demeanor. How did he even know about that? These Lovegoods… I swear that they are all clairvoyant.
"Xeno…" Pandora sighed.
"Good afternoon" Arthur greeted his friends merrily as he entered the kitchen. "What brings you all here? And why didn't you call ahead? Molly would've prepared lunch."
"We already ate" Sirius said with a deadpan expression. Look at him, all happy and carefree. I bet Ron is pulling his hair out in worry because of this mess.
"Oh…" Arthur muttered as he read the vibe of the room. "What's going on?"
"We wanted to talk to you both" Pandora said in her soft voice. "Please sit down." Molly and Arthur exchanged looks, and then they sat down in front their friends.
"What do you want to talk about?" Molly asked hesitantly, she was beginning to suspect the reason for their sudden visit.
"We want to talk about Ron, and this" Sirius said as he slid the letter towards the Weasleys. Arthur picked it up and read it, and then he frowned.
"Let me guess" Arthur sighed. "You want us to let him stay in Slytherin."
"Yes" Remus nodded. "I know that you're scared for your son's safety… But this is not the right way to help him."
"His safety?" Molly frowned, and Sirius blinked at her. "We're worried about more than his safety, we're worried about his future." Well, you have a funny way of showing it.
"Please tell us what you mean" Pandora quickly piped in, she knew that Sirius was about to fly off the handle.
"He has changed, Pandora" Arthur told her. "I know that you've noticed that as well. And he hasn't changed for the better. He's become violent, even cruel, and it's all because of that house."
"Arthur, you can't just blame the entire house for Ronald's choices" Xenophilius sighed.
"Then who else do I blame?" Arthur retorted hotly. "I didn't teach him to act like that. Molly didn't teach him to act like that. None of you have taught him to act like that. Tell me then, who do I blame?"
"He made one mistake" Remus argued, and Sirius just bit his tongue. He was starting to lose his temper, how could Arthur be so blind? He's going to push Ron further away from us all if he does this.
"But it isn't just one mistake" Molly jumped in. "He attacked that Malfoy boy at Gilderoy's book signing."
"As did your husband" Sirius grit out, and Arthur's face flushed red.
"He screamed in my face!" Molly snapped. "Straight in my face, Sirius… And I saw the look of disgust on his face as he looked around our home… He thinks that we haven't noticed it, but we have. Every now and then we catch him looking around like he is in a trash can… And do you know why he yelled at me?" None of them responded. "He yelled at me because I refused to accept his money. He should be saving that money, but he refused to listen. And we know why… He's ashamed to be a part of this family…" Sirius just blinked at Molly's teary eyed, and anguished, face. Pandora quickly got up and sat down with her, and then Pandora held her in a comforting way. Molly let out a broken sob, and Pandora shushed her and whispered something in her ear. The room was dead silent, and Sirius turned to look at Arthur. The man was barely holding on, and Sirius felt the wind get knocked out of his sails.
"Every single day…" Arthur managed to say, his voice and hands shaking. "Every single day I see my boy drifting away, and I'm done watching… That house is turning him into one of those Pure-Blood elitists, and I'm done denying that." That immediately began a hot fire in Sirius' veins. Is he implying that Ron will become a fucking Death-Eater?
"What did you say?" Sirius grit out, and Remus grabbed his arm. Arthur looked to Sirius with a confused expression, and Sirius' jaw clenched.
"Sirius, don't" Remus warned, but Sirius jerked his arm free.
"You prejudiced bastard" Sirius snarled, and Arthur went wide-eyed. "He made one fucking mistake, and you're reaction is to show him his place?!" Images of Sirius' father with his fists clenched popped into Sirius' mind.
"What…?" Arthur muttered. "His place?"
"He didn't chose that fucking house, the Hat did!" Sirius bellowed as he stood up, all of his childhood anger flashing in his eyes. "And he is just doing his best to live with a decision that he had no fucking power over! And now that he finally has his feet on solid ground, you're going to rip the fucking carpet out from under him!"
"Sirius, that's enough" Xenophilius said firmly, but Sirius refused to listen.
"Do you have any idea how that feels, Arthur?" Sirius asked, and the Weasley patriarch just stared at Sirius. "It fucking kills you, that's how it feels! You think he doesn't feel like shite for being sorted into that house in the first place? Because I know for a fact that he does!"
"And how do you know that?!" Molly yelled at him.
"BECAUSE I WAS FUCKING THERE!" Sirius yelled at them both, and then he felt the fire just fade away. "I was there…" Sirius muttered as he fell back down on his chair. "I was once in the same position as he is now…"
"Your family…" Arthur whispered.
"I was the first Black to be sorted into Gryffindor, and no one ever let me forget it" Sirius said softly as he stared at his tattooed hands. "At first, I thought that the Hat had made a mistake… But just after a few seconds I knew that it hadn't. I was always different, and the Hat knew it. It put me in Gryffindor because it knew that I would thrive in that house, and I did. The Hat has done the same thing for the pup… and you're punishing him for it…"
"We aren't punishing him" Molly replied. "We aren't your parents, Sirius. And the Hat put you in Gryffindor, not in Slytherin."
"How are you any different from them?" Sirius asked with a sad look. "They hated Gryffindor, just like you hate Slytherin…"
"And you don't?" Molly asked defensively.
"I do…" Sirius nodded. "But I love that kid… And I won't lose him because of something as… as stupid as school rivalry…"
"We won't lose Ronnie" Arthur said firmly. "I know my son, and he won't turn his back on us."
"Yes, he will…" Sirius said slowly. "I did…"
"Ron isn't you…" Molly responded with teary eyes. "He will understand why we did what we did when we put him in Gryffindor. When he sees how amazing Gryffindor is, he'll forgive us."
"That is wishful thinking" Xenophilius piped in, and everyone was shocked at his words. "The Hat could sort him into any house… What if he doesn't end up in Gryffindor?"
"Then he'll at least be away from Slytherin" Arthur replied.
"Do you know why I ran away from home?" Sirius suddenly asked the Weasleys.
"You parents…" Arthur sighed.
"Yes, and no" Sirius told them. "The beatings were bad, but I could take them… The insults were bad, but I could take them… Even feeling isolated was bad, but I could take it… But you know what drove me to run away? My mother and father demanded that I be Re-Sorted, or they'd pull me out of school." Molly and Arthur's eyes widened at that. "The thought of losing my friends… That's what drove me to run away. And we all know that Ron loves his friends, and they love him."
"They visited him every single day, Molly" Pandora reminded her. "We talked to them, remember? They were good, kind children. Well mannered, and soft spoken. And they cried at seeing Ron in that state. They cried with us…"
"Don't do this…" Remus jumped in. "He will never go down without a fight, and you know it. And then, he'll resent us all for it." There was a long silence in the room, and Sirius felt drained. He hated thinking about his horrible childhood, but he knew that he had to use it this time. If it helps the kid, then I don't mind thinking about it.
"I remember those kids…" Molly whispered, and everyone looked to her. "They were beautiful children… But I also know who their parents are, and one day, they'll turn into them. Because that's how it works with them. They all turn into their parents…"
"Molly…" Pandora gasped.
"My brothers were slaughtered by the Death-Eaters" Molly cried, her eyes were bloodshot. "Their heads were cut off and their bodies burned… And Cornelius Nott was one of the Death-Eaters behind it… His son is Ron's friend… I… I can't let my Ronnie think like them… Please don't ask me to do that…"
"If he hates us, then he hates us" Arthur said with a cracked voice. "But we know that this is what's best for him… Dumbledore always says that the Dark Lord will return, and we know for certain that he will… Ronnie has to be with his family when that time comes…"
Sirius just stared at the two Weasleys, and he knew that he had failed. These two would never change their minds, and they were willing to let Ron hate them. They were dead-set in their beliefs, and no one had the power to change them. Ron's time in Slytherin was over…
Ronald Weasley's POV
February 15th, 1993 (Almost Dinner)
Ron stepped out of the fireplace and into Snape's Office, it had been a long day. Lord Greengrass had made him work his mind into oblivion, and Ron was barely staying awake. That man is a monster, but I know that he wants me to succeed. For both our sakes.
"Mr. Weasley" came a familiar icy voice, and Ron turned to face Snape sitting behind his desk. "Take a seat, we need to talk." Ron did as he was told, and he could feel that something was off.
"Is this about my parents, Sir?" Ron asked, and Snape just stared at him.
"Yes, and something else" Snape replied in a low voice. "We failed to change your parents' minds, Mr. Weasley. I am sorry, but they are adamant about their decision." Ron's heart fell at that, and he let out a tired sigh. "And there is something else… Your friend, Miss. Granger… She was attacked by the Heir today." Ron looked up slowly, and he just stared at Snape. They held eye contact, and Ron knew that Snape was telling the truth.
"What… When?" Ron stuttered, his hands beginning to shake. Hermione got attacked? Hermione's dead? He felt his chest ache terribly, and he blinked rapidly to keep his tears in check.
"Sometime early in the morning" Snape replied. "She was found petrified on the fifth floor. You have my condolences." Petrified? So she's not dead… Ron felt a small bit of relief at that, but his chest still ached for his friend.
"Can I… can I see her?" Ron asked, and Snape slowly stood up.
"You can… tomorrow morning" Snape replied. "There is a curfew in place, Mr. Weasley. I will escort you to dinner, and then you will go back to the common room. You can see her tomorrow." Snape then led the way out of his Office, and Ron followed him in a daze. His head was starting to pound, and his vision kept blurring because of his own tears. I was worrying about being kicked out of Slytherin so much that I didn't even think about her… She's a Muggle-Born, so of course she was a potential target! Fuck! Fuck! FUCK! Ron felt like he was going to vomit, and his trembling body didn't help. Why didn't I get a vision about this?! What the fuck is the Entity doing?! "Mr. Weasley?" came Snape's voice, and Ron looked at him. He had a concerned look on his face, and Ron let out a whimper.
"I should've been here…" Ron managed a pitiful cry, and Snape blinked at him.
"You couldn't have done anything, Ronald" Snape said softly as he put a firm hand on Ron's right shoulder. "She was attacked before you even woke up." I should've had a vision about this, but I fucking didn't… Why? Where are you, you evil bastard? Why aren't you doing your fucking job?! Ron let out a meek sob, and Snape gave his shoulder a squeeze. "Ronald… Don't show them any weakness." Ron looked up at that, and he saw Snape looking at him with a firm expression. Ron took in a shaky breath, and then he rubbed his eyes clear. I won't. And I'll find them, and I'll rip their damn head off.
"I'm okay…" Ron whispered to himself, and then he cleared his throat. "She isn't dead, she isn't dead… I'm okay…" Ron felt a little calmer at the thought of Hermione waking up one day, and he rubbed his eyes again.
"Shall we go?" Snape asked, and Ron nodded.
"Yes, Sir" Ron replied clearly. "Let's go." They then made their way up to the Great Hall, and they entered it slowly. All the students looked over to them, and then they went back to their own conversations. Ron managed a quick look towards Potter and Longbottom, and he was shocked to see them both just give him weak smiles. They aren't accusing me? Why? Ron made his way towards his friends, and he sat down between Theo and Blaise.
"Did you hear?" Tracey asked him as soon as he sat down.
"I heard…" Ron sighed. "Merlin damn this Heir bastard to hell."
"I'm sorry, Ron" Daphne gave him a sad smile. "I know that she was your friend… And she didn't deserve that…"
"Thanks" Ron gave her a meek smile.
"Did you also hear about the school?" Theo asked, and Ron looked at him in confusion.
"They are talking about shutting it all down" Millie muttered, she looked extremely sad. "We're going to get split up…"
"No, we won't" Ron said firmly. "We're going to find this son of a bitch before they attack anyone else." And I'll make them pay for what they did to Hermione.
February 16th, 1993 (Midnight)
He couldn't sleep… He had been tossing and turning all night, and he just couldn't drift off. All he could think about was Hermione… Her bushy hair, her toothy smile, her haughty voice, and her by-the-books attitude. Ron had never seen her as a Muggle-Born, he could only see her as a person. As his friend. And the fact that she was attacked because of something as stupid as Blood-Status drove him mad with rage. He wanted to hurt the Heir so fucking much. He wanted to break their damn bones, and twist their head off of their shoulders. Ron sat up and opened the curtains around his bed, his best mates were snoring in their sleep. Good. I have to go and see her.
Ron stepped out of his bed slowly, and he cast the Disillusionment Charm on himself. He then grabbed his Marauder's Map, and he took a quick peek around the castle. The teachers were patrolling again, but something else caught Ron's eye. Potter and Longbottom were in the Hospital Wing… They probably wanted to see her as well. That's fine, I just won't lift the Charm when I get there. Ron then hid the Marauder's Map under his mattress, and then he made his way out of the Slytherin common room.
The journey up wasn't difficult, Ron had become rather skilled at using this Charm. He used it more often than any other spell, and that said something about him. I'm a damn moron, that's what it says about me. Ron slowly crept past a shaking Filch, and he felt sorry for the terrified Squib. Ron could at least better understand his pain now. Mrs. Norris may have been a cat, but she was his only friend. I'll get the Heir for both of us. Ron then made his way to the Hospital Wing, and he was glad that the door was already open. He quickly skulked in, and then he tip-toed around the room. Where is she? Ron spotted three beds with their curtains closed, and he knew that he just had to check them all.
But before he did that, he lay down on the ground and checked for any feet. Where are Potter and Longbottom? Did they leave? That explains why the door was open. Well, that makes my job easier. Ron then stood up and tried the closest bed. He opened the curtain, and he saw a tiny Colin Creevey lying petrified on a bed. Ron grimaced at the sight, and then he shut the curtains. He made his way to the next bed, and he opened the curtains. This time he saw a shocked looking Justin Finch-Fletchley, and Ron released a shaky sigh. That leaves only one bed. Ron made his way to it, but he stopped before he moved the curtain. His hands were shaking horribly, and he couldn't help but remember that this terrible habit had stopped for so long. Ron took in a deep breath, and he steeled his nerves. And then, he opened the curtain.
The sight hit him so hard that he got winded, and his concentration was shattered. He became visible again, but he didn't give a damn. He entered slowly, and his eyes burned as he stared at her terrified expression. His put his shaking gloved hand on her forehead, and he caressed it softly. It felt like he was caressing a very smooth rock, and that made him release a weak whimper. He crouched down by her face, and he blinked hot tears out of his eyes.
"Hermione…" Ron whimpered, but there was no response. "I'm so sorry… I should've done something… Anything…" A sob broke out of his throat, and he grit his teeth. He leaned forward and gave her a kiss on her forehead, and then he recoiled in horror. Her skin felt hard, and cold. But he felt so damn guilty for recoiling, and he didn't even know why. He just did… So he sat down on her bed, and he held her cold hand. "I'll find them… And I'll kill them…" Ron whispered, his entire body shaking. "And then, the Professors will bring you back… And we can be friends again… I'll be the best friend that I can be when you're back…" Ron let out a broken whimper again, and he tightened his grip on her hand. "I won't ever leave you behind again…" Ron then heard someone else sniffle, and he went into full alert. He flew off of the bed and aimed his wand around frantically, but there was no one there. What the fuck?
"Ron… it's us" came a whisper, and then Potter and Longbottom just appeared. They were under the invisibility cloak the entire time, and Ron felt his ears burn. They saw me… They saw me! Ron's embarrassment turned into rage, and both Gryffindor's went wide eyed.
"Wait Ron, just please wait" Longbottom put his hand up in a calming manner. Ron saw that both boys were teary eyed, and he clenched his jaw.
"You were here the entire time?" Ron grit out, and they nodded slowly. "And you just sat there and watched? Well, did you enjoy the show?" Ron spat out. "Watching me cry like that… I bet you loved it."
"Ron, we didn't" Potter said softly. "We heard you walking around, but we didn't know that it was you. And then you became visible, and we… we just… had to see…" Ron felt his face burn, but he lowered his wand. An awkward silence engulfed them, and Ron slowly looked back at Hermione. The sight of her hurt his chest, and he quickly looked away.
"Well, I'm leaving…" Ron said softly. "Sorry for the intrusion." With that, Ron made to leave, but Potter grabbed his left wrist. Ron jerked himself free and glared murder at Potter. "Don't touch me…" Ron snarled.
"We want to talk, Ron" Potter pleaded. Why is he calling me Ron?
"So it's not Weasley anymore?" Ron grit out. "You think that watching me cry gives you the right to use my first name? Piss off…"
"We know that you're not the Heir" Longbottom jumped in, and Ron blinked at him. "And we're sorry… We're really sorry, Ron. Please believe that."
"You're sorry?" Ron muttered in disbelief. "I don't give a damn if you're sorry." Both Gryffindors flinched at that. "You betrayed me simply because I was in a different house from you two… Do you know how much that fucking hurt? Did everything that I did for you mean so little?"
"No… No, it meant a lot" Potter said with a shaky voice, his emerald eyes soaked with tears. "But I'm not going to let you say that you're completely innocent in this. You hurt me too…" Ron blinked at that, but he didn't argue.
"Then all three of us are terrible people" Ron whispered. "We had a good thing… And we ruined it… And the only person who tried to keep it all together is lying petrified not two feet away from us."
"Then please help us" Longbottom said softly, and Ron stared at him in disbelief.
"Help you?" Ron asked slowly. "How dare you ask for my help? If you had come to me and asked for help back in December, then I would have gladly helped you. But no… You instead chose to attack my friend and steal her likeness… What makes you think that I'll ever help you again?"
"Because they attacked her" Potter said firmly, and Ron just stared at him. They did… and I'll find them. I don't need Potter or Longbottom for that. Ron shook his head and made to leave again, but this time Longbottom grabbed his left wrist.
"Ron, please" Longbottom pleaded. "I'm so sorry, but please help us. Hermione told us that you were looking for the Heir yourself, and we can share information. Please, mate… I'm begging you… We need to work together on this." Ron barely heard anything that Longbottom had just said because his head started spinning, and his body felt weightless. A vision?
Ron found himself standing in a very familiar hallway, and he gazed around the colorless seventh floor corridor. This is not too far from my Sanctuary. Ron then heard quick footsteps approaching from behind him, and he turned to face a colored Longbottom. Ron was left slack-jawed at the sight of the older Longbottom, and all he could do was watch in shock as Longbottom strode towards him with a confident stride. Longbottom looked to be around fifteen or sixteen, and he was no longer chubby. Longbottom's face was still a bit round, but he was also tall, lean, and looked quite intimidating. He walked with his shoulders squared, and his head held high. That's a tough looking Longbottom… Never thought that I'd see that. Ron quickly followed after this older Longbottom, and he was shocked to see Longbottom start pacing in front of the Sanctuary's entrance.
"Hey!" Ron snapped, but to no effect. "This place belongs to me!" The door to the Sanctuary appeared, and Longbottom entered quickly. Ron followed with a frown, and once he stepped inside, his frown disappeared. Instead, Ron's face became a mixture of shock and genuine awe. There were almost twenty students inside the Sanctuary, and they were all practicing spells. Ron looked around slowly, and he immediately noticed that this place wasn't his Sanctuary. No, this place looked more like an arena of sorts, and that baffled Ron. How do so many people know about this place? I would never tell them.
"Neville, you're here" came a girl's voice, and Ron looked over to see some blonde Hufflepuff girl hug Longbottom tightly. Not bad, Longbottom. She's really cute. What am I thinking?! I need to concentrate.
"Nev, mate" came a male's happy voice, and Ron saw Longbottom get swarmed by people.
"Give him some space" Potter said, and Ron just blinked at him. He looked to be around the same age as Longbottom, of course, but he was much shorter and his features were sharper. "Mate, where have you been?" Potter asked Longbottom.
"Umbridge brought me in for questioning" Longbottom replied, and everyone gasped. Umbridge? The woman that went missing after being seen with me. "They've still got Hermione, but I know that she won't say a word about us." Hermione! She's alright then! Thank you Merlin.
"How can you be so sure?" some male asked. Ron looked over to see a tall, skinny, blonde boy with an upturned nose staring at Longbottom. "What if she talks?"
"This is Hermione" Potter frowned at the boy. "She'd never turn on us, and don't even suggest that she would."
"Stop being a git, Zacharias" came a familiar voice, and Ron immediately frowned. Ginny. What is she doing here? These people are clearly breaking some rules. Ron spotted Ginny standing by the twins, and he frowned at his siblings. They must've dragged her into this. They both look to be in seventh year, which means that Ginny is in fourth year. "Hermione has a spine, unlike you" Ginny taunted, and some people sniggered.
"Piss off, Weasley" the boy named Zacharias glowered at her. This bastard…
"Stop it" Potter told them all. "The fight is out there, not in here. We have to be have faith in each other, or we might as well not even do this." And what is this? What did you drag my family into? "Hermione won't talk, that's a fact. And when she's back, we'll ask her how it all went. But until then, you all need to get back to work." Everyone nodded at Potter, and even Ron was a little impressed. Potter clearly has a lot of influence in the future. And the school is clearly not closed down, so we must've gotten the Heir.
"You're getting better at this, Harry" Longbottom smiled as everyone got back to practicing spells.
"Barely…" Potter sighed. "If it wasn't for you and Hermione, I'd have already messed everything up."
"Nonsense" Longbottom chuckled. "This is all you, mate. Don't sell yourself short."
"Thanks, Nev" Potter smiled, and then he looked over to a really pretty girl. The girl smiled at Potter, and then she got back to practicing. I know that girl. She was bullying Luna in my vision.
"You should talk to her, Harry" Longbottom suggested. "I heard her talking about you in a rather… fond manner."
"Fond manner?" Potter asked, his expression brightening.
"It's too embarrassing to repeat" Longbottom chuckled. "Let's just say that she likes you, mate. And her friends know it as well. Speaking of her friends, where is Luna?" What? Luna is friends with that girl now? And why is Luna a part of this… whatever this is?
"You know her" Potter chuckled fondly. "She comes and goes as she pleases. Don't worry about her, she's the toughest person here." Close to my sister, are we? Well, not if I can help it. Also, this vision is useless to me. I need information on the Chamber, and instead I'm seeing… this. Ron looked around and saw Ginny practicing with the twins, and Ron smiled a little as he saw them teasing her. She was throwing spell after spell at them, and they were just blocking her onslaught like it was nothing.
"One more thing, mate" Longbottom said slowly, and both Ron and Potter looked to him. "I saw Weasley with Dumbledore again…" Potter clenched his jaw at that, while Ron just blinked at Longbottom. He's talking about me, that's clear. But what am I doing with Dumbledore?
"I need to know what's going on between them" Potter said with a deep frown, and Longbottom sighed.
"Mate…" Longbottom started but Potter cut him off.
"Something big is going on between them, Neville" Potter said firmly. "And I think that it involves me…"
"You don't know that" Longbottom sighed. "And Hermione has already asked you to stop multiple times, and now… Now I'm asking you to stop. Do you really want to piss Weasley off?"
"I'm not scared of him, Nev" Potter replied hotly.
"I didn't say that you were" Longbottom argued. "But what's happening between Weasley and Dumbledore is between them, and it has nothing to do with us. I thought that I'd tell you myself so you wouldn't hear it from someone else, but Harry… just stop it." Longbottom then walked over to the Hufflepuff girl that had hugged him, and Ron sniggered at Potter's surprised face. I like this older Longbottom, he is actually kind of cool. Ron then spotted Longbottom giving the Hufflepuff girl a quick kiss on the lips, and Ron grinned. Definitely cooler. Ron looked back at Potter, and the boy-who-lived was now frowning deeply. I guess we never made up. But Hermione and Longbottom seem to be on my side for this. I'm not sure on what to make of this vision, it doesn't really help me much. Ron suddenly felt lightheaded again, and his body felt weightless. And then, he was back in the Hospital Wing.
"Ron, are you alright?" Potter asked, and Ron shook his head clear of any cobwebs. That vision was useless. I didn't learn a thing about the Chamber.
"I'm fine" Ron replied, and then he pulled his left arm away from Longbottom.
"Are you sure?" Longbottom asked slowly. "You just completely spaced out…"
"I said that I'm fine, so I'm fine" Ron said firmly. "Now leave me alone." Ron then made to leave, but Potter stepped in his way. "Potter, get out of my way."
"We're trying to apologize to you" Potter frowned at him. "But you won't even give us a chance…" Ron just stared at Potter, and his mind went back to his vision. Potter seemed to dislike me quite a bit in the future. And my siblings seemed to be following Potter in some serious rule breaking. Do I want a future where Potter hates me? No… No, I need him for the upcoming war.
"I just…" Ron started but stopped. "I need some time to think… Can I have that?"
"Yes, Harry let him go" Longbottom jumped in, but Ron kept staring at Potter. Potter nodded slowly, and then he stepped out of the way. Ron walked right past Potter, and then he cast a Disillusionment Charm on himself. He had a lot to think about tonight.
February 16th, 1993 (Sanctuary)
Ron sat in front of the fire, and he ate his lunch quietly. He had been thinking about Potter and Longbottom's apologies, and he had been thinking of Hermione. He was beginning to think that accepting their apologies would be the best course of action right now, mostly because there were just far too many advantages of making peace with Potter and Longbottom. For one, he'd have more help in locating the Chamber. Potter was also a Parselmouth, and that may come in handy. Secondly, it would help his case with his parents. If he made peace with the remainder of the Golden Trio, then he could show his parents that he wasn't the person that they thought he was. Thirdly, making peace with Potter now would mean that Potter might not hate him in the future. At least that vision helped a little. And lastly, the Hat had told Ron that he was connected to Potter and the Dark Lord somehow. Ron knew that it would be stupid to not think about that… He got the feeling that he'd need Potter for his own mission, and that mission's success was the most important thing to Ron.
Maybe making peace was the best option for Ron, but how would he convince his friends of that? They hated the Golden Trio, and Ron's actions hadn't helped put out that hatred. If anything, I made it ten times worse. But I need to try. I need to convince them that Potter and Longbottom share the same goal as us. And that forgiving them helps me. Ron suddenly heard the door creak open, and he turned to see Blaise enter alone. Ron felt a bit let down at that, he was hoping that it was Daphne that had just entered. They hadn't spoken about their latest kissing encounter yet, and that was another thing that was burning a hole through his head.
"Ron, what are you doing up here alone?" Blaise frowned as he took a seat in front of Ron. "You can't keep sneaking off anymore."
"I needed a quiet place to think" Ron shrugged, and Blaise blinked at him.
"And what are you thinking about?" Blaise asked as he sank into his own chair.
"I'm thinking about Potter and Longbottom…" Ron admitted with a sigh, and Blaise cocked his eyebrow.
"Really?" Blaise asked. "Let me guess, after Granger's attack, they accused you of being the Heir again."
"No, actually" Ron shook his head. "They apologized to me for everything." Blaise was shocked for a moment, but then his features relaxed again. "And I'm thinking of forgiving them…"
"Ron…" Blaise sighed. "What's wrong with you? They went after us, and then you burned your bridges with them. I could understand you making up with Granger, but those two? What's really going on here?" Ron looked at Blaise with a faint smile, and he decided that he needed Blaise to back him.
"Potter is a Parselmouth" Ron replied bluntly, and Blaise just blinked at him. "The Hat told me that it saw Potter talking to a snake in his memories."
"Potter… A Parselmouth?" Blaise asked slowly. "Are you serious?"
"I am" Ron nodded. "And what's the harm of adding two more heads into our investigation?"
"Those heads are connected to Potter and Longbottom" Blaise frowned. "They hate us, and we hate them."
"And that only helps the Heir, Blaise" Ron frowned lightly. "And forgiving them helps me a great deal. I can show my parents that I'm not a bad person, I can finally put this feud between Potter and I to bed, and those two might know something about the Chamber that we don't. Fighting amongst ourselves isn't going to help anyone in the long run…"
"You make some good points, I'll admit that" Blaise said aloofly. "But what makes you think that we care to make peace with Potter?"
"Because I'm your friend" Ron replied softly, and Blaise just stared at him. "And it helps me…"
"So you're just going to forgive them?" Blaise asked in a cold voice. "Just like that… As if nothing happened?"
"Yes, I am" Ron nodded. "And I want you to back me on this. If we both ask the group to let Potter and Longbottom join us, then they might be more inclined to agree." Please say yes, Blaise. Ron and Blaise held eye-contact for a few seconds, and then Blaise let out an annoyed sigh.
'I'll back you, Ron" Blaise agreed. "But I'm not going to lie for you. If they ask me whose idea it was, I'll tell them that it was yours."
"Thank you, Blaise" Ron sighed in relief. "And I know that you don't like them, but this really does help me."
"I do have two conditions though" Blaise added with a firm tone. Of course he does. "The first condition is that they tell us what they know first. The second condition is that if they don't know anything useful, then we get rid of them. Is that fair?"
"That's fair…" Ron agreed.
"So how do we go about doing this?" Blaise asked, and Ron could hear the irritation in Blaise's voice.
"I'll talk to them tomorrow" Ron told Blaise. "After that, we'll both talk to the group. Then we arrange a meeting, and see where this goes."
"We should also keep your Parseltongue ability a secret" Blaise interjected. "If Potter is indeed a Parselmouth, then we shouldn't let him know. It helps us keep an advantage over him."
"I agree with that" Ron nodded. "If we do need Parseltongue to open the Chamber, then having two Parselmouths benefit us greatly. But I also want to keep my ability to myself, and the group. We'll just let Potter hiss around the school for us."
"Good" Blaise nodded. "At least you haven't gone completely senile…" He's really against this, isn't he? But he's still helping me.
"Thank you, Blaise" Ron gave his best mate a smile, and Blaise frowned at him.
"Don't thank me yet" Blaise said curtly. "This could all still go to shite."
February 17th, 1993 (Lunch)
"You guys go on, I need to do something important" Ron told his friends as he gazed at the Gryffindor table. Potter and Longbottom aren't here yet, so I'll wait for them outside.
"What do you need to do?" Daphne asked with narrowed eyes, and he gave her his best smile.
"I'll tell you after I've done it" Ron replied.
"Ron, are you alright?" Pansy asked slowly. "You've been acting… odd." I have a lot on my mind, give me a break.
"I'm just… stressed" Ron admitted halfheartedly.
"Granger…" Theo sighed, and Ron's friends gave him understanding looks. All of them except Blaise, he knew the truth behind Ron's odd behavior.
"Take your time, Ron" Tracey smiled at him.
"Do you want me to come with you?" Millie asked, and Ron shook his head.
"I won't be alone, so don't worry" Ron smiled. "I'll be back before you know it." With that, Ron turned around and left the Great Hall. His friends reluctantly walked over to their usual seats. Ron stood outside the Great Hall, and he ignored the looks that he was getting by the students who were passing by.
"Ron?" came Potter's voice, and Ron looked over to the steps leading out of the Entrance Hall. Potter and Longbottom were both standing there, and Ron gave them a forced smile.
"We need to talk" Ron told them, and they both nodded. "Let's go into the courtyard." Ron then led the way out of the Entrance Hall door, and both Gryffindors quickly followed after him. All three of them missed Ginny watching them from the steps leading out of the Entrance Hall, she had just rounded the corner as they were leaving.
"Is this about working together to find the Chamber?" Longbottom asked as they walked out into the sunlight.
"Yes" Ron replied. "And we need to talk about our… our fight." Ron then turned to face them, and both Gryffindors looked back with firm expressions.
"I'm sorry for convincing the others that you might be the Heir" Longbottom apologized immediately, and Ron was stunned. That was quick. He doesn't beat around the bush, does he?
"I'm sorry about the Polyjuice Potion…" Potter sighed. "And for planning to kidnap Greengrass." I guess it's my turn now.
"I'm sorry for attacking you" Ron apologized honestly, he did regret that quite a bit. "And I'm sorry for putting you three in a year-long detention program. And for taking you off of the Quidditch team…"
"It's alright" Potter smiled sadly. "They shut down Quidditch anyway…"
"Still, I'm sorry" Ron apologized. "Now, let's move on from this sappy nonsense." Longbottom chuckled a little at that.
"Alright, let's move on" Potter smiled. "Friends?" Potter asked in a hopeful voice. Don't push it.
"Allies" Ron corrected him, and Potter blinked at him. "We have a mutual goal right now, and we can work together on that. We'll see how things go from there…"
"The Heir" Longbottom frowned. "I'm fine with being just allies for the time being if it means that we catch them."
"Good" Ron nodded. "I'll talk to my friends tonight… And I'll convince them to give you a chance."
"Can't we three just work together on this?" Potter asked. "Do we have to involve them?"
"Yes, we do" Ron replied firmly. "My friends' involvement is not up for debate, they've been helping me with this the entire time. And I won't just cut them out."
"That's fine" Longbottom quickly said. "Harry was just asking, weren't you Harry?"
"Sorry…" Potter sighed. "I didn't mean to sound rude…"
"Is there anything else?" Ron asked them.
"Where do we meet?" Longbottom asked.
"I'll let you know tomorrow" Ron replied. "I still have to convince them." Longbottom and Potter nodded at that, and then Ron made his way past them. That's the first step taken care of, now I just need to convince my friends. As Ron began to make his way towards the Great Hall, he heard the two Gryffindors catch up to him. They didn't say anything, and neither did Ron. They entered the Great Hall along with some other students in order to avoid suspicion, and Ron made his way to his friends. Ron took his usual seat, and he was immediately bombarded with questions.
"Where did you go?" Daphne asked.
"Who did you meet?" Tracey asked.
"Is this about the Chamber?" Millie asked.
"Ron, are you sure you're feeling alright?" Pansy asked.
"Why are you such a twat?" Theo asked, and Ron frowned at him. "What? Everyone was asking questions, thought I'd join in."
"This is serious, Theo" Tracey frowned at him, and Theo smirked. "Ron, what's going on?" Ron then explained his plan to them, just like he had with Blaise, except he left out the part about Potter being a Parselmouth. He didn't want anyone overhearing that.
"Is this because of Granger being attacked?" Daphne asked softly. "Ron, you can't make a decision this big right after you lost your friend. You're not thinking straight."
"I didn't 'lose' my friend, Daphne" Ron frowned. "They were attacked… And I want to get the person who did it."
"But you're forgiving Potter and his toad?" Millie asked. "How does that even help us? We already know more than enough about the Chamber, we just need to find its entrance."
"Now we'll have two more people helping us" Ron argued. "And we suspect the Heir to be in Gryffindor, right?" His friends nodded slowly. "Then getting their help is all the more important. We can get eyes in Gryffindor this way, and that makes our job easier."
"Ron is right" Blaise jumped in, and everyone just stared at him in shock. About time he jumped in to help me. "The Gryffindors were the prime suspects on our list, having two of them spy on the others helps us. If we tell Potter and Longbottom where to look, they'll find something. Not to mention that they might know some things that we don't."
"Really, you as well?" Pansy asked Blaise. "This is not a good idea, you two. Longbottom and Potter hate us, and they've been blaming Ron this entire time. They clearly don't know anything worth knowing…"
"They apologized to me" Ron sighed. "Something must've changed for them, some new evidence must've come forward. Whatever it is, it convinced them that I am innocent."
"And we need to know what it is" Blaise jumped back in. Thank you, Blaise. The bell rang suddenly, and Ron frowned. I barely got to eat anything.
"This isn't over" Daphne sighed. "We'll talk more about this tonight." Ron and his friends got up and began to march out of the Great Hall, but Ron was stopped when someone grabbed his gloved hand. Ron turned to see Ginny smiling at him sadly.
"Gin?" Ron whispered. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, I just need to talk to you" Ginny said softly. "I wanted to say sorry for Granger… I know that she was your friend…" Ron blinked at Ginny, did she just call Hermione 'Granger'? I guess she never got over Hermione 'spying' on her.
"Thanks Gin…" Ron gave her a sad smile, and he noticed his friends waiting for him at the exit. Ginny suddenly hugged him, but it didn't surprise Ron. Ginny hugged him all the time, and he was used to it.
"Can we talk after classes end?" Ginny whispered in his ear, and that definitely surprised Ron. "I want to talk to you about something that the twins did…"
"Alright…" Ron whispered back slowly. "Where do you want to meet?"
"Meet me in the abandoned classroom on the third floor" Ginny whispered. What? Why?
"Ginny, can't we talk somewhere more public?" Ron asked, this hug was getting too long.
"It's… an embarrassing topic…" Ginny muttered meekly, and Ron sighed in defeat. "I don't want anyone to know… Not even Percy…"
"Alright, I'll see you after classes" Ron whispered as he broke the hug. Ginny gave him another sad smile, and then she walked off with her head bowed. What did those two do now?
February 17th, 1993 (After Classes)
Ron waited for Ginny in the abandoned classroom, but she was nowhere to be found. He had to sneak away from his friends because he didn't want to betray Ginny's trust. He had finally gotten her back, and he would be damned if he did anything to push her away. But where was she? He had been waiting here for almost twenty minutes! The door suddenly opened behind Ron, and he turned to face Ginny.
"You came" Ginny smiled as she closed the door behind her.
"I did, and you're late" Ron sighed. "Gin, what took you so long?"
"I had to go get something" Ginny hummed, and Ron blinked at her. Why is she smiling in such a creepy way?
"What did you need to get?" Ron asked slowly, something wasn't right. His instincts were telling him to leave, but this was Ginny…
"You'll see soon enough" Ginny smiled as she approached him. She then began to eye him in a really odd manner, and it made Ron uncomfortable.
"Ginny, what are you doing?" Ron asked her as he shuffled his feet. "Stop looking at me like that…"
"It's such a shame…" Ginny sighed dramatically, her creepy smile still in place.
"What's a shame?" Ron asked in a soft voice. What the hell is wrong with her?
"It's a shame that I got stuck in this body" Ginny shrugged, and Ron just blinked at her. "And yet, there you are. I wish I had your body, Ronald." What the fuck?!
"My body…" Ron muttered as he moved around her to have his back at the door. "I'm a boy Ginny, and you're a girl. Why would you want my body?"
"Can I tell you secret?" Ginny whispered in a cold voice, and Ron felt a cold sweat in his armpits. Something was terribly wrong here, and he was ready to bolt.
"A secret?" Ron asked in the smallest of whispers.
"I'm a boy too" Ginny said with a deadpan expression, and then she began laughing. But Ron didn't laugh… He just stared at her, and he could feel his heartbeat rising. Ginny's laugh was cruel, and cold. And it felt like she was laughing at him rather than with him.
"Ginny, stop it…" Ron muttered as he as took a few steps back. "Stop it!" Ron yelled suddenly, but she kept laughing. And then, she just stopped. Her eyes gleamed red as she gave him a hateful look, and Ron went into a full blown panic. He ripped his wand out and aimed it at her, but she slapped it out of his hand with wandless magic. Ron just watched in horror as his beautiful wand went flying across the abandoned classroom, how the fuck did she do that?! Ron just looked back to her slowly, and she was smiling at him with cruel intent. "How?" Ron muttered, his breathing becoming shallow.
"Are you asking how did I do that?" Ginny asked in a mocking tone. "Or did you mean to ask how I got around that pesky ring of yours?" She isn't my sister…
"Who are you?" Ron asked, his fear turning into anger. "Where is my sister?!"
"You finally caught on" 'Ginny' laughed. "I'm glad that you did, Ronald. But you know who didn't catch on? That filthy little Mud-Blood friend of yours." Hermione?
"You attacked her, didn't you?" Ron grit out. "What did you do to my sister?!" Ron screamed as he charged her, but she waved her hand and Ron was sent flying into the door behind him. He hit the door with a strong thud, and then he crumpled onto the floor. The back of his head burned, and his ear rang after the impact.
"It's funny how many people underestimate the Levitation Charm" Ginny chuckled as Ron groaned in pain. "It's quite easy to master in its wandless form, and it completely negates protective shields and… magic rings…"
"Who are you?" Ron grit out as tears blurred his vision. "Did you kill Ginny?"
"No, I did not" Ginny hummed at Ron. "But I am wearing her skin… And so I have access to all of her memories." Ron looked up in horror, and he saw his little sister standing right in his face. Her eyes gleamed red, and she had a sadistic smile on her lips. The sight made Ron shudder in fear.
"You're… possessing her?" Ron asked in a whimper, his mind was starting to go numb from fear. Ginny laughed at his pitiful cry, and Ron felt his face burn with shame.
"I am" Ginny nodded.
"Who are you?" Ron asked as he tried to stand up. Ginny suddenly moved to his left side and kicked him in the stomach, and Ron wheezed as he curled up in a fetal position.
"I don't need to tell you that" Ginny smirked. "But I will tell you one thing… After I get rid of you, I'm going to go after your friends." Ron's eyes snapped open, and he felt his entire body burn with anger.
"You piece of…" Ron started, but a strong boot colliding with his jaw shut him up. Ron was left dazed, and he was sure that there was blood dribbling out of his mouth. Or it's a lot of saliva…
"I'm going to make them shut this place down, and then, I'll disappear" Ginny said in an arrogant tone. "I'll find this 'spirit' version of myself, and I'll destroy him. There can only be one Lord Voldemort." Ron had no fucking clue about what she was saying, but the mention of the Dark Lord's name sent a shudder through his body.
"Please… Please…" Ron mumbled as he grabbed at her skirt. "Let her go…"
"Why?" Ginny smiled, her red eyes dancing in merriment.
"She's innocent…" Ron cried, and Ginny slapped him right across the face. Ron fell back down, the right side of his face burning from the sting.
"She is not innocent" Ginny laughed. "She knew that she was attacking those Mud-Bloods, but she didn't say a word. She knew that she killed those roosters, but she didn't say a word. She knew that she was responsible for the crimes that you were being accused of, but she didn't say a word. The only thing that she cares about is crush on Potter, and the fact that she was forced to wear second-hand robes. Pathetic little girl…"
"Take me instead…" Ron cried as he tried to stand up.
"Why?" Ginny chuckled. "Everyone suspects you already, but no one suspects her. It would be foolish to change bodies now. Plus, I'd have to kill her." Ron whimpered at that, he didn't want this person hurting Ginny. "She already knows too much."
"Brachium Colubrum" Ron chanted as he suddenly aimed his left hand at her. She was too close, and the ethereal serpent bound her before she could even react. Ron stood but with angry glare, but Ginny just smirked at him.
"Go on, Ronald" Ginny hummed. "Twist your left hand upwards, crush her little body. She deserves it." Ron blinked at his possessed sister, and he tightened his right hand into a fist. Ginny saw that, and she smiled widely. "Or punch her head in like you did to Potter. Go on, Ronald. Hurt her." Ron rubbed his eyes clear, his entire body was shaking terribly.
"I'll take you to the Headmaster" Ron threatened, but his voice cracked. Ginny laughed at him again, and he felt so powerless.
"You can try that, sure" Ginny smirked. "But do you really think that you can hold onto me? Can you even walk straight?" Ginny asked as she looked down at his shaking knees. Ron just blinked rapidly to clear his eyes, why couldn't he stop crying? I need to tell the Professors! Ron then pushed her over, and Ginny fell back as the ethereal serpent disappeared. Ron quickly turned around, and he pulled the classroom door open. Ron then limped his way out as fast as he could, his entire body aching as he tried to run. His face stung, his jaw was numb, his legs weren't working properly, and he was dead certain that the back of his head was bleeding. His vision also kept blurring, and it wasn't just because of the tears. In Ron's hysteric attempt at escaping, he didn't even realize that the floor was soaking wet.
"Fuck!" Ron screamed as his feet slipped, and he went sliding down the Hallway on his arse. When he finally stopped, he let out a pained groan due to the fire burning up his back. Ron rolled over on his stomach, and then he tried to stand back up. He was looking down at his reflection when he saw a terrifying monster slide into the reflection. Its bright yellow eyes reflecting on the wet floor were the last things that Ron saw before darkness took him.
AUTHOR'S NOTES: Didn't expect that, did you?! Ron just got knocked off the board! Uh oh... I'll just leave you guys with that.
See you guys soon!