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.

41. Chapter 41 - The End of Hogwarts

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 41 is finally here! I know that the wait was longer than usual, but this was a crazy and hectic week for me. I had assignments, and volunteer work! And any spare time I had went into this chapter! But since it took a while, I decided to make it extra long.

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 41 – The End of Hogwarts

Tracey Davis' POV

February 17th, 1993 (Slytherin Common Room – Before Dinner)

"He isn't in the dorm either" Theo sighed as he and Blaise sat down on the couch. So he's not in the common room at all.

"He snuck off again" Daphne huffed. "When I get my hands on him…"

"Relax" Blaise said in his usual aloof tone. "He's probably at the Sanctuary, moping around as usual." Blaise's comment lit a fire in her belly, and she narrowed her eyes on him. He's being a bigger jerk than usual lately. Especially when it comes to Ron. Did they have a fight?

"Blaise, what's your problem with Ron lately?" Millie asked, and Tracey smiled at the big girl. Millie was always the blunt type.

"Nothing" Blaise replied curtly, but no one believed him.

"You're lying" Tracey decided to speak up. "You've been acting like a real jerk to him, he has enough problems to deal with already. Leave him alone."

"We all problems" Blaise said coldly. "But unlike him, we don't keep sneaking off. He is putting himself in danger… That's my problem with Ron." There's definitely more to this, what happened between them?

"He likes to be alone when he needs to think" Pansy sighed. "That's just who he is… So can we please not fight about this?"

"Pansy's right" Daphne nodded. "We have more important things to do anyway, like figuring out who the Heir is."

"About that…" Theo piped in slowly, and Tracey turned her attention to him. He was still a bit weedy but Tracey could see that he had a bit more meat on his bones now. "The suspect list we made… I want to have a look at it again."

"You mean look into Ron's sister?" Millie frowned at him. Ron's sister, Ginny, was Theo's prime suspect… But none of them had mentioned this to Ron. He'll explode with rage if he ever finds out.

"There is something not right with her" Theo insisted. "Remember when she started going missing? And just how pale and jittery she was? And then when the attacks stopped, she was back to normal. And now that the attacks are happening again, she barely even talks to Ron. Something is off about her, I'm telling you." Tracey gave Theo a sad smile, she knew that everyone was about to shut him down again.

"She has no connection to the Gaunts" Blaise shook his head.

"She's a little girl, Theo" Millie frowned more deeply.

"And she's Ron's sister" Daphne added on.

"And wasn't she friends with Granger?" Pansy asked. "Why would she attack her own friend?"

"How would she even control the Basilisk?" Blaise asked. Theo frowned at them all, and then he looked to Tracey.

"Tracey, you don't agree with them?" Theo asked bitterly, and Tracey frowned at him. Don't take your frustrations out on me.

"I think that they make better points than you do" Tracey replied sharply, and Theo frowned at her.

"Whatever…" Theo huffed as he leaned back into his seat, pouting like an angry child. "I'm going to find out what her deal is, with or without your help." Fine, be that way.

"Theo… Ron will go into a rage induced coma if he ever finds out what you're doing" Pansy warned him. "But not before he murders you…"

"All I'm doing is thinking like a Slytherin" Theo shot back. "Ron's love for her is blinding him, and you're all just following his lead blindly. I have a strong basis for my suspicions, and I'm going to investigate her. You can either help me, or I can do it on my own."

"Fine, do it on your own then" Millie hissed.

"Fine…" Theo crossed his arms and looked away. Great, now we're all at odds. But Theo does have a good basis for his suspicions. The only problem is that nothing else fits… She isn't a Parselmouth, she has no connection to the Gaunts, and how could she even find the Chamber so quickly?

"Listen Theo…" Tracey started but the school bell cut her off. It rang loudly, and it signaled that dinner would start soon.

"I'll talk to Ron" Daphne said as they all got up to leave. "I'll ask him to stop sneaking off from the group, alright?"

"What makes you think that he will listen?" Blaise asked, and Tracey saw Daphne's cheeks flush a bit.

"He'll listen to me" Daphne responded in a mysterious manner, and Tracey's curiosity was piqued. She seems more certain about that now… Did something happen between them? Is that why she's been so happy lately? But if something did happen, then she would've told me. Tracey mused about Daphne's recent behavior as they made their way up, and she ignored the group's current topic of conversation. As they made their way towards the Entrance Hall, a sudden commotion stopped them all.

"All students are to return to their common rooms at once" came McGonagall's voice. The Transfiguration Professor seemed to be standing in front of the steps leading into the Entrance Hall, but Tracey couldn't see her because of the taller students. "Prefects, do your duty and escort your charges back into the common rooms immediately." The prefects suddenly began to order people around, and Tracey started moving when she saw the older Slytherin students begin to go back.

"What's going on?" Pansy asked the group with a worried tone.

"Isn't it obvious?" Theo asked with concerned look. "There's been another attack." Tracey felt her stomach tighten at that, at this rate, the school would be closed for good.

"Ron…" Daphne muttered, she had gone as pale as a ghost. "He doesn't know… He's up at the Sanctuary…"

"Dammit" Blaise grit out. "When they do a name-call, he won't be around for it, and that'll point the finger right at him." No… Ron, you idiot.

---

Tom Riddle Jnr's POV

February 17th, 1993 (Gryffindor Tower)

He was genuinely impressed with the Professors of Hogwarts, they had found the Blood-Traitor sooner than he'd expected. He had left Ronald petrified in the abandoned third floor corridor, and he had hoped that he'd at least get to eat dinner before Ronald's body was found. I feel her body weakening. Damn this girl's growing body.

Merlin, he hated this little girl. He hated her so much that he had begun to cut himself lately. He didn't feel the pain because he was technically just a spirit possessing a host, but it gave him a grim satisfaction to know that he would be leaving permanent scars on her left forearm. The cuts were made with Dark Magic, and he had been using her own wand to do it. And since they weren't being healed completely, they'd definitely scar forever. Good. This is what she deserves for getting in my way. If I ever do manage to leave her body, I want her to remember me.

His hatred for her was completely justified, this little tart had cost him dearly. At first he was forced to put up with her nonsense and petty problems, all of them consisting of things like her crush on Potter or the fact that her brothers picked on her because she was a girl. Stupid little whore. And then, she had begun to panic when he had first taken control of her. Her entries into the Diary had been frantic, and headache inducing. She questioned everything that he told her, and he got tired of it. He knew that he had to get rid of her. And it just so happened that one of her brothers was in Slytherin. And not only that, but he was considered a prodigy. He'd make for the perfect host, and Tom desperately tried to get her to hand the Diary over to Ronald.

And just as he was about to succeed, she had overpowered him. Her 'love' for her brother had overwhelmed Tom's senses, and he had been cast back into the Diary. A Diary that Ginny promptly threw away… While he lay on the flooded bathroom floor, he had to listen to Myrtle Warren cry bloody murder for almost an entire day. During that day, he genuinely believed that he was done for. Myrtle's frantic crying, and the fact that she flooded the bathroom, would attract the teachers soon enough, and one of them would find him. And then, he'd be done. But as luck would have it, Potter and his friends had found Tom. And Tom couldn't be happier. If he couldn't have Ronald, then he'd take Potter.

That excitement had died quickly when Tom realized that Potter had no intention of writing in the Diary. Tom did his best to influence the boy's mind, but Potter never wrote in the Diary. But at least he didn't throw it away either… Tom spent the next few weeks trying to influence Potter, trying to call to him, and he could feel the boy's mind losing its resistance. It was only a matter of time before Potter began writing in the Diary, and then Tom would begin to take him. He knew that it would take more time with Potter than it did with Ginny, the boy had a much stronger will than her, but Tom always did love a challenge.

And then, the stupid little girl had stolen him back from Potter. Her first act was to ask Tom if he had told Potter anything about her, and Tom wanted to kill her right there and then. She had gotten in his way because she wanted to keep her crush a secret… He had lied and told her that he had revealed everything to Potter, and Ginny's mind weakened considerably because of this. Tom possessed her instantly, and this time, he had no intention of letting go. He would keep her bound and gagged in her own mind, and he would use her to set his own plans in motion.

His plan was quite simple, he'd have this school shut down. He loved Hogwarts, but from what Ginny had told him, things had changed considerably. His true self, the master soul, had been defeated by a toddler… And then he had been defeated again by Ronald… This could not stand. And so he would destroy Hogwarts just so that he could leave this school. After that, he'd be taken back to Ginny's home. Once he was there, he'd kill every single one of those Blood-Traitors in their sleep, and then he would set out to find his counterpart. From what Tom had gathered, his counterpart was severely weakened, why else would he lose to a toddler and a twelve year old boy? Tom would destroy this pathetic version of himself, and then he'd reignite his revolution. He would also find a more suitable host somewhere down the line. Right now he had to stay in this little girl's body… If he let her go for even an instant, he knew that she'd tell someone. And there was no chance of him possessing anyone else right now due the Diary's restrictions. If only she passed me onto Ronald… Damn this girl.

"Ginny, are you alright?" came Percy's voice, and Tom had to physically stop himself from frowning. Tom turned to face the eldest Weasley boy currently in Hogwarts, and Percy was gazing down at him with a worried look. If you're worried now, wait till you see what I did to your brother.

"I'm fine… just hungry" Tom replied in a subdued manner, it made him sick to his stomach. "Do you know what's going on? Why are we all in the jammed into the common room?"

"I don't, Ginny" Percy smiled a little. "But everything will be alright, I promise." I can't wait to cut your throat.

"The girls were saying that the Heir attacked again…" Tom said with a whimper. "It's true, isn't it?"

"I… I think so…" Percy replied, he didn't want to lie to his sister. The truth was that he was completely certain that another Muggle-Born had been attacked.

"I hate this… I just want the Heir to leave Hogwarts" Tom replied, there was some honesty in that.

"The Headmaster will sort this out" Percy said as he put a comforting hand on Tom's shoulder. Don't touch me, you filth.

"May I have your attention please?" came McGonagall's voice, and everyone turned to face her. "I know that you are all hungry, but…" she stopped and pursed her lips. "But for tonight… there will be no dinner…"

"Has there been an attack?" came a female student's voice, and McGonagall sighed.

"Yes…" McGonagall replied, and the room was filled with hushed whispers. Look at them. They enjoy this, don't they? "Silence, please" McGonagall called, and the room quieted down. "Will the Weasleys please follow me?" McGonagall asked as she gave Percy a sad look. Time to sell the horrified little sister act. Tom looked up to see Percy going as pale as a ghost, and he gave a meek nod. Then he took Tom's hand and followed after McGonagall. Tom had to hide his smirk as he passed the portrait of the Fat Lady, how many time had altered her memories? A few dozen times at least.

"Professor, what's going on?" Percy finally asked as the portrait closed behind them. The twins were looking quite worried, and Tom decided that he liked this look on them. They all know what's happened already, don't they? I can't wait to see their faces when we visit poor little Ronald.

"Your brother…" McGonagall started, but she stopped when she saw 'Ginny's' teary eyed face. Haha. Say it you old crone. "He was found petrified shortly before dinner started…" Tom let out a practiced whimper, and he felt Percy let go of his hand. The prefect looked like he had seen his own death, and he began to shake his head in denial.

"You're lying" Fred snarled, his face contorting in rage. "You're a liar!"

"No…" George muttered as he fell back on his arse. "No… no, no, no, no…" George clutched his own hair in his hands, and he stared at the ground in front of him.

"The Heir only attacks Muggle-Borns!" Fred bellowed, his fists clenching so tightly that his knuckles went bone white. "You're a liar!"

"Mr. Weasley… please calm yourself" McGonagall urged, and Tom decided to escalate things for his own amusement.

"Is Ronnie… dead?" Tom let out a strangled cry, and even he was impressed with how pained it sounded. McGonagall flinched hard, the twins looked to him with terrified eyes, and Percy quickly kneeled down to his level.

"No, Gin" Percy quickly told him, and then Percy embraced Tom's tiny vessel tightly. "He was just petrified, he isn't dead… It's okay… Everything will be okay…" You should be thanking me for my mercy, worm. Tom wanted Ronald to be de-petrified, but by the time he would be, his entire family would be dead. That would be Ronald's punishment for defeating his weaker counterpart. A dead family, and a broken sister…

"Please… follow me…" McGonagall instructed, her voice was meek and pained. It made Tom want to smile from ear to ear. They all followed her slowly, and Percy held Tom's hand tightly. Tom could feel Percy's hand shaking, but he chose to ignore it. It was the twins' sorrow that Tom was enjoying the most. George looked utterly broken, and he had clearly retreated into his own mind. The pain of losing his brother had shocked him to the point of breaking… He was staring ahead of him with a drawn expression, and Tom shot him confused and scared looks. Every time George saw his little sister's pained face, he withdrew further into his own mind.

But it was Fred's pain that was the most delightful to watch. The hot-headed twin had begun to lose his anger, and it was now being replaced with grief and regret. Fred was grieving for his little brother, and he was regretting their last conversation. Tom knew that the twins had fought with Ronald the last time they all spoke, Ginny's memories had shown him that, and Tom knew that Fred was quite aware of that fact. When Tom finally heard a broken whimper come out of Fred's mouth, he smiled a little. Tom quickly hid his smile, and then he turned to look at Fred. The boy was sobbing into his hands while George held his right shoulder to support himself. As they got closer to the Hospital Wing, even Percy and George had begun to sob quietly. Tom played his part as well, but it was getting increasingly difficult. Especially when he saw how Percy, the bossy prefect, was shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"Please… wait here a moment…" McGonagall told them, her heart breaking at seeing her Gryffindors like this. She loved the Weasley family, and Molly was a good friend of hers. Seeing her children like this… It was too much. When McGonagall went inside in a hurry, George made to follow her.

"George… just wait here…" Percy croaked as he grabbed onto George's right arm.

"Wait…?" George asked in barely a whisper. "Ronnie's right there… We should go and see him… He's waiting for us…" I see the shock is settling in nicely. Good. The boy looked utterly confused, but his appearance showed just how much pain he was in.

"We have to wait" Percy tried to speak with a normal voice, but his voice was strained and shaking.

"George… come here…" Fred whimpered, and George slowly walked over to his twin. Fred quickly embraced him, but George just stood there with a confused looked. Fred cried in his twin's shoulder with a renewed vigor, and this time he didn't hold back. Tom decided to begin crying too, and as soon as he did, he was embraced by Percy.

"Everything will be alright, Ginny" Percy sobbed. "Ronnie will be alright…" Too bad that you'll all be too dead to care. McGonagall and Sprout came out of the Hospital Wing together, and McGonagall actually released a small sob when she saw them. Tom felt a sense of accomplishment at making her crack, but he wasn't surprised. This woman loved her precious little lions, and Tom had kicked her right where it hurt.

"You may come in…" Sprout spoke when McGonagall didn't. The plump witch was already teary eyed with maternal concern, and Tom had to fight the urge to grimace. Pathetic fat woman. The Weasleys and Tom followed the two Professors inside, and Tom quickly spotted Snape and Dumbledore talking to one another in hushed whispers. They stopped when they saw the Weasleys and Tom, and Snape quickly withdrew into a corner. He didn't want to intrude…

"Good, you are all here" Dumbledore smiled sadly as he approached them. Tom gazed at the old man's face, and Dumbledore had tears in his eyes. The sight gave Tom a feeling of pure euphoria, and he looked down to hide any resemblance of it. "I will not keep you from your brother, but I just wanted to give you my condolences. If you need anything, please do not hesitate to ask." With that, Dumbledore moved out of the way. That's when Tom spotted Ronald's petrified form lying on a bed behind Dumbledore, and he let out a practiced whimper again.

Ronald looked just like how Tom had left him, except his cuts and broken lip had been cleaned of any blood. But his wounds weren't healed because they couldn't be healed, not while he was petrified. Tom let out a soul-shattering sob as he quickly ran up to Ronald's body and embraced him. Tom sank his face into Ronald's robes and began 'crying'. The act clearly worked because he heard Sprout and McGonagall let out soft sobs from the corner of the room. Tom quickly felt himself being crushed by the Weasley boys as they too embraced Ronald's body. One of the twins was right behind Tom, and from the pathetic whimpering, he assumed that it was Fred. Tom heard the Professors slowly begin to leave as the Weasleys wept for their petrified brother. Damn, I have to do this now.

Tom had a plan for why he wouldn't need to visit Ronald constantly, and that was simply to have a 'breakdown' every time he saw the boy's body. Tom let out a horrid cry of pain, and then he bolted out of the room while he 'cried' hysterically.

"Ginevra!" McGonagall shouted after him, but he just ran off. He heard people follow after him, and he quickly hid himself in a dark corner. Now I just need to wait and be found. Tom kept up his 'grieving little sister act', and he was found quickly by Pomona Sprout.

"There you are" Pomona sighed in relief, and Tom kept 'crying'. He was quickly wrapped in a maternal hug, and Pomona shushed and comforted him. "I'm so sorry, Ginevra" Sprout whispered as she rocked Tom's body. "I'm so sorry…"

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

February 18th, 1993 (Slytherin Common Room – Crack of Dawn)

Something was wrong. Something was horribly wrong, and Daphne could feel it in her bones. Ron hadn't come back last night, they had waited for him until midnight but he never came back. Dinner had been canceled, and everyone suspected that there had been another attack. Daphne had spent the whole night pacing the common room, even after everyone else left. She was just waiting for Ron to suddenly pop in and say 'Hello' in that lame way that he always did. And when he did, she would slap him as hard as she could. But he never came… and Daphne had nearly pulled her hair out with worry. She had even tried to sneak up to the Sanctuary, but the common room door wouldn't open. It was sealed shut by some sort of spell, and Daphne had screamed at it until her voice went hoarse. Something was wrong, and Daphne knew it.

"Daph?" came Theo's voice from behind her, and she turned to face him. She saw that Theo was accompanied by Blaise, and they were staring at her. "Did you… did you stay awake all night?"

"He didn't come back" Daphne told them, and they blinked at her. "I waited all night, but he didn't come back…"

"Daphne, take a seat" Blaise told her, and she shot another look at the common room door.

"He should be back already, something is wrong" Daphne told them, and they just blinked at her again. Didn't they hear me? Are they deaf? "What?" Daphne asked the two boys curtly.

"You look like shite" Theo told her bluntly, and Blaise quickly smacked his arm.

"Daphne, he is probably holed up in the Sanctuary" Blaise told her in a calm tone. "Take a seat, now." Daphne did as she was told, but she kept shooting glances towards the common room's entrance. Where is he? He should have already snuck back here before sunrise like he always does. Then he'd take a shower, put on some clean robes, and then he'd crack some lame jokes about his whereabouts last night.

"Daphne, did you hear us?" came Theo's voice, and she turned to frown at the two boys.

"What is it?" she asked them in an annoyed tone. Why were they bothering her? Couldn't they see that she was busy?

"I asked if you got any sleep last night" Blaise told her. "Did you?"

"No, I didn't" Daphne replied with a frown. "Didn't I tell you that I waited for Ron?" The boys exchanged quick looks, and Daphne sighed. "What is it now?"

"Daphne, we have classes all day today" Theo muttered. "Why would you not sleep?"

"Because Ron isn't…" Daphne started but Blaise cut her off.

"He is fine, I'm sure" Blaise sighed. "You need to take a nap, and a shower. You look…" Blaise stopped abruptly.

"Look like what?" Daphne asked with an angry tone. Theo went to answer, but Blaise beat him to it.

"You look out of sorts" Blaise replied. "Don't forget who you are, and don't forget that appearances are important. Now go and take a shower, and rest a little." Daphne frowned at the two boys, and then she shot a quick look to the clock hanging in the common room. It's five in the morning…

"Why are you two awake?" Daphne asked, how had she missed the time? Ron usually sneaks back in around six 'o'clock, so there's still time.

"We wake up around this time to go for our runs with Ron" Theo replied. "But he wasn't in his bed, so we thought that we'd go up to the Sanctuary."

"The door won't open" Daphne told them, and they looked towards the entrance.

"What?" Theo asked, his face showing confusion.

"It won't open" Daphne repeated. "I tried to leave for the Sanctuary, but the door has been sealed shut with a spell of some sort."

"They don't want anyone getting out" Blaise frowned.

"Or getting in" Theo added.

"Why would they do that?" Daphne asked quickly.

"Ron missed the prefect name-call yesterday" Blaise frowned, and Daphne realized what he meant by that.

"Oh no…" Daphne muttered, and Theo cussed.

"That idiot is definitely the prime suspect now" Blaise grit out, he was going to punch Ron in the face when he saw him.

"They're probably searching the whole damn school for him, and they don't want him sneaking back in here" Theo sighed in irritation.

"Whatever's the case, it's clear that there was another attack last night" Blaise told them.

"What if…" Daphne started but stopped, she didn't want to say what she was thinking. As a matter of fact she didn't even want to think it, but her mind was sharp enough to make the connection anyway. "What if Ron was attacked?" Daphne asked in a whisper.

"That's a possibility" Blaise nodded slowly. "But the Heir has only targeted a certain population so far, so I doubt that Ron was attacked."

"He is considered a Blood-Traitor…" Theo provided.

"He may not be the typical Slytherin, but he is respected in this house" Daphne told Theo. "The older students are quite fond of him…"

"We already know that the Heir isn't from Slytherin" Theo sighed. "They don't care if Ron is respected in Slytherin or not…"

"Well we can't do anything about it right now" Blaise jumped in. "Daphne, go and rest. Theo and I will wait for Ron."

"I want to wait as well" Daphne told him.

"If he does come back here, do you really want him to see you like this?" Blaise asked, and Daphne immediately felt self-conscious. Years of training helped her not show any sign of weakness, but she gave Blaise a nod.

"Fine" Daphne sighed. "If he does come back, come and get me immediately."

"We will" Theo promised. Good, I want to slap Ron's face clean off.

---

February 18th, 1993 (Before Breakfast)

"Daphne, wake up" came Tracey's voice, and Daphne groaned in an unladylike manner. "Daphne, get up and take a shower. Breakfast starts soon." Did I sleep in? Daphne suddenly remembered why she had slept in, and that woke her up immediately. Daphne sprang out of bed, and she startled her three female friends.

"Is he back yet?" Daphne asked, and the girls blinked at her.

"Ron?" Tracey asked, and Daphne nodded. "We don't know… We just woke up and showered, and now we're getting dressed. We haven't been outside yet…" Daphne blinked, and then she saw that the girls were indeed getting dressed. Tracey wasn't even wearing any clothes yet, except for her yellow panties that were on full display. But besides that, she was completely naked. This girl… When will she learn to stop flashing us every morning?

"I'm going to go and take a shower…" Daphne sighed. "And Tracey, please put on some clothes… What if the boys walk in?"

"They never come here" Tracey argued. "And I like to sleep free of any clothes."

"Tracey…" Pansy frowned deeply. "That's really unladylike. You shouldn't walk around like that…"

"I agree with them" Millie also frowned. "I'm getting rather sick of seeing you naked every morning."

"Ron sleeps naked too" Tracey argued, and Daphne turned back around.

"That's not true…" Daphne frowned. "Theo and Blaise were just making things up in order to make us leave."

"How do you know that was a lie?" Tracey asked with a mischievous smile. "Daphne… Is there something that you would like to tell us?" Millie and Pansy sniggered at that.

"Stop teasing her" Pansy told Tracey, but her sniggering was contradicting her words. Daphne flushed a bit, but then she decided to tease back.

"Are you walking around naked in the hopes that Theo walks in on you?" Daphne cocked her head, and Tracey's face went red.

"No!" Tracey quickly exclaimed. "I don't even like him that much!"

"Sure you don't…" Daphne said as she began to walk away. She could hear Tracey quickly start putting on her clothes, and Daphne smirked to herself. After Daphne had showered, she began to dress in front of the mirror. There were slight bags under her eyes, and Daphne frowned at her reflection. Ugh… I look gross. Mother would be so displeased if she saw me. So would father. And Tori would just make fun of me. Would Ron be… displeased?

Daphne quickly found herself looking at her flaws. She wasn't like the other girls, she didn't really have an image problem. She already knew that she was extremely beautiful, but there were still a few things that she didn't like. For one, she didn't like that her 'normal' face looked cold. People were already calling her stupid nicknames like the 'Ice Queen'… Whoever came up with that one deserved to get slapped. It wasn't her fault that she got her father's pale skin and his sharp features. Hers weren't nearly as sharp as her father's, but they were still quite defined. Overall, these two things made her look cold and even intimidating. And then there was the fact that her breast were already growing faster than her classmates'. What boy would even approach her if she already looked older than them?! She had her mother to blame for that. Mary Greengrass was rather… blessed in that department… And so was Daphne apparently…

Daphne came out of the bathroom, and she noticed that the girls were already gone. I should go too, they're probably waiting for me in the common room. As Daphne left her room, she started hoping that Ron was back. She imagined that he'd be sitting there with his carefree grin, and he'd say 'Hello' to her like he always did. And then she imagined slapping him so hard that his teeth would scatter all over the floor. Daphne had never been so angry at him. He had put himself in so much danger by doing what he did, why couldn't he just stop running off all the time? How many times had he been asked to stay with the group? Hundreds of times! But he never listened. As Daphne entered the crowded common room, her hopes were dashed. It seemed that the door was still sealed, and that meant that Ron was still out there.

"Daphne, finally" Millie sighed in relief as Daphne approached her friends. "They've sealed us in…"

"I know" Daphne nodded.

"She was out here all night" Theo shared, and Daphne gave him a deadpan look.

"Ron is still out there" Blaise said, it sounded like he was talking to himself. "And if they haven't opened the doors yet, that can only mean that they are still looking for him."

"I'm going to slap him so hard when I see him" Pansy frowned.

"Get in line" Daphne sighed.

"Can we all just slap him?" Tracey asked. "Maybe then he'll finally listen to us."

"He's too stubborn for that" Theo provided. "The whole school could slap him around, but he'll still do whatever he wants. That's just who he is." The chatter in the room died as soon as they all heard the entrance open, and everyone stared at the entryway. Daphne' chest began to pound, but she kept her expression neutral as always. Snape billowed in, his demeanor cold and calculating.

"Sir, what is…?" a seventh year started but Snape stopped them with a raised hand.

"The doors were sealed last night for your own protection" Snape said in his low, yet commanding voice. "The Heir has attacked another student… And this time, they attacked one of our own." Daphne felt like the wind had been knocked out of her, and she almost fainted. Her female friends had also gone deathly pale, and Daphne could already see Pansy going teary eyed. Blaise and Theo just stood there with stony faces, but Daphne knew that they were shaken. All of them knew that Ron was the victim… They had always known…

"Who was attacked?" Fabian Cunningham asked.

"Ronald Weasley…" Snape said, and the room exploded with chatter. Snape didn't stop them, and Daphne could feel looks being sent their way. Daphne kept her eyes on Snape while she took Tracey's hand in her own, she needed some support to stay grounded. Tracey whimpered as she gave her hand a squeeze, but Daphne kept her composure as best she could. I won't show weakness, I can't… But even with her best efforts, the pain in her chest made her eyes begin overflowing with tears.

"Is he dead?!" Clara Martyris shouted over the whispers. The usually cheery sixth year had a fierce look on her face, as did most of the older students, and Daphne knew why… The Heir of Slytherin had just attacked another Slytherin, which was a treasonous thing to do in their eyes.

"No, he was petrified" Snape told her, and Daphne felt some of her pain fade at that. "Which means that he is still alive, and that he can be brought back."

"But the Mandrakes were burned" Carey Ductu reminded everyone. "So where are we going to get the Restorative Draught from?"

"That is the school's concern, not yours" Snape replied curtly.

"If the school was doing its job, then its students wouldn't be getting attacked!" some fifth year boy shouted. And then, some other older students began yelling.

"What are you doing about this?!" came another yell.

"Are you even looking for the culprit?!"

"Why isn't the Headmaster closing the school down?!"

"Where was he attacked?!"

"Do you lot even know what's going on in your own school?!"

"I'm owling my parents! I don't want to stay here anymore!"

"The Heir doesn't care who they go after!"

"I should've left the day the first attack happened!"

"ENOUGH!" Snape suddenly bellowed, and the shouting stopped immediately. The Potions Master was sneering angrily. "Are you lot a pack of Gryffindors?! Yelling and screaming like a bunch of toddlers! Yes, the Heir has attacked one of our own! Which means that we are no longer the only suspects! Now…" Snape hissed, his tone shifting to a deadly calm one. "You will all go to breakfast quietly. You will eat, and then you will go to your classes. And If I hear that you're acting like this in public, there will be consequences." Snape then turned to Daphne and her friends. "You six are coming with me…" And just like that, he billowed out of the room. Daphne then felt Tracey tugging at her hand.

"C'mon…" Tracey said, her voice cracking. Daphne followed her friends outside, and she once again ignored the sorry looks being sent their way. Save your pity, we have no need for it… Daphne already knew what she had to do. She had to send Marty to her father with a letter explaining what had happened. My father will fix this, I know it. They followed Snape quietly for a few moments, and then Blaise spoke up.

"Sir, are you taking us to see Ron?" Blaise asked with a croaky voice, and then he cleared his throat.

"Yes, Mr. Zabini" Snape replied as he kept walking. "Do you not wish to see him?"

"We do" Theo quickly answered. "Where was he… found?"

"Mr. Nott…" Snape drawled.

"Please, Sir" Millie quickly jumped in. "He's our friend…"

"He was found in the abandoned corridor on the third floor" Snape replied after a few moments. "Do you know why he was there?"

"We didn't even know that he went there" Daphne replied. What was he doing there?! He never went to the Sanctuary? Daphne and her friends all exchanged looks. Pansy and Tracey were in tears, and they were trying not to show it. Millie was in tears as well, but she had a ferocious look on her face. And the boys… They were still stone-faced. Daphne found herself regaining her own composure when she looked at them, crying wasn't going to help Ron. And she wanted to help Ron. Father did not raise me to be weak, and I will prove it. I'll make the Heir pay for attacking Ron.

"Why weren't you six with him?" Snape asked. "There were rules created to make sure that no one was caught out alone."

"Ron has a habit of sneaking around" Pansy replied.

"That boy…" Snape growled. "When he wakes up… He will wish that he stayed petrified." Is he… concerned? Snape is concerned… And he is showing it so openly? Daphne could see that her friends were just as baffled as her. The rest of the trip was spent in silence, and Daphne found her heart beating faster and faster. She didn't want to see Ron's petrified body, but she knew that she had to. As they entered the Hospital Wing, Snape pointed them towards Ron's bed. Its curtains were drawn, and Blaise took the lead.

As soon they entered, Millie closed the curtains behind them. A sob broke out of Daphne's throat at the sight of Ron's body. It looked like he was a statue, a statue of a person trying desperately to stand up. Ron's face looked as if he was struggling with something; his brow was furrowed, his pale blue eyes were sharp, and his jaw was clenched. It looked like he had been pissed off before he was petrified. Daphne didn't know why, but she felt proud to see his expression. He didn't look scared like the rest of the victims, he looked angry…

"He fought back…" Blaise muttered. "Look… He has a cut on his bottom lip, and a bruise on his jaw…"

"Ron…" Pansy sniffled as she touched his left hand, which was closed into a fist. With no one around to see them, Pansy finally started crying in earnest. Millie quickly hugged her, her own tears coming out. Tracey too began crying as she kept her grip on Daphne's hand, while Daphne fought tooth and nail to keep herself in check. She had released a sob by mistake when she had first entered, but now she refused to show anymore weakness. The Heir wanted them to grieve and shed tears, and Daphne would be damned if she let them win. Daphne looked to the boys to help her keep her composure, and seeing their angry faces helped her start her own fire. Theo looked angrier than she'd ever seen him, and Blaise… Blaise just stood by Ron's face with a look that promised cold fury.

"They'll pay for this" Blaise said, his voice was steady. "No matter what happens, they'll pay for attacking him."

"They must've attacked him because they knew that we were getting close" Theo said as he wiped his eyes. His eyes were red with tears, but the tears were there because he was so furious right now. "Which means that we could be next."

"Let them come" Millie grit out, and then she sniffled loudly.

"Don't be foolish" Blaise told everyone. "Whoever the Heir is, they are beyond us in skill and strength. They overpowered Ron for Merlin's sake… And we all know what that means…"

"Their Basilisk isn't their only strength" Daphne said as she squeezed Tracey's hand. Seeing Ron's face hurt her chest, but it also made her angry. It made her so angry that she felt the need to scream. I will bring down the entire power of the Greengrass Family on them. I swear it.

---

Blaise Zabini's POV

February 18th, 1993 (Hospital Wing - Lunch)

"I don't want to see him like that again" Pansy muttered as they entered the Hospital Wing. Blaise shot her a quick look, and he saw that she was already teary eyed again. Pansy had been crying all day, but at least she made sure that no one around her saw it. Her puffy eyes and red nose give it away though. The truth was that Blaise would label her weak in his mind, and just move on. But right now, he wanted to cry as well. He hated admitting that, it made him sick to his stomach. But his one of his best mates was lying petrified on a hospital bed, while the other one had completely disappeared in his own mind. Blaise fucking hated this so much… He hated how powerless he was.

"It's okay, Pans" Millie said as she squeezed Pansy in a one-armed hug. "With the Restorative Draught, Ron will be back in no time…"

"And then we'll fuck the Heir up" Tracey grit out. The slender brunette had stopped crying after the first period, and now she was looking for a fight. But her anger paled in comparison to Daphne's… Blaise had expected her to start crying just like the other girls, but no… The Greengrass Heiress wore a cold expression on her face, and she was walking around with her head held high. Blaise admired that strength, mostly because he had no idea that Daphne possessed it. It was even helping him keep his own composure. They came upon Ron's bed, and then Blaise opened the curtains to enter. He immediately regretted that because Ron's siblings were there.

"Sorry, we didn't mean to…" Blaise started but Percy Weasley cut him off.

"No, it's okay" Percy smiled sadly, the older boy had been crying as well. "You're his friends, come in." Blaise nodded slowly as he entered, he hadn't expected to be welcomed. The twins were just sitting on separate chairs by Ron's bed, but they looked like they were a thousand miles away. Luna was sitting on the bed, and it was the first time that he had seen her crying. Ginny Weasley was the only sibling that was missing, and that sparked a bit of curiosity in Blaise's mind.

"You're all here" Luna whispered, a sad smile on her face. She looked so disheveled, her dirty blonde hair was more unkempt than usual, her big silvery eyes were red from crying, and her little nose was running. And yet she still smiled at seeing us.

"Luna, come here" Pansy suddenly sobbed, and Luna got off the bed and hugged her tightly. Blaise was surprised to see the other three girls join in on the hug, and he was even more surprised to see Percy smiling at them. Grief has a way of bringing people together, eh Ron? Speaking of bringing people together, Blaise was shocked to see how many flowers and gift baskets were placed around Ron's bed.

"They're mostly from the Slytherins" Percy told Blaise, his voice cracking a little. "They've been coming in and out all day… A lot of first year girls, and a lot of older girls" Percy chuckled dryly. "Even some of the older blokes dropped by…"

"I'm not surprised" Blaise responded, his initial shock disappearing. "Ron is well liked in Slytherin." At least by the older students… Those first year girls are probably just crushing on him.

"He is, isn't he?" Percy said as he fidgeted with Ron's collar, trying to make it tidier. "My little brother… Liked by the Slytherins…"

"He is one of us" Daphne said firmly, and Percy gave her a soft smile.

"I never said that he wasn't" Percy muttered. He's lost the will to fight, hasn't he? Blaise shot another look at the twins, and he almost flinched at their haggard appearances. He had never seen them look so… defeated. But Blaise didn't care about them, it was their brother that he cared about.

"Where is Ginny?" Theo asked, and Blaise frowned internally. Now is not the time to question them about their sister.

"She didn't take this well" Percy sighed. "She's not allowed to come back here today… Madam Pomfrey's orders." Blaise shot a quick look towards Theo, and he saw that Theo gave a curt nod to Percy. He isn't letting this go, is he? The curtains suddenly swung open, and Blaise looked to see Potter and Longbottom. Both Gryffindor boys went wide-eyed at the scene before them.

"Sorry…" Potter muttered. "We just wanted to see him…"

"See him?" Pansy asked in a hoarse voice.

"Pansy, don't" Blaise stepped in quickly. The moment he had seen Potter, something had just clicked in his mind. Ron told me that he wanted to bring these two in on our investigation. And with Ron gone… we need Potter's Parseltongue ability. Was this part of your plan, Ron? Just in case you got attacked? Did you really think that far ahead? Blaise quickly blinked to stop himself from tearing up. Why was Ron's petrification hurting him so much? Ron would be fine after a dose of Restorative Draught, so why did it hurt so fucking much?

"We can just come back later…" Longbottom muttered.

"No, it's fine" Blaise told them, and both boys were shocked. Even Blaise's friends were shocked, especially the girls. But Blaise didn't care about that right now, he felt honor bound to fulfil Ron's plan. He trusted me with it, and only me. And now that he's… I have to do this. We need Potter to find the Chamber, and I'll find that place if it's the last thing that I do. "Come in, if that's fine with you?" Blaise asked Percy.

"It's fine… though it is getting cramped" Percy chuckled dryly, and then he looked to the twins. Was he expecting them to make that joke? "Harry, Neville… Please come in." Potter and Longbottom stepped inside, and it was quite crowded. Blaise saw the pain and regret on their faces when they saw Ron's state, and Blaise fought the urge to berate them. Still think that he's the Heir? You fucking twats.

"I'm really sorry about… Ron" Potter said.

"You have our best wishes" Longbottom added on. Blaise saw Tracey open her mouth to say something, but he stopped her with a frown. Tracey glared at Blaise, and then she looked to Luna.

"Luna, love" Tracey spoke in a soft tone. "Have you eaten today?" Luna shook her head meekly and sniffled.

"Let's go to the Hall and get some food in you" Daphne joined in.

"Okay…" Luna managed to whimper out, and Blaise felt genuinely upset at seeing her like this. She was acting like a normal girl for once, and Blaise wished that she wasn't. He preferred the aloof Luna. The one that had jarred him once by calling his eyes beautiful. The girl slowly took Luna away, and this left Theo and Blaise alone with the Gryffindors.

"He was attacked yesterday?" Potter suddenly asked, and Percy nodded. "Where was he found?" I guess we aren't the only ones who are investigating.

"He was found in the abandoned third floor corridor…" Percy replied, his voice cracking again. His expression tightened in pain, and he released a shaky breath. "Why was he even there?" Percy asked as he bowed his head, no doubt trying to hide his tears. That's a great question. Why were you there, Ron? What were you doing that was so important that you couldn't even fucking mention it to me? The pain in his chest was back, and he still couldn't understand why he felt this way. Ron was going to be fine once that potion came around, so why did it hurt so much?

"He looks like he…" Longbottom started but stopped.

"Looks like what?" Theo asked him in a rather curt voice.

"Like he fought back" Longbottom replied. "None of the other victims look like they did, but he does."

"Of course he fought back" came Fred Weasley's voice, Blaise had forgotten that the twins were still there. "Ron would never go down without a fight." Blaise felt like he heard some pride in his voice, and that made him frown internally. Where was their pride when Ron needed it? It's wasted on him now.

"That means that he saw his attacker" Potter said. "Ron knows who the Heir is, and he can just tell us when he's back."

"Little problem with that theory, Potter" Blaise said in a calm voice. "The Greenhouses were burned to ash, and the Mandrakes along with them. The Restorative Draught is not easy to come by, that's why the Professors were growing their own."

"My Gran might be able to help with that" Longbottom suggested. "She has money… Loads of it… She can get us the Potion."

"We have money too, Longbottom" Theo frowned. "But the Potion is barely even made nowadays… Not many witches and wizards get Cursed, Transfigured, or Petrified permanently anymore. It's in low demand because there is no market for it. Finding it is the hard part…"

"Neville, don't worry about it" Percy told the slightly chubby boy. "The Headmaster said that he would take care of everything." Relying on Dumbledore is pointless at this stage, he clearly has no idea on what the fuck is going on here.

"Well, we'll leave you to it…" Potter smiled sadly. "We just wanted to see him before lunch ended… We'll see you tomorrow, Ron." And with that, both Potter and Longbottom left. As Blaise watched them leave, he decided that he needed to ask them both for their help now. It was the best opportunity as the girls weren't here right now, and Blaise could convince them after he had arranged a meeting. Blaise followed after Potter and Longbottom, and Theo followed after him.

"Potter, wait" Blaise called as he caught up to them. They were now just outside the Hospital Wing, and Theo caught up just as Potter and Longbottom stopped.

"What is it?" Potter asked in a kind voice, and Blaise frowned at him. Save your pity, Potter.

"Ron… He told me that he wanted to bring you two in on our investigation" Blaise replied, and both Gryffindors went wide-eyed. Theo had a slightly different reaction.

"What?" Theo grit out. "Why would he bring in these two?" I can't say that Potter is a Parselmouth. It would result in Ron's friendship with the Hat being exposed. I need to come up with a reasonable lie.

"He wanted to make peace with them" Blaise said firmly. "That was his wish… And he told me this himself."

"It's true" Potter quickly said, he looked quite relieved. "We apologized to Ron, and he apologized to us. We were trying to make peace, and we decided to work together in order to find the Heir."

"Blaise…" Theo whispered. "Don't do this…"

"I have to" Blaise whispered back, and then he turned back to Potter. "Meet us tomorrow at Lunch… In the courtyard."

"The courtyard?" Longbottom asked. "Isn't that a little too… exposed?"

"That's the point" Blaise replied. "Everyone will be in the Great Hall, and we will be out in the open. I don't plan on sneaking around this castle anymore…"

"Alright" Potter agreed immediately. "Tomorrow at lunch then. And… Thanks"

"Don't thank me, Potter" Blaise said coldly. "I'm doing this because it was my friend's final request to me. Don't be late." Potter and Longbottom nodded, and then they left.

"Blaise, what the fuck?" Theo frowned deeply. "Those two? Really? They've done nothing but point the finger at Ron this entire time."

"Potter is a Parselmouth" Blaise whispered, and Theo just blinked at him. "Ron told me that the Hat told him this. And we need a Parselmouth." Theo was just slack-jawed for a few seconds.

"Fucking hell…" Theo muttered, his brain suddenly working at lightning speed. "You don't think that Ron planned…"

"No" Blaise cut him off. "I don't know… I think that Ron just wanted to make peace with them, but he also saw the advantage of having two Gryffindors and an extra Parselmouth with us. We suspect the Heir to be in Gryffindor, right?" Theo nodded slowly. "And now we'll have eyes in that house."

"I just…" Theo started but stopped. "You're right… This is a smart move. I'm just so angry that I can't even think straight… We should've kept him from sneaking around, you know? He listens to us…" Theo then began to walk off, but Blaise was rooted in his spot. He now understood why he felt so much pain at Ron being attacked. First it was the Dark Lord, then it was Malfoy, and now the Heir… He faced all of them alone, and we were nowhere to be found. Blaise realized that he wasn't angry with Ron, he was angry at himself. Ron listened to him, and he had never once put his foot down. Instead, Blaise had told everyone to give Ron his space. And now… Now Ron was petrified. He was attacked, and he had been all by himself. Blaise had failed Ron, and that's what was causing his pain. I should've done more… That realization made his eyes burn, and Blaise finally let himself shed a few tears.

---

Sebastian Greengrass' POV

February 18th, 1993 (Greengrass Manor – Late Evening)

Sebastian stood in front of the small fireplace in his study, and he let the fire warm him. He had always found this to be a great way to stay calm and focused. He would listen to the crackling of the firewood, he would appreciate the aroma of the fire, and he would bask in its warmth. The fire always reminded him that he wasn't completely cold.

Everyone knew that he was a cold man, but most importantly, Sebastian himself knew it. He was ruthless in his business, and he had no pity for those who didn't work themselves to the bone in order to further their own status in the world. Those who waited around for pity, or charity, didn't deserve to breathe the same air as him. Many would deem him cruel for this outlook, but Sebastian prided himself on it. This was his code… The code that he had created after the Great War had finally ended. He would never be weak again, and no one would ever dare touch his family again.

When he had first told Mary about his new code, she had kissed him senseless. And when she had told him that she was proud of him for finally putting his family above everything, Sebastian's code was cemented into his mind. He didn't care if everyone in the world hated him, he only cared if his family loved him. Because he loved them more than anything. He loved his beautiful wife, who he saw as his better half. Mary was kinder than him, she had a bigger heart than him, she was elegance incarnate, and when she laughed, Sebastian felt like he was the teenager who used to chase after her in school all over again. She was his rock.

And if Mary was his rock, then Daphne and Astoria were his soul. Daphne was proud and fierce, and he felt his heart fill with pride whenever he saw her. She reminded him of himself sometimes, and she certainly had some of his features to boot. But Daphne was also compassionate, even kind, but she hid it behind a veil of coldness. And Astoria… Well, Astoria was the complete opposite. She was loud and playful, and she never failed to make him smile or laugh. Just being in the same room as her made him start smiling, which was something that Mary always teased him about. But he just couldn't help it… Whenever he heard Astoria laughing or causing mayhem, he wanted nothing more than to join her.

Sebastian smiled to himself as he thought about his girls, he didn't know why he was so blessed, but he was glad that he was. Sebastian slowly turned away from the fire and began to leave his study, dinner would be served any minute now. As he made his way out, his eyes landed on Ron's chair. I never got the chance to spoke to Arthur. I need to owl Ron after dinner. Sebastian's smile died as he thought about Ron's current situation. The boy was going to be ripped out of his own house by his parents, and Sebastian had failed him. He had made an appointment to see Arthur, out of respect of course, but Arthur had purposefully stood him up. He most likely guessed the purpose behind my visit, but he could have just refused. Instead he insulted me by wasting my time.

When he had come home and told Mary what had happened, his wife had been furious. But not with Arthur… No, Mary had instead released her anger on Sebastian. She had told him that he should've just marched into the man's office, and that he should've fought harder for Ron. It was no secret that Mary had started seeing Ron as one of their own, but it wasn't until today that Sebastian had learned just how much his wife cared for the boy. And while he was being scolded like some child, Astoria had been laughing at him hysterically from the corner of the room. Sebastian frowned as he thought about his day, and then he left the study. Once he was in the dining room, he took his usual spot at the head of the table. Mary was already sitting in her seat by his side, and she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Good evening, love" Sebastian smiled at her, and she frowned. Damn, here it comes. She's going to call me Sebastian instead of husband.

"Sebastian" Mary greeted curtly. And there it is.

"What's for dinner?" Sebastian asked, he hated when she got like this. And he hated that she knew just how much he hated it.

"Chicken" Mary replied, and Sebastian sighed. "With a side of failure." That was unnecessary. Spinny suddenly cracked into the room, and she was holding a tray in her hands.

"Roast chicken with an assortment of vegetables, just as you requested Mistress" Spinny bowed after she put tray on the table. I hate roast chicken… Wait… Is she punishing me? Sebastian was about to start an argument, but it died in his throat when he heard loud footsteps coming towards the dining room. Tori suddenly burst into the room, and she was already laughing wildly.

"I'm here!" Tori declared, and Sebastian's face lit up. Mary however, frowned at Tori. Tori skipped over to her seat, and before she sat down, she gave Spinny a tight cuddle. The House-Elf beamed at the affection.

"Lady Astoria" Spinny greeted happily. "There is no need for that, please."

"Of course there is" Tori argued with a laugh. "I love hugging you Spinny… and I love kissing you!" Tori exclaimed as she pecked the Elf's right cheek.

"Astoria Greengrass" Mary scolded. "Stop harassing Spinny."

"It is not harassment, Mistress" Spinny defended Astoria quickly. "Spinny loves Lady Astoria." That's one way to earn loyalty, I suppose.

"And Lady Astoria loves you, Spinny" Tori laughed loudly as she let the Elf go. Spinny disapparated with a face-splitting smile on her face, and Tori took her seat. "Oh… chicken!"

"Astoria, manners please" Mary sighed in defeat, and Sebastian released an ill-timed chuckle. The temperature of the room dropped as Mary turned to face him, and Sebastian suddenly found the polished table quiet fascinating.

"Is something funny, Sebastian?" Mary asked, her gaze burning a hole through him.

"What's so funny, daddy?" Tori chuckled. "Did you manage to help Ron?" WHY?! Sebastian looked to Tori, and her grin proved to him that this girl was evil incarnate.

"No Tori, your father is still sulking around in defeat" Mary answered coldly. "All the while Ron, poor boy, is fighting to keep his place in Slytherin."

"I will see Arthur tomorrow" Sebastian promised. "Now… Can we please just eat?" Mary huffed as she always did when she was annoyed with him, and Sebastian sighed as he rubbed his forehead. Tori's giggling certainly didn't help. As they were about to start eating dinner, there was another loud crack.

"MASTER!" came Marty's frantic yell, and Sebastian was immediately on his feet.

"Marty?" Sebastian asked as he saw the Elf. Ron's Elf looked utterly shaken, and he was sniffling loudly. "What's happened? Speak!"

"Lady Daphne sent Marty to you!" Marty replied as he held out a letter. "Master Ronald… Master Ronald…" Marty started to hyperventilate, and then he began bawling his eyes out. Sebastian ripped the letter from Marty's hands, and he immediately started reading it. His heart was already beating in his throat, something horrible must've happened.

Father,

Ron was attacked by the Heir, and he was left Petrified. Please come to the school, I need your help.

Your Daughter,

Daphne.

"Husband? What's happened?" Mary asked with a panicked voice. Sebastian decided to not say anything in order to not scare Astoria, so he instead passed the letter over to Mary. She read it, and she released a horrified gasp. Ronald! I have to go there right now! This will not stand!

"Marty, return to Hogwarts" Sebastian commanded. "Spinny!" Spinny suddenly appeared with a crack as Marty disapparated. "My wife and I have to leave on urgent business, so Astoria is in your hands for tonight. Make sure she eats and is in bed before ten."

"Yes, Master" Spinny bowed.

"Daddy, what's wrong?!" Astoria demanded, she looked rather frightened. "Is Daphne hurt?"

"No, my sweet" Mary replied in a comforting tone.

"So Ron's hurt?" Astoria questioned.

"Astoria, eat your dinner" Sebastian commanded, and his daughter didn't utter another word. "We will return later tonight, and we can talk about this tomorrow." Tori nodded at that. "Mary, let's go." Husband and wife quickly left the dining room, and they went straight to the closest floo fireplace. "Severus Snape's Office, Hogwarts" Sebastian said clearly as he threw in the floo powder. The fire blazed green, and Sebastian quickly went through. He stepped into Snape's Office with a powerful stride, and he immediately noticed that the Potions Master was stand behind his desk with his wand pointed at Sebastian.

"Sebastian?" Snape snarled. "What is the meaning of this?" Mary then stepped through the fireplace, and Snape lowered his wand.

"Where is he?" Mary demanded before Sebastian could even speak. "Where is Ron?" Snape frowned deeply at this intrusion.

"Severus, where is he?" Sebastian demanded in a firm tone.

"I didn't open that connection between your home and my Office so that you could abuse it" Snape grit out.

"I don't care" Sebastian looked right into Snape's eyes. "Where is Ron? Why was I not contacted immediately?"

"You are not his kin" Snape replied curtly. "And he is currently in the Hospital Wing, with his actual kin." Mary had heard what she wanted, and she immediately set off for the Hospital Wing. Sebastian followed after her, and he heard Snape growl as he chased after them. "Greengrass, stop! This is a school!"

"Either come with us, or stay out of our way" Sebastian said as he kept his pace. Snape caught up quickly enough, and he was glaring murder at Sebastian. This was when Sebastian noticed something odd.

"Where are the students?" Sebastian asked.

"There is a curfew in place for their protection" Snape sighed, he knew that these two wouldn't stop until they saw Ronald. Protection? Then why was Ron attacked? It must've happened during the daytime then. Or he was sneaking around at night. Either way, I'm going to tear Dumbledore apart for this!

"A curfew?!" Mary glared back at Severus, she didn't lose her pace for a second. "That's what you're doing?! Why isn't this school employing Aurors?!"

"Because Dumbledore wants to keep this all under wraps, doesn't he?" Sebastian guessed. When Snape said nothing to argue this, Sebastian felt his blood boil. "Severus, for Merlin's sake…"

"The Headmaster is shutting the school down" Snape decided to say. "He is going to announce it tomorrow morning."

"I don't care about what he is going to do" Sebastian snapped. "I care about what has already happened."

"Then tell the Headmaster that, Sebastian" Snape snarled. "But mind your tone with me…" Sebastian had half a mind to Curse Snape right there and then, but he chose to keep his head clear. Severus is right. It's Albus Dumbledore who has to answer for this!

They entered the Hospital Wing, and Sebastian's eyes went straight to the large group of people surrounding a bed. He could already hear two women crying, and he assumed that they were Molly Weasley and Pandora Lovegood. Sirius Black was pacing back and forth, and his outrage was written on his face. Remus Lupin seemed to be standing by the bed quietly, but Sebastian could see the murderous glint in his eyes. As Sebastian and Mary got closer, everyone noticed them. Sebastian then spotted Arthur Weasley and Xenophilius Lovegood, both men were trying to comfort their wives.

"Greengrass?" Black snarled. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Sebastian ignored the former convict, instead he chose to look at Ron. Seeing his apprentice in such a state shocked him to his core for a few seconds, but when he heard Mary gasp in horror, Sebastian felt his temper flare uncontrollably. But all he could do was stare at Ron's face. The boy had clearly fought his attacker, judging by the cut lip and his somewhat angry expression.

"Ron…" Mary muttered as she quickly sat down on the bed. Molly Weasley and Pandora Lovegood just blinked at her, but they didn't say a word. They even stayed quite when Mary took Ron's hand and kissed it lovingly. They were either too shocked, or too tired to care. Sebastian could see that both women had been crying for more than an hour at least, and their husbands were no different.

"I asked you a question" Black snapped as he walked right into Sebastian's face. "What are you doing here?"

"Sirius, stop it" Lupin frowned. "They came for Ron, just like we did."

"Get out of my face, Black" Sebastian warned. "Or I'll put you in one of these beds."

"Listen here you…" Black started, but he suddenly stopped. He was looking at someone behind Sebastian, and Sebastian turned to see Albus Dumbledore march in with Severus and Minerva McGonagall. Looks like Severus brought his master to me. Good.

"Explain this" Sebastian demanded from Dumbledore.

"Sebastian, please remain calm" Dumbledore said in a calm tone.

"I am calm, Dumbledore" Sebastian responded. "You'll know when I'm not calm. Now tell me, when was he attacked? What progress have you made in locating this Heir of Slytherin?"

"He was attacked yesterday" Dumbledore replied with a calm tone again. "And as for progress… I am sorry, but we do not know anything."

"Then why have you not called in the Aurors?" Sebastian demanded. Go on, answer that.

"I did call them" Dumbledore replied, and Sebastian narrowed his eyes on the old wizard. "But the Ministry refused my request. I went to the Board of Governors, and they also refused my request."

"Do not lie to me" Sebastian frowned. "I am on the Board of Governors, and I never came upon this request of yours."

"It is the truth, Sebastian" Dumbledore said firmly, and Sebastian blinked at him. He couldn't read the old wizard, and that irked him. Sebastian prided himself on his ability to read other people, it was an essential tool for his business' success. But he couldn't read Dumbledore at all. "Whether or not you saw my request, Sebastian" Dumbledore continued. "The truth is that I did make it. Multiple times in fact. But I was always refused. And so, I've decided to shut down Hogwarts. This school is no longer safe for the students."

"And you couldn't have done this before Ron was attacked?" Sebastian glared at Dumbledore.

"My, my…" came a very familiar voice from the entrance of the Hospital Wing, and Sebastian was surprised to see Lucius Malfoy walk into the Hospital Wing. He had a smirk already in place, and he walked with his nose held high. But that wasn't even the biggest surprise… What was truly surprising was the fact that Cornelius Fudge was with Lucius. Why is the Minister of Magic here? What is this?

"Lucius, Cornelius" Dumbledore greeted them both, he sounded like he was expecting them. "What brings you to my school?" Everyone single adult in the room just watched in utter silence, and Sebastian decided to stand next to Dumbledore for this. If Lucius is here with the Minister, then something big is about to happen. What is he planning?

"Bad business, Albus" Fudge sighed. The sight of the man repulsed Sebastian, Fudge was a weak and pathetic man. "Very bad business, indeed. Three Muggle-Borns attacked, and now a Pure-Blood boy too. And not just any boy, but a prodigy who has been featured in the Daily Prophet multiple times… Ministry has got to act, Albus. I'm here to take him…" Take him? Is he referring to Hagrid, the groundskeeper? Sebastian had done his research on this Heir nonsense in his spare time, and he had learned that Hagrid was expelled fifty years ago for the exact same crimes being committed now.

"I want it understood, Cornelius" Albus said in a hardened tone. "Hagrid has my complete faith. He is not guilty of these crimes."

"Hagrid?!" Black suddenly jumped in. "You're blaming this on Hagrid, Fudge?!" The Minister went pale at the sight of Sirius Black's outraged expression.

"Sirius, please remain calm" Dumbledore said in a firm tone. "Cornelius, this will not stop the attacks."

"Look at it from my point of view, Albus" Fudge sighed deeply. "The public is demanding that more action be taken, and as their Minister, I've got to act. I have to. I'm under a lot of pressure, and so I've got to take him. I'm sorry about this. But if Hagrid is innocent, he'll be let go with a full pardon."

"Then why haven't you given the Headmaster his Aurors?" Sebastian asked, and Fudge turned to face him. Sebastian's cold gaze startled the plump man, and he shot a quick look towards Lucius before answering.

"The Aurors are taxed as it is" Fudge replied. "Not many left after the War, and those who are left are all on assignment." That's the lie you're going for? Really? Every here can see that Lucius is pulling your strings.

"You will not need to take Hagrid, Cornelius" Dumbledore said firmly. "I will be announcing the end of Hogwarts tomorrow morning, and all students will be sent home immediately."

"The end of Hogwarts?" Fudge muttered, going pale as a ghost. "You cannot be serious…"

"I am" Dumbledore replied. "This school is not safe, and therefore, I am shutting it down. As Headmaster, I have that right."

"Yes, you do" Lucius smirked. "Or you would… If you were Headmaster."

"What is the meaning of this?" Minerva McGonagall demanded. "Albus is the Headmaster of Hogwarts."

"Not anymore" Lucius said venomously, a cruel smile upon his face. "The Board of Governors has decided that your services are no longer required. We believe that you have… lost your touch." There were gasps from behind Sebastian, and even Fudge looked shocked at this. This idiot didn't even know who he was getting in bed with?

"The Board of Governors?" Sebastian asked, what the hell was Lucius playing at?

"Ah, Sebastian" Lucius greeted with a smug smile. "I didn't see you there, you simply blended right in with… these people. And as for the Headmaster, here is a signed Order of Suspension" Lucius said smoothly as he pulled out a long piece of parchment from his robes. He handed the Order to Dumbledore, and the old wizard began to read it calmly. "Nine out of twelve signatures are on it, and since the majority of Governors has voted to out you, you are hereby suspended." It all clicked in Sebastian's mind instantly. This was a planned move, and a move that Lucius had in play for weeks. Which could only mean one thing: Lucius knew more about these attacks than he was letting on. Dumbledore looked to Sebastian with a meaningful look, and then he handed Sebastian the Order. Sebastian quickly read it, and he noticed that his name was marked as 'absent for vote'.

"I knew nothing about this" Sebastian looked at Lucius with a cold glare. "Why was I not contacted?"

"We tried to reach you, Sebastian" Lucius lied smoothly. "But you couldn't be tracked down in time for the vote. It only took place today, you see."

"And why was this so urgent?" Sebastian demanded. "Why could this vote not be held off for a few more days?" Sebastian knew that Lucius was lying about contacting him, and that almost got under his skin. The Auror request that was denied, he must've pulled the same stunt with that too.

"It was urgent because four people have been attacked" Lucius smiled. "One of them is your apprentice, is he not? Is that why we couldn't reach you? You have my condolences." Sebastian nearly lost his temper, but he reigned it in just in time to stop himself from attacking Lucius. Sirius Black and Arthur Weasley however didn't even attempt to calm down, they ripped their wands out and pointed them right Lucius. Lucius' mask of arrogance cracked for a second.

"Put your wands down" Dumbledore told them firmly. "Arthur, don't do this. This does not help your son. Sirius, please. You must not do this."

"He's behind this!" Arthur bellowed, glaring murder at Lucius. "He did this to my son!"

"That is an outrageous accusation, Weasley" Lucius hissed. "Fudge, put an end to this. They are threatening my safety."

"Gentlemen, please…" Fudge pleaded, and Sebastian just gazed at Fudge coldly. Fudge visibly swallowed at the sight of Sebastian. "I am your Minister, and you will lower your wands…" Black lowered his wand as Lupin whispered something in his ear, and Molly Weasley did her best to calm down her husband.

"I came to deliver your Order of Suspension, and my duty is now done" Lucius sneered at Dumbledore. "The school will not be closing tomorrow because you will be removed from its grounds tonight. Along with Rubeus Hagrid."

"Does removing Dumbledore while these attacks are happening sound like a good idea to you?" Remus Lupin asked, his voice seething with anger. "This is an utterly foolish decision. Without Dumbledore here, these attacks will only get worse!" I can't believe I'm thinking this, but Lupin is right. This is a terrible idea, and Fudge won't say a damn word. Pathetic coward.

"These attack have happened under his watch" Lucius said dismissively, his arrogance returning once more. "Perhaps his successor will have better luck at protecting all those poor Muggle-Borns." This son of a bitch orchestrated everything, didn't he? But I know him… He's too careful to leave behind a trail, and he clearly has nine of the twelve Governors under his thumb. Dumbledore never stood a chance.

"If the Governors wish to suspend me, then I shall step down" Dumbledore said calmly.

"Albus…" McGonagall gasped.

"You can't be serious?" Lupin asked with equal shock.

"This fucker is behind this!" Black accused Lucius.

"Enough" Lucius sneered. "Dumbledore, you are hereby expelled from the school grounds. Effective immediately." With that, Lucius turned to Fudge. "Shall I accompany you to Hagrid's, Fudge? Excellent, let us go at once." The Minister began to follow Lucius out, and everyone broke into a heated debate. Black looked like a wild animal as he shouted at Lupin for stopping him from attacking Lucius, Dumbledore began talking to his staff, and Arthur Weasley was currently being told to calm down by his wife and the Lovegoods. Sebastian exchanged a quick look with his own wife, and Mary looked furious. That was Sebastian's cue to follow Lucius out, they needed to have some words. It wasn't hard to catch up with Lucius, considering that the man walked around as if he owned the place.

"Lucius, a word?" Sebastian called as he saw the arrogant bastard and the maggot of a Minister. Lucius turned around slowly, and he smirked at Sebastian.

"Certainly, my friend" Lucius replied smoothly. At this, Dumbledore suddenly caught up to them as well.

"I will escort you to Hagrid's, Cornelius" Dumbledore said in a calm manner.

"You have no right to be on these grounds any longer, Dumbledore" Lucius sneered, and Dumbledore just gave him a smile.

"Neither do you, Lucius" Dumbledore responded. "You've done your duty, isn't that what you said? And I am just on my way out, and it so happens that Hagrid's Hut is between the gates and the castle. Come, Cornelius. Let us be on our way." Dumbledore then walked right past Lucius, and Sebastian smirked at the old wizard's antics. Say what you will about him, but he always manages to get the last word.

"What can I help you with, Sebastian?" Lucius asked, he had lost his smirk.

"You can start by explaining your actions" Sebastian replied in a calm and cold voice.

"My actions?" Lucius smirked.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Lucius" Sebastian replied. "I have never insulted yours, at least pay me the same respect." That seemed to work as Lucius lost his smirk and adorned a more serious face.

"You want to know if I orchestrated Dumbledore's suspension behind your back, is that it?" Lucius asked smoothly, and Sebastian cocked his eyebrow to indicate his interest. "I didn't. I did attempt to contact you, but you were not at home. I tried it this afternoon." I was at the Ministry, so he might be telling the truth. But that Auror request never came to my attention either.

"And what about the Auror request?" Sebastian asked. "Was I unavailable for that as well?"

"Indeed, my friend" Lucius smirked. "Why would you think that I'm plotting against you, Sebastian? We are friends. We have been friends since Hogwarts, remember?"

"We've both changed a lot in that time, Lucius" Sebastian replied coldly. "But please, do tell me why you refused the Auror request."

"Because the Ministry would have refused it" Lucius smiled.

"The Ministry? Or your puppet?" Sebastian asked.

"I don't know what you mean by that, my friend" Lucius replied. "I simply voted in a manner that sat well with my conscience."

"I'm growing tired of this game of cat and mouse, Lucius" Sebastian said as he fixed his cold gaze onto Lucius. "If you have anything to do with these attacks, I'll find out. And then... I'll declare Infensusque upon you." Lucius' smirk fell at that.

"You have no basis for launching a 'Family War' upon me" Lucius hissed. "And in case you have forgotten, the Ministry banned that practice over three centuries ago."

"I don't care what the Ministry has to say, you are not the only one with friends in high places" Sebastian smirked. "And I do have a basis. If you're behind these attacks, then that means that you are guilty of the attack on Ronald Weasley."

"The Blood-Traitor's son?" Lucius laughed. "That's who you're basing this on?"

"Yes" Sebastian replied. "Because that boy is not only an Ally of my Family, but he is also a contracted friend of the Greengrass Family. And if you are involved in this Lucius, I will put you in your fucking grave."

"You dare?" Lucius hissed again.

"Not only do I dare, Lucius" Sebastian smirked. "But I promise retribution. You may have more pull within the Ministry than me, but my vaults run far deeper than yours. And I will dedicate my fortune on putting an end to your family, I swear it."

"And he'll have the Black family fortune backing him as well" came Black's voice from behind Sebastian. And then, Black was standing right next to him. "Oh, and don't think that you can stop me from coming after you because of your wife. She forfeited any claims to the Black fortune when she became a Malfoy." Lucius sneered at the two men, and then he glared at Sebastian.

"So you finally show your true colors" Lucius spat out. "A filthy Blood-Traitor…"

"This has nothing to do with Blood-Status" Sebastian cocked his eyebrow. "If you are guilty of these attacks, then this is personal. I will not stand idly by as you come after my Allies."

"And I just fucking hate you" Black snarled. "So all I need is a goddamn reason." Lucius clenched his jaw, and then he turned around and walked away. Sebastian turned around as well, and then he walked back to the Hospital Wing. Black accompanied him, and then he suddenly broke the silence. "If you go after him, tell me." Sebastian simply nodded, and both men had reached an agreement with just that. They entered the Hospital Wing and went to Ron's bed. The sight of him still shook Sebastian a little, but his rage was keeping him focused.

"Husband" Mary said as she stood up from the bed. "I've been speaking with Molly and Pandora, and they've told me that the Mandrakes that were going to be used to create the Restorative Draughts were burned down. Apparently the Heir was behind this as well."

"Evil son of a bitch" Black grit out.

"I see…" Sebastian said as he rubbed his forehead. What a mess.

"I have Mandrakes in my personal greenhouses that will mature within a week or so" Mary told the Weasleys, the Lovegoods, Severus, and McGonagall. "We can supply the school with them as soon they are ready, and Severus can prepare the Restorative Draughts within the next few days."

"Mary, are you sure?" McGonagall asked, she was pleasantly surprised by the woman's altruism.

"Of course" Mary smiled. "The second they are ready, they will be sent here."

"Thank you, Mary" McGonagall gave one of her rare smiles.

"And Ronnie will be restored?" Molly Weasley asked, her voice was hoarse from crying. Both Weasley parents looked like hell, and Sebastian couldn't blame them. If one of his daughters were in Ron's place, Sebastian would've killed Lucius on the spot. But it still irked Sebastian to see Arthur avert his gaze from him.

"With the Potion that I will make, yes" Snape drawled. "Mr. Weasley and the others will be restored."

"Thank you" Pandora thanked Mary, but Mary raised her right hand in an elegant manner.

"There is no need for that" Mary smiled at her. "We all want this nightmare to end." Everyone, except for Snape and Sebastian, smiled at Mary gratefully. Sebastian smiled internally however, his wife truly was everything that he wasn't.

---

Daphne Greengrass' POV

February 19th, 1993 (Just past Midnight)

Daphne turned and tossed around in her bed, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't sleep. Her mind kept bringing up Ron, and every time it did her temper flared wildly. Why had he snuck off to the abandoned third floor corridor? What was he doing there? And why didn't he tell her?! If he had, she could've been there to help him. But no… Ron had done what he always did, and that was to do everything alone. Stupid git! Stupid, stubborn, goat of a git! Daphne pushed off her blankets and sat up, a deep frown etched on her face. Damn Ronald Weasley and his stupidity to oblivion! Enough is enough. Daphne jumped out of her bed, and then she tiptoed over to Pansy's bed. I have to see him, at least one more time.

"Pansy…" Daphne whispered as she shook her friend lightly. Pansy released a tired moan and shifted in her sleep.

"Go away, mother" Pansy muttered in her sleep. "Let me sleep…" Mother? Really?

"I'm not your mother, Pans" Daphne frowned a little, and then she shook the girl again. "Please wake up, I need a favor." Pansy's eyes slowly opened, and the first thing she was Daphne's face mere inches away from hers. Pansy nearly squealed in fright, but Daphne put her hand over Pansy's mouth. "Pans, it's me. I need your help" Daphne whispered. Pansy muttered something into Daphne's hand, and Daphne felt the girl's tongue on her palm.

"Daphne, what's going on?" Pansy whispered as she took Daphne's hand off of her mouth. "Why are you standing over me in my sleep?"

"I want your help with something" Daphne smiled softly. "Please Pansy…"

"Okay…" Pansy nodded meekly. "What do you want?"

"I need you to turn me invisible" Daphne replied, and Pansy blinked at her. "That spell that Ron taught you all… I never learned it… We were fighting because I was being… stupid… And then everything with his parents happened… And I never got the chance to learn it." Daphne hated admitting that, but she needed Pansy's help right now. So she had swallowed her pride and spoken the truth.

"Why do you want me to turn you invisible?" Pansy whispered, but then she realized why. "No, Daphne. Absolutely not" Pansy hissed. "Are you insane?"

"I just want to see him… please" Daphne said as she sat down on the bed, and Pansy shifted to give her more space.

"Then see him tomorrow" Pansy whispered. "It's too dangerous to go out there alone, Daph. What if you get caught by the Professors? What if you get caught by the Heir?"

"I won't" Daphne promised. "I'll be really careful, Pans. I promise."

"Daphne…" Pansy stared right into Daphne's eyes. "Why are you doing this? What's so important about seeing him right in this moment? He's still…" Pansy trailed off. She still doesn't want to think about it. But I can't stop thinking about it.

"Because I can't sleep…" Daphne whispered even more softly. "Because I can't stop thinking about him lying petrified in that bed… Please, I just need you to cast one spell… And then I'll be gone."

"It's a complicated spell, Daph" Pansy averted her gaze. "If I cast it, and then I lose my concentration, you will become visible again…"

"Oh…" Daphne muttered. "I didn't know that…" I should have just learned it, but I was too busy being stubborn… and jealous. Jealous of the same girl that I'm asking help from.

"So you'll go back to bed?" Pansy asked with a sad smile. Daphne thought about it, and then she decided that she didn't care if she got caught.

"It's alright, Pans" Daphne whispered, and then gave Pansy an affectionate peck on her right cheek. "Go back to sleep…"

"Daphne" Pansy whispered as she rubbed the spot where Daphne had kissed her. "I know that you're still planning to go see him… Please don't do this."

"Once I get to the Hospital Wing, I'll be fine" Daphne said as she stood up. "I'll just sleep on one of the beds there."

"Pomfrey will kill you" Pansy whispered in a frantic manner.

"Goodnight, Pansy" Daphne whispered as she began to leave, but Pansy got out of bed as well.

"You're acting just like Ron" Pansy hissed, her eyes welling up with tears. "You're so selfish." Daphne was stunned by Pansy's sudden anger, and by her comment. "You only care about doing what you want, and you don't care about how it affects the rest of us. How could you be so stupid?" Is she taking out her own anger with Ron on me?

"Pansy…" Daphne tried to calm the girl down. "I'm not Ron…" Pansy blinked at that, and then her face twisted in pain. Daphne quickly hugged the girl, and Pansy started sniffling.

"Please don't do this" Pansy pleaded more desperately as she clung to Daphne. "The Heir could get you, just like they…" Pansy trailed off again. "Please don't go…"

"Okay, Pans" Daphne whispered. "I'll stay right here, I promise." She was somewhat right, I think I was being selfish again… I guess Ron and I aren't so different. Daphne slowly released Pansy, but Pansy immediately grabbed her right hand.

"Sleep with me?" Pansy asked meekly, and Daphne just nodded. Pansy quickly guided Daphne into her bed, and the two girls were lying down next to each other before Daphne could even process anything. "Don't go if I fall asleep first…" Pansy whispered as she shifted closer to Daphne.

"I won't" Daphne promised with a whisper. Pansy grabbed onto Daphne's hand tightly, almost as if to make sure that Daphne couldn't leave even if she wanted to. Daphne decided that it was rather sweet of her, and it showed just how much Pansy had changed. She used to be such a horrible girl, and now she was one of Daphne's favorite people.

Daphne lay awake in bed for almost an hour, and she listened to Pansy's shallow breathing. The raven haired girl was still holding onto Daphne's hand for dear life, but Daphne didn't mind. It felt nice. But more importantly, it made Daphne realize something. She had no right to be selfish this time around. Her friends were all in pain, just like she was. The boys had shut down emotionally, which wasn't surprising considering that's who they were. Pansy was on the verge of a mental breakdown, and she had spent the whole day in tears. Millie was letting her anger cloud her judgement, and she had already gotten into two fights since they found out about Ron. Tracey's emotions were shifting nonstop, and that made her entirely unpredictable. Tracey would be horribly sad one moment, and then she would start snapping at everyone around her the next.

All of them were failing to cope with Ron's petrification. Daphne herself was so angry at him that it even scared her. She was angrier with Ron than she was with the Heir. But maybe that was because Daphne suddenly felt the responsibility of the group shift to her shoulders for once. Someone had to keep them together now that Ron wasn't around, and Daphne decided that she had to be that person. Pansy shifted a little in her sleep, and Daphne just gazed at her sleeping face. The tranquil look on Pansy's face brought a small smile to Daphne's lips, and Daphne realized that this was more important than seeing a petrified Ron. She couldn't help him any further, but she could still help her friends. We'll catch the Heir, Ron. And when you come back, everything will go back to normal. But I will never let you out of my sight again.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Ron kept walking through the open fields, he had no idea where he was or how he got here. All he knew was that he had to keep walking. A strange desire urged him forward, and he just kept walking. It had felt like days to him, and yet the Sun hadn't set once. No, the Sun was still shining down on him and this endless landscape. He felt tired, and hungry. His feet ached from the walking, and he felt more confused with each step that he took. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.

How had he ended up here? Why couldn't he remember anything besides the fact that he was Ronald Weasley? And where was he going? Ron shot quick looks around himself, and he sighed in defeat when he saw nothing but open fields. What was this place? It seemed almost familiar. It's like I've been here before. As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he suddenly heard children laughing in the distance. Ron looked around desperately, but he saw no one. And yet the laughter continued.

"Hello!" Ron yelled at the top of his lungs. "Is someone there?! I need help!" Laughter was his only response, and he felt a shiver run through him. Where am I?

"Ginny, you can't do that!" echoed Fred's voice, and Ron looked around again.

"Fred?!" Ron yelled desperately. "Where are you?!"

"I can do what I want" came Ginny's haughty voice.

"You're a girl" came George's voice. "Girls don't get to play with boys."

"I can throw a gnome too!" Ginny screamed. "Don't tell me what to do!"

"Maybe we should let her join us…" came Ron's own voice, but it sounded so young. And it sounded so… pathetic. I remember this… I was seven years old when this happened. We were de-gnoming the garden, and Fred and George were competing to see who could throw their gnome the furthest. I wanted to play with them, and so did Ginny. They agreed to let me play, but they refused to let Ginny join in.

"Ugh…" Fred's voice echoed around Ron. "You're so pathetic, Ron! Why can't you just say no to her for once?"

"Because he's not a meanie like you!" Ginny yelled in his defense, and Ron smiled to himself. Ginny was always tougher than me… At least in regards to the twins. But then again, they never pranked her. No… They only ever pranked me or Percy.

"Or maybe it's because he wants mum to finally notice him" George said with a mischievous snigger. Fred's voice joined in on laughing at him, and Ron sighed as he stopped walking.

"You two are the worst!" Ginny screamed, and the voices faded away. Ron was left standing in the open field by himself, the silence bearing down on him. How long had he been in this place? I remember what happened next. Ginny told on the twins… And mum was livid. They wanted to get revenge on Ginny, but they couldn't prank her. So they gave me that Acid Pop as an 'apology'. And when it burned a hole through my tongue, they just laughed in my face. I was in so much pain… but they just laughed at me. Ron began walking again, but this time he felt even more tired than before. Where was he going? How did he end up here? Ron suddenly heard a baby begin to cry, and his head perked up.

"Molly, dear" came his father's voice, it sounded relieved and calming.

"Dad?" Ron muttered, and then he looked around. He saw nothing but sky and grass.

"It's a boy, Molly" his father's voice echoed. "We have another boy." Ron listened intently, and then he heard a sniffle. "Molly, please don't cry."

"I'm sorry Arthur" his mother replied with a sob. "He's beautiful but… I just wanted a girl… They said that it was supposed to be a girl this time…" Ron's feet stopped moving on their own, and he stood rooted to his spot. The twins were telling the truth? The sad part was that Ron wasn't even surprised, he had always known that his mother wanted a daughter. But instead she had gotten him… The sixth son. The useless son.

"They made a mistake…" his father's voice echoed, it sounded saddened. "But please don't take it out on him… He just came into the world…"

"I just need a minute… please…" his mother sobbed meekly, and Ron heard his father's footsteps walk away from her. Ron heard his mother sobbing quietly, and it felt like a knife had been twisted in his gut. His eyes burned as he bowed his head, even his birth had been a disappointment. He was ruining things before he was even born… His mother's crying faded away, and Ron started walking again. But this time his head was bowed, and he felt so weak and tired. And then the next thing he knew, he had fallen over.

Ron opened his eyes, and he immediately saw the ceiling of his room. He slowly got out of bed, and he looked around with a confused expression. He was in his room at the Burrow? Wasn't he just out in the fields? Ron slowly exited the room, and he heard his family downstairs. Ron walked down the stairs, and he saw them all talking happily to each other at the dining table. He smiled as soon as he saw them, even though he was hurting about what he had heard out in the fields.

"Ronnie!" Molly cooed as soon as she saw him, and she quickly walked up and hugged him tightly. "Happy birthday, dear." Happy birthday? Is it my birthday?

"Thanks, mum" Ron replied as he hugged her back.

"Come here, son" came Arthur's happy voice. "Sit with me for your special day. It's not every day that you turn eight years old!" Ron beamed at his father's words, and he quickly ran up and sat down next to him. Arthur ruffled his hair, and Ron found himself giggling. He had no idea that it was his eighth birthday today, but he was so glad that it was. His birthdays were his favorite days of the year, and it was because everyone showered him with attention and love. He felt like he was truly a part of this family during his birthdays.

"Happy birthday, Ron" his brothers all said together, and they were all smiling widely at him.

"Thank you guys!" Ron beamed as he looked around the table. Is someone… missing? There was one empty chair, and Ron's head began to hurt the more he looked at it. Whose chair is that?

"Ronnie, are you alright?" came his mother's concerned voice, and Ron looked to her. She had a worried look on her face.

"Mum, whose chair is that?" Ron asked her as he pointed his little index finger at it. His mother looked to where he was pointing, and then she looked back at him in confusion.

"Ronnie, that's just a chair" Molly said softly. "It doesn't belong to anyone…"

"Really?" Ron asked, his head aching again.

"Of course, son" Arthur replied as he rubbed circles on Ron's back. I could have sworn that chair belonged to someone… Ron looked back at the chair, and he suddenly remembered whose chair this was.

"Ginny!" Ron exclaimed. "That's Ginny's chair! Mum, where is she?" His mother just blinked at him in utter confusion.

"Who's Ginny, dear?" Molly asked slowly, and this time Ron blinked at her.

"Ginny…" Ron muttered. "My sister…" Everyone on the table just stared at Ron, and he stared back at them.

"Son… You don't have a sister" Arthur said softly as he put a hand on Ron's left shoulder. "You're starting to worry us, Ron."

"Don't have a sister?" Ron asked in utter confusion. "Of course I do! Guys, tell them about Ginny." Ron looked to his brothers but they were just staring at him as if he had three heads.

"Ron's gone mental" Fred suddenly sniggered.

"Already was, brother mine" George sniggered as well.

"No, I'm not!" Ron exclaimed as he stood up from his chair. "That's Ginny's chair! Where is she?!"

"Ron…" Molly muttered.

"Son, please calm down" Arthur said with a shocked expression. "There is no 'Ginny'… Your mother and I would know if we had a daughter." Ron couldn't believe this! Was this some sort of joke?!

"This isn't funny!" Ron yelled, his voice was trembling slightly. "Where is my sister?! TELL ME!" Ron yelled at his father. His father's expression suddenly changed from being shocked to becoming deadpanned. Ron blinked at the sudden change, and he slowly looked around to see that the rest of the family had followed suit. "Mum? Dad?" Ron muttered, but they just stared at him. They were all just staring at him.

"You surprise us, Champion" came a horrifying voice from upstairs, and Ron began shaking immediately. I know this voice… And then, it all came back to him. Every single memory and detail came back to him at once, and he felt the wind get knocked out of his lungs. Ginny attacked me! She was possessed by the Heir! Fuck! And then, I got… I got petrified, didn't I?! Ron had to hold his knees to support himself, his breathing had become strained and shallow. But he stopped breathing when he heard footsteps coming from upstairs, someone was coming down. Ron looked to his family, but they were still just staring at him. Something was horribly wrong here, and Ron's instincts told him to run. And just as he was about to do that, Ginny walked down the stairs. Ron felt the blood drain from his face when he saw her. And then, she turned to face him. Ron went wide-eyed from fear as he gazed upon his little sister. Her eyes were blood crimson, and they resembled the eyes of toads. She smiled at him in a horrifying manner, and her sharp, dagger-like teeth made Ron's body quake from terror.

"We meet at last, Champion."

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is! I hope you guys enjoyed it. I know that many of you wanted to see the siblings' reactions, and I hope I delivered. Ron's friends also came to some realizations about themselves in this chapter, as well as dealing with their own grief in their own way. I know that many of you are probably hoping see more of Harry's reaction to this, and you will in the next chapter. He will now take on the primary role. Until Ron comes back, of course.

Let me know what you all think.

And see you all soon!