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.

45. Chapter 45 - The Ambitious Weasley

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 45 is here, and it is the biggest Chapter so far! 20,000 words! A lot is happening in this Chapter, so please try to bear with it! Also, it picks up right where it left off in the last Chapter.

And please, Enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, and I do not intend to make any money off of this. Harry Potter is the intellectual property of J. K. Rowling , and I take no credit of it whatsoever.

I was also inspired by Demon Eyes Laharl's: THE RED KNIGHT! and also from Random-Fruitcake04's: CHOICES! I hope you check them out as well because they are genuinely very good stories.

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Fate

Chapter 45 – The Ambitious Weasley

Ronald Weasley's POV

March 4th, 1993 (After Dinner)

"So what did you say to her?" Daphne asked as they made their way into the dungeons. Ron and Daphne had just been to the Owlery so that Ron could send Ginny a letter. "Besides adding on my own message to her."

"I asked her how she was" Ron shrugged. "If she was dealing with everything well, and that if she needs anything, she can always owl me. And I told her that I wasn't angry about her attacking me, and that it was all Tom Riddle's fault."

"That's nice" Daphne smiled sadly. "Poor girl… She must be going through so much right now." Ron felt his gut tighten at that. I swear to Merlin that I'll kill the Dark Lord. First me, and now Ginny… How many people has he hurt in his miserable life? Fucking evil bastard.

"Did you get to talk to her before she was taken away?" Ron asked with a furrowed brow. "Or did you see her?"

"No, neither" Daphne replied. "She was behind a curtained bed while Dumbledore and I spoke to your parents. I think she was asleep… Or passed out. Sorry, Ron."

"No, it's alright" Ron smiled. "You did more than enough, Daph. I was glad to hear that you took charge like that, I think it's great." Daphne's cheeks turned a bit crimson, and she smiled softly.

"Well, now that you're back…" Daphne started, but Ron cut her off.

"You should stay in charge" Ron told her, and she was so taken aback that she stopped walking. Ron stopped too and he turned to face her, she looked quite surprised.

"What?" Daphne asked. "Why?" Why does she look so bothered? I thought that she'd like to stay in charge. "Are you planning to… leave?"

"What? No" Ron chuckled, and Daphne relaxed a little. "I thought that you'd enjoy staying in charge, and you are quite amazing at it."

"Not as amazing as you" Daphne admitted. "I have no idea how you keep everyone in check constantly… I almost killed Theo a dozen times, Millie's anger issues did my head in, and Blaise… Merlin… Blaise was just cold and demanding. And Pansy, she was so emotional all the time!" Ron just blinked at her. "I hated it…"

"Really?" Ron asked slowly, he was beyond shocked. "But everyone said that you were amazing at it… Even Blaise told me…"

"Ron, I hated it" Daphne said clearly, her face becoming dead-serious. "They were such a… such a handful. All of them wanted to pull the group into different directions, and none of them wanted to listen to reason unless it was forced on them… I never want to see them like that again."

"See them like what?" Ron asked.

"As a bunch of spoilt, self-entitled brats!" Daphne huffed. "And when I was trying to keep us together, that's all I saw them as. I don't know how you put up with it like you do. Malfoy kept everyone else's opinions pinned to the ground with insults and his father's power, but you… You just keep them in line without making them feel oppressed. Tracey… Tracey constantly told me to stop being bossy, and she meant what she said when she told you that I was horrible at being leader…"

"Daph…" Ron sighed. "I'm sure Tracey didn't mean that. She likes to poke fun at others, that's just how she is."

"I know how she is" Daphne frowned. "You don't live with her, Ron. She probably annoyed me the most with her goofy and non-helpful inputs. I don't want to stay in charge, that's final."

"Okay" Ron smiled softly. "I'm sorry for bringing it up…" I had no clue that she hated it so much. She seems like the type to enjoy leading others, but I guess I read her wrong.

"And don't pawn off leadership to Theo or Blaise" Daphne ordered. "Blaise is too indifferent, and Theo is too self-serving." Ron just nodded. "Good. Now let's get back to the common room, we're already extremely late." They walked back in silence, and Ron contemplated her words. Was he really that good at being 'leader'? He didn't see himself as their leader though… He just saw them as different people who were his friends. Sure they had some bad traits, but so did he. I'll just keep doing what I was doing before, which is just making sure that my goals are aligned with theirs. If there is one thing that I've learned about Slytherins, it's that they all have their own agendas.

"Pure-Bloods" Ron said to the entrance, and it slid open. Ron and Daphne made their way in, and they saw their friends sitting in their usual spot in front of the fire.

"Don't tell them about me hating them while I was in charge" Daphne whispered.

"My lips are sealed" Ron reassured her.

"There you two are" Pansy frowned slightly as they approached her and the others. "What took you two so long?"

"Yes, do tell us why you took so long" Tracey grinned suggestively. We were kissing over and over again. And it was awesome!

"Daphne was telling me about Ginny" Ron said as he sat down next to Blaise. "And about how Dumbledore kept everything a secret for her sake. And then I sent a letter to her."

"Oh…" Tracey pouted. "That's boring."

"Tracey" Millie frowned. "Ron sending his poor sister a letter isn't boring."

"Millie, it's alright" Ron smiled at her. "And yes, Tracey. It was boring, mostly because I had no clue on what to say to her." There, that should keep them all in check.

"Malfoy is watching us" Blaise suddenly whispered to Ron, and Ron shot a quick look to see Malfoy and a bunch of third and fourth year Slytherins watching them. Great, I forgot about that platinum haired twat. Ron and Malfoy locked eyes, and Ron cocked his eyebrow.

"What are you looking at?" Pansy asked, but she didn't turn around to look.

"Malfoy is glaring at me" Ron sighed as he looked over to Pansy. "And he isn't alone. Let me guess, they aren't happy that the Blood-Traitor is back."

"No, they aren't" Theo sighed. "Malfoy managed to garner a lot of like-minded people while you were petrified. It was actually quite clever of him."

"Clever?" Millie frowned. "He waited until Ron was gone, and all he did was say that Ron was attacked because he was a Blood-Traitor. And all the idiots lined up to kiss his arse."

"Millie said arse" Tracey giggled, and Ron had to bite his tongue in order to not laugh. Millie never swears. I'm a terrible influence. "But she is right. He has a gang of cronies following him around now. You should have seen them strutting around Hogwarts, Ron. They were acting like the Heir was their best friend, and that they owned the school."

"Which we all know isn't even remotely true" Daphne said.

"The truth doesn't matter in this instance" Blaise said in an aloof tone. "He has the numbers now that he didn't have before. Which means that he will become emboldened, just as all cowards do when they have people to hide behind."

"Let him come" Ron said with a happy smile, and his friends blinked at him. "We've beaten him before, and we can do it again." And I really need to let my anger out. Ron turned his head and cracked his neck, Malfoy had no idea who he was messing with.

"Talking about beating Malfoy" Tracey smirked. "Did Pansy tell you that she slapped him into another dimension?" Huh? Pansy slapped Malfoy? Ron looked to Pansy with an inquisitive look, and he saw that her cheeks had garnered a blush.

"It was nothing…" Pansy muttered, but her soft smile told a different story. She slapped him… Pansy, of all people, slapped Malfoy. And she's proud of it?

"Why did you slap him?" Ron asked, he had to know.

"It's not important" Daphne replied for Pansy. "He was making fun of you, and Pansy got sick of it. That's all." Ron blinked at her, Daphne was hiding something. What did he do?

"Pansy" Ron said firmly. "What happened? Why did you slap him?" Did he threaten her again? I'll knock his teeth out if he did. Pansy shot a look to Daphne, and then she kept her silence.

"He called Daphne a…" Tracey started but Daphne shushed her.

"Tracey, you'll just make him angry" Theo sighed. "Let it go, it's done and in the past." Make me angry? And what did he call Daphne?!

"I want Ron to be angry so that he can beat the shite out of Malfoy" Tracey said stubbornly.

"Tracey, that's enough" Daphne said firmly. "Ron, forget about it. He said something spiteful, Pansy slapped him for it, and we've all moved on. Just forget it, okay." What the fuck did he say? Why are they all so sure that I'll be angry? It must've been really bad… Ron looked to Daphne, and she gave him a serious look.

"Alright, I'll let it go" Ron lied.

"Thank you" Daphne responded, and then she glared at Tracey. "And don't you dare tell him, Tracey. Promise me."

"Fine" Tracey promised, a scowl on her face. I'll find out one way or another. What did he say that has Tracey so angry on Daphne's behalf?

---

Ginny Weasley's POV

March 5th, 1993 (Ginny's Room at The Burrow – Crack of Dawn)

Guilt. That was all she felt. Constant, agonizing guilt. She was the cause of so much misery this year. She had killed Hagrid's roosters, she had killed Mrs. Norris, she had spread fear throughout the school, she had attacked those Muggle-Borns, she had let her Ronnie take all the blame on her behalf, she had then attacked Ronnie and petrified him, and then she had nearly killed the Headmaster and her Professors. All because she was a stupid little girl with a crush on Harry Potter. Tom had been right all along. She was stupid. And pathetic. And small. She had been tricked by Tom's 'kindness'. A few kind words, and she had completely forgotten her wits. Her father had always told her to 'never trust anything that can think for itself if you can't see where it keeps its brain'. But she had trusted Tom.

Ginny sat on her bed with her knees tucked against her chest, her eyes were inflamed and bloodshot from crying. She had barely slept more than four hours a day for what seemed like forever. Whenever she drifted into a deep sleep, she'd hear Tom's kind and soothing voice in her mind. She would see herself attacking Ronnie again. She'd see him begging Tom to take him instead, to spare her life. And she'd jerk awake… Last night had been no different. She had woken up in the middle of the night, and she had cried until the Sun began to rise. All she wanted was some sleep. Even if it was for one night only. She was so sick of seeing Tom using her body to attack Ronnie.

Ronnie was awake now, but she had refused to see him. Her Gryffindor courage had failed her when her parents had asked her to accompany them to Hogwarts. She already knew that he'd be angry with her, just like her dad was. Just like her mum was. Both parents hid it extremely well, but Ginny could see that they were upset with her for trusting that Diary. They had every right to be. Not only had she nearly killed Ronnie, but she had almost gotten herself killed in the process. Not to mention what she had done to Hogwarts. She deserved to be hated by everyone… including Ronnie… and Harry. She had let Harry make a fool of himself as he pinned the blame on her brother, and she had just watched. If she had even an ounce of courage, she'd have stepped in. But she didn't. And now she had lost them both. Harry would never even look at her again. And Ronnie would never love her again.

There was a sudden knocking on her window, and she looked to it in a tired fashion. Her eyes almost popped out of her head at the sight of Helios. Ronnie sent him… Ginny quickly looked away from the bird, maybe he would leave if she ignored him. But the tapping got louder, and so she covered her ears. Leave me alone. I just want to be left alone. But the tapping didn't stop. Ginny felt her eyes burn again, and she glared at the grey Eagle-Owl. Helios was going to break through the window if she didn't let him in. And she knew quite well how aggressive this bird was. Ginny felt her temper flare at the stupid bird, why wouldn't he just leave her in peace?! She jumped out of bed, and she stomped over to her window. She flung the window open, and Helios gave a loud hoot.

"Go away" she hissed at Helios, and the Eagle-Owl cocked his head. "Leave me alone! Shoo!" This angered the bird because he hooted loudly and flew right in. UGH! "Go away" Ginny told the bird firmly, but her eyes began to shed a few more tears. "Leave me alone…" her voice cracked a little. The bird landed on her worn-out desk, and he pointed his leg at her. There was a letter attached to it, and the sight of it made her stomach twist. "No…" Ginny shook her head, and then she sniffled. "Just leave…" Helios hooted at her again, and she sat down on the floor.

"Leave me alone…" Ginny cried into her knees. "I don't want to read it…" She suddenly felt her the bird land on her right shoulder, and he nudged her head softly with his own. His feathers were soft, and well maintained. "What if he hates me?" Ginny asked the Eagle-Owl in the faintest of whispers, her voice cracking again. Helios hooted softly this time, and he extended his leg in her face. "Please don't make me…" Ginny croaked out, but she took the letter off with shaking hands. She stared at it, and then she looked to Helios. The bird was watching her with his big yellow eyes that looked like two Suns, and she felt her resolve break. "Please don't hate me…" Ginny sniffled as she opened the letter.

Ginny,

I don't know if you know this, but I'm up and about. I wish that you were there when I woke up, I've been worried sick about you! Pandora told me that you are recovering from your ordeal, and I understand why you couldn't bear to be at Hogwarts right now. But I still wish that I could see you and hug you as tightly as I can.

I'm so glad that you're safe, and I'm just as glad about the fact that you're no longer possessed. I know everything that happened, and I don't blame you one bit. I blame the Dark Lord for taking over your body, and I blame him for attacking the Muggle-Borns and me. I just want to tell you that it isn't your fault, and that it's all on him.

My friend Daphne pointed out that you might be scared of how I may react to you attacking me. Well, as far as I'm concerned, you didn't attack me. It was that piece of shite Dark Lord. Fuck him! (Don't show mother and father this letter). Daphne is standing next to me as I write this, and she also wants you to know that she blames the Dark Lord for this. All of us do. You were just as much a victim as the others.

I love you, Ginny. And I can't wait to see you again. But take as much time as you need to recover. I know what it's like to be victimized by the Dark Lord, and I want you to know that you're not alone. If you need anything, send me an owl immediately. I will do whatever it takes, and I'll stay by your side.

Your big brother,

Ron.

P.S: Helios won't leave until you send a reply to this letter.

P.P.S: If you take too long, he'll go mental as he always does. And if that does happen, feed him some bacon immediately. It calms him down.

Ginny was left stunned by the letter in her hands. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, and then she re-read the letter again. And again. And again. By the fifth time she finished reading it, she let out a wet laugh. He doesn't hate me! Ginny had never felt so much relief in her life as she did in that moment, and she felt it wash over her completely. Ronnie didn't blame her, and he wanted to see her again as soon as possible. He wants to hug me tightly. Ginny beamed at Helios, and the Eagle-Owl hooted in her face. She let out another wet laugh as she nuzzled her face into his soft chest. Helios flapped his wings in indignation, and he hopped off of her shoulder and landed by her feet. Ginny clutched the letter tightly to her chest, and she closed her eyes. I can't wait to see you too. And with that thought, Ginny just drifted into sleep. She didn't have nightmares this time.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

March 5th, 1993 (Black Lake – Early Morning)

The wind felt divine on his face as he ran his fifth lap. His body felt extremely hot due to the fact that he wore a jacket and trousers, but he was used to it now. It was either that, or showing the world his scars. Eh, a small price to pay. Ron kept running, the cool morning breeze washing over his face and weaving its way through his hair.

"Ron, just stop mate" came Theo' wheezing voice from behind him, and Ron slowed down a bit. Theo and Blaise caught up, both of them sweating pints.

"Can we do the last lap a bit more slowly?" Blaise asked, his breathing shallow. "I can't feel my fucking lungs…"

"What's wrong with you two?" Ron laughed as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "We usually run eight laps now. You shouldn't be getting this tired this quickly. And this isnt our last lap."

"It's been a while, alright?" Theo snapped, his curly hair bouncing up and down. He needs a haircut, and so do I. "Can't we stop at five today?"

"You can, but I want to run eight" Ron said, making sure to sound disappointed.

"Ugh…" Theo groaned.

"Fine, you can do eight" Blaise frowned. "But Theo and I are stopping after this one."

"When was the last time you two went for a run?" Ron asked. "Did you two get lazy while I was gone?"

"Give us a break, we had a lot on our minds" Theo complained. "Oh Merlin, my fucking spleen is hurting."

"Sounds like you got lazy" Ron chuckled.

"Neither of us got to take a two week nap" Blaise shot back.

"Fair enough, you can stop after this one" Ron smirked. "I won't judge you…"

"You arsehole…" Theo groaned as he picked up his pace.

---

March 5th, 1993 (Common Room – Before Breakfast)

Ron, Theo, and Blaise entered the common room, and they noticed that it was mostly empty. There were a couple of extremely stressed seventh years pouring over their notes, and Ron stared at them. Maybe I can get third year notes from one of them?

"I'm taking the first shower" Blaise said, and Ron looked away from the seventh years.

"Why?" Theo argued. "I don't want to sit around while I'm covered in sweat…"

"We can do a coin toss" Ron suggested as they made their way towards their shared room.

"There's three of us" Blaise said in a deadpan tone. "How would that work?"

"It'll be between you two, I'll just wait my turn" Ron shrugged. "I don't mind being covered in sweat."

"Degenerate" Theo chuckled.

"No, Theo" Ron chuckled as well. "I'm just not a little girl…" Blaise sniggered at that, while Theo frowned.

"I'm still taking the first shower" Blaise smirked, and Theo shook his head.

"I want new roommates…" Theo complained, but his voice was humorous. Ron was about to retort, but he stopped when he saw Daphne waiting by their door. "What's she doing here?" Theo asked in a whisper.

"There you are" Daphne said when she saw them, her demeanor was dignified and cold as usual. At least it is in public anyway. I prefer it when we're alone, so she can act like herself.

"Daphne" Ron greeted with a smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you" Daphne replied. "We need to talk in private." Her tone suggested that this was serious, and even Theo and Blaise picked up on that.

"Alright then" Ron nodded as he adorned a more serious look.

"Do you need us too?" Theo asked, and Daphne shook her head lightly.

"We'll see you when you come inside" Blaise said to Ron, and then both boys went into the room. Ron and Daphne looked at each other, and Ron waited for her to start.

"Can we go to a more… private spot?" Daphne asked, her tone calm. Ron nodded, and he led them both to the end of the seventh year dorms. There was a dark corner at the end of the boys' dorms, and Ron walked to it with Daphne walking right behind him.

"Alright, what is it?" Ron asked seriously as he turned to face her. Is this about Malfoy? I still can't imagine what he said that made Pansy slap him.

"I wanted to talk about last night" Daphne replied, her demeanor already changing slightly. Last night… Ron felt his face heat up, but he kept his calm. "I know that you have no intention of letting it go with Malfoy… So I thought that I'd tell you myself and get it over with. But before I do, I want you to promise me that you won't do something reckless."

"What did he say?" Ron asked.

"No, you promise me first" Daphne took on a defiant stance, her arms crossed under her chest. Ron's eyes quickly darted to her developing chest, but he immediately looked back up. Don't do that again, Weasley. Or she will slap you into oblivion. They are getting bigger though… FUCK! Stop it, be serious.

"Why do you want me to promise that?" Ron asked. "If he said something so bad, then he deserves to get his arse kicked."

"He does" Daphne responded. "But not by you. Ron, you're already fighting to stay in Slytherin. If you attack another student, again, your parents will only fight harder to remove you."

"I told you already, I have no intention of leaving" Ron sighed.

"Then you are being naïve" Daphne argued. "They are your legal guardians, which means that they have the power to do this. You can't just stay in Slytherin because you refuse to listen to them, we need to convince them that you haven't changed all that much."

"But I have changed…" Ron argued, a bitter feeling rising in his chest. "I've become better than I was, and if they can't see that, then maybe they shouldn't be my 'guardians'." Daphne blinked at that, and Ron immediately felt a small sense of shame for saying something like that.

"Ron…" Daphne said softly. "You don't mean that. You're angry, and you do and say rash things when you're angry. That's why I want you to promise me that you won't attack Malfoy."

"I promise…" Ron muttered, he was stunned by his own words. Why would I say something like that?

"Alright" Daphne nodded slowly, and then she took in a deep breath. "He called me a 'Blood-Traitor's Slag'…" Ron just blinked at that, and he stared at Daphne's face. And then, he felt his rage bubbling in his stomach.

"What?" Ron asked, his hands clenching into shaking fists.

"Ron, calm down" Daphne said as she placed her right hand on his chest. "It meant nothing to me, and I got over it. He was just being spiteful because his attempt to 'win' us back failed. He lashes out when people refuse to give him what he wants, and that's all I saw it as."

"A Blood-Traitor's Slag…" Ron repeated, his face becoming red with anger. "I'll break his fucking legs…" Ron turned his head and cracked his neck loudly, and Daphne flinched a bit because of the sound.

"You promised me that you wouldn't do something reckless" Daphne said firmly.

"This isn't reckless" Ron glared at her. "That fucking piece of shite…"

"Stop it" Daphne said firmly. "If you can't even keep a promise for more than ten seconds, then maybe I shouldn't tell you these things." Ron just stared at her, he couldn't believe this.

"Why aren't you furious?" Ron asked her, he himself was seething with rage.

"Because I know that he was trying to bait me" Daphne replied. "That's what he does… That's what we were taught to do. He wanted me to weaken in resolve, but I didn't let him win. But if you attack him for this, then my victory will mean nothing."

"But Pansy already…" Ron started, but Daphne cut him off.

"Pansy hit him for a different reason, Ron" Daphne said, her tone firm and decisive.

"What reason?" Ron asked, maybe one hex would be alright?

"It doesn't matter" Daphne sighed. "Why she did what she did is between her and Malfoy. We have no place in it."

"Then this is between Malfoy and me" Ron grit out, and Daphne blinked at him.

"How dare you?" she hissed, and Ron suddenly felt wary. He knew that he had said something incredibly stupid in his anger, and now Daphne was pissed. "He called me a slag, not you" she hissed. "He spat on my honor, not yours… So don't you dare try and turn this into some personal vendetta. I should have never told you…" Daphne pushed him back with her right hand that was still on his chest, and then she went to leave. But Ron grabbed her right hand and stopped her. "Let go of my hand" Daphne turned around and glared at him, but he didn't let go. "Let go, or I'll hex your face off…"

"I'm sorry…" Ron muttered, ignoring her threat. "I didn't mean to make it sound like this was about me…"

"Well, you did" Daphne said, her tone slightly bitter and angry. Ron looked at their joined hands guiltily, and he fought the urge to let go.

"I just… I don't…" Ron struggled to find the right words, he was terrible at this stuff. "I don't care what he says about me… I just… I can't stand the thought of him saying something like that… about you. Especially about you…" Ron felt his face burn with embarrassment. She probably thinks that I'm really stupid… Fucking Malfoy, and his twat-like face. "I don't want you to be hated because we're… you know… friends…" Friends, Ron? Really? Fuck, you're a moron.

"Friends?" Daphne asked, her voice much softer than before. Ron just stared at their joined hands, he was too embarrassed to look at her face.

"More than friends…" Ron muttered. "Or whatever we are… I just…" Ron took in a deep breath, damn this was hard. "I care about you… a lot…" Ron whispered. There goes the last of my dignity. Ron was taken completely off-guard as Daphne moved forward and planted her lips firmly on his. His eyes went as wide as saucers as she pressed her lips against his for more than five seconds, this was a different sort of kiss. When she finally pulled her head back, there was a faint 'smacking' sound as their lips parted ways. Ron just stared at her slightly crimson face, his own face as red as a tomato. They were right in each other's faces, and Ron could feel her breath on his face. It smells minty…

"That was really sweet…" Daphne whispered with a soft smile.

"It was?" Ron mumbled, his heart beating in his throat. Daphne nodded, and then she gave him a softer peck on the lips.

"Don't break your promise to me" Daphne whispered as she pulled back again.

"I won't" Ron whispered.

"Good" Daphne smiled softly. And then, she stepped away from him. Ron shot a quick look around, and he was glad to see that no one was around. "Now go and take a shower, you smell awful." Ron's face flushed with embarrassment.

"Sor… sorry…" Ron stammered. She didn't like kissing me? I should've taken the first shower, damn you Blaise.

"It's alright" Daphne smiled. "I still liked kissing you." And with that, Daphne turned around and left. Ron felt his lips with his gloved hand as he watched her leave, they hadn't kissed like that before.

---

March 5th, 1993 (Breakfast)

Ron was just about to take his seat in between Theo and Blaise when he was stopped by a gentle hand on his right shoulder. Ron turned around to see Carey Ductu smiling softly at him, and he immediately became guarded. What does she want? I need to be careful, I don't know how she feels about my return.

"Good morning, Ron" Carey said in her silky voice.

"Good morning, Carey" Ron greeted back, and she smiled a bit more because he used her first name.

"We wanted to welcome you back" Carey told him, and Ron looked around only to see that she was alone. "Come have breakfast with us." That is not a request, is it?

"I'd love to" Ron lied with a practiced smile. Carey then began making her way towards the sixth years, and Ron shot a quick look to his friends. Millie, Pansy, and Tracey looked concerned. Theo and Blaise were smirking. And Daphne… She was giving Carey Ductu's back a dark look.

"Go on, you git" Theo said quickly. "Make sure you smile, eat with manners, and show her the respect she deserves."

"And do as she says" Blaise added on. "We need people like her to like us. Now go…" Ron nodded and followed after Carey, she was now standing with Samantha and Clara. These three… Why do I get so tense around them? Oh, wait. It's because they're cold and manipulative.

"Ron" Clara beamed at him, and she hugged him tightly. Her bountiful chest squeezed against his chest, and Ron felt like steam was going to come out of his ears. They're so soft, and big. "Oh, we missed having you around" Clara said as she let him go.

"You did?" Ron asked as he did his best to not blush.

"No" Clara smiled coldly, and Ron blinked at her. "Not really. I'm just being polite." Wow. "Now sit with me, we have so much to talk about."

"Ron, you'll be sitting with me" Samantha said suddenly, the raven-haired girl was the coldest of the three. "I'm genuinely hungry this morning, and I'd rather not have my meal ruined while Clara 'plays' with you."

"Spoil-sport" Clara giggled, but she didn't argue. Ron took a seat next to Samantha, while Clara and Carey sat in front of them. Ron waited until the girls started making their plates, and then he followed suit. He made sure to put a respectable amount of eggs and bacon onto his plate, but he knew that he'd be having seconds. Maybe even thirds. He was starving after his run.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Ron asked after he swallowed his bite. Carey tutted him with a smirk, and Ron went dead silent.

"Breakfast goes for forty-five minutes" Carey told him in a silky tone. "So let's have some pleasant conversation first, and then we can talk about business." Pleasant conversation? And what business?

"We want to know more about you, Ron" Clara smiled sweetly. "How was your run this morning?"

"It was good" Ron replied slowly. "You know that I go for morning runs?"

"Every day, like clockwork" Samantha replied. "Would you mind telling us why?" Yes, I would. But I can't afford to get caught in a lie. Blaise is right, we need them on our side. Malfoy has quite the brood now.

"I like to stay in shape" Ron replied honestly. "My brother Charlie told me that a good wizard should be physically fit."

"Is that so?" Carey asked. "And why would they need to be physically fit when they have magic?"

"Because a good wizard shouldn't get tired after casting a few spells in battle" Ron answered.

"Battle?" Clara giggled. "You mean Dueling?" No, I meant battle. Like the one that will leave Hogwarts looking like a ruin.

"Yes, I meant Dueling" Ron smiled.

"I see" Carey smiled softly. "I still remember your 'Duel' with Potter. It was quite the… spectacle." Ron felt his stomach tighten a little, that night was best left forgotten.

"I agree with Carey" Samantha said in her icy tone. "You were quite impressive. I didn't know that you were so skilled in Dueling. The way you deflected spells without even using your wand… It was quite the sight."

"Thank you" Ron responded. I had an enchanted ring and a Dark Tome backing me, but I should keep that to myself.

"And let's not forget how that Duel ended" Clara added on. "We had no idea that you hid such… brutality… behind your pleasant demeanor." Ron swallowed his bite, and he forced himself to stay quiet. "Don't be dismayed by my comment, Ron" Clara cooed, and Ron looked to her. "Women love a man with a scary side…"

"Clara" Carey sighed. "Stop filling his head with your filth." Ron just stared at Clara as she gave him an odd look, a look that promised something rather scandalous. Why is she looking at me like that? "Anyway, tell us more about yourself" Carey said pleasantly. I'd rather not.

"A conversation shouldn't be one-sided" Ron smiled at Carey. "I'd love to learn more about you three as well." Clara giggled, Carey smiled, and Samantha smirked.

"Since you asked so nicely" Carey said with an impressed smile. "What would you like to know?"

"You could tell me about your hobbies" Ron replied. "Or your families, it's up to you."

"Then I'll start" Clara interjected. "I'm a Half-Blood. My mother is a Muggle-Born witch, and my father is a Pure-Blood wizard. I grew up in Venice, within Italy. I was meant to go to Beauxbatons, but my mother wanted me to attend Hogwarts instead. So, here I am. And as for hobbies… I like to read people."

"Read people?" Ron asked slowly, and Clara smiled sweetly at him.

"People are like books, Ron" Clara told him. "They are a product of their experiences. Their stories… I like to read them."

"I see" Ron nodded slowly. You don't want to read my story, believe me.

"I'll go next" Carey shrugged lightly. "I'm a Half-Blood, just like Clara. My father is a Muggle, but my mother is a Pure-Blood witch. She left her family behind in Romania to be with him, and they both now live in Muggle London. That's where I grew up. My father has always known that my mother was a witch, and he has been nothing but supportive. When I turned eleven, Hogwarts sent me a letter, and my father was even more proud of me than my mother. As for my hobbies, I like to brew Potions. The more difficult, the better."

"You must be quite good in Professor Snape's class then" Ron said, an idea forming in his head. I bet all three of them are great students. Students who have impressive grades, and equally impressive notes.

"I am one of his top students" Carey smiled, her voice laced with a hint of arrogance.

"Samantha, it's your turn" Clara smiled at the raven-haired girl, and Ron looked to her. Samantha gave him a blank look, and then she gave a curt nod.

"I'm a Pure-Blood" Samantha said coldly. "I come from the Selwyn Family, a Family that is counted as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. But unlike my parents, I care very little for Blood-Status. Everyone has their uses, and I plan to use them to further myself in the world. I have met useless Muggle-Borns, and I have met idiotic Pure-Bloods. I don't like people in general, present company excluded, and I care very little about their opinions. As for hobbies, I like to study the books in the Restricted Section."

"Sammy, don't tell him that" Clara giggled. "What if he tells on you?"

"I would never do that" Ron said truthfully. "I myself like to sneak into places where I have no reason to be."

"Oh…" Clara cooed. "Is that so? Mind if I join you the next time you sneak around?" Samantha faked a cough, and Ron looked back to her.

"Your turn, Ron" Samantha said, a faint smile on her lips. Ron couldn't help but notice how much prettier she looked when she smiled.

"Well, I'm a Pure-Blood" Ron said. "I'm the sixth son of Arthur and Molly Weasley, and my Family is also counted as one of the Sacred Twenty-Eight. I personally loathe the concept of Blood-Supremacy, it makes very little sense to me."

"And yet you were sorted into Slytherin?" Carey asked smoothly.

"I have… great ambitions" Ron replied with a smirk, he had to play this right.

"Care to share them?" Samantha asked.

"Maybe when we get to know each other a little better" Ron replied, and Samantha smiled genuinely.

"Isn't he so adorable?" Clara laughed.

"He certainly has a sharp mind" Carey smiled. "I prefer that in a man myself." Don't fucking blush, Weasley. Keep your shite together.

"Anyway" Ron said, he had to change the topic of conversation. "I grew up near the village of Ottery St. Catchpole in Devon. My siblings and I spent most of our time playing Quidditch, and other such games. We're a close family…" Ron trailed off, he had just lied. They're still close, I'm an outsider now.

"Go on" Clara said softly, they knew that Ron was the only Slytherin to come from the Weasley Family. That couldn't be easy on him considering that every Weasley was sorted into Gryffindor for the longest time. Tell them your hobbies and move on, don't let them see any weakness.

"My hobbies are playing Keeper in Quidditch, playing chess, and going for morning runs" Ron said, his voice steady and calm.

"You play Keeper in Quidditch?" Samantha asked, she respected his need to avoid talking about his family. She herself hated talking about hers. Her father was an idiot who sprouted thoughtless philosophies, and her mother was a bitter woman who constantly spread her legs for other men.

"I do" Ron nodded.

"Then you should try out for the Slytherin team next year" Clara said. "Miles Bletchley, the current Keeper, isn't well liked by his teammates. Marcus Flint plans to kick him from the team next year." Ron thought about that for a second, and he came to two conclusions. One, these girls were far too well-informed. Two, he worked on Saturdays so playing Quidditch was a pipe-dream.

"I work with Lord Greengrass on Saturdays" Ron told them. "So I don't think that I can even try out. That, and Marcus Flint is the only sixth year that's a part of Malfoy's flock. They all hate my guts."

"They do, don't they?" Carey asked with a smile, and Ron blinked at her. "How about we change that?"

"I'm guessing that the pleasantries are finished" Ron figured, and he began making himself a second plate. "I hope you don't mind me having more food, I'm still quite hungry."

"By all means, eat and listen" Carey chuckled.

"Our house is divided now more than ever due to recent events" Samantha told Ron. "When we were universally hated, we all banded together as a means to protect ourselves. But with the Heir gone, things have changed."

"Slytherin House is no longer on everyone's kill list" Clara interjected, her voice too sweet to be taken seriously. "Well, no more than usual. Things with the other houses are almost back to normal."

"And since no one knows who the Heir was" Carey interjected. "We aren't completely blamed anymore. But the problem is that it was Potter and Longbottom who figured it all out and saved the school." Ron tightened his grip on his utensils, damn that was irritating to hear. Fucking thieves.

"Gryffindor House is now unbeatable in regards to the House-Cup" Clara sighed. "And the Eagles and the Badgers are quite happy with the Lions, which has left us Snakes out to dry."

"And since we can't do anything to the 'House that houses the Heroes', we've turned on each other" Samantha said coldly, loathing evident in her voice. "And that Malfoy brat is at the center of it."

"Malfoy is turning the Slytherins against each other?" Ron asked slowly. "That group of his isn't just out to hate me?"

"It's a little more complicated than that" Samantha replied. "When you were attacked, that's when he started whispering in people's ears. He even came to us…"

"What did he say?" Ron asked with a frown.

"He gave us a terribly boring sales-pitch" Clara sighed. "He's handsome, but only when he keeps his mouth closed."

"What she means to say is that he spouted a lot of Pure-Blood jargon at us" Carey clarified. "And the fact that he insulted all Muggles and Muggle-Borns without even doing an ounce of research on us was just… pathetic. We turned him down of course, and he skulked off. But we made a mistake. He slowly used his father's name and your attack to turn quite a few people to his side, and now we have a problem. Not only are we losing the House-Cup, but we are treating each other as the enemy."

"What are the Triumvirate doing?" Ron asked in shock. "They're just letting Malfoy get away with this?"

"They are… not quite interested in their duties" Samantha frowned. "Samuel spends his days flirting with sixth year and fifth year girls, half of whom he's already bedded. Fabian is too busy with his studies, and his future plans to join the Ministry. And Bloise is too busy with his Ravenclaw boyfriend. Which means that we have to act."

"And by 'we' you mean me?" Ron asked slowly.

"There's that sharp wit again" Carey smiled at him. "Malfoy used your 'Blood-Traitor' status to gain his allies, so you have to put an end to this."

"And how do I do that?" Ron asked. "If we're already fighting each other, and then I get involved, isn't that going to make things worse?"

"Only if you chose violence" Clara hummed, and Ron suddenly felt someone's foot touching his left shin. "But if you throw another amazing party for Slytherin, and give a wonderful speech about unity… Who knows what will happen?" Ron shifted his left leg away, but Clara's foot started moving up and down his right shin instead.

"Those parties aren't cheap" Ron said tensely, why was she touching his leg like that? It was completely inappropriate. "I don't mind throwing them, but I'm not doing it for free."

"And what would you like from us?" Clara hummed, a mischievous smile on her face.

"I want your school notes from third year" Ron replied, and Clara blinked at him. Her foot also stopped moving, much to Ron's joy. "I want them from all three of you, every single notebook or piece of parchment."

"That…" Samantha started slowly. "That was unexpected… Most boys your age would ask for something more… base in nature." Base in nature? Ron's cheeks flushed a bit at the thought of getting something 'base in nature' from the three girls. They are really pretty… No! Stay focused, those notes are far more important.

"Well, I'm not like most boys my age" Ron responded, technically he wasn't lying. How many other boys are preparing themselves for an upcoming war?

"You mean you're into other boys?" Clara asked slowly, her voice showing her disappointment.

"No, I'm straight" Ron tried to not laugh. "I just understand that those notes are more valuable to me than some lewd acts… Do we have a deal?" Ron suddenly felt Clara's foot feeling up his right shin again, and he looked to see her smiling mischievously again.

"You are something else, Ronald" Carey smiled genuinely. "We have a deal."

---

March 5th, 1993 (Sanctuary – Free Periods)

"So what did they want?" Pansy asked him as she cut his hair. They were spending their time free periods in the Sanctuary, and Ron had asked her to cut his hair again. He liked the undercut that she had given him.

"They want me to throw another party" Ron told her as he watched Theo and Blaise teach the other three girls the Disillusionment Charm. Pansy already knew it, Tracey and Millie knew the basics, and Daphne had no clue about it.

"Another party? Why?" Pansy asked as she tilted his head forward a bit.

"They want me to put an end to Malfoy's gang" Ron sighed. "Though I doubt a party will accomplish that. Malfoy hates my guts, and he won't back off just because I gave him and his ilk a fun night."

"Hmmm…" Pansy hummed in thought as she used her wand to clean up the cut hair on his neck. "Maybe Malfoy won't… But his cronies might." She called him Malfoy. Ron frowned as he thought about what Malfoy had said, Merlin he wanted to bash the shite out of him. But he wouldn't. He had made Daphne a promise, and he wanted to keep it.

"His cronies might? Explain please, I'm rather slow" Ron joked.

"Very well" Pansy giggled. "They follow him because they don't like your family's reputation, and they fear his father. But everyone knows that Lucius Malfoy was kicked off of the Board of Governors. What they might not know is that Lord Greengrass has become the Chairman. Throw the party, and then approach them one by one. Talk to them, Ron. Tell them that you're not like any other Weasley before you, and that you have the wealthiest man in England sitting in your corner. If even a few of them listen, the others will weaken in resolve. I doubt any of them really like Malfoy, and leaving him will sound a lot more appealing than going against Lord Greengrass and you. People somewhat… fear you."

"Fear me?" Ron asked as he turned to face her, and she gave him a quick smack on his right shoulder.

"Don't move like that, or I'll cut your ear off" Pansy scolded.

"Sorry" Ron quickly apologized. "What do you mean by 'fear me'?"

"Ron, c'mon…" Pansy said softly. "No one in their right mind could forget what you did to Potter… Or how you strong-armed Dumbledore and got away with it all. Use that if you have to." Ron nodded slowly at that, but another thought occurred to him. She feared me in my vision… Does she fear me now?

"Pansy…" Ron said softly, and she hummed in response. "Do you… do you fear me?" Pansy stopped cutting his hair abruptly, and Ron prepared for the worst. But Pansy leaned over his right shoulder and gave him a kiss on his right cheekbone.

"No, Ron" Pansy said firmly. "I don't fear you. I know that you would never do anything to hurt your friends." Ron relaxed at that, and she started cutting his hair again. "Do you have any other silly questions to ask?"

"Just one" Ron chuckled. "Can I count on you to help me at this party?"

"That was a silly question" Pansy giggled. "Of course I'll help you, Ron. Now stay still for Merlin's sake, I don't want you crying when I chop off your ear."

---

Sebastian Greengrass' POV

March 5th, 1993 (Lunchtime – Greengrass Manor)

"Damn Half-Breeds…" Sebastian grit out as he read the Daily Prophet's Sports Section. He stood in front of the fire in his study, and he did his best to not fling the paper into the flames. Beauxbatons had somehow convinced the International League of Wizard's Chess Club to allow Veela spectators. I have no doubt that the French Ministry was involved in this. Sebastian looked at the published competitor list for the Junior League Tournament, and he frowned deeply. Beauxbatons only submitted girls to represent them. Damn cheats, they want the Veelas to distract all the male players to enhance their own chances of winning. Ronald is in deep trouble, and I can't do a thing to help him. That thought finally broke the camel's back, and Sebastian hurled the paper into the flames.

"Goddamn it!" Sebastian yelled in frustration. Ron and he had spent so much time training for this tournament, and now it was all for naught. Filthy Half-Breed scum. Sebastian took in a deep breath, and then he swept his left hand through his hair to slick it back into position. There was nothing that he could do about this. The French Ministry would never even give him the time of day, let alone listen to his requests. There was no proof of any form of cheating, it would all be hearsay. As Sebastian slowly regained his calm demeanor, the door to his study opened slowly.

"Husband, you have a guest" came Mary's voice from behind him, and Sebastian turned to see his wife standing in front of Arthur Weasley. Arthur? What is he doing here?

"Please, come in Arthur" Sebastian said calmly, but his mind worked to figure out Arthur's reason for coming to his home unannounced. "Take a seat" Sebastian said as he gestured to Ron's chair. Ron's chair… That's how I see it now, don't I? And I'm guessing that Arthur's here to speak about his son.

"Good afternoon, Sebastian" Arthur said as he took a seat, he looked rather uncomfortable.

"May I get you some refreshments?" Mary asked Arthur with a kind smile.

"No, thank you" Arthur smiled softly. "I have to get back to the Ministry soon, so I won't be here long."

"Very well" Mary smiled, and then she shot a quick look to Sebastian. She wants me to play nice. I will as long as he does. Mary then left the room with a graceful walk, and she closed the door behind her.

"What can I help you with, Arthur?" Sebastian asked, feigning ignorance.

"I wanted…" Arthur started, but then he stopped. "First, let me apologize to you Sebastian. I shouldn't have wasted your time like that when you came to see me at the Ministry… It was wrong of me, and I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted" Sebastian responded. "I can understand the reasoning behind your actions. You didn't want me to talk about Ron, and his current situation."

"Yes" Arthur admitted, his tone suggested strong guilt.

"And yet, here you are" Sebastian said coldly. "Now you want to talk to me about Ron, and so you chose to come to my house uninvited." Arthur went a little wide-eyed, but Sebastian smiled softly. "It is alright, Arthur. I will not hold it against you." Sebastian then moved over and sat in front of Arthur. Now that I've established myself as the one in charge, let's talk. "What is bothering you, Arthur?"

"My son… Ron, that is…" Arthur said as he shifted in his seat a little. "He was quite cold to Molly and me after he was un-petrified… I just want to know if he's alright."

"He is fine" Sebastian responded. "I spent most of yesterday with him, and he was a delight to be around. As always." Arthur nodded slowly at that, though his face gave away his hurt.

"He hasn't spoken to us for… for months…" Arthur said in a hollow tone. "And when he finally did… he called me 'father'…"

"And?" Sebastian asked, he felt no pity for Arthur's plight. He made his own bed, he should now sleep in it.

"Our children call us 'mum' and 'dad'…" Arthur said softly. "He was so cold towards us… I just wanted to ask if… if he's said anything to you."

"What Ron and I discuss is between us, and us alone" Sebastian responded, and Arthur looked crestfallen. "I will not betray his trust by talking to you about his… personal thoughts."

"I see" Arthur said, and then he smiled sadly.

"But we can talk about how you feel if you want" Sebastian said, his voice calm and 'caring'. "Tell me, Arthur. What is really bothering you? What did you hope to find by coming here?" Arthur looked at Sebastian for a few moments, and then he relaxed into his seat a bit.

"I miss my son…" Arthur all but whispered. "I miss him so much that it hurts my heart to even think about him. He doesn't write to us anymore, and now he won't even talk to us, or look at us. I'm afraid that I've lost him…"

"Lost him to what?" Sebastian asked.

"To you…" Arthur admitted, and Sebastian blinked in surprise. Only a Gryffindor would be bold enough to admit that. "To Slytherin… To everyone else…" Arthur went on. "He cares about everyone else, but he won't even speak to his mother and me. And I don't know what to do anymore…"

"Yes, you do" Sebastian said firmly, and Arthur looked into his eyes. I can't help Ron in the tournament, but I can help him with his other problems. "Stop your crusade against him. Let him stay in Slytherin, that's what he wants." Arthur's face twisted a bit at that, and Sebastian nearly frowned.

"My own son… wants to be in Slytherin…" Arthur whispered to himself, but Sebastian heard him. Don't berate him, just stay calm and focused.

"Is that so wrong?" Sebastian asked, but Arthur didn't answer. "Nothing to say to that? That's alright… You can listen to me instead. Your son is a hard-working, determined young man. He is making a name for himself in the world, and he is only thirteen. Most parents would be overwhelmed with pride…"

"I am proud of him" Arthur said, there was some fire in his voice again.

"Are you?" Sebastian asked. "Do you actions reflect that pride?" Arthur blinked at that, and Sebastian drew in a calming breath. "I don't think they do, Arthur. And if I think that, then so does he. You already know why he treats you so coldly now, and so I thought that you came here in the hopes of finding out how to change that… And yet, when I gave you my advice, you stopped talking. So tell me again Arthur, why are you really here?" Arthur swallowed at that, and his face lost a little color.

"I want you to talk to him…" Arthur replied softly.

"Talk to him about what?" Sebastian asked, he was getting a bad feeling about this.

"Talk to him about Slytherin…" Arthur replied. "Talk to him about… moving houses…" Sebastian was momentarily stunned, and then he was outraged.

"Are you serious?" Sebastian grit out, but Arthur kept his demeanor calm. "You hate Slytherin that much, Arthur? You hate it so much that you're willing to manipulate your own son?! What the fuck did Slytherin do to you that made you so bitter towards it?!"

"You know what it did…" Arthur replied, his tone becoming hard. "How many people in Slytherin joined You-Know-Who the last time around? How many innocents died in the Great War because of the Dark Wizards that came straight from Salazar's corrupted house? And how many of them had Blood-Supremacy drilled into their heads from the day that they were sorted? My Family and I are seen as Blood-Traitors by all the Pure-Blood Families, my son is not safe in that house."

"So instead of supporting him, you choose to go behind his back?" Sebastian asked coldly.

"I am supporting him" Arthur replied. "I am trying to keep him safe, that's why I want him removed from Slytherin. And not just safe, I don't want him to turn into one of them…"

"One of them?" Sebastian asked. "You mean like me, don't you?"

"Yes, like you" Arthur replied, and Sebastian barely kept himself in check. "And I'm not blind, Sebastian. I read through your trial documents a hundred times before I signed that contract. But you and I both know that you still believe in Blood-Supremacy, you just won't kill for it. But that isn't good enough for me. I don't want my son thinking with hatred in his heart, and I won't stand by as he turns away from what I raised him to believe." There was a heavy silence in the room, and both men stared at each other with conviction. I have to try this for Ron's sake, it's my only option.

"You're right" Sebastian broke the silence, and Arthur blinked. "I do believe in Blood-Supremacy, and though there are exceptions, a small part of me does despise Half-Breeds and Muggles. I won't deny that, it was 'drilled' into my head from the day that I was born. But you know who doesn't think like that? My daughters… I have never once tried to pass on my own beliefs on them. I've let them find their own paths, and I will continue to do that. Can I tell you why?" Arthur nodded slowly, his expression was guarded.

"Back when the Great War was happening" Sebastian continued. "I chose to not be a part of it. I had just gotten married, and Mary was with child. I didn't want to die on some battlefield and turn my new wife into a widow. I didn't want my child to be born into the world fatherless. So I stayed away. And then, my Daphne was born. I wept from joy when I held her for the first time, she was the tiniest little thing. I vowed to protect her from the world on that day… But she was only three months old when they came for my Mary." Arthur's eyes widened a bit at that.

"I came home from Germany" Sebastian continued. "I went over there to sign a deal with the German Ministry. It was a Witness Protection deal. They would help me and my family flee the country, and I would supply them with Intel on my former house-mates. I thought that with their protection, we'd be safe from the War. But I was wrong. I came home only to find my entire household slaughtered. My servants, my House-Elves, my mother… All dead…" Arthur looked at Sebastian with sorrow and understanding, but Sebastian felt no need for his pity.

"I searched the whole house for my wife and daughter" Sebastian went on. "I had never felt such fear before… And then, I found Daphne. She was crying in her Nursery Room, dead bodies all around her. She was wrapped in a cloak with the Dark Mark on it, and she was soaked in blood. There was a note inside the cloak, and it told me that they had my Mary. It told me a time and a place, and it told me to come alone. That's when I got branded…" Sebastian revealed his left forearm, and Arthur winced at the sight of the faint red Dark Mark. "It was either this, or lose everything that I've ever loved."

"Why are you telling me this?" Arthur asked, his voice slightly shaky.

"Because you are just as bad as 'one of them'…" Sebastian said coldly, and Arthur's mouth hung open slightly. "Yes, the majority of the Dark Lord's Death-Eaters came from Slytherin. But around eighty percent of them didn't want to be there. They were there because they didn't want to die. Do you think that Albus Dumbledore came to any of us? Do you think that he even asked us to be a part of his 'Order of the Phoenix'? He didn't… We were on our own, and we were nothing compared to the Dark Lord. I gave up my soul, Arthur… I gave it away… And I don't regret it. It kept my wife and daughter alive. It gave me a chance to help them survive."

"You say that you've read my trial documents" Sebastian continued. "But did those documents tell you any of this?" Arthur shook his head slowly. "I thought as much. Slytherin House isn't evil, Arthur… The Dark Lord was evil. Most of us just got caught up in his madness, and I don't remember any of you coming to our aid. You say that we are prejudiced, but none of you are any different. You're just prejudiced about something else." Sebastian drew in a long breath, and then he covered up his arm. "I am not a good person, you are right about that. And I don't care what you think of me. But at least have some faith in your own son. Because, Arthur… If you don't, then you will lose him. Truly lose him… Believe me when I say that." Both men went silent at that, and Sebastian could see that Arthur was quite shaken.

"I have to go" Arthur said after a long silence. "I need to get back to the Ministry…" With that, Arthur got up and just left. Sebastian stayed in his seat, and he tried not to think about his life during the War. After five minutes of staring into nothing, Sebastian was pulled away from his thoughts when he heard quick footsteps approaching his study. Sebastian looked to the door, and he saw that Arthur had left it open in his hurry to leave. Astoria suddenly appeared in the doorway, her hair disheveled. Her massive grin put a smile on Sebastian's face.

"Daddy, you have to help me" Tori demanded in a hushed whisper, and then she closed the door behind her. She then ran up to him, and she climbed onto his lap. He quickly put a hand on her back to steady her, and she beamed at him. "Mummy wants me to practice 'Etiquette'… And you know how much I hate it! Can I please stay with you? We can play chess!" Sebastian let out a soft chuckle at that.

"Sebastian!" came Mary's voice from somewhere outside. "Have you seen Tori?! I can't find her!"

"I haven't seen her!" Sebastian lied, and Tori sniggered. "I'll let you know if I do!"

"Thank you, thank you" Tori whispered ecstatically as she hugged him. Sebastian hugged her tightly to his chest, and he felt his worries drift away.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

March 5th, 1993 (Lunchtime – Great Hall)

Ron shot a quick look towards Percy, and he saw Percy staring right at him. Oh fuck!

"Ron?" Tracey called, and he gave her a worried look. "What's wrong? Why did you use the Disillusionment Charm to sneak into the Great Hall?"

"My brothers are what's wrong…" Ron sighed, and everyone waited for him to go on. "I saw them hounding me this morning after breakfast, and they were hounding me again right before lunch…"

"What did you do?" Theo frowned at him, and Ron gave him a deadpan look.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence, Theo" Ron said flatly.

"I'm with Theo on this" Daphne interjected. "You tend to cause a lot of your own problems. It's actually a pattern with you." That's it. I'm not giving her another kiss until she apologizes to me.

"So, what did you do?" Theo asked again, and Ron pushed his food around with his fork.

"I may have… been a little cold… to my parents" Ron admitted slowly.

"And there it is" Blaise sighed. "Why were you 'cold' to them? Is it because of the Re-Sorting business?"

"Yes, it is" Ron sighed. "I just felt… Never mind… I don't want to talk about this." Ron then looked to Millie. "Millie, I'm joining a new study group today after Potions. Want to join with me?" Everyone just blinked at him, but Millie looked the most surprised.

"I'd love to…" Millie replied softly, why would he ask her and not the others?

"What about us?" Daphne asked, her tone was snappish.

"Because unlike the rest of you, Millie actually tries to find her own solutions" Ron smirked. Take that, Daph. How's that for causing myself my own problems? Daphne's eyes narrowed on him, and Ron suddenly realized that he had done it again. Oh Merlin, it's true! I'm my own worst enemy.

"Can I join?" Blaise asked aloofly.

"Sure, Blaise…" Ron replied, but he kept his eyes on Daphne. He tried to give her a 'charming' grin, but that made her cheeks flush scarlet with anger. I've killed myself, haven't I? Tracey sniggered wildly as she looked between Ron and Daphne.

"You can all join…" Ron said lamely. "I was just kidding…"

"Keep your new study group" Daphne huffed in indignation. "We'll just make our own."

"Actually, I'd rather join Ron's group" Theo said, and Daphne shot him an irritated look. "Or I can join yours…"

"Which study group are you talking about, Ron?" Pansy asked. "I don't recall any study group notices going up."

"It's a new one…" Ron said slowly. Daphne is going to hate this. "But it involves the petrification victims…"

"I have to go to the loo" Theo said suddenly, and he got up and left.

"I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble" Blaise said. "We've got a lot of enemies right now." Then he too left, and Ron just blinked at their backs. Ron looked back to Daphne, and she was giving him a deadpan look. Pansy and Millie were trying to avert their gazes, while Tracey was trying very hard to not snigger.

"So this group has Granger in it?" Daphne asked, her tone deadly calm. Ron honestly felt the need to bolt, but he decided to stand his ground.

"Yes" Ron answered calmly. "It was her idea in fact, and I decided to join in. It's her, Colin Creevey, Justin Finch-Fletchley, and me. I figured that I'd make some more allies outside of Slytherin, just in case I need them someday."

"That's very Slytherin of you, Ron" Pansy praised, and then she looked to Daphne. "Don't you agree, Daph?"

"I do agree" Daphne nodded, her 'Ice Queen' persona in place. "Good on you, Ron. We could definitely use more Gryffindors in our corner, considering how well-loved their house is right now."

"Thanks…" Ron responded, he had no clue if she was even mad anymore. "Do you guys want to join in?"

"I'm in" Millie said, she didn't want to let him out of her sight.

"I'll pass…" Pansy said slowly. "I really don't like Granger, or that Colin Creepy."

"Ha, Colin Creepy" Tracey laughed, and Pansy smiled softly. "But I'm with Pansy on this, that Colin kid is a deal breaker for me. He took a photo of me when he thought that I wasn't looking…" He takes photos of everything, but I can understand why she wouldn't like that.

"Daph?" Ron asked. "Are you in?"

"I'm in" Daphne replied in a cold tone as she ate her food gracefully.

"Great" Ron smiled meekly. "That's just… great…"

---

Tracey Davis' POV

March 5th, 1993 (Potions Class)

"Is she staring at me?" Ron asked as he crushed the Dried Nettle and Puffer-Fish Eyes into a fine powder. Tracey shot a quick look back, and she saw Daphne and Pansy hard at work.

"Nope, she's working with her head down" Tracey told him, but much to her surprise, Ron frowned. "Do you want her to stare at you?"

"No…" Ron sighed. What's the matter with him? "I just don't want her to be angry… you know?"

"Ron" Tracey said in a serious tone, and he looked at her. "She is always angry with you about something. So what's really going on?" Ron sighed and kept crushing the ingredients. "Is this about Granger?"

"Yes… maybe… I don't know" Ron muttered, and Tracey felt her annoyance rise. Why won't he just talk about his feelings? Even Theo talks about them sometimes, but I've never seen Ron do it.

"Ron, there's nothing wrong with talking about your feelings" Tracey told him, and Ron looked to her with a confused look. "You can talk to me, I won't say anything. I promise." Ron just looked back to his mortar, and he kept crushing the ingredients.

"You should get the Cauldron ready" Ron said after a few seconds of silence, and Tracey sighed in defeat. She began heating up the Cauldron, and then she put two tablespoons of water into the Cauldron. While the water heated up, Tracey decided to prod Ron some more. Time for drastic measures.

"Ron, do you like any girls?" Tracey asked suddenly, and she got the reaction she wanted. Ron nearly dropped the mortar, and then he looked to her with red cheeks. "Ohhh… someone has a crush" Tracey whispered with a grin, and Ron's ears turned red. "Is it Granger? Is that why you agreed to join her 'study group'?"

"No" Ron denied with a frown. "I don't like any girl…"

"Merlin!" Tracey fake gasped. "I knew you were gay…" Ron's jaw clenched, and Tracey sniggered.

"You're the second person today to question my sexuality" Ron frowned, and Tracey was a bit taken aback.

"What? Really?" Tracey tried not to laugh, but her voice gave away her mirth.

"Ahem!" Snape fake coughed as he passed by them, and Tracey immediately looked down at her Cauldron. Once Snape had walked further away, Tracey turned back to Ron.

"You can either talk to me, or I can tell the whole class that you like boys" Tracey joked, and Ron sighed in defeat.

"Why are you doing this?" Ron asked as he emptied the mortar's content into the Cauldron.

"Because I want you to talk to me" Tracey shrugged as she watched Ron mix the ingredients. "Now tell me, why are you so bothered about Daphne?" Does he like her?! Oh my God! That would be amazing!

"I'm worried about what she's going to do to Hermione" Ron admitted, and Tracey lost her joy immediately. Why does he call her Hermione? I hope he doesn't like her… But why would he? Compared to Daphne, Granger looks like a dog's breakfast. Tracey shot a quick look towards Granger, and she saw the bushy haired witch all but dipping her head into the Cauldron. It brought a look of disgust to Tracey's face, especially when she saw Longbottom looking around nervously. She's doing all the work, and he's just standing there pretending. "Tracey, can you get me some more water?" Ron asked, and Tracey did as he asked. She poured the water into the Cauldron slowly as Ron kept mixing, and then she stopped when she deemed it to be enough.

"Ron, why did you join this study group?" Tracey asked, she had to know if he liked Granger over Daphne.

"Because it has two Gryffindors and a Hufflepuff in it" Ron replied. "I want to see if I can get something out of it. Maybe even make a few handy allies in those houses."

"And that's the only reason?" Tracey asked, and Ron stopped mixing the ingredients.

"We can let this rest for an hour" Ron said, completely ignoring her question. "I don't know why we're making this potion again…" You can't dodge me so easily, Weasley.

"Because Potter blew up the classroom before Snape could grade our potions" Tracey said in a deadpan tone. "Now answer my question. Is there another reason why you joined this study group?" Ron drew in a sharp breath, and Tracey felt a little wary. His moments of rage were quite frightening, and she didn't want to be on the receiving end of one.

"Tracey, just ask me plainly" Ron told her. "What do you really want to know?"

"Okay" Tracey said as she kept a friendly smile on her face. "Do you like Granger in a romantic sense?" Ron just blinked at her.

"No" Ron said plainly. "I don't see her that way."

"But she sees you that way" Tracey added, and Ron shot a quick look towards Granger's table. "Don't bother denying it, we both know it's true. The chocolates, the way she follows you around with her eyes, and the way she constantly calls you 'Ron'… Like she even knows you." Tracey's voice came out as rather bitter, and Ron just stared at her.

"Fine, I won't deny it" Ron said firmly. "Do I suspect that she has those kinds of feelings for me? Yes, I do. I have since she sent me those 'Cadbury Chocolates' back in first year. But I don't see her that way. I barely even get to talk to her during the week. Sure, we have some classes together. But we are always sitting away from each other. We only ever talk when we have a study session together, but even then, we don't really talk. So no, Tracey. I don't share her feelings. Is that good enough?" Tracey just blinked, and then she nodded. At least he didn't dash my head into the table. Ron went back to writing notes in his notebook, and Tracey smiled softly to herself. He doesn't like her that way, good. Daphne is so much better anyway.

"So…" Tracey rocked back and forth a bit. "Do you like anyone?" Ron banged his head on the table, and Tracey grinned.

"Where is this coming from, Trace?" Ron asked in a tired voice.

"I just want you to talk to me" Tracey cooed. "Tell me who you like, please."

"What if I don't like someone?" Ron asked her as he gave her a deadpan look.

"Everyone likes someone, Ron" Tracey replied haughtily. "You can tell me, I won't say a word of it to anyone." Unless it's Daphne, then I'll tell her. Ron just stared at her, and she did her best to keep her smile. His stare was… intimidating.

"What if I like you?" Ron asked suddenly with a sly smile, and Tracey nearly choked on her own tongue.

"ME?!" Tracey asked a little too loudly.

"Miss. Davis!" Snape snapped from across the room. "If you can't keep your volume in check, I'll make you and Mr. Weasley talk while the entire class listens in. Get back to work, now!" Tracey went red in the face from embarrassment, and she could hear people sniggering at her. Even Ron was trying not to laugh, and Tracey frowned at her Cauldron.

"That was great…" Ron wheezed, and Tracey shot him a hateful look. But as she watched him stifle his laughter, Tracey found herself amused. That was pretty funny.

"Well, you just ruined your chances with me" Tracey joked.

"Really?" Ron asked with a 'shocked' look. "No, please Tracey… Give me another chance."

"Too late" Tracey dismissed him. "We could've been the funniest couple in the school, but you just had to ruin it…" Nothing wrong with a little flirting, sorry Daph.

"I'm a good guy, Trace" Ron said smoothly as he moved closer to her, and Tracey could smell jasmines and sandalwood from his robes. She rather liked this smell. "I made a mistake, I swear it. C'mon, just one date."

"Don't beg, Ron" Tracey huffed as she fought off her smile. "It's not an attractive look on you."

"What if the girl is worth begging for?" Ron asked smoothly, and Tracey looked to him with a smile.

"Now that was smooth" Tracey giggled, and Ron smiled widely.

"What can I say?" Ron shrugged with a carefree smile. "I've been practicing on how to woo you."

"And how long have you been practicing?" Tracey asked as she put her left hand on her hip.

"Since the day I saw you" Ron replied, and Tracey felt her cheeks flush. Did he always have such a quick wit?

"Hmmm…" Tracey hummed. "Maybe I should give you one more chance?"

"Well, you'd better do it fast" Ron responded. "Because I think a certain Gryffindor is looking at us right now. I might not be up on the market for long." Tracey shot a quick look to Granger's table, and she could see Granger watching them both 'subtly'. Watch this then, Granger. Tracey leaned forward and gave Ron a kiss on his left cheek, and Ron looked to her with bewilderment and surprise. When Tracey heard a mortar fall to the ground from across the room, she smiled widely.

"That was mean" Ron sighed. "Now she's going to grill me about you…" Oops.

"What? It was just a friendly kiss between two great friends" Tracey feigned ignorance. "You can tell her that." Ron was trying not to smile, but Tracey's demeanor was getting the better of him.

"I'll make sure to do that" Ron said as he looked back to his notebook. "And you can tell Daphne the same thing…" Daphne? Tracey's eyes went to her best friend's table, and her stomach dropped at the sight. Daphne was just staring at Tracey with a cold gaze. I'm gonna die tonight…

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

March 5th, 1993 (End of Potions Class)

"You will all be here on time next week" Snape drawled in his icy tone. "You will be sitting a two hour test on the effects of the Wiggenweld Potion."

"Sir…" Finnegan said meekly. "I thought that there were no more examinations…"

"There aren't" Snape said rather harshly. "But the Headmaster never said anything about any tests." The class just blinked at the sneering Potions Master. "But feel free to skip class next week, Mr. Finnegan. We both know that you're going to fail the test anyway." Ron had bite his tongue in order to not laugh, but sadly, his friends didn't bother trying to hide their amusement. "You are all dismissed. Get out." Ron grabbed his notebook and textbook, and he followed after Tracey.

"Maybe I should join your study group after all, Ron" Tracey said in a humorous tone.

"By all means" Ron smirked. "I think Hermione wants to have a chat with you anyway." She stared at us the entire class… How am I going to explain this? And Daphne… Good lord, if Tracey isn't dead by morning, I'll be shocked. "So does Daphne, now that I think about it… Good luck with that."

"Daphne doesn't mind" Tracey shrugged as they made their way out. "We give you hugs and kisses all the time. Pansy also gave you a kiss when she was cutting your hair today."

"You saw that?" Ron asked.

"We all saw that" Tracey giggled. "You're quite the ladies' man, aren't you?"

"What can I say?" Ron sniggered, this was fun. "You missed out by not accepting my date offer."

"There's still time, we're only in second year" Tracey said smoothly. "Who knows where we'll be in three to four years?" I know. We'll be knee deep in shite. I really need to pinpoint when the war begins, then maybe I can act on stopping it prematurely. Maybe I should tell Dumbledore? Even if the Entity murders me, at least the old man will know about what's coming. "Ron?" came Tracey's voice, and Ron was pulled out of his thoughts. Tracey was looking at him with a bit of concern. "Where did you go just then?"

"Sorry?" Ron blinked.

"You disappeared in your thoughts…" Tracey said softly, they were nearly out of the class. "You do that a lot…" Ron gave her a forced smile, but she didn't buy it. Ron then saw Daphne and the others waiting just outside the classroom.

"Come, Trace" Ron said softly. "The others are waiting." Ron then walked out of the classroom, and Tracey followed after him.

"Finally" Blaise frowned at Ron, and then they started making their way back to the common room. "If you had taken any longer, I'd be worried that you want to stick around Snape all day."

"I can't believe he gave us a test…" Pansy groaned in an un-Ladylike fashion. "I hate this boring class."

"What? Potions is fun" Tracey chuckled.

"Yeah, because you get to do it with Ron" Pansy frowned, and Daphne shot her an annoyed look.

"Well, I'm sorry Pansy" Daphne huffed in indignation. "I didn't know that you found my presence boring."

"Dug your own grave there, Pans" Theo sniggered. "So, now what?"

"I have to go to this new study group" Ron said. "Millie, Daph… Are you still in?"

"Yes, I'm still in" Millie smiled. "I'm kind of excited actually. Can we work on the Theory of Wiggenweld Potion?"

"Sure" Ron smiled. "I want to brush up on it too. Daphne, what do you want to study?"

"I want to finish my Charms Essay" Daphne said coldly, and Ron nearly sighed in defeat. Why does she get like this? She already knows that I… like her. We even kissed this morning.

"Blaise" Ron said, and the dark-skinned boy gave him an indifferent look. "Are you still in?"

"No thanks" Blaise refused. "I didn't know that Granger was in this group."

"What difference does that make?" Ron asked with a frown. If he says anything Blood-related, we're going to have a fight right here.

"I don't like Gryffindors" Blaise shrugged coldly.

"But I thought that you didn't mind working with Potter and Longbottom?" Ron asked slowly.

"We did that because it was necessary" Theo replied for Blaise. "That doesn't mean that we want to be friends with them."

"I'm with Theo and Blaise on this" Tracey piped in. "I still find them incredibly self-righteous, and it annoys me a lot."

"Not to mention Colin Creepy" Pansy frowned. "I don't like him taking photos of me, or any of the other Slytherin girls."

"Maybe he thinks you're really pretty?" Tracey chuckled.

"I never questioned that" Pansy smirked. "Of course he does. But he could just talk to me instead of taking photos of me when I'm 'not looking'."

"Too true…" Tracey shuddered.

"Okay, so who's actually coming with me?" Ron asked.

"Millie and I are coming" Daphne replied. "While the others are…"

"Going to the Sanctuary" Blaise finished for her. "I want to practice some more spells."

"Nice, me too" Tracey said happily. "I want to get the Disillusionment Charm right. Pansy, can you help me?"

"Hey, what about us helping you?" Theo asked with a frown.

"You and Blaise are terrible teachers" Millie replied. "All you did was berate us for not getting it right when you didn't even explain it properly."

"We explained it just fine…" Blaise said coldly. "Pure-Bloods" Blaise said to the entrance, and it slid open.

"Tracey, I'd love to help" Pansy jumped in, she didn't want a fight breaking out. They entered the common room at that, and the boys went towards their dorms. Once they got into their room, Ron stretched and groaned.

"I'm so tired…" Ron complained.

"Ron, we need to talk" Theo said suddenly, and Ron looked to his best mate. "Your new study group… It'll have Potter and Longbottom in it, you know that right?" Ron frowned at that.

"And there's the frown" Blaise sighed. "Ron, don't do anything to antagonize them. We finally made peace with them, just like you wanted. But ever since you've been back, you've been annoyed at them for getting all the credit. You can't even hear their names without frowning."

"They fucking stole it" Ron snapped. "And they won the House-Cup because of it."

"They didn't steal it" Theo sighed. "Dumbledore offered it to us all, and they had no reason to refuse."

"How about some common decency?" Ron argued. "They know they didn't do shite to help, but they had no trouble eating up all those House-Points. House of the Chivalrous, my arse… And I thought that you didn't like Gryffindors?" Ron asked Blaise.

"I don't" Blaise said calmly. "But we have enough problems in our own house, we don't need enemies out there as well. So for Merlin's sake, Ron, keep your temper in check. You don't have to be their friend, but you should keep your peace with them. Don't lose sight of your original goal because of some unforeseen factors."

"Ugh…" Ron groaned. "Are you done?"

"Only if you understand" Theo replied.

"I… understand" Ron nodded in a tried manner. "You're both right… We have enough problems in Slytherin, and we don't need problems with the 'House that houses the Heroes'…"

"Don't make quips like that when you see them" Blaise instructed. "They aren't stupid, and they'll catch onto your sarcasm quickly."

"Longbottom could've fooled me" Ron said coldly as he left the room with his Potions textbook, but his best mates didn't follow. Ron made his way into the common room, and he immediately saw Malfoy and his gang sitting in Ron's friends' favorite spot. Really? At least try to be a little subtle. Malfoy noticed Ron looking, and he smirked at Ron. Blood-Traitor's slag… Ron turned his head and cracked his neck, Malfoy would pay for that. Ron would keep his word to Daphne, but somewhere down the line, he'd get Malfoy alone. And then… Then Ron would teach him a lesson. No one talks to Daph like that. I'll make sure to beat that into his thick skull.

"Ron?" came Millie's voice, and Ron turned to see her and Daphne. Daphne was looking at Malfoy and his gang, while Millie was looking at Ron. "Are you ready?"

"Yes, let's go" Ron forced on a smile.

"That's not even subtle" Daphne said in a cold voice as she watched Malfoy.

"I know, so let's ignore it" Ron shrugged, and with that, they left for the library.

---

March 5th, 1993 (Outside the Library)

"They're not here yet" Ron told Millie and Daphne, he had just checked inside the library.

"Can't even be punctual" Daphne said coldly. "They said after Potions Class, didn't they?"

"Yeah, that's what she said" Ron nodded.

"We can get started without them" Millie suggested. "And they can just join us when they get here."

"We can't show them any weakness" Daphne argued. "If they think that they can make us wait for them, then they will do it again and again. We need to show them that we're in charge."

"Daphne, this is just a study group" Ron sighed, he was getting more and more worried about how she was going to act. Not to mention Tracey's stunt back in Potions… Merlin, this has the potential to get really awkward.

"Hi there, Ron" came Justin's voice, and the three Slytherins turned to see the Hufflepuff approaching them with a wide smile.

"Ron?" Daphne whispered, her voice shocked.

"Don't make it awkward" Ron quickly whispered, and then he smiled at Justin. "Hello, Justin. Glad to see that I didn't get the time wrong."

"No, you're on time" Justin smiled. "I was the one who was running late. Sorry about that, but Professor Sprout decided to make an announcement and I couldn't leave."

"An announcement?" Ron asked, his curiosity piqued.

"She wanted volunteers to help plant some new plants at the new Greenhouses" Justin shrugged. "I signed up, of course. I personally love Herbology." Justin looked to the two Slytherin girls at that. "Justin Finch-Fletchley, a pleasure to meet you" Justin greeted them as he put his hand forward for a shake. Daphne and Millie looked to his hand, and then they looked back at him with unimpressed looks.

"They're Ladies of Noble Births, mate" Ron decided to jump in, he had to lie to save himself an awkward study session. "It isn't polite to ask for a handshake…"

"Oh" Justin's eyes widened as he drew his hand back. "I'm so sorry, I'm not familiar with Pure-Blood laws and customs… I only know a couple of Pure-Bloods, and they're both blokes."

"Apology accepted" Daphne said with a cold demeanor, she decided to join in on Ron's lie. They had to present a united front, after all. "As long you've learnt from your mistake."

"I have" Justin smiled sheepishly.

"Good" Daphne said. "I am Daphne Greengrass, Heiress to the Noble and Ancient House of Greengrass. And this is Millicent Bulstrode, Heiress to the Noble and Ancient House of Bulstrode." Ron almost sighed at that, did she really need to intimidate the poor bloke?

"I'm… I'm Justin Finch-Fletchley… from Berkshire…" Justin stammered. Daphne seemed to be pleased with his reaction, and Ron just stared at Justin apologetically. She is so not getting another kiss from me! Not until she apologizes for her behavior. That's when Ron saw the Gryffindors approaching, all four of them. Hermione, who was looking rather submissive. Longbottom, who was looking at her nervously. Potter, who was just staring ahead with a deadpan look. And Colin, who was chatting Potter's ear off. Merlin, please let this end without someone attacking someone else. But judging from my irritation at seeing those two thieves, I might be the one attacking them. Ron drew in a calming breath, and he smiled at the Gryffindors.

"Hello, Hermione" Ron greeted her.

"Hi, Ron" Hermione smiled back, though her smile wasn't very enthusiastic. And so it begins. Merlin damn you to hell Tracey.

"Hi, Ron" Colin greeted him with gusto. "I was just telling Harry how excited I am about this. I've heard that you're the smartest person in your year, is that true?" Really, you son of a bitch? You're trying to start a fight, aren't you? Longbottom seemed to tense a bit at Colin's comment, while Daphne and Millicent smirked proudly.

"He is" Daphne answered for him. "Ron is an established Prodigy, and he is also the World's current Junior League Chess Champion." Colin was awed beyond belief, and Ron felt his ears burn.

"Wow…" Colin muttered. "Harry, isn't that amazing?"

"It is" Potter smiled at Ron. "It's good to see you, Ron. I wish we had a chance to speak sooner, but you're a hard person to find."

"I've been busy catching up on life" Ron shrugged with a practiced smile. "Shall we all go inside?"

"Yes, let's go" Hermione said rather bluntly, and then she just walked right past them all.

"Sorry about her" Longbottom whispered to Ron as they made their way inside. "I don't know what's got her so bothered. She was fine up until Potions… Must be the stress from that upcoming test." Or it might be because Tracey is pure evil incarnate. Merlin help us all when Tori gets here next year, those two are going to burn this school down.

"Probably, Hermione does worry a lot about her studies" Ron whispered back, and Longbottom nodded.

"It's good to have you back, by the way" Longbottom whispered. "I'm really…"

"Don't apologize" Ron whispered, effectively cutting Longbottom of. "We already apologized and decided to move on, so let's just move on. What do you say?"

"You're a good bloke, Ron" Longbottom whispered with a smile. "Thank you." Just keep the peace, Ron. Listen to Theo and Blaise, you know that they're right. They reached a big study table at the back of the library, and they began taking their seats. Hermione sat in between Longbottom and Potter, while Colin all but clung to Potter's side. Justin took a seat next to Longbottom, while Ron, Millie and Daphne sat across from them. Daphne made sure to make Ron sit in the middle of them, and she pulled her chair closer to his.

"Alright, what do you guys want to study?" Ron asked in a whisper.

"Well, we have the Charms Essay due next week" Potter whispered. "So we'll get started on that. Colin wanted to study for his Potions test…" I guess Snape doesn't discriminate. He's shipping us all off to hell together.

"I'm also doing the Charms Essay" Daphne whispered, and Potter gave her a smile.

"Millie and I are studying for our Potions test" Ron whispered. "Colin, you can study with us. I'll even give you some personal tips that I use."

"Really?" Colin beamed, and the group shushed him. "Thanks, Ron" Colin whispered with a wide smile.

"I'll do the Charms essay too" Justin whispered.

"I think I'll do Potions study as well" Hermione whispered, and Ron felt Daphne tense at that. NOOO! It was going so well! "We should move into groups to be more efficient, what do you guys think?" Potter, Longbottom, Justin, and Colin all nodded in agreement.

"Alright then" Ron decided to agree, he didn't want to start any trouble. "Those doing Potions take the right end of the table, and the Charms Essay group can go to the left side." Ron suddenly jumped a bit as Daphne pinched his thigh under the table, and everyone just blinked at him. "Foot… cramp…" Ron lied through his teeth.

"You should stretch more, mate" Potter whispered with a smile. Daphne suddenly stopped her pinch, and Ron bit back a yelp. Fuck that hurt so much! I'm definitely having a long chat with her after this. And kissing is off the table. They all moved into their respective groups, and Ron was surprised that Daphne didn't change her decision and join Ron. She doesn't want to look indecisive, I'm guessing. Ron sat with Millie to his left, while Colin and Hermione sat across from them. Ron shot a quick look towards Daphne, and his stomach tightened when he saw Potter sitting next to her. That fucker moved across the table to sit with her?

"So, what Potion are you being tested on Colin?" Hermione whispered.

"The Forgetfulness Potion" Colin whispered. The Potion we made for the exam? Snape is a conniving piece of work. He might as well tell Dumbledore to sod off…

"I'll help you with it, it isn't such a hard Potion to make" Hermione smiled at Colin, but Colin shot a quick look to Ron.

"I thought… Never mind…" Colin smiled back. "I'll ask for help if I have any trouble."

Ron was more than glad when they finally started studying, and he soon forgot about the awkwardness in the air. Millie did her own work for the most part, and she only ever asked Ron for help when she didn't know which ingredient had what properties. Ron concentrated his efforts on recalling his previous knowledge on the Wiggenweld Potion, and he tested his knowledge against his textbook. The truth was that Ron rather enjoyed Potions, and he could definitely see how useful it would be in the upcoming war. The Wiggenweld Potion itself was a healing Potion, and in a war, that would be highly sought after. Ron decided that he'd look more into Healing Magic, and other Healing Arts in his spare time. Maybe he could even buy a Tome on it? And although Healing Magic didn't really feel flashy enough for his thirteen year old brain, Ron could still see the value in learning it. Premonitions about a bloody war could do that to a person.

An hour passed by quite quickly, and Ron was grateful that Hermione was helping Colin. Colin, despite his appearance and demeanor, was quite intelligent. He worked hard to understand the ingredients for himself, and he only ever turned to Hermione when he was genuinely lost. Ron had finished his self-testing by then, and now he was just pretending to study. He didn't want to be the first to leave, mostly because he didn't want to look rude. Occasionally, Ron caught Hermione watching him from the corner of her eyes. While Ron did his best to ignore that, the looks were becoming more and more frequent. Ron could also hear the other group whispering to each other, and the thought of Potter talking to Daphne was irritating him more than it should. Ron already knew that he had problems with jealousy, he had had them throughout his entire life, but this was a different sort of jealousy. It made Ron feel uncomfortable instead of angry, and he knew that it would leave if Daphne was just sitting closer to him.

Maybe he did like her romantically? He certainly liked kissing her. But even if he did like her that way, what was he supposed to do about it? He had to prepare for a war, he had to prepare them all for a war. Which is something that he hadn't really started doing yet… And this didn't even touch the surface of his dilemma. If he asked Daphne to be with him, like a girlfriend, then she'd be exposed. The Entity might take an interest in her, and Ron didn't want that. This thing was cruel, and it had no problem with hurting him. His scars were evidence of that. What if it decided to hurt Daphne too? What would he do then? Nothing… There was nothing that he could do. The Entity had defeated Dumbledore without any effort, the Sorting Hat had told him that. What was he compared to Albus Dumbledore? Nothing…

"Ron?" Millie whispered as she shook him, and Ron blinked as he came out of his thoughts. Ron looked to see Millie, Hermione, and Colin just looking at him with worry. "Ron, Granger has been calling you for almost a minute…"

"Oh, sorry" Ron whispered. "What can I help you with, Hermione?"

"Ron, are you alright?" Hermione asked softly.

"I'm fine" Ron lied with a practiced smile. "Is there something you need?"

"I just wanted your help with getting a book for Colin" Hermione whispered, and Ron blinked at her. "I don't know where to look, and I was hoping that you did." She knows where to look, she practically lives in this place. She wants to get me alone. Damn, I can't refuse without looking like an arsehole.

"Sure, let's go and find it" Ron whispered as he stood up.

"Thanks" Hermione smiled lightly. She then began making her way towards the Reference Section, and Ron followed after her. He missed a pair of dark blue eyes looking at them leave.

"Hermione, which book are we looking for?" Ron asked with a whisper as they entered the Reference Section.

"Magical Drafts and Potions" Hermione answered, and Ron frowned at her back. Calm down, she just wants to talk. And this is Hermione. She's my closest friend from Gryffindor.

"Colin had that book in front of him" Ron reminded her with a soft smile, and Hermione tensed. "Hermione, you can just ask me for a chat. You don't need to come up with an excuse." Hermione turned around slowly, a guilty look on her face.

"Sorry…" Hermione smiled sheepishly. "I just… I got really worried about you…"

"Worried about me?" Ron asked.

"You disappeared in your thoughts… again" Hermione replied. "You do that quite a lot… Especially when you think that people aren't looking."

"Are you watching me, Hermione?" Ron teased with a smile, and Hermione's face flushed.

"No…" Hermione muttered. "I just notice things, that's all. Just like I've noticed that you make jokes to avoid talking about anything that makes you uncomfortable…" Why is every girl that I know trying to analyze me?

"Hermione, tell me what's bothering you" Ron sighed softly. "I've noticed you looking at me."

"Oh…" Hermione flushed again. "I was just…" she trailed off, but then she took in a sharp breath. "Are you and Tracey Davies dating each other?" Tracey, look at what you've done.

"No, we're not" Ron replied.

"But she… she kissed you in Potions" Hermione narrowed her eyes on him. "I saw it…"

"Tracey and I are close friends, but we aren't dating" Ron assured her. "She's extremely affectionate, and she has a tendency to kiss the people that she likes." All four of them do, actually. "That's all."

"That's so… so inappropriate, Ron" Hermione huffed, her face showing her shock. "You should tell her to respect your boundaries… A girl shouldn't be kissing a boy in the middle of a classroom."

"Tracey is the sort of girl that does whatever she wants" Ron chuckled. "And I'm not in the habit of telling my friends on how to behave."

"So you like it?" Hermione muttered, her face becoming slightly crestfallen.

"I'm not going to lie to you" Ron sighed. "I do enjoy it. I'm a bloke, I can't help it. But that doesn't mean that we are dating, or that we see each other like that. Alright?" Hermione looked rather stunned by his response, and Ron decided that he had done his best. He had told her the truth, what else could he do?

"Well…" Hermione whispered as she averted her gaze. "It makes sense that you like it… You're at that age…"

"Pardon?" Ron blinked.

"You know… Puberty…" Hermione said as she went scarlet. If only her parents could see her now… She was talking to a boy about puberty in the middle of the library. They would be scandalized.

"I'm just going to ignore that" Ron muttered. "And let's never talk about puberty again… Please."

"It's perfectly natural, Ron" Hermione said haughtily, couldn't he see that this was difficult for her?

"Trust me, Hermione" Ron sighed. "There is nothing natural about this conversation. Can we please not talk about this, it's rather… uncomfortable for me…"

"Okay, sorry" Hermione responded softly. "I just wanted to tell you that I understand now…"

"Thank you" Ron nodded, and he put on a smile. "Was there anything else that you wanted to talk about?" Change the subject, please. This is so damn awkward. I'm going to throttle Tracey when I see her.

"Actually, yes there is" Hermione shuffled her feet. "Your brothers have been looking for you, Ron. And they don't look… happy. They asked me where to look for you… and I… I might have told them that you were here with me after your classes ended." Ron nearly passed out after he heard that, now he was buggered. They knew where he was, and they would no doubt be waiting for him. I'll just sneak out whilst using the Disillusionment Charm. Yeah, that'll work. "Ron, what's going on between you guys?"

"Family stuff" Ron shrugged, and Hermione frowned.

"That's what you said before" Hermione said in an annoyed tone. "I want to know the real reason behind their anger with you." And how is that any of your business?

"I… I had a fight with them" Ron lied. "Before I was attacked by the Heir."

"Your sister…" Hermione whispered.

"My sister is not the Heir" Ron said, his voice becoming hard.

"I know that…" Hermione quickly amended. "Harry and Neville told me that she was… possessed… by Lord Voldemort's Diary…" Ron flinched at the name, and then he felt his blood boil.

"There weren't supposed to tell anyone that" Ron grit out, and Hermione blinked as she realized her mistake.

"I saw her attack me, Ron" Hermione tried to lie, but Ron just stared right into her eyes. Were his eyes always so cold?

"You just said that they told you about the Diary" Ron hissed. "If you tell anyone about Ginny…"

"I won't" Hermione said, her voice quickly regaining its fire. "I know that she was a victim, just like us. I don't blame her, Ron. And I don't like you talking to me like that…" Calm down, Ron. Hermione isn't the sort to tell others. And I believe her when she says that she doesn't blame Ginny.

"Sorry" Ron whispered with a calmer tone. "I just… I don't want her to get in any trouble…" Hermione's expression became sympathetic at that, and she smiled softly.

"She won't, I promise" Hermione whispered. "No one blames her, Ron. Not I, not Harry, not Neville, not even the Professors. I'm just sorry that this happened to her, she didn't deserve it."

"No, she didn't" Ron agreed, but Riddle's words echoed through his head. Had she really let Ron take the blame for Potter's sake? "Is that all? I reckon we should head back."

"Yeah, let's head back" Hermione nodded. She felt so stupid for bringing up his sister because now he had become withdrawn. Not to mention that she revealed that Harry and Neville had broken their promise to Dumbledore. The two of them made their way back, and Ron's insides squirmed when he saw the twins talking to Potter. Their eyes fell on Ron immediately, and Ron nearly cussed aloud. So much for sneaking out. The twins quickly approached him, and Ron noticed Millie and Daphne staring at them.

"A word, brother dearest?" Fred smirked.

"Oh, and don't try to weasel out of this" George smirked as well.

"We'd hate to drag you away by your ankles" Fred chuckled.

"Drag him away?" Hermione muttered. "You can't do that…"

"Oh, we can" George grinned at her.

"Fine, let's go" Ron sighed, he couldn't afford to let them make a scene. Ron went over to Millie, and he grabbed his books. "Millie, I'm heading off."

"I'm coming with you…" Millie whispered, her eyes fixed on the twins.

"Don't worry about me" Ron smiled at her. "This is a… family affair. Just please make sure that Daphne doesn't follow us." Millie shot him a pleading look.

"Ron, the last time you went off alone…" Millie whispered.

"The Heir is gone, Millie" Ron whispered. "Don't let his memory haunt you. I'm alive and well, and these are my brothers. Please just take Daphne back to the Sanctuary. I'll meet you all there."

"Alright…" Millie whispered, though she looked extremely conflicted.

"Thanks, Millie" Ron smiled, and then he turned to the twins. "Let's go."

---

March 5th, 1993 (Abandoned Classroom – Evening)

"Why are you being so quiet?" Ron asked George as he got sick of the silence. "And what the hell are we doing in here?"

"We're waiting for Fred to get Percy" George replied. "And we're here because we want to talk to you."

"About what?" Ron feigned ignorance.

"Just stop it, Ron" George suddenly snapped, and Ron jumped a bit. "Just stop lying and pretending for one minute, alright? You know what we want to talk about, and that's why you've been avoiding us. You were petrified! And we were worried sick about you! But then you come back and just ignore us… You treat mum and dad like they mean nothing to you… And we can't even guess why! So we're going to talk, and you'll bloody talk! Or I won't stop Fred from beating the shite out of you." Ron just stared at George, and he was a little stunned by that reaction. If George is this mad, Fred must be going insane. But I don't care how angry they are, I'm not just going to take their threats anymore.

"Alright, we'll talk" Ron nodded. "But don't you dare threaten me again, George. Or I swear to Merlin… I'll put you and Fred in the Hospital Wing myself…" George's eyes widened at that, and he stood up to his full height.

"What the fuck did you say?" George seethed.

"You heard me" Ron stood up as well. "I'm sick of people trying to threaten me, and if you do it again, I'll beat the shite out of you like I did to Potter."

"What the fuck happened to you?" George asked in a bitter tone. "You weren't like this before…"

"I was the punching bag, you mean" Ron said venomously. "I was the butt of every joke, of every prank, and of every insult. Well, not anymore…" The door suddenly opened, and Percy and Fred walked in. They immediately noticed the tension in the air, and Percy frowned at George.

"George, what's going on?" Percy asked, and George just stared at Ron.

"Nothing…" George lied. "I was just telling Ron that we want an explanation behind his behavior."

"That we do" Fred said, his tone was no longer happy like it was back in the library. "Start talking Ron, why are you avoiding us? And why did you treat mum and dad so horribly?! They were worried sick about you for the last two weeks, and you didn't even give them a second look! What's your problem?!"

"I don't have a problem" Ron lied. "And as for avoiding you, I didn't want to have a pointless argument."

"Hippogriff shite" Fred spat out. "You're being an absolute cunt." Ron felt like he had gotten slapped, but then the shock wore off, and Ron felt is temper flare.

"Fred" Percy hissed. "We agreed to do this in a civil manner. Ron, ignore what he just said."

"That's what you all want, isn't it?" Ron asked, his tone spiteful. "For me to ignore being treated like shite… That's what you all want." Ron turned his head and cracked his neck loudly, something that made his brothers flinch a little.

"Ron… What are you talking about?" Percy asked, his tone guarded.

"I'm talking about my second hand clothes…" Ron replied with a piercing gaze. "About my second hand toys… About my second hand bed… About my second hand wand… I'm talking about the constant insults, and pranks. My whole life I've been treated like I don't belong in this family…"

"Ron, no one thinks that" Percy said, his face showed his shock.

"Really?" Ron asked. "Ask the twins what they told me about my birth then." Both twins went slightly pale in the face, and Percy looked to them slowly.

"What did you tell him?" Percy asked slowly, but neither of them said a word. Percy already knew the truth about his mother's reaction to Ron's birth. After all, Percy was with Charlie and Bill while they had kept a baby Ron company while their father consoled their sobbing mother. "What did you tell him?!" Percy shouted at them, and both twins flinched.

"They told me that she wept with disappointment" Ron answered, his hands shaking with anger. "And they were right…"

"Ron…" George started.

"Don't even try to deny it" Ron hissed. "You told me that to my face, and you made sure that I remembered it… Well, I remember it all. I remember being treated like your personal punching bag for as long as I can remember. I remember Bill and Charlie ignoring my treatment at your hands. I remember mother and father doing the exact same thing. I remembered all of that when mother slapped me right across my face in front of every adult that I care about…" Ron's siblings went wide-eyed at that. "I remembered it when father went behind my back in order to force me out of Slytherin. I remember it all… So don't expect me to treat any of you with an ounce of respect, because you fuckers have never done that for me." Ron's brothers could do nothing but stare at him. It was either from guilt or from shock, Ron didn't really care. This conversation is over. Ron simply walked right past them, and they didn't even try to stop him.

---

March 5th, 1993 (Great Hall – Dinner)

"Ron, you're not eating" Pansy said softly, but Ron just stared at his empty plate. It hadn't taken long for Ron to regret the words that he had thrown at his brothers. But he refused to apologize. I'm not going to show them any weakness. They'll just press on that, like they do with every other one of my weaknesses.

"Ron?" Theo nudged him, and Ron looked to the weedy boy. "Pansy was talking to you…"

"Oh, sorry" Ron apologized, and then he looked to Pansy. "What is it, Pans?"

"I was just saying that you weren't eating" Pansy gave him a soft smile. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine" Ron lied. "Just thinking about Ginny, that's all." Ron friends nodded at that, but none of them bought his lie.

"Well, you should eat something" Millie said. "I don't think that she'd like you starving yourself." Ron nodded at that, and he put a little bit of food on his plate. Ron's eyes darted to his brothers, and from what he saw, Percy was currently scolding the twins. But Ron couldn't bring himself to care about that. Had they cared when they had thrown the truth about his disappointing birth in his face? No, none of them cared. Percy is the only one who's never let me down. Even Charlie tended to ignore me being bullied every day.

"People generally eat what they put on their plate" Blaise frowned at Ron, and Ron blinked again.

"Right…" Ron responded, and he began eating. I still have to do research on the Great War, and learn more about Beauxbatons. And why hasn't Ginny sent back a reply yet? Helios flies at an incredible speed, so he should be back by now. Maybe she doesn't want to talk about what happened? I should have listened to Daphne when she told me to wait at the Owlery. Ron was taken out of his thoughts when Theo nudged him again. "What is it?" Ron asked him.

"Mate, what's wrong with you?" Theo asked with a furrowed brow. "Are you asleep or something?" Ron just stared at Theo, and Theo frowned deeply. "I asked you how it went with your brothers…"

"It went fine" Ron lied.

"That's it, we're having a meeting in our room" Blaise said, he was fed up with Ron's distracted nature. "Something has you bothered, and you're going to tell us what."

"I'm with Blaise on this" Tracey said. "You completely zoned out in Potions as well."

"And at the library" Millie added.

"I'm just tired, alright" Ron sighed. "Give me a fucking break…" Ron didn't miss the fact that Daphne was uncharacteristically quiet. She's probably still sore about Hermione. Ron shot a quick look at her, but she didn't look sore. She looked extremely worried, and she was staring right at him. Ron looked back down at his plate, and he moved the vegetables around with his fork. The bell rang suddenly, and Ron let out a relieved sigh. I just need some sleep. Then I can start tackling one problem at a time. Ron and his friends got up to leave, but they didn't get far.

"You seven" came Snape's icy voice from behind them, and they all turned around immediately. "The Headmaster wishes to speak with you in his Office. Come." Snape then shot past them, and Ron exchanged looks with his friends. They looked just as clueless as he was, but they quickly followed after the Potions Master.

---

March 5th, 1993 (Dumbledore's Office – After Dinner)

Ron and his friends sat in front of the clawed desk, but Dumbledore was nowhere in sight. Fawkes the Phoenix was currently asleep on his perch, and Snape had left right after he had dropped them off.

"Does anyone want to take a guess as to why we're here?" Theo asked, but no one answered. "Fine, I'll take a guess. He wants to make sure that we don't tell anyone the truth about Gryffindor's four-hundred point lead."

"I wouldn't even be surprised…" Ron muttered, and then he yawned. "I'm so damn tired…"

"We're still having that conversation when we get back to our room" Blaise reminded him, and Ron didn't even bother reacting. The door to the Office suddenly opened, and Dumbledore walked in with a kind smile.

"Apologies for the wait" Dumbledore said, his eyes twinkling at them. "Mr. Filch needed my help with an urgent matter." With that, Dumbledore took his seat behind his clawed desk. "Now, you must all be wondering why I've called you here." Ron and his friends nodded, and Dumbledore's eyes twinkled some more. "I wanted to discuss the Chamber of Secrets with you, and your involvement in its location. I couldn't help but notice something very peculiar when I revealed Lord Voldemort's real name…" Ron and his friends flinched at the Dark Lord's name.

"Peculiar, Headmaster?" Theo asked.

"Yes, quite peculiar" Dumbledore chuckled. "Tell me, how did you know that Tom Riddle became Lord Voldemort?" Oh shite… "Not many people know that particular fact, and yet, you all did."

"We didn't know that, Headmaster" Theo replied with a firm tone. "But we did know that Tom Riddle was behind the attacks fifty years ago."

"And how did you know that?" Dumbledore asked Theo.

"When we decided to locate the Chamber" Theo explained, and everyone just listened quietly. "We did a lot of research on it. We knew that anything relevant would be important, and that's when we learned about the attacks fifty years ago. We learnt that a boy named Tom Riddle stopped the attacks, and that he had a trophy awarded to him for Special Services to the School. We even found that trophy in the Trophy Room. But since the attacks were happening again, we figured that he had lied and framed Rubeus Hagrid. Everything worked out too well for Tom Riddle, and that's how we knew that he was behind it all."

"I see" Dumbledore nodded slowly, an impressed smile on his face. He knew that the boy was lying through his teeth, but he had impressed Dumbledore nonetheless. "Well, in that case, excellent detective work. You seven could make for fine Aurors someday." Theo is the God of Lying, isn't he? How the fuck did he come up with that so quickly?

"I don't think that my Lord Father would approve of me becoming an Auror" Daphne smiled at the old wizard. "He is far too protective of me."

"That he is" Dumbledore chuckled. "Now that you've entertained my inquiry, I have something to give you all." Dumbledore reached into his desk, and he pulled out a rectangular box. It was made of polished wood, and Ron looked at it warily. "I had these seven decorations made for you all. I know that you didn't want to accept any public credit, and I can understand why. But I still want you all to have these." Dumbledore then opened the box, and he showed them the decorations. They were small, golden Hogwarts emblem shaped pins. "You don't have to show them to anyone, but you deserve to have them. Take them, please." Ron and his friends took a golden pin each, and Ron looked at his pin intensely. It's well-made, and is that real gold?

"Thank you, Headmaster" Blaise thanked the old wizard, and then so did the rest of the Slytherins.

"No, thank you" Dumbledore said sincerely. "You saved the school, don't ever forget that. I am so very proud of you all." Dumbledore smiled at their blushes, he had meant every word. "Now, off to bed. I don't want to keep any of you away from your house-mates for too long." Ron and his friends stood up to leave, but Dumbledore looked straight at Ron. "Ronald, forgive me, but I do wish to speak with you alone for a moment." Ron just blinked at the Headmaster, and he slowly sat back down.

"Headmaster, is Ron in trouble?" Pansy asked, her voice laced with concern.

"No, he isn't" Dumbledore assured her. "He will join you all momentarily." Ron watched his friends leave one-by-one, and he noticed that Daphne was the last to leave. She shot him a quick look, and then she too left the Office.

"Headmaster, what do you want to talk to me about?" Ron asked slowly.

"I want to talk to you about your Re-Sorting" Dumbledore replied, and Ron's stomach dropped. Merlin, this day just won't end. "We need to set a date, Ronald…"

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Dear Lord, my fucking brain is fried! Worth it! Anyway, there you guys go. I hope you enjoyed reading this very long day in Ron's life. Now I know that the confrontation between the Brothers was rather short, but that's because it isn't really over yet. And I know that I said that Malfoy and Ron would go against each other, but I ran out of space. So that will happen in the next Chapter.

Next Chapter has Ron on the ropes with his parents, his brothers chasing him down again, Ginny's letter, some more Luna, a Party, Ron and Malfoy, and so on.

Now about the next update... I have two assignment due on Sunday, and I'm still volunteering. Which means that I'm hella busy at the moment, and quite stressed. I will try and get the next chapter out on Sunday, but if I fail to, then the next update will be on Wednesday next week.

See you guys soon!