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.

49. Chapter 49 - The Determined Goat

AUTHOR'S NOTES: Chapter 49 is here, fresh out of the oven. Now, just a couple of quick things:

1. There is a small misunderstanding amongst the readers, so let me clear it up. Olivia Jones was the girl that Ron beat in the final of the Paris Competition. (She frowned the entire game, and at the end). Amanda DuPont was the girl he beat at the end of last year's Junior League Tournament.

2. No Tracey or Millie in this chapter, I instead gave their POV slots to someone else.

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 49 – A Determined Goat

Ronald Weasley's POV

The Dream World

"Oh shite…" Ron muttered as he stared at the Basilisk. "You're a Basilisk?"

"Does this form bother you, Champion?" The Entity/Basilisk asked, its voice and visage sending a cold shiver through Ron.

"Bother me?" Ron asked slowly, the Entity's simple question confusing him a bit. It's not attacking me?

"That is what we asked." The Entity replied.

"Yes, it bothers me…" Ron whispered as he slowly stood up. "Fucking hell…" Ron muttered as he stared at the towering King of Serpents. The Entity suddenly began circling Ron with frightening speed, and Ron looked around wildly as the Basilisk's form broke apart into a thick black fog. The fog enveloped Ron completely, to the point where Ron couldn't even see his own two hands. And then, the fog was sucked into something behind Ron. Ron turned to see Daphne staring at him, her crimson toad-like eyes ravenous and cruel.

"Do you prefer us in this form instead?" the Entity grinned, its dagger-sharp teeth making Ron take a step back. All Ron could do was stare at 'Daphne' with wide eyes, and when he didn't reply, the Entity slowly approached him. "You don't like it? Strange… We thought that this form would please you."

"And why would you think that?" Ron asked slowly, it was clear that the Entity knew of his 'close friendship' with Daphne. Ron felt dread at the prospect of the Entity knowing about Daphne, he didn't want to endanger her in any way.

"We see all, Champion" the Entity replied. "We are a part of you, and we know you better than you know yourself."

"Then take another form…" Ron suddenly seethed, seeing 'Daphne' like this was too distressing. "Stop hiding behind the faces of others, show me what you really look like."

"You could not gaze upon our true form and live, believe us" the Entity laughed in a mocking manner, and Ron clenched his jaw. Piece of shite demon. Stop laughing at me.

"That ugly, are you?" Ron mocked back, and the Entity immediately lost its humor. Bad move, Weasley. Really bad move.

"Careful, Champion…" the Entity warned, its tone making Ron take another step back. "We will not tolerate such a defiant tone from a lesser life form."

"Lesser life form?" Ron repeated, a cold sweat breaking out in his armpits. "What are you? Why are you in my head?" Ron felt a sudden pang of pain in his stomach, and he bent over and clutched his stomach with his hands. "Fuck…" Ron winced as he fell onto his knees, and he heard heavy stones collapsing behind him. The Entity stared at Ron for a few seconds, and then it waved its left hand and Ron's pain subsided as the Castle was repaired once again. "What are you doing to me, monster?"

"Keeping you in one piece, worm" the Entity replied.

"What do you mean?" Ron asked as he slowly stood back up. "Am I dying?"

"Your kind is always dying, Champion" 'Daphne' replied with an overwhelming amount of disgust. "So fragile, and weak."

"Why does it hurt me when this 'Hogwarts' takes damage?" Ron asked.

"Because this place is you, and you are this place" the Entity replied, and Ron grit his teeth.

"Are you just going to speak in riddles?" Ron asked, this was so frustrating. I want answers, and I want them now.

"Riddles?" 'Daphne' grinned, her demonic eyes glaring into his. "This place is a physical manifestation of your mind, Champion. And it is breaking apart. We are the only reason why you aren't braindead already."

"Oh…" Ron muttered, this sounded bad. "So this is all in my head?"

"Yes, your body is currently recovering from your tribulation" the Entity replied. "We are healing the damage done by those… creatures."

"My headache…" Ron came to horrible realization. "Their allures did this to my mind…"

"We held them off, Champion" the Entity told him, and Ron blinked at it. "However, your desire for them weakened our defense considerably. But we have learned of how their trick works now, and we will be able to better handle their assault from now on."

"You protected me?" Ron asked softly, and the Entity cocked its head. "Why? Why are you in my mind? Why can I see the future?"

"You cannot see the future, Champion. You merely see Creation through our eyes for mere moments."

"What?" Ron blinked again. "What does that mean?"

"We see all, every moment of this Universe at the same time. Past, present, and future. We see it all, and for a few moments, so do you."

"What… the… fuck…?" Ron mumbled to himself. "How do I see as you do? And what are you?"

"We are something beyond the comprehension of mortals, which is all you need to know."

"Not good enough!" Ron shot back, and the Entity glared at him for raising his voice. "You are in my head, and I deserve to know why."

"Believe us, Champion, we do not wish to be here. We were bound to you against our will, and now we cannot leave until you complete your task. A task which you have failed hundreds of times." Ron just stared at the Entity with unblinking eyes, he was even more confused now.

"What task?" Ron asked slowly, and the Entity smiled cruelly.

"To end the Lord of Serpents" the Entity answered. Lord of Serpents?

"You mean the Dark Lord?" Ron guessed, and the Entity's smile grew wider. Its dagger-sharp teeth gleamed, and Ron swallowed thickly. "So you want me to kill him?"

"You, Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore… It matters not who delivers the final blow, only that it gets done."

"Okay…" Ron nodded slowly, at least one question was answered. "But why him?"

"His existence cannot be tolerated. Creation has but one rule, and one rule only. All that is created, must eventually end. He has broken that commandment, and so he must die. His existence is an unraveling thread that will undo all around it. Death does not like to be cheated, and He would sooner destroy this Universe than be made a fool out of by some mortal." Ron just stared at the Entity for a few seconds with an unblinking look.

"Right… right…" Ron muttered as he slowly nodded his head over and over again. "I just need to sit down…" Ron fell back on his arse, and he gripped his head with his hands. "Destroy the Universe? Death?" Ron chuckled mirthlessly. This is a bad joke, isn't it? I've gone fucking mental, that's all.

"You wanted the answers, Champion. And now you have them."

"Answers?" Ron looked up at 'Daphne'. "Now I have a million more questions…"

"Of course you do, your kind is never satisfied" the Entity hissed, and Ron frowned deeply. "All you need to know is that your task is the only reason why we haven't destroyed you yet, and we will not rest until it is done. We will not rest until we are free of you."

"Free of me?" Ron whispered, and the Entity scowled in disgust. "You think I want you in my head?!" Ron yelled as he shot up, his anger taking over his common sense. "Why chose me?! There are so many people out there that you could've latched onto, but no… No, you had to pick me?!"

"We did not pick you, you insect!" the Entity bellowed, and the ground began to quake. "She picked you! She bound us to you against our will! Instead of picking someone worthy of us, She picked the weakest, most pathetic of creatures as an insult to us!"

"Fuck you!" Ron yelled back as he steadied his footing. "I am not weak! Nor am I pathetic!"

"Aren't you?" the Entity laughed suddenly, its change in demeanor scaring Ron a little. "You dare say that? You, who failed to even earn the love of your own parents?" Ron flinched at that, and the Entity suddenly grabbed Ron by his throat and lifted him into the air with its right hand. Ron choked as the Entity's grip blocked his flow of oxygen, and his feet thrashed about in panic. "You are an ill-made, spiteful little creature! Full of rage, greed, and low cunning… You do not deserve our gift, all you deserve is to be consumed by maggots!" The Entity threw Ron aside effortlessly, and Ron landed face first onto the stone ground. He coughed loudly as he tried to take in air, his face feeling wet because of the new cut on his forehead.

"It is only because of our presence that you have achieved so much in this life" the Entity spat out while Ron tried to get his bearings. "We witnessed what your first, true life was like, and you should be on your knees thanking us for our existence. Everything that you are now, is exactly how we intended it to be. You think that pathetic little Hat put you in Slytherin because you are exceptional? No, Champion… We compelled it to."

"You're lying" Ron grit out as he steadied himself on all four, tears of anger blurring his vision.

"You think that we didn't notice its presence during your Sorting?" the Entity laughed, its terrible voice ringing in Ron's ears. "While it watched us, we simply planted an idea into its mind. An idea that it believed was its own."

"Why?!" Ron yelled as he got back up and turned to face the Entity, it was now wearing Luna's face.

"Of all the Cycles, Champion, the closest you've ever come to succeeding in your task is when you were placed in Slytherin. All forty-eight Slytherin Cycles lasted for far longer than any of the other House Cycles."

"Cycles?" Ron glared at the Entity, his chest hurting at the Entity's cruel words. "You said that I've failed this 'task' hundreds of times, right? Is that what you mean by Cycles? I fail, and it all starts again?!"

"Yes…" 'Luna' hissed. "Every time a Cycle ends in failure, we are thrown back into your eight year old body… Over and over again, and you always fail! But we have learned from your mistakes, Champion. We allowed Albus Dumbledore to see your trauma from being neglected as a child, from being betrayed by your friends. We made him sympathize with you, and then to top it all off, we dominated his pet's mind into believing that you were a 'pure' soul. And now, Albus Dumbledore believes you to be some 'Child of Destiny'… We control every aspect of your life, you are nothing but our puppet. You dance on the strings that we pull, never forget that." Ron's face contorted in rage, and before he knew it, he had clocked 'Luna' right in the face. The Entity didn't even move an inch, but it was stunned into silence.

"Did you pull that string, you fucking cunt?" Ron hissed back, but the Entity just stared at Ron with… bewilderment? "I control my own life, and I'm no one's 'puppet'… Never forget that, you evil prick." The Entity's look suddenly darkened, and Ron saw the bright lights in the sky begin to dim. The Entity's crimson, toad-like eyes began to glow as the world became darker, and Ron took a shaky step back. "What are you doing?" Ron asked as he looked around at the dimming world.

"We will break you earlier in the next Cycle..." the Entity hissed, its glowing red eyes becoming the only source of light. "Goodbye, Champion." It's going to kill me?! Oh fucking fuck! There was a sudden thunderous noise, and Ron covered his ears on instinct. The world began to reappear slowly, and Ron gazed around in utter confusion. What the hell…?

"What was that?" Ron asked, and he looked over to see the Entity staring at the sky. "What the hell was that?" Ron asked again.

"Leave" the Entity replied, its voice coming out as a deadly whisper.

"Leave?" Ron repeated, was the Entity going to spare him? "You're not going to kill me…?" The Entity looked over at Ron with a hateful look, its eyes glaring into Ron's.

"She says that you may yet succeed, so leave" the Entity said coldly. "This exchange is over."

"She?" Ron blinked. "The one who bound you to me?"

"LEAVE!" the Entity shrieked at him, its voice blasting Ron out of his own mind.

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Blaise Zabini's POV

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Clementine Zabini's Current Home, Tuscany – Early Morning)

Blaise ate his breakfast alone as he read the Daily Prophet that had just arrived, the picture on the front page showing Ron in his Chess Uniform had caught Blaise's eye. Blaise had read over the exclusive with great interest, and he was glad to see that Ron had answered the questions with a modicum of cunning. His red-haired friend had left little room for scrutiny, and his massive list of achievements made him sound like some hero out of a fairy-tale. But it was Ron's most recent achievement that had left Blaise in utter shock, his friend had resisted over fifty concentrated allures from Veelas.

The Daily Prophet, being a bunch of arse-kissers, had quickly written the word 'alleged' next to the report about the allures. But Blaise knew that this was true, and he was honest-to-Merlin just baffled. How was that even humanly possible? Sure, Ron was always the exception to the rule. He was the first Weasley to be sorted into Slytherin. Unlike his family, Ron seemed to thrive in Pure-Blood Politics. Ron had even gone up against the Dark Lord and lived… But this? This was something that even Blaise had trouble believing. Maybe Ron isn't even fully human? Blaise chuckled to himself at the absurd thought, but his amusement died when he heard footsteps upstairs. His mother was awake…

The last two days had been terribly awkward, and Blaise was in no mood to repeat them. His mother had picked him up from Platform 93/4, and then they had traveled to Malfoy Manor to spend Sunday night with them. Lucius Malfoy was out of the country for some business, so Blaise had to spend the day with his mother, Narcissa Malfoy, and Draco Malfoy… It quickly became apparent that Blaise and Draco were no longer friends, much to their mothers' displeasure. And Blaise, being an utter idiot, had decided to borrow some of Ron's courage and come clean. He had told both mothers about his friendship with Ron, and about Draco's foolish behavior at school.

Luckily for Blaise, it turned out that Draco had been lying to his family the entire time. He had told them some far-fetched story about being a leader of sorts within Slytherin, so Blaise's story about Ron being more of a leader had come as a nasty shock to Narcissa. Let's just say that Blaise was glad to leave Malfoy Manor on Monday morning. But now he had his own problem to deal with, a problem named Clementine Zabini. She had all but ignored him yesterday, but Blaise didn't really care. His mother was incapable of love, Blaise had learned that long ago. His only good memory with her had dimmed over time, and now he was done looking back. Ron never looks back, and he fought tooth and nail to stay with us.

"Good morning, son" came his mother's voice, and Blaise looked to her as she stepped into the room. She was one of the most beautiful women that Blaise had ever seen. She was slender, dark skinned, strong-jawed, and her amber eyes almost looked golden. It makes sense, considering gold is all she has eyes for.

"Good morning, mother" Blaise greeted back. "Are we talking today?"

"We may, after you send a letter to Draco Malfoy" Clementine replied as she sat down at the head of the table, just to Blaise' left. "You will apologize to him, and you will tell him that you plan to abandon that Blood-Traitor you've been following around." Blaise's blood boiled at the thought, but he kept his demeanor indifferent. Being detached was the best defense against allowing people to let you down, his own mother had taught him that.

"Read this, mother" Blaise smirked as he handed her the Daily Prophet, and she took it with a raised eyebrow. Blaise ate his marmalade toast as his mother read the paper, and then he suddenly heard her mutter something under her breath. "Did you say something, mother?" Blaise asked, she had taken the bait.

"This… boy…" Clementine replied, and then she put the paper down and looked right at Blaise. "Is this true, Blaise?"

"Which part?" Blaise asked.

"Don't play games with me, my treasure" his mother smiled, and Blaise recognized the greedy glint in her eyes. "All of it… His accomplishments, his patronage, and his impressive… vigor. Is it all true?"

"It is" Blaise smiled back, and his mother put her left hand over his.

"Go on" his mother smiled as she rubbed his hand. "Tell me more about your friend, love." Blaise felt true disgust at his mother's sudden change in behavior, but he chose to ignore it. This was his opportunity to break ties with Malfoy permanently, and win his mother's seal of approval for Ron.

"He is unlike anyone I've ever met" Blaise said truthfully. "I learnt that during his Sorting…"

"The longest Sorting in Hogwarts' history" his mother cut him off as she looked back down at the paper. "He was a perfect candidate for all the Houses?"

"The Hat claimed so, mother" Blaise replied with a practiced smile, and his mother's eyes glinted golden for a second. "That is why I chose him over Malfoy, I knew then and there that Ron was the better choice for an ally."

"You did well, my pearl" his mother cooed. "That Malfoy brat has always been weak, so unlike his father." Does she even realize that she is a walking contradiction? Or has her greed completely addled her mind? "Now tell me more of Ron." Ron? Not Blood-Traitor?

"He is strong, stronger than anyone in our year" Blaise went on. "He bested Potter without a wand, and he even strong-armed Dumbledore with little to no effort." That's an embellishment, but she'll eat it right up.

"Without a wand?" his mother chuckled. "My word… He defeated the Boy-Who-Lived?"

"With ease" Blaise smiled. "He could probably best most students in Hogwarts, mother."

"It says here that he singlehandedly killed a Mountain Troll" his mother read.

"I was there" Blaise confirmed, and a flash of concern momentarily crossed her face. I probably just imagined that. "He blew the Troll's head off with a single spell, a spell that he taught me himself."

"He imparts his knowledge onto you?" his mother smiled widely.

"Without ever asking for anything in return" Blaise told her. "Unlike Malfoy, Ron earns respect. He never demands it. He treats everyone equally, and that is why he is so well liked within Slytherin. Especially by the older students. He is the real leader amongst us second years, not Malfoy."

"And you have his ear?" his mother asked.

"He calls me his best friend, mother" Blaise told her, and she made a gleeful noise.

"A Weasley in Slytherin, I cannot believe it" his mother hummed. "And a Prodigy with powerful allies no less… Blaise, you must tell me more. What does he like to eat? What's his favorite color? Is he allergic to anything?"

"Planning to host him, mother?" Blaise cocked an eyebrow.

"Of course, my sweet" his mother cooed. "I wish to meet your best friend, and thank him personally for being such a good friend to you." She has no shame, does she? Ron hates people like her.

"Then you must know that he doesn't believe in Blood-Purity" Blaise told her, but she waved a dismissive hand.

"Ron is entitled to his beliefs, and I will respect that" his mother smiled at the picture of Ron in his Chess Uniform. "Such a handsome boy… You must introduce us, my gem. I wish to make his acquaintance and offer him our combined allegiance."

"That quickly, mother?" Blaise was genuinely surprised by her words.

"You are his best friend, and he is yours" Clementine replied as she stroked Blaise's left cheek lovingly. "It would be improper of me to not show him my approval, don't you think?" I guess my plan worked, now I just need to tell Ron about what kind of person she is. But I think he already has a good enough idea.

"Very well, mother" Blaise smiled. "I will send him a letter after breakfast. He is currently defending his Champion title at the Junior League Chess Tournament being held at Beauxbatons, so his reply will be delayed."

"A Chess Champion…" his mother smiled widely. "One that can resist so many Veelas…"

"He is nothing if not impressive, believe me" Blaise said softly.

"I cannot wait to meet him" Clementine said happily as she stood up. She then walked over to Blaise and kissed his forehead tenderly. "I'm so proud of you, Blaise. You did the right thing by abandoning that Malfoy brat in favor of Ron, well done." With that, Clementine left the room as she hummed to herself happily. Blaise dropped his toast on his plate, his stomach turning in disgust. He had just thrown Ron into his mother's crosshairs, and all for the sole purpose of making things easier on himself. I think I've lost my appetite… I'm sorry, Ron.

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday House – Morning)

Ron woke up with a start, and he immediately sprang out of his bed. Where am I? Ron shot tense looks around his room, and he slowly relaxed as he realized that he was no longer in the Dream World. The Entity let me go. It said that 'She still thought I had a chance at succeeding'. Who the hell is She? Ron was honestly stumped, his dream had felt like something out of a story book. The Entity's words echoed in his mind, and he found himself filled with even more questions. It's alright, mate. Just think about everything piece by piece, and then try to put it all together. Ron looked at his Rolex, and his eyes almost popped out of his head. FUCK! It's twenty past eight, and the damn Tournament starts at nine!

Ron went to take his clothes off, and that's when he realized that he was wearing his pajamas. Someone changed my clothes? Ugh… Doesn't matter, I need a quick shower and then to be on my way! Ron quickly ran into the adjoining bathroom, and he all but ripped his clothes off. He quickly turned on the water and hopped in, and he let out a yelp as the cold water hit his skin.

"Fuck…" Ron squealed, but he didn't stop showering. As he washed himself in a hurry, his mind drifted to his encounter with the Entity. The whole concept of Cycles was baffling to say the least, but the fact that he had failed to destroy the Dark Lord 'hundreds of times' was truly alarming. The Slytherin Cycles were the closest that I ever got to succeeding, and so it put me in Slytherin… Ron didn't even know what to think of that, but he knew that he had to tell the Sorting Hat. This fucking demon in his brain was clearly capable of doing a lot more than just giving him visions, and it hoodwinking the Hat proved it. But not just the Hat, it even manipulated Dumbledore and Fawkes. I don't know if it was telling me the truth, but I don't see a reason as why it would lie. And it was right, Dumbledore has been showing a keen interest in me recently.

That particular thought angered Ron, he had genuinely believed that his own skills were the reason why Dumbledore had taken an interest in him. But now… Now it just felt like Dumbledore pitied him, and that hurt. Piece of shite demon, fuck you! Just how much of my life have you manipulated?! That's when Ron remembered the Entity's words about his first, true life. It said that I should be thanking it, was my first life really that bad? Ron suddenly chuckled mirthlessly, the whole concept of reliving his life over and over again was insane. He couldn't even begin to understand how it worked, or why he didn't remember anything from his previous lives. Or even the fact that the Entity was actually bound to him by some other being. It was all too much, and Ron suddenly felt his breathing become shallower. Relax, just relax.

Ron leaned against the shower wall, and he felt his stomach turn. This was all too big, the entire concept revolving around the Entity was too big. Did he really have such little control over his own life? Was he just a puppet of some otherworldly being? Ron suddenly gagged a bit, but his stomach was completely empty. Get a grip right the fuck now. Focus on the Tournament, Ron. Think of Chess. Just think of Chess, and about going to the Tournament. Tackle what's in front of you, and then you can think about this crazy shite. The water was warmer now, and it eased his jittery mind. Ron packed the Entity, and everything involving it, into the back of his mind. He couldn't think about this right now, he needed time to process everything.

Ron stepped out of the shower, and he gazed at his naked reflection. His eyes fell on his scars, and a jolt of panic shot through him. No, stop thinking about it. Get dressed, and get going. Ron put a towel around his waist, and he hurried into his room. He saw his Uniform hanging in his open closet, and Ron quickly grabbed it. He put on his Rolex, his rings, his glove, and then his Uniform. Once he was fully dressed, he looked at the watch that Daphne had given him. Oh fuck! Quarter to nine, I took too long in damn the shower! Ron bolted out of his room, his tie still undone and his shirt tucked out. Ron barreled down the stairs, and he heard Mary call his name.

"Ron, is that you?" Mary's voice came from the dining room, and Ron burst into the room. The entire Greengrass Family was sitting at the dining table, and they stared at him with bewildered and worried looks. They're not even dressed for the Tournament?! What the fuck?!

"Why aren't any of you dressed yet?!" Ron asked in a panic, and he saw Daphne and Astoria's mouths hang open slightly. What's with those scared looks?

"Ron, take a seat please" Lord Greengrass said, his voice softer than usual. "We need to talk."

"Talk? My Lord, the Tournament starts in less than fifteen minutes! We need to leave now!" Ron said in a panic, and they all just blinked at him.

"Ron, we've decided to pull you out of the Tournament" Mary told him, a saddened look crossing her face.

"Pull me out? Why?" Ron asked slowly, his eyes darting to everyone in the room. Lord Greengrass was just looking at him with a tired look, Daphne looked extremely guilty and she averted her gaze, Tori looked ready to cry, and Mary was trying to look strong but failing. "What's happened? What did I miss?"

"Ron, take a seat please" Lord Greengrass repeated. "We need to talk to you about what happened yesterday." Yesterday? Is he referring to me resisting the Veelas? Well, the Entity resisting the Veelas and me being in agony. Ron shot a panicked look at his Rolex, and his body tensed. Ten fucking minutes?! Fuck!

"My Lord the Tournament starts in ten minutes!" Ron told his mentor, his urgency apparent in his tone.

"I know, but I do not want you to attend" Lord Greengrass sighed. "Ron, you were in extreme pain yesterday. And I will not let you go through that again just for some trophy."

"Some trophy…" Ron blinked at his mentor. It wasn't just some trophy, this was Chess. The one thing that he excelled in by himself, the one skill that was truly his own. The Entity had made it quite clear that it was controlling Ron's life, but Chess was something that Ron controlled. It was the one part of his life right now that was genuinely under his own control, and he had no intention of giving it up. He had no intention of being some evil monster's puppet… "I am not in this for some trophy" Ron told them, his temper flaring wildly. "And as for pulling out… Well, that's not happening."

"Ron…" Lord Greengrass started, but Ron turned and bolted out of the room. "RON!" Ron heard them yelling and getting up to follow him, but he was already in the living room by the time he heard them come out of the dining room.

"Beauxbatons Academy of Magic" Ron called clearly as he tossed the Floo Powder into the fireplace, and then he ran through the green blaze. He ran out into the Beauxbatons Grand Hall through the fireplace, startling everyone around him.

"It's him, he's here" some random woman called, but Ron ignored her. He ignored all the wide-eyed people staring at him, and he bolted towards the Gardens. Shite, I'm so fucking late! Pull me out, my arse! I'm not backing off because of some pain! Entity, if you can hear me, do your thing! Ron ran past the witches and wizards who were heading in the same direction as him, most of them moving out of his way in panic. He imagined that he must've looked like quite the mad-man, charging into Veela territory with his clothes all untidy and whatnot. But he didn't give a shite at the moment, he was not giving up control. He wasn't some puppet, and his life was his own. He was sick to death of people telling him what to do, and if he could find the strength to clock the Entity in the face, then this was nothing.

"Halt" the Sphinx ordered as Ron approached, and Ron dug his heels into the ground in order to stop himself.

"Sphinx, sniff me quickly" Ron ordered, and the beast blinked at him. "I'm running late, hurry!" The lion-woman sniffed in his scent deeply, and then she purred. Stop being weird, and let me pass!

"You may go on, boy" the Sphinx told him, and Ron ran right past her. He barreled into the playing area, and he heard loud gasps and whispers break out as soon as he ran into view. Ron ignored them as he ran past the shocked announcer and took his seat, and then he let out a victorious breath of relief. I fucking made it… Thank you Merlin… A pang of pain shot up through his skull, and Ron knew that the allures were now on him. Kick their arses, you demonic piece of shite. If you can use me, then I can use you too.

"Weasley" came a voice from his right, it was female and it had a thick French accent. Ron looked to see Amanda DuPont looking at him with a shocked look, and Ron immediately looked away. "What are you doing 'ere? You should not be 'ere."

"Is that what you want?" Ron asked coldly as he stared down at his shoes, his headache coming on slowly. "For me to give up and go home?" Amanda shuffled in her seat, and then she let out a deep sigh.

"You are in danger 'ere, Weasley…" Amanda whispered, and Ron blinked in confusion. "The Madame is watching for you, as her Veelas are." Ron knew that her English wasn't great, she was French after all. But still, her poor English mixed in with her thick accent made her incredibly difficult to understand. Not to mention the sudden jolts of pain that were traveling up his scalp. They aren't as bad as yesterday. The Entity did mention that it had learned how their allures worked, and that it could fight them off better.

"You sound like you care" Ron said coldly. "Aren't you glad that your 'Madame' is cheating to give you a free win?"

"Do not be speaking to me that way" Amanda retorted. "You do not know me. I do not approve of ze Madame's plans… But I 'ave no power to stop 'er from souillure this Tournament."

"What? I don't know what that word means" Ron whispered. Was that French?

"Um… tainting? Sullying? I do not know ze word in Eenglish" Amanda said softly. "And no, I am not Veela… so stop looking at ze floor. It is rude…" Ron couldn't help but release a soft chuckle, and he slowly looked up at her. She was blonde, green-eyed, and as pretty as the last time he had seen her. "Do you remember me?"

"I do" Ron smiled softly. "We played against each other in last year's Junior League Tournament Final, and it was a great game." Amanda smiled at that, and she nodded.

"You were a good winner, and not arrogant like ze American boy" Amanda reminded him. Ron suddenly felt a strong pang of pain, and he inwardly cursed the Entity. "Weasley, why 'ave you come back 'ere?"

"The matches are about to begin, and I'm competing" Ron told her, and she blinked at him.

"You are in pain, I can see it" Amanda said softly. "Everyone can see it…"

"I won't let that stop me" Ron shrugged, and Amanda blinked at him again.

"Are you a… what do you call it? A crazy person?" Amanda asked him, and Ron sniggered.

"Some would say that" Ron admitted. "I like to think that I'm determined." Or as Daphne would put it, a stubborn red-furred goat.

"Determined does sound better, no?" Amanda smiled, but her eyes showed her bewilderment.

"Competitors" the announcer called, and they all rose from their chairs. "Please move onto the tables allocated to you." Everyone began to move but Ron stood dazed for a few seconds, which table was he on? Ron walked up to the announcer, and she looked at him with a scolding look.

"Excuse me, but I don't know which table I was on yesterday" Ron told her, and she tutted him. She was rather young, had long brown hair, and hazel eyes.

"Why did you come back here? Most of the other boys have quit the Tournament" the announcer told him, and Ron blinked at her. Ron then looked around properly for the first time, and she was right. There were only four other boys here, and they were already staring at the Beauxbatons stand. Did they come here just to see the Veelas again? And if all the other boys quit, what does that mean for the rankings?

"I plan to win this Tournament" Ron told her, and she looked rather surprised. "Please show me to my seat."

"This way…" she said as she guided him to a table with another boy. Ron took his seat, and he noticed that he was playing black this time. The announcer then walked back into the center of the playing area, but Ron saw her shooting him curious looks. "Competitors you may begin!" Ron looked back at his chess pieces, and he waited for his opponent to start. But after waiting for over ten seconds, Ron finally got annoyed enough to look at the boy. His opponent was just smiling and waving at the Veelas, and so Ron let out a tired sigh.

"Mate…" Ron whispered. "Make a move, you're playing white." The boy just ignored Ron, which pissed Ron off to no end. But Ron wasn't angry at the boy, he was angry at the Veelas and their Madame. Against his better judgement, Ron shot a look at the Beauxbatons stand. The first thing he noticed was that Madame Olympe was not there, and the second thing that he noticed was a horrid jolt of pain tearing its way through his head. Ron looked away from the stands, and the pain ebbed significantly. It was still there, but at least it was bearable now. Ron put his hand up, and he waited for the announcer.

"Mr. Weasley?" the announcer whispered from behind him, and then she came around. "Is everything alright?"

"No, he won't make a move" Ron told her, and she shot the other boy a sad look. She then walked over to him, and she patted his left shoulder.

"Mr. Williams, it is your move" the announcer whispered, and Ron just stared at the enthralled boy.

"I forfeit" the boy shrugged, a happy smile on his face. What the hell? Poor bloke, this is just plain unfair.

"Mr. Williams, I urge you to reconsider" the announcer whispered, but the boy just kept his eyes on the Beauxbatons stand.

"I didn't come here for chess, I came here for them" the boy waved to the Veelas. "I forfeit, now let me watch them in peace." The announcer shot an angry look towards the Beauxbatons stand, and then she looked over to Ron.

"It is your win, Mr. Weasley" the announcer sighed in defeat.

"Doesn't feel like a win to me" Ron muttered back, and she nodded in understanding.

"Please take your waiting seat while I escort Mr. Williams away from their… line of sight" the announcer instructed, and Ron stood up to leave. He began making his way back to his seat, but that's when he spotted Lord Greengrass by the entrance. His mentor looked rather annoyed, and he summoned Ron to him by jerking his head to the side. Shite. What do I even say to him? I've never disobeyed him like that. Ron walked over to Lord Greengrass, his resolve weakening as he approached the tall, pale man. Just tell him that you can resist them better today, and that you can win this.

"Ron, what were you thinking?" Lord Greengrass whispered, though his whisper exhibited his anger.

"I was thinking that I came to win a Tournament" Ron whispered back, his whisper exhibiting his regret at disobeying Lord Greengrass. "And I can win, my Lord. Just give me a chance, please."

"Ron…" Lord Greengrass sighed. "You were barely in one piece when I brought you back home last night, so please come back with me. You can win the next one, but let this one go."

"No, I'm not giving up control" Ron refused, and Lord Greengrass blinked at him.

"Control?" Lord Greengrass asked softly. Dammit, don't lose your temper.

"What I mean is that I'm not letting them cheat me out of my win" Ron quickly amended, his temper at the Entity's words had slipped out. "We worked so hard, my Lord. And I'm not letting that go to waste. If I lose, then I lose. But it won't be because I gave up and went home, I can't do that to all the hours that we put in training." Lord Greengrass gave him a sad look, and then he put his right hand on Ron's right shoulder.

"Please, Ron" Lord Greengrass said. "I know that I'm not your parent, but I don't want to see you get hurt. If you're doing this for me, then I'm giving you permission to stop. Come home with me."

"With all due respect, my Lord" Ron smiled at his mentor. "I'm here because I want to be here. This isn't about you, it's about me. Please don't take that choice away from me like they did." Like everyone apparently does. My parents, the Entity, and even this other being.

"They?" Lord Greengrass blinked, but then he nodded slowly. "Your parents… Daphne was right…"

"Daphne?" Ron whispered with a furrowed brow.

"Mary and I decided to pull you out last night, but Daphne told us that it was not a good idea" Lord Greengrass smiled softly. "She told us that taking your choice away would do you more harm than good, and now I can see that my daughter was right." She said that? Ron couldn't help but feel his chest swell with affection for Daphne, she knew him too well. I should be the one to give her a kiss this time around. And an actual gift too. Maybe a new dress? I'll figure it out later.

"So I can stay?" Ron smiled, and Lord Greengrass nodded tiredly.

"I can't force you to leave, Ron" Lord Greengrass replied. "But I won't leave you here alone. I'll be in the stands, and I'll take you home when you need me."

"Thank you" Ron smiled widely, and then in a moment of childish glee, Ron hugged his mentor. It immediately dawned on Ron that he had just hugged Lord Greengrass, and so he quickly pulled back. His mentor just blinked at him, while Ron just stared back. "Sorry…"

"No, no it's alright" Lord Greengrass said slowly, but both of them could feel the awkwardness setting in. Quick, make a joke to ease the tension.

"You smell really nice, my Lord" Ron grinned, and Lord Greengrass just blinked again. And then, his mentor just smiled and shook his head.

"Don't give them an inch, Ron" his mentor told him, and Ron nodded. Lord Greengrass then left for the stands, and Ron quietly made his way back to his seat. He was glad to see that Amanda was already waiting for him.

"So 'e will let you compete?" Amanda whispered as Ron sat down.

"Yes, he will" Ron whispered back. "Did you win?"

"I did" Amanda whispered with a smile. "I would ask you, but I know you did."

"Yeah… didn't feel like a win though" Ron whispered wearily.

"It is a crime" Amanda whispered angrily. "Ze Madame has tainted Chess with zis plan of 'ers… Zis was supposed to be my last year in this League, and now it is ruined…"

"You really don't agree with her then?" Ron whispered, he was beginning to like this girl. She must be fourteen right now, and by the next Tournament she will be fifteen. Which means that she will move onto the Apprentice League.

"Chess is a game of skill, and wit" Amanda whispered. "This cheating should not stand. Ze Madame means well, but she is too 'ungry for a Champion from Beauxbatons. All zese poor boys, shamed in public…"

"Where is your Madame, by the way?" Ron whispered. "I looked for her at the stands, but I didn't see her."

"You looked at zem?" Amanda went wide-eyed. "And you resisted zem?" The Entity resisted them, while I just winced in pain. Ron rubbed his left temple, his headache was getting worse.

"Barely…" Ron replied.

"Weasley, Madame is looking at you right now" Amanda whispered, but Ron kept his eyes on Amanda.

"Does she look pissed?" Ron asked.

"Pissed?" Amanda whispered in confusion.

"Angry? Does she look angry?" Ron asked again.

"Madame is furious" Amanda told him, and Ron sighed tiredly. "She wants you um… searched? Looked into, I forget ze word…"

"Investigated?" Ron provided, and Amanda nodded. She looks worried for me, I really like this girl.

"She claims you cheat" Amanda whispered, and Ron gave her a deadpan look. "I know… It is 'ypocrite of 'er, no?" A sharp pang of pain traveled up his scalp, and Ron's breath hitched. "Weasley? Are you in pain?"

"Yes" Ron muttered, his voice shaky. What the fuck Entity? I though you could better handle their assault. I won't last long at this rate.

"You are brave, like a 'ero" Amanda smiled at him. "Do you love Chess too?"

"I do" Ron admitted, he now loved it more than ever. "My grandfather taught me…" Ron started, but the announcer cut him off.

"Competitors, take your seats" the announcer called. Both Ron and Amanda stood up, and she smiled at him.

"Tell me more after game, yes?" Amanda asked.

"Sure, we can share stories" Ron smiled back. Maybe not all of Beauxbatons is so bad.

---

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Beauxbatons – End of Second Match)

He had done it, he had actually beaten a girl at this Tournament. Even with his creeping headache, Ron had managed to focus enough to outsmart the girl from Uagadao. She had been a rather good sport however, and she had shaken his hand with a wide smile. Ron heard multiple cameras go off as he shook her hand, but he kept his eyes on the friendly girl. They shook each other's hands firmly, gave each other wide smiles, and then Ron had walked off to wait in his seat. Amanda was still playing her game, and Ron hoped that she won soon. Talking to her felt like an escape of sorts, something to distract himself from his ever-growing headache.

But when Ron saw her stuck in her game, a look of absolute concentration masking her beauty, Ron decided he would take this opportunity to go to the loo. He didn't get a chance to go in the morning, considering how rushed he was, and now seemed like as good a time as any. So with that decision made, Ron quietly slinked off towards the competitors' restrooms. The moment he was away from the Veelas' line of sight, his headache began to subside. Ron felt light-heated, and his knees wobbled from the relief.

"I guess you can take a break, Entity" Ron spoke to himself in a soft whisper. He then walked to the boy's loo, and he did his business. Once he had washed his hands, he put on his glove, and then he made his way back out. Maybe I should spend my breaks in here, it definitely beats being out there. As he exited the bathroom, he came face to face with a tall girl. She had long, silvery-blonde hair that almost fell to her waist, large deep blue eyes, fair skin, and a faint silvery glow emanated from her. She was utterly breathtaking, and she was staring at him with a concentrated look. She might be the most beautiful girl that I've ever seen…

"Excuse me" Ron blushed as he went to move past her, but she stepped in his way. Ron was surprised by her actions, and so he found himself staring at her face with a confused look. "Um… I need to get back to the Tournament." The girl's expression hardened even more, and Ron felt an extremely feeble pang of pain in the back of his head. A Veela! Shite, she must've followed me here. Though it doesn't hurt at all to see her, probably because she's alone.

"'ow do you reseest?" the Veela asked, her powerful accent making Ron blink. Compared to her, Amanda is pretty much a British citizen.

"Pardon?" Ron asked, a blush still on his face.

"You blush, yet you reseest?" the Veela blinked at him, and then she deepened her look. Ron's face burned as she brought her face closer to his, and he took a quick step back.

"Woah, no need for that" Ron said quickly, did she just try to kiss him? She gave him a deep scowl for his false presumption.

"No keeseeng, look at I" the girl ordered, her haughty voice being undermined by her terrible English.

"I am looking" Ron sighed, he honestly didn't want to look away. "You are extremely beautiful, I won't even bother denying that." The girl blinked in confusion, she looked genuinely baffled.

"You blush again, you say I are extreemely beauteeful" the girl said. "Yet you reseest? 'ow is zis posseeble?" Ron drew in a sharp breath, they needed to restart this conversation. He also decided that she was more appealing when she didn't speak, her accent was grating his nerves.

"Weasley, Ronald Weasley" Ron introduced himself, and then he put his gloved hand forward with its palm facing up. The girl looked at his gloved hand, and then she slowly gave him her left hand. Ron took it gently, gave her knuckles a light kiss, and then he gave her a respectful bow.

"Fleur Delacour" Fleur introduced herself with wide-eyes, Ron had genuinely baffled her. But not enough to forget her manners, so she gave him a curtsy.

"A pleasure to meet you, Fleur Delacour" Ron smiled at her as he ignored the dim pain in the back of his head.

"You do not prefer boys?" Fleur asked slowly, why had her Madame sent her here? This was so embarrassing, this boy was resisting her so easily. No one had ever resisted her before, this was utterly mortifying. And yet he hadn't let go of her hand, so he clearly liked her. Ron chuckled at her question, and then he looked her right into her deep blue eyes.

"No, I don't" Ron replied. Why do people keep assuming that I'm into other boys?

"But you reseest I?" Fleur asked, and then she deepened her look again. Ron felt the weak pang of pain spike a little, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle.

"Yes, I resist" Ron lied, and he thanked his lucky stars that the Entity could. If it wasn't there, I'd probably fucking propose to her right here. Actually, I still might. No. Stop thinking like that, concentrate.

"Tell I 'ow" Fleur demanded, her voice rising slightly. "You cheat, no? 'ow do you get past ze Sphinx?"

"I walked past her after she determined that I wasn't cheating in any way" Ron told the truth. "And I resist because I don't plan to lose this Tournament."

"Liar" Fleur frowned as she ripped her hand away from his. "You cheat, Madame says so."

"Your Madame is the only cheater here" Ron frowned, now he was starting to lose his temper.

"Fleur!" came Amanda's voice from behind the Veela, and both Ron and Fleur looked to see Amanda storming up to them. "Eloigne-toi de lui!"

"Il trompe, Amanda" Fleur shot back, but Amanda just shot right past her. Amanda grabbed Ron's gloved hand tightly, and then she dragged him away from Fleur.

"What are you doing, Weasley?" Amanda asked in a scolding tone.

"She cornered me" Ron told her, and Amanda let go of his hand as they got closer to the exit. "Did you come looking for me?"

"I did" Amanda sighed. "I saw her missing from ze stand, and you missing too. So I turned worried, no?" Ron smiled at her, she was worried for him?

"Why?" Ron asked softly as he stopped her. "Why help me?"

"I told you already, no?" Amanda frowned a bit. "I love Chess, and you love Chess. It is a game of skill, yet Madame disrespects it by… um… sullying? Yes, sullying the Tournament." All Ron could do was stare at her with awe, but she began to squirm a little after a few seconds of being under his cold blue gaze. "You stare, Weasley. It is rude…"

"Sorry" Ron blinked. "I couldn't help it… You're like the only nice person that I've met from Beauxbatons so far."

"Rude again" Amanda frowned slightly. "But you are not wrong, I suppose… We all love ze Madame dearly, and many follow her um… without sight?"

"Blindly?" Ron provided.

"Yes, blindly" Amanda nodded.

"Won't you get in trouble for going against her wishes?" Ron asked, and Amanda smirked.

"Worried for me?" Amanda asked with a smirk.

"Yes, I am" Ron replied genuinely, and she blushed slightly. He knew how bad things got when you supported people from other Houses, but Amanda was helping someone from a different fucking school all together. And she was damaging her Madame's plans. "I don't want you getting into trouble on my behalf."

"I have already told ze Madame of my anger" Amanda flicked her hair back. "She did not listen to me, so I will not listen to her. That is fair, no?"

"You'd be in Gryffindor for certain" Ron muttered, and Amanda gave him confused look.

"What does zat mean?" Amanda asked.

"I meant that you're really brave" Ron smiled, and her blush increased. "Thank you, Amanda."

"You call me by my first name?" Amanda asked.

"I do that with all of my friends" Ron smiled, and she slowly smiled back. Ron then presented his gloved hand in a formal manner. "Weasley, Ronald Weasley" Ron properly introduced himself, and she gave him her left hand. He took it gently, kissed her knuckles, and bowed respectfully.

"Amanda DuPont" Amanda reintroduced herself with a polite curtsy.

---

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Beauxbatons – Final Match of the Day)

He had put another four wins in his corner, but he was dead certain that he was going to lose the next one. His headache was constant, his eyes were getting heavy, and he was having trouble keeping his mind on track. Thoughts about the Entity controlling his life bombarded him, but he was too tired to get angry. Thoughts about this 'She' character plagued him, but his mind was too scattered to come up with any theories. He was even too tired to figure out why a brunette his age was glaring murder at him. He remembered playing against her yesterday, but he had no idea why she was so angry at him. She had won, hadn't she? I'll ask Amanda when she gets back from her game.

Ron waited in silence, his head hanging down as he rested his eyes. The pain wasn't as bad as yesterday, but it was still enough to completely take him out of the scene. No matter what he tried to think of, his pain slowly made him forget his train of thought. It had been getting worse with time, and Ron assumed it was because the Entity was getting tired too. Ron couldn't blame it, the other boys had been vacated from the premises after one of them had starting rubbing one out under his table. That poor bastard's life is over, he will probably end up on the Daily Prophet tomorrow. The thought made Ron sick to his stomach, all of this shite just to get a French Champion? Couldn't they just train an actual decent player, or maybe have faith in players like Amanda.

That was something else that Ron had noticed, quite a few competitors from Beauxbatons were giving him sad looks. They didn't want this, it was all that giant bitch's plan. They were like Amanda, just here to play some Chess, but Madame Maxime wanted nothing more than to excel her school's prestige. It made little sense to Ron, mostly because the rest of the World would call out this blatant cheating, but Amanda had explained that the French Ministry was very good at convincing its own people that everything was fine. They would no doubt launch some form of propaganda after they got their Champion, and they'd act like nothing was out of the ordinary. And the people of Magical France would eat it up, what other choice did they have? Madame Maxime was playing the long game, and she didn't care how much damage she did to the male competitors. Ron vowed that if he had a chance to win this, then he would. He wouldn't let this woman beat him, he'd make sure that all of her planning went to shite. For once in his life, Ron was rooting for the fucking Entity.

"Ron" came Amanda's voice, and Ron looked up to see her standing in front of him. "Take zis ice-pack, it will 'elp with ze 'eadache" she said as she passed him a cold, transparent pack of ice. Ron took it gratefully, and he put it on his forehead. A groan escaped his lips, and he slinked into his chair.

"Merlin that feels nice" Ron sighed softly. "Thank you, Amanda."

"It is no worries" Amanda said as she sat down in her seat. "But you should zank ze Veelas on ze stands."

"Huh?" Ron gave her a confused look.

"Some of zem smuggled zis in for you" Amanda smiled at him, and Ron blinked in confusion.

"They want to help me?" Ron asked softly.

"No one likes to see pain, Ron" Amanda told him. "Many are 'ere because zis is our school… Even ze Madame is growing worried for you" Amanda said as she shot a look to the stands.

"Really?" Ron chuckled mirthlessly. "Then why is she doing this?"

"She did not plan for you" Amanda whispered. "She did not know zat it was possible to resist…"

"Well, she can stop anytime" Ron sighed as he sat up, and then he pressed the cold pack to the back of his head. Here you, Entity. Something cold for your efforts. Ron shuddered as he realized that he was acting like this demon was his friend, how far gone was he?

"Ron, why go so far?" Amanda asked softly. "I know you love Chess, but you are in pain no? Why 'urt for this?" Because Chess is mine… Just mine, not someone else's… It's the only thing in my life that I've earned properly. "Your Granfazer would be upset, no? 'e would not want you to 'urt, no?"

"You didn't know him" Ron smiled softly. "He's probably cheering for me right now. When I was young, he was the only person in my family who saw me as more than just…" Ron trailed off.

"More zan what?" Amanda asked softly.

"More than just… me" Ron replied tiredly, he was about to fall asleep. This ice-pack felt way too good against his skin, and it was numbing his mind.

"I do not understand you" Amanda blinked at him.

"My family and I are not on good terms right now" Ron shrugged, and Amanda gave him a sad look. "It doesn't matter, truth be told. I don't need them to like me, I just need to protect them."

"Protect zem?" Amanda asked slowly. Shite, get a grip. Change the topic before something else slips out.

"Amanda, who is that girl?" Ron asked as he pointed to the brunette. Amanda looked over to where he was pointing, and she frowned deeply.

"Olivia Jones" Amanda replied bitterly. "She is a um… spoiled brat? Very arrogant, and nasty."

"She's been glaring at me for the last two matches" Ron frowned. "What's her problem with me?"

"You beat 'er in ze Paris Competition, no?" Amanda reminded him, and he slowly remembered her. She was the final contestant in that competition, and he had flogged her rather easily. But he had been nothing if not polite afterwards, so why did she hate him? "You played 'er yesterday, do you not remember?"

"I remember playing her, and losing" Ron nodded slowly. "But honestly, I don't remember much of anything after my fourth game. I was actually just barely conscious." A sudden jolt of pained rang through his skull, and Ron closed his tired eyes.

"Well, she 'ates you very much" Amanda told him as she stared at Olivia. "She tells you cheated when she returned from ze competition. And after you were taken away, she show off to all of us. She was cruel, and rude. We all know she won because of Veelas 'elping 'er, but ze Madame allows 'er to be'ave zis way…"

"Why?" Ron asked slowly, he was falling asleep for certain.

"'er family is an old family, pure" Amanda replied. "Zey 'ave always attended our school, so Madame allows 'er rottenness."

"She reminds me of a certain platinum blonde I know" Ron chuckled, his eyes closed. Amanda looked at him in confusion, but her expression changed to that of worry.

"Ron, please wake up" Amanda shook him lightly, and Ron's eyes opened. "You must leave, Ron. You are hurting too much to be playing."

"I'm not giving up my control" Ron muttered as his head hung down.

"I am calling ze host" Amanda began to get up, but Ron grabbed her left hand with his gloved one.

"Please don't take this away from me" Ron looked up tiredly, and he gave her a weak smile. She slowly sat back down, and she squeezed his hand.

"I do not like zis, Ron" Amanda said softly as Ron let go of her hand. "You are 'urting yourself… Your fazer is not 'appy eizer." Father?

"My father isn't here" Ron gave her a confused look.

"Ze man in ze stands" Amanda said. "'e has been watching you wiz a sad look all day."

"Oh, you mean Lord Greengrass" Ron smiled. "He is my mentor, and my sponsor."

"Oh…" Amanda nodded. "So zose girls are not your sisters?"

"Daphne and Tori? No" Ron smiled. It would be all sorts of wrong if they were, especially because of what Daphne and I get up to. Shut it, Ron. Don't spill that to her.

"I see now" Amanda smiled. "Ze older one cares for you, no?"

"Huh?" Ron blinked, but Amanda just smiled more widely.

"She 'eld your 'and as you were taken away yesterday, and she was crying" Amanda told him, and Ron felt a pang of pain and guilt hit him at the same time. "Ze younger one cried too, but ze older one cried more. And ze mother… She yelled in German very loudly, and she made ozers mad too for you." Ron was genuinely baffled by that, was she referring to Mary? I made Daphne and Tori cry, and then I came back here. I'm so fucking dead when I get back. Also, Mary speaks German?

"Competitors, take your seats!" the announcer called, and Ron slowly got up. He dropped the ice-pack on his waiting chair, and then he looked to Amanda.

"Good luck in your game, Amanda" Ron smiled, and she smiled back.

"Good luck to you too, Ron" Amanda nodded, and then they parted ways. Ron actually found his chair by himself this time, and he was up against some girl from Ilvermorny. She just stared at him with a curious look, and he shot her a smile. Her lips twitched upwards, but she didn't smile.

"Begin!"

---

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Beauxbatons – End of Day)

Ron had lost his final match. He had tried his best, but he was utterly exhausted and unable to concentrate on his game. Halfway through the match, he had simply started moving his pieces around in a daze. His headache was constant, and although it wasn't half as bad as yesterday, it was still enough to get the better of him. Once the match had ended, Ron had trouble even standing up. And so he had shaken the girl's hand with from his seat, a tired, apologetic smile on his face. She had understood the meaning behind it and called the announcer over, much to Ron's relief.

"Come now, Mr. Weasley" the announcer huffed as she helped him up, and Ron had no problem leaning on her. Not only did he need to, but also because she was pretty and she smelled nice. An O-level pervert, that's me. "You did well today, four more wins under your belt" the announcer said as she helped him towards Lord Greengrass. "I'm not allowed to tell you this, but you're currently ranked as third seat in the Top Eight."

"I am?" Ron whispered.

"Yes, we've had to revise the Tournament a bit" the announcer told him. "Too many dropouts, you know. As of this moment, only two players hold more wins than you."

"Is Amanda one of them?" Ron asked.

"Yes, she sits on the top seat, followed by Miss. Jones" the announcer replied, and Ron smiled on Amanda's behalf. "This is just between us, of course. Will we see you tomorrow?"

"Count on it" Ron chuckled tiredly, and then they reached Lord Greengrass who was waiting by the entrance. "My Lord" Ron greeted his mentor, and Lord Greengrass quickly pulled Ron's weight onto himself.

"You did wonderfully, Ron" Lord Greengrass told him, though his tone gave away his worry and irritation.

"I suggest you two be on your way" the announcer told them quickly. "The Headmistress of Beauxbatons will try and corner you again."

"You have our gratitude, Ms. Thorne" Lord Greengrass said, and then he began moving with Ron leaning on his left shoulder. Ms. Thorne? That must be the pretty announcer's name. Also, Lord Greengrass is too tall. I can barely reach up there, and he is even leaning down on my behalf. As they both made their way past the Sphinx, a woman's voice called out from behind them.

"Stop them, Sphinx" the woman ordered, and the Lion-Woman dashed in and cut off their path. Lord Greengrass stopped dead in his tracks, and Ron could feel his mentor tense up. But Ron was too tired to care. Ron felt Lord Greengrass gently lower Ron onto the grass, and then he turned around with a cold glare.

"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Greengrass demanded, and Ron sat up on the grass. My headache is leaving, but I'm so damn tired. I'll just wait here while Lord Greengrass deals with this.

"I wish to speak with this boy" the woman demanded, and Ron looked over to her. She had an olive-skinned face, a beak-like nose, and large, black, liquid-looking eyes. She also towered over Lord Greengrass, and from where Ron was sitting, she looked to be a giantess. That is a big woman. Is she like Hagrid? What am I thinking? Of course she is.

"Your wishes are none of my concern, Madame" Lord Greengrass hissed. "Now let us return home before you cause an International Incident." Madame Maxime stared into Lord Greengrass' eyes, and then she frowned deeply. "Yes, I have brushed up on my Occlumency since our last meeting. Now let us pass."

"Boy, look at me" Madame Maxime ordered, and Lord Greengrass moved in between them.

"Ron, keep your eyes away from hers" Lord Greengrass ordered. "If she wants a look into your head, then she will need to brandish her wand." Ron ignored them both, and he gazed around instead. A pissed off looking Sphinx was circling them, and beyond it was a large crowd that was growing bigger. Shite, we're making a scene.

"You are breaking the rules of this Tournament" Madame Maxime glared at Lord Greengrass. "That boy has to be on some Potion, or some other sort of sedative."

"You dare accuse us of breaking the rules?" Lord Greengrass stared at her coldly, his gaze going right through her. "And what would you call your actions?"

"We have followed the rules, my students are allowed to be here" Madame Maxime replied, and then she looked past Lord Greengrass and right at Ron.

"Are they also allowed to use their allures?" Lord Greengrass asked. "Oh wait, you claim that that isn't the case. So I wonder, why are you so upset?" Madame Maxime blinked at Lord Greengrass, and Lord Greengrass smirked. "You are a passionate woman, but that is your greatest weakness. So go on, make a bigger scene. Expose yourself to all these people, and save me the trouble of putting you in your place. Or you can let us pass. The choice is yours." The two adults stared at each other, and Ron found himself growing tired of their pissing contest. He just wanted to go home and sleep until tomorrow morning. So Ron stood up with extreme effort, with his headache gone, he had regained some strength.

"Can we just go home, my Lord" Ron sighed, and Lord Greengrass turned to him. "I am tired, and I want to sleep."

"Goodbye, Madame" Lord Greengrass said without even turned around, and then he put a steady hand on Ron's back. "Can you walk?" Lord Greengrass whispered, and Ron nodded. Mentor and mentee began to leave, but the Sphinx jumped in their way. Lord Greengrass tensed again, and Ron heard people gasping and cameras going off.

"Laissez-les passer, Sphinx" Madame Maxime said, and the Lion-Woman slowly stepped aside. Lord Greengrass pushed Ron forward gently, and Ron began walking. He was too tired to even care about the camera flashes, or the people asking him questions. Lord Greengrass kept them at bay with his cold gaze, and even colder tone.

"No comments, step out of the way" Lord Greengrass ordered, and he repeated himself all the way to the Grand Hall. Once they were inside, Lord Greengrass led Ron to the closest fireplace. "Don't throw up on me again" Lord Greengrass told Ron, his voice somewhat humorous and serious at the same time.

"Then let me go through first please" Ron chuckled tiredly. Lord Greengrass called the address for the Holiday House, and then he tossed the Floo-Powder into the flames. As soon as the fire blazed green, Ron stepped through and found himself back home.

"He's here!" Tori yelled as she latched onto his middle, and Ron blinked in surprise. Damn she's fast. Was she just waiting in front of the fire?

"Yes, I'm back" Ron patted her head with his gloved hand, and then he heard Lord Greengrass enter behind.

"Oh, Ron" Lord Greengrass muttered as he side-stepped him. "Don't stand in the way, that's the first rule of traveling via floo…"

"Sorry, my Lord" Ron smiled apologetically, and then he groaned as Tori squeezed him tightly. "Tori, can I please sit down?"

"No" Tori refused.

"Astoria, let him go at once" Lord Greengrass sighed, and Tori slowly did as she was told. "Ron, with…" Lord Greengrass was interrupted when Daphne and Mary burst into the room.

"Wo ist dieser Junge?" Mary grit out, and then her eyes narrowed on him. Oh shite, I'm going back to the Veelas. She marched at him angrily, but Lord Greengrass quickly got in her way.

"Love, calm yourself" Lord Greengrass told her, and she turned her glare at her husband.

"Sag mir nicht, ich soll mich beruhigen, Sebastian" Mary huffed, and then she shot an angry look at Ron. "Foolish boy, you could've gotten hurt!" Seeing her so angry made Ron develop a keen interest in the floor, and even Tori skulked away from him. Smart girl. Usually a wise policy to step away from a dead man. Ron shot a quick glance at Daphne, and she looked even angrier than Mary. At least Mary's anger came from concern, Daphne was just red with fury. Ron looked back to the floor, he might not be making it home to Britain it seemed.

"Love, he resisted them today" Lord Greengrass told his wife. "He seemed more tired than in pain…"

"Why did you not bring him home?" Mary demanded angrily. "Why did you let him stay there?"

"Because it was not my choice to make" Lord Greengrass replied, his voice rising slightly. "I am not his father, and you will not speak to me this way. Is that understood?" Fuck me, I'm the reason behind this fight. Ronald Weasley: Homewrecker Extraordinaire.

"Yes, husband" Mary replied coldly, and then she shot Ron an angry look before departing from the room.

"Mary…" Lord Greengrass sighed, and then he turned to Daphne. "Make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, and call Healer Bernard." Who?

"Yes, Father" Daphne replied, and then Lord Greengrass left to find his wife. And unbearable silence engulfed them all, and Ron made sure to not look at either sister. Tori was probably scared and worried, but Daphne was definitely pissed off. Daphne suddenly moved towards him, and Ron braced for a flogging. But she walked right past him, grabbed some Floo-Powder, and then tossed it into the flames. The flames blazed green, and she stuck her head into the fire.

"Hello? Is Healer Bernard in?" Daphne spoke to someone on the other side. "Excellent, please tell him to come over to the Greengrass Holiday Home. Tell him that Lord Greengrass requests his presence whenever he finishes his rounds. Thank you." With that, she pulled her head out of the fire and turned to Ron.

"Did you win today?" Tori suddenly asked Ron softly, and Ron looked to her with a tired smile.

"Four wins, and one loss" Ron told her, but he was interrupted when Daphne punched his right arm. It had enough force behind it that his wobbly knees lost their balance, and Ron toppled onto his left side. Ron let out a groan as pain shot up through his right arm, and then he turned onto his back.

"Daphne!" Tori yelled as she quickly sat down next to him. Ron shot a look at Daphne, and she looked extremely shocked and guilty. Fucking hell… That really hurt, Daphne.

"I'm… I'm sorry…" Daphne muttered, and then she quickly sat down next to him as well. "I didn't think that you'd fall over." Ron felt his temper flare, but he quickly suppressed it. You deserved that for what you put them through today, you selfish git. If anything, they should all be allowed to clock you one today.

"It's perfectly okay, I deserved that" Ron said as he full on just lay down on the ground, and he closed his eyes. The hardwood was cool, and it felt heavenly. "I'm sorry for running off like that, but I swear, I resisted them much better today. I'm getting used to their allures." Well, the Entity is anyway.

"Getting used to their allures?" Daphne asked, her expression still showing her guilt. "So it wasn't just accidental magic? You resisted them yourself?"

"Yeah, I did" Ron lied.

"Wow…" Tori said in awe. "Ron, you're like super-famous now!" I am? It's only been a day since I started resisting them.

"Tori, don't yell in his ear" Daphne frowned at her sister.

"What? You just hit him!" Tori argued with a haughty tone.

"I'm allowed to" Daphne huffed. "I'm his… friend…" That was smooth. Ladies and gentlemen, please give Ms. Greengrass your applause.

"I'm his friend too" Tori shot back.

"Can one of my 'friends' please get me a pillow?" Ron chuckled tiredly. "I'm so fucking tired…"

"Ron!" Daphne exclaimed. "Don't swear near Tori!"

"I'm not a moron, Daphne" Tori told her sister. "I know swear words too."

"Knowing them and saying them are two different things" Daphne frowned at both Ron and Tori.

"All this yelling is hurting my brain" Ron sighed as he opened his eyes, and he saw both of them go wide-eyed. "What? Why are you looking at me like that?"

"Ron…" Daphne started softly, but she was interrupted when Mary walked back into the room. As soon as Mary saw Ron on the ground, her somewhat angry expression turned into pure panic and worry.

"Ronald!" Mary shrieked as she quickly made her way to him, and Lord Greengrass suddenly burst into the room too.

"What happened?" Lord Greengrass demanded.

"I slipped and fell, that's all" Ron lied immediately. Lying is pretty much my go to move now. Damn…

"He's lying" Tori said, and Ron frowned deeply. "He fell over because Daphne hit him really hard."

"Ugh… Don't tattle on people like that" Ron groaned.

"Daphne Greengrass, how dare you strike your friend?" Mary scolded Daphne in a harsh tone.

"It's alright, I deserved it" Ron groaned as he sat up. "I don't mind."

"Apologize to him, now" Lord Greengrass commanded as he gazed right through Daphne.

"I'm sorry, Ron" Daphne muttered meekly, and Ron felt a strong pang of guilt.

"It's alright, Daph" Ron told her, but she looked quite subdued and guilty. Nice going, Astoria. You little tattle-tale.

"Here, Ron" Mary said as she bent forward and handed him a small vial with a green Potion. "Drink this quickly." Ron didn't even question what was in it, and he downed it in one go. It tasted minty, and it felt like something frozen was going down his throat.

"Ugh… What was that?" Ron wheezed as Mary took the vial from him and stood up straight.

"It's an Invigoration Draught" Mary told him. "It should give you more energy."

"Why? I wanted to sleep" Ron whined, only to realize that he sounded like a child.

"You didn't eat last night, or this morning" Mary scolded him. "Come, I'm going to make sure you eat your fill." Ron slowly got up, and he noticed that it wasn't as hard as before. Neat Potion, I should learn to brew it. Mary took his gloved hand in her left one, and she dragged him to the dining room behind her. She sat him down in front of a plate filled with food, and she pointed her finger at it. "Start eating, Ronald Weasley. Or I'll spoon feed you myself."

Ron didn't question her again, and he began eating slowly. Mary took a seat next to him, and she watched him eat with a worried look. Once Ron had started eating, his hunger became apparent. He was starving. No, he was utterly ravenous. Ron demolished four different plates of food, and once he was completely filled to bursting, he leaned back into his chair and closed his eyes. Ugh… I'm bloated now, but it was totally worth it.

"There you go, now drink this too" Mary smiled softly as she handed him a glass filled with a thick pink fluid.

"What's this, Mary?" Ron asked, but she just caressed his right cheek lovingly. "Why do you look so… troubled? Did something happen while I was away?"

"Yes dear, something happened" Mary said softly, and Ron blinked at her. Dear? That's a first. And what's happened? "But drink this first, it's a Nutrition Potion." Ron nodded slowly, and he took a big sip. Ron swallowed it quickly and he immediately gagged, it was horrid. "Shhh, just drink it please" Mary said as she rubbed his back. Ron quickly chugged down the rest of the thick Potion, and his stomach turned. Ron felt saliva building up in his mouth, but Mary handed him another glass with a thick blue Potion. "Drink this quickly, it will stop you from getting sick." Ron took the glass in a hurry, and he chugged the sweet Potion down. It worked like a charm, and Ron felt his stomach begin to settle down again.

"Mary, what's with these Potions?" Ron asked, and then he looked around and finally noticed that Lord Greengrass and the girls weren't here. "Where are the others?"

"My husband is no doubt lecturing Daphne" Mary sighed. "And once he gets started, not even Astoria is safe."

"I told you guys, I didn't mind her hitting me" Ron sighed, he didn't like the fact that Daphne was paying for his mistake. "She was just upset, and scared. That's just how she reacts when she loses control over her emotions."

"I know" Mary smiled. "And I'm a little surprised that you do too. My husband told me that our daughter was right about not pulling you out without your consent. You two seem to know each other rather well." Good lord, I've backed myself into a corner here. Make a joke, distract her.

"Well I don't know about her, but I'm considered a Prodigy" Ron joked with a soft smile, and Mary chuckled. "I'm sorry for running off like that, I just couldn't give up."

"I know, Sebastian told me what you said as well" Mary said as she moved some of his hair back in place. Her loving and doting manner was beginning to alarm him, something was wrong here.

"Mary, what's happened?" Ron asked her. She shows me affection already, but she's been constantly touching me since we sat down.

"How do you resist them, Ron?" Mary asked, and he blinked at her deflection. "Even my husband failed to resist them, and he wasn't even their target. But you resisted them all, and today, you resisted them again. How?"

"Um…" Ron muttered, he needed a good lie right now. "I just… I want to look at them, I really do. I want to see them for myself, but I know that if I do I'll lose. So I force myself to look away… It's hard to explain." Yeah, it's hard to explain because it's utter shite. The Entity resists them, while my brain takes the beating. Mary's look showed her confusion, and her awe.

"But it hurts you, doesn't it?" Mary asked softly. "So why resist so hard?" Didn't really get a choice, the Entity made that choice for me.

"I don't want to lose" Ron shrugged, at least that was true. "I worked hard to be here, and I don't want to give up everything that I've gained." I'm going to prove to the Entity that I control my own life, and that it can fuck off and die.

"It's just one Tournament, Ron" Mary said as she held his right hand.

"Not to me" Ron told her. Mary just stared into his eyes, she was clearly just blown away by his strength. It was a shame too, because it was the Entity's strength that she was admiring. Ron felt like a cheat for earning this amazed look from her, he didn't deserve it. But that guilt quickly turned to anger towards the Entity, this thing had turned him into a lying cheat. No, I did that to myself I think. Most of my problems are my own fault, Daphne told me that. What did it call me? An ill-made, spiteful little creature… Maybe it was right. The door suddenly opened, and both Ron and Mary looked to it. Lord Greengrass entered the room, and a strange bald man followed behind him.

"Ron, this is Healer Bernard" Lord Greengrass introduced the bald man. Ron noted that the man had a rather bushy mustache, and Ron made sure to not stare at it.

"Hello" Ron greeted the Healer, and the Healer smiled at him. The girls entered the room as well, and both girls looked quite guilt ridden. Ron's chest tightened at the sight of them, and he decided to apologize to them after this.

"Girls, please go to your room" Mary told them, and they both shot quick looks at Ron. But in the end, they did as they were told. What the fuck is going on? I'm starting to get scared here. "Ron, Healer Bernard wants to talk to you about something important. Please just hear him out." Ron nodded slowly as Lord Greengrass took a seat to his left, effectively sandwiching Ron in between himself and his wife. Healer Bernard walked up behind Ron, and Ron tensed a bit.

"Before we get started, I'd like to take another picture of his brain" Healer Bernard said, and Ron turned to face the man.

"A picture of my brain?" Ron asked in bewilderment.

"It won't hurt, child" Bernard assured him. "Just stay very, very still for me."

"Ron, do as he says" Lord Greengrass told him, and Ron slowly turned back around. A picture of my brain? Wait… He said 'another picture', didn't he? Did he take one yesterday while I slept? That's so fucking creepy. Ron sat as still as possible, and he sat there for over two minutes. No one said a word, and Ron was starting to go crazy with worry. Something was very wrong, and he knew it for certain now.

"Done" Bernard said, and Ron heard the crinkling of parchment. "What in Merlin's name…?" Bernard muttered, and Ron turned around in a panic.

"What is it?" Mary asked quickly.

"His brain is inflamed" Bernard replied slowly, and then he looked at Ron with a confused look. "But not half as much as it was yesterday… How is this possible?"

"My brain is inflamed?" Ron muttered. "What does that mean?" Is that why the Dream Hogwarts was collapsing around me? Is that what the Entity was healing?

"Oh, it means that it was quite overworked yesterday" Bernard replied. "But today, although overworked, it is not a threat. This is generally how inflamed a brain can get when someone's worked for over sixteen hours in one day, or hasn't slept in a couple of days." Bernard then moved away from Ron, and he sat across from Ron and the Greengrasses. "I understand that you didn't get a chance to talk to him yet. But that is alright, I'm glad that I can be here to answer any questions that he might have."

"Questions about what? Talk to me about what?" Ron asked Lord Greengrass.

"Sebastian, please leave me with the boy" Bernard instructed. "This will be easier if his attention is focused solely on me." Lord Greengrass gazed at Bernard for a few seconds, and then he nodded slowly.

"Come, love" Lord Greengrass said as he stood up. "Ron, we will be right outside when you finish." Before Ron could even say a word, both Lord and Lady Greengrass left the room. Mary shot him a sad smile before she left, and Ron's gut twisted.

"Am I dying?" Ron asked Bernard immediately after they left.

"No, you are not dying" Bernard replied, and then he reached for his briefcase. The bald man opened his briefcase, and he pulled out two photos. He placed them next to the recently taken one, and Ron looked at the three pictures in bafflement.

"What are these? Are these pictures of my brain?" Ron asked, he remembered the Healer's previous words.

"Yes, Ron" Healer Bernard replied. "Do you mind if I call you Ron?"

"No, now explain these" Ron ordered, he didn't really care about niceties right now. This has to be bad… First the Dream Hogwarts collapsing, and now the panicked looks from the Greengrass Family. Something is really off.

"This is the photo I took when I first inspected you" Bernard pointed to a really white photo. "This showed how badly your brain was inflamed, and even I was shocked to see this. And then, this is the photo I took after administering a heavy dose of Sleeping Draught." Bernard pointed to the photo that was more black-and-white, and at least resembled a brain. "There was significant improvement, though most of it was the result of accidental magic healing you." The fucking Entity you mean. "And now this photo" Bernard pointed to a photo showing a slightly inflamed brain "is the one I just took. Tell me, were there less Veelas in attendance today?"

"No, same amount I think" Ron replied, and Bernard blinked. "I just learnt how to avoid their allures a bit better."

"You learnt…" Bernard stammered, he was clearly flummoxed. "Please explain this to me Ron, I must hear your account." Bernard then quickly took out a piece of parchment and a quill, and he stared at Ron to go on. Oh shite, what do I say? Yeah Bernard, a fucking demon lives in my brain. It's the real reason behind my success in this Tournament. If the Entity doesn't kill me, then this Healer will definitely lock me up.

"Well, it's hard to explain" Ron started slowly. "I want to look at them, but I force myself to stop. I think of Chess, or anything else really. As long as it's not Veelas, I think about it." At least that's somewhat true.

"I see, you displace your focus onto other things" Bernard nodded as he jotted this down. "Tell me, how does it feel? When you resist them?"

"Like a headache" Ron admitted, and Bernard started jotting things down again. "Like a really slow, growing headache. It starts at the base of my skull, and it crawls up. Like it's trying to spread to the rest of my brain… It feels alive, sort of like a jolt… And it just gets worse and worse, until I can't even think straight."

"Hmmm" Bernard nodded slowly. "Very interesting. And you resist them because you refuse to be beaten, yes? You'd rather feel pain than give up?"

"Yes, exactly" Ron nodded with a soft smile, this guy understood him. Bernard jotted that down too, and Ron couldn't help but think that he had made a mistake.

"Why?" Bernard asked, and Ron blinked at him. "Why go so far for a victory?" It's not about the win, it's about taking control of my own life. It's about showing the Entity that I fucking hate its guts.

"The trophy is rather nice" Ron joked, but Bernard wasn't amused. Instead, the man jotted down his answer.

"Let's move on, shall we?" Bernard asked suddenly. "I am not your Mind-Healer, so I will stop with my questions. I would instead like to talk to you about these pictures."

"Okay…" Ron replied slowly.

"Do you see these black spots?" Bernard pointed them out, and Ron nodded. "All three photos have them, and they are what's important."

"What are they?" Ron asked.

"Brain damage, Ron" Bernard replied, and Ron slowly up at him.

"Pardon?" Ron muttered. Brain damage? What the fuck does he mean by that?

"Don't be frightened" Bernard assured him quickly. "These were caused by your accident, the one that left you with your scars." Ron's eyes widened, Bernard knew of his scars? "I saw them yesterday as I was nursing you back into a steady condition. Your accident left damage on not only your body, but also your mind."

"These black spots are from my accident?" Ron asked slowly. "I was brain damaged?" The Entity did this?

"The damage is not significant, but it can help to partly explain your behavior" Bernard went on.

"What behavior?" Ron asked.

"Your friend was forced to tell us about your frequent mood swings, angry outbursts, and even sudden bouts of sadness" Bernard replied. "Ron, you are suffering from a severe case of Chronic Stress."

"Severe case of Chronic Stress?" Ron blinked, this was insane. I'm brain damaged? What do I do about that? Entity, what did you do to me? "Wait, can we go back to the brain damage please?" Ron felt a cold sweat break out under his armpits.

"Of course" Bernard nodded. "You are not in any life threatening danger, I can assure you of that. However, this damage can grow if left unchecked. Which is why I want to talk to you about your Chronic Stress. It is the biggest threat to your health right now as it could potentially increase the damage already done to your brain. Again, I would like to assure you that you are not in any immediate danger. With proper help, you can learn to cope with your stress."

"Can this damage be healed?" Ron asked quickly.

"Unfortunately, our Healing skills have never truly been focused on the brain" Bernard sighed. "So I would say that as of this moment, we can't do anything about the damage. But we can stop it from spreading."

"By dealing with my 'Chronic Stress' issue?" Ron said softly as he leaned into his seat. How am I going to tell this to my family? Mum and dad are going to be devastated, Ginny will cry, and my brothers… They'll probably become overprotective, but it'll just come off as irritating. What about the Lovegoods? Or Sirius and Remus? Or my friends… I'll be labelled a cripple for the rest of my life.

"Ron, please listen to me" Bernard said, and Ron looked at him. "You cannot help what has already happened, but disappearing into your own mind is not the right decision. We can do something about this, that's what matters. I understand that you are planning to start seeing Poppy Pomfrey at Hogwarts?"

"Did Lord Greengrass tell you that?" Ron asked, he suddenly felt annoyed at his mentor for telling this man of their private conversation.

"Ron, we are not against you in any way" Bernard said softly. "I want to recommend that you start seeing her as soon as possible. She can help you in a great number of ways, and with her help, we can stop this damage from spreading."

"And if it keeps spreading?" Ron asked.

"Then you won't be you anymore" Bernard replied. My mission will fail. This Cycle will fail. The Entity told me that I always fail, but what happens to my family if I do? Ron felt drained, like his soul had been sucked out. He was already exhausted from his horribly long day, and now he had just found out that he was a brain damaged cripple. It was all a fucking joke, wasn't it? Some weird, cruel joke orchestrated by whatever force was strong enough to bind the Entity to Ron. "I also recommend that you stop attending this Tournament, Ron" Bernard told him, and Ron just gazed up tiredly. "It is hurting you, and it is not doing your brain any favors." Ron didn't even bother replying, he just wanted to go to sleep.

"What do I do then?" Ron managed to ask, his throat tightening.

"Rest until you can see Pomfrey" Bernard replied. "I will finish up my report on you today, and I will send it to her first thing tomorrow morning. Until then, I want you to have these." Bernard took out a small wooden box from his briefcase, and he opened the box in front of Ron. The box contained around 15 tiny vials filled with a thin blue Potion.

"The Calming Draught?" Ron guessed, and Bernard nodded.

"Very small doses" Bernard replied. "I know that you've suffered from an anxiety attack before, and just in case you feel another one coming on, I want you to have one vial. Make sure you take no more than two a day, otherwise you might become reliant on them." Bernard then closed the box, and he slid it in front of Ron. "Do you any more questions?"

"Can you tell me more about what Chronic Stress is?" Ron asked as he stared at the box filled with Potions.

"Of course" Bernard replied. "Chronic Stress is the response to emotional pressure suffered for a prolonged period of time in which an individual perceives that they have little or no control over their lives." Control? Shite… "The symptoms tend to vary from patient to patient. But the general ones are anxiety, depression, social isolation, headaches, an inability to sleep, and in severe cases like yours, panic attacks. Do you feel like you have any of these symptoms?" Most, if not all…

"Well, I'm not depressed" Ron replied slowly. "Though I'm not sure I'd know if I was…"

"Do you generally feel unhappy?" Bernard asked.

"I feel unhappy, but not all the time" Ron replied, he couldn't look away from the box. "It comes and goes…"

"Mood swings are another symptom of Chronic Stress" Bernard told him. "Daphne tells me that your mood changes frequently at school, and she claims that your other friends think the same as her."

"I… don't really think about it" Ron admitted.

"That's alright, Ron" Bernard smiled. "To you your actions seem rational, and there is nothing wrong with that. With Pomfrey's help, you'll learn to better handle your condition. Do you have any more questions?"

"No…" Ron replied softly. "No, I'm done…"

---

Arthur Weasley's POV

(Flashback – July 1981)

"C'mon, Arthur" Fabian mocked, he had a three year old Fred sleeping in his lap. "We're hungry, you know."

"Terrible cook, and abysmal service" Gideon added on as he rubbed a sleeping George's back.

"What kind of restaurant are you running here, Arthur?" Fabian sniggered.

"Stop it you two, my husband is doing his best" Molly frowned at her brothers, and then she looked to Arthur who was making dinner for them. "Arthur, take your time love."

"I'm done" Arthur sighed tiredly as he quickly made their plates, he didn't have time to waste. Fabian and Gideon have a mission for the Order tonight, they need to eat and be on their way. And so, he served his brothers-in-law first. They were always poking fun at him, but they were great blokes. They loved a good laugh, and their presence within the Order uplifted the spirits of everyone. But they could also be pricks, though Arthur would never admit that. Molly would go mental if I did.

"Thank you, my good man" Fabian chuckled as Arthur gave him a plate with steak and mashed potatoes.

"Mmm" Gideon hummed as he chewed, and then he smacked his lips. "My compliments to the chef, he didn't completely burn the steak this time."

"Arthur has been getting better every day" Molly smiled proudly, and Arthur smiled back at her. She was nearing the end of her pregnancy, and this time they were sure that the baby was a girl. Arthur served his pregnant wife with a healthy amount of vegetables to go with her steak and mashed potatoes.

"Hey" Fabian frowned at Molly's plate, bits of mashed potato sticking to his thick red goatee. "How come she gets more than us?"

"I'm eating for two" Molly replied as she rubbed her stomach. "And Ginny likes vegetables."

"I can't believe you already named her" Gideon rolled his eyes, but then he smiled widely. "So she'll be born next month?"

"Merlin willing" Molly smiled down at her stomach, her hand still rubbing her belly.

"Guess we'd better get shopping for a perfect 'Welcome to the World Gift', shouldn't we?" Fabian sighed. "Honestly Molly, could you pop them out faster?" Arthur shot an angry glare at Fabian, and the troublemaker put his hands up in surrender.

"Wonder where we'll get this present, not many shops left" Gideon spoke to himself, he was somewhere in his own mind. "The Death Eaters have…"

"Shush" Molly frowned at her bothers, and then she shot a look to the sleeping twins.

"I'll take them up" Arthur said as he moved over to Molly's brothers. Arthur took Fred and George from Fabian and Gideon, and he held his sons to his chest. They were still tiny, so lifting them was no great feat. Arthur made his way upstairs, and he gently put the twins on their shared bed. He kissed both their heads, and then he left the room with a content smile. Arthur then moved to everyone single bedroom, and he checked to make sure that all of his children were asleep. He was happy to note that unlike the twins, the rest of his children were still asleep. Though Ronnie might wake up again, he usually wakes up in the middle of the night because he needs his diaper changed. Arthur tiptoed back downstairs, and he could hear Fabian and Gideon talking in hushed whispers.

"They struck Gringotts again today" Fabian sighed as he rubbed his face, his dinner forgotten.

"Gringotts?" Arthur asked as he stepped into the dining room/kitchen. Arthur was far removed from the War, he had a family to raise after all. But sometimes he wished that he was out there helping the Order, the War was going horribly.

"Yeah, Gringotts" Gideon started explain, his dinner also forgotten. "You-Know-Who is obsessed with it for some reason, this has been his fourth assault on the bank. And just like the last three times, it failed."

"What do you think he wants?" Molly whispered.

"Merlin knows what that mad-man wants" Fabian frowned deeply. "Lately, he's barely been making an appearance on the battlefields. He's up to something, and his pet Malfoy has all but taken the reigns."

"Though he does show up sometimes" Gideon added on. "Bastard leveled most of Diagon Alley singlehandedly last week, and we all had to run for our lives. Even Dumbledore…"

"Dumbledore?" Arthur's eyes went wide, how was that possible. "He would never flee from him."

"He had little choice, Arthur" Gideon explained in a hollow voice. "He may have 'fled', but it was so that he could get us all out safely. You-Know-Who released some new form of Fiendfyre in the middle of the fucking street, roasted some of his own followers in the process."

"Coward" Molly spat, her disgust evident in her expression. "Why won't this War just end? How long is this going to go on for?"

"For a long time, sis" Fabian sighed. "Things are getting worse, not better. As you already know, the French Ministry has fallen. His supporters are growing every single day, while we're barely holding on."

"Our own Ministry won't last much longer" Arthur told them, and the Prewett twins nodded. Molly however, looked utterly horrified. "It's all that anyone talks about at work, love. We have no way of knowing who's on his side within our own walls, and with the Ministry out for blood, we're becoming alienated from the public. Some of the Aurors have started using the Cruciatus Curse as a means to get information, and everyone knows it."

"Which is why we came here today before our mission" Fabian suddenly cut in, and both Arthur and Molly looked to him. "Gideon and I were hoping to convince you two to leave the country."

"What? No" Arthur refused immediately.

"Our home is here, and we're not leaving it because of him" Molly joined her husband's side.

"Please see reason, Molly" Gideon pleaded, Arthur had never heard the man speak in that tone before. "You're about to have another child, and at this rate, they'll grow up in this War. Think of them, please. We have money saved up for you two, please take it and go somewhere safe."

"No" Molly refused, and Arthur nodded his agreement. The two Prewetts looked to Arthur with pleading looks, and Arthur felt his resolve weaken. I've never seen them like this.

"Arthur, please" Fabian insisted.

"We don't have children, but we love your children like our own" Gideon added on. "Please just reconsider our proposal. Bill will be attending Hogwarts next year, and if the War keeps waging on, then he'll be forced to fight one day."

"That will be his choice, we won't take that away from him" Arthur replied. "I know you two mean well, but Molly and I have already decided to not let fear control us."

"Did you agree on that? Or are you just listening to Dumbledore's propaganda?" Fabian frowned deeply, and Arthur felt his temper flare.

"Arthur, you haven't seen how bad it is out there" Gideon quickly jumped in. "The Ministry isn't telling the public the truth, things are at their worst right now. I pulled…" Gideon suddenly stopped, and then he drew in a sharp breath. "I pulled a little girl from a collapsed building a couple of months ago, and she died in my arms… Her legs were… gone…" The room went dead silent, and Gideon stared at his uneaten food with a sorrowful look.

"Please" Fabian broke the silence with a soft whisper. "Please leave the country. There's no shame in it, you have children to protect. And we've seen so many dead ones recently…" Arthur felt his heart clench at the thought of losing his children, but Molly jumped in before Arthur could say anything.

"We are not leaving, you are our family too" Molly said firmly, and the twins gave defeated sighs. "If we give into fear, then we might as well lose the War." They were all silent again, and Arthur could see just how much the two men had aged. They still had red hair, and youthful bodies. But their faces had aged, their eyes had become hardened, and their famous humor had ebbed. War has changed them, while I'm just sitting here in my home. Arthur once again felt the need to join the Order, and he decided that he would broach the subject with Molly again.

"We'll be off then" Fabian said suddenly as he checked his pocket watch. "We have a mission to get to." Fabian and Gideon stood up, and Arthur followed suit. Molly remained seated, and both twins gave her kisses on her right cheek.

"See you soon, sister" they both said together.

"Please be safe, you two" Molly smiled sadly. "And don't get distracted like you always do."

"It's just a civilian escort thing" Gideon smiled softly. "We aren't even expecting a fight tonight."

"Either way, please be safe" Molly fussed. The twins nodded with smiles, and then they began leaving the house. Arthur followed them outside, and he made sure to close the door behind him.

"Wait a moment" Arthur requested, and the twins turned to him. "I've been thinking lately… I want to join the Order." The twins blinked at Arthur.

"Arthur, don't be stupid" Gideon frowned slightly.

"You have a family to protect" Fabian added on, though he had a more sympathetic look about him.

"I know, and that's why I want to join" Arthur said firmly. "I'm pretty much already in it, and I can help."

"Hosting dinner for the Order, and fighting Death Eaters are two separate things you fool" Gideon scolded him.

"Gideon, don't be a twat" Fabian smacked his brother's right arm. "Arthur, mate… You have six children, and a seventh one on the way. If you get killed out there, who will provide for them?" Arthur looked down at that.

"I just… I want to help" Arthur sighed tiredly.

"And you do help" Fabian walked up and put his left hand on Arthur's right shoulder. "You keep our sister happy, and people like you keep hope alive."

"Hope?" Arthur repeated softly.

"Hope for a better future" Fabian smiled, and Arthur stared at Fabian in wonder. "Hope for a day where that evil bastard is dead, and we can start rebuilding our world. Gideon may sound like a twat, but he's right. It's not safe out there, and we can't lose you. We… We love you, mate. You're our family too." Arthur was lost for words, these two had changed so much over the years. "Here" Fabian said as he handed Arthur his pocket watch.

"This is a Prewett Family Heirloom" Arthur muttered, his eyes going wide at the sight of the gold pocket watch. "I can't accept this…"

"You can, and you will" Gideon called out from behind Fabian. "Keep it for your sons."

"Are you two…?" Arthur started softly.

"No, we're not planning to die" Fabian shook his head. "But we might… We can't say that to Molly, she'll go mental. But the truth is, Gideon and I could die during any mission. So keep the watch." Fabian then gave Arthur a hug, one that Arthur slowly returned. "Take care, mate. We'll see you in a couple of days."

"And don't tell Molly what we said" Gideon added on, and then they both Disapparated.

That was the last time that Arthur saw them alive.

The next time he saw them, their severed heads were being buried in the Prewett Family Graveyard. Their eyes and tongues cut out.

---

Arthur Weasley's POV

Tuesday 24th of March, 1993 (Ministry of Magic – End of Work Day)

"Arthur, mate wake up" came Macmillan's voice, and Arthur was torn out of his memories. He had been thinking of the Prewett twins a lot recently, especially that night. "It's time to go home, or would you rather stay the night here." Arthur looked up to see Macmillan smiling at him from the doorway, and Arthur managed a weak smile back.

"I'll be out in a minute" Arthur replied, and Macmillan nodded and left. Arthur then took out Fabian's gold pocket watch, and he checked the time. Six 'o'clock, I should head home. Arthur put the watch back in his pocket, and he stood up and stretched. When he finished stretching his back, his eyes fell onto the picture of his family that sat framed on his desk. Arthur smiled at it, the picture was taken with a Muggle camera when Ginny had turned six. Arthur picked up the frame, and he stared at Ronnie's face with a sad look. Look at that smile, I haven't seen him smile like that since he turned eight. He looks so… innocent.

Deep down, in the darkest part of his heart, Arthur hated how different his son had become. It had all started when he had turned eight. One day he was a sweet boy, who was a little too shy. But then all of sudden he had started studied, exercising, and that was when he started to change. Slowly and slowly, this happy version of his son disappeared. And it was replaced by the cold, angry Ron that he knew today. But Arthur didn't blame his son, he blamed himself. He was at fault, and everyone knew it.

Pandora had told them all, including Sirius and Remus, about how hard Ron was trying to please everyone. That Ron's Acute Stress Disorder came from trying to please Arthur and Molly, which was the only thing that his son wanted... To please his parents, but both Molly and Arthur had neglected him. It wasn't intentional, but it had happened. Molly loved and doted on Ginny most of the time, while Arthur sated his passion for all things Muggle. It had seemed so harmless at the time, dismissing Ron to experiment with a new gadget. Arthur figured that Ron would just play with his brothers instead, but Arthur now knew that his children didn't always get along. And that Ron often ended up as the target for their frustrations. The twins had each other, Bill and Charlie stuck together because they were too old for their siblings, Ginny had Molly, and Percy had his books and Arthur's ear. Ron had no one, so he had chosen the Lovegoods.

Arthur put the frame down, his face hollow and tired. Merlin he missed his son, he missed him so much that it hurt to even think about him. And lately, Ron was the only thing that Arthur could think about besides the Prewett twins. I need to go home and check on Ginny, I don't like to be away from her when she needs me. Arthur grabbed his dirty old briefcase, and he left his office with a quickened pace. As he made his way into the main lobby, he noticed people staring at him. Arthur quickly checked himself over, but everything seemed to be in order. But the looks didn't stop, and so Arthur stopped walking and stared back at them. Why are they looking at me like that? And what are they whispering about?

"Arthur, mate!" came Macmillan's voice, and Arthur turned around to see his co-worker running to him with a copy of the recent Daily Prophet. Didn't get a chance to read it this morning, but then again, it's always just garbage.

"Ian, what's the matter?" Arthur asked his co-worker as he stopped right in front of Arthur.

"Your son is bloody famous, Arthur" Macmillan replied, and then he handed Arthur the Daily Prophet. "Read this mate, it's utterly unreal." Arthur immediately started reading the paper, and his eyes grew to the size of dinner plates. Saved Harry Potter's life by slaying a Mountain Troll singlehandedly… Considered a Prodigy by Hogwarts' Professors… Saved Sirius Black from wrongful imprisonment… Helped capture a thought to be deceased Death Eater at the age of eleven… Champion of last year's Junior League Chess Tournament… CAN RESIST OVER FIFTY VEELAS AT ONCE?! Arthur looked up to see Macmillan smiling widely. "Is this all true? Is that really your son?"

"He is…" Arthur muttered, he was utterly stunned by this. I need to show this to Molly! "Excuse me, I need to get home right now."

"Get me his autograph!" Macmillan laughed as Arthur made his way through the crowd, the Daily Prophet clutched tightly in his right hand. Fifty Veelas? How is that even possible? I know about the other things, but fifty bloody Veelas at once? Arthur looked around to see a few people smiling at him in wonder, and others whispering about his son. He could make out a few words, and they all seemed to be questioning if Ron was really Arthur Weasley's son. That angered Arthur greatly, but he chose to ignore them. He had to show Molly this newspaper. Arthur quickly got to a free fireplace, and he threw in some Floo-Powder with his left hand.

"The Burrow" Arthur called clearly, and he jumped right in as soon as the flames turned green. "Molly! Are you here?!" Arthur called as he burst into the kitchen, and he was stopped dead in his tracks by what he saw. Sirius, Remus, Pandora, Xenophilius, and Molly were all talking animatedly, and Arthur saw Molly holding a copy of the Daily Prophet in her hand. Molly turned to him, her expression excited and confused at the same time.

"Arthur! Have you read today's Daily Prophet?!" Molly asked as all the adults turned to Arthur, all of them sharing Molly's look of confused excitement. Arthur just held up his copy, and a wide smile broke out on his face.

"I did…"

---

Ronald Weasley's POV

Tuesday March 24th, 1993 (Greengrass Holiday House – Close to Midnight)

He stood by the window in his room, and he gazed out at the city of Paris. It was off in the distance, its bright lights dazzling and alluring. Everyone else was no doubt asleep by now, but Ron couldn't sleep. He was utterly exhausted, but he just couldn't sleep. After Bernard had left, Ron had been comforted by Lord and Lady Greengrass. Well, they had tried to comfort him. But he had just sat there quietly as he pondered what his brain damage meant for his mission. In the end, Ron had just gotten up and left them both behind. Their comforting words and touches were starting to piss him off, and he just decided to grab his box of Potions and leave. They didn't follow him up, and Ron was fine with that.

He had heard the Greengrass Family dining downstairs, but he hadn't joined them. Tori had knocked on his door a few times, but he had ignored her. Mary had come into the room before bedtime, but he had ignored her as well. His mind was focused on his mission, and this Cycle's impending failure. That's all he cared about right now. He didn't care about his family's reaction anymore, he wasn't planning on telling them anyway. He didn't care about the Greengrass Family trying to comfort him, he didn't want comfort. What he wanted was to figure out a way to make this Cycle successful.

And so, Ron had actively tried to contact the Entity. Ron planned to beg it for its help, but his 'prayers' went unanswered. After that failed, Ron had tried to contact this other being that had bound the Entity to him. But once again, he was met with silence. When he finally began to realize that he couldn't do anything about his mission tonight, that's when the panic began to set in. His heart had started pounding in his throat, his lungs ached from his ragged breathing, and he had begun to sweat buckets. He was brain damaged, a damn cripple… How the fuck was he meant to succeed now? He was just thirteen, and now he was brain damaged?! How was that fair?! What the fuck did he do to deserve this?!

He found his escape in a tiny bottle filled with some Calming Draught. He had quickly downed a vial in his panic induced state, and now he was a lot more mellowed out. A small part of him was still terrified of what he had learned today, but he was no longer panicking. He was quite a lot calmer than before, but not enough to not worry about the future. What was he meant to do? Where was he supposed to go from here? Which move would yield him the greatest results? Ron was ripped out of his thoughts as he heard his door click open, and he turned to see Daphne pop her head into his room. Ron stepped back into the shadows, he wanted to see why she was here. Daphne entered slowly, and then she quietly closed the door behind her.

"Ron?" Daphne whispered as she stared at his bed, it was rather dark in his room. He had turned the lights off because they were driving him insane while he was panicking. "Ron, are you asleep?" How would I answer that if I was? Daphne took a few more steps towards his bed, while Ron watched her quietly. Daphne seemed to hum a bit when she realized that he wasn't in his bed, and she immediately went to leave his room.

"What do you want, Daphne?" Ron asked calmly as he stepped out of the shadows, and Daphne let out a scared yelp.

"Ron?" Daphne hissed as she turned to face him. "What are you doing in that corner?"

"It's my room, I can stand in any corner that I like" Ron shrugged, and then he stared out of the window again. Daphne was bewildered by his demeanor, but then she realized why he was being like this.

"You had some of your Calming Draught, didn't you?" Daphne asked.

"I don't remember telling you I had some on me" Ron replied, and he heard Daphne step up behind him.

"Mother told us that Healer Bernard gave you a box full of them, and that we aren't allowed near it" Daphne said softly. "Did you… did you have another panic attack?"

"I started to, but then I had a vial" Ron replied as he gazed at the lights of Paris. "I feel… calm? No, I just feel tired…"

"Then why are you awake?" Daphne asked as she stepped up beside him, and he turned to see her in her silver silk pajamas.

"Couldn't sleep" Ron replied. "Why are you awake? And why are you in my room this late? If your mother and father find out, we'll both be done for."

"Ah, so you aren't completely gone" Daphne smirked, but then her smirk fell immediately. "Sorry… I shouldn't make jokes. You've had a… tough day. A really tough, horrible day… How are you feeling?"

"I feel brain damaged" Ron smirked, and Daphne gave him slightly horrified look.

"Ron… don't say that…" Daphne muttered, her voice slightly shaky. "Don't ever say that again…"

"Why not? It's true, isn't it?" Ron looked back to Paris. Look at those lights. Maybe father is right about Muggles being amazing.

"This is just the Potion talking" Daphne sighed softly. "You're numb to your own words."

"Daphne, what are you doing here?" Ron asked her, all he wanted was to be left alone.

"I wanted to see you, and I wanted to talk to you" Daphne replied.

"Then why wait until the dead of night?" Ron frowned slightly.

"Tori told me you ignored her, and mother said the same" Daphne replied. "Father told us to leave you alone, that you needed to process this on your own first."

"Your father is the smartest man I know" Ron told her. "You ought to listen to him."

"I know, but I couldn't help it" Daphne responded. "Look at me, Ron. Stop staring out of the window like that." Ron turned to face her again, and he saw that she looked rather worried.

"Don't worry, Daphne" Ron told her, and she blinked. "It doesn't help me, and it doesn't help you. I just need some time to figure out my next move, and then everything will be fine."

"Next move?" Daphne asked.

"Doesn't matter, it's just something that I've been thinking about" Ron shrugged, and then he stared out of the window again. "What would Lord Greengrass do in my shoes?" Ron asked himself, while Daphne just stared at him with a saddened look.

"Do you want me to leave?" Daphne asked softly.

"Yes" Ron replied. "And close the door behind you please." Daphne nodded, and she left the room with a dejected look. When Ron heard the door click shut, he let out a relieved sigh. What would Lord Greengrass do? Which move is the most beneficial to my Cycle?

---

AUTHOR'S NOTES: And there it is, another Chapter finished. And yes, Ron was rather out of his mind at the end. That's what the Calming Draught does, it numbs all emotion to suppress any panic or fright. He won't be too happy with how he spoke to Daphne tomorrow. Also, Ron took quite a thrashing this Chapter. But then again, it's all part of the story.

Next Chapter will have a Tracey POV, and a Millie POV. I've also decided to put in a Neville POV, one with a disappointed Gran. She gave Ron her hand in allegiance, but her Grandson shat all over that... Ron will come to a crossroad next chapter when it comes to chess. Lord Greengrass and he will discuss some stuff. And he will try and make it up to the sisters and Mary.

See you on Saturday!